They Shall Be Remembered.

Always.

Bellow, were the names of the
deceased. There were at least a two hundred names, if not more. The golden
letters were craved into the dark blue marble, spelling out the names of those
who were gone.

Mark O'Keefe,

AC 149 – AC 183

John Debney,

AC 128 – AC 183

Linda DeScenndl,

AC 155 &#; AC; AC 183

Gary Barber,

AC 142 – AC 183

Michael Bostick,

AC 138 – AC 183

Roger Birnbaum,

AC 135 – AC 183

Junie Lowry,

AC 158 – AC 183

The list went on and on. Heero let his fingers wander
slowly over the carved names, his fingers brushing over the cool marble until
it stopped by a pair of names.

  Hayashi Ishikawa,

  AC 156 – AC 183

  Hikari Ishikawa, 

  AC 180 – AC 183    

Heero swallowed, hard. His fingers froze in place, pressed
against the name of the infant he once was. It was hard to breathe all of
sudden. His fingers trembled as he reached to touch his father’s name once
again. A painful lump of air caught in his throat when his fingertips made
contact with the cool marble. His cobalt eyes filled with tears as his mind did
the math.

“He was only twenty seven when he died...” Heero
whispered, his voice shaking. He felt the hot tears rise up his throat, but the
feeling of Duo’s warm hand on his shoulder managed to calm him. He sniffled and
turned to face his lover. There was a sad, forlorn, look in his eyes when he
spoke.

“I can hardly remember him.”

Duo’s features were serious
and grave, reflecting the gravity of the situation. He nodded slowly in
understanding, his violet eyes glimmering with barely contained tears. “I
know.” He whispered, his voice weak and nearly faltering.

He leaned his head on Heero’s
shoulder, pressing his cheek to the hand he was still resting on Heero. He
sighed deeply and just stood there with his lover, watching the monument
silently. His eyes did not leave the carved name of Hikari Ishikawa. He felt an
urge to gather Heero into his arms and pull him deeply into him, but instead he
remained standing silently, offering as much comfort as he could. With his head
resting on Heero’s shoulder, he could feel the slight trembling running through
the young man.

“Do you think we should ask
them to remove your name?” Duo finally broke the silence, slowly pulling away
from Heero.

With his gaze still fixed on
the blue marble, Heero thoughtfully shook his head. “No.” he said, turning to
face Duo. His features were solemn, but his eyes shone brightly. “Hikari died a
long time ago. What he-- what I could have been died along with that name.
I’m Heero now, and that’s who I’ll always be.” He finished with a small smile,
shrugging helplessly as he turned back to the monument. He reached a hand back
to caress the two names, his smile growing just a slight bit.

“I think that this is what
Nora would have wanted me to do.” He added, feeling the cool stone one last
time before parting from it.

“I think you’re right.” Duo
said, nodding his head in agreement. He turned to look around the small
memorial corner, noting the few garlands of colorful flowers lying on a large marble
counter attached to the wall. There were many candles among the flowers, as
well as framed pictuof tof the faceless names on the monument. He took a step
closer, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the photographs scattered along the
shiny marble.

“Heero, look.” He said, walking quickly towards the
counter. He swept a farmed photo off the shiny surface, and brought it up to
his face. He felt Heero come to stand by him, the warmth of his body tickling
his side. He turned to his lover, offering him the picture. “It’s him.” He
said, his words carrying so much weight that they could barely cross the
distance from his lips to Heero.

Heero reached for the picture, his fingers slightly
trembling. He took the polished wooden frame from his lover and turned to look
at the photograph. He smiled. Hayashi Ishikawa was everything Nora told him
about. This picture matched the thousand words Nora used to describe his
father. A young, handsome, optimistic young man who worked hard for what he believed
in. Looking at the picture, Heero couldn’t help but smiling. He was flooded
with warm memories and feelings. He remembered that hair. That messy, thick
black hair. Just like his own hair, it was untamable. He remembered playing
with it. It annoyed his father at times, but he always smiled at him, always.

“You really do look like him.” Duo commented as he leaned
to look closer at the picture.

Heero smiled in response. “Hai,” he whispered, “Just like
Nora said.” She knew. His mother knew what he looked like. It was comforting in
a way; she was never blind to him. She always saw him inside out, just like a
mother should.

