Orphan Stage Part 5- Stage Heero by Terrasa
Standard disclaimers apply
Duo POV
We watched Heero’s relatives dine for a little while longer
before making our way back down to Heero’s room. I have to admit,
I was really taken aback when seeing the coldness of the people that
Heero was living with, and had been for five years.
“Have you figured anything out yet.” He asked, as we
once again sat on the couch. He had let go of my hand when we stepped
back into the room and I couldn’t help but noticed the coolness
left behind.
“A… little bit, but… I still want you to explain
it to me. I don’t understand why someone would act like that
towards you, its too…” My voice trailed off and I looked
to the ground when I realized that no words could really describe
what I had seen.
“My mother and father didn’t die of… natural causes.”
He said, placing a hand to his temple, rubbing small circles as if
he had a headache. “They were murdered.”
I could feel my heart start to beat faster as I listened to him calmly
telling me that his parents were murdered like he was talking about
weather. How could he be this strong? To not show how he’s feeling
inside, if in fact he was feeling anything at all.
He seemed to be able to read the expression on my face and he smirked
slightly. “It’s not as if I don’t care that they
died, I just never really knew them.” Walking over to one of
the desks, he pulled out a book from the top drawer. “Here.”
I took the book from his hands a little hesitantly. As the first
page came into view, I noticed it was a scrap book. A newspaper article
was pasted on the page, with a picture of a little boy who looked
no older than three. Big letters on the top spelled out ‘kidnapping.’
“When I was almost four, I was taken from my parents. I never
really considered it kidnapping, because I went on my own free will.
But what child wouldn’t when offered toys and candy.”
He smirked slightly at my stunned expression, as if finding it amusing.
“My grandfather, was the one who took me, he had a grudge against
my parents, always talking about how they were ‘greedy and distrustful.’
I grew up hating them, only because I was told to by my grandfather.”
Heero seemed to be lost in thought again and it was a couple minutes
before he spoke.
“I lived with him for about nine years, locked in his house
most of the time. I rarely got to go out, I never asked why though.
Jay… I believed everything he told me... Later I found out that
he only wanted to use me.” Leaning forward, Heero rested his
head in his hands. “One day, when I was twelve, he told me to
go and kill my parents.”
I couldn’t hold the shock that welled through me and I gasped
slightly at his confession. The atmosphere in the room was slowly
turning bad and my body was starting to shake in fear or maybe anticipation
for what he was going to say next.
“He just dropped me off one day at my parents house, this house,
saying ‘go kill your parents or I wont take you back.’
He handed me a pistol and drove away, leaving me at their doorstep.
I… picked the lock on the front door, and walked in… fully
intending to kill them.” He paused once again, head still down
in his hands. His left foot swayed back and forth in nervousness as
he collected his thoughts.
“Y-you didn’t…” I started to say, but it
was too hard to get my voice to work after hearing his speech.
He looked up slightly, finally meeting my violet eyes in his. “No.
I failed, I couldn’t kill them… They were eating dinner…
when I had come in. They looked… happy, an emotion that I had
rarely seen back then. I guess I was scared…” Heero’s
body was starting to shake as he continued. “I ran away, back
to Jay… He was… so mad… went and killed them…
couldn’t stop… watched him kill...”
I watched in alarm as Heero’s eyes widened and he started to
tremble. He looked… scared, like he was reliving his past inside
his mind.
“Heero!” Jumping up, I ran to his side, placing a gentle
hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright, you don’t have
to continue.” I was trying to give him a way out, so that he
wouldn’t have to talk anymore. Guilt was playing through my
mind as I watched him in this state.
I had forced him to tell me. I had forced him to reopen the wounds
of his past. God, I was such a jerk!
Taking a couple deep breaths, he seemed to calm down enough to speak
again. His expressionless face was now before me again, but I could
tell that he was still hurting inside. “My parents died by his
hands, so he was sent to jail for life. They didn’t know what
to do with me, so they gave me to my Aunt. After living with her for
a week, I had found out that she hated me, hated me enough to treat
me like this. She believes that it was my fault my father died.”
