Disclaimers: I do not own G Gundam and/or any of its characters and/or Gundam models mentioned in my fic. However I'd greatly appreciate it if whoever owns the characters and etc. would give them to me.

Author's Note: Ooo look everybody! It's back! And longer! And has bigger words! lol. Anyway, big thank you to Jen23 for her help on this. You guys can thank her for all the extra content; it was when I was going over the errors she found in it that I started adding stuff. lol. My wrist feels a lot better now (I feel down the stairs and sprained it), and I've finally come to see how much I take being able to type for granted. lol. Moving right along, enjoy the chapter :-)

Too Much Too Little

Chapter One: Without You

Rain took an unconscious step backwards, a hand coming up to rest on her chest in a futile attempt to stop the furious beating of her heart. Her other hand held on to the molding of the living room doorway with a white-knuckled grip, her digits throbbing in pain from the sheer force she was emitting. Yet the woman felt nothing, saw nothing—felt nothing save the ache in her chest from the tight knot her heart had twisted in, and saw only the man before her who's words had caused it to occur.

Domon, she thought mournfully, opening her mouth to speak however finding that words just wouldn't come. Her mouth closed slowly, lips setting into a grim line as she regarded the man before her. His eyes, his face, his stance, his build. She knew him—knew the boy he'd been when they were both children. They'd separated only to be reunited again, and Rain had spent the past few years knowing him as an adult—as a man. Domon Kasshu… God, how did she ever get him? He was the King of Hearts—winner of both the 13th Gundam Fight and the hearts of thousands on both the earth and colonies. Impetuous and rude, guarded and insecure, he was bad for her health, yet everything Rain needed to survive. Rain cherished him, adored him—loved him with every fiber of her being and more. She gave him all she had; her heart, her body, her soul—it all belonged to him.

Domon controlled her emotions with his every action; brought out her tears or her smile, filled her with euphoria or despair. They were like pieces to a puzzle; they completed each other. What he lacked she filled in, and what she didn't have he provided in turn. He was her everything. And, after more than three years of his unwavering devotion, Rain knew that she was his everything as well.

Yet despite this, there were things that Rain just didn't understand—things that Rain never would. He was a fighter, she the pretty doctor who patched up his wounds. They were as different as could be; she soft and curvaceous while he was straight and hard; she empathetic and caring while he was indifferent and aloof. They contrasted in nearly everyway imaginable, however none of that mattered—not when it came to matters of the heart. Perhaps with another couple, however Domon and Rain loved each other too deeply, too all-consumingly, to pay heed to the differences that separated them in the eyes of the world. Her soul spoke to his as his spoke to hers; they had a language all their own, a language that no one could understand but they themselves.

It was a language that was spoken with shy smiles and blatant stares, with the holding of hands, with quiet laughter, soft caresses—with hungry kisses and impassioned cries. It was a conversation between two souls—two fates—two lives that were forever bound together.

Yet he was leaving.

It seemed that the one who oversaw the fates of the two had every intention in showing the pair how much pain was actually associated with love, and had wanted desperately to see how far it could take the two before they broke—before they could take no more and, sadly, walked away.

Time after time they were presented with challenges, and time after time they'd overcome. However overcoming was always easier said than done, and overcoming this obstacle wouldn't be easy—for either of them. For this time, they'd be apart, and they would be battling to come out on top on their own.

Rain couldn't do it.

She continued to gaze at her boyfriend of three years, her blue gaze shimmering in the dim light provided by the lamp as tears filled her eyes. Why, she kept asking herself. Why? He'd just returned only a few months before. Why did he need to leave again? Why could he just…?

Rain bit her lip to stop the sob that threatened to tear from her throat, turning her head as she adverted her gaze from the man standing before her. The words that he'd spoken to her the day he'd rescued her from the clutches of the Dark Gundam came back to her with vicious clarity, his voice echoing in her head as the scene unfolded in her mind.

"I'll never leave you lonely Rain," he had said. "I'll never break your heart. I love you so much."

The hand at Rain's chest clutched the material of her shirt tighter, her nails digging into the wood molding of the doorframe as a choked sound fell from her lips, face contorting in anguish and eyes shutting tightly as her tears began to fall.

