Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from GW and the song is on Garth
Brooks' first album.
~word~ = lyrics
_word_ = italics/thoughts
I Know One
"It's over." The boy who had once said that the only way to live life was to act upon your emotions walked away, leaving the usually laughing jester standing in the rain alone. The jester watched in silence as the only person he had ever really loved walked away from him, unable to do anything to stop him.
Across town in a large mansion a boy was packing so he could run away and rejoin the circus. He packed hurriedly, not caring if he missed something small; he could do without it. "Where are you going?" A soft voice, almost like a small child, but that of an angel stood at the door watching him throw things into his suitcase in a mad rush.
"I'm leaving." The clown replied.
"But I love you." The angel whispered.
The clown turned around and glared at the angel, "But I don't love you."
1 ~When all your loves have ended~
"So Heero, you'll be leaving too?" The blonde angel asked as the Japanese youth came down the stairs carrying his duffel bag.
Heero nodded. "I've been hired to Relena's security team." He replied shortly.
Quatre smiled. "Well, good luck."
"Hn." Heero replied as he walked out the door.
Trowa silently waited for his train to be called. He sat down beside a boy about his age. With a second look he realized it was Heero. "What are you doing here?" He wondered.
"Getting away." Heero shrugged. "Wufei asked me to join the Preventers and I went for it." He felt a little guilty for lying to Quatre.
Trowa nodded, understanding. "Yes, he asked me to join too and I figured I should give it a try." He said.
"So we'll be on the same train and flight I suppose." Heero smirked.
Trowa copied his smirk. "I suppose so." The rest of their conversation was silent.
2 ~When all your friends have flown~
"Duo!" Hilde shrieked. Duo jumped out of his bed as if a bomb had exploded. He reached for a gun that was no longer there as the woman stormed into the room.
"Ah Hilde! I was tryin' to sleep!" The American moaned as he flopped back down against his bed, trying to bury himself in the fleeting warmth created by his body.
"You've been sleeping for the past few days Duo! You need to get your ass into gear and start working." She hissed. "We've got a business to run here!"
"Look Hilde, I'll get to work as soon as I get my strength back." Duo insisted as he looked at her.
She growled. "No can do Maxwell, either you get up now and do some work or get out. I don't need or want you here." She shouted and slammed the door shut, leaving Duo alone.
Duo sighed as he got up from the bed and dressed. The junkyard life wasn't for him anyway.
3 ~Who'll be around to want you~
Quatre sighed for the hundredth time as he sat in the meeting. His sisters all sat around the large table, they were fighting as usual, but this time it wasn't about business. It was about him.
"You think you can just waltz back here and expect us to welcome you back with open arms?" One of the women, one Quatre hadn't met before hissed.
"It's because of you that Father is gone!" Another hissed. Quatre had seen her before.
He sighed again, wishing he had just stayed on Earth. _No,_ he reminded himself. _Trowa's on Earth._
"We don't want you here Quatre, from now on you are no longer a Winner. Father gave you too many chances, but they are all gone now." The oldest woman now that Iria was gone hissed angrily.
Quatre nodded and got up from his seat. "Good day." He bid as he left the room. Where would he go now?
4 ~When all your lives have gone~
[five years later]
Duo sighed. He was bored. The plain white of the hospital was getting on his nervous. He wanted to see black; he wanted to be swallowed by the colour as if it were alive.
_Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored._ He sighed again before slamming his fist into the bed. How he loathed hospitals and doctors and anything to do with the sick. He wanted to get back out there, in the real world. He needed something to do. Perhaps he'd help homeless children, run an orphanage as his own, just like Father Maxwell and Sister Helen.
He just wanted to be out of there. _Stupid virus._ He thought to himself. He had contracted a virus while living on L2, though it was curable, it would take time.
Time was the _only_ thing Duo Maxwell had now.
5 ~Only a fool would do it
6 After the way you've done~
The homeless boy without a name silently dug around in the large Dumpster. Finally he found what he had been looking for and grabbed it hastily. Now he'd have enough money for something to eat.
A hot dog, it was better than nothing. Just before the nameless boy was about to take a bite, out of the corner of his eye he saw a little girl, no older than three hiding behind a corner of an old hotel. She was too skinny to be alive and her clothes hung off of her tiny body.
The boy sighed and went over to her slowly then offered her his first meal in months. She smiled him a toothy grin then hugged him before running away down the alleyway. No matter what he went through, he couldn't get rid of his kindness.
