Forbidden (1/1)
by Anne Olsen
Ratings/warnings: OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – AU, Drabble.
Author's notes: Written for the LJ drabble challenge. Line: "Wouldn't you rather be complete than simply content?" Word count: 656
Pairing: 132, implied 23
Summary: Not every ghost is dead and gone, and sometimes it takes a visit from a different sort of observer to offer up a clear perspective.
Archive:
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the characters in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction.
Thanks to: Misanagi and Shadow for beta reading
For: Zalia
Comments to: anneo
"Who's there?" Duo swung around, the kitchen knife clasped firmly in his hands. This place was beginning to freak him out. Not for the first time, he doubted his decision to move in. But cheap board and lodgings had been too much of a temptation, especially as the old house was situated close to the university.
He loved old houses, and had fallen for this one at first sight. Large bay windows allowed the sun to soak the front rooms during the day, and the wood-burner in the living room kept the chill off at night.
It was autumn now, leaves falling to create a myriad pattern of colour across the back lawn. Duo spent much of his evenings sketching; he was an art student and the red, brown and green hues provided him with a wonderful natural canvas on which to base his work.
Once or twice he had caught a glimpse of auburn out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned it was gone.
Shrugging, he shifted his attention back to the half-prepared stew. "Maxwell," he muttered. "You are seriously losing it, buddy."
"Losing it?" The voice came from behind him. "You look perfectly all right from my perspective." Duo turned to see a man leaning against the counter. He was dressed in old-fashioned clothing and seemed very relaxed, almost as though he owned the place.
"Who the hell are you, and how did you get in my house?"
"Treize Krushenada at your service." The man gave a bow, and Duo realised that he could see the yellow and orange pattern of the counter top through him. "And I assure you that I was here first. It is…" Treize looked somewhat sheepish. "Was my house, and I do believe that you have no right to state such a claim."
"Yeah? I'm living here at present, so that makes it mine for the time being," Duo snapped back, determined not to argue semantics with a ghost. "How long have you been watching me? And if you're going to make a habit of it, I can always call in an exorcist."
"If only it was that simple," Treize replied, a hint of sadness and regret in his voice. "We all make mistakes in life, Duo. Fixing them is never as easy as it should be."
"Right." Duo put the knife on the counter. It seemed redundant to be threatening someone who was already dead so he settled for crossing his arms over his chest instead. "Is there a point to this haunting or is this just a social visit?" He had always been one for hiding his true feelings and fears under a façade of joking and disinterest.
"There's always a point to everything," Treize smiled at him, and Duo noticed how good- looking the man was. His voice was a cultured rich timbre and his eyes a clear blue. "Why pretend to be something you're not? Just because something is forbidden doesn't make it wrong."
"Forbidden?" Duo bit off a rather rude expletive. He blushed, wondering if Treize knew what he had been thinking. It was becoming difficult to hide his sexual preferences from his friends, especially since Trowa had joined their study group. Duo had always had a thing for tall red-heads, but he was scared of losing a person for whom he cared for deeply if he admitted how he felt.
"Wouldn't you rather be complete than simply content?" Treize held up his hands, stared at them, and frowned. He was fading. "Don't give up potential love and just settle for friendship when you could have so much more, Duo."
"That's none of …" The last study session had been held here. What had Treize seen?
"Be complete," Treize urged. "Regret can be eternal."
His last words echoed, a whisper on a lost wind, as he faded into nothingness.
Duo stared for a moment and then reached for the phone.
Fin