(Lyrics are in italics)
"Heero... It's almost been two years. Almost twenty-four months. Almost one hundred and four days. Almost seven hundred and thirty days. Why did you leave me? You promised me that you would never go. Besides, it's not right for someone to be alone on Valentine's Day," thought Duo miserably as he sat alone in 'their' apartment on Colony L1.
Duo sat at the kitchen table, head propped on one hand, and the other was poking at his cold TV dinner of steak, potatoes and steamed carrots, which he had barely touched. His hair was a tangled and loose mess; the long brown locks all twisted down the back of his black, wrinkled and stained shirt. Nowadays, his clothes seemed to either fall off or engulf the ever-thinning Duo. He hadn't been eating properly for a long time and his friends had been getting more worried about his anorexia as each day passed. The large bags under his now dull and lifeless eyes, were just as noticeable from all the sleepless nights he had been having ever since had found out the heartbreaking news.
Just by looking at Duo's physical appearance, you would be able to tell that Duo had never completely got over Heero's death, and most likely, he would never get over it. Even Duo's happy-go-lucky personality had had a complete revamp. He would usually be seen moping around with an unhappy frown on his face. To catch a smile would be a very rare sight, but even those precious moments never lasted longer than a few seconds. He didn't like to go out or even talk. In fact, you could say that even Trowa spoke more than Duo. The clothes Duo now wore were completely black. You couldn't even see a white priest's collar, white turned up sleeves, or the hint of a red jumper anymore.
The other pilots sympathised, but they would never understand the way Heero had made Duo feel. Heero wasn't a cold and emotionless soldier as all the critics had made him out to be. Atleast, he hadn't been like that when he had been with Duo...
Duo smiled weakly as he remembered the day they had gone to fool around at the park, only a few days after they had been married. The trip had started out as normal (or as normal as it could be for two gay and married, out of work Gundam pilots) but it had somehow ended up with Heero in a cast and Duo covered in several bee stings.
"Heero," he choked back a sob, reminiscing, but then he remembered something else that he had said a long time ago when he had been hurt. "Boys don't cry." Only that time, it had been has body that was in pain, this time, it was his heart...
He fingered the fourth finger on his left hand. This was where his wedding ring used to be, except it had mysteriously gone missing. It had been the only thing that Duo had to remember Heero by, apart from the memories in his head. You see, Relena had used her power to storm into their apartment after hearing news of Heero's death and she had taken everything. All his clothes, his toothbrush, his portable walkman and even an apple that hadn't been completely eaten due to a, uh, bedroom interruption.
"Where is it?" he wondered as a tear slowly snaked its way down Duo's unwashed face. He gave an empty sigh as he shivered whilst standing up and pushed away from the table. He walked towards the balcony where a sudden gust of wind was blowing through the open door, causing the chiffon curtain to sway majestically.
"Duo...."
Duo whipped his head around the room searching frantically for the familiar, low voice. "Heero? Is that you Heero? No, it can't be, I must be imagining things. I miss you Heero," mumbled Duo as his head was taken by gravity so that his eyes could only see the floor. "Duo, I miss you too...."
Duo's head immediately whipped up. There was the voice again! "Heero! I know it's you! Where are you?" cried Duo desperately, searching the apartment with hopeful eyes.
Are you sending me
Some kind of sign tonight?
Trying to tell me you long for me
To be alright
I can feel you in this room
Like the sun lights the moon
"Duo..."
The voice was coming from the balcony! Duo eagerly rushed to the balcony only to see what he always saw; his dead plants, the street below filled with shoppers and the apartments opposite. Struggling to keep the tears in, he trudged back into the apartment and threw himself onto the sofa, cursing himself for being so stupid as to believe that Heero was actually there.
"It's not your imagination. Look."
Duo lifted his head in time to see a shadow form in the chiffon curtain and it took on the shape of his former lover. His heart leapt for joy as he saw this but some sense in his head denied it. "H-how can I tell if that's really Heero? How do I know that you're not just some ghost who wants to get revenge or something?" Duo hated saying these words, but he had had so much heartache that he wouldn't be able to take anymore.
The figure in the curtain seemed to smile before it said, "It's good to see that you've not lost your untrusting Gundam pilot nature, Duo."
Duo felt chills up his spine as he heard his name again. Sure, it sounded like Heero, but was it really and truly him?
"Let's see. At our first encounter you shot me twice, you rescued both me and Wing and you got the chance to see me pop my bone back into place, Deathscythe's birthday is sometime in July and you used to celebrate it by killing as many OZ soldiers as possible in five minutes, you think blue is better than pink but not as good as green although you think orange is a nice colour but overall black can never be beaten, you have never liked Treize's hair but I know you envied Lady Une's hair styling talent, you hate cauliflower but you love broccoli, you think Pochacco will one day take over Hello Kitty, the password to your Yahoo! e-mail account is 'shinigamiwillrule', since we were married I've broken five bones and two of them were your fault, your favourite place to be touched is-"
Duo chuckled, "Okay, okay, that's enough. I believe you now. H-Heero."
Memories touching me
As if you're here with me
Are you sending this magic
Of what used to be?
Can I send you
Signs then too?
Cause my heart's missing you
Duo's heart sang with joy and for the first time in almost two years, he was seeing, well, talking to Heero! After this realisation, a genuine smile slowly spread it's way across his dirty face.
