Okay, this is the sequel to Anytime and it begins just three weeks after that series. So, if you don't want to be confused as to when in time this story takes place, it would be best to read Anytime first, since that is the VERY beginning of all of my fics! I don't feel as though Heero is out of character, since this takes place after the Endless Waltz. During that, he said he would do away with his training. And on top of that, nobody knows what happened to him or anyone after the Endless Waltz! So please don't flame thinking this is an OOC fic! Thank you! Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine.
The Meaning of Life
by SkyLark
Beta written by Deathangelgw
Heero and Duo were sleeping in each other's arms peacefully in their home. The nightmares that Duo would have from the massacre ended in less than a week after their return and Duo thanked Heero for holding him all of those nights that he needed it. Reluctantly, they went back to sleeping in their own beds. However, neither of them were able to sleep. The pilots had grown too accustomed to having strong, warm arms around them. After a brief discussion one morning, the two exhausted soldiers agreed to sleep together again. It came as no surprise to either of them that they slept soundly through the nights again with the presence of their best friend there.
Now, it was the beginning of November and the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. The weather had been unseasonably warm for this time of year, not that the Gundam pilots complained. It gave them a chance to go for walks along the beach without very heavy attire. Duo was back to being the cheerful, happy-go-lucky adolescent that Heero always knew him to be the day after their return. As for Heero, he was beginning to laugh harder and louder than he ever had in his life these last few weeks thanks to his comrade. He knew that he was in love with the braided young man. As far as he knew, he must have been in love with him all along, but never admitted this to himself until when he and Duo went to Colony L2.
Duo couldn't have been happier that Heero was starting to smile and laugh with ease for a change. Why the "Perfect Soldier' was starting to do this didn't matter, Duo just wanted him to know that there's so much more to life other than missions and wars. And he was never a 'Perfect Soldier' to him. He was just Heero...a human being like himself. It was not until during 'The Endless Waltz' when the American admitted to himself that he had always been in love with the Japanese pilot. He knew that there was something about him that was worth saving when he broke him out of the hospital in a time long past now.
Living with the man he loved so deeply was beyond anything he could have ever wished or prayed for.
The sun was out from hiding as small beams of its light pierced through the drawn curtains. Heero slowly woke and looked to the young pilot sleeping peacefully in his embrace. Since the night they returned from L2, Duo slept with his hair unbound. Careful not to wake him, the Wing pilot took a handful of the long locks and nuzzled them against his cheek. He then inhaled the sweet smell of strawberry shampoo that Duo always used and sighed. He wrapped that arm back around his partner's waist and smiled as he looked at him again. "I love you," he whispered so softly that nearly no sound came from his mouth. He took a deep breath and wondered if he would ever have the courage to say this when Duo was awake.
Just then, the man in his arms took a deep breath and softly groaned as his eyes fought to open. Heero's smile grew a bit as he watched the American's left hand rub his eyelids. Lowering his hand, Duo's violet eyes opened and looked up to his best friend's soft face. Duo smiled warmly and sighed, "Good morning, Heero." "Morning, Duo," Heero replied softly. Duo forced himself to sit up as he stretched and released a huge yawn. "You sleep okay?" he asked as he turned his head back. The Wing pilot nodded and yawned, himself, "Hai. You?" Duo nodded back, "Like a baby."
The two young men turned their backs to each other as they began changing on either side of the bed. As they threw their clothes on, Duo asked, "Any special plans for today?" Heero shrugged, "Not that I know of. I could go for another walk along the beach later." Duo smiled, "Yea. Might as well take advantage of this warm weather while it's still here. The temperature is going to drop and get back to it's seasonal temperature after this week." "I'm actually looking forward to it," Heero replied. "I never saw a lot of snow before." Duo chuckled, "You're in for a treat, then. I'll be happy to introduce you to your first snowball." Heero turned and looked to the other pilot. "What's a snowball?" he asked. Duo laughed, "Don't worry! You'll know what they are soon enough." The Wing pilot smiled and threw on his light brown tank top over his jean shorts. Duo stood, wearing his deep green t-shirt and black mesh shorts.
Just as they were about to walk out of the room, they heard the front doorbell ring. The pair looked to each other with confusion in their eyes. "I didn't think anyone knew that we were here," Duo stated. Heero cocked an eyebrow, "I didn't invite anyone." "Neither did I," Duo laughed. They ran down the stairs as the bell sounded again. Duo was the first to reach the front door as the other pilot stayed right behind him. He then looked out of the peephole and laughed hysterically "NO WAY!!!"
Heero watched as his partner threw the door opened and tackled the Arabian that was just outside to the floor of the porch with a bear hug. "Q-MAN!!!" he cheered as he went on squeezing the neck of the young pilot that he pinned down. Quatre simply lay there, laughing and patting Duo's back. Heero stood in the doorway with a huge smile and his arms folded. A familiar voice from the steps laughed and called, "See! That's why we stayed back here!" Duo sat on his knees and looked up to see Trowa and Wufei standing at the porch steps, laughing. "TROWA! WUFEI!" the American cried as he leapt and hugged them as well.
The happy reunion between the pilots was warm and welcoming for all of them. Heero simply gave the three pilots firm handshakes and pleasant smiles as he nodded, "It's good to see al of you." The five young men entered the house and sat in the large living room. Duo's smile was ear-to-ear as he went on shouting, "How the hell did you find us!?!" Quatre chuckled, "I have ways of finding people. Trowa and Wufei and I just arrived on Earth an hour ago. I have a new palace in the Sahara Desert that we'll be staying at." Trowa lay back on the couch and continued, "We figured that we would stop over and see how the two of you were." Wufei nodded, "We were surprised to see that you were staying together."
Heero cleared his throat, "Well, I couldn't have stayed in this big house by myself." Trowa looked around and smiled, "I don't blame you. This is a beautiful house. It's nice and secluded, too." Duo nodded, "Yea. The beach is the best part." Quatre smiled, "So what are the two of you doing with yourselves?" Heero sighed, "Nothing for now. We were talking about joining the Preventers. We'll probably end up doing that soon." Duo showed his agreement with a hearty nod. Wufei laughed, "The other two, here are doing the same as well...Once we're all settled in Quatre's estate, of course."