I felt enraged towards that woman, and towards this ‘Jay’
guy. Heero had been treated cruelly his whole life, used by his own
grandfather, ignored by his relatives. The suffering he must have
gone through…
“My parents, had a fortune. In their will they gave the money
to me, even though I had been missing. My Aunt took it that they just
forgot to change the will, and the money was suppose to be hers. Another
grudge against me, and that’s why she ignores me…. This
house, and all the money, is mine, yet I cant get to it until I turn
eighteen. That’s when she plans to sue me for all of the estate.”
“Eh? Can she do that?” I knew what the answer was going
to be, but I still wanted it to be wrong. If Heero were to lose all
of his money… where would he go when he turned eighteen and
got kicked out of the house? He’d have no support… I guess
it’s similar to being an orphan.
When someone turns eighteen, the orphanage can no longer get government
support to pay for the child. They are given a job, maybe a place
to stay, and abandoned. Life is hard enough as it is, but to not have
a family to come back to if things turned bad, was a pretty horrible
thought. I knew that was what would happen to me, when I had turned
eighteen. But it never really seemed as bad as now, when I see Heero
going through a similar situation.
“Do you know why she has been mourning for all these years?”
He asked, looking at me with sad eyes that made me want to just jump
up and hug him. Of course, I would be too afraid he would punch me
in the gut, or get freaked out at the physical contact.
“Why?” I thought about it for a while, but still couldn’t
figure out an answer. Mourning for that long was just ridiculous.
It made me wonder just how much money his Aunt had wasted over the
years. She didn’t seem like she worked, and there were a ton
of servants that were getting paid full time wages… damn, just
how much money was there in Heero’s little inheritance?
“One time, when I was forced to clean the attic upstairs, I
stumbled upon some of my fathers old letters. They were addressed
to my Aunt,” His face twisted slightly in disgust. “I
found out that he was having an affair with her, behind my mothers
back.”
This was pretty shocking, not the part where his father had an affair…
no, the part where someone would ever want to have an affair with
that freak of a woman. “What? That ugly old lady?”
“She didn’t always look like that. She actually used
to be attractive in her younger days, but ever since my father died,
she changed… At first she mourned solely because she was sad
he was gone… But it dragged on, and I became a little suspicious.”
His tone was low and cold, I could tell whatever he was trying to
say was going to be bad.
“About a year ago, I had overheard her talking to her daughter.
She seems to think she can easily win over my inheritance if the judge
feels sorry for her. So… it was all an act, mourning for five
years only for money. I think she plans on using some of the maids
to testify against me, saying how I never even cared for my parents,
or their deaths.”
I couldn’t remember a time where I felt more disgusted than
I did then, listening to his story. I think I would have gone outside
and thrown up if I could have remembered the way out. The cruelty
his whole family had shown him was upsetting. Yet he sits here, and
is able to tell me all of it without anger, with out showing his hate
towards the people who had hurt him. Heero was strong, and it amazed
me.
I guess I must have zoned out for awhile, or gone into shock, because
the next thing I know, Heero’s waving a hand in front of my
face yelling my name. I shook my head and came back to reality to
see his worried face only a foot in front of mine. “S-sorry.”
I could feel my cheeks burning slightly in embarrassment and I really
hoped it was too dark for him to notice.
He pulled back, sitting once again on the chair across from me and
sighed. “You should start heading back home, your cop friend
might be worrying where you are.”
Kemp, yeah he would most likely be worrying about me. That thought
was a little comforting, knowing that I had someone that cared about
me. Heero, however, would not be missed if he was gone. They probably
wouldn’t even know if he left and never came back, and wouldn’t
care as long as they had his money. How could people like that exists
in the world? I could never figure it out. Was it their childhood
that warped them to become so… evil? Or was it incidences like
death, that made them so cruel? Heero’s Aunt seemed to have
gone bad after his fathers death, and she seemed to take the blame
on Heero, even though he wasn’t the one who took the final blow.
Doesn’t she know he had been tortured enough?
