Author: aomurasakiai
Warnings: Cross dressing, Shounen ai, Fluff, Sap, Angst, AU, OOC-ness
Pairings: Heero/Duo
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13
Everything above may be subject to change
Song: "Caged Bird" by Shunichi Miyamoto
Songfic Notes:
[romaji song lyrics]
(English translation)
"Gomen nasai. This is the last time that I can see you."
Heero tried to watch with detachment as the piece of paper fell from Duo's hand. He'd never wanted this to happen, even though he knew it was going to. But he never expected it to be so sudden; and right after he confessed he was actually a boy. Maybe it was Heaven's way of pushing him to tell the complete truth. He shouldn't lie now… it was his last chance. But why had Lady Une had given him permission to come down and explain himself to the human boy was a mystery in itself. Then again, she probably knew of his relationship with Duo Maxwell and decided to pity him.
"Did something happen, Heero?" the said boy asked, unconsciously dropping the honorific.
"Aa… I've been found out." Finally lifting his head to meet the eyes of the person who he had fallen in love with, Heero walked up and took hold of the other's hands."Ne, Duo. I have to tell you something… but you probably won't believe me. Dakara…" He closed his eyes and felt his present attire melt away to his pristine white one. The guardian angel looked up to see Duo's surprised face, lit up by the faint glow his body was emanating.
"You're an… angel?" the braided teen said in awe.
"Used to be," Heero told him. "A guardian angel protecting Japan. But, I came to Earth without permission and… I have to be punished." The unruly haired boy watched the other closely. Duo seemed to be taking this rather well, which surprised him.
"You believe me?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Kind of hard not to. You sort of told me before, ne? But… what do you mean by punished?" Heero bit his lower lip. He didn't want to raise that issue yet but he was running out of time.
"Reincarnation. I will be reborn on Earth as a human. I don't know where or whom I will be reborn as and I will most likely forget everything… and everyone up to that time." Heero felt Duo grip his shoulders, fear taking over the calm expression that was on his face. This was the reaction he'd been expecting.
"What do you mean, Heero? What are you talking about?" Heero looked away, not wanting to face the truth. It only confirmed that what Duo heard wasn't his imagination. He pulled the Japanese teen into a tight embrace and before the other could react, he crushed their lips together in a desperate kiss. Mouths opened instinctively, tongues swirled together, low moans emitted from deep within. Heero's own hands grasped tightly onto Duo's clothing, holding on as if it would keep them together.
The intensity of the kiss slowly dwindled until it was a chaste touch of lips on lips. Still both Heero and Duo didn't loosen their hold on each other when they finally pulled away.
"I will find you," Duo whispered harshly. "I swear I will find you." Emotion welled up in his eyes and slid down his cheeks.
"I'm scared," Heero admitted quietly, something he would never have done in the past. But the human in his arms had changed him. He could feel tears escaping his eyes as well, but he paid them no attention. "I don't know what I will become. What if I end up loving another person?" Duo hugged the angel close and gently rubbed his back.
"If we were meant to be, you won't. I'll make you fall in love with me again.""Duo…" Heero felt his wings burst forth from his back. It was time. No… Please, not yet,he mentally pleaded, tightening his hold onto the human teen. But it was to no avail as he felt himself being lifted off the ground against his will. The angel held onto Duo for as long as he could, sliding from the other's shoulder to his arms until finally their hands separated completely.
"Heero!" Duo shouted. "I will find you!" Heero heard those words clearly. He wanted to believe them. To believe in Duo…
"Duo…"
He wanted to so much.
"Daisuki, Duo!"
"Aa!" Duo answered with a big grin. "Daisuki, Heero!" Strangely enough, Duo's positive expression lightened Heero's somber mood. All worries mysteriously disappeared with that smile and he felt that things were going to work out. After all… he had Duo's love. That was most important to him.
Heero kept his eyes on Duo's as the distance between them grew farther and farther apart. Even when he was high above the rooftops, he could still make out the motionless figure and the braid gently swaying in the wind.
[takaku donokurai tonde ittara haruka tooku no kimi ga mienaku naruno?]
(How high would I have to fly to lose sight of you into the far distance?)
Duo never tore his eyes away from the fading light. Despite the tears that had come forth earlier, he tried his hardest to not shed them again. No matter what, he wanted to assure the disappearing angel that he meant what he said.
[hitomi soraseba nakuninaruno kamo shirenai]
(If I look away, I might have to cry)
Crying was the last thing he wanted to do; he didn't want to seem like he didn't believe what he had said himself. So Duo continued to suppress the tears. Heero's light was growing tiny, almost the size of the many stars that were out that night. But still he kept his head up.
[demo itsumo dokoka de mitsumete itai]
(But I want to be always looking at you from somewhere)
"Believe in me, Heero. No matter what, I'll find you."
[wasureru koto nante deki wa shinai kara]
(Because it would be impossible to forget you)
Suddenly, the light disappeared and Duo blinked. Heero was gone. Even though the other stars were doing an admirable job mimicking the angel's light, he knew Heero was gone. The braided teen shivered. The air around him felt cold and lonely.
[nasu sube mo naku sora wo miageteru dake]
(Utterly at loss, I remain looking at the sky alone)
Heero opened his eyes and saw that he was encased in a large bubble. He immediately knew what it was despite that he had never actually seen it before. In the reincarnation process, the bubble was to erase his memories and transport his soul to Earth. It floated in front of Lady Une with him still trapped inside.
[maru de kago no naka no chiisana tori no you ni]
(It's almost as if it were like a small bird inside a cage)
[mado wo sagashite ate mo naku samayotte iru]
(searching for the window, aimlessly floating around)
He placed his hand on the seemingly fragile surface of the bubble, knowing fully well that it wouldn't pop until the reincarnation was over. But still, he wanted to know something…
"Lady Une… if you knew about my visits to Earth since the very beginning, why didn't you stop me? Why didn't you confront me then?" Then… I wouldn't have become attached to him,he thought to himself as his hand tightened into a fist.
Duo…
[imasugu ni aitai kimi ga suki dakara]
(I want to see you right now, because I love you)
"And… and why did you let me return to…"
"I have my reasons, Yuy," Lady Une said rather coldly, cutting off his question. The ex-guardian angel bowed his head in defeat as he heard her orders to begin the process. He clenched his fists tighter than before, resisting the urge to try and break free. He didn't want to forget…
[kizutsuku koto ga kowakute nigetai kedo]
(Even though I want to run away, because of my fear of being hurt)
But, somewhere deep inside of him, Heero still believed in Duo's words. One day… he would be with the braided teen again. And this time, they wouldn't be separated for they would both be human. No more hiding, no more lies.
[mienai shigaramini tsubasa torawaretemo]
(From this unseen barrier around me, even if it takes my wings away)
The unruly haired angel felt his head swim as the bubble started to erase his memories. Behind closed eyes, he felt as if he was watching a movie in fast rewind. Except that the movie was his life.
Back to when he and Mika fell during the hike… to when he first transferred into Moriyama… to when he first received notice that Duo was moving to Japan… to when he first became a guardian angel…
Then, his head slumped forward as he fell unconscious. His clothing melted away as well as his wings and he was soon reduced to a small light, floating down to Earth. And, somewhere, far away from Japan, a small child cried loudly.
[soredemo kimi wa kanashii hodo taisetsuna hito...]
(Yet you are precious to me, even enough to make me sad…)
tbc…