I wanna dedicate this chapter to Helen, who always made me smile while reading her feedback on the story. You've been a great support, and for that I thank you.
Also a BIIIIIIIIG thank you to all of you who supported me during my little, erm, 1x2ml crisis, and encouraged me to keep writing this story. I hope it was worth it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! *cough!* corny! *cough!*
^__^;;;
Crying to the Walls Epilogue
BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP! BI---
BAM!
The alarm clock crashed down to the carpeted floor, and an annoyed moan was heard in the small bedroom. Early rays of pale morning sunshine filtered in through thick drapes, casting their warmth on the occupied bed. A figure stirred slightly on the bed, sheets rustling and a thin blanket getting tangled around long limbs.
Silence returned into the room, as the figure on the bed retreated back into the realm of slumber.
BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP! BIP!
A head peeked up from the mountain of covers, messy chestnut hair all over.
Sighing heavily, Duo turned off the alarm clock.
He sat up, yawning silently as he stretched. He rubbed his eyes, glaring at the clock through messy bangs of hair. The red digits flashed six thirty AM, and Duo hurried to turn the clock so it was facing the other way.
It was too damn early in the morning.
Sheets moved, rustling, and Duo could feel the blanket being tugged to the side.
"You haffta… get... up..." A sleepy voice whispered.
Duo smiled as he watched his lover snuggle deeper into the warm covers, nearly hugging his cushion.
"I'm up." He answered, bending down to kiss his lover on the cheek. "Good morning, koi."
"Mummm…" The other boy mumbled, already back to sleep.
Chuckling to himself, Duo tousled his lover's hair softly. He bent down and gave Heero another kiss. "Sleep well." He whispered, and then jumped out of bed.
He made his way silently through the bedroom, shaking his head as he saw Heero's uniforms sprawled carelessly on the floor. He picked them up and threw them to the laundry basket on the way to the shower.
* * *
He cursed the Earth for moving so damn fast when he was out of the shower and saw that he had less than half an hour to get ready. That meant no time to dry his hair. He hurried back into the bedroom, a towel around his waist, his hair dripping all over the carpet. On the bed, Heero was still sleeping, snuggled deep within the covers, his back facing Duo.
The young man pouted, as he could not see his lover's face. He stood in front of the mirror, which reflected the large bed, brushing his wet hair. It was longer now. It reached all the way down to his shoulders. It was too short for his liking, but he had gotten used to it.
He had gotten used to a lot of things. A lot of things changed in the last year. The apartment was changed. Their lives were changed. They were changed.
Their bedroom, it was different now. The whole apartment was. They moved in to a different one, in the other side of town. They just couldn't move on otherwise. The memories were too much. In the first few weeks after Johnson's death, Heero didn't not agree to sleep in their bed. He refused to even look at it. He slept on couch, not letting Duo anywhere near him. He would flinch or even panic at the slightest touch. He refused any kind of intimate contact, which frustrated Duo to no end. All he wanted was to comfort the boy, to help and to soothe him. Maybe find a little comfort himself. But Heero would have none of that.
The first weeks were really rough. After the initial shock cleared, Heero began realizing what he had been through. It was a drastic change, for one day, still in the hospital; he was smiling when Duo read him a book, and the next moment, the smile slowly faded and tears filled his eyes. Realization hit him hard, and Heero slipped into a deep state of depression. Duo was soon to follow. It took all he had in him to keep strong and not slip into the webs of melancholy. He had to be strong. He had to be strong for Heero.
So the first thing they did, was to move out of their old apartment. They found themselves a nice apartment complex in the city center's outskirts, bordering on the suburbs. Sure, it meant a longer ride to work and a car that needed to be bought, but it was worth it. Green parks surrounded the building and since their apartment was on the top floor, they had a huge balcony that oversaw the artificial lake a few blocks away. The house was always lighted with golden sunshine; the beige walls and cream-colored furniture adding a bright and warm look to the place. It wasn't too posh, but it was nice. Adding to that a few green plants Duo bought, the apartment was a nice and bright contrast to their shabby old place.
The calming environment, and the change in geography, combined with the time off Une gave them, did some good. They busied themselves with painting and fixing up the apartment. They worked in silence, barely any words passing between them. It was a pleasant silence; there was no room for words at that time. It hurt too much to talk and remember, so they drowned themselves in this comforting and thick silence.
At day, they worked silently, and as evening fell, they sat together, holding each other in a warm embrace. Duo would go into the kitchen to make them some dinner, and sometimes Heero helped. When he was in the mood, the Japanese boy fixed dinner on his own, and sometimes they ordered takeout. And through all that, not a word passed between them.
After a few more weeks, the heavy ambiance lifted. They were more comfortable around each other. Heero had no problem sleeping in bed with Duo anymore. He just crawled into the bed one night, snuggling into Duo's warm body. He didn't say a word, and neither did Duo. He just wrapped his arms around his love, and went back to sleep.
