Title: Under the Shadows – Part One
Author: Sita Seraph
Genre: Supernatural
Pairing: 1x2, 2x1
Rated: R
Warning: Angst, descriptive violence (perhaps).
Summary: Death is like a slate. Once its done, it's done. You have to move on. So after the war, Heero tries to do just that…except the shadow that he tries to erase reappears.
A long and cold mission. Heero wanted nothing more then to collapse into bed and never wake up. His muscles were killing him from handling the Wing for hours and going into battle quickly after. But the mission was complete and all he had to do was walk through the door, up the stairs, and into apartment he and Duo shared.
Crawling out of the cockpit, Heero hoped desperately that Duo was asleep. He didn't want to face the Shinigami pilot right now. Or ever. In fact, the pilot was actually embarrassed, confused, and frightened to face him at the moment…
*****
"Heero, I really have to tell you something," Duo said quietly, pulling up a chair beside the recliner that Heero Yuy occupied at the moment. He was casually leaning back in the chair, cleaning his gun quietly while he watched the news for any updates.
"Hn."
"I need some eye contact here."
Sighing, obviously irritated for being taken away from the explosions on TV to a conversation, Heero jerked his dark blue eyes at his apartment buddy. Duo was watching him and being the observer of the house, Heero noted the nervous shifting that Duo made every so often. He kept tapping and tightening his fingers on the velvet cushion on the chair. His long braid was thrown over one shoulder, the end curling up in between his legs, which were spread wide apart for his hands. Heero slowly raised an eyebrow when Duo didn't speak.
"What?" Heero urged with impatience, putting the gun in his lap. As if on cue, Duo reached over and grasped both of Heero's hands and put them together, his fingers overlapping the darker, tanned ones. Duo was still looking up at Heero, keeping his gaze successfully for the time being.
Heero shifted nervously.
"Heero, this is very important to me," Duo said softly. "And probably the hardest thing I am ever going to say. I know I talk a lot, I know I have incredible urges to run around, but this is the first time that I ever had to recite something for two hours straight to say to you."
Heero had a very heavy feeling settling on his stomach.
"I know that right now, you care nothing more then to end the war. I respect this and I know this. That is the main thing on your mind and I would never want to take away your concentration during this time. But I…"
Heero's heart began to pound.
"But I have to say this to it. Just incase, you know, you die or I die. Its been hangin' over me for months now and I gotta tell you. Heero…I…I really admire you. You have never lost it this whole time. You've saved my life so many times. I'm amazed by your strength, by your courage…"
Heero tried to stay still. Heero tried to keep down his rising blush.
"What I'm really trying to say Heero is that I love everything you are. I…I like you. Love you. I…Heero, I've fallen in love with you."
Heero wouldn't know what to say if it hit him in the face. He was completely taken back, and more so, terrified. He had never had someone love him. He had never had any attraction to any kind of sex. It was odd, a disturbing feeling settling over him. He wasn't ready for the blow that Duo had hit him with.
His mouth must have fallen open for Duo began to speak again.
"No, Heero, don't say anything. I don't want to hear your response quite yet because, in all honest truth, I'm not too positive about this either. I want you to think about it. I know you aren't even certain about that Relena girl. But…I did have to let you know."
Beep. Beep.
Duo smiled sadly. "You got a mission, Heero."
*****
That had been two weeks ago. And still, Heero had nothing to say to the pilot. He didn't know how he felt; Hell, he didn't know how to feel. It was a mistake, they were just kids, after all. But love? Love did NOT happen at their age. If anything, it was lust. Heero knew he was attractive. Hell, Duo was cute as well. But they couldn't love each other. Meeting at a young age was such a rare and beautiful thing…not something where blood and ammo rain free. Lust. That's all it was.
Heero was at his door before he knew it. He raised the keys to the knob right before he noticed the light receding under the door. Staring at the pale light for a moment, Heero took out his gun with delicate wariness. He slipped the key into the door. Turned. And burst opens the door, gun at ready.
He was greeted with six different pairs of eyes.
Quatre was sitting on the couch, that was against the wall and faced the door, a cup in his hand and stirring a spoon in its contents with a lazy hand. Wufei was also the second thing that caught Heero's sight as he moved around the corner to the entrance of the door, a gun at ready also. But seeing who it was, he snorted and stuffed the gun back into his belt and disappeared from view. The last thing Heero noticed was Trowa, who was in the corner at the desk across the couch and behind the recliner, typing away at Heero's laptop.
"What are YOU doing here?" Heero grunted and stuffed the gun away while kicking the door shut with the back of his heel. He walked into the room and took another glance around. Suddenly, Heero noticed something.
"Where's Duo?"
Quatre was looking at his cup again, a sigh escaping his lips. "So you didn't hear…"
"What?" Heero grunted.
Wufei came back from the kitchen where he had disappeared into, carrying two cups. Putting one next to the working pilot, who grunted a thanks, Wufei handed the second to Heero. The perfect soldier took it and looked inside – broth. Chicken. Very healthy and warm. Immediately, Heero brought it to his lips and took a long sip, enjoying the homemade taste in his mouth.
"Would you like to sit down?" Quatre asked quietly, looking up at him again.
"No."
"All right."
"Just tell me what happened," Heero ordered.
Quatre took a long sip, like Heero, from his glass before lifting it away from his lips and looked at Heero directly, a deep, hidden sadness breaking through the pale blue eyes.
"Heero…Duo died a couple nights ago."
TBC….