Duo sat up and cheered, "We'll be fighting together just like old times again!" Trowa chuckled, "You always considered us a family, Duo. I thought you'd like to hear about that decision." "Well, I never had friends as close to me as the four of you," Duo began. "I just want the five of us to stick together...Especially after everything that we've been through together." As Heero watched and listened to the pilot, a soft smile came across his face. "Besides," Duo laughed as he motioned to Quatre. "This guy has enough sisters, I know he could use some brothers for a change." The five burst into laughter as Quatre nodded immediately.
The blonde young man gasped, "Oh! I also wanted to tell you...The engineers from my Colony rebuilt the five Gundam suits." Heero and Duo's eyes widened as they gasped. "You rebuilt them!?!" Heero cried. Quatre smiled, "Yea. They're on the ship that we came in...And they're in even better condition than when we first came to Earth. I thought that we should still have them around. We never know when we're going to need them again. We just won't use them unless it's mandatory."
"Does the Alliance know about that?" Duo asked, concerned. Trowa nodded, "They actually insisted that the suits be repaired and stored safely. The suits have become the mascots of righteousness. Should anything threaten the safety of the Earth or the Colonies, they'll have to deal with us and the suits." Wufei sighed, "It's about time those Gundams got the respect that they deserved. After all that they helped accomplish, the last thing that they deserve is being left as rubble."
This news was exactly what Heero and Duo had been hoping to hear some day. They hated the fact that their suits had to be destroyed. They had grown more than attached to Wing Zero and Deathscythe. They sighed with relief as they could be assured that the suits were safe and in one piece again. Quatre smiled when he saw the relief on their faces. "We have a small ship that you can hold onto. This way, you could visit us whenever you want. At least we're all on the same surface again." "Thank you, Quatre," Duo replied. "We'll be visiting normally." Heero's small smile showed that he completely agreed.
Duo rose, "Well, can I get you guys anything?" The trio shook their heads. "We're okay, thanks," Wufei insisted. Heero offered, "Do you need a place to stay for the night?" "We can only stay until tonight, anyway," Quatre informed them. "We have to get a lot of stuff together back at the palace." The two pilots nodded. Duo looked out one of the windows as his face brightened, "We could have a game of beach volleyball. It's nice enough outside." Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all loved the idea. "Sounds like a plan," Trowa nodded. Duo cheered, "Great! It'll only take me a few minutes to get the net ready." With that, he ran down the basement.
When Duo left the room, the three reunited friends looked to Heero with curious smiles. "Soooo," Wufei began. Heero suddenly knew he was in the middle of an interrogation. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a second and smirked, "So, what?" Trowa laughed, "Come on! I never would have thought that you would ask him to come live with you. I lost count how many times you threatened to kill him!" Quatre smiled and closed his eyes, "It's okay if you don't want to tell us, Heero."
Heero almost stood out of his seat, "Tell you what!?!" The trio looked to each other with shock. "Y-You mean there's nothing going on between the two of you," Wufei gasped. Heero forced a laugh and shook his head, "Of course not." The three pilots sighed and fell back in their chairs with looks of almost disappointment. "I don't know where the three of you got that idea in your heads," the Japanese pilot stated. Quatre frowned, "We're sorry, Heero. I...We..." He couldn't think of what to say so Trowa took over. "None of us knew how to take the news that you and Duo were living together. We just assumed-" Heero smirked, "You know what assuming does." Together, the three pilots rolled their eyes and sighed, "It made an ass out of you and me." Heero grinned and rose to his feet, "Exactly."
"You're not mad at us, are you?" the Arabian asked timidly. Heero shook his head and chuckled, "Not at all. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to help Duo with the volleyball net." He stepped out of the room silently. "So much for that," Wufei shrugged. "How embarrassing," Trowa groaned. Quatre remained silent. He was the only one of the three who knew that Duo truly had feelings for Heero. He vowed to keep the American's secret and did so. He was hoping that perhaps the curiosity that his friends had about the relationship between them would prove true. However, Heero had just diminished any belief that he had feelings for the braided pilot.
The blonde pilot sighed deeply, feeling bad for Duo. "I hope that Heero's just not letting on to how he really feels," he thought to himself. He always thought of Duo as a brother and wanted to see him happy. During the war, the lighthearted pilot opened to him and told him how much he loved Heero. Quatre knew from that night forward that Duo's feelings would never change. "I'll have a word with him tonight," he finished telling himself.
The whole afternoon, the five pilots played beach volleyball, switching teams and keeping the game fair even though there was an odd number of players. They would stop to sit and talk. Duo and Quatre brought cameras and took shots of them any chance they had. "I can't wait to see these," Duo smiled to himself, seeing that his roll of film was almost used up. Quatre saw Duo and Heero sitting close together with their back to the ocean. A sly smile came across his face.
"Heero, Duo," he called to them. The pair turned to ace him. Holding his camera, the Arabian asked, "Mind if I get a shot of the two of you, there?" Heero nodded, "Sure." Duo gave a huge smile as he handed Quatre his camera as well. "Could someone get this with my camera?" he asked. Trowa took the camera and sat beside Quatre as they got ready to take the photographs. Heero and Duo sat hip-to-hip as they wrapped an arm around the other pilot's shoulder. "Nice," Quatre whispered to himself as the two pilots smiled for them. After the shots were taken, Duo gratefully reclaimed his camera from Trowa.
The five pilots then got together as Quatre and Duo put the timers on their cameras for a group shot. The sunset painted a beautiful display of colors above them as they got together, the ocean still at their backs. Heero playfully gathered Duo into his arms to cradle him as his partner yelped and laughed. Duo went along with it as he kicked his right leg high into the air as Heero held him. Wufei lay in the sand in front of them, on his side. Using his elbow as the base, he held his face up with his right hand. Trowa knelt by the Chinese's waist as Quatre knelt next to Wufei's head. They got in position just in time and smiled right before the times clicked off and the shots were taken. "That's getting blown up and it's going over the fireplace!" the American announced, with a bright grin as he gathered the camera again.
