Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Long Time To Cry ❯ three years ( Prologue )

Duo smiled, his chestnut hair ruffled slightly… and he was beautiful. He was always beautiful, but more-so when he was happy. Today, he had good reason to be happy… Heero had promised to come. Three damned years, and he was finally coming.

Duo hummed, leaning back against the chair in the waiting room, easing down into the plush softness of it. The airport was obviously in need of repair - the chair, while comfortable, was also patchy, and worn in the seat from so many people sitting in it. However, it was comfortable, and Heero was coming. That, to Duo, made it heaven.

-

"I'm going." Heero murmured softly, "But I'll be back."

"Ne?! You're going? Heero, where are you going?" Duo clung to the arm of his unofficial lover's arm, violet eyes wide.

"I'm going to work."

"But I thought… once the war was over, we… we could…" Duo trailed off. Maybe Heero just hadn't thought about that. Maybe, to Heero, the end of the war also meant it was the end of anything they might have had…

"Releena needs me." Heero said, tense, and pushed his overzealous partner off of his arm. He didn't need to push very hard… Duo's eyes were wide with shock, and his arms loosened in his disbelief.

"You… you're going with Releena?" He repeated, stepping back a little…

"Hai, baka. There is a place for me there."

"Hee-chan! There's a place for you, too! Please… I can find us jobs, I swear! I can work as… as a mechanic, or something. You could…"

What could Heero do, really? He was a soldier. He had been raised a soldier. Maybe his only place, to him, would be as a protector… Releena's protector. It was in his nature…

"Don't call me that." Heero responded, ignoring Duo's offer.

"PLEASE?" Duo seemed desperate, but dammit, he would NOT cling, he refused to cling… His pride flared up unexpectedly, and he squelched it down. If he had to beg, he would beg…

"Hn." Heero ignored Duo, but Duo wasn't having it.

"You promised me!" Heero was honorable to a fault, Duo knew. Wufei had once commented on it… high praise, coming from him. And if Heero were reminded of his promise, he would keep it. "You promised me!"

Neither boy mentioned what the promise had been, but they both knew it. Heero faltered. His eyes flickered for a moment, losing their determination.

"Duo…" He took a deep, steadying breath, "I… I'll come back. I promise, Duo-chan."

Duo chan? Duo's heart, which had been stalling in his chest, seemed to come back to life at that. The statement, and the endearment - Heero never called him Duo-chan. For that, Duo didn't press him not to leave. Just for that.

"When will you be back?" Duo asked at length, resigned now to the fact that Heero was leaving…

"… Three years." And with that, before Duo could protest, Heero had stepped onto the shuttle and disappeared from sight.

Duo crumpled to the ground, but in the crowd, no one saw. They just pushed on past him, irritated that he had chosen to block traffic, as he trembled. When even the shuttle was out of sight, he slowly, slowly picked himself up and began the long walk home.

Three years.

He had cried himself to sleep those three years… Every one of the 1,095 days…

-

Duo sipped at some of the coffee he had brought with him… It was properly dosed with cream and sugar. Snug in his backpack, however, was a thermos of black coffee - he remembered that that was how Heero liked it. And hadn't Heero had a long night, too?

Duo swung his legs back and forth, excited as a small child for all that he was 19. He glanced up at the numbers on the screen - the airplane Heero was to arrive on was on time, thank god… Three minutes till landing. Duo chewed nervously on the end of his braid, a bad habit he had picked up without Heero gone to keep him from beginning it again.

"Waiting for someone?" The girl two seats down from him smiled, curious…

"Yeah!" Duo pulled out his wallet - he was always the type to talk to strangers, always willing to share his story. He was born outgoing, and couldn't help it. "I'm waiting for him." He flipped to a picture in his wallet, carefully encased in a protective plastic covering.

The girl laughed. "Hey, I'd look like that if I was waiting for him, too… Lemme guess. Old time lovers?"

Duo's cheeks burned, but he stayed grinning, and nodded. "I think so," He laughed… Being lovers was a mutual thing. He didn't know what Heero thought…

"We're not." A voice from behind him caused him to straighten, and he still smiled, despite the words.

"HEERO!" Duo leaped up, and the girl chose this time to tactfully begin chatting with her other neighbor. "Man, it's really you!"

Heero sighed. Oh! Duo grinned to himself, still unperturbed by the lack of response. Heero was probably just tired… Duo fished through his bag, found the thermos, and chucked it at Heero.

"I have brought you the elixir of life," Teased Duo, "So can I take you back to my apartment so that we can talk properly?"

Heero nodded tersely, and Duo took his hand, grinning still. Heero thankfully traveled light… what few possessions he had he could keep in his pockets. They bypassed baggage claim, Duo chatting all the while.

"…And I got a job! I get to fix old cars and stuff… I also work as a salvage…" On and on. Duo tried to ignore the fact that Heero hadn't said a thing. That Heero allowed his hand to be held, but was staring down at it in distaste, as though he had never held Duo's hand. As if he had never…

They reached Duo's car. It was an old mustang; he could afford better, but liked it. Shoving his own backpack into the back, now that it was empty of it's precious `elixir', he offered Heero the passenger's seat. Heero just grunted, sitting down.

Duo sat down in the driver's seat…

"Ne… Heero. It's been three years. Even you must have something to say…" He teased, trying to keep his voice light.

Heero turned and looked at Duo for the first time… REALLY looked … in three years. He seemed to be studying Duo, searching for something. His lips moved, as if he was saying something, but it was too soft for Duo to hear.

"What?" Duo pursed his lips, confused, "I can't hear you. Why are you speaking so softly?"

Heero spoke up at last, voice smooth and somehow husky at once, just as Duo had remembered.

"You'll hate me forever."