Four years have passed, and life hasn't gotten any easier, but that was to be expected. He knew that Yzak was still dealing with his feelings, the ones he showed no one but him. It was a difficult thing for Yzak to get over, loving someone that he knew for so long, a male friend at that. Dearka would give his silver haired friend anything to make him happy or comfortable, but changing the way Yzak was, was something he knew he could not do.

For the first two years of their relationship, he hadn't been worried at all, taking life as it came at him. He believed that everything was alright, that Yzak was happy, being at his side and sharing everything with one another. But the signs slowly revealed themselves to Dearka, as much as Yzak tried to suppress them, to hide them from the surface like a dreadful sin.

Dearka, as his usual self, feigned ignorance, as if this matter had not shown itself, that it would disappear. But it grew steadily; Yzak began to become distant from him, slowly drifting. Dearka knew that Yzak needed time to cope with this knew lifestyle, being loved by someone. The boys' parents never gave him the attention he deserved as a child, leaving him alone, neglected of wanting to be held by someone. Yzak had learned to grow up alone.

Being alone meant loving no one, trusting no one. It became simple for Yzak to live this way, depending on only himself, not letting any one take care of him. It had taken him nearly five months to trust Dearka, Athrun and Nicol into his life; shortly after meeting them he began to open up, barely showing him his true self.

After a year of meeting each other, they began telling each other everything, their little hobbies, their family life, their adventures as children, just like best friends did. But even in this, Yzak barely participated, only giving sparse details, enough to satisfy their new bound friendship.

Dearka never pushed Yzak, knowing that the boys' temper would step in and hurt someone. So he left it alone, leaving Yzak to do as he pleased. But casually that brick wall began to crumble before Dearkas' eyes. He saw the boys' emotions run across those stern blue eyes, telling him things he never knew before, how the boy silently…in secret…loved him. It was then that their relationship grew beyond friends.

His life had changed drastically. Yzak began to open up more, little by little, day by day. He began to learn the habits Yzak had picked up, his likes and dislikes of different things. He learned intimate things about the silver haired male, where his sensitive spots where emotionally, where not to go in an argument. He knew the most delicious parts of the boy, those small spots on his body that would make Yzak cry out in pleasure that would make him moan with the smallest of touches. He learned that behind Yzaks' ear was a spot that craved attention. When his tongue would flicker across it, Yzaks' body would arc up against his, the boys' mouth parted, his eyes half closed in lust.

These things Dearka knew all to well. He witnessed them each day, and learned more as time went on. He didn't begin to notice the faults, the negatives of Yzaks' behavior until less than two years ago. Yzak was in love with him, but yet…he knew there was something else that needed to be settled, something deep…something personal.

Dearka had yet to figure it out….only having slight hints as to what it was. He had a few guesses, if he tried to help….if he guessed wrong, would he lose him? Lose the one person he treasured so much? His special one, could he afford to risk that loss?

"What should I do?" Dearka wondered, looking out his bedroom window, watching as rain poured heavily against it. "I don't want to lose you…Yzak."

"Watch out!" The yell came from his side.

On reflex alone, he dodged to the side as a foot ball hurled to the spot he had just occupied. It hit the dirt and bounced off to the side, stopping at his feet seconds later. Bending down, Dearka picked it up, looking at the culprit who had sent it his way.

"Sorry about that, Dearka, but I needed to get your attention. You've been out of it all day. Is there something wrong?" His next closest friend, Athrun Zala asked, rather worried. The blue haired teen was a year younger than him; in grade 9 joined by Nicol, two years younger then Dearka but was accepted to the next grade because of his extreme intelligence.

"I was just…"

"Thinking. We can tell that, you've had that look before." Nicol finished as he appeared at Athruns' side. "Want to talk?" He offered, his smile as sweet as ever.

Dearka nodded allowing the two males to lead him off to a nearby picnic table which they promptly sat themselves on. It was quiet for a moment before Athrun spoke.

