Author: Merula
Pairing: 1x2
Warnings: Yaoi, AU
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own GW.
Balance
"Tell me we did the best we could." Duo dropped down into his seat across from me, rubbing wearily at his eyes.
"We did the best we could."
He looked up at me, eyes narrowed. "Do you believe that?"
"No," I managed a smile for him. "But I'll keep telling myself that until I do."
"Just a few minutes earlier..."
"Maybe," I lifted a shoulder. "Maybe not. He was pretty damn determined. I don't think anything we could've done would've changed that."
Duo was silent for a moment. "He sure as hell was..."
The guy had been surrounded by guns. All loaded. All ready to pick up and fire. We were sure he was going to turn them on us- but in the end he'd only hurt himself.
A miracle. A tragedy.
"At least he didn't take his wife with him."
Her eyes had been so wide- so frightened. How hard must it have been for her? Someone she had married- loved- holding a gun to her head and his own?
Duo smiled wearily. "Or the kid."
The kid had been hysterical. Chang had pulled him away from the scene when his father had released him. He'd fought Chang, but no one wanted the kid to see what we were so sure was coming.
"Or the kid. Wonder how Chang's doing with him."
Duo put his head back and closed his eyes. "I'm sure he's fine."
We had paperwork. I didn't feel like doing it, but I turned the comp on anyway. Sooner done, sooner home.
"Heero-" Duo's voice was soft. "Why do you suppose he snapped?"
"Hard to say." What does make someone snap? "He'd just lost his job."
"True. But his wife worked- they had a kid..."
"Don't know what else was going on. Could be something big."
"Or small." Duo opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Some small little thing maybe. Do you-" he paused and cleared his throat. "Do you ever wonder if-" he stopped again.
"If I'll snap?" He looked at me and nodded. "During the war I thought about it all the time. Hell, I think I did go over the edge a time or two. But now? No."
"Why not?" Duo covered his face with his hands. "I sometimes wonder if I can keep doing this. It's like walking on a tightrope with no net sometimes..." his voice trailed off.
"You won't fall." I told him and he dropped his hands to give me a half-hopeful, half-doubtful look. "You won't," I said again. "You have too many people relying on you, and you aren't the type to let anyone down."
That startled a laugh out of him, but I noticed the doubt fading. "You sure about that?"
"Of course I am." I smiled for him. "After all, I'm one of them."
The smile he gave me made my chest hurt. "Well then, I'd better stay sane, because you are what keeps me from falling off the tightrope of sanity."
"So we're keeping each other balanced?" I asked and his smile got a little wider.
"Exactly. Just don't look down."
OWARI
Back to Merula's Fanfictions Page