~~~
Disclaimer - Duo an' Heero belong to their peoples. That hurt a lot to say.

A really stupid little fanfic. I just had free time and put down what was on my mind... and yeah, well, I need to work on my skills. Should have been more, but oh well... Have a nice read.

Pairings - 1 x 2


"Unh... ah... wh... here..."

A sudden flashback screamed shocking pain through Duo Maxwell's head.

"Where... am I?"

He whispered to himself. He fluttered his eyes open and looked around him.

"What the..."

"Hello Duo."

Duo's eyes scanned the area for people besides his semi-conscious self, and spied two. One was too far behind to notice, but the other was unmistakably-

"S-Sister... Helen?"

The angelic face of the mid-aged woman smiled warmly down at Duo.

"So glad you remembered me, Duo. Do you still remember Father Maxwell, Duo?"

The fogged figure from behind was now clearly visible to Duo's widening eyes.

"F-f-f-a... Father Maxwell!"

The old man's wrinkled smile broadened.

"Yes, Duo, it is I."

"B-but how? You two are... are..."

Sister Helen and Father Maxwell's smiles suddenly shifted into angry scowls.

"Dead."

Sister Helen's voice was cold. Her eyes seemed to burn with tears, but there were no tears. Only the flames licking at her dark eyes.

"Don't you think we've known this, Duo?"

"Well, pfft, of course I did... but... then what are you doing here?"

"Duo... you let us die..."

"It wasn't my fault... you told me so, Sister Helen..."

"What else was I supposed to say, Duo? You were such a poor orphan..."

"You know it all as well as I do, Duo... you know it was all your fault..."

"No... no... it wasn't my fault! You... you were the ones who died... you died and didn't live! You were supposed to live... supposed to always be there... for `me`!"

A soft chuckle escaped both their lips.

"Don't you see Duo? We died because we didn't care about you."

"No... it can't be true..."

"Accept it Duo..."

The voices became echoes and Duo's surroundings turned pitch black.

"WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU..."

"WE NEVER HAVE FROM THE START, DUO..."

"No... no... NO!!! It's NOT TRUE!!!"

"DUO..."

Their voices echoed in unison as they slowly dissipated into the black background. Duo's face was tear-streaked and grief-stricken as he continued to break down, and cry.

~~~

A strained voice cried softly from beneath the thin black satin sheets soaked with the sweat of the twisting and turning Duo. His eyes squinted harshly, as if he were in pain. Soft moans reached the ears of the soundly sleeping person in the bed across from the whimpering figure, which was Duo. He stirred from his bed and looked strangely at the writhing boy. Duo began the softly scream, which had the other boy slightly worried... if the emotion of 'worry' was in the memory bank of the Perfect Soldier, Heero Yuy.

Heero stood up and walked toward Duo's cringing, sweating body.

"Hn."

Heero poised a leg over Duo's side and kicked, not hard, but hard enough to send the boy slamming into the wall, waking the American up painfully gasping.

"What the fuck?!"

Duo screamed, grabbing his gut and screaming, waking almost the whole dorm area.

"..."

"Jesus Christ, you had to take that chance to kick at my gut to wake me up and watch me wail in pain?"

"Hn."

Duo howled, grabbing his gut in fake pain. Heero paid no attention and went straight to his laptop and began checking his past, present and future missions. Duo sighed and gave up; howling would do nothing to shake this impassive son of a bitch.

Duo slumped into his bed and began to reminisce his dream. Duo stared expressionlessly at the ceiling, his whole body seeming as if in an deathly state. The room shut silent.

Seconds, minutes, and soon an hour past with Duo as silent as Heero was. Heero thought it strange for the chaotic boy not to be babbling senseless nothings to him incessantly, but liked the silence... though not as much as Duo's chattering. He stopped typing, and Duo noticed though he didn't say a word. Heero turned to look at the usual cheerful smile of Duo's facing him and watching him intently, but to his surprise it was different. Duo lay still breathing short raspy breaths, his hands sitting limp on his bed and his face sullen and pale. Heero showed no expression on his face, as usual.

Duo stirred up and sat on his bed, clinging his legs against his chest.

"Heero have you-"

"I've told you once, and I've told you before, Duo. Shut up or I will kill you."

Duo felt a sharp sting inside his chest. Heero didn't care, either. No one cared... there's no reason why he should anymore, either. He threw aside the sheer satin cover and stood up, grabbing a black baseball cap harshly from the coat rack as he made his way out. Heero's eyes looked up at the small commotion and waited for a comment from the seemingly agitated Duo. All he heard was a small mutter.