Kindness was the _only_ thing Quatre had now.
~And how many fools would have you
I know one~
Duo looked out the window of his large room. It was snowing now. God, he loved the snow. He could remember one time when he had coaxed Heero away from his laptop so they could play in the snow. They had started with a snowball fight but had ended up in the snow together, then.no; he didn't want to think about that anymore.
Silently he counted the people who walked by. That got boring soon so he decided to pick certain people out and build them a whole history. He picked out an old man.
"His name is Leonard." He decided. "He was married for.63 years but his wife died last June after the birth of her fourth grandson. He has family all over the planet and some have also migrated to the colonies..." Duo looked out the window and brainstormed but his mind kept slipping back to glimpses of a certain boy whom he fell in love with who had cold blue eyes and unruly dark hair.
7 ~This fool keeps wondering why he fell in love at all~
"I didn't know that you took on a mission to make my life a living hell Yuy. But ya know what? It's definitely working. I'll admit it, I loved you, in fact I believe I still love you, but you are a bloody bastard and the next time I see you, I just might kill you." Duo mumbled angrily to himself.
He was bitter. He never denied the fact. He was jealous too, he never denied that either. He knew that Heero had run off to join the Preventers with Trowa and Wufei. But apparently the perfect soldier didn't want to kill anymore so he ran away with Trowa to join the circus.
_So cliché._ Duo could have almost laughed, but it hurt too much inside to even smile now. "You didn't want to kill anymore, ne Heero?" He sighed sadly. "You made sure that I'd be the last person you killed. Damn it, you're killing me." He whispered.
Angry, sad and lonely Duo rolled onto his side so he could stare out the window. "Have fun while it lasts Hee-_chan_, cause what goes around comes around." He growled, "And Death will have his revenge." He whispered.
8 ~After the party's over and you've had your fill of fun~
"Wait please!" Quatre begged as he ran after the man he had been chasing for the last hour. They seemed to be toying with him, teasing him. _I know you want me to follow you. I just want to know who you are._
Quatre had been searching for food when he had spotted someone out of the corner of his eye. Someone who had looked identical to Trowa. Curiosity had gotten the better of him and Quatre had been chasing the other man down.
Out of breath, Quatre fell into the snow, huddling against the frozen flakes to try and stay warm. _I give up Trowa, you win again._ He thought before his exhausted mind fell into a sleep.
~If you need a fool to forgive you.~
Duo was just about to drift off to sleep when another figure passed his window. Duo looked at the figure. "Heero?" He mumbled; his vision still clouded with unawareness. The figure stood, looking into the window at Duo. Duo could see the figure's breath; there _were_ a few feet of snow on the ground.
Quietly, Duo got up from his bed. _Probably some homeless guy._ He sympathized. As he stepped closer the figure fled. Duo was confused at first but then continued to the window. Carefully, he pried open the window and tried to find the fleeing figure, but there was no one.
Duo was about to duck back in and close the window when he noticed something buried under the snow below his window. It took him a few seconds to realize it was a person.
"Geez!" The soldier instincts kicked in suddenly and Duo jumped out of the window as he realized what little the almost tiny figure had on. He landed barefooted into the snow. Ignoring the harsh stinging in his feet he lifted the almost weightless body and climbed back into the window.
The figured mumbled something that sounded like, "What are you doing?" As Duo set the body on his bed.
"You looked cold, I figured you'd like a chance to get warmed." Duo stared at the familiar aquamarine eyes staring back at him. "Quatre?" He was barely able to whisper.
~I know one~
"So how are you Duo?" Quatre wondered as he sat in the chair by the hospital bed, ignoring the fact that it was Duo sitting in that hospital bed.
Duo snorted. "I've been better. What about you?" He asked, looking Quatre up and down. "I thought you'd be living it up, up there on L4."
Quatre shrugged, "After Trowa left I fought with my sisters until they finally kicked me out, blaming me for everything that went wrong for them during the war. Especially the death of my.their father." He said sadly.
Duo leaned back and stared at that damned ceiling again. He finally sighed, "You know, I thought we were supposed to be heroes. I mean, we fought with our lives to give this Goddamned place peace and now that they have it, they're throwing all our mistakes right back in our faces." He growled bitterly.
Quatre nodded silently in agreement. "Why didn't you go with Heero, Duo? I'm sure Relena wouldn't have minded." He said.
Duo looked at him confused. "Relena has nothing to do with the Preventers." He replied slowly as he saw Quatre's own confused expression.
