Warnings: Shounen ai (1+2, 3+4), language (how repetitive...)
Broken Glass
by Seph Lorraine
Chapter Six
I am Shinigami when I enter my cockpit. It's such a small closed in area, where no one can see me, without my confirmation. Death Scythe has a policy: Leave your masks at the hatch. Shinigami has never made me hesitant to obey it. When I do, I feel more safe in my gundam than I do anywhere else. I can go anywhere without being seen; free.
Shinigami feels free in his gundam; but Duo Maxwell dosen't. I've come to accept that horrible things always happen when I take off my mask, people get hurt, I get hurt, and I'm becoming more and more reluctant to deal with it. Why can't I keep my mask on within my Gundam? Is it because I'm alone?
I know though, when I left my cockpit at that docking bay on L1, I left my mask behind.
Around 2 AM, the five gundam pilots had secretly docked their gundams within the abandoned hangers of dock-3 area C-62. All 30 L1 docks were always kept operational, but were never in use past the B areas. Each dock had areas labeled A, B, and C, each area had exactly 62 docking bays, and C areas were never operational. Docking was easy, at the back of the unused area, and it prevented others from tampering-- or even discovering-- the gundams.
They arrived at the hotel around 2:50 AM, in a taxi cab. Duo and Heero happened to be the only one's awake at this late hour, when they arrived in front of the large hotel. Wufei claimed to have been only meditating, but even Duo, now near sleep himself, was too tired to argue that he had heard the Chinese boy snoring. And, when Heero returned from check-in, everyone was asleep.
The cab-driver had been paid already and was leaning against the hotel wall having a smoke, away from his car, when the stoic Japanese pilot came out into the cool night air, from the hotel lobby. The boy opened the door and leaned in, "Wake up."
Wufei snapped his eyes open immediately, giving the Arabian beside him a shove. The blond woke up, lifting his head from Trowa's shoulder, and in the process, waking up his silent lover from the absence of weight. The only one that remained asleep was Duo, who had curled up comfortably using the space from Heero's vacant seat.
The silent pilot, sitting beside Duo, gave the sleeping American a tough shove of his own, as the other two climbed out through the opposite door of the taxi. The braided pilot let loose something of a growl at Trowa, but did not raise from his nap. Shrugging, the other pilot evacuated the cab as well.
Heero left the Death Scythe pilot asleep in the back of the van as he handed out room keys to the other three, who were now pulling luggage out of the back of the cab. He handed a key card to Quatre and Trowa who would be sharing a room and one to Wufei, "You'll be sharing with Duo."
"Maxwell!?" The Chinese boy, narrowed his eyes feircely at the Japanese pilot, "I'm not rooming with that thing! How am I supposed to focus on anything when he's constantly bouncing around and yelling! I'm not doing it, Yuy." He shoved the key card back at Heero.
Glaring, and not really in the mood to argue at the current hour, he jerked the room key back. "Fine, take my room." He inwardly cringed, that he would now be sharing a room with the braided nightmare, and handed over the key card to the only single room.
Wufei looked pleased, nodded, and gave him a look that read, 'Good luck with THAT guy.'
Everyone began trudging into the hotel, sleepily, to find thier rooms, leaving Heero and a sleeping Duo. Walking back to the cab, Heero shook the American gently by the shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Duo... Wake up."
The sleeping form of the American, made an essence of innocence fill the air. The boy's breathing was light, in sleep, and his eyes shut peacefully. The Japanese pilot frowned, looking down at him, unable to wake him up. He hoisted his and Duo's bags onto his back, and shut the trunk softly, walking to the back seat, again. He had done this several times before, so it wouldn't be any different, now.
He leaned in, drawing one arm behind the American's back, and one under his legs-- it was a good thing the luggage was light, or this might have been really difficult. He lifted the boy slowly from the car, pausing when he stirred, and pulled him up to lean against his chest as he closed the cab door.
Walking into the lobby, he pressed the elevator arrow pointing up, and waiting for the machine to arrive. The lights in the lobby were rather bright, and Duo twitched, his eyes flickering open for a split moment. He was starting to wake up, "Heero..?"
The Japanese pilot moved his blue eyed gaze to look at Duo, who was waking up. "Hn."
