“He’ll stay here tonight,” Heero said flatly, decisively. Quatre could hardly believe the words; all other times, Heero had insisted on keeping Duo to the safety of his quarters whenever possible. “You and Trowa can care for him adequately, I trust.”
“Heero, it’s really not necessary,” Quatre began, shocked. Duo was his friend, of course, and if Duo needed somewhere to go then of course they could put him up in his tent... but he didn’t think it was necessary. He was cut off, though, by Duo’s cold furious voice.
“I’m not an invalid, Heero,” he said softly, staring intently at the floor. “I don’t need to stay with the doctor.”
“You can’t fall ill now,” Heero argued. “You’ll need to be fit to travel in a few days, when the units move south.”
Duo’s eyes shot back up to Heero’s face, horrified, but he found himself left speechless, which Heero took for agreement. Quatre saw, though, the way he avoided Duo’s eyes when he turned back to the doctor. “I have things that have to be done, Quatre. See to Duo.” And he fled, quickly, never waiting for an answer.
Unsatisfied, and not a little angry, Quatre rounded on Duo. “You’re leaving, Duo? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“News to me!” Duo snarled, struggling to his feet. Quatre placed his hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down. “He’s sending me away!”
“But why?” he asked, more gently, and after a moment Duo slumped helplessly back against the seat. He lowered his head, letting his untidy bangs fall to cover his face.
“I guess it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” he whispered, barely audible to Quatre’s ears. “Heero’s... Colonel Yuy’s a busy man. He doesn’t want damaged goods cluttering up his quarters.”
With a gasp, Quatre released his shoulders and drew back. “You’re not serious, Duo! You know Heero wouldn’t...”
“And why not?” Duo countered, and when he raised his head Quatre could see tears fighting to escape his eyes. “What could he possibly want with me, Quatre? He’s the big fish in this pond; he can have anything he wants! Why should he waste his time on an ex-Oz whore?”
Quatre sat stunned by the bitter self-hatred in Duo’s tone, for a moment too long. Duo struggled to his feet and pushed past him, limping towards the door. It really was too soon for him to be off the crutches, but the pain in his bones came nowhere near to matching the pain in his heart.
Re: Spoil of War, prologue
Date: 2006-02-28 01:26 am (UTC)“He’ll stay here tonight,” Heero said flatly, decisively. Quatre could hardly believe the words; all other times, Heero had insisted on keeping Duo to the safety of his quarters whenever possible. “You and Trowa can care for him adequately, I trust.”
“Heero, it’s really not necessary,” Quatre began, shocked. Duo was his friend, of course, and if Duo needed somewhere to go then of course they could put him up in his tent... but he didn’t think it was necessary. He was cut off, though, by Duo’s cold furious voice.
“I’m not an invalid, Heero,” he said softly, staring intently at the floor. “I don’t need to stay with the doctor.”
“You can’t fall ill now,” Heero argued. “You’ll need to be fit to travel in a few days, when the units move south.”
Duo’s eyes shot back up to Heero’s face, horrified, but he found himself left speechless, which Heero took for agreement. Quatre saw, though, the way he avoided Duo’s eyes when he turned back to the doctor. “I have things that have to be done, Quatre. See to Duo.” And he fled, quickly, never waiting for an answer.
Unsatisfied, and not a little angry, Quatre rounded on Duo. “You’re leaving, Duo? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“News to me!” Duo snarled, struggling to his feet. Quatre placed his hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down. “He’s sending me away!”
“But why?” he asked, more gently, and after a moment Duo slumped helplessly back against the seat. He lowered his head, letting his untidy bangs fall to cover his face.
“I guess it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” he whispered, barely audible to Quatre’s ears. “Heero’s... Colonel Yuy’s a busy man. He doesn’t want damaged goods cluttering up his quarters.”
With a gasp, Quatre released his shoulders and drew back. “You’re not serious, Duo! You know Heero wouldn’t...”
“And why not?” Duo countered, and when he raised his head Quatre could see tears fighting to escape his eyes. “What could he possibly want with me, Quatre? He’s the big fish in this pond; he can have anything he wants! Why should he waste his time on an ex-Oz whore?”
Quatre sat stunned by the bitter self-hatred in Duo’s tone, for a moment too long. Duo struggled to his feet and pushed past him, limping towards the door. It really was too soon for him to be off the crutches, but the pain in his bones came nowhere near to matching the pain in his heart.