C.B.s

C.B. I:

Now that the war is over, we all should be happy. We should be happy, right? 

Wrong. His violet gaze narrowed, his mouth twisted in a malicious grin as he hatefully whispered, "Wrong." His hands twisted the cold white sheets in their relentless grip, his mouth worked silently. He gave up, leaning against the wall, legs splayed out in front of him. 

"But what does it matter? We're all nameless. And joy has never walked hand in hand with death..." He trailed off, staring out at the cold face of the moon.

"Do you still hold your silence and your bodies? I placed them there, both..." He murmured at the moon, shifting slightly in position.

He raised his gaze to the ceiling, staring up, not really seeing. 

We should be happy. We should be happy. 

Is it possible to want the war back for a brief moment of companionship with you? 

Selfish bitch. That's what you'll always be to everyone else, just another one, grasping and greedy, trying to steal what others have wrought. 

"But don't... Don't I get something, too?" It was a whispered plea that went unheard.

Another ceaseless night marched by. 

C.B. II:

"Where were you?" His harsh query startles me as I quietly open the door to our shared room and try to sneak in. I don't let him see that he's unsettled me though, so I evenly meet his glare and evade, "Man, it's late! How come you're still up, Yui?" 

He doesn't seem to want to answer, so I turn and shut the door behind me. No use in waking anyone else up with what might potentially become a fistfight. I snort. Yeah, right. Before I can throw a punch I'll probably be knocked out cold.

I turn back around, and he's still standing there, I guess for the first time he's really noticing my outfit. 

I'm wearing an all-black ensemble of a sleeveless shirt, with six or seven little "buckles" up front, arm warmers, fingerless gloves, and some supremely baggy pants, with straps in the back. Plus... Well, let's just say they were pretty low on my waist. And that's not even mentioning the eyeliner or earrings... Hey, I was at a club! It's expected...

He's still staring. What's his problem? He's probably never seen someone dressed the way I am, come to think of it. He's never been to a school without uniforms, never hung out anywhere where other kids might be. 

"What... What are you wearing?" He asks in a strangled voice.

I shake my fingers impudently at him. "My outfit, ya ass. Now get outta my way... I'm tired." 

He glares at me angrily. "Where the hell were you?" He hisses, and I'm surprised at his vehemence. 

I cross my arms and stare back at him, unwilling to answer. And it's not that I really care that he knows where I was, it's just - the principle of the thing. I mean, he's starting to piss me off! He thinks he can run my life!

He takes a menacing step forward, and I smirk at him. He doesn't scare me. 

"I stayed up - all night - waiting for you to get back." His voice is low and growling. 

I blink up at him, not seeing the logic. "So?" 

"So - I answered your question. You answer mine." His reply is surprisingly long, and I speculatively glance at him. Something must've happened to make him so talkative. A threat to the mission?

"Okay," I say, uncrossing my arms and shrugging. Surprise and shock briefly registers on his features before he can school them back to order; I've never given in this easily before. He's never won so quickly.

"I was at a club." I rub my eyes wearily, smudging my makeup. 

"Which club was it?" He asks, anger permeating each word. 

I raise a brow, tired of the game. "It doesn't matter," I tell him, waving a hand, "Now can I please go to bed?" 

He crosses his arms and glares. "No." 

Sighing, I pull off my gloves and lay them on the dresser. "Well, what the hell do you want then?" 

He crosses the room quickly, taking a couple big strides, and he stops right in front of me and grabs my wrist. 

"What club?" 

I stifle a cry of pain, then, because I can feel my slender bones grating together. I grit my teeth, and stare him straight in the eyes. Sure, I have to look up a bit, but I'm not giving him any advantages here.

"Heero. It doesn't matter! Why the hell are you so goddamned bothered about it anyway?!" 

His eyes are briefly filled with something besides anger, but I can't discern what. He grips my wrist tighter, and this time I make a small sound - I can't help it. 

He shifts his gaze to my poor, abused wrist, and he takes some of the pressure off. "I don't... I don't want....Any risks to the mission." His voice is unsteady at first, but at the end it solidifies. 