The braided pilot, unable to remain coherent, mumbled something, and wrapped his arms around Heero's neck, pulling himself up to bury his face in the crook of the Wing pilot's shoulder and neck. He was asleep again almost instantly.
Stepping into the elevator, as the doors opened, Heero pressed the button for the third floor, and glanced uncomfortably at the sleeping form in his arms. He silently vowed that if any of the others bore witness to this, this night, they would be dead before morning.
Everyone else seemed to have already settled into their rooms, when he opened the door to room 244, he flipped the lights on by the switch at the door, and shut the door behind him. Silently, he stepped over to the bed nearest the window and set the sleeping form upon the matress. Duo rolled over immediately when set upon the bed, and buried his face in the blanket-covered pillow.
The Japanese pilot set their bags down infront of the dresser, upon which the TV sat, and rubbed his own weary eyes for a moment. He walked back over to the bed nearest the window, where Duo was trying to fit his arms under the pillow, which was covered by a blanket, and pulled the covers back for the sleepy boy to get under, instead of sleeping ontop of the comforter. Though, before the braided boy could pull the covers up around his neck, Heero pulled both of Duo's legs to the floor, removing the braided boy's boots as quickly as possible, and sliding them back under the covers.
Heero trudged to the light switch by the door, blinding himself in the sudden darkness, as he flicked the switch off, and stumbled towards his own bed. He fell against the soft mattress instantly, forgetting about the covers or even his own shoes. He was in bliss, and slowly let his eyes shut.
Without warning, a loud shuffling was heard from Duo's side of the room, and the lamp between the two beds was flipped on. Blinded once more, by opening his eyes, Heero glared at the braided boy, now sitting on the edge of his bed, staring straight at him, and let a small groan rise from within him.
Duo didn't move or say anything, but continued to stare at Heero, right into his cobalt blue eyes.
"What?" The Japanese pilot forced himself up from his bed, and blinked at the braided pilot, resisting the urge to throttle him, then and there.
The American forced his gaze down to stare at his socked feet, now hanging off of the side of his bed, "It's too quiet..."
Heero rolled his eyes, "It's supposed to be quiet when you go to sleep."
"...And the sheets are cold."
"They'll heat up after you've laid on them for a while." He let himself drop back onto the bed, facing the ceiling.
"...And I'm afraid."
"You--" Heero paused and turned his head to face the American, who's smile was all forgotten as his violet eyes looked up in sadness. He blinked at Duo's downcast face, and deep violet eyes. "...Hn." Was all he could say, except for wondering what Duo was afraid of.
The braided pilot's frown deepened suddenly, and his eyes flickered in something resembling hurt. What was he doing? Heero didn't care about his problems. He shook his head, "Nevermind." And, reaching up, he switched off the light, laying back down on his bed, motionless, his rather loud breathing was ragged, and the braided boy held back what he could only determine to be a sob.
Looking through the sudden blackness, Heero sat up on the edge of his bed, and looked at Duo, lying motionless in the moonlight that seeped through creme-coloured curtains. "Duo..."
There was a sudden sound from the braided boy, and he quickly rolled over to bury his face in his pillow, letting his body tremour, as he let another sob escape into his pillow. He could already feel tears escaping from his eyes, and soaking into his pillow.
This was odd, Duo crying right before him, and trying his best to muffle it in a pillow. Heero sat, in confusion. Had he done something? What was he supposed to do? He frowned, and lifted himself, to sit on his knees beside Duo's bed, and laid a hand on the braided boy's shoulder, "Duo."
Lifting himself from the pillow, Duo turned his tearstained face towards the Japanese boy beside his bed. He tried to hold back another sob, but failed to succeed and frowned, "I'm sorry..."
"For what?" Heero narrowed his eyes, confusion clearly seem across his face.
"For... bothering you. Nevermind." He shook his head, closing his eyes, and laid back against the pillow. "I'll be quiet. You can go to sleep."
Letting a frown escape his emotionless mask, Heero paused, "Is something wrong?"
Duo bit his lip, and rolled onto his back, forcing a smile, "Oi, Hee-chan, you've never been one to pry."
Heero let the name pass this time, as he saw the braided boy's smile instantly break into another sob. The American was really believable with so many of his smiles, but this one was definately a failing job. His eyes stung, seeing the other boy trying to paste his smile back on and failing miserably.
