'I didn't know when I began having feelings for him. I didn't know why but it all seemed to just happened. Maybe it was those words, those words that haunted me night and day; those words that made my heart ache when I first heard it.
"Would you miss me when I'm gone?"
I hated him...hated that baka for making me feel this way about him. When he asked me that question, he sounded so not himself...so sad. Why was he behaving that way? I didn't know, I don't seem to know anything anymore.' ~~Heero
When we attended school together, he was always cheerful while I remained cold and emotionless. He would often tease me, but all I did was ignore him or...or threaten him. Was he ever scared of my threats? No, he actually seemed to be glad when I say it to him. 'At least you're listening to me.' He always said to me. But was I? Yes I was, I can't deny it any longer. Every word he said, I heard it. Every movement he made, I saw.
I remember the times when he made jokes, he was always the one who ended up laughing, not me. When I'm on the laptop, he would always sit beside me no matter how boring it was to him. He would just sit there and play with his braid, his long beautiful braid that he treasured and never let anyone touch.
Every now and then during those lonely nights in school, Duo would become so frightened. Maybe he was just acting...but I never questioned him. He would silently get up from his own bed and approach mine. Then slowly he would snuggle by my side and allow sleep to take over. He probably thought I was asleep to make a daring move like that, but he was wrong. I was always pretending to be resting and I never told him to get off. I don't know why I didn't...maybe it was because I feel the comfort with him by my side...maybe I already had feelings for him since then. At times, I wanted eagerly to wrap my arms around him and be able to kiss him, but I couldn't. I just couldn't.
Day after day we attended classes like a normal teenager but soon came the day when Duo sprained his wrist while playing basketball...his favourite sport. He didn't cry or anything. He did what he did best. He just laughed it off but I could see that it hurts, yet I didn't say anything to him.
That night, he did something that surprised me.
"Hey Hee-chan, can you help me braid my hair today?" he said.
"Hn"
"I'll take that as a yes. It's not like I couldn't do it myself ya know, it's just that I couldn't lift my arm to comb it."
With that, I just stepped away from the computer and decided to help him. I didn't know how to braid hair very well, but after seeing Duo braid his hair for the time we spent together, I was able to learn the technique. That evening was very peaceful. Duo stopped talking the moment I began combing his soft long hair. He sat on the floor while I sat on the edge of my bed slightly above him. I spent a long time just running my fingers through his brown wavy strands. It was hard to believe but I actually liked being able to be so close to him, being able to feel the softness of his hair. Soon I began braiding. It was challenging for me but I was able to manage. When I was almost finished, he suddenly asked that question.
"Would you miss me when I'm gone?"
It was shocking for me to hear the question. At that moment I felt my heart ached. I couldn't answer that question. I wanted to tell him how much he means to me but I couldn't. I hated myself for that. Why do I always have to act so cold around people?...around him. I didn't know what to say so I just remained silent. I guess he took that as a negative sign since he too became silent again. He suddenly got up and headed towards the washroom where he stayed for a quite a while.
Later that night, we didn't say a word to each other before we rested. The silence was overwhelming. For once in my life, I wanted Duo to talk to me. I didn't care what he says, I just wanted him to talk to me.
When it was time to sleep, something made me regret my reply to his question. For the first time since we met, I heard Duo cry. His gentle sobs still echoed loud in my head. He sounded like a child longing for his mother...for someone to love him. Soon, tears fell from my own eyes. I hated to ever have to see Duo sad but I couldn't even comfort him. Why do I have to put on these emotionless masks? Why? That was the question I asked myself before becoming apart of the dream world. In the same night, I heard Duo talk in his sleep.
"You don't love me Heero." He mumbled and followed by another soft sob.
At that moment, I realized that Duo was crying for me...he actually cared about how I felt towards him...he actually cared. It too came to realization that I do love him. Unknowingly, he had become apart of my life. I can't imagine living my life without seeing his big yet beautiful violet eyes each morning. Yes, he did complete my life...No, war had already taken over my life. Duo...he completed my soul. I wanted to show him that but I just couldn't. I lived in a world of cold and loneliness, I can't bare to bring him into my world.
Unfortunately, that faithful day when he was taken away from me came a little too soon. I had accepted a mission to destroy an OZ base that very day. Before I left, he asked me a question.
"Can I come with you?"
I just shook my head upon hearing that. I was confident that I was capable of completing the mission by myself and I didn't want him to get hurt. He understood why, but he seemed so down...so sad. After he saw my response, he just looked away. I didn't know if I imagined it but I saw his eyes sparkle with tears. //Why was he crying?//I asked myself but I couldn't figure it out and I didn't bother asking, so I just left.
The mission turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Not long afterwards I was engaged in an intense battle with the mobile dolls. I had already taken out a few hundred with my beam cannon but they kept coming. The more I defeat, the more came. Soon I was surrounded by countless number of the enemy suits with no way out...no way to complete my mission. Just then he came. Duo went against my word and came to help me.
"Shinigami is here!" He cried out.
//God of Death.// Why does he call himself that? To me, he was more like an angel to guide me rather than someone who take away lives.
He was able to help me get out of the situation, but my suit was no longer able to attack. Duo in turn fought with full effort but wasn't able to destroy the enemies. He soon was in the place I been in. Trapped.
"Duo! Get out of here!" I cried out to him through the transmitter.
He didn't reply. I just saw the image of him on the screen smiling at me.
"Death isn't sad when you do something you won't regret." He said.
I didn't know what he meant by that but when I saw where his hands were placed, I couldn't believe it. He was ready to self detonate.
"DUO NO!" I yelled out while trying my best push the controls to operate Wing in order to stop him but it wouldn't function.
"Good bye Heero."
There came an enormous explosion. Everything infront of me disappeared. All suits were perished in the blast...all.
Soon everything became silent. There were no longer sounds of guns firing, no sounds of destruction. I got out of Wing and just stared out into the nothingness. Hours must have passed by but it felt like eternity for me.
Duo....I lost Duo.....
A funeral was held in honour of Duo Maxwell. Everyone attended to pay their respect...everyone except for me. For a number of days I locked myself up in the dorm we used to share. I just sat there staring at his bed...his belongings. I guess I was hoping or waiting for him to return to me but somewhere deep inside of me, I knew he wasn't going to come back. Yet I just sat there picturing him on his bed, sleeping like a child. I tried to reach out to the image but it just faded away.
"Would you miss me when I'm gone?"
That question rang like a bell in my head. He sounded so serious when he asked me...so sad. Why couldn't I answer that stupid question? Why? Soon, tears ran down my cheeks for the thousandth time that day. I didn't care, I just sat in the dark corner crying.
It's been awhile since he left. Today for the first time, I visited his tombstone.
There were numerous number of graves in that cemetery. All seemed to cry out in pain and loneliness as I passed by but Duo's was peacefully silent.
"Death isn't sad when you do something you won't regret."
I guess he wasn't sad like all the rest that died. He was actually in peace. He didn't regret sacrificing his life for mine. He just didn't and I shall be forever grateful to him.
I laid the roses I bought for him on the grass beside the others Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei brought. I just stood there in silence. The only sound was the noise of my jacket flapping against the gentle breeze. I then took out one of the roses I made for him and placed it under his picture. That rose wasn't real. It was a symbol of my love towards him...never dying love.
"I love you Duo.....and I do miss you."