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"Standing Outside the Fire"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: Mine! Mine! Mine! Pairings: 2x5, 3x4 Warnings: AU, language, twisted humor, lime, lemon,
some angst, significant OC, brief moments of sap, romance, a bit of
violence Archived: On Gundam Wing Diaries Betas: Velvet *huggles* Author’s Notes: You know those dreams that
you keep dreaming over and over again for weeks? The ones that don’t
go away until you write them down? Yeah, that’s exactly what
happened. I passed the idea by one of my betas, to see if it was worth
putting on paper. Her response was “Write it. NOW.” So I
wrote it. The rest is…ah, what follows after my insane notes.
Feedback is my diet…and I’m getting
pretty lean so send me something to munch on, okay? Flames will result in me tormenting you for your
inability to read warnings. And I’m good at tormenting. Just
ask the boys. *emphasized* /thought/ //phone// "Standing Outside the Fire"
Both collies—one a tripod with tan, white, and black hair, the other a white merle with silver, black and white markings—were happily moving from one side of the truck to the other, sniffing everything that their noses could detect. Satisfied that they were fine, she turned her eyes back onto the road. Usually she didn’t take them into town with her, but they had been due for rabies shots, so she’d brought them along. /One thing left to do./ She stopped in front of the local bookstore. Her order had finally come in, and she desperately needed something new to read. As she got out of the Nissan Titan, she gave her boys a firm look. “Don’t move out of the truck, alright?” The tripod whined, giving her a soulful look. “Don’t give me that, Zathris. You can’t go into a bookstore. Stay put.” Her eyes switched to the other dog. “That goes for you as well, Zane.” Content that they would obey orders, she went into the store. + Under the normal course of events, the dogs would have actually stayed. Zane, however, detected something that was outside of what he considered ‘normal’. Even from the back of the pickup, he could smell blood. Uneasily he shifted about, looking for his owner. She was still in the store, and apparently wasn’t planning on moving out anytime soon. But the person he smelled was hurt and needed help, and Zane knew it. The smell was all wrong. Turning, he touched noses with his friend, communicating his intentions rapidly. ‘Go get her. I’ll go to him.’ Zathris barked in understanding before leaping from the bed of the truck. Zane was right behind him, and they split as soon as their paws touched the ground. Zane sprinted into a nearby alleyway and Zathris darted straight to the store window, barking like mad. + Jamie looked up with a frown. Neither of her boys was known for their barkiness. What could have set them off? Zathris was pacing impatiently in front of the store, barking and wagging his tail when he realized that he had her attention. Putting everything down, Jamie hurried outside. “Zathris? What is it, love?” With one last bark he darted for the mouth of the alleyway, pausing and looking back to make sure that she was following. “Uh-oh. What have you two discovered this time?” The last time this had happened, she had brought home a bedraggled German shepherd. Thankfully they had found her home two days later, but still… Jamie knew better than to argue, however, and sprinted after her collie. Zane was pacing around a crumpled form, whining anxiously and giving her a look that stated plainly, ‘Fix it!’ As Jamie came nearer, she realized that this time the boys had discovered a teenage boy. His skin was dirty, and various cuts were over his too-lean limbs. From all appearances he had taken a beating. Cautiously Jamie reached out, looking for anything more serious than bruises and cuts. The boy under her hands stirred, lifting his head a little to look up at her with violet eyes. /Whoa. Gorgeous eyes. And it looks like he has a braid too. Huh. Didn’t notice that before./ “Hey kid. I’m taking you to a hospital, so hold tight, okay?” Something like panic lit in his eyes. “No.” Pulling himself upright, he tried to back away from her. “No. Don’t need to.” /Okay. Bad idea. I better not push this./ “Alright. But I’m not letting you wander around in that condition. Why don’t you come home with me?” When he hesitated, she smiled wryly and nodded to her circling collies. “They’ll never let me hear the end of it, otherwise. They seem to think it’s my responsibility to help the people they find.” Zane chose that moment to nuzzle his way forward, licking at the boy’s face and whining pitifully. Jamie literally saw the boy’s defenses crumble and he nodded slightly. “Okedokee then.” She slowly knelt, not wanting to startle him, and put his arm around her shoulders. “Nothing feels broken, right?” “Nah.” “Then let’s get you home.” He leaned on her as she led the way to the truck, one hand brushing Zane or Zathris’s head the entire time. As soon