Duo went back to work after a month of absence, and Heero soon followed. They sunk back into routine, and the only words that passed between them were shallow and insignificant. They spoke about the weather, the news, sports, work, but nothing deeper and profound.
But the silence was slowly killing them. One night, Duo could take it no more. He had to get it out, and he had to get Heero to do the same. There was no verbal confrontation. He did not shout and he did not force Heero to do anything.
He made love to him. Soft, gentle and tender. He poured it all, the love, the care, the longing, the sadness and despair into that single joining. There were no words or wild sounds of pleasure. No forceful movements and no search for sexual satisfaction. Just their two souls, struggling to reach out to one another. Their bodies moved slowly, gently, breathing in, breathing out. There was no sound, just their bodies, moving up and down against each other, fairytale moonlight dancing across their sweat tingling skin. Shallow gasps in the dark, a racing within their hearts. And then a whisper, so soft and desperate, barely heard after the white rush of pleasure ran within their bodies.
"I love you..."
Duo smiled to himself, looking at Heero's reflection in the mirror.
Things had changed from that day on. They started to get better.
He ran a hand through his hair, collecting the shoulder-length silk into a short ponytail. He then gave his hair a finale wring, smiling to the mirror as he saw Heero stir on the bed. Getting dressed quickly, he fixed his tie, straightened his uniforms and made a quick dash into the kitchen.
He turned on the radio and opened the drapes in the living room, letting the soft sunshine pour in. He opened the large balcony doors, and breathed in the sweet autumn air, inhaling the fresh air into his lungs. He smiled to himself, content, and then bent down to the planter resting on the windowsill. The window box was full of lush white and red roses, dew sparkling under the pale sunshine.
Smiling to himself, Duo picked up one white rose and made his way to the kitchen.
Roses. It was Shelly's idea, and Duo had thought it silly at the time. But he went along with it anyway, and soon every window in the apartment was decorated with window boxes full of flower. He didn't know why he liked it so much. It was another change. But there was just something about watching those delicate and beautiful flowers grow, see them as they open up to the morning sun, and fall asleep like small babies when it set. He was very proud of his collection of flowers. He would get this stupid grin on whenever a new one blossomed. And then he would catch that little smile playing on Heero's lips as he watched him fuss over the little bud, and the task was even more worthwhile.
Duo sighed, making himself some coffee.
Of course, Heero wouldn't smile a lot. It was so rare when he caught one of his precious smiles. He used to smile and sometimes even laugh, up until a year ago. That's another thing that change.
Heero wasn't always gloomy; he was out of his depression and was making much progress. But sometimes, it just suddenly came. They would be walking hand in hand in the park, or doing their weekly shopping, when suddenly Heero would stop, his expression turning forlorn. Pain would sneak into his dark blue eyes, his face paler and numb. His hand would drop from Duo's grip, and the longhaired boy would know that something was wrong. It would take something outrageous and desperate to snap the boy out of it, to force him to keep his mind off the memories. One time, he even had to slap Heero, for the boy began making a scene at work, becoming hysteric all of a sudden. But most of the time, all it took was a soft hand and a soothing voice to bring Heero back. The boy would then mumble a soft apology, saying he was tired and wanted to go to bed.
It was so hard to live with Heero like that, but he pulled through. All for the sake of their love. As time went by, those incidents lessened, but the memories were always there. Duo had worked hard to keep them both from falling apart, to win Heero's trust and mend all that was torn and shattered. Slowly, but surely, their lives came back to normal, and Duo thanked God for every time he caught Heero smiling, or sensed that he was enjoying himself. But he didn't say 'I love you' anymore. And it hurt. It hurt so much… to yearn for those words… to know that the love was there, but never hear it… never be sure of it…
There were no more 'I love you's.
Duo opened the fridge, and reached for the carton of milk. He frowned as he picked it up. He shook it a little, and then finally cursed as he saw it was empty. "Damn it. No milk." He muttered, throwing the empty cartoon aside. He looked down at his wristwatch and cursed. "Damn it…"
He hurried to take a pen from the phone hanging on the wall by the fridge and then scrambled 'MILK', with large and sloppy letters, on a note hanging on the refrigerator. It was a shopping list, written in both his and Heero's handwriting.
Duo snatched the list off the fridge and shoved it into his Preventer's jacket. "God damn it… I'll be late..." He muttered again, opening the fridge and looking for something to drink. His eyes lit when he spotted a bottle of orange juice. He reached to take it.
"WOOF!"
Duo flinched, nearly dropping the bottle.
"WOOF!"
"Dammit Alice- be quiet!" Duo whispered harshly.
Walking in through the balcony doors came a lovely, golden-brown and white, Welsh corgi dog (1). She waddled lazily towards the kitchen; tail waggling up in the air.
Duo rolled his eyes. "What the hell are you so happy about, fur-ball? There's no milk! Because of you, I have no coffee!" He showed her his bottle of orange juice. "See? I have to drink THIS now!"
"WOOF!"
