Fire Mated Part 4
Mariemeia was fuming.
Leaning against the lockers she tapped her foot on the ground hurriedly, causing her tennis shoes to squeak just slightly each time. Her blue eyes were pitched in anger as she watched the students walk in through the main doors. Most of them saw her and saw how angry she was, heck it was almost impossible to miss. Her anger radiated like a physical force, just daring them to get anywhere near her.
Lucky for them her anger was focused on someone else. One person in particular who was nearing the door and about to pass through.
In a quick movement that most people missed her hand darted out and clamped around said person's arm, yanking him out of the flow of students so he stood right in front of her by the lockers. She glared at him as he yanked his arm away. It took a second for him to realize what had happened and when he did he froze and swallowed hard.
"Uh... Mornin' Mari." Duo stuttered, his eyes flickering for and exit. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned... well a woman scorned was a spark from a lighter compared to this girl's raging hatred and most smart people knew you cleared the area when Mariemeia was ticked, unfortunately Duo didn't have that option.
"Morning Mari my ass! Duo, what the heck happened between you and Trowa yesterday?"
The crowd of flowing students visibly adverted its path, all of them staying as far away from the angry girl as they could. Many of them threw nervous glances in the two's direction but most weren't even that daring.
His eyes grew serious. "It's been solved, the issue is dealt with and there's nothing to talk about."
Mariemeia's expression only darkened. "You aren't getting off that easily, you had better explain what happened."
Duo frowned at her, his expression starting to mirror hers, only tinged with impatience and annoyance. "Back off, Mari."
"No. I may not be live-in family with Trowa but I'm as close a thing to family as he has in this town currently, so you better listen up. I don't know what is going on between you two but it better be explained to me. I don't care what he said but you had no right to lash out at him like you did yesterday! He's never been anything but nice to you and then you slap him across the face and just run away... even girls know that's bad etiquette! So you better explain this to me and you had better explain it now!"
Duo's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to Mariemeia, surprising her with his boldness. When he spoke his voice was low and threatening, the type of voice that crawled down your spine and made you shiver, desperately wanting to find the nearest heat source as far away from the speaker as possible.
"What went on is between me and Trowa. Case closed, no discussion. Back. Off."
Mariemeia blinked in surprise, her anger and rage withering away to a small feeling in the pit of her stomach. Numbly she nodded, feeling her heart race in her chest. Watching with wide eyes she stayed completely still as he stepped back and his expression lightened. With each step back the threatening nature just seemed to fade away, like someone drawing a curtain against the light and soon Duo was back to the normal Duo she was used to.
The boy gave a small shrug and walked off, apparently satisfied that he'd gotten her to shut up and back off. Meanwhile Mariemeia watched him walk away and leaned back against the lockers, trying to keep herself from trembling.
"What the hell was that?" She murmured softly.
Taking a few deep breaths she closed her eyes and waited for her heart to slow down. She didn't understand it one bit. Duo didn't usually act like that, nor did he usually take things so easily. She'd yelled at him plenty times before from different disagreements and things like that but he'd never reacted so violently before.
Frowning she adjusted her backpack on the single shoulder it hung on and opened her eyes, filtering into the flow of students heading for class. After a moment she reflected that she may have treated him a little harshly considering she knew nothing about the situation, but that still didn't give him a right to act so venomously... did it? She shuddered as she remembered the icy look on his face and those cold eyes. Why had he changed so suddenly, was it something she said?
Duo and Trowa were close friends of hers, aside from the fact that Trowa was actually her distant cousin. And they'd always gotten along together, always. But this time... for that one second she felt like she didn't know him at all. He'd scared her.
That didn't make sense! Duo had always been about as threatening as a teddy bear. He was always smiling, always happy and always eager to put a smile on someone else's face. But that Duo had been completely different.
"Maybe I hit a nerve," she murmured softly. Sighing to herself she dropped into her desk and pulled out her notebook. Not time to worry about Duo and Trowa now, she had a math test that commanded her attention. And she'd be damned before her friend's personal problems made her GPA drop.