Heero had talked a lot today, I don’t think I will ever hear
him say so much in a single sitting again. I smiled a little when
Heero turned his back to walk towards the door. I was feeling a little
better because of my thoughts. I felt special, and my stomach was
doing a little butterfly dance thinking of how nice Heero had acted
towards me. Sure, he was cold for the beginning of the day, but he
really made it up in the long run.
“Do the others know about this? Does Hilde know?” I asked.
I was a little curious seeing as how they never seemed to act like
the situation was ’that’ bad. If they knew everything
that I did, I’m sure they would be trying to help Heero a little.
As for me, I was already thinking up ways to torture the ‘evil
wicked Aunt of the west wing.’ Now only if she wore a pointed
hat, then she would definitely fill the witch category.
“It was in the news, five years ago. They only know what’s
been told in the media.”
“Then… why did you tell me all of this?” Sure,
I was thrilled that he had shared so much, but he could have just
told me the media’s story and not had to have suffered through
talking about it.
“You asked.” It was a simple answer yet it was pretty
amusing to me.
“Hmmm? So if I asked you to walk me home, you would?”
It would probably be getting dark soon, and I don’t know if
my nerves could take any more frights today.
He smirked slightly, seeing my pleading expression. “I’ve
got nothing better to do.”
“Yay!” Jumping up from the couch I hurried quickly to
the door. “Come on, I want to get out of this place, it gives
me the creeps.” I nearly bit my tongue off after I said that.
“Ah! I didn’t mean… well, your room doesn’t
give me the creeps… just the…”
“It’s alright, I’m used to it.” He was still
smirking slightly, amused by my flustered state and I couldn’t
help but feel warm inside.
We made our way out of the house and started the walk to the bus
station. I didn’t really think that Heero would actually walk
me ‘all’ the way to my apartment, but to my surprise he
hopped on the bus right along with me and we sat down for the ten
minute ride.
He was quiet again, as if thinking about something. I had assumed
it was about our little discussion about his past, but to my surprise,
he was actually thinking more along the lines of ‘my’
problems.
“Your father… he doesn’t know you’re here?”
He asked, looking out the window as cars whizzed by on the opposite
side of the road. I’ve always liked riding on buses at night,
when the rest of the world is dark and you are in a moving bubble
of light. It kinda reminds me of the subway, where you cant see out
the dark windows because your in a tunnel of darkness.
“Hmm? I thought you read my file?”
“Ah… only scanned over the important details.”
He said, looking up at me slightly, eyes barely visible through his
thick bangs.
“Aa… well… there isn’t really any way he
would be able to find me. It would be hard. I’m sure there is
‘some’ way.” I stammered, all of a sudden finding
the floor to be really interesting. I wondered what he would think
of me if I told him how paranoid I had been lately. Or how scared
I had become walking home alone. All because of Hall, all because
he is supposedly after me.
Maybe they were wrong about the whole situation. For all we know,
Hall could be thousands of miles away, laughing at the mess I was
put in all because of him. Well, like they say, better safe then sorry.
All though, I wasn’t feeling all that safe, even after being
put into the so called protection program. Kemp hadn’t said
a word to me about Hall and I wondered if they were even close to
finding him.
Heero’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. “Will you
tell me… why he’s after you?” I could tell that
he was having a hard time asking me this by the way his voice seemed
to be a little softer than usual. Heero rarely asked questions, so
I knew this was something he really wanted to know about.
“Aa… Since you told me… about you, its only fair
that I give you my whole story, ne?” I cocked my head to the
side as I thought of how to explain myself without accidentally giving
away something about Quatre.
Heero listened to me patiently as I told him my past. He seemed a
little stunned at some of the things I brought up, like me being beaten
as a child. Though he didn’t comment on anything, just let me
ramble away. For some reason, I ended up telling him stories of my
stay at the orphanage, like the time I stole the fathers cross in
order to clean my nails with the pointed edge. He kinda looked at
me weird as if thinking, ‘glad I didn’t know Duo as a
child.’
Before I knew it, we were walking down my street, bus long gone and
probably half way through the city by now. The street lights were
now on and it was almost dark, shadows slowly disappearing as the
suns last rays faded away.