"The Preventers?" He wondered. "Heero told me that Relena had hired him onto her security team or something like that. He didn't mention the Preventers." He shrugged.
Duo snorted. "Figures. After we broke up he and Trowa took off outta here to meet up with Wufei and Sally Po like their Gundam's were on fire." He glared at the ceiling.
Quatre was quiet and Duo had to look at him. A total look of sadness and surprise washed over the tiny blonde boy at the same time. "I didn't know Trowa had gone there. I always suspected that he had gone back to Catherine and the circus." He smiled, but it was completely fake and both he and Duo knew it. "He told me that he didn't want either of us fighting anymore."
"Why didn't you join the Preventers after Trowa left? I mean, I almost did a few times, until I remembered that Heero was there." Duo grumbled, looking at his friend.
Quatre looked down at the floor and mumbled something that Duo couldn't understand.
"Come again?" The braided ex-pilot asked.
Quatre sighed, "Trowa always told me that the Preventers were for real soldiers, not.people like me." He mumbled finally.
Duo snorted again. "Trowa was full of a lot of bull." He said.
Quatre shrugged then nodded, "It didn't help that I believed everything he said." After a long silence Quatre spoke up again. "So what are you going to do now? I mean, once you get out of here?"
9 ~You never know you might be lonely when all your loves have missed~
Duo shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking of getting my own place and run some kind of orphanage. I kinda miss those days when I was with Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, ya know. And I love kids and kinda miss having all the little guys runnin' around." He smiled to himself.
Quatre nodded as he remembered the tiny girl from about a week ago. "That sounds like a very peaceful life. I hope it works out for you." He said sincerely.
"Yeah me too." Duo sat up, rearranging the pillow behind him. "An' what about you?"
Quatre blushed as he looked down at the floor. "You've been where I am Duo, you know that all I do is try to survive through to the next night." He said quietly.
Duo sighed and nodded, knowing _exactly_ how that felt. Then he looked at his friend, "Why not come with me?" He asked, making Quatre look at him in surprise.
"Why would you want a homeless.brat to come with you?" Quatre wondered, shaking his head at Duo.
"Because, I've been a homeless brat before and you're my friend Q." Duo said softly.
10 ~It wouldn't hurt to keep an extra fool on your list~
"You could help me!" Duo said, "We can build a future for us together. What do you say?" He asked, grinning widely at Quatre.
"What can I say?" Quatre asked, "I'd love to go with you Duo." He smiled for the first time in years. Excitedly the two began to plan their future, seeming to forget their lost pasts only with each other, neither of them noticing the two shadows peering into the window.
11 ~After your heart's been broken and you need a place to run~
[two years later]
Quatre entered the completely quiet house. This was strange, the house was never quiet and it put him on edge. Silently, using the skills he had learned as a Gundam pilot, he slinked through the house checking every empty room twice. Finally he headed for the large playroom where the kids usually gathered.
Duo sat in a large beanbag chair in the middle of the room with all the children surrounding him, they seemed to be agreeing with whatever he was asking them. Quatre sighed with relief. And as soon as the blonde man entered the room there were hushed giggles and whispers as all the kids scampered away from the former Deathscythe pilot to play with the toys in the room.
Quatre, curious but figuring it was one of Duo's pranks again, went over to his lover. Just by looking up at him, Duo could tell that he had had a rough day at work. He gently took hold of Quatre's hand and pulled him down onto the beanbag chair as well as across Duo's lap.
"How was your day?" Duo asked as he wrapped his arms around Quatre's stomach and shoulders. The slightly smaller body was tense, and the arm around Quatre's shoulders moved so he could gently rub Quatre's back.
Quatre winced slightly but the pain was gone in seconds. "I got a call from Wufei today.I don't know how he found me, but I guess I shouldn't ask, he _is_ a Preventer and everything."
"What did he want?" Duo wondered. They hadn't heard from any of their old 'friends' for years, though Duo figured it was because nobody knew where they were. They lived on Earth now, in a peaceful city just North of the old United States.
"Heero and Trowa were killed." Quatre replied quietly and the rubbing against his back stopped. Duo bit his lip, remembering the vow he had made on Heero's death. _'Whatever goes around comes around, and Death will have his revenge.'_
12 ~If you'll take a fool who loves you.~
[two months later]
"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" Quatre asked as Duo led him somewhere that he couldn't see.