"Chk!" Duo snorted, shaking his head as the small dog kept looking up at him, her tongue out and her tail still swinging up in the air. "Stinky-spoiled-fat-hair-molting dog... he spoils you too much!" He muttered quietly, bending down to one of the cupboards, reaching for the dog food. "We have more doggy treats than nachos!" He complained as he gave Alice her meal. "And no milk!" He reminded her as she ate, turning to sip on his orange juice. He picked up his toast from the toaster and nibbled at it absent mindedly, leaning against the refrigerator, and looking at the dog in thought.
Another thing that changed. They were lying cuddled on the sofa, watching some late Friday night movie, when suddenly Heero stated that he wanted a dog. It came as a quite a shock to Duo. He hadn't thought that Heero would want a pet. It seemed so strange… and he was scared for some odd reason. Like Heero said he wanted to adopt a child and not a pet. It was a big step for them, he thought, and he asked Heero why the sudden request.
Heero just shrugged and said that he wanted one. That was enough for Duo. The next day, they went to buy a dog. But Heero didn't want to buy one; he wanted one from the animal shelter. Baffled, Duo did nothing but to obey his request. And so Alice became a part of their little home.
She wasn't a bad dog; she was well behaved, and very sweet. She was fun to play with, and gave a lot of love and affection. She also demanded a lot of attention. Since Heero and he had to work most of the day, she was alone in the balcony, and when they came back home, she didn't give them a rest. It bothered Duo, for when all he wanted was to be with Heero, the boy was giving all of his attention to the damn dog.
He was exaggerating, he knew that. After all, he enjoyed both Alice and Heero's company. He loved it when they went out to walk the dog, talking about their day and holding hands as Alice bounced happily around their feet. He loved it when on Sundays they went to the beach, or a forest or a park and Heero would sometimes laugh as he played with Alice, running along the sands or playing catch on grassy planes. It was very endearing, and Duo could sit there for hours, just watching his love.
Alice was a good friend to both of them, and she was a great aid in Heero's recovering. When Duo had to work late, or sometimes be out of town for a few days, Heero's eyes would always shimmer in a silent fear of desertion. But the boy would say nothing and kiss Duo goodbye, wishing him a good trip. Alice would then pop from behind Heero's feet, barking her goodbye and wagging her tail. Duo would smile then, ruffling her furry head and telling her to take care of Heero. He promised his lover to be back soon, and only walk away when Heero was convinced of that. When he came back, late at night, tired and mentally drained, his heart would lighten when he entered the bedroom and saw Alice lying next to Heero on the large bed, Heero's hand wrapped tightly around her. She would keep Heero company and ease his fears, distracting the boy from his worries. And although Duo wasn't all too thrilled to find hairs on his bed the next morning, he was grateful of the dog's love to Heero.
Suddenly, Duo gulped, nearly choking on his toast. The flashing of the clock display on the microwave caught his eye, and he cursed when he realized the time. "Damn it! I'll be late!" He cursed again, putting the toast in his mouth and running out of the kitchen. He was in such a hurry, that he bumped into the kitchen table, causing a few pens and a newspaper to fall down. He quickly grabbed his rose, which was resting on a shelf by the door, and ran towards the bedroom, the toast still in his mouth.
In the kitchen, Alice tilted her head in somewhat bafflement, and then looked down at the papers Duo dropped. She ran her nose over them, sniffing over the headline that said- 'THE NEW PREVENTER HEADQUARTERS WILL BE INTAUGURATED TODAY!'
She left the paper after a while, bored with it, and went over to the garbage-can to sniff at the empty carton of milk.
* * *
Still in a rush, Duo ran into the bedroom, toast in his mouth and a rose in his hand. He ran over to his small desk, opening the drawers in a hurry, rummaging frantically through their contents.
Alice came to stand in the bedroom doorway, looking up at him with large and curious black eyes.
"C'mon… c'mon... c'mon…" Duo whispered anxiously, mouth full with toast, still searching. Finally, he picked up a small letter in an envelope, waving it victoriously in the air. He hurried over to the bed, taking the piece of toast out of his mouth. He looked down at Heero's sleeping form, a smile touching his lips.
He leaned down towards his sleeping beauty, leaning on the bed to keep his balance. He kissed Heero's sweet hair, nuzzling his nose in the soft silken stands. "Love you." He whispered, and then slowly retreated. He placed the letter and the rose on his own pillow. He just stood there for a while, looking down at his love, his eyes shimmering with an unknown gleam.
Finally, he took a deep, long, breath, and turned away. He walked slowly out of the bedroom, and reached to close the door.
"WOOF!" Alice barked, wagging her tail from side to side, looking up at Duo with her all-knowing eyes. "WOOF!"
"Shut up fur-ball! You'll wake Heero up!" Duo reproached, looking down at her angrily.
"WOOF!" The dog insisted, looking up at Duo's somewhat sad eyes.
"Heero worked until late last night! You better NOT wake him up!"
"Owooo... woo…" The dog whined, sitting down in front of Duo.
"WHAT?!" Duo demanded, planting two hands on his hips.