~*~
Quatre lay on his stomach on the grass school lawn, chewing on the end of the pen thoughtfully as his eyes roamed over the notebook page. Before, scrawled in neat lines, was a short list of various things to consider. After a moment's thought he crossed out the line that said 'East Side Grave Yard'.
His little fieldtrip to the graveyard the night before hasn't revealed much. Those results weren't unexpected but still it didn't serve to lift his hopes. The only thing the graveyard had confirmed was that the Barton family owned a significant amount of the plot, which meant Mariemeia's relatives were buried there. But that wasn't anything important, considering that in semi-small towns like this it was common for families to own part of a graveyard where they placed all their relatives.
So that had tuned up nothing.
He supposed he'd gotten his hopes up prematurely. But after receiving so many clues on the first day he couldn't help but get excited. Who would have thought that Heero Yuy's name would have popped up so quickly, and he was a local as well! But now that the initial shock of receiving so much good luck in a row had worn off he was starting to look at the situation a little more rationally.
Quatre realized that this little 'investigation' was going to involve a lot more legwork then he'd initially thought. Besides investigating the graveyards and tracking down this illusive Heero Yuy he would probably spend large amounts of time in the back rooms of the school library reading over the town's history and talking to a lot of people who lived in the current area.
Sighing he dropped his pen on top of the notebook and rolled over in the grass, gazing up at the partially cloudy sky above. This search was going to take a lot out of him, that he could already tell. Still, he knew the first step; at least that was obvious. The first step was to track down Heero Yuy.
Of all the people in the school he'd met so far there seemed to be two people who would most likely know where Heero was. The first was Sylvia and the second was Duo. Of the two of them Duo seemed to be the easiest to get in contact with and he did talk a lot, so it might just be more comfortable to talk to him. The one problem was that Quatre hated just walking up to people he didn't know and talking to them, it felt so awkward. And on top of that he didn't want to use Mariemeia as a connection, knowing that he had to keep as much of this as secret as possible. So just walking up to Duo and asking him seemed to be the only option unless...
Something lightly bumped against the back of his head and Quatre sat up, turning around. He found the object was actually a volleyball which had rolled over. Picking up the ball he glanced up to see Duo waving toward him. Quatre could have laughed out loud at his luck.
"Hey! Newbie! You want to come join us? We need another player!"
Quatre couldn't help but smirk. Leaning down he closed his notebook, pushing it close to a tree trunk with his shoes and socks. Smiling at them he ran over and quickly filled the empty spot next to Duo with an enthusiastic "Sure!"
Duo grinned back at him and served the ball at the other side.
Quatre laughed and played the game, helping them send the ball back over the net as many times at he could. Still, somewhere in the back of his head he knew his good luck had to run out one of these times.
The game lasted for nearly an hour, both sides putting in a fair amount of effort and wearing each other out. Finally they all decided to call it quits as the score hit a tie, for the fifth time. Duo grinned at the idea of stopping and dropped backward into the sandy plot, closing his eyes and breathing in relief. Quatre giggled and dropped down next to him as the other kids sat down to take their own rests.
"So you got a name, newbie?" Duo asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Quatre Winner," Quatre said with a smile.
Duo sat up and offered a hand, shaking Quatre's with a grin. "Duo Maxwell, but I'm betting you already know my name from talking to Mari."
Quatre nodded and un-tucked his school shirt, using one of the ends to wipe the sweat from his own face. Lucky for him the school day was over, he didn't think he could stand to sit down in a stuffy classroom after all that playing. "She's mentioned you and Trowa a few times, but not that often. You good friends? With her I mean."
"Kind of. She's Trowa's distant cousin, and Trowa's family adopted me when I was really young."
Quatre's eyebrows lifted but he let the subject drop. There was a difference between being a friend and being nosey. He didn't want to cross that line. In fact, the last thing he wanted to do was alienate his few friends that he had gained. So he kept his mouth shut, and instead stood up and brushed the sand from his hair.
"You heading home?" Duo asked, standing up and brushing himself off.
"Uh, yeah I guess."
"Follow me back to my locker will you? I have something you might like."