"You asked that thirty one seconds ago, what did I say then?" Duo smiled back at his blind lover.
Quatre sighed in mock frustration. "'No Quatre, you can't take the blindfold off. Not until I say, because I am Shinigami, the great God of Death, blah, blah, blah.'" Quatre grinned; somehow knowing that Duo was looking at him.
Duo rolled his eyes. "Smart ass." He mumbled.
"But you still looove me." Quatre teased as they stopped.
Duo looked around and smiled to himself. "Yeah I guess I kinda do." He said casually.
"Duo Maxwell! If I could see you I would make you eat those words!" Quatre put his hands on his hips.
Duo grinned, he loved teasing his koi, he got so flustered so easily. "Looks like I'll have to prove to you how much I love you." If Quatre could have seen the evil glint in Duo's eyes he would have run away screaming. But he couldn't.
Duo wrapped his arms around Quatre's waist, taking Quatre's arms off of his hips. Quatre lifted his arms up and awkwardly wrapped his arms blindly around Duo's neck. "Prove away, oh great Shinigami." He whispered.
"I will. But first, I hafta find something I remotely _like_ about ya before I find something that I _love_ about ya." He laughed as Quatre pouted cutely. "Oh, I found something I like." He kissed Quatre's pouting lips. "I like when you pout." He whispered and immediately Quatre's lips pulled into a shy smile. Duo kissed Quatre's lips again. "I like it when you smile too."
Quatre blushed. "I _love_ it when you blush." Duo put emphasis on 'love'. "There," He pulled away from Quatre, "We found something I love about you."
"That's it?" Quatre asked playfully. "You love it when I blush?"
"Yeah." Duo nodded, "But I guess that's not it." Duo took Quatre's hands in his own. "I love the way you can make me smile by doing the simplest things. I love you because you're so kind and sincere. I love the way you make me feel complete." Duo took a breath, "But most of all, I love you because you love me." He said gently as he looked at Quatre who was speechless.
Duo slowly untied the blindfold. Quatre blinked and looked around them and he gasped at the sight. They stood upon a hill in the middle of a grassy plain outside the city. It had grown dark and if Quatre looked up all he could see was the beautiful network of stars dangling like they had been hung there just for him.
"Duo." He couldn't find words. "This is.magnificent!" He gazed out at the canvas of stars and planets. The beauty overwhelmed him so much that he found it hard to breathe.
"That's not all." Duo brought him back and Quatre turned to look at the man he loved. Duo seemed coy now, not like Duo at all. "Quatre, I meant what I said, you make me complete and there isn't _anything_ that I don't love about you. And.I.I was hoping that you'd.like it to be this way.forever." He pulled something out of his pocket.
"Duo." Quatre looked at him as the longhaired man opened the black velvet box.
"Quatre, will you marry me?" Duo asked quietly, holding the ring out to the shocked man.
Quatre couldn't think of anything to say. He was just a street rat; he didn't even have a last name of his own. But he loved Duo so much, so he didn't say anything. Instead he stepped up to Duo and threw his arms around the braided man's neck, and before he could stop himself, he began to cry.
Duo chuckled out of relief. "I hope that's a yes." He gently rubbed Quatre's back as he hugged him. He knew it was a yes but he had to say something so Quatre could calm down.
Quatre pulled away slightly, "It's a yes, it's a yes." The words were whispered but they were all there.
Duo smiled and kissed Quatre deeply as he slid the ring onto his finger. "I love you Quatre." He said after they had pulled away.
Quatre buried his face in Duo's shoulder. "I love you too Duo." He whispered, "Forever."
Overcome by happiness the two former pilots embraced each other, finally in peace, completely oblivious about the two shadows watching them from the bottom of the hill.
Emerald green eyes turned to dark blue. "Mission accomplished?" His calm voice asked.
Amusement danced within the cobalt eyes. "Mission accomplished." He confirmed.
"It's about damned time." The taller of the shadows smiled as he looked up at the jester and the angel still standing on the hill, staring out at the endless mass of stars.
The shorter shadow shrugged. "Nobody said that Maxwell was easy to commit." The supposed-to-be-dead soldier replied flatly.
The taller one snorted quietly.
13 ~I know one.~
So with the knowledge that their former colleagues, friends, and lovers were no longer alone, the emotionless solder and silent clown walked hand in hand through the dark never to be seen again. Knowing that their final mission was complete and everything would be okay they would be able to live the start of their new lives in peace and with each other.
