Here Without You

by Sailor Aurora Helios

(songfic to 3DoorsDown's Here Without You) It's Valentine's Day! And it's time for the school's (semi-lame but fun none the less) Valentine's Dance. Duo's enjoying himself to some extent, but nothing good ever lasts on days like Valentine's Day, especiall

Here Without You

By Sailor Aurora Helios

A hundred days have made me older
since the last time that I saw your pretty face.
A thousand lies have made me colder
and I don't think I can look at this the same.
And all the miles that separate
disappear now when I'm dreamin' of your face.

                Duo crossed his arms, a bored sigh escaping his lips as he tried to scan through the crowd for where his friends had gone. The ceiling of the large cafeteria was littered with balloons, red and pink mostly. There were streamers all around, along with giant heart balloons and (artificial) rose petals. The people all around were mostly just standing around talking, rather than dancing. Yes, the school dance was pretty lame, with no good music, but occasionally it could be fun.

                "Damnit, where did they go?" Duo tried to peek over some of the taller groups of people but eventually gave up. Duo shoved his hands in his pockets slowly walking around the cafeteria. The cafeteria was rather large, and the reason the dance was being held in there was because the gym was being repaired after a fire had somehow started. The attendance to the dance was fairly small; after all, the school had a record for stupid and boring dances. Duo himself had said for almost two weeks before the dance he wasn't going, partly because he didn't support the school dances, partly because he was strongly against Valentine's Day. That day to school he had worn all black, though that wasn't really unusual for him, including a shirt he'd made that had a big heart on the front with the words 'Oh swell, Valentine's Day. I'm giddy with synthetic emotion.' Once at home though, out of no where Duo decided to go to the dance anyways. He wasn't even sure why he had decided to go; maybe he thought it'd be fun. In fact, it was fun at times, hanging around and goofing off with his friends had been pretty cool.

I'm here without you baby
but you're still on my lonely mind.
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time.
I'm here without you baby
but you're still with me in my dreams.
And tonight, it's only you and me.

                Duo paused catching sight of a familiar face. The American grinned quickly making his way over to the brown haired boy. He stopped , for a moment wondering if the other teen had come with a date. He shrugged off the thought walking over.

                "Hey, Heero!" Duo smiled as he walked over. Heero glanced at him before again looking anxiously towards the stage, where the DJ was set up.

                "What's up?" Duo blinked looking a bit confused as he moved closer to Heero. Heero sighed slightly looking back at Duo as he ran a hand through his hair.

                "I've been trying to request a song, but they won't play it!" Heero muttered looking back again towards the DJ.

                "What song?" Duo tilted his head curiously, following Heero's gaze.

                "Here Without You, by Three Doors Down." Heero answered without looking back at Duo. Duo grinned a bit more as he glanced at Heero.

                "Oh! I love that song! It's such a great song…"

                "Yeah, but you don't know the story…"

The miles just keep rollin'
as the people leave their way to say hello.
I've heard this life is overrated
but I hope that it gets better as we go.

                Duo paused at that, staring curiously at Heero. Heero did in fact look almost desperate as he spared another glance at the DJ before returning his gaze to Duo. He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a soft frustrated sigh.

                "I wrote a letter to Relena, and it had the lyrics to that song in it. She doesn't know the song though, so I NEED them to play that song so I can go tell her! They keep playing the wrong songs though! They played When I'm Gone, earlier, but…" Heero trailed off sighing in frustration. Duo for a moment was silent, staring at Heero. Suddenly he regretted approaching Heero. Though, why was he surprised? Of course something like this would happen. He already knew how Heero felt. Duo winced inwardly at the memory, after finally managing to work up the courage to ask Heero out… apparently Heero only thought of him as a friend, and also had his eyes on someone else. Duo sighed pushing the memory aside as he looked back at Heero.

                "Well… maybe you should go request it again?"

                "They said after two songs they'd play it," Heero looked back at Duo, "This is the fourth song. They don't realize how important this is." Heero sighed. Duo moved to walk back to the stage, stopping himself from grabbing Heero's hand.

