Good day (or night…or whatever) to you all. The following is the revised version of a song-fic cycle by yours truly set about a three years after Endless Waltz, so the boys are all around the age of 19. I will admit now that there may be some OOC-ing on the parts of Heero and, later on, Wufei, but that's mostly because I have some trouble portraying them in dramatic, angsty fiction without the obvious cliché of making one or both complete bastards. I always try to keep close enough to canon so as not to annoy the 'by-the-book' types who may read this. If I've done anything supremely stupid and/or annoying, just tell me nicely and be constructive with any criticism. The first song is "Another Rainy Night" by Queensrcyhe. Enjoy the show, folks.

Angst Medley

Act 1: Just Another Rainy Night

Tenderly brushing a wayward strand of hair off the pale cheek, Heero gazed down at the face of his lover.

Duo murmured softly at the touch, smiling in his sleep.

With a heavy sigh, Heero climbed out of the warm bed, make sure not to disturb the other's peaceful dreams. Dressing quickly, he goes to the closet and pulls out the suitcase he had carefully hidden there a couple of nights earlier. He slipped out of the bedroom and made his way to the door.

Grabbing his keys off the coffee table, Heero hesitated for a moment, then removes his key to the apartment they had been living in for the past year. Hand trembling slightly, he slipped it into a small envelope along with the brief note for Duo and props it up against a photo of them together at their graduation.

"Please forgive me, Duo" he whispers, already feeling guilty for the pain he was about to cause. Immediately, the expression of sentimental regret changes to a mask of cold determination.

((Don't slam the door, on your way out. ))

Once again, he is no longer human, but the Perfect Solider. Again the machine with no soul. Without looking back upon the life he once shared with a carefree boy, he pulls on the worn leather jacket, a gift from a now forgotten lover, and walked purposely out to his car.

((Don't leave without saying good-bye))

From the bedroom window, Duo watches as the Japanese boy put a suitcase in the back before climbing behind the wheel of his battered car.

((You leave me wanting…))

He hadn't bothered to put on anything, just stood naked, his hair falling about his shoulders in loose masses of wave brown that framed an expressionless face. A pair of violet-blue eyes watched the car pull away and speed off into the night. Duo lingered, staring blankly out into the darkened street, then curled up in a ball on the bed.

((…always leave me wanting more…))

- 7 months later…-

-Pah-ring! Pah-ring-

"Dammit!" Duo abandons the pot of Ramen noodles to grab the receiver. 'This happens every time I'm cooking.' "Hello." he barks roughly.

"It's been a long time, Duo."

The phone nearly falls out of his hand at the sound of voice. "H-Heero?"

"Yes." He pauses. "I…I called to say that I'm sorry."

"For what?" Duo hissed, twisting the end of his braid in his fingers. "For walking out on me? What more is there to say about it? You left. That all there is to it. Besides, I'm not one to dwell on the past, so let's just forget about it."

"I'm coming back."

"Don't bother."

"You have every right not to want me back. All I've been a bastard to you, especially when I left you like that. I fucked up." Heero sighs. "Can you at least find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"I might," Duo whispered softly, after a long silence. "If you'll promise me that you're coming home to stay."

((Wouldn't that be nice, for awhile?))

There was an awkward pause.

"Heero, do you promise?"

"I can't promise anything…but I'll try. That's all I can do."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"Alright."

"Thank you. I'll be there soon." Without waiting for a good-bye, he hung up.

Duo put the receiver back, leaning against the counter sighing. He turned just in time to see the torrent of bubbling water and noodles as they boiled over onto the stovetop. "Dammit!"

Hurriedly cutting off the heat, he tries to clean the mess up. Giving up on salvaging dinner, he walks out of the kitchen, crossing the darkened living room.

"Looks like we're getting Chinese tonight." He mutters as he picks up the phone by the couch, quickly dialing up the take-out place. After placing the order, he put the phone down and walks out onto the small balcony overlooking the beach.

(( Listen, there's a fog horn blowing on the coast tonight…))

'Why the hell do I put up with that man?' Leaning out on the balcony, Duo watched as the fog rolled over the water. The scent of the ocean wafted up on a slight breeze, moistened by a soft spray of rain. He closes his eyes, smiling as he thought of the time he and Heero had gone out for a late night walk along the beach.

((Funny how laughter looks like crying with no sound…))
((Raindrops tastes like tears without the pain…))

Heero had brought along a blanket and they sat down amid the dune, talking, cuddling, and taking things slowly. Then it started to rain. Instead of rushing back to the apartment, they fell back onto the blanket. He could still hear the soft laugh as Heero pulled him down and kissed him roughly on the mouth.

(( I'm not much without you, can't leave if I wanted to…maybe that's why you stay around…))

Rain splattered heavily on the windshield as he tried vainly to start the car again. The engine sputtered, then stalled.

"Kuso!" Exasperated, Heero banged a fist against the wheel. It would be a 18 mile walk, through rain, muck, and God-knows what else to get to the nearest pay-phone and the battery on the cell had long since died. Briefly, he considered just ditching the rusty old Mustang and hiking the other 30 miles to the coast, but thought better of it. But it would be better to spend the night strand in the car than turn up the next morning on the doorstep looking like a drowned rat and making an already worried (and definitely angry) Duo think he'd been in a wreck or something stupid like that.

'God, I hope he understands…'

((But tonight I'll sit here tending the fire…))
(( And pace the floor one-hundred times in an hour…))

'Where the hell is he!' Duo walked back and forth restlessly, braid flicking back and forth nervous like the tail of a cat before it pounces.

The lights were turned down low, the room illuminated by the sputtering flames of set of candles. They had been reduced to almost waxy lumps on a table set for two. The food had gotten there about 9:40. It was now nearly two in the morning.

((And check the voice-mail for a message you've called…))

"I should have known better…" Slumping onto the couch next to the discarded phone, Duo rests his head in his hands, holding back the tears. "I should have never expected him to show up!"

Snuffing out the candles, Duo clears the table then moves to cut the porch light out. He hesitates, poised to switch it off.

((Guess I'll leave the light on, for you…))

With one last glance at the phone, he turns and heads for the bed.

((Just another rainy night… ))
((Without you…))