Author: Kiya Sama

Title: The 1x2 Chronicles: Atonement for Our Sins

Pairings: 1x2x1 and others in between

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Angst, fluff…(somewhere in there surely! ><;; )

Archives: http://www.geocities.com/the_1x2_chronicles

Disclaimers: Main characters are properties of Bandai and Sunrise. I make no money off them

Author’s Notes: A flashback story – sort of. I sort of missed the simple good old days when they didn’t have so much junk to deal with. So here’s a short ficlet to fill in the void until I get my muses working again to continue with the present arc. Enjoy! ^^

 

___

 

 

Side Story: Atonement for Our Sins

 

Something soft and ticklish danced beneath his nose. He sneezed and turned on to his left side with a barely muffled curse. In his subconscious, he could hear the persistent ‘meow’ from the feline and a part of him felt guilty…but then again…perhaps not.

 

He was tired and rightfully so. The last mission had been a backbreaker – mainly due to a few incompetent subordinates. It had also resulted in Duo and Quatre being sent to the site of the main chaos which in turn meant that Duo wouldn’t be returning home until tomorrow.

 

Another soft ‘meow’ had him cursing a bit louder. And ready to snuggle back within the sheets, he all but cried out as the sudden weight of the cat was felt upon his head.

 

“Meow?”

 

He would really have to talk to Duo about training her. The American had once deduced that Coco liked sitting on his head because it was as comfy as a throw rug.

 

Heero had not been amused.

 

He cracked an eye open and tried his best to glare at the pair of piercing green eyes that stared right back at him.

 

“What do you want from me?” he croaked out wearily. “Go feed yourself or something.”

 

“Meow!”

 

He closed his eyes and sighed…

 

“Damn…”

 

…only to open them up again with a light yawn of resignation.

 

“Okay, okay, get off me then,” he shifted a little, allowing the cat to jump lightly to the ground. With a stretch and another loud yawn, he pulled back the sheets and got off the bed, almost falling as he narrowly avoided tripping over the large ball of fur by his feet. He scratched his bare torso lightly, bare feet padding across the carpeted floor as he began to make his way towards the kitchen.

 

Coco followed happily enough, eyeing her half-naked master with low purrs of delight at the thought of having a meal inside of her soon. She had been patient, having allowed him to sleep for as long as possible. Her other long-haired master wasn’t around and as she began to lick her paws carefully, she idly wondered if the two men had had another quarrel again. She doubted it though. Whenever they did fight, the air was usually thick with tension. She would usually curl up in a corner until it was safe enough to go to any one of them – usually the long-haired one. No, she didn’t dislike her dark-haired master in the slightest, if anything, she knew that he was more concerned over her welfare - although he might not show it much.

 

“Shit…Duo…” She heard him mumble and then curse as he dropped her bowl on his foot. “At least put things back where they belong…”

 

She purred again and sat as still as possible, watching him fuss around the small space with curious green eyes. Unlike her long-haired master, this one was more ‘controlled’ in the kitchen. He liked to have his things in order and when not there, he had the tendency to ‘snap’ quite easily.

 

“Here you go,” Heero said softly as he placed the bowl, now filled with cat food, before her. “Eat up. I’ve got to go get some things for the house,” he added as he watched her dig into the food with a ferocity that almost had him laughing. Settling for a wry smile instead, he walked back into the bedroom to get dressed for his outing. He eyed the bed wistfully, wishing he could postpone his trip by at least another hour. But he knew he couldn’t do that. Coco was out of food and to save himself the trouble of listening to her loud mewls all night, he would have to get shopping out of the way now.

 

“Temperature…thirty-two degrees…” he muttered as he slipped into warmer clothes. He wrapped the blue stripped scarf around his neck and slid the black wool gloves over his hands while giving a sharp and short whistle.

 

“Let’s go, Coco.”

 

She didn’t want to and she made that quite clear by deliberately ignoring him. She yawned and waddled into the living room, leaving him to gawk after her in disbelief. She never did this to Duo, Heero thought with a light frown. Whenever his partner even made an attempt to leave the house, the cat would be right on his heels. It wasn’t fair…almost.

 

“Fine,” he muttered as he shoved sock-clad feet into black, comfortable boots. “Do what you like, you spoiled kitten.”

 

She watched as he stomped his way out of the house and closed the door behind him with a resounding click. Ah, blissful solitude again, she thought as she curled up happily beside the large velvet ottoman. Only she knew just why he was acting so grumpy this evening.

 

Her master was clearly feeling very lonely.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“I mean, I’m just worried you know.”

 

“I know you are, Duo.”

 

“It’s not like I don’t trust him or anything but…”

 

“He might have the tendency to forget such things, right? Hand me the other gun.”

 

“Here.” He opened up another box of cartridges and began to count beneath his breath. All around them were groups of foreigners already placed into groups by the other Preventer officials. They would have to communicate effectively with the oil workers if they had any hopes of finding out who’s been in charge of the recent riots that have taken place. This was a delicate and sensitive time for both factions as things could get explosive if negotiations were not taken care of properly. And yet…

 

“I bet he didn’t feed her tonight.”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Duo. I’m sure he did.”