“Man, look at his eyes.” Duo added in wonder, leaning even
closer to the photograph. The man in the picture was wearing a pair of fashionable
glasses, but behind them was a pair of expressional, piercing, brownish-green
eyes.

“They’re green.” Duo finally concluded, rising back up. He
turned to Heero with a wicked smile. “Ain’t that weird? I mean, he looks
Japanese and all...”

Heero turned to look at the picture and then shrugged the
matter as unimportant. He flipped the framed picture over to look at the back.
“Do you suppose Nora put it here?” He asked, examining the back for any kind of
inscription.

“I don’t think so,” Duo answered, “there was a burning
candle next to it. Who will bother lighting a candle after all this time?”

Heero didn’t answer and carefully placed the picture back
on the marble surface. He remained standing in his spot, gazing sadly at the
photograph. Duo turned to look at him, noting his lover’s thoughtful face. He
was gazing deeply into the photograph, as if he was drowning in it.

Duo watched him silently as he slowly closed his eyes,
taking a deep breath in an attempt to stop the heavy feelings that flooded him.
It was then that Duo decided that it would be good to give Heero a few moments
by himself.

Forcing on a small, compassionate smile, he placed a
gentle hand on Heero’s shoulder. “I’m, uh, I’m gonna look for the bathroom,
okay? I’ll meet you back at the lounge.” He said, and slowly walked away.

But he didn’t bother to search for the men’s room.
Instead, he made his way straight to the reception desk at the other side of
the lobby. He had been waiting for this opportunity ever since Heero and he
reached L1 two days ago. They never separated for even a moment, so he did not
have time to do this. He promised Nora that he would. He had also promised that
he would do it without Heero’s knowing. He didn’t understand why she didn’t
want her son to know about it. Perhaps she was afraid that he would refuse.

He didn’t try to convince the dying woman to reconsider
her request. Nora was already towards the finale stages of the disease when she
called him in the middle of the night, asking him to come to the hospital
alone. Heero was so exhausted from the entire ordeal of taking care of his
mother that he didn’t even wake up. He left Heero asleep in their bed and
rushed to the hospital. That was when Nora made her finale request from him.
She made him promise to keep it, no matter what. With shaking hands and a
faltering smile, she handed him a small white envelope.

“The L1 Embassy,” she had whispered weaky, “They will be
able to help you.”

And that was that. His promise was made. Walking towards
the reception desk, Duo pulled that same white envelope out of his inner jacket
and waited in line.

A young blond secretary was talking on the phone while
typing something on her computer. She gave Duo an acknowledging nod and he
smiled in return. He waited for her to finish what she was doing, tapping his
fingers on the counter while he took a look around the large lobby. When the
young woman finished her business, she turned to him with a smile.

“Sorry about that. What can I do for you, sir?”

Duo turned back to her, putting on his most charming
smile. “Well, uh,” he looked down at her nametag, then back at her, “Sandra, I
was wondering if you could help me find someone.” He said, his tone smooth and
confident.

The young blond smiled at the handsome young man before
her. “Of course, sir.” She said and turned to her computer. Typing something
quickly, she asked: “Do you know on which floor he works?”

Duo smiled in apology and shook his head. “No, I don’t
believe he works here. But I was hoping you can help me find him.”

The woman frowned, and turned to him again. She could
refuse, it was not her job to help with such a req, bu, but she found the man’s
charm irresistible. “Well, do you have his name?”

Smiling in gratitude, the braided young man nodded and
opened the envelope in his hand. “Thanks.” He said, looking down at Nora’s neat
handwriting. He gave the young woman the information he had and waited
patiently as she sought out the name in the L1 database. A few minutes later he
was sitting in the lounge, waiting for Heero to return. His lover appeared soon
after that, seeking him in the crowd. When their eyes met Heero smiled and
motioned Duo to come. They left the building hand in hand.