14 ~I know one~
Dija like it? Review please!!
~word~ = lyrics
_word_ = italics/thoughts
I Know One
"It's over." The boy who had once said that the only way to live life was to act upon your emotions walked away, leaving the usually laughing jester standing in the rain alone. The jester watched in silence as the only person he had ever really loved walked away from him, unable to do anything to stop him.
Across town in a large mansion a boy was packing so he could run away and rejoin the circus. He packed hurriedly, not caring if he missed something small; he could do without it. "Where are you going?" A soft voice, almost like a small child, but that of an angel stood at the door watching him throw things into his suitcase in a mad rush.
"I'm leaving." The clown replied.
"But I love you." The angel whispered.
The clown turned around and glared at the angel, "But I don't love you."
1 ~When all your loves have ended~
"So Heero, you'll be leaving too?" The blonde angel asked as the Japanese youth came down the stairs carrying his duffel bag.
Heero nodded. "I've been hired to Relena's security team." He replied shortly.
Quatre smiled. "Well, good luck."
"Hn." Heero replied as he walked out the door.
Trowa silently waited for his train to be called. He sat down beside a boy about his age. With a second look he realized it was Heero. "What are you doing here?" He wondered.
"Getting away." Heero shrugged. "Wufei asked me to join the Preventers and I went for it." He felt a little guilty for lying to Quatre.
Trowa nodded, understanding. "Yes, he asked me to join too and I figured I should give it a try." He said.
"So we'll be on the same train and flight I suppose." Heero smirked.
Trowa copied his smirk. "I suppose so." The rest of their conversation was silent.
2 ~When all your friends have flown~
"Duo!" Hilde shrieked. Duo jumped out of his bed as if a bomb had exploded. He reached for a gun that was no longer there as the woman stormed into the room.
"Ah Hilde! I was tryin' to sleep!" The American moaned as he flopped back down against his bed, trying to bury himself in the fleeting warmth created by his body.
"You've been sleeping for the past few days Duo! You need to get your ass into gear and start working." She hissed. "We've got a business to run here!"
"Look Hilde, I'll get to work as soon as I get my strength back." Duo insisted as he looked at her.
She growled. "No can do Maxwell, either you get up now and do some work or get out. I don't need or want you here." She shouted and slammed the door shut, leaving Duo alone.
Duo sighed as he got up from the bed and dressed. The junkyard life wasn't for him anyway.
3 ~Who'll be around to want you~
Quatre sighed for the hundredth time as he sat in the meeting. His sisters all sat around the large table, they were fighting as usual, but this time it wasn't about business. It was about him.
"You think you can just waltz back here and expect us to welcome you back with open arms?" One of the women, one Quatre hadn't met before hissed.
"It's because of you that Father is gone!" Another hissed. Quatre had seen her before.
He sighed again, wishing he had just stayed on Earth. _No,_ he reminded himself. _Trowa's on Earth._
"We don't want you here Quatre, from now on you are no longer a Winner. Father gave you too many chances, but they are all gone now." The oldest woman now that Iria was gone hissed angrily.
Quatre nodded and got up from his seat. "Good day." He bid as he left the room. Where would he go now?
4 ~When all your lives have gone~
[five years later]
Duo sighed. He was bored. The plain white of the hospital was getting on his nervous. He wanted to see black; he wanted to be swallowed by the colour as if it were alive.
_Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored._ He sighed again before slamming his fist into the bed. How he loathed hospitals and doctors and anything to do with the sick. He wanted to get back out there, in the real world. He needed something to do. Perhaps he'd help homeless children, run an orphanage as his own, just like Father Maxwell and Sister Helen.
He just wanted to be out of there. _Stupid virus._ He thought to himself. He had contracted a virus while living on L2, though it was curable, it would take time.
Time was the _only_ thing Duo Maxwell had now.
5 ~Only a fool would do it
6 After the way you've done~
The homeless boy without a name silently dug around in the large Dumpster. Finally he found what he had been looking for and grabbed it hastily. Now he'd have enough money for something to eat.
A hot dog, it was better than nothing. Just before the nameless boy was about to take a bite, out of the corner of his eye he saw a little girl, no older than three hiding behind a corner of an old hotel. She was too skinny to be alive and her clothes hung off of her tiny body.
The boy sighed and went over to her slowly then offered her his first meal in months. She smiled him a toothy grin then hugged him before running away down the alleyway. No matter what he went through, he couldn't get rid of his kindness.
