Another Chance

"Duo! Duo!" Duo heard someone calling for him from behind him as he was whipping down the last table before the sage. It's been 4 years since the end of the last war. 4 years since he last saw and heard from the love of his life; Heero Yuy. He just up and left. Not one word. Ever since; Duos been on the run himself. Not staying in one place more than a few weeks at a time; same times not more than a few days. At this moment in time he was staying in a small city in Neb.; it was winter and he desided to stay awhile and work for a few extra dollars. He didn't need the money; the war compensated him well for his job as a pilot. He could live comfortably on that money for the rest of his life. This job was more for the fact of doing something and being around people. Outside of work he was alone; didn't wont to be disrub. Work kept him from thinking about what was in the past. (His bouncing from place to place was like running away from the past.) Here he got a job of bartinding at a club that featured starting artist so that they could have play time in hopes of being noticed and signed. The groups that played here were more rock and punk than other.

Duo turned towards the stag behind him looking for who called him. Not seeing anyone he walked to the curtine that hid back stage. As he got close enough to open it a hand reached out and pulled him through. "Hey!"

"Duo you've to help us." Zach; one of the starting bands asked. He looked paniced.

"What?"

"Sean's not here; He just called. His girlfriend just had her baby yesterday and he's on his way now." He began to explain in a rush.

"Guys, you're on in 3." the stage manger adv walking back to where he just came from.

"Duo! He's not going to make it. And we need this job."

"What do you wont me to do?" Duo asked raising an eye brow. Zach smirked. Duo through up is hands. "Oh no! You don't wont me...You don't mean..." Zach was nodding his head. "But he's the lead... Zach! I cann't!" Duo was protesting while at the same time being pushed towards the stage and the drummer suited him up with the guitar. "I'll freeze."

"You'll be fine. You know all the lyrics; and we know you know how to play it." He pushed.

"But that's just warm ups."

"It's the same." Duo gave him the eye. The glare of Death ast they call it. No doubt he learned that from Heero. "Seans only 15 minutes away. When he gets here you can go. We'll do the easy songs..."

"Alright; I just can't do all that yelling." Duo said pulling his apron off of him and fixing the guitar to his liking.

"Thanks Duo; you don't know how much this means to us."

"Yeah; Yeah."

"Story of the Year!" The anouncer yelled over the loud speakers.

The guitar started anouncing the song; 'Until the Day I Die'. One of Duos favorite songs. And now he was going to be singing it in front of people, not just the band, but people. Duo was center stage eyes closed at first adjusting to the piercing lights and the fact that there were people looking at him. I can do this. He thought than went with the song. He was amazed. He was doing it.

Meanwhile...

In the back of the club at the bar; Heero sat watching. He couldn't believe that he found Duo; let alone that he would find him doing this. He was good. The crowd was really getting into this. Duo was burning up the guitar. He was always good at every thing he did. Heero thought as a smile crepe to his face. He blushed as his thoughts went to more than just how good Duo was doing on stage. Oh yes! He was still very handsome as ever; perhaps more so. Now at age 20; Duo looked not like a child like he once knew, but a young man with defining good features.

Heero had found out where Duo was now staying for the time being from Quatre. Duo wrote him every month to let the former Sandrock pilot know he was alive and well. When he had seen Quatre he was more than ok with giving him the letters Duo had sent. He had adv to read between the lines. From the letters he got just how much he had hurt Duo when he left. At the beginning he told Quatre this, but as time went on he stopped writing about his hurt; but you could tell very well that it was very much still there.

He went to the apartment Duo was staying at earlier but a neighbor told him where he was. And so here he was. Duo hadn't even noticed his presents mainly because he kept his eyes shut while singing. This song; 'Dare you to move' caught Heeros attention because his voice was so hypnotizing. From back stage he could see another man flag down the drummer and he mentioned to the rest of them something while Duo sang. As his song wrapped up the man from back stage jumped on staged starting another song with more upbeat and Duo casually walked off stage with a smooth switch. The audience didn't seem to care; the music was good. They did how ever cheer as Duo walked off stage.

Back stage...

Duo shrugged the guitar off and with a sigh smumbed against the wall behind him. "Whew. I'm not doing that again." He said to himself putting the guitar where it belonged and grabbed his jacket to through over his shoulders. As he was pulling his braid out from underneath the jacket he walked out from back stage and was heading for the door at the back of the club. He wasn't staying around. That was enough drama from one evening. As he walked out side he noticed the snow had began to fall again. He shivered as the cold went straight thru his light jacket. He stopped just outside and as the door shut behind him the music was muted but could still be heard. Looking up at the snow coming from above he didn't notice Heero walking up from behind him until he felt the warmth of someone's jacket around his shoulders. Startled he turned wide eyes and looked straight into Heeros eye beautiful blue eyes; and just like years before became lost in them. Neither said a word for a few moments; Duo in shock and Heero not knowing what to say; even though he's been practicing since he's been gone.

Duo reached up and cupped Heeros face; kind of expecting it to fade as he did. "It's you." He whispered. Tears were forming in his violet eyes and his hand never left Heeros face.

Heero reached up and caught a tear that slid down Duos cheek with his thumb. "Shh...Don't cry. You're too beautiful to have tears." Heero said just as quite as Duo had been. Duo smiled and bashfully looked down but Heero tilted his head up so their eyes met again. "Aishiteru Duo. I know I fucked up by leaving; but I needed to shake the Perfect Solider out of me before I could see you again. I didn't want to hurt you..."

"You hurt me by leaving." Duo flatly said, his hand now resting on Heeros shoulder.

"I know that now. It took me months to get caught up to you. Quatre gave me your letters. Gomen." Heero said now looking down ashamed.

There was silence. Heero thought that Duo was going to leave. Needless to say he was surprised to feel Duos soft lips kiss his. Duo had his eyes closed while Heeros looked at Duo in shock until Duo deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around his waist pulling him closer and also for support. Neither could believe just how good it felt to have the other in their arms.

Both broke the kiss catching their breath. Duo rested his forehead on Heeros and looked him, once again, in the eyes. "One last chance. If you wont it." Heero closed his eyes in relief and nodded his head.

"Thank you." He breathed. "I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you." Duo wrapped Heeros coat around them both and steered him to walk with him to his apartment. "I'm just happy being with you." He said snuggling his nose against Heeros cheek and wrapped his arm around Heeros waist as they walked. Heero too held Duo back in return and together they will be; forever...

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