Alice just kept whining.
"Dunn hassle… dog..." A sleepy mumble was heard form the bedroom, and Duo looked up, only to see Heero turning in bed, hands nearly crushing the letter and the rose. But he was still sleeping deeply.
Duo sighed in relief. He turned down to glare at the dog. "Bitch."
"WOOF!"
"CHK!" He looked up again, at the bed, studying the way Heero's limp fingers lay sprawled over the white cushion, so long and delicate looking… His eyes filled with that saddened gleam again, and he looked away, staring numbly at the dog.
The two just looked at each other for a while, Alice sitting down on the floor, looking up at him sadly. Tears filled Duo's eyes and he closed them slowly, looking away. "Things sure have changed…" He whispered sadly.
Alice bent her ears sadly, looking compassionately at him.
Sighing deeply, Duo opened his eyes and prepared to walk away. "I'll be late."
The door closed behind him, and Alice kept sitting in the middle of the hallway, her ears downcast and her eyes shimmering. She wept sadly, looking at the door and then at the bedroom. She carefully walked into the bedroom and settled by the large bed, this time, unlike many others, laying at the foot of the bed, on Duo's side. She buried her head in her small palms, looking up sadly at her sleeping owner.
Heero kept sleeping peacefully, oblivious to everything, as his hand lay limply by the letter, fingers brushing against a single white rose.
* * *
"Thanks for getting back to us. You're listening to Tracy and Matt's breakfast club, and we got an interesting story for you this morning." The man on the radio spoke up cheerfully, and Duo rolled his eyes.
"You know, there's the inauguration of the new Preventers HQ today." The man continued on cheerfully, oblivious to Duo's temper.
"Oh really?" A female voice answered.
"Yeah, there's gonna be a big party and everything!"
He looked up at the green traffic light, and then glared down at the car in front of him.
"It ain't gonna get any greener!" He yelled, fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel.
The car slowly began to move forward.
"Finally!"
"Yeah? That's great! We're finally gonna see what's inside that tall building that popped in the middle of town!" The female voice answered in amusement.
"You know I heard that Relena Peacecraft is gonna be there." The man spoke in somewhat excitement.
Duo rolled his eyes.
"Oh, you must be happy!" The woman laughed. "Why won't you tell our listeners about you little 'Peacecraft collection'?"
"I have no such thing!" The man protested.
"Right." Duo snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked up at the traffic jam ahead, and shook his head sadly. "I'm gonna be late…"
"You know, she's brining her boyfriend." The woman pointed out.
"Is not! Where did you hear such thing?"
"It's been all over the tabloids."
"It's so like you to be reading those things. I'll have you know that Relena Peacecraft, is one intelligent and sophisticated young woman, who will NOT be dating those people who appear on your tabloids."
"Admit it, you're jealous!" The woman laughed on.
"Am not!"
"Yeah. Right."
"I will just point out that--"
Duo switched the station brutally and glared at the traffic. He looked up at the tall buildings towering up ahead; the tallest of them was his destination. The new Preventers HQ was just fifteen minutes away, and he was stuck in traffic!
"Damn it! I'm late!"
The radio kept chatting on.
"So a lot of VIPs are coming to the Preventers inauguration today, and we're gonna be there live, along with our fellow TV newsmen, to bring you full converge of this event…"
* * *
Alice's ears perked up, and she slowly raised her head, looking up at the bed. She spotted the sheets move, and heard a small moan, so she jumped up to her feet, her tail already swinging.
On the bed, Heero stirred slowly, cobalt eyes fluttering open. He looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds, clearing his sleepy mind.
"Woof!" A cheerful bark was heard, and Heero could feel the bed move as Alice jumped up to greet him with the morning licking. He chuckled, pushing the dog away gently. "Alice… not now… aewww… you just ate!" He looked up at her, eyes sparkling with laughter as he petted her head.
"Woof!" The dog called happily, tail moving from side to side.
"Yeah, good morning to you too." Heero answered, turning to look at the clock on Duo's nightstand. He frowned when he saw it was facing the other way. Rolling his eyes, Heero sat up. He stretched a little, and felt the bed shift again as Alice lay down, watching him curiously.
"I'm not THAT interesting." He informed her with a slight smile.
"Woof!"
Heero chuckled. "You missed me?"
The tail kept swinging happily.
"Yeah, I had to work late last night. Security preparations for today. Une had us busting our asses in the office." He told the dog casually, stroking her fury body as he spoke. "At least the computer system was friendly." He added with a small chuckle. "But I miss Shelly handling it. Sarah is not as good, ya know?"
"Wooo…"
"You miss Shelly too?" He asked as the dog's ears suddenly bent down. "She'll be back from the Preventer academy soon." He promised, tapping lightly on Alice's head. "She said she bought you a present."
"Woof!" The dog called in excitement, jumping up to her feet and charging at Heero with licks and nuzzling.