The shadowy figure smiled again, "It's nice to see that smile on your face again. I've missed it."
"Huh?"
"I haven't sat around and not done anything since I died you know. I've been watching you and you're slowly killing yourself. You have to go back and join the human race, Duo. It's for your own good."
"But what if I don't want to? What if I only want to be with you? The only way for that is for me to kill myself and each time I tried..."
"I know how you've tried to committed suicide. I know only too well, I was the one that saved you. However much I want you to be with me, I can't let you die. You're going to change the future Duo. You have to live until that day."
Duo was puzzled and looked away in deep thought, "Heero had saved him from death? Is that why each time he woke up from cutting himself, he always felt Heero's presence? And what was this about him changing the future? That was almost laughable." Duo turned back to the balcony, "Heero, I guess I should say thank you for saving me but, are you sure I am the one who's going to change the future?"
"Of course, only my great Shinigami can do what's written in the stars."
Duo smirked, "Stop being so corny."
"OK, but honestly, my braided baka has to get better. Everyone has been worried about you for a long time, and so have I."
By now, Duo was sitting up, all of his attention focused in the direction of the balcony. "But, why tell me this now? Why not tell me earlier?"
There seemed to be an uncomfortable pause before Heero slowly continued, "I thought that you'd get over me pretty soon. I've never had anyone properly care about me and I just assumed you were another person who could live without me. But when you started trying to kill yourself... I-I realised that the feelings you had for me are the same I have, and will always have, for you. I wanted to see you and talk to you but higher powers wouldn't let me..."
"So, there really is a God?"
"Hn, well, you'll find out about that when we can finally be together," answered Heero, rather amused.
"Heero..." Duo gazed sadly at the shadow, longing to be held in his arms.
Love is a gift, that I give you tonight
Under the stars to wherever you are
Love is a gift, that I promise I will give you
My heart to yours forever more
With that feeling, he stood up and edged towards the balcony again. Timidly, he reached out, his hand yearning for the touch of Heero's flesh, only to have it feel the smooth texture of the curtain. "Heero!" wept Duo, as he could no longer hold back the feelings that he had kept inside for so long.
"Duo..."
The dark shape began to vibrate strongly and a white figure began to drift out of the curtain. Heero looked up slowly, almost afraid for his lover's reaction.
"Heero!" cried Duo again. He tried to embrace his love but his body slipped right through the ghostly figure.
With a sad grimace Heero lifted his hand to uselessly try and wipe away the tears that were streaming down Duo's face. Duo shivered at the touch of the ice-cold hand on his cheek. "I think about you each day, you know. Even when I'm shopping for food or just taking a shower."
Heero smiled as he took his hand away. "I know, I think about you too."
People everywhere
Are reaching out tonight
Can you feel all the power
Of their candle light?
How I longed to reach for you
And in everything I do
I do
Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning, although there was no sign of rain or thunder, but Heero seemed to understand what it meant. "I have to go soon, but first, I have something to give you."
Duo heard a small "clunk" on the balcony. Heero smiled, "I wonder what that is. Maybe you should go and take a look."
Duo obeyed his orders and went outside to investigate the source of the sound. It was getting quite dark now, but his well-trained eyes caught sight of something near the plants, glinting dim moonlight. He bent down and fumbled around between the pots, before his hand closed around a small round object. He picked it up and glanced at it. "It's my wedding ring! B-but how?"
"That's for me to know and for you to find out," replied Heero showing off the ring that was worn on his own pale hand.
Love is a gift, that I give you tonight
Under the stars to wherever you are
Love is a gift, that I promise I will give you
My heart to yours forever more
Duo went towards Heero to hold him in another 'hug' but was interrupted by two more flashes of thunder.
"I have to go now. Remember, I'll always be with you Duo and I'll wait forever just to be with you. Now, go to sleep, you need it," and with that, Heero left in another gust of wind, just as he had arrived.
"Heero! Wait!" Duo called grabbing thin air. But it was too late. The wind ceased and silence once again reclaimed itself as victor in the room. Heero was gone. Duo sighed and looked into his hand at the ring. He peered at the inscription, "I'll be with you forever and ever." Duo smiled as he entered the apartment, "I'll be by your side as soon as I can."
Every day
In memory of my love
As long as I live
I will share all them
My heart is hoping it
More alive each day
You show me the way
I can almost hear you say
I can almost hear you say
"Heero. I'll always love you," whispered Duo, as he drifted off to dreamless sleep, holding the ring tight in his hand, close to his chest.
Unbeknownst to Duo, a pale figure stood over him, gently kissing the sleeping figure on the lips. "I'll always love you too, Duo Maxwell." Then the figure slowly disappeared leaving no trace of his visit.
Love is a gift, that I give you tonight
Under the stars to wherever you are
Love is a gift, that I promise I will give you
My heart to yours forever more
My heart to yours forever more
Forever more
~ owari ~
* * * * * * * * * *
Vv_-V Heero! He's so perdy! But I had to kill him off ~.~ Sorry, Duo...
Anyway, this song is the English version theme of the PS2 game, The Bouncer. My brother made me download it and I kinda just kept playing it over and over and I was in a mood for a 1x2 fic and so it was born. I know, it's not great but I have to release my 'creative' talent somehow. >.>
Oh, and sorry for the all the maths at the beginning, I'm in school denial @.@