Domon drew in a sharp breath at the sight of her tears, a sense of panic rising within him as he gazed down at the wounded woman before him. He reached out for her, his arm outstretched in the air as he reached for her tentatively. He hated to see her cry—to see her in pain. It made something constrict painfully in his chest, adding to the pain of his already aching heart. He was overwhelmed with the urge to beat whatever was causing her this pain into a bloody pulp, flinching inwardly when he realized that the person he wanted to beat was himself. The fact only served to make the pain in his chest intensify, and Domon winced as he continued to reach out to pull the woman he loved into his embrace.

His fingers ghosted over the cool skin of the hand clutched at her chest as he continued to reach for her. As if sensing his nearness, Rain shifted her eyes to look at his hand, bringing her watery gaze up to his, a hopeful light brightening them a bit as her tears continued to fall. Domon stopped at seeing her look, his body momentarily going still as indecision flashed through his eyes. Finally he came to a decision, his face muscles tightening and teeth grinding together as he forced himself to retract his hand and place it at his side. He would be… strong.

Yet what was strength? What did it mean? Especially right now, in this situation, as an ill-covered sob fell from the lips of the woman he loved; as he felt her pulling away from him, slowly yet surely drawing into herself to stop the hurt that he was causing? Strength didn't matter when it came to Rain—it didn't even exist. When it came to Rain, Domon had always been weak, indecisive. Isn't that what had gotten him into this situation in the first place? Wasn't it because he was too weak that he didn't tell her he would be leaving to train a month ago when he and the rest of the Shuffle Alliance first decided that they would? Domon scoffed at his irresolution. Not anymore though. This time—this time he would be strong.

For despite the fact that Rain was important to him, so was his title as the King of Hearts. Years ago, when Domon had first received the crest from his master, he'd promised him that he'd always train to become better—to become stronger. And it was a promise Domon intended to keep—no matter what.

The fighter's eyes darkened, his jaw setting determinedly as the conviction that he was doing the right thing filled him. It was conviction that, deep inside, left him feeling cold, however Domon shook the feeling off, trying to blank his mind of things of that sort as he took a step towards his lover. He would be strong. He had to be.

"Hey, Rain," he said, "it's not that bad." He placed a strong hand on her shoulder, gently massaging the soft flesh in his grasp.

Rain looked up at him, her eyes widening at the contact. He leveled her with a benevolent look, the corners of his lips pulling into a small smile as he stared at her. Rain gazed at the man disbelievingly, something pulsing roughly in her chest until it broke—shattered—leaving her feeling hollow and empty. The woman gasped at the throbbing pang that formed in its wake, shutting her eyes tightly as she tried to prevent the falling of more of her tears.

Domon's brows furrowed in perplexity as he stopped the movements of his hand and shot his girlfriend a quizzical look. "Rain?"

The pang in Rain's chest dulled, the agony she'd been experiencing since Domon had told her he would be leaving a few minutes before mysteriously beginning to fade with peculiar rapidity. Her tears suddenly stopped, that odd, burning sensation remaining behind her eyes as her disbelief, as well, ebbed away. For a moment, a singular sweet moment in that harsh reality, Rain felt nothing—no pain, no sorrow, no fear—nothing. She was numb, unfeeling—empty.

The emptiness, however, was soon filled, uncharacteristic indignation forming deep within the center of the nothingness. Domon's words repeated in her head, and she could feel her ire grow, spread—course through her like the blood in her veins—as she stared at the King of Hearts with unabashed anger.

"Not so bad?" she snapped, her tone sharp and unbelievably bitter. "You're telling me that you're going to be gone who-knows-where for six months and it's not that bad!"

Domon blinked incredulously. "Rain—"

"No, Domon," she interjected angrily as she shrugged off his hand. "No!"

A small gasp escaped the fighter's lips as he stared at the furious woman before him, his shock shown clearly on his features. Sure she had the right to be angry with him but this was more than anger. This was fury—rage. And mixed within it all was this bitterness. Domon wasn't used to these types of emotions—not coming from his Rain. His Rain may get angry sometimes, but it wasn't like this—never like this. Only once had she… Domon gave himself a mental shake. He wouldn't think of that time—of that day. Not now. "Rain," he whispered, taking another hesitant step towards her, mahogany gaze uncertain as he stared down into her eyes, blue orbs darkened in aversion. "What's wrong with you?"