Laughing, the five of them moved to the net and removed it as they walked back to the beach house. They all decided to order out and had pizza for dinner once they returned. When they finished the meal, they all lounged in different rooms. Quatre watched Duo make his way to the front porch as he followed. The remaining pilots crashed in the living room as they went on catching up. It was starting to get pretty cold outside at this time, but Duo wasn't thinking about that at this time.
Outside, Duo sat on the front steps of the porch when he heard footsteps behind him. He spun his head around to see the Quatre making his way to sit beside him. "What's up, Q-man?" the American asked cheerfully. His friend sighed, "Not much. I just wanted to talk to you for a little bit." "Sure. Penny for your thoughts," Duo grinned. "You've been living with Heero for some time now, right?" the Arabian began quietly. Duo nodded, "Yep...For a few months now." "And you haven't told him?" Quatre interrupted. Duo looked to him with wide eyes and a worried look. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head quickly and frowned, "No I haven't." He turned his gaze back to the ocean, not wanting to see the look of disappointment and almost anger on Quatre's face.
As soon as he looked forward again, Quatre gave a quick painful slap against the back of his head. Duo cried in pain and turned back to the Arabian. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?!" he hollered as he got to his feet. Quatre crossed his arms, never moving from where he sat and gave Duo a look of disgust. "For being a baka, as Heero loves to call you!" the yelled answer came. Scorning him, he growled, "Duo, you told me just after the end of the war that the second you saw Heero again, you were going to tell him that you love him. You've been together for months and you haven't done that yet." Duo rubbed the back of his head, wincing in pain as he sighed, "I know, I know...but it's easier said than done, pal. Heero could never feel the same way about me." "How would you know if you never tell him how you feel?" Quatre questioned.
The American sat back down next to him and rested his head on Quatre's shoulder. "I'm scared, Quatre," he whispered. "The time that I've spent here with Heero has been like a dream that I don't want to wake up from. If I tell him the truth, that I love him, he'd run and I'll never see him again." The blonde smiled and wrapped an arm around the shoulder of the pilot who had adopted him as a brother. "He went to find you on L2 so that you could live together, didn't he?" he inquired. Duo gave a small smile as he closed his eyes, "Yea, he did. I knew that I was going to see him again some day, but I was shocked to learn that he was looking for me so we could live together."
Quatre nodded, "Uh huh. I know that you know Heero the best out of the four of us. Relena tried to understand him, but she didn't go about it the right way, I guess. Besides, she was merely infatuated with him. But you really love Heero. You were willing to let him go while she was never prepared to do that. Heero made sure that she would never understand him. But you...Duo, he lets you in. You're the first, maybe the last that he'll ever give that chance to. Please, don't blow this. You could be the meaning that his life has been searching for all this time." Duo nearly shook with hopefulness as he heard this. "God, Quat, if only that was true," he whispered. "I could never love another as much as I love him." Quatre removed his arm from Duo's shoulder and ordered, "Then make yourself a promise, you'll tell him the truth...the whole truth." Two violet eyes looked into his comrade's eyes with softness. After a brief pause, the American smirked and nodded, "Okay. I promise myself." "Good," Quatre smiled.
Just then, the remaining pilots came out onto the porch. Trowa looked to the blonde and stated, "It's getting late. Maybe we should get going." Quatre nodded, "I was just going to go in and get you guys." The trio stood together as they hugged and shook hands with their reunited friends. "Have a good trip, guys," Duo called and waved as they went off. "We'll be over to see you this weekend," Heero promised. "Have a good night, you two," Quatre waved. "See you again soon," Trowa announced. "Good to see you both again," Wufei finished.
They climbed into the small craft just big enough for the three of them, as Quatre took the controls. Heero and Duo stood just in front of the house, waving them off until they were beyond their sight. They did manage to catch a glimpse of the three Gundam pilots waving back. Duo sighed and shivered just as the wind was growing much cooler now. The attire he and his partner were in was not enough any longer. The braided pilot growled, "Stupid weatherman. Said it was going to stay nice for the rest of the week and it's already getting cold."
Heero chuckled deeply as he turned to enter the house again, "Come on, Duo. If you plan on watching the stars tonight, you better get warmer clothes on." Duo smiled and saluted, "Yes, sir, Mr. Yuy, sir!" He heard laughter come from the Wing pilot as he disappeared back into the house. Duo sighed and made a sign of the cross as he whispered, "God, give me the strength and courage to do this tonight." With that, he went inside.
Once he reached the living room, he saw Heero lying on the couch with his eyes closed. Duo began to open his mouth to say something. His lips worked, but nothing came out. After several attempts to simply say Heero's name, the outcome never changed. Finally, he growled to himself and screamed in his head. "I need a minute to get myself togather...A SHOWER! That's it! I'll get a shower and tell him the truth. That way, at least I'll get to calm some of my nerves!" he thought to himself.
Heero's eyes finally opened as he looked up to him. "Oh, Heero," Duo gasped. "Just wanted to tell you, I'm getting a shower now. The Wing pilot sat up and nodded, "Okay." "Okay," Duo smiled. He wanted to move, but he was still frozen in his place. There was a very brief pause between the two. "All right," Heero nodded again. "All right," Duo echoed, still smiling. "Well," Heero stated. "Well," Duo smiled back right away. "Are you going or not?" Heero asked, a bit amused. "Huh, OH! YEA!" Duo gasped once he realized what was happening. "I'll be out before too long," he called as he ran up the stairs right away. Heero smiled and shook his head. "Baka," he whispered as he lay back on the couch.
In the shower, Duo had just begun putting a load of strawberry shampoo in his hair. "Okay..." he told himself as he closed his eyes and practiced. "Heero, I don't know about you but-no, that won't work." He cleared his throat and tried another approach. "Heero, have I told you lately that I love you- No," he snickered. He tried the quick approach. "HeeroIloveyouandifyoudon'tlovemeIunderstand," he said in one swift breath. "No," he growled. In a serious voice, he asked "Heero...Will you marry me?" He burst into hysterical laughter. "One step at a time, Duo," he sighed. He took a deep breath and stated, "Heero, I love you." He rubbed water from his eyes before opening them. He smiled, "Works for me," as he reached for the strawberry conditioner.