*  
*   *

The rest of the day they spent touring the colony. After
their visit to the L1 Embassy they made their way to the famous L1 Space
Museum, which Duo found rather boring being that he was not that interested
about the life-long story of the space pioneers. What he did enjoy was their
little make-out session during the ‘How the Universe Came To Be’ holographic-movie.
Being bored with the movie, he had reached a hand down Heero’s pants, making
the young man squeal during the Big Bang!. That turned a few heads their way,
and gave him quite a laugh. Heero did not find it funny though, so Duo had to
make it up to him with a kiss, which lasted for the entire twenty minutes of
the movie.

From the darkness of the Space Museum, the pair made their
way back to the light flooded streets. Their next stop was at the small Nature
Reserve in the center of the colony. L1-7283101 was one of the few colonies
that could afford maintaining a small piece of nature. A wide blue canal
divided the colony to two halves, flowing right through the center of the lush
space settlement. It split the city-center right in the middle, and also
bordered by the small nature reservation. A small forest and large planes of
grass spread alongside the water canal, red gravel roads and picnic areas all
around it.

They strolled the gravel roads and paid a visit to the
small zoo. They ate ice cream cones by the canal, dipping their feet in the
cool water. Later on the two lay under a lush tree and let a lazy hour crawl
by. They simply lay on the soft grass, Heero leaning on the tree while
embracing Duo, as the two spoke about soft nothings to each other.

The early afternoon hours found the two walking down the
main avenue of the colony, exhausted after a long trip inside an enormous
shopping center. Tired and hungry, the couple chose a nice café by the water
canal. It had a great white porch with little white tables; build with
decorated iron patterns, all of them facing the artificial river. A nice young
waitress served them a glass of water with lemon and mint, smiling at the two
as she told them about today’s specials. The atmosphere was calm as they sat
and ate, the sweet scent of foliage engulfing them.

Taking a forkful of salad, Heero smiled and looked up at
Duo. The braided young man was sitting casually in front of him, the white
light of the colony making his chestnut hair gleam. He was speaking
enthusiastically, only stopping to have a sip from his ice tea before returning
to what he had been saying.

“All I’m saying is- why charge so much for a freaking
jacket, yanno? On L2 I could get it for you in half a price! Heck, even less!
Seriously. Rich people pay too damn much for nothing. Like, they can afford it
so they don’t care. That’s such a fucked up way of thinking. They’d be even
richer if they did their shopping on L2. Heck, I think that flying there would
cost less than that jacket, right?”

Heero smiled and shrugged lightly. He was amused by Duo’s
enthusiasm for such a trivial manner. During their shopping trip, Duo saw a
jacket in the mall he really liked, but they could not afford it. Now he ranted
about the injustice of it all.

“Capitalism sucks, man.” Duo finished with a mutter,
taking a long sip from his ice tea.

Heero rolled his eyes and speared a red cherry tomato with
his fork. “It has its qualities.”

Duo snorted. “We’re not getting into a debate now, are we?
I’m just saying that I REALLY wanted that jacket! Man, it was so cool!”

“Duo, you sound like a ten year old.” Heero commented with
a light smirk, taking another bite from his salad. His eyes sparkled as he
watched his lover rant on about one thing or another. It wasn’t that he didn’t
enjoy listening to him, it was just that he was too mesmerized by the sight of
his lips moving, that his ears became deaf to all sound.

He knew his lover’s body like it was his own, but every
once in a while he would discover something new. Like how Duo’s lips twitched
up in a half a smile while he was ranting about something that annoyed him. Or
how his bottom lip pouted adorably when he frowned. Or how a little bit of
gravy gathered at the corner of his mouth while he spoke about a leather jacket
he couldn’t afford.

Smiling to himself, Heero leaned forward and reach a
finger towards Duo’s face. He swept the gravy off the corner of Duo’s mouth,
surprising him in mid-sentence.

Duo blinked, quite baffled, and watched his lover lean
back into his chair in satisfaction. He kept staring at Heero as the young
Japanese man put his finger in his mouth and sucked the gravy off it in one,
swift motion. He wasn’t trying to be seductive, but he couldn’t help but feel a
little sexy with Duo’s wide eyes watching him. Hiding a pleased smile, he
returned to eating his salad.

Duo was still gaping. A few girls giggled, and he blinked,
as if coming awake. He turned to look over his shoulder, noting the two high
school girls watching them. He turned back to Heero, who was acting like
nothing had happened.

