To Get Your Attention

By: Missfortune

Disclaimer: Don't own them or the song.

Warning: Shonen Ai, mild angst, sap

Notes: The story is based around the song 'I stopped to fill my car up' by Stereophonics.

The door to the safe house opened and Heero looked up from his laptop. It was 11 o'clock at night. Duo was six hours late. On the outside Heero looked perfectly calm, but his insides were twisting in knots from nervousness. A soaking wet Duo plodded into the bedroom and sunk onto the bed face first. Heero cleared his throat and Duo tiredly lifted his head to look at him.

"You're late," Heero said emotionlessly.

Duo nodded.

"Six hours late," Heero continued.

"So?" Duo shrugged.

"So where were you?" Heero asked patiently.

"I went for a drive," Duo said burying his face in the comforter.

"A six hour drive?" Heero asked flatly.

"Yeah, you know, the Minnow went for a three hour tour and it turned into years. I went for a drive that turned into a six hour drive." Duo mumbled from the bed.

"The Minnow?" Heero questioned confused.

"Never mind. Look I went for a drive, had a little trouble but I'm back now so drop it," Duo said.

"Trouble?" Heero asked perking up somewhat. "Report," he demanded.

Duo knew that Heero would want a full report. He sighed heavily as he sat up. He pushed his still dripping bangs out of his face and began. "I stopped to fill my car up. The car felt good that day. I didn't know where I was going, but it felt good for a change. A five and a pocket full of silver, I paid the lady, no change. And then it started to piss down [1]. I started driving again. And then I looked up and looked in the mirror behind me. A man round forty in the backseat. Must have stepped in while I was empty. So why's he sat there just waiting, likely to smash my face in."

Heero listened closely. Duo's words were slightly mechanical, like a chant. The moved as if to a beat in his head. They held a strange musical quality, which Heero found fascinating. He nodded as Duo continued.

"He had a bag full of money. He said 'Just drive me away.' I didn't know where I was going, yet it felt good to be strange. And still I look up and look in the mirror behind me." Duo paused.

"Curiosity is over. He stepped down from the car. He pulled a gun from his jacket. Said I was going to die. 'It gives me so much satisfaction, to watch you beg and cry.'" Duo stopped, staring into space.

"And?" Heero urged, waiting in anticipation to hear how Duo dealt with the man. Wanting to know how Duo had fared.

"Well I just made up this story[2]. To get your attention makes me smile," Duo said softly. Then he smiled tiredly before getting up and walking towards the bathroom. "I never looked up or looked in the mirror behind me."

Heero blinked as Duo closed the bathroom door. He made it all up! Just to get Heero's attention! Didn't Duo know that he didn't need to make up storied to get his attention? Or did Heero's cold manner fool Duo more than he had thought? Heero looked up at his laptop. He knew the contours of the computer just as well as he knew the curves of Duo's body, if not better. He couldn't remember the last time he and Duo spent any time together just talking or being together, other than being in bed. In retrospect even to him it appeared that he was ignoring Duo.

The sounds of running water drew his attention. Duo was taking a shower. Heero looked back at his laptop, then at the bathroom door. He closed the laptop and walked silently into the bathroom. He slid out of his clothes and stepped into the shower. Duo, who was leaning against the tiled wall, never noticed the rush of cool air or his company. Heero wrapped his arms around Duo's waist. Duo started and turned in Heero's embrace. When he saw Heero, he smiled. But it was a tired almost sad smile. He looked resigned.

Heero realized what was probably going through Duo's mind. It made him feel terrible that Duo would resign himself to an act that should be good for them both. And he was the reason that Duo felt that way. Heero silently vowed to never again make Duo feel this way. He rested Duo's head on his shoulder and stroked his damp hair.

"Let me help you," Heero said softly.

Duo nodded wearily.

Heero picked up a bottle of shampoo and poured some into his hand. He gently massaged Duo's scalp and Duo purred in contentment. Heero smiled. He picked up a bar of soap and worked up a good soapy lather, and then he began to rub soothing circles into Duo's back. Heero stepped back and rubbed the rich lather onto Duo's chest, arms and legs never lingering in one spot loner than necessary to clean it.

Then he gently pushed Duo under the warm spray of the shower to rinse him off. Heero rinsed every last trace of soap from Duo's hair and body before he turned the water off. He squeezed the extra water out of Duo's thick wet hair and listened to the water splash in the porcelain basin. Then he stepped out a got a large fluffy towel, which he held open. Duo stepped out of the tub and into the towel, which Heero wrapped tightly around him. He led Duo back to the bedroom and laid him out on the bed. He stretched out next to Duo and took him into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Duo, even if I haven't showed it lately. I love you. You don't have to stay out late and make up stories to get my attention you know," Heero said.

"Actually, it was a song," Duo replied yawning.

"The story?" Heero asked.

Duo nodded.

"I knew there was something strange about it. Maybe next time you can sing it to me," Heero said.

"Yeah, next time I'll sing it to you," Duo replied as he snuggled up against Heero.

Heero stroked Duo's still wet hair. He kissed Duo gently on the lips. "I love you, Duo."

"I love you too, Heero," Duo answered as he slipped into sleep.

[1] Just in case you're unfamiliar with British terminology, Piss down means that it started to pour down rain.

[2] I know that Shinigami doesn't lie, but technically he's not lying.

I just had to use that song for something. I decided to do a different sort of songfic. How did it turn out?