"Is it about Yzak?" He was playing with a loose piece of wood on the table, his eyes staring at nothing but looked as if he was sure that he was right. And he was.

"He's acting…different, more distant then usual. I don't know what to do." Dearka grumbled as wind blew around them, keeping them cool on such a day filled with sun and blue skies.

Nicol nodded, running his slender fingers through his emerald green hair. It had grown a bit over the summer, the length reaching too just meet his shoulders, his bangs never grew though, surprisingly. "His family."

"What?" Dearka and Athrun both turned two face the younger. They weren't sure what he was talking about, but it seemed that Nicol knew something that they didn't. The boy seemed to squirm under their gazes, telling them that Yzak had personally told him.

"I…I…" Nicol stammered.

"You aren't allowed to tell are you?" Dearka asked. Nicol nodded.

"But you're going to anyway right?" Athrun concluded. Once again, Nicol nodded. He couldn't hold this all to himself, it hurt too much to let Yzak suffer alone, not trust his closest friends, his lover too.

"They…beat him each month, once or twice. A punishment for a sin, being with you they believe has robbed them of the Yzak they know, the cold, heartless Yzak that is meant for a war that they believe will come." Nicol began, his eyes looking everywhere but at his two companions. "They tell him things…things that Yzak doesn't wish to hear."

They were silent for awhile, taking all this in. Dearka had been right to guess that family could be involved in influencing Yzak, that they had great impact on his life. The boy seemed to be staying home more and more, as if he was hiding something. This was it, the beatings, the harassment from his own parents.

"I'll save him. I'll make him his own person, not letting him be ruled by anyone or being judged for being his own self." Dearka growled, flame within him burning once more.

"We'll help as we can."

Yzak felt his back sting with pain as the water flowed across his body, sliding over each slender curve of his lithe body. He hissed, clenching his fists tight to hold back a scream he would never allow his parents to hear.

"Damn them." Yzak growled. He felt tears spring to his eyes in frustration. Why? Why can't I do this? Why won't they believe what I say? I love him! Damn it! I love him and they won't believe I can. I have a heart! I am myself!

Yzaks' fist came to the wall, back then to it again, repeatedly over and over. He knew a bruise would form, but he no longer cared about it. He wanted to get out. He had to! He needed to leave this place before they got to his head and made him doubt everything he had learned too trust in the last six years!

"I won't let you get away with this." He grumbled as he turned off the shower and dried off. Stepping into his clothes he went to his room and shoved most of his prized possessions into two bags, sliding a gun under his belt. Quietly, he slipped downstairs, sure to not wake his sleeping parents. He should have done this before all this happened, before his parents changed.

Walking down the street, thoughts flooded into his mind. Maybe they hadn't changed; maybe it was him, his heart changing on him. NO! He wouldn't let that happen. He loved someone, someone who loved him back. A person who would cherish him, and hold him whenever he needed them. Dearka knew him.

"I won't lose you!" Yzak screamed, as tears began to spill down his pale cheeks, blurring his vision. "I won't…I won't let that…happen…" Yzak whispered as the world began to spin around him, rain beginning to pour over him, as the ground met his body. Everything went pitch, leaving him unconscious on the sidewalk.

"Nnnnh." Yzak groaned as his eyes fluttered open, his hand rising to his forehead to brush away his bangs. He realized then, he wasn't home, nor was he on the streets.

"Are you alright now?" A soft, male voice asked kindly. A face of a teen around his age came into view, their expression soft. "I found you in a faint on the sidewalk near by. I brought you here to my apartment." He explained.

Yzak carefully, as not to make himself dizzy, sat up, leaving the blankets over his legs. He had been changed into dry clothes consisting of a gray t-shirt and black pants. His eyes moved to meet with the other, blue meeting violet.

"Thank you. My name is Yzak Jule, I'll repay you somehow, but I need a favor of you." Yzak said, he felt rather shy…no shy wasn't the word but ashamed to be asking this of someone he didn't really even know.