After his shower, Duo put on a pair of light, gray sweat pants and a loose, crimson sweater. It was starting to get chilly in the house due to the drastic change in weather outside. He brushed his wet hair and didn't bother drying or braiding it. Nobody but Heero was with him for miles. "Now or never," he told himself as he went back downstairs. Once he reentered the living room, the object of his affection was nowhere to be found. Duo wasn't going to stall his confession any longer as he went on to search the house to find his partner. After searching nearly every room, the long-haired pilot suddenly thought of where he might find the Wing pilot.
Duo climbed into the attic and peeked out the opened window. Sure enough, Heero was sitting on the roof, sitting up and looking at the stars. He was still dressed in his tank top and jean shorts. Duo knew that he had to be cold as he grabbed a wool blanket from one of the trunks. That's when he peeked to have another look at his partner, unnoticed. Heero looked as though he was deep in thought, and saddened by something. It was as if he was looking to the stars for the answers to some painful questions. Duo had not seen him so down in a long time. It had him worried. He put his confession aside, only concerned with helping Heero now.
Duo stepped out through the window as Heero looked to him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" he cried as he rose and walked to Duo. "You're hair's drenched and it's cold out here, baka. Are you trying to catch pneumonia!?!" He took the blanket from Duo's hands. He wrapped it around him tightly, making a hood of it for his wet hair. "The blanket's for you, Heero. Don't tell me you're not cold," Duo sighed. "I'm fine," Heero frowned, making sure that Duo was covered by the blanket. When he saw that he was protected, he climbed back to where he was sitting, motioning for the other pilot to sit next to him.
When the American was next to him, the Wing pilot wrapped his arms around his body to give off extra warmth. "I don't want you getting sick," he stated, concern in his voice, Duo noted. "Thank you, Heero. But I'm worried about you," he replied, still hooded by the blanket. "Why are you worried about me?" Heero asked. "Just now, you looked upset about something. Do you want to talk?" his comrade offered. Heero looked into his eyes and sighed. "It's nothing. I was just thinking," he tried to assure him. "Anything I can help with?" the man in his arms asked.
Heero lowered his head. "I was just thinking about something that happened earlier today, that's all," he finally admitted. "What happened today that has you upset?" Duo questioned. Heero snickered, "It's something that happens every time." The American cocked an eyebrow, "I don't follow." "It's just...I don't get it..." Heero tried to find the right words and was failing as he slowly let the other pilot go. After a pause, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders after he lowered his head again. "Heero, you know that you can tell me anything. What's wrong?" his friend softly asked. Heero slowly looked into the violet eyes again. "I was just sitting here thinking about a lot of things...Mostly about life." Duo chuckled, "I know what that's like."
"I was wondering what it was that kept me alive. I should have died countless times during the wars. When I was ten, I didn't expect to live this long. Even then, I thought that if I did live as long as I have, it would have been because there was a reason and meaning to do so," Heero began quietly as he looked back to the stars. Duo listened closely to every word as he sat there silently. "When I was sent here the first time, I didn't think I would be lucky enough to have lived much longer. When I was in Sally's hospital, I just kept wishing that Death would come and get it over with...Then you came and..." he stopped there as he looked away. "You taught me how to live, Duo. You call yourself the God of Death and you taught me more about life than anyone else could have."
Duo couldn't breathe but managed to whisper, "Heero." Heero didn't turn back to face him but continued. "You can take any situation and find the lighter side to it. You can make a family out of warriors who never knew… who were stripped of their ability to connect with others... who weren't allowed to have friends. Today was the perfect example of that. It just got me thinking about so many things. There are so many unanswered questions I'll never have the answers to, but I never have to worry when you're around. You give my life meaning, Duo. You're the reason I went on fighting to live...I just never admitted it to myself until when we were on L2."
By this time, there were huge tears in Duo's eyes as they began to fall. "H-Heero?" he asked quietly. Finally, the Wing pilot looked to him. "Oh, Duo," he gasped as he wiped his tears away softly. "I'm so sorry...I never had the courage to tell you all of this sooner. I'm so sorry I never thanked you for saving me, not just that day in the hospital, but everyday." Duo smiled as the other pilot wiped his tears away.
Heero looked into his eyes and whispered, "May I give you a kiss, Duo...To thank you?" The American nodded and whispered, "Hai." He closed his eyes as Heero very slowly leaned in. Duo felt the light kiss just next to his mouth. The hood around his head fell slowly. Heero held his lips there for a moment. Both pilots were breathing heavy at this point as their hearts were pounding out of their chests. When the kiss ended, Heero stayed a breath away from Duo's lips as they looked to each other for an instant. Duo closed his eyes again and Heero did the same. The Wing pilot gently touched the other's lips with his own, holding them there as well.
Heero's lips were softer than Duo could have imagined. Heero felt the same way about Duo's lips. He slowly opened his mouth and ever so softly ran his tongue against the Duo's bottom lip, breathing heavier than before. Duo accepted the offer and opened his mouth. Heero's mouth opened along with his as they began kissing deeply. Duo let a moan out into his partner's mouth as he hesitantly pulled back, eyes slammed shut and trying to catch his breath. "Oh, God. I'm dreaming again, I'm just dreaming again," he whispered to himself. Heero looked to him in shock as he heard this.
Holding Duo's face in his hands, he looked into his eyes and gasped, "Y-You dream about me?" The violet eyes opened to show that they were filled with salty tears. "I've always loved you, Heero. I never knew how to tell you," Duo whispered as the tears began to flow. Heero's eyes widened more as he looked deeply into his comrade's face. "I've been so afraid to love anyone. Ever since so many people that I loved died on L2, I never let my heart open up again...until I met you."
"Oh, Duo," the Wing pilot sighed as he began to gently wipe the tears from his love's cheeks. "I love you, Heero, more than I've ever loved anyone," he quietly stated. "Ai shiteru, Duo. I've loved you for as long as I've known you," Heero whispered. Two more huge tears fell down Duo's cheeks as they leaned in and kissed passionately.
