Days had passed since Duo had awoken and set out on his journey, his
mission to find Heero. He didn't know how many days; he had lost count.
The past didn't matter. Only the present, so that he could continue, and
the future, when he would finally find Heero again, mattered to him. Time
was obsolete: he ate when he was hungry, drank when he was thirsty, slept
when he was tired. All the rest of his time was filled by one thing and
one thing only. The only thing that was important to him: finding Heero.
Heero. Sometime during his search, it finally occurred to Duo that at this point, he wasn't even particularly concerned with how Heero would react to what he was going to tell him… He just wanted to find him. To see him again, talk to him again, regardless of what he talked about. To hear his voice, to be near him. That was all that really mattered. The meeting itself was the most important thing; its resolution would happen regardless of what he did. Right now, he could only affect when the meeting happened. The harder he looked, the sooner he would find him…
Frost had touched the forest, as well as the fields and meadows just outside of the forest. At first, Duo stayed fairly far inside the shelter of the forest, where the icy, biting wind was at least partially blocked by the trees. Eventually, however, he was more concerned with his speed rather than his own comfort, and he moved closer to the edge of the forest. At one point, he faintly heard the sound of a motorcycle, one just out of his range if he were to shout…
When he heard the sound of the motorcycle engine, a burst of energy filled his body. Duo picked up his pace considerably, and walked all day. He slept a few hours, just enough to where his body could bring itself to continue on, then walked throughout the rest of the night. Then repeated that schedule the next day after that. It was then that he heard the motorcycle again, this time much closer, though still not within his shouting distance, by any means…
Finally, Duo knew he was close. It was late evening, and he had heard the motorcycle's engine stop. Not fade off, but stop. That was a good sign. A sign that he was close. So close… Just a few more hours of walking, and he would reach his target…
There was no doubt in Duo's mind that Heero was the one he had been following. It could be no other. After all, who else would be out during the beginning of winter, riding a motorcycle along the outskirts of a forest located practically in the middle of nowhere? He kept walking onward, pushing himself further.
Night approached rapidly. Soon it was dark, and the moon began to rise. Duo was tempted to sleep, but he wouldn't let himself. He couldn't take the chance of Heero deciding to continue on during the night… He wouldn't take that chance…
Suddenly, Duo collapsed. He was weak; he had pushed his body too far, and now it was rebelling… He wouldn't allow it! He was Shinigami! If he had survived the war without death claiming him, there was no way in hell that he was going to let something as small as simple fatigue stop him now… There was no way in hell…
Duo took a few deep breaths, calling to mind an image of Heero sleeping; he looked so peaceful when he was asleep… Finally, he struggled to his feet, and began to walk slowly forward.
After a while, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes later, he happened to look up at the moon. And he laughed. Rather than the rabbit on the moon that most people saw, or the man on the moon that the others saw, that familiar old man, Duo saw something quite different. Instead, the moon looked to him like the face of a chibi Heero… He took a deep breath, determined not to make any more sound…
Duo laughed again. He couldn't help himself! The laughter was the uncontrollable laughter one only got when one was incredibly tired, and nothing really made sense. He was exhausted almost to the point of hallucination, though not quite. Not quite… Still, he was almost desperate with the overwhelming need he felt… He had to find Heero… And there, up in the sky, was an adorable, ridiculous motivation for him, urging him on…
Duo's laughter filled the night in irregular burst after that, erupting from his aching chest from time to time. He was getting closer, he knew he was… He wanted to collapse, to drop to the ground and sleep, but he wouldn't let himself. Not yet.
After stumbling onward for a few moments longer, Duo could see a figure approaching rapidly. It looked like Heero… Duo shook his head, as if to clear his mind, and bring sense to himself. He looked again. Still there, and closer… Finally, he rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to wake himself up, in case he really was delusional… Still there…
"Heero…" Duo whispered. Was it real? He had to find out… Using one last spurt of energy, Duo quickened his pace to a fast walk, the most that he could manage in his state. He would find out soon enough if the figure was real… And if it was…
Heero. Sometime during his search, it finally occurred to Duo that at this point, he wasn't even particularly concerned with how Heero would react to what he was going to tell him… He just wanted to find him. To see him again, talk to him again, regardless of what he talked about. To hear his voice, to be near him. That was all that really mattered. The meeting itself was the most important thing; its resolution would happen regardless of what he did. Right now, he could only affect when the meeting happened. The harder he looked, the sooner he would find him…
Frost had touched the forest, as well as the fields and meadows just outside of the forest. At first, Duo stayed fairly far inside the shelter of the forest, where the icy, biting wind was at least partially blocked by the trees. Eventually, however, he was more concerned with his speed rather than his own comfort, and he moved closer to the edge of the forest. At one point, he faintly heard the sound of a motorcycle, one just out of his range if he were to shout…
When he heard the sound of the motorcycle engine, a burst of energy filled his body. Duo picked up his pace considerably, and walked all day. He slept a few hours, just enough to where his body could bring itself to continue on, then walked throughout the rest of the night. Then repeated that schedule the next day after that. It was then that he heard the motorcycle again, this time much closer, though still not within his shouting distance, by any means…
Finally, Duo knew he was close. It was late evening, and he had heard the motorcycle's engine stop. Not fade off, but stop. That was a good sign. A sign that he was close. So close… Just a few more hours of walking, and he would reach his target…
There was no doubt in Duo's mind that Heero was the one he had been following. It could be no other. After all, who else would be out during the beginning of winter, riding a motorcycle along the outskirts of a forest located practically in the middle of nowhere? He kept walking onward, pushing himself further.
Night approached rapidly. Soon it was dark, and the moon began to rise. Duo was tempted to sleep, but he wouldn't let himself. He couldn't take the chance of Heero deciding to continue on during the night… He wouldn't take that chance…
Suddenly, Duo collapsed. He was weak; he had pushed his body too far, and now it was rebelling… He wouldn't allow it! He was Shinigami! If he had survived the war without death claiming him, there was no way in hell that he was going to let something as small as simple fatigue stop him now… There was no way in hell…
Duo took a few deep breaths, calling to mind an image of Heero sleeping; he looked so peaceful when he was asleep… Finally, he struggled to his feet, and began to walk slowly forward.
After a while, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes later, he happened to look up at the moon. And he laughed. Rather than the rabbit on the moon that most people saw, or the man on the moon that the others saw, that familiar old man, Duo saw something quite different. Instead, the moon looked to him like the face of a chibi Heero… He took a deep breath, determined not to make any more sound…
Duo laughed again. He couldn't help himself! The laughter was the uncontrollable laughter one only got when one was incredibly tired, and nothing really made sense. He was exhausted almost to the point of hallucination, though not quite. Not quite… Still, he was almost desperate with the overwhelming need he felt… He had to find Heero… And there, up in the sky, was an adorable, ridiculous motivation for him, urging him on…
Duo's laughter filled the night in irregular burst after that, erupting from his aching chest from time to time. He was getting closer, he knew he was… He wanted to collapse, to drop to the ground and sleep, but he wouldn't let himself. Not yet.
After stumbling onward for a few moments longer, Duo could see a figure approaching rapidly. It looked like Heero… Duo shook his head, as if to clear his mind, and bring sense to himself. He looked again. Still there, and closer… Finally, he rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to wake himself up, in case he really was delusional… Still there…
"Heero…" Duo whispered. Was it real? He had to find out… Using one last spurt of energy, Duo quickened his pace to a fast walk, the most that he could manage in his state. He would find out soon enough if the figure was real… And if it was…