"Well if that's so," my voice is low and cutting, meant to hurt, "you can get your goddamned hand OFF of me and rest assured, Mr. Yui, because there *were* no risks to the mission." 

He looks down, smirking at me, and he whispers, "And what if I don't believe you?"

I can tell, now. It's one of his power plays. He wants to see who's stronger, if somehow the playful kitten grew fangs. 

I make a move to punch him with my free hand, but that was his objective; he knows what he's doing. He brings his other hand up to catch mine, and he pushes me up against the wall. Both my arms are trapped on either side of me, and I glare up at him. 

"That's not gonna work, Yui..." I warn him angrily. Seeing all my other options blocked, I abruptly pull him closer, the one thing he doesn't expect. He stumbles, eyes wide in surprise, and I elevate my leg to chest height and push.

It doesn't exactly happen the way I want though, because perfect soldier that he is, he won't let go of his prey once he's captured it. In other words, I fell with him. 

It's ok, though; the carpet is soft. I've fallen beside him, and he still grips my wrists. He's very angry, I can hear him panting, trying to calm himself down. I don't care. 

My eyelids close, almost of their own accord, and I lay still. I really am that tired. 

He hesitantly lets go of my wrists. "Are you alright?" He asks, with something like worry in his voice. 

Quietly, I laugh. Worry? He has never worried about another human being before. Why start now?

He shakes my shoulder, and I wearily lift my head up. The carpet maybe wasn't so soft, I can feel it's marks against my cheek. 

"What is it?" I ask, tired of his little game. 

He scoops me up with little trouble, and I lay limp in his arms, feeling too complacent to protest. 

Moving toward the bed, he sets me down, propping me up against several pillows. I'm surprised by his show of kindness; I suppose he really wants to know what happened tonight.

He sits down beside me, making the bed squeak a bit. I glance over at him, wondering what this is all about. 

"Please," He says, surprising me once more, "tell me where you went." 

Since he asked so nicely... "I went to Glow. The one downtown..."

He cursed under his breath. 

"What?" I ask him, indignant. Glow's not a bad club...

He turned his head to look at me, asking, "Did you eat or drink anything when you were there?" 

I smile, slightly. "Heero... Of course not! I'm not stupid you know... I've been to my share of raves. I mean clubs." Oopsie. That kinda slipped out.

"Raves?" His voice is dangerously low, and I manage a placating laugh, saying, "No... I wasn't at a rave... I was only at the club... I mean..." 

He stops me. "So it was a rave. ...I thought you never lied." His voice is almost plaintive. 

"Look, Heero, would you please stop? I appreciate the concern stuff and all, but I'm a big boy. I know how to take care of myself." 

"Do you now...?" He whispers, and before I can stop him, he grabs me around the middle and sets in me in lap, as if I weigh nothing. He scoots back so he can lean against the wall, and he keeps his arms firmly wrapped around me. 

"What the hell?" I whisper, shocked. 

His voice returns to its usual timbres. "I could have killed you... Are you so sure you can 'take care of yourself'?" 

I wriggle around so I can face him. His arms don't relax though, so it's not as if I could have gotten out of his lap. 

"Listen to me! I can take care of myself! I am perfectly capable! No one can change that, either! Not you, not-"

He cuts me off mid-rant. He trails his hands up higher on my back, till they reach the nape of my neck. He leaves one there, buried in my hair, and with the other he grasps my jaw. Leaning forward, he kisses me softly, and I melt into him.

We stay like that for several seconds, until he pulls back, and we both just breathe.

Hesitantly, I place my arms around him, and lay my head on his shoulder. He hugs me, fiercely, and rubs soothing hands down my back. I sigh, gently, and snuggle further.

"Mine," he whispers suddenly, "mine. Now and forever."

My smile is buried in his shoulder, but I'm sure he can feel it. 

C.B. III:

Duo wandered through the mall with a few friends, swinging his Abercrombie and Fitch bag, wondering if the new shirt he'd picked up was the right color for him. 

/Light blue's not a very good color on me... But Catherine said *any* color looked good on me.../ 

He continued wandering, not listening to the jokes and giggles of his small group of 'friends'. They only hung around him because he was new, and already extremely popular. 