"Sure thing, Yzak. My name, by the way, is Kira Yamato and it's a pleasure to meet you." Kira said happily, his eyes sparkling. It was easily to tell this person was a kind and gentle individual.

"I would…I would like to stay with you, at least for now." He requested, waiting for the answer that he believed would be no. He hadn't much hope, he need a place to recuperate before he could face Dearka. He disliked having to rely on someone else, not being able to take care of himself on his own, but for Dearka, he would try.

"Oh. Of course you can." Kira sounded bubbly as he hopped to his feet bouncing on the spot. "You see, I just moved to PLANT so I need someone to show me around. You can do that? I am also looking for someone by the name of Athrun Zala."

"I know him." Yzak gasped, shocked to hear his friends' name spoken by a complete…well almost complete…stranger. "I can help you."

"An even trade." Kira smiled. "Now, let's get you something to eat, and we can talk more."

"It's been four days since he's gone missing." Athrun sighed as he sat down at the kitchen table beside Dearka. They had had a sleep over that night to discuss what they would do next.

They had already talked to Yzaks' parents, which had been nothing short to pleasant. All three boys had been ecstatic to leave the house after their chat. Threatening an adult was not something that they were used to doing, let alone the accused being two parents of their best friend. They had convinced the Jules' to leave Yzaks' life to his own choosing and that if they hurt Yzak once more, they would report them to the authorities. At once they agreed and the boys knew they would stick to their word.

"His parents' don't even know where he's gone to." Nicol muttered as he poked his cereal with his spoon. "His clothes and possessions that he could carry were all gone."

Dearka sat silent as his two companions discussed Yzak, as his mind was filled with no one else. Yzak, Yzak, Yzak. He couldn't get his cold hearted lover out of his head. It had come as a great shock when he had found that Yzak had went MIA. But there was nothing that he could do. They had searched everywhere it seemed, but nothing came up as a result of their search.

"Should we search again?" Nicol asked, but he knew that even if they did, what were the chances of them being successful?

"It doesn't hurt to try." Dearka managed to say before his phone rang. Standing up he reached over the tables and picked it up. Click. "Hello?"

"I'm glad you answered. Are you alright?" Yzak asked.

Dearka gapped for a moment before his mind could register a proper response. "I'm…I'm doing fine." He took a deep breath. "Yzak, where are you!"

"Yzak?" Athrun and Nicol turned, rushed to Dearkas' side, wanting to hear as much as they could.

"If dealt with everything, my parents, you helped too I found. I also am no longer living with them." Yzak said calmly. "My stuff has been moved to where I am now."

"Where are you?" Dearka asked; worry clear in his deep voice. It felt like an eternity when he had last seen or heard from his lover, each moment sending pain rocketing through his heart. How he longed to see those intense blue eyes, feel those slender fingers and watch his silver hair blow in the wind softly. He missed these things greatly, but mostly just Yzaks' presence comforted him.

"Come visit me, Dearka, I'll be waiting for you." Yzak said softly. "We can talk once more….Talk about our future…our life….what we'll do and where we will live."

"Yzak." Dearka whispered, wanting to reach out to his special one and hold him against him, feeling their bodies become one.

"Bring Athrun with you, Nicol too, if you wish." Yzak added, before his voice became distant. "I'll always wait for you, you know. You…You're the one."

He gave the address then with a click, he was disconnected from them.

"We'll make this work, all of us." Dearka whispered after relaying his conversation to the two beside him. "Let's go."

When people know everything, they would know when the world ends. They would know the limits of one's strength. They would know that someday, they would awaken from their dreams. Yzak knew he had awaken, that he would surpass something…anything that held him from his desire…his special person…the one closest to his heart…he would do anything for….he would surpass this waterfall.

Kira smiled as he watched their reunion, knowing his was about to begin, knowing his life would be full once more. His eyes met Athruns' for the first time in so many years…and he smiled at Athrun. He understood, at that time….only him. "This is something we will choose, our path…until that day…Welcome."

THE END.

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