That night, the love that had always existed came into the open that night as Heero and Duo went on kissing under the stars. It is the same love that would never have an ending. The lives of the two pilots finally began as they held their reason for living...the meaning of their lives. It was the beginning of their living "Happily Ever After."
OWARI
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine.
The Meaning of Life
by SkyLark
Beta written by Deathangelgw
Heero and Duo were sleeping in each other's arms peacefully in their home. The nightmares that Duo would have from the massacre ended in less than a week after their return and Duo thanked Heero for holding him all of those nights that he needed it. Reluctantly, they went back to sleeping in their own beds. However, neither of them were able to sleep. The pilots had grown too accustomed to having strong, warm arms around them. After a brief discussion one morning, the two exhausted soldiers agreed to sleep together again. It came as no surprise to either of them that they slept soundly through the nights again with the presence of their best friend there.
Now, it was the beginning of November and the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. The weather had been unseasonably warm for this time of year, not that the Gundam pilots complained. It gave them a chance to go for walks along the beach without very heavy attire. Duo was back to being the cheerful, happy-go-lucky adolescent that Heero always knew him to be the day after their return. As for Heero, he was beginning to laugh harder and louder than he ever had in his life these last few weeks thanks to his comrade. He knew that he was in love with the braided young man. As far as he knew, he must have been in love with him all along, but never admitted this to himself until when he and Duo went to Colony L2.
Duo couldn't have been happier that Heero was starting to smile and laugh with ease for a change. Why the "Perfect Soldier' was starting to do this didn't matter, Duo just wanted him to know that there's so much more to life other than missions and wars. And he was never a 'Perfect Soldier' to him. He was just Heero...a human being like himself. It was not until during 'The Endless Waltz' when the American admitted to himself that he had always been in love with the Japanese pilot. He knew that there was something about him that was worth saving when he broke him out of the hospital in a time long past now.
Living with the man he loved so deeply was beyond anything he could have ever wished or prayed for.
The sun was out from hiding as small beams of its light pierced through the drawn curtains. Heero slowly woke and looked to the young pilot sleeping peacefully in his embrace. Since the night they returned from L2, Duo slept with his hair unbound. Careful not to wake him, the Wing pilot took a handful of the long locks and nuzzled them against his cheek. He then inhaled the sweet smell of strawberry shampoo that Duo always used and sighed. He wrapped that arm back around his partner's waist and smiled as he looked at him again. "I love you," he whispered so softly that nearly no sound came from his mouth. He took a deep breath and wondered if he would ever have the courage to say this when Duo was awake.
Just then, the man in his arms took a deep breath and softly groaned as his eyes fought to open. Heero's smile grew a bit as he watched the American's left hand rub his eyelids. Lowering his hand, Duo's violet eyes opened and looked up to his best friend's soft face. Duo smiled warmly and sighed, "Good morning, Heero." "Morning, Duo," Heero replied softly. Duo forced himself to sit up as he stretched and released a huge yawn. "You sleep okay?" he asked as he turned his head back. The Wing pilot nodded and yawned, himself, "Hai. You?" Duo nodded back, "Like a baby."
The two young men turned their backs to each other as they began changing on either side of the bed. As they threw their clothes on, Duo asked, "Any special plans for today?" Heero shrugged, "Not that I know of. I could go for another walk along the beach later." Duo smiled, "Yea. Might as well take advantage of this warm weather while it's still here. The temperature is going to drop and get back to it's seasonal temperature after this week." "I'm actually looking forward to it," Heero replied. "I never saw a lot of snow before." Duo chuckled, "You're in for a treat, then. I'll be happy to introduce you to your first snowball." Heero turned and looked to the other pilot. "What's a snowball?" he asked. Duo laughed, "Don't worry! You'll know what they are soon enough." The Wing pilot smiled and threw on his light brown tank top over his jean shorts. Duo stood, wearing his deep green t-shirt and black mesh shorts.
Just as they were about to walk out of the room, they heard the front doorbell ring. The pair looked to each other with confusion in their eyes. "I didn't think anyone knew that we were here," Duo stated. Heero cocked an eyebrow, "I didn't invite anyone." "Neither did I," Duo laughed. They ran down the stairs as the bell sounded again. Duo was the first to reach the front door as the other pilot stayed right behind him. He then looked out of the peephole and laughed hysterically "NO WAY!!!"
Heero watched as his partner threw the door opened and tackled the Arabian that was just outside to the floor of the porch with a bear hug. "Q-MAN!!!" he cheered as he went on squeezing the neck of the young pilot that he pinned down. Quatre simply lay there, laughing and patting Duo's back. Heero stood in the doorway with a huge smile and his arms folded. A familiar voice from the steps laughed and called, "See! That's why we stayed back here!" Duo sat on his knees and looked up to see Trowa and Wufei standing at the porch steps, laughing. "TROWA! WUFEI!" the American cried as he leapt and hugged them as well.
The happy reunion between the pilots was warm and welcoming for all of them. Heero simply gave the three pilots firm handshakes and pleasant smiles as he nodded, "It's good to see al of you." The five young men entered the house and sat in the large living room. Duo's smile was ear-to-ear as he went on shouting, "How the hell did you find us!?!" Quatre chuckled, "I have ways of finding people. Trowa and Wufei and I just arrived on Earth an hour ago. I have a new palace in the Sahara Desert that we'll be staying at." Trowa lay back on the couch and continued, "We figured that we would stop over and see how the two of you were." Wufei nodded, "We were surprised to see that you were staying together."
Heero cleared his throat, "Well, I couldn't have stayed in this big house by myself." Trowa looked around and smiled, "I don't blame you. This is a beautiful house. It's nice and secluded, too." Duo nodded, "Yea. The beach is the best part." Quatre smiled, "So what are the two of you doing with yourselves?" Heero sighed, "Nothing for now. We were talking about joining the Preventers. We'll probably end up doing that soon." Duo showed his agreement with a hearty nod. Wufei laughed, "The other two, here are doing the same as well...Once we're all settled in Quatre's estate, of course."
