Zechs sat on the grungy couch, still holding Duo to his chest. The boy just didn't want to be let go. Zechs had been here for quite some time, and still did not know what was troubling Duo.
"Please Duo," Zechs said softly, "If you do not tell me what is wrong, I cannot begin to help you."
Duo looked up at the older man, taking his face from Zechs' chest. The braided pilot was once again lost in the beautiful face of the man that he had set his heart on. Zechs looked so much like the Bibical description of an angel.
"Ze... Zechs?" Duo's voice wavered.
"Yes, Duo?" Zechs' voice was comforting, and the blonde man gently wiped Duo's tears from the young man's cheeks. Duo place his hand over Zechs'.
"I have secret to tell you," Duo said. Guilt was heavy in Duo's voice. The tears threatened to come once again.
"If you are comfortable with telling me your secret, then go ahead." Zechs said so simply. A small hint of an encouraging smile passed across Zechs' pale skinned face.
"I'm gay," Duo whispered. He looked away from Zechs. The violet eyed pilot expected Zechs to have the same reaction as Hilde. To Duo's surprise, the only movement Zechs' body made was breathing and blinking.
"That is nothing to be ashamed of, Duo" Zechs told him. Duo's spirts lifted slightly. Then the other secret surfaced in Duo's mind.
"Tell him," a voice in Duo's mind said.
"No, he'll hate you," said another.
"You should tell him how you feel!" the first encouraged Duo.
"This is a secret for a reason, Duo." the second scolded.
"You are gonna be guilty forever if you don't," the first voice told Duo.
"You are gonna regret it forever if you do," the second voice argued back.
Moments more passed of the voices battling in Duo's head. Finally, the first voice won over the second, and Duo lost control of himself. His body straightened, and Duo sat up on his knees, leveling his face with Zechs'. He took in Zechs' ice blue eyes, the blonde curtain of hair slightly obstructing Zechs' vision, his sharp nose, and handsome smile. With out know what he was doing, Duo took Zechs' doll-like face in his rough and worked hands. Duo closed his violet eyes and indulged in his dream. He quickly rushed his lips to Zechs', but slowly kissed him. As Duo's mouth lingered on Zechs' mouth, he took his hand from Zechs' face and ran his hand down the older man's muscular arm and took his hand. But then he noticed something that he had noticed before. Duo felt some thing cold against his palm.
That's when the fledgling paradise crumbled and broke. Duo took his face away from the solemn face of Zechs. The violet eyes looked down at Zechs hand being held in his own. The cold metal that was pressing against Duo's palm, Zechs wore a silver engagement ring on his left ring finger. Duo could hear Zechs swallow nervously. Zechs' hand slipped out of Duo's and he looked away.
"Duo," Zechs' voice was deeper now, "I realize that you must care very deeply for me. However, I am engaged to Lucretia. She and I have an infant daughter. I'm sorry, Duo, I cannot return your emotions."
Tears rolled down Zechs' cheeks, staining his perfect skin. Duo had opened up to Zechs. Duo had shared with Zechs his deepest secret. And how did Zechs treat him? He had broken the poor younger man's heart.
"I didn't know, Zechs." Duo's voice was solemn and threated to break down and cry. The boy stood and moved away from the couch. He dared not look in Zechs' direction. He had told Zechs how he felt, and got burned.
"You can go. I'm sure Noin is worried about you. I'm sorry. Very sorry. Please, just go." Duo barely choked out.
Zechs wanted to object, but better though against it. He rose from the couch and collected his coat and scarf.
"Good bye, Duo," Zechs said, wiping the tears away from his own face now, "Please do not hesitate to call if you need me again."
Duo was alone once again as Zechs let himself out. The apartment was quiet. The temperature seemed to drop in the room. Duo shivered and sighed as he heard Zechs' car start. The sound of the car driving away stuck in Duo's mind. Like a metaphor. He had just driven the man he loved out of his life. And now Zechs was gone.
"Please Duo," Zechs said softly, "If you do not tell me what is wrong, I cannot begin to help you."
Duo looked up at the older man, taking his face from Zechs' chest. The braided pilot was once again lost in the beautiful face of the man that he had set his heart on. Zechs looked so much like the Bibical description of an angel.
"Ze... Zechs?" Duo's voice wavered.
"Yes, Duo?" Zechs' voice was comforting, and the blonde man gently wiped Duo's tears from the young man's cheeks. Duo place his hand over Zechs'.
"I have secret to tell you," Duo said. Guilt was heavy in Duo's voice. The tears threatened to come once again.
"If you are comfortable with telling me your secret, then go ahead." Zechs said so simply. A small hint of an encouraging smile passed across Zechs' pale skinned face.
"I'm gay," Duo whispered. He looked away from Zechs. The violet eyed pilot expected Zechs to have the same reaction as Hilde. To Duo's surprise, the only movement Zechs' body made was breathing and blinking.
"That is nothing to be ashamed of, Duo" Zechs told him. Duo's spirts lifted slightly. Then the other secret surfaced in Duo's mind.
"Tell him," a voice in Duo's mind said.
"No, he'll hate you," said another.
"You should tell him how you feel!" the first encouraged Duo.
"This is a secret for a reason, Duo." the second scolded.
"You are gonna be guilty forever if you don't," the first voice told Duo.
"You are gonna regret it forever if you do," the second voice argued back.
Moments more passed of the voices battling in Duo's head. Finally, the first voice won over the second, and Duo lost control of himself. His body straightened, and Duo sat up on his knees, leveling his face with Zechs'. He took in Zechs' ice blue eyes, the blonde curtain of hair slightly obstructing Zechs' vision, his sharp nose, and handsome smile. With out know what he was doing, Duo took Zechs' doll-like face in his rough and worked hands. Duo closed his violet eyes and indulged in his dream. He quickly rushed his lips to Zechs', but slowly kissed him. As Duo's mouth lingered on Zechs' mouth, he took his hand from Zechs' face and ran his hand down the older man's muscular arm and took his hand. But then he noticed something that he had noticed before. Duo felt some thing cold against his palm.
That's when the fledgling paradise crumbled and broke. Duo took his face away from the solemn face of Zechs. The violet eyes looked down at Zechs hand being held in his own. The cold metal that was pressing against Duo's palm, Zechs wore a silver engagement ring on his left ring finger. Duo could hear Zechs swallow nervously. Zechs' hand slipped out of Duo's and he looked away.
"Duo," Zechs' voice was deeper now, "I realize that you must care very deeply for me. However, I am engaged to Lucretia. She and I have an infant daughter. I'm sorry, Duo, I cannot return your emotions."
Tears rolled down Zechs' cheeks, staining his perfect skin. Duo had opened up to Zechs. Duo had shared with Zechs his deepest secret. And how did Zechs treat him? He had broken the poor younger man's heart.
"I didn't know, Zechs." Duo's voice was solemn and threated to break down and cry. The boy stood and moved away from the couch. He dared not look in Zechs' direction. He had told Zechs how he felt, and got burned.
"You can go. I'm sure Noin is worried about you. I'm sorry. Very sorry. Please, just go." Duo barely choked out.
Zechs wanted to object, but better though against it. He rose from the couch and collected his coat and scarf.
"Good bye, Duo," Zechs said, wiping the tears away from his own face now, "Please do not hesitate to call if you need me again."
Duo was alone once again as Zechs let himself out. The apartment was quiet. The temperature seemed to drop in the room. Duo shivered and sighed as he heard Zechs' car start. The sound of the car driving away stuck in Duo's mind. Like a metaphor. He had just driven the man he loved out of his life. And now Zechs was gone.