He smile, his heart turning into mushy goo.

“You were saying?” Heero asked, reaching for his glass of
lemonade while trying to hide an amused smile.

“Oh, I, uh, forgot.” Duo mumbled, feeling a light blush
rising to his cheek. The girls behind them chuckled again, and Duo’s blush
changed into a deeper shade. He hurried to gulp the rest of his ice tea.

“Perhaps we’ll find a similar jacket back on Earth.” Heero
suggested, speaking as if he didn’t notice what had just transpired. Maybe it
was because he didn’t care, Duo mused. And neither should he. Why should he be
ashamed of such an endearing act? Why should he deny himself of enjoying these
little gestures that made his heart dance and melt at the same time?

Heero didn’t cabouabout what other people thought. When he
felt something, he felt it with all his heart. When he loved someohe lhe loved
him deeply, to the very core of his soul. He was honest with his emotions.
That’s why he loved Heero so much. He never knew someone who held so much
emotion in his heart. It was like a great sphere of pure white light, all
contained within a young, wounded and scarred heart. A hard, rough crust of
ugly scars covered Heero’s heart, but it held so much love and feeling inside
it, like an infinite mound of heavenly light. There was so much of that light,
so strong and untainted, that it reached past the cracks of that scarred crust
and shone to the outside. It was that inner glow that made Heero so beautiful
and alluring. It was the greatest reward to anyone who loved him. Nora had the
chance to be basked in Heero’s light, and he was thankful for every second he
spent under that same divine aura.

It was the little things, like gravy at the edges of his
mouth, that made him realize this again and again. Seeing Heero’s light glow so
brightly made him realize how much the young man had changed. Since Nora’s
death, Heero came to accept his life, accept the hardship of his past angin gin
to think of a hopeful future. The visit to this colony was the last stop in
Heero’s long journey. It was the last patch that his wounded heart needed. From
now on he will make sure to compensate Heero for every scar, for every wound on
his loving heart. They will smooth those scars together, the way the always have
and always will do.

“Duo? Daijoubu?” Heero asked, his eyes narrowing a little
in concern. “Did I embarrass you?” He inquired, looking left and right at the
people sitting around them. He turned back to Duo, his expression almost
wounded.

Duo saw the apology that was about to come out of Heero’s
mouth, and he hurried to smile broadly at him. “Are you kidding me?!” he
laughed, “Ya just tookby sby surprise, that’s all!”

Heero smiledk atk at him, unsure. “You just seemed
thoughtful for a second.”

A warm smile graced Duo’s lips, his violet eyes sparkling
adoringly. “Nah, I was just thinking how much I love you.” He frowned at his
own words. “Damn, that sounded corny! But I did! I mean I was. I was thinking
about you.” Again that shy blush on his cheeks. He didn’t care if those two
high school girls were listening. He leaned forward and took Heero’s hands in
his.

Smiling at those shining cobalt eyes he whispered: “I love
you so much, Hee-chan.” A cocky smile pulled at his lips as he added: “and you
can lick my gravy anytime...” He finished seductively and threw in a playful
wink.

Heero snorted a soft ‘baka’ at him and shoos hes head.
“You are hopeless.” He reprimanded his lover, tg a g a long sip of his lemonade
to hide the rosy color Duo raised on his cheeks. Duo laughed lightly, leaning
back in his chair while feeling very pleased with himself.

He raised a questioning eyebrow when Heero placed his
glass down and then rose to his feet. Heero gave him a small smile and mouthed
‘bathroom’.

Duo smiled back and nodded his goodbye. He watched Heero
walk into the café and then sighed thoughtfully. He leaned deeply into his
chair, swinging slightly back and forth. He stirred his ice tea with a straw,
gazing at it broodingly. After a few long moments of thinking, he got up and
walked towards a near pay phone. Pulling the white envelope out of his pocket,
he looked down at the number scribbled over it and dialed.

He kept sending nervous glances at the café’s entrance,
hoping that Heero will take long enough for him to make the call. Listening to
the dial tone, he watched the doors anxiously, his foot tapping on the floor.
After a few rings, he was finally answered.

“Hello?” A man answered calmly.