The braided boy had always had the feeling that Heero saw deeper than his usual grin, and this time was one of the few, when he new his mask was breaking. Why did it have to be infront of Heero, though? Why wouldn't his smile stick? He felt another sob come, and looked up at Heero, trying to avoid the boys eyes. He failed, and his eyes met instantly with the cobalt blues of the boy beside his bed.
He felt himself calm almost instantly, looking into the boy's eyes, and his sobbing stopped. He rolled onto his side, staring at Heero, and brought out in the strongest voice he had, "Can you really stop the colony from... Ya know?"
The blue eyes of the Japanese pilot softened a great deal, and he was silent for a small time, "I will try..."
"No." Duo shook his head and propped himself up by one of his elbows, "Promise me you will."
Heero's eyes hardened and his gaze turned cold as he stood again, flopping onto his own bed, silent.
"Promise me, Heero." The braided pilot's violet gaze narrowed, and he pulled himself up, and over to the Wing pilot's bed, sitting and staring into Heero's back, trying to make the other pilot turn and face him.
"I promise I will try--"
"Promise me you'll do it." Duo's words were sharp, cutting the other boy's monotonious reply off with ease.
Heero turned, eyes more fierce than cold than the American was used to-- Duo suppressed a shudder of fear-- and he spoke in simple, sharp words, accompanied by a voice more frigid than his glare, "I will not make promises if there is a chance I cannot keep them. If I fail, don't make me suffer more of my guilt in Hell, because I lied to you."
His gaze falling to the cover of the bed below him, the Death Scythe pilot suppressed the sobs that now pounded within him to reapproach. Heero's words were bitter, and even negative to a subject he found more touchy than it should have been. "Then if you do fail... You'll still get out alive, right?" His cheeks were burning red in the darkness, and he was thankful for the black of the room. He felt Heero's glare soften and return to confusion.
"If I can." He paused seeing Duo's head jerk away suddenly, "It will be difficult, but I'm sure there's a way."
A nod, seen only by the bobbing of the American's braid, and a sigh. "Do you think it would be ok... If I went in to the colony, too?"
Heero forwned, "You need to help Wufei in defense if they start coming after me. They'll need you--"
"You might need me more than you think." Duo glanced at his roomate, again, "There is a large chance you'll need help getting into the base, and with so many bases already occupied by rebels on the colony, they won't want you entering their main base... I also need to visit some people..." He mumbled the last part almost silently, and glanced up at Heero who was looking insanely tired at this point.
Rolling back over, and feeling his eyelids tug closed, he sighed, "We'll see."
Lighting up, instantly, the braided boy leaned over, partially on top of the Japanese pilot and hugged him tightly, "Arigatou, Hee-chan!" He ignored the boy's soft breathing, a sign of sleep, and tugged his braid loose, stumbling over to collapse upon his own bed. "Oyasumi..."
No sooner had he laid down a shut his eyes, the phone rang. Heero was quick to reawaken and answer the device with a low growl, "What?"
The voice on the other side of the line was slightly jumpy, but could never-the-less be identified as Chang Wufei, "Yuy, we've got trouble. They rescheduled the peace talks over the L2 colony blockade to Tokyo, taking place there at three in the afternoon, which was five hours ago for us here in L1, due to time zone changing. Talks haven't been going well... OZ is threatening to destroy the colony any minute now... We're in trouble."
Heero's eyes bulged, as he nearly dropped the phone. He clicked the light on, and Duo rolled over groaning to hide his face in a pillow. "Inform Quatre and Trowa, we'll meet at the set rondevouz point for the originally scheduled mission, in exactly one hour."
At hearing Heero's part of the conversation Duo sat up, swinging off the bed and looking exasperatedly at the Japanese pilot. He mouthed silently, worry filling his violet eyes, "What's happening?"
"Right, we'll have to hurry, though. They could start fire any minute." The phone clicked, and Heero slammed it down, darting to his bag, as soon as the phone was out of his hand.
"What's happening?!" The braided pilot frantically began pulling on his boots.
"I'll tell you on the way." Pulling from the bag the small Wing mission log, from before, he tucked it into the pocket of his black jacket, and threw it over his shoulder as they headed for the door. On the way past the coffee machine he pulled the key card and slipped it into his pocket as well, and the left to the L1 hanger.
Incomplete.