 

“You don’t know what he’s like when he’s tired, Q. I mean the guy sleeps like the dead.”

 

“Hmm…really?” came the absent reply as the Arabian eyed an empty crate skeptically while making a mental note to make sure he had a talk with Officer Drake about them. “I wonder why…”

 

“You’re not even listening to me.”

 

“I am, Duo. I really am…just hand me the notes over there, will you?”

 

The American sighed and shoved said papers towards the blond with a light snort. “Maybe I should call him.”

 

Quatre nodded fervently while scribbling his observations as quickly as possible. “You probably should.”

 

“Just to make sure, you know?”

 

“Great idea, Duo. And while you’re at it, send for Drake, will you?”

 

“Some help you are, Q.”

 

The blond finally lifted his gaze to smile warmly at his friend. “Why thank you, Duo. What are friends for anyway? Now hurry up and make that call.”

 

And rolling his eyes with an exasperated sigh, Duo began to make his way to their temporary offices. He was going to give Heero a call…as soon as he was done dealing with Quatre’s demands.

 

 

~*~

 

 

He still wasn’t sure of why it always took Duo over an hour to do their meager grocery shopping. It had taken him all of thirty minutes to pick out what was necessary and he had saved up a lot of money too. Chewing absently on an apple, he cradled the paper bag against his chest tightly, while crossing the narrow bridge that hovered over the evening traffic. The loud, blaring sounds of car horns from impatient drivers had him shaking his head a little. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t used to the noise by now, but it still never ceased to amaze him at how irritable the people on Earth could become at the slightest notion of delay…for anything.

 

He could almost laugh at his thoughts.

 

“Help a poor guy out, will ya, sonny? Help? I ain’t had nothing for two days now. Spare a guy some change, will ya?”

 

He eyed the homeless bum with a wary glance, knowing full well that many of them had the tendency to rob you blind if you weren’t too careful. This one looked genuine enough – roughly fifty years old, his white beard a bit gnarly and uncombed, dark eyes sunken in with age and hunger, an oversized brown coat that hung off his skinny frame and dragged on the ground after him and to finish the picture, crooked and yellowing teeth that grinned at him each time its owner’s mouth opened. It wasn’t a very pleasant picture, but to Heero…it meant something else entirely.

 

In those eyes, he saw years of hardship and suffering. In those eyes, he saw a man that had once been young and virile. He eyed the trembling, wrinkled hands that were raised to him in plea and he narrowed his gaze in contemplation. These hands had once been strong and steady. These were the hands of a man that had been in many battles in the past. These were the hands of a man who had spilled the blood of many helpless souls. Beneath the grim and dirt-caked fingernails were remnants of lives that would forever haunt him until his dying day.

 

“Help a poor man out will ya, sonny? You look like you’s a good man. Help me out, will ya?”

 

“You must have piloted a mobile suit or at least worked on one,” Heero said softly as he leaned closer to eye the man’s hands. “Oil stains…they never do go away, do they?”

 

The man looked startled and an undeniable flash of something akin to fear filled his shimmering depths for a moment, but just as quickly, he was able to mask it with a look of confusion. “I ain’t no fighter, sonny,” he denied quickly as he began to shift backwards slowly. “Does I look like a fighter to you’s?”

 

“Not right now, you don’t,” Heero replied as he shivered and blew out a cloud of smoke from his mouth. It was getting chillier by the minute. “Hmm…perhaps you worked for the Foundation.”

 

By this time, the man was trying his best to disappear within his coat. He must have been cursed to have met such a person on this night. Why hadn’t he minded his own business?

 

“But that’s all in the past now, isn’t it?” Heero continued quietly as he tightened the grocery bag against him. “The war’s all over, isn’t it? We’ve all fought bloody battles and we’ll continue to live with our memories – always allowing them to haunt us as a reminder to atone for our sins.”

 

The man literally quaked at the sight of the boy that now seemed to tower above him. He closed his eyes and whispered harshly. “I ain’t no sinner. I only did as I was told. I ain’t no sinner. I ain’t! I ain’t!”

 

Heero smiled wanly as he reached into the bag to whip out an apple. “Sorry, friend. This is all I’ve got now.”

 

He held the apple out to the man, but was astonished to find it slapped out his hand. In seeming fascination, he watched the red fruit roll along the cobbled road before it slipped between a narrow stone crevice, to fall amongst the rushing cars. He was sure a mindless driver had squashed the small fruit by now and he could imagine its juices spilling out to the cold gravel street like the tears of a wounded lover.

 

“I ain’t eating it! I ain’t eating your poison! Get away from me! Get away! Get away! Get away!”

 

And to Heero’s added surprise, the man began to cry – bitter tears of self-loathing and misery that seemed to be wrenched out from the very depths of his soul. The boy stared at him for a moment longer, ignoring the fact that they were beginning to draw attention from other bystanders.

 

Was it so wrong to speak the truth?