Suddenly, he bumped into something - or rather, someone, and he instinctively took a step back. Abby almost started to yell in her shrill, annoying, cheerleader-ish voice, when Catherine stopped her with a hand on her arm, restraining her. She whispered something into Abby's ear, and she paled, closing her mouth instantly. 

Duo took the time to examine the person he'd accidentally bumped into. 

The other boy was wearing huge, baggy jeans that looked like they were falling off of his thin hips. His shirt was equally baggy, though short, and it read, 'Computer games don't affect us as kids. If Pacman affected us, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, popping magic pills, and listening to repetitive electronic music." 

He had an eyebrow pierce, and two ear piercings; one in the lobe, and the other in the top cartilage. He wore a heavy necklace in the shape of a cross, except the cross was enclosed in a circle. Quite few hemp bracelets also adorned his wrists, Duo noted absent-mindedly. 

He continued his cursory examination, passing over the face, then did a double take. The kid had rather long (Oh, who was he to talk?! He had a braid!) shaggy chocolate brown hair, but his most entrancing feature was his deep blue eyes. Duo stared at them for a split second, abstractly reminded of oblivion. /Or the oceans...The sky, but darker, like on a stormy day.../ He mused to himself. He drew in a quick breath.

In reality, his examination lasted no more than a second or two. 

"Watch where you're going," The strange teen said curtly to Duo, crossing his arms and glaring at him. His fellows (only now had Duo noticed him) hovered menacingly in the background, should their help become needed. Suddenly, the situation became a lot more serious. If it came down to a fight...

The atmosphere was tense, and for an instant, no one spoke. 

"I'm sorry," Duo said truthfully, staring into the other boy's eyes, willing him to see his sincerity. 

For a short moment, there was silence. However, the boy he'd ran into reclined his head just a fraction. It'd worked. Both sides loosened up, almost imperceptibly. 

"Don't let it happen again," the boy warned, then brushed past him, content to resume his walk with his friends. 

Quatre breathed a sigh of relief. "Ugh, Duo! I can't believe you apologized to that scum..." His whining voice became even worse than normal, and Duo stifled the urge to gag him.

"Who were they, anyway?" Duo asked curiously, wondering about that boy...

"You don't know? Everyone knows them!" Catherine exclaimed, excited to be able to tell Duo something he didn't know. 

Duo sighed softly, walking slowly along with them.

"That one you bumped into, he's Heero. Chinese...Maybe Japanese kid. He's really mean, you should watch out for him! He's got a few friends, they're like a gang! I heard they even carry around knives and stuff..." Catherine lowered her voice at the end of the sentence. She continued with a description of...Heero's friends. "Hm...Behind him, there was Trowa...He's not so bad..." Her voice got a bit more high-pitched when she said his name, and she began blushing. 

Quatre rolled his eyes. "You're always talking about Trowa! What's so great about him anyway?! He's just a...punk!" Quatre spit out the last word like it was poisonous.

Catherine looked over at him as they were walking, then put her hands on her hips saying, "Trowa is very sweet, actually! If it wasn't for Heero..." 

"GAP!" Wufei screeched suddenly, interrupting her, then streaked towards the store like it was his only lifeline. 

The rest of the crowd squealed and ran in, exclaiming over the new khakis and logo shirts. 

Duo stayed behind, waiting outside the store. It wasn't that he didn't like the Gap... It was just that sometimes his friends really made him angry. They didn't really know him at all, yet they acted like they'd all been friends forever. Besides, their unthinking prejudice against 'different' people was really starting to get on his nerves. 

He sighed, then walked off towards the food court, leaving his 'friends' behind. 

Striding confidently through the crowded mall, he passed a small group of older girls. A few whistled at him, and he blushed but kept on going. 

When he reached the food court, he quickly scanned the restaurants in the area. "A & W...Frulatti's..." He settled for the second one he saw, and then strolled over to wait in line. While he was there, he studied the menu choices carefully. 

When he reached the checkout line, he asked, "Can you just get a plain croissant, with nothing on it?" The woman working there nodded, an energetic smile on her face. 

"Good." Duo said, then proceeded to order a small bag of chips, a lemonade, and the aforementioned croissant.