"I'll try."


~~~

Duo stopped under the doorway, just to take one last look at Heero. Ironically he caught Heero's quick gaze as he looked to give his. Heero quickly darted his eyes away. Duo lip twitched into a small, hate-filled scowl.

As soon as Duo left the room, Heero got the silence and peace he needed. He was in an utter heaven to be away from the loud-mouthed moron that had always come in here in pursue of cheering him up and getting him to push away from his "beloved" laptop. Or was it? Though Heero liked the idea of being secluded and having no distractions from his research... he had to admit.

Days passed. Duo was never around, always gone before Heero woke up, always asleep and hidden under his silk covers before Heero got back. He didn't mind at all... but there was something about the silence that was missing. The more he though, the more he couldn't pay attention to his research. Heero was getting more or less frustrated with nothing. He clenched his fists and slammed in into air behind him. He gasped, then looked down at his hands.

"What the hell is wrong with me..."

He looked behind him. Inside his head, he heard the incessant chattering of the cheerful American playing over and over.

"Silence... nothing more I want-"

His laptop blinked. He had mail, but from who? Quatre?

'Ossu, Heero! It's Quatre. Well... since the war is over, I see no reason why you and Duo are still under cover. Anyway, how does a break sound to you two? Trowa is already here. I hope you and Duo will come as well. Reply back, Heero, we'll be waiting!

-Quatre'

Heero sat in thought for a while. A vacation... it sounded nice. He shut down the laptop and closed it, leaving it on the desk. He stood up and put his school jacket on. Heero looked around the room before leaving.

Silence...

He left in search of Duo. He looked all over, but found only a few of his friends who had no idea where he was either. Heero search the basketball courts, the cafeteria, the classrooms, even the library but still no Duo. He finally gave up, knowing the boy will come to the room anyway.

He walked back to his dorm room and, surprise, found Duo. He was on his bed, listening to his cd player and absorbed in a Betty and Veronica comic, oblivious to everything else around him. Or so Heero thought. As soon as he entered, Heero had expected some kind of big ass "HI!" or at least a simple "Ohayo!" from the talkative baka, but there was nothing, no sounds except for the indistinct music coming from Duo's earphones.

~~~

Duo knew that Heero had entered, but bothered not saying anything to him. After all, he wouldn't care. He never did, or will. He won't care about any of Duo's problems... hell, he didn't care for Duo period. Now Duo knew that, so why the hell should he care? Heero had told him to leave him alone and shut up, and he will. Heero will get his wish, and this time it'll last for long, long time.

"Oi, Duo."

Heero said. Duo heard him, but didn't respond. He continued rocking his head and reading the comic. Heero raised an eyebrow at Duo not responding while he walked toward him. He looked down at the cd player and glowered. He reached down to pull it off, but before he could, he felt a stinging pain on his cheek. Heero staggered backwards, and took a while to notice that Duo had just punched him. He grabbed his face in slight pain (slight, but it still hurt like hell) and stared almost bewildered at Duo. Duo did nothing grab his comic and begin to read again. From the look on Heero's face, Duo knew he was now burning in rage for revenge. He saw Heero begin to growl and stand up. He took off the headphones and put down the comic book. He grabbed his school uniforms and began to fold them. Heero put his hand down and looked at what Duo was doing.

"What are you doing."

He stated monotonously. Duo didn't answer until he finished folding and roused from his bed, grabbing the handle of a suitcase from behind the horizon of his bed. He grabbed his cap again and picked up the folded uniforms. He didn't turn to Heero, but he answered.

"I'm leaving."

~~~

Heero's eyes widened as he walked hastily to get to Duo.

"You're what?"

He questioned forcefully. He grabbed Duo's arm and pulled him back, but Duo shrugged him off.

"I said I'm leaving. Tell Quatre that I'm sorry I couldn't make it."

Heero's felt something burning and disappearing from inside him. His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Why?"

Duo turned to face him and then spun away.

"Why should you care?"

And with those last words, Duo left Heero to go far. Far away from the boy he no longer loved. And Heero couldn't believe that Duo was actually leaving. Leaving the college, leaving his friends, leaving... him...

~~~

That night, Heero couldn't sleep. The war was over and Duo left him alone. By himself, in a school where he was shut out. The fact that Duo took his threat not to talk to him seriously this time didn't cross his mind. He was too busy wondering why Duo had left him and what they had. No, what they never had. He guessed there was no reason why Duo should have left. And there was also no reason why he shouldn't have...

It was just somehow painful to the Perfect Soldier to see the joy of his lonely life walk away, leaving him with painful last words.

'Why should you care?'

