“What?” The soldier looked confused, darting glances between Trowa and Heero. “What do you...”
Trowa faced him cooly. “General Chang wishes to know more about Colonel Yuy’s ‘guest,’ doesn’t he? I’ll be happy to give him the information he wants. Lead the way, Sergeant.”
The soldier hesitated for a moment, but Trowa’s offer had provided him with a way out of his dilemma; whether to obey General Chang’s orders, or Colonel Yuy’s. The General might be the man ultimately in charge, but the Colonel was the one right in front of him with blood in his eyes... “All right,” he said finally, with a mixture of relief and misgivings. “Let’s go...”
With the immediate threat resolved, Heero promptly dropped the soldiers from his interest, turned, and strode past Quatre into the tent. Quatre hesitated for a moment, torn between his lover and his patient, before finally ducking under the tent flap behind Heero. The soldier ignored him, intent on something else; all of this arguing and excitement couldn’t be good for --
Duo sat curled into a terrified knot on the bed, head buried in his knees and hands covering his ears. Heero froze in his tracks at the sight, and turned to shoot a glare at Quatre, -- how could you let this happen! -- who returned a frustrated and harassed look of his own -- what could I do?
Hesitant, Heero approached the bed, and reached out to carefully grasp Duo’s shoulder. “Duo, are you all right?” he asked softly, all hints of steel and ice banished from his voice.
Duo unwound from his huddle with a gasp, and his fear-huge eyes shot up to meet Heero’s. Instantly, Heero found his arms full of trembling, bone-thin boy as Duo launched himself at Heero and clung to his shirt like a death-grip. He froze for a moment, fighting down the urge to push Duo away, before tentatively he put his arms around Duo’s back, steadying the boy. “Easy, Duo,” he said, suppressed worry in his voice. “Calm down. What’s wrong?”
He felt Duo shudder, and saw his mouth and throat work, but no words came out, only a muffled choking noise. The sudden loss of speech thoroughly alarmed Heero, who sought and captured Quatre’s gaze across Duo’s shoulder. Calm him down, the healer mouthed clearly, but made no move to approach the injured boy. Not particularly reassured, Heero returned his attention to Duo, one hand going up almost unconsciously to stroke the long brown hair as he spoke soft reassurances. “It’s all right, Duo,” he murmured, “they’re gone. Nothing’s going to hurt you, I promise...”
Re: Spoil of War, prologue
Date: 2006-02-27 11:28 pm (UTC)Trowa faced him cooly. “General Chang wishes to know more about Colonel Yuy’s ‘guest,’ doesn’t he? I’ll be happy to give him the information he wants. Lead the way, Sergeant.”
The soldier hesitated for a moment, but Trowa’s offer had provided him with a way out of his dilemma; whether to obey General Chang’s orders, or Colonel Yuy’s. The General might be the man ultimately in charge, but the Colonel was the one right in front of him with blood in his eyes... “All right,” he said finally, with a mixture of relief and misgivings. “Let’s go...”
With the immediate threat resolved, Heero promptly dropped the soldiers from his interest, turned, and strode past Quatre into the tent. Quatre hesitated for a moment, torn between his lover and his patient, before finally ducking under the tent flap behind Heero. The soldier ignored him, intent on something else; all of this arguing and excitement couldn’t be good for --
Duo sat curled into a terrified knot on the bed, head buried in his knees and hands covering his ears. Heero froze in his tracks at the sight, and turned to shoot a glare at Quatre, -- how could you let this happen! -- who returned a frustrated and harassed look of his own -- what could I do?
Hesitant, Heero approached the bed, and reached out to carefully grasp Duo’s shoulder. “Duo, are you all right?” he asked softly, all hints of steel and ice banished from his voice.
Duo unwound from his huddle with a gasp, and his fear-huge eyes shot up to meet Heero’s. Instantly, Heero found his arms full of trembling, bone-thin boy as Duo launched himself at Heero and clung to his shirt like a death-grip. He froze for a moment, fighting down the urge to push Duo away, before tentatively he put his arms around Duo’s back, steadying the boy. “Easy, Duo,” he said, suppressed worry in his voice. “Calm down. What’s wrong?”
He felt Duo shudder, and saw his mouth and throat work, but no words came out, only a muffled choking noise. The sudden loss of speech thoroughly alarmed Heero, who sought and captured Quatre’s gaze across Duo’s shoulder. Calm him down, the healer mouthed clearly, but made no move to approach the injured boy. Not particularly reassured, Heero returned his attention to Duo, one hand going up almost unconsciously to stroke the long brown hair as he spoke soft reassurances. “It’s all right, Duo,” he murmured, “they’re gone. Nothing’s going to hurt you, I promise...”