He sat down at an empty table, behind a large potted plant. He hoped no one from his group would spot him. Shrugging, he told himself it didn't really matter. 

He took a long gulp of the cold lemonade, savoring the sweet taste. Then he grabbed the croissant and literally inhaled it. It'd been forever since his mom had actually remembered to pick him any up from the store. 

"Hey there! Looks like you're really hungry!" A female's voice cheerfully called out to him, and Duo choked on the wonderful croissant. 

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, then rushed over to smack him on the back. 

"Thanks," he rasped, throat feeling sore, seeing her really for the first time. 

She had blu-ish violet hair, and clear blue eyes, outlined several times in thick, black kohl. She worse a close fitting black spaghetti strap, showing off her pale skin, with the word 'shine' on it. The rest of her arms were covered in various criss-crossing leather straps. Her pants were little better, leaving almost nothing to the imagination, and a few studded belts were carelessly looped about her tiny waist. Her boots laced up to midcalf, and they were also black. Her jewelry was all metal, and it looked very heavy.

She set her tray down at the table and pulled up a chair. "My name's Hilde," She offered, sticking out her hand, which was encased in a black, fingerless glove. Duo accepted, giving her his, and she grinned and pumped his hand up and down. 

"No one's actually ever let me shake with them before!" She said, laughing. "They're all afraid I'll bite their hand or something!" 

Duo laughed easily with her, feeling that she was a person whose company he could actually enjoy. 

"My name's Duo Maxwell," He told her with a bright smile, still unaware of the tremendous affect it had on females. 

She grinned at him, then declared, "You need some body piercings, man! Jeez, you look so...clean with all that Abercrombie gear! Dammit, I'll fix you right up and make you the best whore this place's ever seen!"

Duo shook his head slowly. "I dunno...Punk? Me? Prep of the Year? And as for that whole whore thing..." He paused, letting the sentence hang in the air.

"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't serious!" Hilde laughed, picking up her large coke and sipping on it. She waved her hand expansively, saying, "I call everyone a whore! I just like the damn word, you know?" She smiled winningly at him, and he couldn't resist such charm. He smiled back, finishing off the croissant, moving on to the chips.

She reached over across the table and easily snagged a chip from the bag saying only, "I like Lays. No wait, actually, I do..." She grinned, winking exaggeratedly at him. 

"You're such a hentai!" Duo said, but laughing regardless. 

"You know what?" She asked him seriously, facing him over the table, leaning on one arm. 

"Hm?" Duo asked, happily munching on a Lay's Sour Cream and Onion chip.

"The only reason I came up to you is because you're so cute. I mean, the whole preppy clothes thing kinda scared me off, but I figured, what the hell, he's so damn fine it won't matter if he blows me off." She paused, thinking about what she'd said. 

"Oh crap! I didn't mean it like that!" She exclaimed loudly, referring to the last part of the sentence. 

"Hentai..." Duo whispered under his breath, but Hilde heard him. 

"Dammit, I heard that!" She said, punching him lightly on the arm.

She spotted someone behind him, and she stood up, waving her arms and shouting, ' Oi! Over here!' A lot of people stared, but she took no notice. 

"Who are you yelling to?" Duo asked comfortably, chomping his chips and sipping lemonade. 

"My boyfriend and his little 'posse'." Hilde said, running a hand self-consciously through her spiked hair. 

"Oh..." Duo said, then wondered why she'd come up to him. Weren't you supposed to be completely faithful to your boyfriend? 

Hilde appeared to read his mind. 

"Silly!" She scolded, lightly slapping at his face. "Heero and I very loose...We don't really care...Plus, I was only looking!" She protested innocently, just as Heero and his 'posse' crowded round the table, pulling up chairs from various other tables. 

Duo gulped, surprised to see the same boy again. 

"Heero..." Hilde crooned, leaning against him. 

Heero impassively looked at her, but let her link her arms around his neck. 

"Sorry..." Duo said to Heero, meeting his gaze, aware of the neutral looks he was receiving from everyone else. 

"You know each other?" Hilde asked, delighted, clapping her hands. "Even better! I'll introduce!" She cried, then held up Heero's limp hand, ignoring his glare, "This is Heero! He's a real bastard, and he goes for the whole 'emotionless cool' thing... He's also my one and only." She paused, fluttering her eyelashes at Heero. 

