Break Through
by kebzero
The living room table had never felt smaller than it did then. There was nothing wrong with the pizza or soft drinks, and I couldn't really complain about the company either, given circumstances.
It hadn't stopped me from eyeing the pizza delivery boy with a good deal of envy when he got his money.
He could leave.
I'd eaten two slices of pizza relatively unbothered, but then Wufei chose to resume our argument, questioning my judgement in career moves. There was no way I could tell him about the real perk of working with Duo - and I didn't think Duo would mention it.
Wufei put down his half-eaten slice, washed the mouthful down with his drink and wiped his lips with the back of his hand and looked around. "Is this really all you're aspiring to be, Yuy?" Thinking better of it, he quickly glanced in Hilde's direction. "No offense."
"None taken," she returned flatly. In short, she did, but not enough to bear a grudge with Wufei. He has a habit of speaking or acting without thinking too hard first.
"Heero, we need analysts and seasoned advisors almost as much as we need experienced field agents, and-"
"Quit asking," I cut him off, emptying my glass in one go. "I'm not eligible for Preventer duty. I don't think I could cope with the pressure."
Wufei took another swig and close to slammed his glass back down. "What do you mean, you can't cope? It's a desk job! You're Heero Yuy, twice savior of the world, damn it! Why do you talk about yourself like you're some damn drunken deadbeat?!"
Glass shattered. I heard it before I felt it, and only then did I look down at my injured hand, small and large shards all over and around it. It was only a result of my fist clenching it to its breaking point - and even as it began to hurt, I was relieved I'd finally accomplished silence - the deafening sort. Even Duo, a pizza slice halfway in his mouth, appeared petrified, right up until he bit down and swallowed.
Hilde was the first of them to recover, pushing herself up from her seat. "I'll get the first aid kit."
Trowa tapped my shoulder. "Let me see it."
I grabbed my injured hand by the wrist. "It's nothing," I muttered.
He started to frown. "Heero, you just crushed a glass one-handed. This is not nothing. Do we have to dance?"
Catching his meaning, I defiantly glared back at him, but couldn't keep it up for more than a couple of seconds. Giving in, I presented him my torn, bleeding palm. He studied the damage, then removed the largest shard poking out.
Looking pale, Duo got to his feet. "I'll ask Hilde about tweezers." And he was gone.
I gritted my teeth as Trowa worked, carefully removing what he could unaided.
Wufei remained silent, not meeting my eyes. "...if I said anything to offend you, I apologize, Heero," he finally mumbled.
I didn't answer, busy struggling not to cry out as another chunk of glass left my palm.
"I just - I'm talking about a desk job, Yuy - what could possibly make you ineligible for-"
Damn, how that last shard had hurt coming out. "I'm an alcoholic!" I snapped at Wufei.
Eerie silence followed. I heard something hit the floor, turned to see Hilde and Duo returning, tweezers coming to rest at the carpet's edge. The guppy faces on that pair was reflected in Wufei and Trowa.
And what I'd just blurted out, came back to me.
Swell.
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