as she had him settled in the passenger seat, Jamie went and lowered the tailgate again. “Okay boys, in you go.” The dogs obediently jumped in, circling about to get a look at their new friend. He turned to give them a smile, then sank against the side of the truck, eyes sliding shut. Not a word was spoken on the ride home. Jamie, at least, was thinking furiously while she had the chance. /The kid’s obviously been out on his own a while. At least a few months. Odds are an orphanage or foster home aren’t in the picture. He’s moving okay, so I don’t think he needs a hospital. Just a lot of rest and TLC. Good thing he’s close to my size. My stuff should fit him well enough./ She pulled in front of her large two story house, noticing that her passenger had fallen into a light doze. “Hey kiddo. We’re here.” He jerked awake, head turning to take in his new surroundings. The two story house was built like the southern mansions of old, a wide porch wrapping around on all sides, white columns supporting the roof. The building itself was covered in red brick with navy blue shutters on the windows. In almost comical degrees his jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. “Shit. What are you, a millionaire or something?” “Or something,” she answered dryly. “Let’s get you inside.” The collies were already out of the truck by the time that she climbed out. “Yes, yes. I know.” Giving them an exasperated look, she rolled her eyes. “I’ll take care of him. Go open the door.” The kid was watching this with a puzzled expression. “They know how to open doors?” “When I had the house built, I had all of the doors but the bathrooms built with certain handles so that the boys could open the doors. Collies are smart, it doesn’t take long to teach them anything.” Jamie opted to stand back a pace and see if he would ask for help. The ride here had seemed to restore a bit of his energy, and he walked slowly to the house without faltering. He froze in the entranceway, taking in his surroundings with disbelief. Jamie had spared no expense in building her home. She had an oak hardwood floor, thick carpets in the den and bedrooms, solid oak doors and beveled glass in her windows. Everything was in deep blues and greens and creamy whites. He crept forward a little, taking in the formal sitting room on his right, then the polished dining room that sat just off the kitchen. The door to her library/study—which, by itself, took up half the ground floor—actually got a “holy shit” out of his mouth. That made her smile. Her library was her one true pride and joy. She liked his reaction to it. She let him wander a bit, following him to the elaborately curved staircase. There he hesitated, looking back at her. She caught the look on his face and swallowed a smile. “There’s a whirlpool bathtub upstairs. You’ll feel a lot better after a hot soak, I think.” “Uh…yeah.” In something of a daze he followed her up the curving staircase and into a hall bathroom, which was easily the size of most bedrooms. He sank onto the edge of the tub, wondering just how in hell he wound up surrounded by luxury. Jamie disappeared into her bedroom and quickly rifled through drawers. She grabbed a pair of boxers that she usually slept in, a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. When she came back in, she saw the kid still sitting on the bathtub’s edge looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “Hey, kid.” He jerked around to look at her, blinking rapidly as he switched gears. “You sure that’s going to fit?” He nodded to indicate the clothes in her hands. “Should. You’re about the same size, and all of these are guy’s clothes.” “Even the jeans?” He looked at her oddly. “Yeah. It’s the only way I can get pants the right length. I’m going back downstairs to start lunch. There’s an intercom on the wall—” she nodded to it as she set the clothes down, “—so just holler if you need anything.” “Um…thanks.” Surprised by the show of gratitude, she turned to him and smiled slowly. “No problem. Try to make it down in an hour, okay?” “Okay.” + The bath did wonders. Duo hadn’t felt this clean in a long time, and the jets worked out some of his soreness. He wasn’t all too sure what he was doing there, but right at that moment he didn’t feel like complaining. The clothes fit fairly well, too. The lady had been right about that. Things were just a little loose. /Of course, if I had breasts and hips, these things would probably fit perfectly./ Since his hour was almost up, Duo just let his hair fall down his back. He didn’t have time to try and comb it, and it was nearly impossible to comb it wet anyway. As he walked back downstairs, he took in everything again with a bit more awareness than he had on the trip up. Everything gleamed, speaking not only of quality but care. /Man, she’s rollin’ in it. But she ain’t snobby or anythin’. What’s up with her? Why’d she help me? I seriously don’t get this. I hope the guys ain’t worried too much./ “Hey.” He stopped in the