She continued, saying, "This is Trowa...He doesn't talk," pointing to a scarred, tall boy with a huge shock of hair in front of his eyes. "They are Relena and Dorothy..." She said, pointing to two girls who were both wearing tight miniskirts, and mesh shirts. They were currently in a tight embrace. Duo nodded politely to each one, feeling a little overwhelmed. 

"And this is Duo Maxwell!" She said to everyone, pointing at him, "Owner of a huge, badass girlie braid, polite manners..." Here, she gasped at her own statement, "and a most definite prep!" 

Duo fidgeted. 

Dorothy looked him over, then whistled. "Man!" She whined, "I wish I wasn't a lesbian!" 

Duo sweatdropped, but that broke the tension. Relena, Trowa, and Hilde laughed, and even Heero cracked a smile. 

"Yeah, um, well, sorry again about that, Heero." Duo said, but Heero dismissively waved his hand. 

"I understand..." He spoke quietly, "My mind would be wandering if I was with them, as well." 

"Dammit..." Hilde whined in frustration, causing Duo to turn his head around and stare at her. 

"What?" He asked in surprise, wondering what could make her so upset. 

"That's the most words I've heard Heero say in a week!" She whined, and Relena spoke up, for the first time. 

"Hilde, shut your ass... Heero's not a whore, like you, he uses his words wisely." Her voice was softly teasing, but rich and comfortable, and Duo found himself growing to like her. Dorothy laughed and backed her up. "Yeah, Hilde, don't be such a dirty whore!" 

"Well, when I have such good examples to follow..." Hilde let the rest of the sentence trail off and glared suggestively and Relena and Dorothy, raising both her eyebrows at them. 

They took no notice, instead, they gasped and put a hand over their hearts. "How could insult Duo and Heero like that?!" Relena asked, the very picture of affronted dignity. 

Duo laughed, then joined in. "Yeah Hilde! I want an apology, and now!" 

Hilde looked him up and down slowly, then asked in a seductive voice, "Where and when do you want your...apology?" 

"G-gack!" Duo said, blushing cherry red. 

Everyone in the group fell silent. 

"You blush?" Dorothy asked him incredulously. 

Heero eyeballed him, and Duo blushed even more.

Hilde saw an opportunity not to be wasted. "OhmiGOSH!" She screeched to everyone. "I can't believe it! Oooh I am gonna have SO much fun embarrassing you!" She crowed, grinning wildly. 

"Oh, leave the poor boy alone," Dorothy crooned, leaning over to give Duo a reassuring pat, "he can't help it if he's more modest than you...Though that isn't saying much..." She muttered the last under her breath. 

Relena cheerfully piped up, "Yeah, Hilde, *everyone* is more modest than you! Stupid whore..." She stuck her tongue out at Hilde, then turned to Duo, looking apologetic. "Hilde can't help how she is, Duo-baby, I think she was dropped a lot when she was a kid..."

Duo gulped, then mustered a grin. "Well, she wouldn't be the only one, then." He poked a finger into his chest, smiling slightly. 

"Yeah!" Hilde cheered, then threw an arm around his shoulders, saying loudly, "We'll have to make a club!" 

Heero shot Duo a dirty look, so, as soon as it was possible without hurting Hilde's feelings, he took her arm off of his shoulders. 

"Nani?" Hilde asked, crossing her arms, "You don't like me?" She pouted, looking hurt. 

"No... It's just I think Heero was a little bit jealous..." He said soothingly.

"Jealous...Not of *you*..." Hilde muttered under her breath. Heero shot her a look that could kill. 

Duo meeped over the tension in the air. 

"You meep?!" Dorothy asked, once again amazed. 

"Omigosh!" Relena exclaimed, "Not only do you *blush*, you *meep* as well! What an innocent..." She shook her head sadly. "Well, that's all about to change."

Trowa cracked a slight smile, the first thing he'd done in a while since obsessively drinking Hilde's frosty Coke. 

"Yeah..." Dorothy said slowly, with a devious expression on her face, "We're good at corrupting the innocent. I mean... Relena was the biggest prep of them all!" 

