Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Last Chance ❯ Shinigami ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
LSE // 5-6-03
(Last Chance - Shinigami)
rated: PG13 - language, content
shounen-ai/yaoi

Shinigami

-

Upon waking, Heero's first thought (besides how bright the light
burned his poor eyes) was; I killed him. It took him a few minutes to
figure what that meant and, when he recalled all the events of the
previous day, Heero felt a rushing tide of guilt, anger, and remorse.
Wanting to close his eyes against the agony and fall back into a sleep
tortured by memories, Heero rolled over on the sofa and started to
let his heavy eye lids fall.

What he saw, however, removed all thoughts of sleep from his mind.
Walking across the living room, Heero's toothbrush in hand, was a
person. Heero stared, mind unable to bring the corresponding memory
to account for such a presence in his apartment at whatever ungodly
time of morning it was. Furthermore, why did the person, who was now
out of his line of vision, seem so familiar?

Sitting upright, Heero turned to stare through the opening above the
kitchen counter to the person, who was brushing their teeth at the
sink as if they belonged. Grogginess from just having woken up and the
overwhelming depth of emotion kept Heero from really registered the
entire situation, but the fog slowly lifted and he realized what
was so disconcerting about the person. Black jeans, tight black shirt
showing off a lean build of muscle and smooth, pale skin... a long
chestnut braid dangling down the person's back...

"...Duo?" Heero whispered, looking to the coffee table to confirm the
presence of his broken answering machine; not just a dream, then, of
Duo... dying...

The person -- Duo -- spat into the sink and turned, flashing Heero a
grin before opening up the refrigerator.

I'm going crazy, Heero thought to himself. Oh, my God, I'm going
completely and utterly crazy.

"Where the hell is all your food, man?" Duo asked, letting the door
to the appliance shut and walking out from the kitchen. "Oh, hey,
used your toothbrush. Hope you don't mind."

"...Duo?"

"What?" Duo looked down at himself, "Oh, yeah, dig the look? I'm not
sure about this braid, though. Must be a bitch to get dry after taking
a shower."

"...Duo?" Heero repeated, voice rising to near-hysterics.

Duo laughed, "Man, you should see your face. Yeah, yeah, okay, I'll
cut you some slack. Geesh, mortals," he muttered. He suddenly...
shimmered... and Heero blinked, rubbing at his eyes and trying to
convince himself this was all some stressed-out, psychotic dream.

Looking up again, he found, not Duo, but a smirking young man with
messy, light brown hair and dark black eyes. "I think you'd enjoy a
little glimpse at your friend, hm? Ah, I can see from your face you
want to kill me for that little trick."

In fact, Heero was considering that as an option.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?" Heero demanded,
deciding that, for the moment, he wouldn't question the fact the man
had just changed his appearance right before his eyes.

"Shinigami's the name, death's my game."

"...right. Good night," Heero muttered, lying back down into the sofa
cushions, convinced this was one big, fucked up dream and he didn't
want anything more to do with it. He just wanted to lie in peace and
mourn, without a hallucinated and dreamed God of Death.

"Hey! You know, I'm not just here because I needed to brush my teeth.
You should really think about talking to me," the hallucination --
Shinigami -- said, poking the bottom of Heero's foot impatiently.

"Go away," Heero growled, sitting up again and fixing his best Death
Glare on the hallucination.

"No," he shoved Heero's legs off of the couch and sat down, returning
the glare with an even stronger intensity. "You are not dreaming, I am
not a hallucination, and it would be in your best interest to listen
to me, Heero."

"Who are you?"

"I told you; Shinigami. The God of Death. Mr. Sunshine himself. Don't
look so shocked!"

"What do you want?"

Shinigami grinned, "Your soul."

"What?!" Heero's eyes narrowed as the God burst into laughter. "Omae o
korosu, Shinigami-sama," he growled out.

"You can't kill me, I'm already dead. No, okay, I admit, that was so
cliche... Seriously, though, I actually don't want anything from you.
Except maybe your cooperation. I'm here to make you an offer. Let's
just say, as thanks. For all the company you've sent me over the
years. Or because I just feel like it. Or, maybe I feel sorry for you.
Or maybe I'm just really bored," Shinigami shrugged philosophically.

