TIATAAPFE: GAG

(God and Goddess)

"Flame!" Duo exclaimed in panic, feeling her hands crush his as the machine was snapped off. Seeing her arch her back and grimace in pain sent chills and rivulets of fear down his spine. No way was he going to let her go… Again.

Aqua eyes wide in apprehension, Quatre looked pleadingly at his friend. "Oh God…"

And then, as soon as she had reacted, the pressure was lifted from their hands. The heart monitor beeped steadily in the background as her breathing resumed normality. The two pilots breathed a heavy sigh of relief, sitting back in their chairs.

"You may go now…" Quatre said, shooting the nurse an icy glare to match his tone.

She left, without protest.

"Thank God…" Flame murmured, smirking lightly. "I thought she'd never leave."

"Flame," Duo sighed in relief, "Don't ever pull that again, you hear me?" He got up, sitting down on the edge of her bed, lightly running his fingers up and down her arm.

"I hear you loud and clear." she smiled.

"Good."

"I should go and…" Quatre tried to signal his intent, "Call the others about your recovery."

"Yeah, and you want to leave us alone so we can talk. Go on, just tell us up front. We're big kids. We can handle it." Flame smiled at the Arabian affectionately.

"Good to know you can still read me… I think…" Quatre grinned, bending down to brush her cheek with a light kiss before getting up and exiting with a wave and a smile.

"Do you really suppose he expects us to work out our problems?"

"Hell yes. Don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Duo…" she laughed heartily, squeezing his hand again, "When will we be able to be honest with each other?"

"How does right now sound to you?"

"Perfect…"

"Okay, what do you want to hear first?"

"Why did you deny me?"

He should have known she'd want to know. "Because I'm an ass. I thought about how everything would change, how the others would probably annoy the hell out of me about it for who knows how long. And I was afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Afraid to get close, because then you'd die like the others."

"Oh Duo… I almost died anyways."

"Yeah… Why'd you pull a stunt like that?"

"You. The Exposure Game."

"What?"

"After I spat at you, I ran like hell back to my old apartment. I sat down, cried and played Tomb Raider. Playing that gave me an idea, so I took my braid down, pulled it up into a pony like in the old movies, and started to prepare a huge explosive device with the moldable plastic. I didn't care if I lived or died. I was pissed and emotional, which evidently doesn't go well with explosive material."

"Shit."

"You can say that again."

"Shit."

She laughed, "Now you're just mocking me." she teased, winking.

"Maybe…"

"Anyways, how did you find me…?"

And so they continued, talking softly, laughing, joking and explaining to each other. This continued from many hours, as Quatre sat outside the room, waiting for the others, listening, and sitting against the wall. He closed his eyes, leaned back and smiled. His friends were finally admitting their affections for each other.

"Duo?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking in the past few weeks, and reconsidering and bargaining while I was unable to communicate. It isn't as effective here as what I had planned."

"Yeah, might as well get it out, because you might not get the chance gain."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not letting you out of my sight for a second."

She let a short, dry chuckle escape. "Not even to bathe?"

"Nope, I'm bathing you."

"Perve, you just want to see me naked."

"Yeah, I'm a horny perve. What is this that took so much mulling over?"

"That? Oh, uh… I thought about how you are called the God of Death, and all… And I researched all of these gods and goddesses from mythologies all over the Earth Sphere. Every God has a Goddess to balance him out. They are equals and yet separate in each of their tasks. It's just like Yin and Yang."

He waited for her to catch her breath.

"I was wondering… hoping… that you'd allow me to be your goddess."

Duo was stunned, he hadn't expected it to end that way. Slightly unsure of himself, he opened his wide violet eyes slightly larger, and looked into her deep blue ones, which were pleading him to be honest, to be kind. Seeing her, he realized that he couldn't afford a repeat of the last incident.

Duo raised her hand to lips, feeling the bones as he had never been able to before. "I'd love you to be my Goddess of Life." He scooted himself from his perch, leaning in close to her. "What would you like to do, as your first declaration as Goddess of Life?"

"I want you to kiss me."

"Done."

And so, with this understanding as God and Goddess, Death and Life did more than swap saliva in that hospital room. They sealed the loose parts of their relationship, and found the balance that had been missing in their lives. And so it was, that Death would not be able to be complete until Life had joined him, and vice versa.

And so they were. Both complete and both entwined.

*~*~*OWARI*~*~*

HAHAHA! My *first* ever finished fic! ^ ^Yay! I could add more, life an epilogue, but I'll let my readers decide. ^ ^

Now, THANK YOU time!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Computer geek Michelle: I am sorry for the cliffhanger, I was typing at like 2:30 am and I heard my mom wake up, so I had to finish and post it before she caught me, grounded me from the computer, thus preventing me from updating. Yeah, I'm a bad, bad, EVIL writer, LOL. *shrug* I always wanted to see how people reacted to a cliffhanger of mine. ^ ^ Don't be mad at me, and continue to read on! It was fun AIMing you! God Bless America on-line (NOT!)!

Courtney: Yay! My second reviewer! ^ ^ You are so sweet, saying that about my fic! *pleased and happy purr* Ignore the purr if it weirds you out, I do that often… ^ ^'. I try to work on detail, and, apparent from my English assignments, sarcasm. Eh. About the whole 'pissed at Duo', don't hate him, hate me! I made him be an ass, because that was how he had to be to really get to Flame. Luckily in this chappie, they resolve their problems! Yay! Some really fucked up sap! ^ ^ I thank you very much about my grammatical and spelling abilities (thank God for spell check!), because I fond fics more enjoyable if everything is 'correct'. Otherwise, you aren't sure if Trowa shoved a pen is up Duo's ass, if there's a pen in Duo's ass for some strange reason, or if Trowa shoved his penis up Duo's ass. Or something like that. *shrug* Eh. Only the author must know. More apologies about the cliff, but I hope you find this to be satisfactory. Gomen nasai for reviewing. I'll see you soon as well!

Thanks to all the wonderful readers who have read this and not reviewed, no pressure, trust me. My breast is burnt from laying outside, so I shall become a recluse indoors until it stops itching/peals. Whichever comes first. Anyways… (O.o'''') enjoy and let me know about an epilogue!

*hugs and kisses*

Flame