The Japanese boy's rich laughter filled the room as he tried to push the dog away, but Alice kept playing games. "Hey! C'mon... that's enough for now…" He called, breathless from the pet's smothering him. "Alice… c'mon…" He called as he fell back into the bed, crashing onto Duo's pillow.
He frowned as he felt he hit something other than the cushion. Sitting up, he turned to see what it was. He smiled when he saw a single white rose, and a small envelop.
"Oh, Duo…" He sighed as he picked it up, brining the rose up to his face so he can smell it's sweet scent.
Alice suddenly went quiet, her demeanor sad again. She threw herself down at the bed, staring up sadly at Heero.
"It's from Duo." The Japanese boy explained excitedly as he opened his letter. "Another one of his silly games, I guess." He smiled, pulling the letter out of the envelope. "Remember last time?" He told Alice, still smiling. "When he had the tub filled with chocolate? That was sweet…" His face blushed slightly at the memory. "You wanna place bets on what is it this time?"
Alice remained silent, but Heero ignored her unusual behavior.
He unfolded the letter, face beaming as he hurried to read it.
The joyous light in his eyes slowly faded, and the smile slowly disappeared.
His hand began to shake as he continued reading, his lower lip trembling. He brought a shaking hand up to his mouth, covering it, while his eyes widened in pain and shock.
Alice whimpered sadly, burying her face in the covers.
Heero's eyes welled up with tears, and he brought two hands to cover his mouth in shock.
The letter fell slowly down to the bed.
A salty drop fell down onto the cream-colored paper, and soon more followed.
Alice looked up again, and watched her owner as he slowly reached back to the letter, picking it up with trembling fingers.
His tearful blue eyes scanned the last few lines, and then suddenly widened.
"Oh God!" He called, dropping the letter again.
Alice looked up in bafflement as the Japanese boy threw the covers aside and jumped out of bed.
"Duo!"
* * *
"So standing here in front of the new building, I can see many of the VIPs gathering around. The Vice Foreign Minister is said to be a bit late, and so are a few other people, but all in all we can see a very cheerful atmosphere here today." The reporter spoke into his microphone, looking up at the TV camera pointed at him.
"Yes, Isaac, certainly something we don't' get to see often nowadays." The answer came from the studio. "Tell us, there have been rumors that Relena Peacecraft is arriving with her… mate? Is that true?"
"Well, I know just as much as you do that there's been a lot of talking lately about a certain meeting the VF Minister is suppose to conduct here in town, with whom and about what, it's not exactly clear…"
"I see... and what about the rumors that said that…"
Somewhere along the large crowd of people, surrounding the building's entrance, Duo's car drove by, heading towards the back of the building. He sighed as he drove slooooooooowly past the swarm of people, heading to his destination. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched and his body tense.
His eyes narrowed as he spotted a limo parked in the behind the building. He sighed and parked next to it. Running a hand through his messy bangs, he stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him.
The limo's door opened, and out came Relena Peacecraft, smiling kindly at Duo. "Hello Duo."
"Hi." The longhaired boy answered, coming to stand in front of the young woman. "Sorry I'm late."
* * *
Running out of the building, Heero struggled to put a jacket on, still dressing as he ran towards the road. He accidentally took Duo's jacket as he stormed out of the house, and the black leather jacket was at least three times bigger than his size. It kept sliding off his shoulders as he ran, clad only in dark blue boxer shorts and a ragged white tank top. Alice was running right behind him, holding his sneakers in her mouth. He had left the house in such a hurry, that he forgot to put his shoes on.
Running barefoot along the sidewalk, he began waving frantically for a cab, Alice right behind him.
A yellow taxi came to a stop, and the driver's bored eyes narrowed as he examined the young man in front of him. Clothes sloppy, messy hair all over, face still haggard from sleep, he was sure that he was dealing with a drunk.
Heero ignored his glare and jumped into the backseat.
"The new Preventers office!" He called, out of breath, just as Alice jumped into the car.
The driver eyed the dog through the rearview mirror. "Sir, no animal are allo-" He was stopped short when Heero shoved a large stack of bills into his face. Smirking, he took the money and turned to face the wheel. "Preventers building. Right away, sir."
"Make it fast!" Heero rasped, still panting as he put his shoes on.
The driver eyed Alice in distaste, and then his eyes widened as he caught the young man's icy glare.
"Faster! Now!"
He stepped on the gas and the taxi sped off towards the city.
* * *
"How have you been doing?" Relena asked sweetly, looking up at Duo.
"All right, I guess. All things considered."
Relena nodded in understanding. "And the depression?"
Duo sighed and then shrugged. He looked down at his feet.
"Are you sure you want to do this? Is it really worth it?"
"It's the only way! Nothing else would work! I have to do this, can't you see?"
"But… But Heero…" The young woman began, voice concern. "I don't think he will take this well."
"I have to do this." Duo said in determination, looking up seriously at her. "I have to."
They looked at each other lengthily, until Relena finally sighed and broke eye contact. "All right. If you insist."
Duo smiled thankfully. "Thanks." He looked over his shoulder, and then back at the girl. "So… can I have it?