"...what kind of offer?"

Shinigami leaned in, all pretense of a grin suddenly replaced by a
very serious, very grim face. "What if I told you I have the power to
change all this pain for you? To give you happiness. Hope. Purpose.
Freedom from that all-encompassing guilt and remorse, that loneliness
that threatens to overwhelm you at any moment. My offer is one you
can't afford to turn down. I'm willing to give you that one last
chance, Heero. To save that one you love. To secure a future with
that loved one where there current is none."

Heero's eyes widen as he stared into the endless dark abyss of
Shinigami's gaze, feeling the otherworldly pull within them, the
power and the danger. "What are you talking about?" he asked faintly,
unable to tear his eyes away from the God's face.

"I'm talking about a chance, Heero, to change your life. Think; what
could the God of Death be talking about. Who could you save with my
powers to assist you? Who do you love that I now possess, forever?"

"...Duo," Heero breathed, suddenly very aware he was not going crazy
and hallucinating. Everything was too vivid, and Shinigami's gaze bore
into him, with a quality lurking in those blacker-than-black depths.
Struck by the God's gaze, there was no denying the power he possessed.
Those endlessly black eyes had never feared that which so many
dreaded: Death. Those eyes were Death's.

Shinigami slowly smiled, but the grin held no mirth. "Yes, Heero.
That's who I'm talking about: your Duo."

"I'll do anything," Heero said immediately, his thoughts filled with
sparkling amethyst eyes and Duo's playful smile. "Anything," he
insisted, fully aware of the dangers in offering Death that vow.

With a pleased look similar to one of a cat having just eaten a
canary, Shinigami set back and studied Heero with those dark eyes.
"Here's what I'm going to do, Heero. Just because I like you, I'm
going to make this simple. You have exactly 72 hours, that's three
whole days, to change your future. This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity and I won't wait around for your answer, so listen
carefully and think fast. Three days, Heero. That's non-negotiable,
so don't even think about asking for an extension."

Heero nodded, "72 hours."

"Smart boy. I knew this was going to be fun. I like you, Heero.
You've got brains, balls and brawn. A bit dense in the emotion
department sometimes, but whatever." Shinigami smirked, seeing
Heero's eyes glitter dangerously as they lowered into the trademark
Yuy Death Glare. However, a Death Glare was pointless against the God
of Death, and they both knew it.

"What do I have to do?" Heero asked, barely keeping a civil tone.

Shinigami rolled his shoulders lazily and stretched, taking his own
damn sweet time before answering. "Your goal is simple, Heero. Love."

"...love?"

Shinigami grinned, "I'm a sucker for romance. Tell anyone and I'll
kill you. That's just a joke..." the God sighed. "No one understands
good humor anymore. Yes, love. You must find your true love and get
at least one kiss. And you both must declare your love. And you must
mean it. If it's insincere, it doesn't count. If, at the end of your
three days, none of your goals have been accomplished, nothing will
change. Duo will still be dead and you'll be alone. Miserable, sad,
pathetic, and alone for the rest of your life, forever haunted that
you blew the one big chance to make things right and save Duo."

Heero nodded slowly, "And if I succeed?"

"I'll return Duo to you. Now," Shinigami said briskly, offering out a
small wrist-watch to Heero, "here's your timer. It'll count down from
72 hours for you. When time runs out, no matter what, you'll return
back to here; pass or fail. Any final questions or requests? Or am I
wasting my time?"

"If you're lying to me, Shinigami, I swear..."

Shinigami merely raised one slim, pale eyebrow, the other-worldly
aspect to his ebony hues flashing dangerously, "I never lie. Ever.
Don't worry, I like you, Heero. Things are going to work out just
fine, I know it."

"Where are you sending me?" Heero asked warily, wondering if there was
some truth the God was omitting... wonder if this wasn't... No, Heero
carefully avoided meeting that dark gaze, however too-good-to-be-true
it seemed, Shinigami was offering...