"Exactly!" Hilde nodded profusely, directing her question to Relena, "I mean, you were Ms. Head-honcho-prep-bitch, right?" 

Relena nodded, winking, then gave a slight tug on the spiked choker Dorothy wore. 

"I can see you changed," Duo said, grinning, finally at ease with these people. 

"We'll have to fix you right up..." Hilde muttered, patting Duo's back. 

"I dunno about that..." Duo paused, "I mean...I'm no poser!" He said defensively. 

"You're new here, though. People don't know what to think of you." Trowa interjected. 

Heero nodded. 

"Well..." Duo's resolve was weakening. He didn't really care what he wore... In fact, since Heero's friends were so interesting, he'd rather dress like them and blend in. Plus, he had to admit, he'd always wanted to dress like that... He'd just never had the nerve.

"Sure!" He said, smiling. 

"First thing's first," Hilde said, taking charge of the 'Duo reclamation' project. "Those Abercrombie clothes you've got here," She pointed at the bag under the table, "have to go back. Trowa, you can take care of yourself now; you go take those." 

Trowa gave her a *look*, but silently picked up the bag and headed out. 

"He can 'take care of himself now'...?" Duo echoed, worried. 

"Yeah," Hilde said, "Those rich kids'll take any opportunity they can to catch one of us alone," She lowered her voice, "How do you think Trowa got that huge scar?" 

Dorothy slapped at Hilde. "Don't go scaring him..." She said, but tension was in her voice.

Relena leaned forward and patted his hand. "Don't worry, Duo-honey, let's just go get you some clothes... Normally, we'd lend you some of Heero's or Trowa's... But, since I see you're buying from Abercrombie, you obviously got some money, right?" 

"Enough..." Duo allowed, thinking of the money his job was bringing him.

"Ok, then!" Hilde happily interjected, ready to go. 

"Which store is it then...?" Duo asked. 

"Gadzooks." Heero stated, studying the ground.

"Hot Topic!" Hilde said, glaring at Heero. 

"Gadzooks. It's not as...overwhelming." Dorothy backed Heero up.

"Okay, okay..." Hilde said, then pushed her chair in and got up. "Gadzooks it is then!" 

The others followed suit, and Hilde took Duo's hand, leading the way. Duo raised a brow at her, but she whispered in his ear, giggling, "Heero's not *really* my boyfriend, Duo-babe. I just say that, no wait, wish that. He's never gotten involved with *anyone*." 

"Ohh..." He mouthed, and she smiled at him, beautiful eyes twinkling.

"Are ya'll coming?!" Hilde yelled back at Heero, Dorothy, and Relena. 

"Ya'll!" Dorothy yelled to her, mocking. 

Hilde stopped abruptly, bringing Duo to a stumbling halt. 

"Wha-?" He asked, confused. Then he looked around, and noticed the dimly lit store in front of him, music blasting out through the entrance. A bright neon sign greeted, 'Gadzooks'.

Heero appeared behind him, followed by Relena and Dorothy. 

"Ready?" Relena asked, concerned. 

"Yeah..." Duo said quietly, swallowing a bit. It shouldn't be that bad... Also, it was easier now that his...friends were with him.

Ok, he told himself as he walked in, still clutching Hilde's hand. 

A few employees glanced at him, saw Hilde, Heero, Dorothy, and Relena, and knowingly smiled. 

"Well...That wasn't so bad." He said, glancing around inside the store. 

"Hey...Heero'll take you around the guy's section...Hilde, Relena and I are gonna check out the girls stuff, k?" Dorothy asked, mothering him. 

"Yeah, sure." Duo said, missing the comforting pressure of Hilde's hand as she slipped away to join the other two.

He stood awkwardly by Heero. 

"Follow me." Heero said, and Duo struggled to keep up with his long-legged pace, which made short work of the length of the store. 

They arrived at the very back, where racks of baggy pants and interesting shirts awaited. 

"One by one the penguins are stealing my sanity?" Duo questioned the logo on a shirt, and Heero shrugged. "Whatever you want." He said noncommittally.