“There was this one kid, Tommy? I think that was it…
yeah, yeah Tommy! Anyways, he was always crying and stuff, so one
day I took him out by the river that was about a couple blocks from
the orphanage. We all wanted to go swimming, but he kept crying…
cause we weren’t really allowed to and he was scared.”
I started, waving my hands around animatedly. Heero just looked at
me with amusement in the depths of his eyes. He didn’t smirk,
or smile, just listened as if he knew it would make me happy. And
it did, I was back living in the past, the good past at least. I didn’t
even look around the streets once with fright of seeing Hall. Maybe
it was because I had someone with me, and Heero of all people!
I was about to tell him about how we ended up picking up Tommy and
throwing him in the river, when we came to the outside steps of my
apartment. My heart stopped. Right on the step, exactly as it had
been this morning, was the green cigarette box.
Frozen from shock and fear, I just stared wide eyed at the empty
package.
Hall… it couldn’t be… could it? At that thought,
I swung my head around and searched the street with my eyes.
Nothing.
“Duo?” Heero had his hand resting on my shoulder and
was trying to get me to look at him. “Are you alright?”
The tone of his voice sounded a little like worry, but you couldn’t
really tell with Heero, now could you?
I took a deep breath to calm myself before attempting to answer him.
“C-can you…” The words couldn’t get out of
my mouth, perhaps I was a little afraid to ask Heero to come upstairs
with me and risk him thinking I was a wimp.
Heero just nodded slightly like he could read my mind again. This
time, however, I was thankful when he answered my unvoiced question.
“I’ll walk up to your apartment with you.” He stated,
holding the door open and tilting his head slightly to get me moving.
My limbs were starting to shake again, like the last time I had come
home to my empty apartment. I kept taking deep breaths in hopes that
I would calm myself and not look like a total freak in front of Heero.
He didn’t seem to be paying much attention to me though, which
was a relief. He seemed to always understand me, its like he knew
what I was feeling and would do things to make me more comfortable.
He’d been doing that a lot today, I realized.
This quiet, cold boy, seemed to know a lot about others emotions.
And yet, he doesn’t show any for himself.
My wooden front door came into view and I sighed in relief as I noted
that it was normal. I guess I had been thinking it would be broken
and my apartment thrashed. Heh, me and my big paranoid imagination.
Heero followed me in as I opened the door. Everything was the same,
nothing freaky. I was over reacting again, the cigarette box could
have just been dropped by the same person as yesterdays. Heero didn’t
say anything as he went and checked my bedroom and bathroom out. This
made me feel at ease somewhat and I was really glad I had asked him
to walk me home. If I would have come back to the apartment to see
that box on the steps, and no Heero to snap me out of my fears, I
would probably still be standing out there staring like a big idiot.
My heart sank slightly as Heero stood before me, already done checking
the house. He would be leaving, leaving me alone in this apartment
that I had come to hate. I waited for the words telling me that he
would see me tomorrow, or saying good night, but… they never
came.
“Mind if I watch TV for a little while?” Heero didn’t
wait for an answer as he jumped over the back of the couch while grabbing
the remote. I could feel my eyes widening slightly, but soon to disappear
as a big goofy smile spread across my face. He definitely was on the
top of my favorite persons list right now!
Sitting down next to him, I grabbed the remote from his hand and
turned to the old AMC movie channel. The old movies always made me
laugh, with their bad acting and weird clothes. Heero’s eyebrow
raised slightly as an old western started to play. I wondered if he
ever got to watch television. There wasn’t one in his room,
but I suppose he could have always watched from his computer.
Thirty minutes into the movie, my eyes were starting to droop and
my head was getting annoyingly heavy. I glanced at Heero and chuckled
through one of my yawns. I hadn’t expected to see him fast asleep.
He was curled up in a little ball at the end of the sofa. shoes still
on, shirt slightly pulled up a little, exposing his smooth stomach.
He looked so peaceful… and damn hot
when sleeping. I found myself staring at his lips, partly open as
he breathed softly.
My face was starting to flush slightly at the sight before me, and
I had to drag my eyes away in order to calm my raging hormones. I
stretched out my stiff muscles and made my way to the bedroom. The
bed didn’t really look all the appealing to me anymore. My mind
started to drift as I stared at the unmade bed, imagining how Heero
would look lying on my bed.
