Authors notes: I don't think I'll ever be able to recite this poem (it's original version, of course) to a little child *ever* again... without bursting into unbound laughter...

A Rhyme for the Dead

By Sayoku

I love him, his skin is so warm,

and if I don't ...hurt him, he'll do me now harm...

So I won't hurt his feelings, nor drive him away,

but Heero and I very gently will play.

Unbound and free my gaze sweeps over the territory . The snow alights upon the faraway hills, and tears drop from my eyes.

Just as free as my thoughts are, is Heero.

I can feel the weakness coming back to me...

As an angel he is sweeping about in heaven, shouting 'Omae o corosu' at other angels, when they make sarcastic comments about his spandex. I can just about hear him whispering to me:

'Duo, I'm fine.'

Just about feel him next to me.

I can hear him breathe...

I just have to turn around and I'll...

"Duo."

"WAH!" I spin around, and look directly into Heero's face. I think I've gone totally mad. "YOU'RE YOU'RE.....!!"

"Duo, please calm down!"

"YOU! ARE! DEAD!" He was dead! He was supposed to be playing happily with the angels...

"No."

Was that all? A *very* plain reply from the so said 'dead'. Although, the dead man was Heero, so I hadn't expect much more.

"I'm alive. I'm standing here. Then I can't be dead."

"ZOMBIE!"

"No. Zombies are dead. I'm very much alive. Here, pinch me."

I surely *won't* let Heero Yuy ask me twice to pinch him; dead or alive.

"Ow."

"Oh, please, I'm not as strong as you are, you *know* that..." he has to press the issue, doesn't he? "Do the others know that you're here?"

"Sort of." Was all he said before throwing a snowball at me.

"Hey!" I'm more startled by the fact that he threw a snowball at me, than of the force with which it hit me.

"Catch me!" he said, and runs away. This cannot be Heero. This is *not* the way he behaves...

I've lost eye-contact with him. It's not good loosing eye-contact with Heero. I've got no idea where he is, until I feel somebody jumping me form the back.

"HA! Gotcha!" He says before throwing me to the ground, and whispers "Never let your guard down, Duo." Into me ear. And as soon as he was there, he's gone again.

I stumble to my feet, and run to the house, which is only a few meters away from my momentary position.

I got in quick enough, slam the door shut behind me.

"Want an ice-cream, Duo?!" Heero's here. Heero's here.

"Hey Duo where are you running to? You're ice-cream! Wait!"

This is the point at which I awake. It was only a dream. Nothing more. Only a dream.

Heero's dead, and I know that he'll never come back. I'm not even sure I want him back.

...His skin is so warm...

The day I made up this rhyme, was the day he died.

...and if I don't hurt him, he'll do me no harm...

He didn't even scream when he died.

He fell asleep.

...so I won't hurt his feelings, nor drive him away...

I didn't send him away. But if there had to be someone, why not me?

The God of Death is someone else...

... I'm not worthy to be Shinigami.

Because I would never had killed him. Never I could have done that. He had too much bravery.

He had enough bravery to know the truth.

...but Heero and I very gently will play.

We never played together... he only had hate to share...

But that wasn't his fault.

Nobody had ever cared for him, when he would've needed it. But then, later, he didn't want anybody to care about him. It only would've been additional weight to the back-sack of guilt and responsibility he had to carry already.

I love him...

Killed by something more minor than he was.

The weakness comes back, and I drift off, to sleep, but this time I'm not going to come back. I'll fall asleep.

Flow empty.