Blinking with confusion Quatre nodded and slipped on his shoes, quickly grabbing his notebook and falling into step behind Duo as they reentered the school. The hallways around them were emptier then usual, most of the students having already left. They walked around the main floor to practically the other side of the building until they came to a row of lockers near the offices. Duo stopped near one and turned in the code, pulling it open. Reaching inside he pulled out two thick looking pamphlets and handed them toward Quatre.
Quatre nearly dropped his notebook when he saw them.
Both were photocopied versions with a hastily sketched cover detailing different characters. Each had its own title, made up of one word just like the one Quatre had received from the lady. And each was a book written by Heero Yuy!
"Where did you get these?!" Quatre could barely hold in his excitement. But below that excitement he had a completely different reaction. What was Duo doing with books by Heero Yuy? And for that matter, why did he seem to be the one who knew the most about the illusive author?
"I picked them up from Sylvia as a personal favor. Figured you'd enjoy them, besides, I can get copies for myself later. I've already read them, borrowed them from a friend, so I figured I'd let the 'newbie' read them first."
"Thanks a lot!" Quatre flipped through the books and took the time to turn them over and read the backs, smiling the whole time. After a few minutes he tucked them under his arm with his notebook and glanced up at Duo. "This is going to sound strange but..."
Duo paused in digging through his locker and his eyes flickered to Quatre in question. Pulling his jacket from the locker he shut the door and turned to the blond boy. "Yeah?"
"You don't know how to get a hold of Heero, do you?"
Duo opened his mouth to answer but Quatre didn't let him.
"I know it sounds strange, but I'd really like to talk to him about his stories... and stuff."
"He's really hard to track down, Quatre. What do you need to talk to him for?"
Quatre frowned. "It's hard to explain, kind of personal. Sorry if I keep pestering you but-"
"Naw, don't worry about it. Tell you what, I'll see if I can help, no guarantees though."
"Great!"
"On one condition."
"What's that?"
Duo grinned. "Come play with us more often. You were great, and thanks to you we sure gave them a run for their money."
Quatre smiled. "Deal. Thanks a lot, Duo!"
Receiving a smile and nod Quatre turned and left the hallway, heading toward his own locker to get his stuff before they closed up the building. Opening his own lock and dropping his things in his backpack he frowned to himself in thought. He glanced at the two new books and smiled softly.
"It makes too much sense... but I still don't know for sure."
Shrugging to himself he dropped the books in his backpack and started home, already planning in his mind what he'd write back to his uncle.
Dear Uncle... I found him.
~*~
Trowa slipped the key in the lock of the door, only to watch it swing open from the slight pressure. Shaking his head he put his keys back in his pocket and stepped into the apartment.
"Duo? You here?"
"In the bedroom!" Duo's voice called back.
Trowa dropped his bag on the couch in the living room and raised an eyebrow, glancing into the bedroom. He found the room dim, with the overhead light left off and the curtain drawn over the window. Duo lay on his bed, his arms under his head as he stared at the ceiling and sucked a blue lollipop. His face was turned in a deep frown while he had his legs crossed, one swaying slightly to a silent rhythm. Trowa smirked and walked into the room.
As strange as the scene might sound Trowa was used to it. About once or twice a week he'd come home to find this same situation with Duo lying on the bed, sucking on a blue-raspberry lollipop with a notebook and pen lying next to his head. Duo also had blue lollipops when he was brainstorming. So, as strange or fantastical as the image may sound, it was completely harmless... as long as Trowa didn't let him mind dwell on the lollipop. He sighed softly.
"Deep in thought?"
"Yeah," Duo answered, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. "My muses just don't like me today."
Trowa walked over to the beds. Picking up Duo's notebook he sat down on the edge of the bed and let his eyes scan over the page. It was an outline, a simple one giving the bare-bone situations and small character descriptions. Turning the page he mused over the quick sketches done of each of the characters. There were three main characters - one male and two females -- each dressed in various styles of clothing relating to the early 1800's. Trowa cocked his head slightly and flipped back to the story line.
"A new one?"
"Yeah, the idea popped in my head today. Actually, it's been in my head for a while, just haven't been able to figure how to work the plot."