"April 8th, A.C. 197, Earth. What do to say, Heero?"

"If I succeed... Duo comes back, right? And he'll be okay... alive?"

Shinigami nodded solemnly, "Yes."

"Ninmu ryoukai... Mission accepted."

------------------------------------------------------- ---------------

The change was instantaneous. One minute, Heero was sitting on his
couch looking at the God of Death, the next he found himself lying on
his back in a soft bed. Even without looking around, he knew he wasn't
alone... mostly because one hand rested across his stomach and...
Heero slowly turned his head, and found himself face-to-face with a
sleeping Relena Darlian, who laid curled along beside him.

Shinigami, you bastard.

A.C. 197; the war was over, Duo gone off somewhere into space, and
Heero Yuy lying in bed with Vice-Foreign Minister Darlian.

Shinigami... you complete and total bastard.

"Mmm...Heero?" Relena said sleepily, stirring slightly and opening
her bright corn-flower blue eyes to gaze lovingly at him. "Good
morning," she smiled dreamily and stretched, the sheets falling away
to reveal a soft, pale curve of...

"Hn," Heero muttered, silently cursing Shinigami with ever fiber of
his being. Ending things with Relena when they had both realized the
relationship could never work had been hard enough (Heero hated to
admit it when on a mission for Duo, but he felt a gentle fondness for
the girl...) but now? With Relena gazing at him so trustingly and her
entire body almost singing with joy?

"Oh, don't just growl," she teased, trailing her fingers lightly along
his side with a sly smile.

Duo's life hung on the line, and Heero steeled himself against the
happy glow coming from Relena's gaze and her gentle touch. So what if
Shinigami was a total bastard and chose to make things as difficult
as possible... so what if he had no idea where to find Duo, much less
how to convince the youth that Heero really and truly did love him.
Sneaking a casual glance to his wrist, Heero caught the whirling
digital numbers, which read 71:54:65:84 and counting. Seventy-one
hours, fifty-four minutes...

He could do it. Heero vowed that within twelve hours he would have
ended things with Relena once for all and located Duo. And be at Duo's
doorstep, even if he was on L2 or deep in the jungles of Africa. No
matter what it took. Twelve hours. That left Heero two and a half
days to win Duo over. Which shouldn't be too difficult, since Duo
should still have some... something...

What if... Duo didn't love him?

No... Heero tried to remember Duo's fatal confession, that night...
last night. //"I knew you were my soul mate. No one else could ever
make me as happy as when I was with you... I still love you. I never
stopped loving you. I never will stop loving you..."//

Without effort, Heero could recall the tone of Duo's voice, soft,
sincere... heart-broken. Even so soon after the war, after Heero
cruelly left after all those nights shared in embrace, even so close
to the fresh wounds, Duo had to remember... Duo had to still feel
something for Heero. Surely if Heero finally admitted and finally
showed Duo that it was him, not Relena, not anyone else, that Heero
truly belonged with. Duo.

I do love you, Duo, and I won't give up. I swear to you...

Suddenly, Heero realized suddenly how expectant the silence seemed
and shifted his focus to see Relena, head tilted quizzically.

"Hn...?"

Relena giggled, her hands gliding lower as she nuzzled at his cheek
with her nose, "Silly Heero. I asked, do you know what today is?"

"...April 8th?" Heero ventured, a sinking feeling in his chest. That
date, sounding so innocent when he was safe in his apartment four
years in the future, carried an ominous cloud.

Relena beamed, eyes bright and glimmering with youthful love, "That's
right! My birthday!"

Shinigami... you fucking bastard.

-

-

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A uthor's Notes: See. Told you there was another chapter! ^_^()
Thank you, Airen, Blackie and everyone one else who wished me an early
happy birthday! IchigoPocky, I can't believe you noticed I took that
line out! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy ^_^*
Well, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Thank you for all your
yummy feedback, and please continue feeding the muses!
And thank you to everyone who has dropped me an Instant Message!
My screenname is: Saseko Kainashi ...feel free to poke me with a
stick because I'm all bored and lonely! Yay!
For those of you keeping track, I'm still sick.

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