Duo sat up and cheered, "We'll be fighting together just like old times again!" Trowa chuckled, "You always considered us a family, Duo. I thought you'd like to hear about that decision." "Well, I never had friends as close to me as the four of you," Duo began. "I just want the five of us to stick together...Especially after everything that we've been through together." As Heero watched and listened to the pilot, a soft smile came across his face. "Besides," Duo laughed as he motioned to Quatre. "This guy has enough sisters, I know he could use some brothers for a change." The five burst into laughter as Quatre nodded immediately.
The blonde young man gasped, "Oh! I also wanted to tell you...The engineers from my Colony rebuilt the five Gundam suits." Heero and Duo's eyes widened as they gasped. "You rebuilt them!?!" Heero cried. Quatre smiled, "Yea. They're on the ship that we came in...And they're in even better condition than when we first came to Earth. I thought that we should still have them around. We never know when we're going to need them again. We just won't use them unless it's mandatory."
"Does the Alliance know about that?" Duo asked, concerned. Trowa nodded, "They actually insisted that the suits be repaired and stored safely. The suits have become the mascots of righteousness. Should anything threaten the safety of the Earth or the Colonies, they'll have to deal with us and the suits." Wufei sighed, "It's about time those Gundams got the respect that they deserved. After all that they helped accomplish, the last thing that they deserve is being left as rubble."
This news was exactly what Heero and Duo had been hoping to hear some day. They hated the fact that their suits had to be destroyed. They had grown more than attached to Wing Zero and Deathscythe. They sighed with relief as they could be assured that the suits were safe and in one piece again. Quatre smiled when he saw the relief on their faces. "We have a small ship that you can hold onto. This way, you could visit us whenever you want. At least we're all on the same surface again." "Thank you, Quatre," Duo replied. "We'll be visiting normally." Heero's small smile showed that he completely agreed.
Duo rose, "Well, can I get you guys anything?" The trio shook their heads. "We're okay, thanks," Wufei insisted. Heero offered, "Do you need a place to stay for the night?" "We can only stay until tonight, anyway," Quatre informed them. "We have to get a lot of stuff together back at the palace." The two pilots nodded. Duo looked out one of the windows as his face brightened, "We could have a game of beach volleyball. It's nice enough outside." Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all loved the idea. "Sounds like a plan," Trowa nodded. Duo cheered, "Great! It'll only take me a few minutes to get the net ready." With that, he ran down the basement.
When Duo left the room, the three reunited friends looked to Heero with curious smiles. "Soooo," Wufei began. Heero suddenly knew he was in the middle of an interrogation. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a second and smirked, "So, what?" Trowa laughed, "Come on! I never would have thought that you would ask him to come live with you. I lost count how many times you threatened to kill him!" Quatre smiled and closed his eyes, "It's okay if you don't want to tell us, Heero."
Heero almost stood out of his seat, "Tell you what!?!" The trio looked to each other with shock. "Y-You mean there's nothing going on between the two of you," Wufei gasped. Heero forced a laugh and shook his head, "Of course not." The three pilots sighed and fell back in their chairs with looks of almost disappointment. "I don't know where the three of you got that idea in your heads," the Japanese pilot stated. Quatre frowned, "We're sorry, Heero. I...We..." He couldn't think of what to say so Trowa took over. "None of us knew how to take the news that you and Duo were living together. We just assumed-" Heero smirked, "You know what assuming does." Together, the three pilots rolled their eyes and sighed, "It made an ass out of you and me." Heero grinned and rose to his feet, "Exactly."
"You're not mad at us, are you?" the Arabian asked timidly. Heero shook his head and chuckled, "Not at all. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to help Duo with the volleyball net." He stepped out of the room silently. "So much for that," Wufei shrugged. "How embarrassing," Trowa groaned. Quatre remained silent. He was the only one of the three who knew that Duo truly had feelings for Heero. He vowed to keep the American's secret and did so. He was hoping that perhaps the curiosity that his friends had about the relationship between them would prove true. However, Heero had just diminished any belief that he had feelings for the braided pilot.
The blonde pilot sighed deeply, feeling bad for Duo. "I hope that Heero's just not letting on to how he really feels," he thought to himself. He always thought of Duo as a brother and wanted to see him happy. During the war, the lighthearted pilot opened to him and told him how much he loved Heero. Quatre knew from that night forward that Duo's feelings would never change. "I'll have a word with him tonight," he finished telling himself.
The whole afternoon, the five pilots played beach volleyball, switching teams and keeping the game fair even though there was an odd number of players. They would stop to sit and talk. Duo and Quatre brought cameras and took shots of them any chance they had. "I can't wait to see these," Duo smiled to himself, seeing that his roll of film was almost used up. Quatre saw Duo and Heero sitting close together with their back to the ocean. A sly smile came across his face.
"Heero, Duo," he called to them. The pair turned to ace him. Holding his camera, the Arabian asked, "Mind if I get a shot of the two of you, there?" Heero nodded, "Sure." Duo gave a huge smile as he handed Quatre his camera as well. "Could someone get this with my camera?" he asked. Trowa took the camera and sat beside Quatre as they got ready to take the photographs. Heero and Duo sat hip-to-hip as they wrapped an arm around the other pilot's shoulder. "Nice," Quatre whispered to himself as the two pilots smiled for them. After the shots were taken, Duo gratefully reclaimed his camera from Trowa.
The five pilots then got together as Quatre and Duo put the timers on their cameras for a group shot. The sunset painted a beautiful display of colors above them as they got together, the ocean still at their backs. Heero playfully gathered Duo into his arms to cradle him as his partner yelped and laughed. Duo went along with it as he kicked his right leg high into the air as Heero held him. Wufei lay in the sand in front of them, on his side. Using his elbow as the base, he held his face up with his right hand. Trowa knelt by the Chinese's waist as Quatre knelt next to Wufei's head. They got in position just in time and smiled right before the times clicked off and the shots were taken. "That's getting blown up and it's going over the fireplace!" the American announced, with a bright grin as he gathered the camera again.
Laughing, the five of them moved to the net and removed it as they walked back to the beach house. They all decided to order out and had pizza for dinner once they returned. When they finished the meal, they all lounged in different rooms. Quatre watched Duo make his way to the front porch as he followed. The remaining pilots crashed in the living room as they went on catching up. It was starting to get pretty cold outside at this time, but Duo wasn't thinking about that at this time.