"Well...Could you be a little help?" Duo pleaded. "Like, maybe tell me what would look good on me or something? I'm really new at this, I mean..." He trailed off when he saw the shaded look Heero gave him. 

Heero's mind was racing. 'Look good on me?' The words danced around in his head. He envisioned Duo in any outfit he could choose... He licked his lips. 

"Here. This." Heero abruptly pulled a pair of huge pants off the rack. They were dark blue in color, with tons of pockets, tabs, and zippers. They would entirely cover Duo's shoes. 

Duo held it up on him, looking it over. "They look pretty nice. You have good judgment, man." He flashed a smile at him, and put the pair over his arm. "Anything else?" He asked. 

Heero pulled out another pair of jeans, six shirts, a package of some sort... Arm warmers, Duo noted. Heero appeared done with the selection. 

"Stay here." Heero said, then strode up to the middle of the store, where a stand of jewelry stood. He came back a few minutes later, and he noticed Duo was impatiently hopping up and down. 

He smiled to himself, then tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Do you want to go ahead and buy the stuff, then go to a bathroom in the mall and change?" 

"Sure!" Duo enthusiastically replied. 

Heero went to the front with everything, and met the employee at the counter's stare. 

"Converted someone else?" She asked with a smile, and Heero nodded. "She's really pretty, you might want to...Y'know..." She trailed off suggestively. Heero didn't even bother replying. 

"Duo!" He called out, and Duo came up to stand beside him, pouting. "Can we go?" He asked, his rich voice impatient. 

The woman gasped a little, then gave a nervous laugh. "My mistake..." She told Heero. 

Heero walked out with Duo, and they found the restroom soon enough. "Change here." He told Duo brusquely. 

"Into what?" Duo wailed, pointing out all the different things Heero had bought. 

Heero picked out a pair of black baggy pants, and a shirt that read, 'Meep'. Duo raised both his eyebrows incredulously and Heero couldn't keep back his smile. "I thought it appropriate." He handed over the dark grey arm warmers, a studded belt, a multitude of bracelets, and a chain necklace. "Change." He ordered, a small smile gracing his features for the second time. 

Duo held his bundle to him as he entered the stall. Okay, he thought to himself, put the pants on - Heero's ripped the tags off already. He laughed to himself, because he didn't even have to take his shoes off to do that. He placed his jeans to the side. Put on the belt, he reminded himself, otherwise these are gonna fall down. Okay, shirt next. That slipped on well, and felt surprisingly comfortable. Arm warmers... He slipped those on, then fastened the necklace and put the bracelets on. Okay... He thought, then stepped out of the stall. 

Heero literally held his breath. Much, much nicer... He thought satisfied to himself. You have good taste, Yui...

"I got you something else..." Heero said, hesitating.

"What?" Duo asked, curious, and really wanting to know what Heero thought of him for some reason. 

Heero took a few small pieces of jewelry out of his pocket. "Magnetic earrings?" He asked.

Duo looked at him. 

"Well, I didn't think you wanted to actually pierce..." 

"Sure! That's fine... How do you put them in?" Duo asked. 

"Here-no, wait, I'll get it." Heero said, seeing an excuse to get closer to Duo.

He opened up all three earrings, and gently placed each earring, and the backing on Duo's ear. He deliberately let one of the backings fall, and he placed a hand on Duo's chest to stop it from hitting the ground. "Sorry," He said, feeling his pulse start racing at the contact. Duo's face was heating up, as well. 

He hid a grin, then put it on the rest of the way. 

C.B. IV:

My breath heaves in and out, panting, weighted like silence. Quiet, but for my breath - alone in the room. 

My fist breaks itself on glass, wood, frames, everything in the room. Smashing over and over in unending violence. 

Loss. 

I'm fine. 

Icy, that was me. Ice, like cold, frozen and lying. I ignored you, bastard, you meant nothing. A heated night meant nothing. Passion was the only thing I understood, passion and want and violence - needy. 

Too goddamned fucking needy by far. 

Cut. Slowly, slower. Press down - harder - yes, like that, press slow and deep to let it last longer - make you warm again. That won't work. Jerk the knife quickly, continue the line... Blood seeps behind, my sheets are red.

White. White. You called me your pure one, your angel. Too needy. 