Kindness was the _only_ thing Quatre had now.
~And how many fools would have you
I know one~
Duo looked out the window of his large room. It was snowing now. God, he loved the snow. He could remember one time when he had coaxed Heero away from his laptop so they could play in the snow. They had started with a snowball fight but had ended up in the snow together, then.no; he didn't want to think about that anymore.
Silently he counted the people who walked by. That got boring soon so he decided to pick certain people out and build them a whole history. He picked out an old man.
"His name is Leonard." He decided. "He was married for.63 years but his wife died last June after the birth of her fourth grandson. He has family all over the planet and some have also migrated to the colonies..." Duo looked out the window and brainstormed but his mind kept slipping back to glimpses of a certain boy whom he fell in love with who had cold blue eyes and unruly dark hair.
7 ~This fool keeps wondering why he fell in love at all~
"I didn't know that you took on a mission to make my life a living hell Yuy. But ya know what? It's definitely working. I'll admit it, I loved you, in fact I believe I still love you, but you are a bloody bastard and the next time I see you, I just might kill you." Duo mumbled angrily to himself.
He was bitter. He never denied the fact. He was jealous too, he never denied that either. He knew that Heero had run off to join the Preventers with Trowa and Wufei. But apparently the perfect soldier didn't want to kill anymore so he ran away with Trowa to join the circus.
_So cliché._ Duo could have almost laughed, but it hurt too much inside to even smile now. "You didn't want to kill anymore, ne Heero?" He sighed sadly. "You made sure that I'd be the last person you killed. Damn it, you're killing me." He whispered.
Angry, sad and lonely Duo rolled onto his side so he could stare out the window. "Have fun while it lasts Hee-_chan_, cause what goes around comes around." He growled, "And Death will have his revenge." He whispered.
8 ~After the party's over and you've had your fill of fun~
"Wait please!" Quatre begged as he ran after the man he had been chasing for the last hour. They seemed to be toying with him, teasing him. _I know you want me to follow you. I just want to know who you are._
Quatre had been searching for food when he had spotted someone out of the corner of his eye. Someone who had looked identical to Trowa. Curiosity had gotten the better of him and Quatre had been chasing the other man down.
Out of breath, Quatre fell into the snow, huddling against the frozen flakes to try and stay warm. _I give up Trowa, you win again._ He thought before his exhausted mind fell into a sleep.
~If you need a fool to forgive you.~
Duo was just about to drift off to sleep when another figure passed his window. Duo looked at the figure. "Heero?" He mumbled; his vision still clouded with unawareness. The figure stood, looking into the window at Duo. Duo could see the figure's breath; there _were_ a few feet of snow on the ground.
Quietly, Duo got up from his bed. _Probably some homeless guy._ He sympathized. As he stepped closer the figure fled. Duo was confused at first but then continued to the window. Carefully, he pried open the window and tried to find the fleeing figure, but there was no one.
Duo was about to duck back in and close the window when he noticed something buried under the snow below his window. It took him a few seconds to realize it was a person.
"Geez!" The soldier instincts kicked in suddenly and Duo jumped out of the window as he realized what little the almost tiny figure had on. He landed barefooted into the snow. Ignoring the harsh stinging in his feet he lifted the almost weightless body and climbed back into the window.
The figured mumbled something that sounded like, "What are you doing?" As Duo set the body on his bed.
"You looked cold, I figured you'd like a chance to get warmed." Duo stared at the familiar aquamarine eyes staring back at him. "Quatre?" He was barely able to whisper.
~I know one~
"So how are you Duo?" Quatre wondered as he sat in the chair by the hospital bed, ignoring the fact that it was Duo sitting in that hospital bed.
Duo snorted. "I've been better. What about you?" He asked, looking Quatre up and down. "I thought you'd be living it up, up there on L4."
Quatre shrugged, "After Trowa left I fought with my sisters until they finally kicked me out, blaming me for everything that went wrong for them during the war. Especially the death of my.their father." He said sadly.
Duo leaned back and stared at that damned ceiling again. He finally sighed, "You know, I thought we were supposed to be heroes. I mean, we fought with our lives to give this Goddamned place peace and now that they have it, they're throwing all our mistakes right back in our faces." He growled bitterly.
Quatre nodded silently in agreement. "Why didn't you go with Heero, Duo? I'm sure Relena wouldn't have minded." He said.
Duo looked at him confused. "Relena has nothing to do with the Preventers." He replied slowly as he saw Quatre's own confused expression.