Gah! Stupid, stupid! Got to stop thinking bad thoughts!
Well, I tried to stop thinking about him. But as I pulled off the
only blanket I had and set out to put it on Heero, I was greeted with
a sight that made my stomach tingle in excitement. He was laying on
his back, stretched out like a cat with his stomach now showing skin
up to his cute little belly button. I know, I was drooling. But who
wouldn’t when a hot guy was laying asleep in your living room
looking ‘oh so yummy’?
No, no, no… must… stop thinking about… Heero like
that! He is only… a friend.
A friend eh? Does he even consider me as one? I mean, he never actually
ran up to me and told me he liked me enough to actually want to be
my friend. His whole attitude, makes it hard to tell what he likes,
dislikes. Ok, so it isn’t that hard to tell what he ‘dis’
likes. He usually glares at everything he seems to hate with a passion.
Sure, he’s glared at me my share of times, but I never thought
that he would actually ‘hate’ me. I really wish I knew
what he felt about me, his behavior towards me yesterday was enough
to make me feel like he did care for me… but… it could
be that he was only acting like that, because I had forced him into
that situation… and he felt obligated to treat me nicely.
Pulling the covers onto the sleeping boy, I was left blanket less
and standing above him. I didn’t mind though, I had slept outside
in the cold plenty of times when I would run away from the orphanage.
Part of the reason I was never adopted, they like to put things like
that on my record. No one wanted a kid who was gonna split right when
things got a little bad.
I had always wondered why they didn’t just delete the things
on my file, so someone would adopt me. They could probably get away
with it easy, but them being church people was most likely the problem.
Not that they seemed to mind me. The sister, even after all her yelling
and scolding me… seemed to love me. I could tell by how she
would hug me every night, and how she worried when I came home a little
too late.
I smiled, thinking of them at the church, it made feel all warm and
fuzzy inside. I laid myself down on the floor, a couple feet away
from Heero, thinking of Father Maxwell and Sister Helen before falling
into a deep slumber.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you ever wake up to find your face all funny looking with indents
in it? Well, I knew if I had looked into a mirror I would probably
see a side full of creases from where the carpet had met my face.
I awoke to the smell of bacon, and was really surprised to see Heero
standing over my stove when I opened my eyes. The blanket I had put
on him was now draped carefully over me, and I was thankful considering
how cold it always was in the morning. As I sat up stretching slightly,
Heero turned to greet me with a quick nod.
Heh… he was back to his usual self I see.
Turns out he was making bacon and eggs… how he got the eggs
was a good question! I didn’t ask though, I was too busy stuffing
my face. “Mmm… how come you know how to cook?” I
asked between mouthfuls.
“Jay, he used to make me cook for him.” Heero said, never
taking his eyes off his plate. I wondered if he was bothered by something.
He had barely said anything all morning and I was beginning to think
I had done something wrong.
After finishing the meal, I went to get dressed for school. Heero
was still in yesterday’s clothes which made me wonder if he
would be able to fit in anything of mine…
“Oy… Heero.” I called from in the bedroom. “Come
here and see if this’ll fit ya!” He walked in to see me
holding up a pair of baggy blue jeans and a black T-shirt.
“I’m not wearing that.”
“Aw, come one, you cant possibly think to wear those ‘again’!”
I smirked slightly before adding, “Besides, you smell.”
That wasn’t exactly a lie, he didn’t smell bad, no, he
smelled really good actually. He kinda snorted something under his
breath before snatching the clothes from my hand and walking to the
bathroom. “You can take a shower if you want.” I yelled
after him. I could hear him snarl angrily from behind the closed door,
I guess he thought I was telling him he stunk again. Oh well.
Surprisingly, he did take a shower. And I was left sitting on my
bed, staring at the closed door imagining Heero on the other side.
Gah! I was doing it again.
Must… not… think of Heero with water running down his
naked body… must stop.
I slapped my hand over my forehead and fell back onto my soft bed.
This was going to be a lo~ong day.
*******
TBC
*******
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