| One of my best friend's boyfriend's sister died recently. My mom and I helped treat her. School's a bitch. I have mono and didn't do anything to earn it (despite Tomanaiya's teasings and insinuations). I haven't been to work in two weeks and consequently am poor. A jerk of a teacher may cost me my scholarship. I'm tired, in pain, cranky and someone's gonna pay for this. Therefore, since I'm not in a good mood, I write angst. So poor Duo suffers. He really should stop hanging out with me. It's bad for his health��. Title: Too Rude a Kindness Author: Lady DarkAngel Ladydarkangel_1 @ yahoo.com Category: Angst Pairing(s): 2+? Disclaimers: Gundam Wing or Shinkidousenki Gundam Wing is copyrighted and trademarked by Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency and associated parties with all rights and privileges. The characters were used without permission for the purposes of entertainment only. This is not meant for sale of profit. Any characters not created by those listed above are mine and hereby considered the sole property and copyright of the author. Anyway, I'm just a poor college student. So can I play with them? I promise I won't break them�... much. Rating: PG Warnings: Angst, bastardization (not of Duo). And have you ever seen me write something without a single swear in it? Language! Feedback: Kami-sama, YES!!! Ladydarkangel_1 @ yahoo.com (ignore the spaces); any and all comments are welcome like the sweet ego-sustainers they are. The bandage feels thin in my hands. The slice on my arm goes clear up from my wrist to my shoulder; got nicked by a damn Ozzie with a Bowie and some coordination for a change. I've already taken off my shirt, if you can call the ruined rag that. Not only is the right sleeve slit clean through but the thing's soaked up enough blood to leave a visible stain on the black fabric. The roll of gauze I've used to wrap my arm up after my half-assed attempts at washing it out is flimsy and running low as I try and manhandle this in as minimally awkward manner as possible. Lucky for me it doesn't need stitches or I'd had to make up one hell of a good (quick) lie on the spot. Cuts like this don't happen often and somehow I don't think flashing my little violet eyes at the head nurse will save me this time if hospital visits are required. So here I am, little he-man Duo, fighting down the pain and doing this by myself 'cause I'm a guy, a soldier, a MAN and men don't need help for this shit. And I don't want *him* thinking I'm weak. So here in the bathroom I sit, trying to mummify my arm while hiding from the guys in the vain hope that nobody noticed and will decide to investigate. Eh, who the hell am I kidding? Of course they noticed! We're Gundam pilots; it's our job to be observant! I'm bleeding like a stuck pig a from a gash 2 feet long I got on what was supposed to be a simple recon mission! But if my luck holds out, I can get it done before they�� "Duo?" Shimatta. Thanks a lot Lady. Why don't you lob another loogie at me while you're at it? "Yeah?" The door opens. Great. It just had to be *him*. I take that back, Luck. You're not a lady. You're an absolute bitch. "Finished?" came the disinterested voice. "Yup. All done. See, nothin' major. Tiny cut. I'll be fine." Blank eyes causally evaluate me. "Don't lie. It doesn't become you." "Me?! I never lie!" I flash him my best fake grin and mentally hiss at the painkillers to get their asses in gear and take out the agony demons currently ripping into my arm and head. "Maybe not a lie precisely. But you obviously have nothing against exaggeration." "Well, they're not the same thing, now are they?" Cautiously I eye him as he fills the doorway. Why is *he* here? Of all of them, why him? He makes a non-committal sound and enters. Don't want to argue with me. Doesn't think it's worth it. I guess my question is clear in my eyes because he draws himself up rather stiffly and states, "I was sent to see if you were fine." "Just told you I was cool." "Alright then." Wow, he's being verbal today. Actually *talking* to me for a change. He turns to leave the tiny bathroom, his mission done. "Why you?" Me and my dumbass mouth. Stupid subconscious slips. I really need to get down there one of these days and install some lockable steel doors or something. He gives me a withering glare. "I don't know. I was volunteered for this." Ouch. He doesn't look happy about that. Wonder who did it. Scratch that. I KNOW who put him up to this. Don't know if I should be grateful or not. "I see no reason why I should check up on you." "A comrade-in-arms wounded? Are you kidding me? How about because of friendship? Interest? Concern? Simple human decency?" The eyes got colder and a nasty sneer forms. "As I said, I see no reason to check up on you." Ice spreads through me. "What? Why not? I just��" "You gave me a list of reasons that have nothing to do with you. This is waste of my time. This is a war. Injuries happen. Especially stupid careless ones like yours. Any warrior who needs to be coddled for something so minor won't be a live soldier for long." Cold is being replaced with heat. "What the hell are you talking about? Checking up on someone's not coddling! It's showing that you're a person, that they're your friend and that you give a damn about the people you work with!" "And if you don't?" "What is that supposed to mean?!" "What if 'the people you work with' are nothing more then that? Simple business associates, nothing more. There's no reason to be anything more." The words coming out of his mouth weren't surprising, really. I know this is the way thinks, feels, acts. He makes no secret about it. But it still hurt. That after all the terrible things we've gone through together, that we mean little to nothing to him�� that *I* mean nothing to him�� I swing at him. My arm's on fire, screaming pain but I don't care. I've had a REALLY bad day and I'm lashing out in the only way I can, at the only one I can reach that's actively causing my pain. Clueless bastard. How *could* he?! He grabs my wrist and twists us around, forcing my arm behind my back as he slams me into the wall, causing the flames of agony to rage even higher. He hisses in my ear as I struggle while he keeps me pinned. "Don't *ever* do that again. You won't survive next time." He abruptly releases me and I fall heavily to the floor. My braid is trapped beneath me, an unpleasant tug on my skull. Blood is flowing freely down my right side; musta ripped the slice open again. My wrist throbs; he probably broke it. I'm not going to be able to use it for a few days at least. I'm panting and glaring and furious and close to tears, not that I'll ever let that bastard know. He glares once more, tall and cruelly triumphant over my fallen frame. He arrogantly turns his nose up at me and turns to stomp out. I fix my sullen gaze on the red-tinged tile floor and try to figure out why in the hell I love the oblivious jerk so much and what's wrong with me that I see something desirable the bastard who just hurt me when I was already injured and waltzed out. Something white flies through the air. Instinctively I catch it and gaze at my prize. A fresh roll of gauze rests in my good hand, enough to re-bandage my arm. If I have the flexibility for it, that is. I don't look up; I don't want to see him. Hope's a cruel bitch. Reality was her teacher, after all. "You're bleeding again. Deal with it." The door slams shut and footsteps echo down the hall, reverberating in a mind that's emptying of the thoughts this little encounter provoked that I refuse to think about right now. I've got too much to deal with. I'm in too much pain. I don't need this. Not at all. The bandage feels thin in my hands. ~ ~ Owari ~ ~ Someone want to email me some praise to knock me out of my bad mood? Or just thwapping me for this would be enough. Lady DarkAngel ---------- Lady Protector of POVs in Hentai Onna-Gumi Moderator of Duo's Sugar Intake Keeper of Duo's Nice Rear-end Keeper of Heero's Homicidal Intentions Want the rest? Whole sig's at my site! Lady DarkAngel's Gundam Wing Fanfiction Library www.geocities.com/ladydarkangel_1/index.html |