"The Preventers?" He wondered. "Heero told me that Relena had hired him onto her security team or something like that. He didn't mention the Preventers." He shrugged.
Duo snorted. "Figures. After we broke up he and Trowa took off outta here to meet up with Wufei and Sally Po like their Gundam's were on fire." He glared at the ceiling.
Quatre was quiet and Duo had to look at him. A total look of sadness and surprise washed over the tiny blonde boy at the same time. "I didn't know Trowa had gone there. I always suspected that he had gone back to Catherine and the circus." He smiled, but it was completely fake and both he and Duo knew it. "He told me that he didn't want either of us fighting anymore."
"Why didn't you join the Preventers after Trowa left? I mean, I almost did a few times, until I remembered that Heero was there." Duo grumbled, looking at his friend.
Quatre looked down at the floor and mumbled something that Duo couldn't understand.
"Come again?" The braided ex-pilot asked.
Quatre sighed, "Trowa always told me that the Preventers were for real soldiers, not.people like me." He mumbled finally.
Duo snorted again. "Trowa was full of a lot of bull." He said.
Quatre shrugged then nodded, "It didn't help that I believed everything he said." After a long silence Quatre spoke up again. "So what are you going to do now? I mean, once you get out of here?"
9 ~You never know you might be lonely when all your loves have missed~
Duo shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking of getting my own place and run some kind of orphanage. I kinda miss those days when I was with Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, ya know. And I love kids and kinda miss having all the little guys runnin' around." He smiled to himself.
Quatre nodded as he remembered the tiny girl from about a week ago. "That sounds like a very peaceful life. I hope it works out for you." He said sincerely.
"Yeah me too." Duo sat up, rearranging the pillow behind him. "An' what about you?"
Quatre blushed as he looked down at the floor. "You've been where I am Duo, you know that all I do is try to survive through to the next night." He said quietly.
Duo sighed and nodded, knowing _exactly_ how that felt. Then he looked at his friend, "Why not come with me?" He asked, making Quatre look at him in surprise.
"Why would you want a homeless.brat to come with you?" Quatre wondered, shaking his head at Duo.
"Because, I've been a homeless brat before and you're my friend Q." Duo said softly.
10 ~It wouldn't hurt to keep an extra fool on your list~
"You could help me!" Duo said, "We can build a future for us together. What do you say?" He asked, grinning widely at Quatre.
"What can I say?" Quatre asked, "I'd love to go with you Duo." He smiled for the first time in years. Excitedly the two began to plan their future, seeming to forget their lost pasts only with each other, neither of them noticing the two shadows peering into the window.
11 ~After your heart's been broken and you need a place to run~
[two years later]
Quatre entered the completely quiet house. This was strange, the house was never quiet and it put him on edge. Silently, using the skills he had learned as a Gundam pilot, he slinked through the house checking every empty room twice. Finally he headed for the large playroom where the kids usually gathered.
Duo sat in a large beanbag chair in the middle of the room with all the children surrounding him, they seemed to be agreeing with whatever he was asking them. Quatre sighed with relief. And as soon as the blonde man entered the room there were hushed giggles and whispers as all the kids scampered away from the former Deathscythe pilot to play with the toys in the room.
Quatre, curious but figuring it was one of Duo's pranks again, went over to his lover. Just by looking up at him, Duo could tell that he had had a rough day at work. He gently took hold of Quatre's hand and pulled him down onto the beanbag chair as well as across Duo's lap.
"How was your day?" Duo asked as he wrapped his arms around Quatre's stomach and shoulders. The slightly smaller body was tense, and the arm around Quatre's shoulders moved so he could gently rub Quatre's back.
Quatre winced slightly but the pain was gone in seconds. "I got a call from Wufei today.I don't know how he found me, but I guess I shouldn't ask, he _is_ a Preventer and everything."
"What did he want?" Duo wondered. They hadn't heard from any of their old 'friends' for years, though Duo figured it was because nobody knew where they were. They lived on Earth now, in a peaceful city just North of the old United States.
"Heero and Trowa were killed." Quatre replied quietly and the rubbing against his back stopped. Duo bit his lip, remembering the vow he had made on Heero's death. _'Whatever goes around comes around, and Death will have his revenge.'_
12 ~If you'll take a fool who loves you.~
[two months later]
"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" Quatre asked as Duo led him somewhere that he couldn't see.