 

He finally gave a soft sigh before turning away. And although the man had stopped yelling, Heero could still hear those anguished words like a never ending record within his mind.

 

‘Get away and never come back…’

 

 

~*~

 

 

The apartment seemed even colder and more depressing as he took off his boots slowly. He barely turned to acknowledge the kitten that had come padding out of the living room to welcome him. Absently, he held out his hand and smiled softly as he felt Coco rub her head against it in greeting. Her loud purr was like music to his ears and before he could stop himself, he lifted her rather heavy form within his arms to cuddle her close. She felt warm – a much more welcome sensation than the heaviness that filled his heart at the moment.

 

He told himself that it wasn’t the bum that had made him feel this way, but he still couldn’t get rid of the persistent image of that wrinkled old face looking at him with so much…hate.

 

“I screwed up today, didn’t I?” he whispered softly to the bemused kitten as he began to scratch her ears gently. “What would Duo do if he were here, hmm?”

 

He closed his eyes and allowed her purrs to soothe him. It was comforting in a nice way.

 

“I was just trying to help him…” he began to explain as if hoping that she might be able to help him out. “How was I to know he would…?”

 

The shrill ring of the phone started him for a moment before he allowed a small smile to come to his lips. He already had an idea of who was on the other end. And so cradling Coco carefully on one arm, he walked into the living room to pick it up.

 

“Duo.”

 

“Where the hell were you?! I’ve been calling for ages!”

 

“It’s nice to hear from you too.”

 

“Have you fed her?”

 

Coco purred and tried to nuzzle the phone as she recognized her other master’s voice. Heero fell into the couch with a heavy sigh. “Yes, I did.”

 

“What did you give her?”

 

“What do you think I gave to her? Noodles?”

 

“Funny, Heero. Really funny.”

 

“I’m not stupid, Duo. I do know what to feed her.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“And I had to go shopping too. I spent only thirty minutes in there by the way.”

 

“No kidding.” Duo sounded bored. “What did you do? Chase away the other customers?”

 

“Not…really.”

 

“I don’t even wanna know.”

 

Coco shifted restlessly and Heero lifted his arm a little to let her go. He watched her with faint amusement as she began to lick herself again.

 

She must be getting rid of my germs, he thought absently.

 

“What was that, Heero? Are you even listening to me? What’s with everyone ignoring me today?”

 

“I met a bum today, Duo.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“A bum. Homeless man. On the street. I saw him.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I tried to help him.”

 

Duo remained silent.

 

“I saw his hands,” Heero continued softly. Even though they were miles apart…Duo was right beside him, listening – just the way he liked it. “They were bloodstained, Duo. He had killed many people and I just…I don’t know why I said it…”

 

“You were trying to help him, right?”

 

“To help fight away his demons.”

 

“Figures.”

 

“I screwed up, didn’t I?”

 

“Big time, junior.”

 

“Junior?”

 

“I learned that from Drake.”

 

“Who’s he?”

 

“Uuum…he’s under your supervision, Heero?”

 

“Never heard of him.”

 

“Doesn’t matter now, does it?”

 

“He told me to ‘Get away’, Duo.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“It felt…odd.”

 

“Odd? Hurt? An ache in your chest…kinda? Sorta?”

 

“I think…”

 

“He must have been feeling odd too, Heero. I’m sure he didn’t want that chapter of his life remembered again.”

 

“I couldn’t help it.”

 

Duo shrugged and sighed over the phone. “Maybe you should go back to not speaking for a while.”

 

“Funny, Duo. Really funny.”

 

“Yeah, I crack myself up like that sometimes.”

 

“I miss you.”

 

The American smiled. “Ditto that.”

 

“I’ll make your favorite pasta if you come back on time.”

 

He listened to his partner’s laughter with a smile on his features. “Is that all, Heero? Surely you can do better than that.”

 

He smirked. “I’ll let you be on top for a week and you can have your way with me. Deal?”

 

Duo laughed and saluted smartly. “Roger that, Heero Yuy…eh? What was that, Q?”

 

Heero listened to the muffled words in the background and sighed softly. Duty called again.

 

“…ah…okay. Be there in a jiff. Hey, Heero…”

 

“I know. I’ll see you tomorrow…and Duo?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Heero could already tell that his boyfriend’s mind was back in mission mode.

 

“Nothing,” he finally muttered thickly and much to his chagrin and embarrassment, he listened to the loud smooching sound that came over the line.

 

“I’ll be careful, Heero.”

 

And with a final chuckle from his partner, Heero was again left alone in silence. He hung up the phone and curled up on the sofa, the weariness of the past two days finally beginning to take their toll…again. Perhaps he would dream of the bum tonight or if he was lucky he would have one of Duo dressed in nothing but a loin cloth. He yawned softly, lashes growing heavier by the second as he watched the tiny snowflakes begin to fall outside his window.

 

He wondered if the bum had a place to sleep for the night. He had the feeling that the old man would be extremely cold without shelter.

 

It was a cruel and lonely world after all.

 

But don’t worry old man. It’s only atonement for your sins…our sins which will never be forgiven…

 

 

~Owari~