- Why should I care, Duo? Why? Because I... I... because I love you, you idiot... -

~ And you decide to tell yourself that now? ~

- Hn. And who might you be? -

~ Jesus Christ... ~

- What? -

~ For god's sake Heero, why do you have to be so secretive? Why can't you ever be more expressive? It would do you a lot better, you and your love life... of course, your love life is gone now, isn't it? Why, again... ? ~

- Shut up. -

~ Those words... they're the ones that made him leave you, aren't they? Well, smart-ass maybe you should try writing a book. "How To Get Rid Of The One You Love In Two Words Or Less". ~

- ... Why did he leave me? -

~ Mostly because you ignored what he had to say when it was killing him inside. You forgot the fact that maybe what he had to get off his chest was important this time, especially when you knew exactly what he going to say. ~

- ... -

~ Nightmares about people who didn't care for him. It looks like he thought you didn't. Oh, I forgot, you don't. You don't care at all. You knew, you pushed it, you told him to shut up, he left you and god, it leaves you SURPRISED that he did? ~

- I don't want to hear any more... -

~ No, you don't. You're smart aren't you? Well, I guess that leaves me with a job shit done. You know what? I don't even care anymore... forget me, forget your conscience. Forget every ounce of emotion you've ever felt in you. Remember the mission, Heero. That's all that matters, isn't it? The mission. Always the godamned mission. Well, have a fun time with your missions Heero. Live, breathe, and die with your missions. I only hope you realize what you've done to someone else who doesn't deserve to feel the pain you've caused them. ~

- What? -

But there was no response back. Heero lay in his bed, unable to move or think.

"What have I done...?"

~~~

Ten years after Duo's disappearance...

Heero traced his finger along a small picture frame he held gently in his hands. Ten years had made a difference to Heero. The hurt of Duo leaving him was still pining inside him, but that pain changed him. Emotion had finally gotten the best of the Perfect Soldier. A tear slid down his tanned cheek as he put the picture down and went back to his... search. This time, he wouldn't stop until he died looking for his lost love. Duo.

Day after day passed, and Heero found no trace... until one day.

"Maxson, Trinity... Maxton, Craig... Maxwe-"

Maxwell, Duo. Heero's eyes froze. He wasn't surprised to find Duo's name... just at the name beside his.

"Maxwell, Duo... and Hiiro."

- Duo.... -

The pain that had built up over the years burst through the windows of Heero's heart and soul. Tears of silent death poured from Heero's eyes.

- Hii... Hiiro... D-Duo... he... -

Heero couldn't stand the pain throbbing in his chest. There wasn't supposed to be pain- no. Pain... but Heero couldn't possibly feel pain...

~~~

The windshield wiper was madly swiping at the falling rain as Heero raced through the road, determined to get to Duo's house. Finally, he arrived at the street... his eyes were wide and anxious that he had found him... found Duo... and the god damned man named Hiiro.

Heero bounded from his car and raced to Duo's doorstep.

"Four fifty-nine Diablo Street..." Heero whispered hoarsely. He smirked. Diablo. Devil. He rapped softly on the door... Heero heard the light, bouncy footsteps and looked down, listening eagerly.

"Hello?" A cheery.... oh so beautiful voice flowed into Heero's ears like music. He looked up to face dark cobalt eyes that gleamed against the falling rain. Heero's throat wasn't obeying, he couldn't say anything. It wasn't Duo.

"Hey! You're the guy in the picture! Dude, come on in!" The boy said. Heero noticed it- the boy looked almost like him. An exact copy. Duo married someone that looked like him? Why couldn't he have married HIM?! Heero was infuriated. He walked in with that glare and looked at all the pictures... of Duo and him. Why had his new husband let him keep their pictures... ?

"Oh, dude, it's like a total obsession man. You're all my dad ever talks about! You must be one hell of a tight guy!" Heero's eyes widened in bemusement and amusement.

"You're his... SON?!" The boy DID look too young for Duo... but Duo would be young forever, in his eyes...

"Yeah like totally dude. But I'm adopted. Man, and I'm one hell of a glad guy to be adopted by him. He said I reminded him of the most important person in his life. And like, the one who hated him most or something. But anyway, dude, you must be the important guy. He couldn't possibly hate you!"

Heero's chest ached. Ached badly at remembering what he had done.

"Dude, you look sick man. My dad'll come soon. Tell me all about you man, I think I know more than you than you do!"

Heero talked and waited. He would see Duo soon. And he'd start over. He'd be friends with him again... but he loved Duo. And that's why he's here now. Nothing was going to stop him when that braided baka came back.