"You asked that thirty one seconds ago, what did I say then?" Duo smiled back at his blind lover.
Quatre sighed in mock frustration. "'No Quatre, you can't take the blindfold off. Not until I say, because I am Shinigami, the great God of Death, blah, blah, blah.'" Quatre grinned; somehow knowing that Duo was looking at him.
Duo rolled his eyes. "Smart ass." He mumbled.
"But you still looove me." Quatre teased as they stopped.
Duo looked around and smiled to himself. "Yeah I guess I kinda do." He said casually.
"Duo Maxwell! If I could see you I would make you eat those words!" Quatre put his hands on his hips.
Duo grinned, he loved teasing his koi, he got so flustered so easily. "Looks like I'll have to prove to you how much I love you." If Quatre could have seen the evil glint in Duo's eyes he would have run away screaming. But he couldn't.
Duo wrapped his arms around Quatre's waist, taking Quatre's arms off of his hips. Quatre lifted his arms up and awkwardly wrapped his arms blindly around Duo's neck. "Prove away, oh great Shinigami." He whispered.
"I will. But first, I hafta find something I remotely _like_ about ya before I find something that I _love_ about ya." He laughed as Quatre pouted cutely. "Oh, I found something I like." He kissed Quatre's pouting lips. "I like when you pout." He whispered and immediately Quatre's lips pulled into a shy smile. Duo kissed Quatre's lips again. "I like it when you smile too."
Quatre blushed. "I _love_ it when you blush." Duo put emphasis on 'love'. "There," He pulled away from Quatre, "We found something I love about you."
"That's it?" Quatre asked playfully. "You love it when I blush?"
"Yeah." Duo nodded, "But I guess that's not it." Duo took Quatre's hands in his own. "I love the way you can make me smile by doing the simplest things. I love you because you're so kind and sincere. I love the way you make me feel complete." Duo took a breath, "But most of all, I love you because you love me." He said gently as he looked at Quatre who was speechless.
Duo slowly untied the blindfold. Quatre blinked and looked around them and he gasped at the sight. They stood upon a hill in the middle of a grassy plain outside the city. It had grown dark and if Quatre looked up all he could see was the beautiful network of stars dangling like they had been hung there just for him.
"Duo." He couldn't find words. "This is.magnificent!" He gazed out at the canvas of stars and planets. The beauty overwhelmed him so much that he found it hard to breathe.
"That's not all." Duo brought him back and Quatre turned to look at the man he loved. Duo seemed coy now, not like Duo at all. "Quatre, I meant what I said, you make me complete and there isn't _anything_ that I don't love about you. And.I.I was hoping that you'd.like it to be this way.forever." He pulled something out of his pocket.
"Duo." Quatre looked at him as the longhaired man opened the black velvet box.
"Quatre, will you marry me?" Duo asked quietly, holding the ring out to the shocked man.
Quatre couldn't think of anything to say. He was just a street rat; he didn't even have a last name of his own. But he loved Duo so much, so he didn't say anything. Instead he stepped up to Duo and threw his arms around the braided man's neck, and before he could stop himself, he began to cry.
Duo chuckled out of relief. "I hope that's a yes." He gently rubbed Quatre's back as he hugged him. He knew it was a yes but he had to say something so Quatre could calm down.
Quatre pulled away slightly, "It's a yes, it's a yes." The words were whispered but they were all there.
Duo smiled and kissed Quatre deeply as he slid the ring onto his finger. "I love you Quatre." He said after they had pulled away.
Quatre buried his face in Duo's shoulder. "I love you too Duo." He whispered, "Forever."
Overcome by happiness the two former pilots embraced each other, finally in peace, completely oblivious about the two shadows watching them from the bottom of the hill.
Emerald green eyes turned to dark blue. "Mission accomplished?" His calm voice asked.
Amusement danced within the cobalt eyes. "Mission accomplished." He confirmed.
"It's about damned time." The taller of the shadows smiled as he looked up at the jester and the angel still standing on the hill, staring out at the endless mass of stars.
The shorter shadow shrugged. "Nobody said that Maxwell was easy to commit." The supposed-to-be-dead soldier replied flatly.
The taller one snorted quietly.
13 ~I know one.~
So with the knowledge that their former colleagues, friends, and lovers were no longer alone, the emotionless solder and silent clown walked hand in hand through the dark never to be seen again. Knowing that their final mission was complete and everything would be okay they would be able to live the start of their new lives in peace and with each other.
14 ~I know one~
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