Relena sighed, looking away sadly.
"I'll pay you. I swear I will. It's just that I'm a little short on cash right now, with the new house and all…"
"It's all right. Don't worry about it." Relena mumbled, and then looked up at him. She smiled slightly. "First lets see how you like it, kay?"
Duo nodded, eyes thankful.
Relena smiled. "C'mon, I'll give it to you." She gestured at the car, and they both entered silently.
The door closed behind them, and the alley was silent for a while, until Duo's voice called out:
"Oh God! Yes!"
* * *
"Well, while we're waiting the ceremony to begin, why won't we take another look at the new building?" The TV reporter offered, turning to look at the tall skyscraper. The camera followed his line of sight, looking up at the building.
It is most certainly a beautiful design." The TV newsman continued. "It has this unique 21st century design, which is certainly a nice change from all the other buildings around here. You know, the building was actually built with donations from different courtiers around the globe, and a few of the main clusters. It really warms the heart to see this kind of cooperation between space and Earth. While only three years ago we were all-wait a minute!" The reporter burst, sounding quite shocked. His eyes narrowed as he examined the top of the tall building, and then suddenly widened in shock. "Oh my God!"
The camera whooshed up, also pointing at the roof. It made a quick zoom in motion, focusing more closely.
"Good God Isaac! Who is that?!" The man in the studio called.
"I… I don't know, John, but… but it looks like he's going to jump!"
"Oh God!!!!!" A woman screamed pointing up at the building. "There's a man up there!"
"How the hell did he get into the building?!" John asked in bafflement.
"I have no idea…" Isaac mumbled, eyes narrowing as he watched the figure high above.
"By what we see in the monitors, it looks like he's wearing a Preventers uniform!"
From behind the curve that leads into the back of the building, a large limo suddenly came, stopping at the entrance of the building. A figure stepped out of the car, straightening her dress. Her eyes scanned the crowd of people and cameras. She followed everyone's gaze and looked up at the building, watching the tall figure stand at the edge of the abyss, long chestnut hair flapping in the wind.
She smiled to herself, looking away. She looked down at her wristwatch and then up at the main road. Her eyes flashed with a sudden gleam, and the smile grew. "We're waiting, Heero…"
* * *
"Turn it up!" Heero called at the driver, leaning towards the front seats of the cab. "Turn the volume up!"
The annoyed driver sighed, but did as told.
"… and he's just standing there, looking down at the crowd!"
"How the hell did he get up there?!" A woman asked, baffled.
"Well, with all the tight security around the place, you have to be some man to get inside." The male broadcaster commented. "It's a hell of a lot trouble to go through just to jump off a building!"
Heero's eyes widened.
"Oh! You're mean!"
"You know, I heard Relena Peacecraft is down there too."
"Here we go again…"
Heero clutched the front seat forcefully, nearly tearing off the fabric. "Go faster!" He asked the driver, feeling Alice's trail wag against his legs, the dog looking up anxiously at the window. "Please! Just go faster!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!" The taxi driver burst. "It's a traffic jam! There's nothing I can do!"
"WROOF!" Alice barked, growling dangerously at the driver.
"It's okay…" Heero soothed her, petting her head gently as he threw himself back into the seat. "It's gonna be okay… he's gonna be okay..."
Alice whimpered silently, her little face sad. She leaned her chin on Heero's lap, looking up at him with her sad puppy-eyes.
Heero closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. "Duo's gonna be okay…"
* * *
"Sir! If we could just have a word with you…" The reporter asked hesitantly as he slowly approached the young man standing on the edge of the roof. "My name is Isaac Lynn, from Central News, and I would just like to ask you to--"
"Don't come any closer!" Duo shouted, whirling around to face the man. "I mean it! I'll jump!"
The reporters stood quickly still, microphones in hand and cameras pointing on the longhaired figure.
"Please sir, if you will just step down so we can talk this over…" A young policewoman said. "Just step away from the edge and we can sort this out. Surely it's no good reason to throw you life away…"
"No good reason?!" Duo burst, laughing madly. "No good reason?! Did you even see the look in his eyes?! Do you know how hard it is to watch them fill with tears?! Do you know what it feels like to yearn for his voice? His touch? His EVERYTHING?!" He shouted animatedly, waving his hands in the air. "No you don't! You don't know! You don't know what I've been through in the last year!"
"Sir…" One of the reporters let out silently, slowly nudging the microphone in the young man's direction. "Are you jumping because another man is not returning your love?"
* * *
"Haha! Looks like we got a soap opera on our hand folks!" The man on the radio laughed.
"Tell me, what is it with you and gay people? Love is love, isn't it?" The female broadcaster sighed.
"Well, it doesn't look like this guy is getting any…"
In the backseat of the cab, Heero fidgeted. He looked up at the traffic jam ahead, the cars moving slowly into the center of the city. He sighed, looking out his own window, watching the tallest skyscraper peek from behind a few buildings, merely a few blocks away.