kitchen doorway, watching as she pulled a lasagna out of the oven. A *homemade* lasagna. The smell alone was enough to make Duo’s mouth water. “Hey, kiddo.” She flashed him a smile as she put the lasagna on a small table off the kitchen. “Grab a chair and dig in.” Duo was only too happy to comply. He filled his plate with a helping and started to inhale it. Street instincts had him keep an eye on her as he ate, though. His rescuer was rather pretty. Dark brown hair that fell to her waist, dark brown eyes that went green in the right lighting, olive skin. She wore little to no makeup, and didn’t need it in Duo’s opinion. He guessed that she was in her late twenties, and yet he hadn’t seen any hint of a husband, significant other, or boyfriend. Or even girlfriend. /Weird. She’s not adding up. She’s comfortable with people, I can see that. Why doesn’t she have someone?/ Around the fifth helping Duo caught another scent that made him sit up and pay attention. Apple pie. He slowed down so that he could take a good look around the kitchen. “Ah, smelled it have you?” She cocked her head, eyes twinkling. “Yes, there is a freshly baked apple pie sitting over there on the counter. Are you planning on leaving a little room for a slice?” Duo finished off what was on his plate and nodded, smiling back at her. It was hard to remain wary of someone who was such a good cook. “Yeah. This is really good, by the way.” She blinked again, surprised at the compliment. “You’re welcome.” Duo’s face twitched a little in a frown as he watched her fetch the pie. Had he really been so undemonstrative? He *was* really thankful that she had followed her dogs and helped him. It bothered him that she didn’t realize how he felt. “I’m Duo.” She paused at the counter, turning to look at him with level eyes. “I’m Jamie. Jamie Dragonmanovich.” “That’s…a mouthful.” She laughed softly. “I know. Duo…can I ask questions without you bolting?” Duo considered this. She had been more than amiable this entire time. Least he could do was satisfy her curiosity. “Sure.” “Who jumped you?” “One of the gangs.” Duo rubbed at the back of his neck absently. “They all want me to join one or the other, but I don’t do gangs, y’know?” “Good. It’s not something you need to be in.” “I just don’t want to give em what they’re askin’ for.” He accepted the plate of pie and dug in. His eyes slid shut in bliss. “Ah man…this is the best pie I’ve ever put in my mouth. Jamie, will you marry me?” A full delighted laugh came from her mouth. Duo grinned back at her. He liked it when she laughed. Her whole face lit up. As he took another bite of pie, one of the collies came over and nudged his thigh. Duo reached down and scratched behind the dog’s ears. “I owe him for finding me. He scared ‘em off, you know.” “No,” Jamie replied softly. “I didn’t know.” “Yeah. I was down, and they were closing in to finish me off. But they bolted when they heard him barking. Probably thought he was a cop dog or somethin’.” The dog moved so that he leaned his whole body weight against Duo’s right leg, looking up at him with adoring eyes. Emotion clogged Duo’s throat. He’d never had anyone look at him like that before. “What’s his name?” “Zane. His brother is Zathris.” “I owe ‘em both,” Duo whispered. “It was Zathris that went and got you, wasn’t it?” “Yes, it was.” Jamie patted her leg, silently calling Zathris to her so that she could give him some well deserved attention. The dog obeyed promptly, mirroring his friend’s position against Jamie’s leg. His tongue lolled out to the side of his mouth as his master scratched in just the right spot. “They make a good team.” Zane whined when Duo stopped rubbing his head. “Jamie…I’ve got friends out there lookin’ for me right about now. I gotta go.” “Duo…” Jamie looked down at her hands. “How many friends do you have?” “…two.” Duo wasn’t at all sure if he should be volunteering this information. But Jamie had given him the best reasons in the world to trust her, and none at all to be wary of her. “Look…I have eight bedrooms in this house. And no one to fill them. I know you can’t answer for the other two, but would you be willing to think about living here? Going to school, and parties and getting into trouble just like any other teenager?” Duo swallowed hard. “You…you offering me a home?” “Yeah.” Jamie met his eyes with all the sincerity she could muster. “I don’t want you going back to the streets. And god knows I could use the company. It’s too quiet in this house. Whaddya say?” Duo had to look away before he agreed without thinking. “I can’t say for the other guys, but…I’m willing to give it a try.” “Okay. Let’s get your friends.”
Honor: For any of you people that listen to country,
yes the title was taken from Garth Brook’s song “Standing
Outside the Fire”. By the end of the fic, you will understand
my reasoning for adopting the title. Standing Outside The Fire We call them cool And for that forsake it all.
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