Rain shook her head vigorously, taking a step away. What was wrong with her indeed? She didn't know why she was behaving this way. She couldn't help it. She just had this anger in her—this rage. She couldn't hold it in. It was too much to hold in. The pain, the heartache, the betrayal, the anger—there were too many emotions for Rain to deal with—too many emotions to sort through in too little amount of time. Domon was leaving, after all. And though her normal reaction may have been to cry and beg him not to, or even to nod solemnly as she tried to understand, Rain couldn't do that now—not today. The pain had been too much, too all consuming. Something within her had broken, relieving her pain and giving way to fury she had never experienced in her life. And it wouldn't go away.

"Look," Domon said as he reached for her, "I know you're angry but—"

Rain slapped his hand away. "Angry?" she reverberated. "Angry? You don't have a clue as to what I'm feeling!"

Domon frowned at her. "Rain…"

"No!" she yelled. "Don't you even dare!"

The fighter's features darkened into a telltale scowl, his hands clenching and unclenching in an unconscious effort to quell the familiar sensation growing within him. "Fine," he gritted out. "I won't touch you. But tell me, what the hell is wrong with you?"

She eyed him with heated incredulity. "What's wrong with me! You're leaving Domon—again!"

Domon's hands fisted at his sides as his eyes flashed with anger. "I'm sorry okay!" he bellowed, the incensed outcry finally breaking through the woman's fury. Rain gasped, her features momentarily coming unguarded as she automatically took a step away. Domon glared at her, proving her effort to get away pointless as he closed the gap between them with a single step.

"Look," he said, voice tight with barely contained emotion. "I love you. You know I do. But I have other obligations Rain! And I can't change them! None of us in the Shuffle Alliance can." He paused, looking at her meaningfully. "Everyone seems to understand that except you; even Nastasha doesn't have a problem with Argo leaving and she's two months pregnant!"

The angry light returned to Rain's eyes as she matched Domon's glare with one of her own. "Well I'm not Nastasha!"

"I know that!" he rejoined. "But couldn't you at least try to understand!"

"I have been trying to understand! I tried when you left the first time two years ago to go train for a month. I tried the second time when you left last year for three months to go train. But now," her voice faltered a bit, that familiar pain resurfacing and making it hard to speak. "Now you're leaving me for half a year. Domon I—I just want to be with you," she finished softly, the ache in her chest growing steadily worse. She placed her hand on her chest in futile hopes of placating it, looking away as the pain intensified beyond what she'd been experiencing before. God, she thought as tears began to brim in her eyes. Her lower lip trembled as she attempted to hold them in.

Aware of the change in her demeanor, Domon's eyes softened. He sighed. "Listen," he said softly, placing a finger under her chin and gently turning her face to his. "You know me, Rain. You know I would stay if I could. But I can't. And no matter how much it may hurt, you have to deal with that." Rain winced at the sound of his words. They were so blunt, so hard—so devoid of any emotion; exactly what she didn't need to hear. Rain jerked away from his touch, squaring her shoulders as she turned away and started for the living room stairs.

Domon released a sound akin to a growl. Infuriated, he grabbed Rain by the upper arm, turning her around and pulling her forcefully to his chest. "Don't you walk away from me," he whispered fiercely.

Rain glowered at him, not even noticing the tears leaking from her eyes until she saw Domon's gaze soften, his grip loosening as he opened his mouth to say something. Rain didn't give him the chance. Taking advantage of his loosened hold, she ripped her arm out of his grasp. "Why not?" she shot back bitterly, her heels making a soft, clicking sound as she backed away from him. "You're walking away from me, so I mind as well walk away from you, too!" And with that she turned away, racing up the living room stairs and to the bedroom she shared with the man she'd just turned away from.