                "C'mon then, let's go request it again." Duo said with a shrug but stopped as Heero shook his head.

                "I'll wait until after this song." Heero glanced nervously at the clock. Duo was about to say something when a black sash seemingly from no where slipped over his head to rest around his waist as he felt someone pulling him back. Duo blinked in surprise quickly looking back to face Wufei who only laughed as the look on Duo's face, letting him go.

                "…had I not been in a state of shock, you know I would have done something, 'Fei." Duo laughed slightly grinning up at his best friend. He soon found himself dragged off to dance with his friends.

I'm here without you baby
but you're still on my lonely mind.
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time.
I'm here without you baby
but you're still with me in my dreams.
And tonight girl, it's only you and me.

                The dance was ending soon, they all knew that. Duo had somewhat kept an eye on Heero most of the night, but sometimes he lost track of the Japanese youth. The music faded away and Duo glanced at the stage. The DJ came over the speakers then announcing out to the crowd,

                "Alright, the night is coming to an end and we're gonna slow down the tempo a little you got it?"  Duo groaned softly, making his way away from the crowd. The song Heero had been requesting finally came on then, and Duo caught sight of Heero quickly moving through the crowds. Duo sighed once more sitting down on a table, idly letting his legs swing below him. He glanced up and froze at what he saw.

                "…god damnit…"

And everything I know, and anywhere I go
It gets hard but it won't take away my love.
And when the last one falls, and when it's all said and done
It gets hard but it won't take away my love.

                Heero had gotten to Relena obviously telling her to listen to the song. Relena blinked in confusion before her eyes widened and she smiled at Heero, pulling the Japanese teen into a hug. She said something Duo couldn't here, probably about how sweet that was. Then Heero pulled the girl close, his hands on her waist, and her hands around Heero's neck swaying to the music as they talked quietly. This was, of course, directly in front of Duo, in direct sight, only maybe fifteen or twenty feet in front of him. Duo sighed softly and just stared forward, watching the two dance as he listened to the song, not even realizing it as he quietly sang along,

                "I'm here without you baby, but you're still on my lonely mind."

                "Hey, Duo… why do you look so pissed?" Hilde stood next to Duo smiling up at him. Duo spared the girl a glance but returned his gaze forward.

                "Why aren't you dancing??" Hilde tilted her head curious. Duo again threw a slight glare at the girl before looking forward again.

                "What?? Jeeze, don't give me that look. What did I do?"

                "I. Don't. Slow-dance." Duo muttered as he stared forward, not saying how he had no one to slow-dance with anyways.

                "Aww, c'mon. Here, I'll slow dance with you!!" Hilde grinned at Duo but again only got a slight glare in response. She sighed softly staring at Duo for a moment before murmuring, "You want me to go away don't you?"

                "Yup." Hilde sighed and shrugged as she walked off to find someone else to talk to.

                "I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you baby
but you're still with me in my dreams." Duo sang along softly as the song ended. A few more slow-songs came on during which Relena and Heero never parted, and Duo just sat there watching the couple in plane sight, but the dance was over then. The lights came back on and people began moving to leave. Duo was the first one up and out the door, sighing as he slipped around a corner and began walking home. He knew his friends would wonder why he had disappeared so suddenly, but it didn't matter to him at the moment. He wasn't sure why he cared, he swore he was over Heero, but that's just the way things were. He shrugged walking down the dark streets as he stared at the ground.

                "…I still hate this stupid holiday." Duo muttered to himself, as the images of all the couples dancing together came back to his mind. He sighed softly trying to ignore the lonely feeling he felt. Maybe next year… his mind seemed to say softly, maybe next year… maybe never…

And tonight girl, it's only you and me

~*~*~*~*~*~

                …right… another V-day fic. (A crappy one at that.) I just felt like writing this. How did I get this idea you ask? …this fic is based on something that actually happened. Yeah, this whole fic actually happened last night at the Valentine's Dance. (Except for the whole fire in the gym thing and the walking home, but yeah.) *sighs slightly and shrugs* Oh, well. Happy Valentine's Day… to those of you that actually enjoy this stupid holiday.

~Kate~