Alice whimpered.
"You know, I find gay men to be much more attractive than you normal guys." The woman commented in amusement.
"Is there something you wanna tell us?" The other teased.
"No, all I'm saying is- live and let live. Do you hear me commenting about your fascination with lesbian sex?"
"Constantly."
They both laughed.
Heero sighed and closed his eyes. "Can you turn off the radio, please?"
The driver sighed. "Sure… why not…"
"Wait a minute! It looks like our nut has something to say!" The male broadcaster announced suddenly.
"No! Wait!" Heero called, jumping forward. "Leave it!"
Again the driver sighed, shaking his head and muttering a few curses. He returned his attention back to the wheel.
Alice's ears jumped up, and the dog lifted her head, looking anxiously at the radio. Heero did the same, looking at the radio with fearful blue eyes.
"Heero!" Duo's voice called from the speakers, and Heero's heart missed a beat. "Heero! If you can hear this, I want you to come here right now! I'm gonna jump if you won't! I swear!"
Heero's heart clenched painfully, and he looked at the traffic jam, his eyes welling with tears.
"Heero! We have to sort this out! We have to talk! It can't go on like this any longer…" Duo's voice sounded desperate and miserable. It sounded like he was going to cry. "Please Heero, I'll be waiting. But if you ain't gonna come soon, I'll…"
"No!" A reporter suddenly called. "Oh God! He nearly slipped!"
Heero's hands clenched into fists. He looked up at the red stoplight, and then at the long row of cars ahead.
"Sir! Are you all right?" A few reporters called at once.
But it sounded like Duo was ignoring them. "Heero! Come soon! I trust you Heero. Come soon."
As fast as the wind, Heero jumped out of the cab.
"WROOF!" Alice barked, jumping after her owner.
"Hey!" The taxi driver called after him. But the boy was already running down a narrow alley, heading towards the tall building. The damn dog was right behind him.
"What a nut…" The man muttered, shaking his head. He sighed heavily and looked over his shoulder again. "Didn't even close the door!"
* * *
Relena looked up at the building, hazel eyes worried. She watched the small crowd that surrounded Duo, and smiled in amusement as she saw the young man push them away, apparently shouting and moving his hands in all directions. She didn't dare to move from her spot, and if someone accidentally pushed her aside, she hurried to go back into the EXACT spot she was standing in, looking up at Duo, making sure she was EXACTLY underneath the man.
People all around her were watching in awe and fear, their gazes up at the skies. They whispered between themselves, worry and awe mixed in their tones.
"What's going on?" A voice called from behind the young blonde woman, and Relena turned around, now looking up at Une. She smiled sweetly.
"We're just waiting."
"Waiting? What the hell for? Is this one of his stupid pranks!? I'm gonna have his HEAD for this!" She growled, eyes narrowing as she looked up at the roof. "I should have known there was a freaking reason he begged to be in charge of security today… And here I was thinking he just didn't want Yuy to work so damn hard…" She muttered to herself, shielding her eyes with her hand as she looked up at her agent. "Jerk."
Relena chuckled, shaking her head. She looked up at the main road again, and her eyes suddenly lighted in joy. A wide grin crept up to her features, as she spotted a lean figure running out of an alley, sprinting towards the crowd of people. His sweaty bangs of hair clung to his forehead, the black jacket he was wearing nearly falling off his slim form. His appearance was messy, if not hilarious, and to complete the bizarre picture, was a small Welsh corgi dog who ran behind him.
Relena smiled and shook her head in amusement. She then jumped up in the air, waving her hands. "Heeeeeeerrrrrrrroooooooo!!!!!!"
Heero stopped his running with a sudden halt, looking around, messy bangs flying from side to side and he turned his head.
Relena smiled. "Over here!" She called, waving her hands.
Heero's eyes widened and then quickly narrowed in suspicion. He began to slowly advance towards her. Confusion washed his haggard and sweaty features as he noticed Relena's beaming face.
The blonde woman just kept smiling, watching Heero's approach. She then pulled out a small device from her dress's pocket, and brought it up to her mouth. "He's here."
* * *
Duo smiled, putting something back into his pocket. He turned back to face the cameras, a devil-may-care smile on his features.
"Well folks! It's been nice, but it seems my time here is up." He looked over his shoulder, down at the street, and then smiled. "Or should I say… down?"
"Sir! Please reconsider!" One of the policemen called. "There are plenty of other men out there! You can always find anoth---"
"OHHHHHH GOOODDDDDD!!!!!!!" A female reporter screamed and all watched in horror as the young man threw himself back into the abyss.
No one caught the naughty grin on Duo's face as he quickly descended down into the street.
* * *
"DUO!!!!!!" Heero screamed in horror, wide blue eyes watching his love fall. "No! No! Duo!!! I love you! DUO!!!!!!"
Alice barked and wailed at the same time, running around in circles around Heero's feet.
"Duo! I LOVE YOU! DUO!!!!" Heero cried up at the falling boy, tears sliding freely down his cheeks. "No… no… please don't…" He wept, unable to do anything more than that.