Trowa smirked and set the notebook down, crossing over to the closet. Pulling out a tee-shirt he changed out of his shirt from school into an older shirt that had a faded design of some robot on the front. Duo rolled over on the bed and watched him with a suspicious look.
Trowa shook his head.
"What?" Duo asked impatiently.
"Nothing, you just don't usually write romances."
Duo grinned and sat up, picking up the notebook and leafing through it. "You're right, but this stupid idea keeps running through my head. I figure maybe if I write it then my muses will be able to concentrate on other things."
Trowa nodded and headed back toward the living room. It didn't need to be said, but whenever Duo was in one of his brainstorming moods he generally wanted to be left alone to think, even if he asked for advice. So Trowa headed out of the room, but paused at the door, glancing back over his shoulder.
"Did Mariemeia catch you today?"
Duo's expression turned decidedly dark for a second, but he shook it off and shrugged. "Yeah, but she didn't say much important. Why? Something come up?"
"She invited us to a party at her house this weekend. You up to it?"
Duo chuckled. "Come on, when have you ever known me to say no to a party? It's free food, movies, no homework and better yet we don't have to help clean. Of course!"
Trowa laughed. "I'll call her and tell her then. Good luck with your writing." Stepping completely out of the room he pulled the door shut behind him and headed for the phone.
However his thoughts lingered on Duo's expression for that half second. He hadn't missed the dark glare Duo had given and he had a hunch he knew what it was about. Mariemeia had probably stopped Duo earlier that day at school and badgered him about the slapping incident. Trowa sighed and shook his head.
He knew his cousin meant well, but when things related to her family she tended to jump in without thinking. He'd have to speak with her and find out what she said to Duo. Then he'd get her to drop the subject. Or maybe he should just leave it alone. Mariemeia hadn't said anything to him, which might mean that the subject had already been dropped. And if that was the case he didn't want to bring it up again, much less explain the reason behind why Duo had slapped him. Sighing he picked up the phone and dialed her number.
As he heard his cousin answer the phone he decided to not bring it up, some things were better left unsaid.
~*~
Duo finished off the lollipop and chewed on the plastic white stick left over. Frowning he took the stick and flicked it across the room, listening to it land beside the garbage can.
"Dang, missed."
Flopping back on the bed his head hit his pillow and he went back to staring at the ceiling. He'd partially lied to Trowa about his problem with writing.
Usually his mind moved so easily into writing mode, the words flying out through his pen and filling pages upon pages. His muses always gave him new ideas and he rarely hit writer's blocks. If anything, his little brainstorming sessions were to iron out the flow of ideas in his head, which became overwhelming more often then not. If it were his choice he would write all the time, but then he figured his muses would stop with the inspiration, so instead he let the ideas flow, mixed with other activities to inspire them.
But today it wasn't that easy. What he'd said about the idea swimming around in his head was true, this particular story idea had been beating up against his mind for a couple years now, he'd just never really tried to write it. But now that he had finally decided to sit down and try his hand at romance his thoughts kept focusing on other things.
For one thing, they kept flipping back to the strange boy in his dreams. Every time he closed his eyes to think he saw the mental image of that small cabin and the boy sitting in the corner, carving away in deep concentration. He found it strange that he could create the mental image so well, usually his mental images were blurry or fuzzed, but this one was in perfect detail. It took very little effort to catch the dark shade of the boy's messy hair, pulled back into a thin ponytail, which hung down his back. Darkened skin from hours of work out in the sun and callused hands that looked strong, despite his slight build.
Duo let his eyes drift shut and the mental image appeared in his mind. Silently he watched the boy repeatedly carving the piece of wood, cutting his finger and throwing the piece across the room. The scene ran through his head like a broken record, skipping back to the beginning over and over again. With a careful eye he watched and re-watched the scene, each time his mind committing the details to memory.
It was strange, but he felt like he should know that boy.
"Maybe I've seen him before," he muttered softly.
Rolling over on his side Duo continued to watch the mental record and sighed softly. Eventually the record stopped and he slipped off into dreamland, the silence and the darkness of the room surrounding him.
Then the record stopped skipping. In fact, one could say it moved on to a new song.
For this time, in his dream he saw the boy again.
But this time the boy spoke to him.
TBC...
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