Outside, Duo sat on the front steps of the porch when he heard footsteps behind him. He spun his head around to see the Quatre making his way to sit beside him. "What's up, Q-man?" the American asked cheerfully. His friend sighed, "Not much. I just wanted to talk to you for a little bit." "Sure. Penny for your thoughts," Duo grinned. "You've been living with Heero for some time now, right?" the Arabian began quietly. Duo nodded, "Yep...For a few months now." "And you haven't told him?" Quatre interrupted. Duo looked to him with wide eyes and a worried look. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head quickly and frowned, "No I haven't." He turned his gaze back to the ocean, not wanting to see the look of disappointment and almost anger on Quatre's face.
As soon as he looked forward again, Quatre gave a quick painful slap against the back of his head. Duo cried in pain and turned back to the Arabian. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?!" he hollered as he got to his feet. Quatre crossed his arms, never moving from where he sat and gave Duo a look of disgust. "For being a baka, as Heero loves to call you!" the yelled answer came. Scorning him, he growled, "Duo, you told me just after the end of the war that the second you saw Heero again, you were going to tell him that you love him. You've been together for months and you haven't done that yet." Duo rubbed the back of his head, wincing in pain as he sighed, "I know, I know...but it's easier said than done, pal. Heero could never feel the same way about me." "How would you know if you never tell him how you feel?" Quatre questioned.
The American sat back down next to him and rested his head on Quatre's shoulder. "I'm scared, Quatre," he whispered. "The time that I've spent here with Heero has been like a dream that I don't want to wake up from. If I tell him the truth, that I love him, he'd run and I'll never see him again." The blonde smiled and wrapped an arm around the shoulder of the pilot who had adopted him as a brother. "He went to find you on L2 so that you could live together, didn't he?" he inquired. Duo gave a small smile as he closed his eyes, "Yea, he did. I knew that I was going to see him again some day, but I was shocked to learn that he was looking for me so we could live together."
Quatre nodded, "Uh huh. I know that you know Heero the best out of the four of us. Relena tried to understand him, but she didn't go about it the right way, I guess. Besides, she was merely infatuated with him. But you really love Heero. You were willing to let him go while she was never prepared to do that. Heero made sure that she would never understand him. But you...Duo, he lets you in. You're the first, maybe the last that he'll ever give that chance to. Please, don't blow this. You could be the meaning that his life has been searching for all this time." Duo nearly shook with hopefulness as he heard this. "God, Quat, if only that was true," he whispered. "I could never love another as much as I love him." Quatre removed his arm from Duo's shoulder and ordered, "Then make yourself a promise, you'll tell him the truth...the whole truth." Two violet eyes looked into his comrade's eyes with softness. After a brief pause, the American smirked and nodded, "Okay. I promise myself." "Good," Quatre smiled.
Just then, the remaining pilots came out onto the porch. Trowa looked to the blonde and stated, "It's getting late. Maybe we should get going." Quatre nodded, "I was just going to go in and get you guys." The trio stood together as they hugged and shook hands with their reunited friends. "Have a good trip, guys," Duo called and waved as they went off. "We'll be over to see you this weekend," Heero promised. "Have a good night, you two," Quatre waved. "See you again soon," Trowa announced. "Good to see you both again," Wufei finished.
They climbed into the small craft just big enough for the three of them, as Quatre took the controls. Heero and Duo stood just in front of the house, waving them off until they were beyond their sight. They did manage to catch a glimpse of the three Gundam pilots waving back. Duo sighed and shivered just as the wind was growing much cooler now. The attire he and his partner were in was not enough any longer. The braided pilot growled, "Stupid weatherman. Said it was going to stay nice for the rest of the week and it's already getting cold."
Heero chuckled deeply as he turned to enter the house again, "Come on, Duo. If you plan on watching the stars tonight, you better get warmer clothes on." Duo smiled and saluted, "Yes, sir, Mr. Yuy, sir!" He heard laughter come from the Wing pilot as he disappeared back into the house. Duo sighed and made a sign of the cross as he whispered, "God, give me the strength and courage to do this tonight." With that, he went inside.
Once he reached the living room, he saw Heero lying on the couch with his eyes closed. Duo began to open his mouth to say something. His lips worked, but nothing came out. After several attempts to simply say Heero's name, the outcome never changed. Finally, he growled to himself and screamed in his head. "I need a minute to get myself togather...A SHOWER! That's it! I'll get a shower and tell him the truth. That way, at least I'll get to calm some of my nerves!" he thought to himself.
Heero's eyes finally opened as he looked up to him. "Oh, Heero," Duo gasped. "Just wanted to tell you, I'm getting a shower now. The Wing pilot sat up and nodded, "Okay." "Okay," Duo smiled. He wanted to move, but he was still frozen in his place. There was a very brief pause between the two. "All right," Heero nodded again. "All right," Duo echoed, still smiling. "Well," Heero stated. "Well," Duo smiled back right away. "Are you going or not?" Heero asked, a bit amused. "Huh, OH! YEA!" Duo gasped once he realized what was happening. "I'll be out before too long," he called as he ran up the stairs right away. Heero smiled and shook his head. "Baka," he whispered as he lay back on the couch.
In the shower, Duo had just begun putting a load of strawberry shampoo in his hair. "Okay..." he told himself as he closed his eyes and practiced. "Heero, I don't know about you but-no, that won't work." He cleared his throat and tried another approach. "Heero, have I told you lately that I love you- No," he snickered. He tried the quick approach. "HeeroIloveyouandifyoudon'tlovemeIunderstand," he said in one swift breath. "No," he growled. In a serious voice, he asked "Heero...Will you marry me?" He burst into hysterical laughter. "One step at a time, Duo," he sighed. He took a deep breath and stated, "Heero, I love you." He rubbed water from his eyes before opening them. He smiled, "Works for me," as he reached for the strawberry conditioner.