Then I found you, enjoying my friend's company. Eyes glazed with passion, desire. I couldn't believe it. 

Something shattered. 

Something too fragile and weak, something that should never have existed. You forged it, you tore it. 

It's gone. 

A trembling hand rests on my breast - it's mine. Bloody sheets, red, like what I thought was... Cuts. Lines, perfect, all along this angel. Red angel. 

Bathe in blood, Lady of Bath, bathe in blood. It will make you immortal. Immortal soldier. You're immortal now, bathed in blood.

An uninterested finger dips in the blood, feeling wetness. Lip curling in disgust, wiping it on something else. 

Me... Me...

What I fight for...

Is broken.

C.B. V:

Fate. Such an interesting thing, don't you all agree? But what if...? Here! Hear me out now, before you go! ...You owe me at least that much respect. 

There, that's better. Now... You realize that everyone in the world experiences feelings - Hear me out, I said! I have to put it SIMPLY! You're not used to this... It's not that difficult of a theory, really. 

Since everyone experiences feelings, at a certain point in time - but! Take out the 'time' and put in 'life'... Everyone experiences a feeling at an exact point, precisely in their life. NO! I am NOT trying to make this complicated! Listen!

Example: Saisha was ecstatic when she turned 13. Ecstatic. At the moment she turned thirteen - You see where I'm going, don't you? Forget feeling the same as everyone else at the same time - go by your own biological clock.

what do you feel when you are exactly 16 years, 4 months, 5 days, 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 12 seconds old? Exactly in that moment of time. No one is perfectly attuned - You see, don't you?! No!! I'm not-!

Understand me! If someone was perfectly attuned - they had to be born at the exact same time! On the dot! NO! Listen to me! I am NOT a crazy old - ! 

Don't you get it...? Hmph. I'm not soft, just practical. 

I think that... Nervous? NO! You and he... are one such couple. Attuned. Perfectly. Feeling the same emotions at the same biological time... No, let me re-phrase, you both feel differently... But at the same moment. Echoes can be felt... A link! A link you share! 

You understand! Yes... Finally. 

Someone to put an end... Put me out of my misery...

Thank you, Shin no kami. You were always so compassionate. Give this old man a chance... Yes... Thank you. Sayonara, my... friend. Sayonara.

A bloody hand fell, finally, owner no longer needing to possess it. 

So sorry, hate to rain on your parade, when everything's a fucking lie, you know you can count on me - to rain on your parade. I'm so true, so indestructible you called me death - I liked it, you bought it. I never meant to be more than I could live up to - give a confession, secret sin or lie here and there - there can be no answer to your simple question. I am - attuned. 

C.B. VI:

Feelings come so cheaply... What a lie. I think slowly, savoring the sharp, bitter-metallic tang of metal in my mouth. 

The gun feels like it belongs here, I clinically note, detailing every little feeling. I shift my grip on the trigger. Does this even matter? Would it matter if I pulled it? Would anyone mourn the so-called Shinigami? Or would they rejoice that I had died, and that the damned little bitch had killed himself, fucking good riddance, *he's* gonna go to hell. 

I'm cold, I think, quietly, in the background of all this empty despair and self hate. I've been cold ever since... My mind shies away from the thought, unable to bear it. Ever since that day when I fucked up, when hundreds of innocent people...

I shut down the thought. Yes, it most definitely is a strange phenomenon, I think analytically. Cold...cold like ice. Not just my in my heart, either, but my body temperature has gone down... 

My hand wavers. Should I do it? I don't deserve to live, I know this, I deserve to go to hell. But have I atoned? No. I've tried, my God how I tried... Trying doesn't cut it, a nasty voice in the back of my mind brings to my attention. 

I shift my grip again, wondering. What would happen if...? I swallow, convulsively, metal rasping against my throat. God, it's so cold... It's like it's always been there, I think, scared, it's like I was born with a gun in my mouth, waiting to go off... It's creepy, and I know this is how it has to be.

Note: If you want to comment on any of these (0.o) just use the C.B. #. They are all only 'stress relief', so it's doubtful they'll go very far... So don't get attached to any of them. (::snorts:: But we both know you have better taste than *that*!)

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