Rain leaned against the door after she locked it, her breath leaving her lips in hard, labored huffs. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, thumping so hard she thought it would break. But it is going to break, she thought woefully, sliding against the side of the door and to the soft carpeted floor. …As soon as Domon leaves. She could hear fighter yelling and cursing on the floor below, however exerted herself to ignored it. Rain didn't want to hear him—to see him; she didn't want anything to do with him at the moment. Because he's leaving, she thought, her lips trembling as her heart twisted in an agonizing knot. The woman drew her knees to her chest, burying her face in her thighs as she began to sob. I hate him, she told herself, I hate that man. I hate him so much it hurts!

Domon's hand trembled as he wrote, his handwriting on the paper appearing sloppier than usual. I shouldn't be doing this, he said to himself, I should just go right up there and make her understand! He cursed under his breath. God, why was she being unreasonable? He was going to be gone six months—was that so long to wait?

She says she loved me, he thought, briefly pausing his writing as he considered the situation. But if she really means that then she'd try to understand—which she's not. She's only thinking about what she wants. His eyes flashed determinedly. Well you can't have everything you want, Rain. It's impossible. And with that, Domon signed his name to the bottom of the letter.

He looked around the kitchen, holding the note with trembling fingers as he hastily placed it on the counter. He stepped away, sighing as he grabbed his bag from where it rested on the floor. He was going to miss this kitchen. It was the place where he'd ingested nearly every meal he'd eaten over the past three years; most of which Rain had prepared herself—a fact which, a few years ago, would've made him blanch. Domon smirked a bit at the thought. She'd become quite the cook over the years and Domon wasn't afraid to admit it—though maybe in not so many words.

The kitchen was huge; the walls a mixture of pastel yellows, blues, greens and white. The cabinets were solid oak, granite countertops that had made his girlfriend squeal when she ran her fingers across them sitting atop the wood. The floor was made of solid oak as well, still shining from the waxing Domon had been giving it every month since he and the woman he loved had first moved in.

Some kind of houseplant sat on the counter, along with a large bowl of the fruit of the week: plums and bananas. Domon cringed at the thought of the latter, bananas having been a deeply hated fruit since he was a child. His mother had forced him to eat them when he was little, and Rain shoved them down his throat now. Domon smiled a bit as he looked at the pot rack hanging from the ceiling, at the different appliances around the room—half of which he didn't think Rain had ever used more than once. Cookbooks were stacked on the counter by the sink, a dish rack to the side of it and hand towels and potholders hanging from handles above it. The kitchen was, in a word, beautiful. Like one of the kitchens in some of the home improvement books Rain was always exclaiming over, a kitchen that, in his opinion, was far too big for its own good, yet one that he loved despite it.

It was like that with the whole house though. The damn thing was huge; three stories in total, if you counted the attic. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths and an assortment of other rooms that really weren't necessary. Yet what he deemed as necessary really didn't matter. The house was for Rain—was the unspoken want she'd never voiced when they'd begun their house hunting after the final incident with the Dark Gundam. Rain had been hospitalized at the time, so Domon himself had actually done all the hunting on his own. He'd asked her what she wanted, and, giving him a wan smile, she'd told him that anything was "fine." He'd scowled at her. How was he supposed to know what "fine" was?

Domon was pretty sure that he and Rain had drastically different definitions of "fine." Fine for him was a small hut in the middle of the woods. Fine for Rain was… well, the whole girl thing; the big house with the garden and stuff that all women want when they're girls. Rain had assured him that whatever he chose would be okay. She didn't mind, she said, as long as she was with him. Domon had continued to scowl at her, though his lips twitched a bit, and he couldn't help the small smile that had forced itself onto his face before he left.

In the end, Domon had decided against the small house he'd been looking at and had purchased the one the two were currently still living in—which, he swore to this day, Allenby had nothing to do with.. The expression on Rain's face when they'd stepped out the corelander had made his heart swell with pride and filled him to the brim with glee. He'd gotten his first kiss that day, though it was a bit rushed. Rain a little distracted with her want to see inside the house.

Despite the fact that, at the time, the thought of living in some big fancy house had made the fighter cringe, Domon had grown to love the home he shared with his girlfriend in the years they'd been together. Everything was so warm in their home, so friendly. It was elegant in its own way—in Rain's way. And the effort that she'd put into making sure he was comfortable had made Domon feel as if he loved her even more.