By now, Alice lay down on the ground behind her owner, hiding her eyes behind her small palms.
Standing by Heero's side, Relena only smiled to herself, looking up at Duo and then at Heero's pained features. She slowly took his limp hand in hers, feeling him tremble.
"Duo…" Heero whispered brokenly, sniffling. "Duo…"
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Duo shouted as he fell, looking down at the ground, which was approaching quickly.
Heero's eyes widened as he suddenly realized something.
Alice's head shot up, head cocking aside in wonder. Her ears suddenly rose up and she wagged her tail happily.
"Woof!"
Heero watched with wide eyes as Duo's form rushed down towards the ground, held by a single rope. His lips twisted up in a small smile, and the tears suddenly stopped form coming.
"HEEEERRROOOOO!!!!!" Duo shouted again, closing in on the ground. "WILL YOU MARRY MEEEEEEEEE?!!!!!!!"
A huge grin swept over Heero's face, and the boy's eyes lighted up in joy.
People all around gasped and some laughed. All of them applauded as Duo's decent came to a violent stop, merely a few feet above the ground. He was hanging upside-down, his head within eye level of Heero's.
Both boys smiled.
"Oh my God! Was that one heck of a proposal!" Some female reporter called, hand over her heart.
Relena smiled, letting go of Heero's hand. She took a few steps aside, joining the crowd that surrounded the two.
Heero just kept looking into Duo's eyes, shock and disbelief all over his face. His arms dangled limply at his side, his messy hair tousled by the soft wind. The jacket still hung only partly on his shoulders, and barely covered his half-dressed form.
But he was too shocked to care.
Duo flashed him his trademark grin, and then winked. He reached for a small pocket in his jacket, unzipping it and brining out a small box. He handed it to Heero.
The Japanese boy looked down at the box, eyes numb from shock. He slowly reached up to take it, hands trembling. Slowly, he opened it, and his eyes lit up with a new light.
Two golden rings set neatly next to each other, a shiny stone decorating each one. One violet. One blue. The two of them sparkling in the early morning sun, reflecting in Heero's stunned eyes.
With trembling fingers, he reached down and touched the rings gently.
Duo smiled, and then reached for the case himself, taking out the ring with the violet stone. Using his other hand, he took Heero's hand in his, and slowly, carefully, slid the ring over his delicate finger.
A small chuckle escaped Heero's lips as he looked down at his hand.
Duo smiled as well, and cast a quick and thankful glance towards Relena. The girl just smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. He looked back at his love, violet eyes shinning. He then put the other ring, the one with the blue jewel, on his own finger.
Another choked chuckle escaped Heero's lips, bordering more on a sob. Tears of joy filled his eyes again, and he sniffled. He threw himself at Duo, hugging the longhaired boy tightly. "You baka! You had me so scared! Duo no baka! I was so scared! I thought that… baka Duo! Honto ni baka!" He cried into Duo's chest, too overwhelmed with emotions to stop himself. Joy, fear, sorrow, anger and remorse burst out of him all at once, and all he could do was cling into Duo's warm body, holding him tightly.
The crowd cheered and cameras flashed. News reporters wiped a tear, watching as a few Preventers came to help Duo down. The minute he was down, Duo launched towards Heero, embracing him tightly and kissing him all over.
The applause returned as the two kissed passionately, hands roaming all over the other's body, tongues fighting a fierce battle.
Alice came to stand next to Relena, tail wagging happily as she watched her two owners.
"So, I take it as a 'yes', right?" Duo asked with a wink, pulling away a little from the tight embrace, looking down at Heero's dark head.
Face still buried in Duo's chest, Heero nodded. "Hai. Definitely a 'yes'." He mumbled, clutching onto Duo's shirt. "Definitely…"
Duo smiled and kissed Heero's hair. He then reached down to cup the boy's chin in his hand and gently lifted Heero's head up so he could drown in those bottomless blue eyes.
"A forever, Heero."
Heero's lips lifted up in the sweetest of smiles. "Forever?"
Duo smiled and reached down to caress Heero's blushed features. "Yes, love. Forever." He whispered softly, and then leaned in for another kiss. He wrapped his arms tightly around Heero, kissing the honey-flavored lips; love and passion all wrapped into one, breathtaking, kiss.
Relena smiled as she watched her two friends, eyes shimmering with tears.
Une came to stand behind her, watching the two and shaking her head in amusement.
Alice wagged her tail and barked, and the crowd kept cheering.
OWARI
1) Did anyone see Cowboy Beebop? That dog, Ein? That's what I mean! That's Alice! BEAUTIFUL dog...
Hey! I think it's the first story I made with a 'nice Relena'! Good for me, no? I thought I'll give her a break for a while, and she'll do me a favor and help Duo out with the money… ^__~<>Ne, so how was it? Was it too bad? Good? Did you like it in any way? Pleeeeeeeeeease tell me! *chibi-eyes* Pwease?