After his shower, Duo put on a pair of light, gray sweat pants and a loose, crimson sweater. It was starting to get chilly in the house due to the drastic change in weather outside. He brushed his wet hair and didn't bother drying or braiding it. Nobody but Heero was with him for miles. "Now or never," he told himself as he went back downstairs. Once he reentered the living room, the object of his affection was nowhere to be found. Duo wasn't going to stall his confession any longer as he went on to search the house to find his partner. After searching nearly every room, the long-haired pilot suddenly thought of where he might find the Wing pilot.
Duo climbed into the attic and peeked out the opened window. Sure enough, Heero was sitting on the roof, sitting up and looking at the stars. He was still dressed in his tank top and jean shorts. Duo knew that he had to be cold as he grabbed a wool blanket from one of the trunks. That's when he peeked to have another look at his partner, unnoticed. Heero looked as though he was deep in thought, and saddened by something. It was as if he was looking to the stars for the answers to some painful questions. Duo had not seen him so down in a long time. It had him worried. He put his confession aside, only concerned with helping Heero now.
Duo stepped out through the window as Heero looked to him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" he cried as he rose and walked to Duo. "You're hair's drenched and it's cold out here, baka. Are you trying to catch pneumonia!?!" He took the blanket from Duo's hands. He wrapped it around him tightly, making a hood of it for his wet hair. "The blanket's for you, Heero. Don't tell me you're not cold," Duo sighed. "I'm fine," Heero frowned, making sure that Duo was covered by the blanket. When he saw that he was protected, he climbed back to where he was sitting, motioning for the other pilot to sit next to him.
When the American was next to him, the Wing pilot wrapped his arms around his body to give off extra warmth. "I don't want you getting sick," he stated, concern in his voice, Duo noted. "Thank you, Heero. But I'm worried about you," he replied, still hooded by the blanket. "Why are you worried about me?" Heero asked. "Just now, you looked upset about something. Do you want to talk?" his comrade offered. Heero looked into his eyes and sighed. "It's nothing. I was just thinking," he tried to assure him. "Anything I can help with?" the man in his arms asked.
Heero lowered his head. "I was just thinking about something that happened earlier today, that's all," he finally admitted. "What happened today that has you upset?" Duo questioned. Heero snickered, "It's something that happens every time." The American cocked an eyebrow, "I don't follow." "It's just...I don't get it..." Heero tried to find the right words and was failing as he slowly let the other pilot go. After a pause, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders after he lowered his head again. "Heero, you know that you can tell me anything. What's wrong?" his friend softly asked. Heero slowly looked into the violet eyes again. "I was just sitting here thinking about a lot of things...Mostly about life." Duo chuckled, "I know what that's like."
"I was wondering what it was that kept me alive. I should have died countless times during the wars. When I was ten, I didn't expect to live this long. Even then, I thought that if I did live as long as I have, it would have been because there was a reason and meaning to do so," Heero began quietly as he looked back to the stars. Duo listened closely to every word as he sat there silently. "When I was sent here the first time, I didn't think I would be lucky enough to have lived much longer. When I was in Sally's hospital, I just kept wishing that Death would come and get it over with...Then you came and..." he stopped there as he looked away. "You taught me how to live, Duo. You call yourself the God of Death and you taught me more about life than anyone else could have."
Duo couldn't breathe but managed to whisper, "Heero." Heero didn't turn back to face him but continued. "You can take any situation and find the lighter side to it. You can make a family out of warriors who never knew… who were stripped of their ability to connect with others... who weren't allowed to have friends. Today was the perfect example of that. It just got me thinking about so many things. There are so many unanswered questions I'll never have the answers to, but I never have to worry when you're around. You give my life meaning, Duo. You're the reason I went on fighting to live...I just never admitted it to myself until when we were on L2."
By this time, there were huge tears in Duo's eyes as they began to fall. "H-Heero?" he asked quietly. Finally, the Wing pilot looked to him. "Oh, Duo," he gasped as he wiped his tears away softly. "I'm so sorry...I never had the courage to tell you all of this sooner. I'm so sorry I never thanked you for saving me, not just that day in the hospital, but everyday." Duo smiled as the other pilot wiped his tears away.
Heero looked into his eyes and whispered, "May I give you a kiss, Duo...To thank you?" The American nodded and whispered, "Hai." He closed his eyes as Heero very slowly leaned in. Duo felt the light kiss just next to his mouth. The hood around his head fell slowly. Heero held his lips there for a moment. Both pilots were breathing heavy at this point as their hearts were pounding out of their chests. When the kiss ended, Heero stayed a breath away from Duo's lips as they looked to each other for an instant. Duo closed his eyes again and Heero did the same. The Wing pilot gently touched the other's lips with his own, holding them there as well.
Heero's lips were softer than Duo could have imagined. Heero felt the same way about Duo's lips. He slowly opened his mouth and ever so softly ran his tongue against the Duo's bottom lip, breathing heavier than before. Duo accepted the offer and opened his mouth. Heero's mouth opened along with his as they began kissing deeply. Duo let a moan out into his partner's mouth as he hesitantly pulled back, eyes slammed shut and trying to catch his breath. "Oh, God. I'm dreaming again, I'm just dreaming again," he whispered to himself. Heero looked to him in shock as he heard this.
Holding Duo's face in his hands, he looked into his eyes and gasped, "Y-You dream about me?" The violet eyes opened to show that they were filled with salty tears. "I've always loved you, Heero. I never knew how to tell you," Duo whispered as the tears began to flow. Heero's eyes widened more as he looked deeply into his comrade's face. "I've been so afraid to love anyone. Ever since so many people that I loved died on L2, I never let my heart open up again...until I met you."
"Oh, Duo," the Wing pilot sighed as he began to gently wipe the tears from his love's cheeks. "I love you, Heero, more than I've ever loved anyone," he quietly stated. "Ai shiteru, Duo. I've loved you for as long as I've known you," Heero whispered. Two more huge tears fell down Duo's cheeks as they leaned in and kissed passionately.
That night, the love that had always existed came into the open that night as Heero and Duo went on kissing under the stars. It is the same love that would never have an ending. The lives of the two pilots finally began as they held their reason for living...the meaning of their lives. It was the beginning of their living "Happily Ever After."
OWARI