Rain took care of nearly everything around the house. She cleaned like a mad woman, and cooked him dinner every night when she returned home from work in the evening while he was still out training. She did the shopping and handled the paying of bills. And him… God, she pampered him. She treated him like a king. Yet all he did was hurt her in turn. Domon looked down at his feet.

God, he loved her so much. His heart constricted at the thought of the tears she'd shed when she finally came down from their room; when she saw the sloppily written letter he'd left on the counter. The image of her as she'd been in the living room minutes before came to him, and his heart constricted a bit more at the sight of the obvious affliction in her eyes. Maybe he could put off his departure until she…

"No," he murmured fiercely to the silence of the kitchen. No. He had to be strong. Because right now, that was what was important… right?

Something in Domon's heart told him different. He shook the feeling off, however, slinging his backpack higher on his shoulder as he made his way towards the door, his heart already aching for Rain's touch. Pathetic, he told himself jokingly. And you haven't even left yet. He threw the kitchen a rueful smile.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he grasped the knob to the side door in his hold and turned. The door opened silently, the cold January air assaulting the man as he took a final look into the kitchen. He turned away, closing his eyes and willing himself to stay focused as he closed the door. He walked over to his corelander stiffly, making a point of not looking back as he hoped into the vehicle and left.

It wasn't until late that night that Rain emerged from the room. She walked down the staircase slowly, her knees weak and head throbbing as she held onto the banister for some much needed support. She stopped in the living room, her eyes falling on to the couch where she half-expected to find Domon, the light of the television casting sporadic shadows over his face as he sat absorbed in some absurd show. And when he saw her, he'd click the television off, his eyes never leaving hers as he stalked towards her—deliberately slow—and pulled her into a burning kiss once they were face to face. And when they, finally, broke away from each other, he'd hold her tight, telling her that he was sorry, and that he'd never leave her again…

Rain sighed dejectedly at her thoughts. What good would wishful thinking do her now? Domon wouldn't ever change his mind about going off to train. Not even for her. The man was as stubborn as a bull. And when he made a promise, he kept it, even if it meant breaking another one he'd made. Rain sighed again, absently wondering when her six months without him would begin, seeing as she'd been a little too irate to ask him earlier.

The woman walked into the kitchen, flicking on the light sluggishly as she made her way over to the fridge to get something to drink. She took out a bottle of water, gulping down nearly half of it before noticing the lone piece of paper atop the counter. Rain's brows furrowed at the sight of her name written across the top of it, immediately recognizing the poor handwriting as that of her missing boyfriend. Placing the cap on her water, Rain picked up the paper and scanned over its contents quickly, all the blood having drained from her face by the time she'd finished reading.

Rain read the letter again, positive that she'd read it wrong. However none of the words changed, and its meaning rang clear in her mind. Drawing in a labored breath through her lips, Rain allowed the letter to fall from her grip, her hands trembling so badly that she could barely support its weight. She managed to make her way to one of the bar stools around the counter and sat on it. Her face fell to the counter as a new batch of tears rushed from her eyes. If she thought the ache in her chest had been bad before, it was even worse now. It was twisting, and burning, and pulling, and aching and God, it just hurt so badly. I can't believe it, she thought. He really—he already—he's gone!

On the floor lay the letter Domon had written her earlier.

Rain—

I don't want to hurt you but this is something I must do. You have to understand that. Because neither you nor I can change it the fact that I am the reigning King of Hearts. And as the King of Hearts I have obligations other than being with you. Please don't hate me. I'll be home sooner than you know it.

Domon

Rain banged her head against the counter as she continued to cry. Her tears were for more than the fact that Domon had gone and, once again, broken his promises to her, but because she didn't know how she was going to survive six long months without him.

- - - - - - -

Love is... repetition.

- - - - - - -

TBC...

Author's Note: Sooooo what do you guys think? Was it better--worse? Comments are deeply appreciated, and constructive critisism is always welcome. You can say "this sucks" and I'll love you, granted that you tell me the reason why. lol. Anyway, seeing as no one can deny that I've been updating my G Gundam fics like mad, you guys won't hear from me until sometime in August. I have to start working on my YYH fics again. It's getting ridiculous...

Anyway, thanks for reading!