Duo straightened in his spot, feeling a sudden urge to act
formal. His heart was beating too fast. “Yes, uhm, Hello...”

*  
*   *

When Heero returned from the washroom Duo was already
seated by the table, stirring his empty cup of tea. Heero slowly settled back
into his chair.

“Sorry I took so long, there was a line.” He apologized,
noting that his lover seemed rather bored.

Duo looked up at him over his empty ice tea and offered a
kind smile. “No problem.” He said, a strange, unknown gleam in his eyes. Heero
noted that gleam, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it meant. He decided
that if something was wrong then Duo would tell him about it. They gave each
other space with such matters, trusting one another to open up when the time
was right. Neither of them was pushy about such matters. If Duo didn’t want to
speak about a nightmare, H did didn’t press the matters further, and visa
versa. Ite the their relationship more comfortable. If they couldn’t bring
themselves to speak about aching matters, at least they had the comfort of knowing
that they were understood.

“Where would you like to go next?” Duo asked, his
cheerfulness slowly recovering.

While gesturing at the waitress to bring them their bill,
Heero replied quietly. “I’d like to go back to the hotel. I need to make some
phone calls, make sure that everything is ready for tomorrow.”

“Did you get a call from the funeral home?” Duo asked, his
eyes following the young waitress as she approached with the check and two
complementary cups of coffee and cake.

Heero pulled out his wallet, briefly musing how come he
was speaking so casually about this matter.

“They called the lobby early this morning. They left a
message that the coffin had arrived around midnight.”

Duo nodded, his expression grave. “That’s good.” He said,
watching Heero sign a check. His hand moved swiftly and gracefully over the
paper, scribbling his signature with his neat and stylish handwriting.

“I want to go the funeral home early tomorrow, to have a
look at the coffin before the funeral.” Heero said as he pulled a five-dollar
bill and placed it along with the check. He looked up at Duo, his cobalt eyes
gleaming seriously. “I need to know that she made it out okay.”

Duo nodded in understanding. “Sure. We can go have a look
at it now, if you want.”

Heero shook his head and the two got up. “No, I’d rather
not.” He said slowly, picking up a couple of shopping bags, which lay by his
chair. “I would rather have it done in one swift blow...” He explained with a
weak smile, looking at Duo with eyes that searched for understanding. As usual,
he got just that from his lover, who offered him a smile and a sympathetic nod
in return.

“I hear ya, man.” Duo said, picking up another pair of
trendy paper bags. The two made their way out of the restaurant, carrying their
load. At the steps leading out of the porch and into the street, Duo stopped
and looked down at their packages. He turned to Heero, laughing lightly.

“You think we over did it with the shopping?”

“Well, it was you who said we need a change of
wardrobe...” Heero reminded him as he continued to walk. Duo hurried to follow
him as a terrible thought struck him.

“Oh man! Now that I think of it we could have gotten this
stuff a whole lot cheaper on L2...”

*  
*   *

They returned to their hotel straight after lunch. The L1
Colonial Plaza was a luxurious hotel, which was surprisingly affordable now
that the colonies were trying to encourage space-tourism. Their suite was
modest, but it held all they could ever wish for. There was a comfortable king
sized bed, a rich mini bar, a large screen TV, a soft sofa for two and even a
Jacuzzi. The room was well decorated, with a dark red wall-to-wall carpet,
fashionable furniture, a fireplace and classy wallpapers. There was a glass
door, currently hidden behind a thick red curtain, which led to a balcony. By
the door was a miniature wooden table with an ancient-looking phone on it and a
small cushioned chair standing by it.

Duo came out of the steaming shower room, wearing a white
bathrobe while drying his long hair with the hotel’s towel. He saw his lover
sitting on the chair by the phone, speaking quietly into the receiver. There
was soft music playing from the television, images of nature slowly changing on
the screen. The room was dimly lit, flooded with mellow warm light and soft
shadows. Heero’s murmurs into the phone blended with the New Age music coming
from the television, all in all creating a calm, relaxing, atmosphere.

With a pleasant sigh Duo flopped down on the bed, his body
bouncing softly on the mattress before sinking deeply into it. His wet hair
spread like an open fan over the bed, while his bare feet hung lazily in the
air, sticking out of the mattress. He spread his arms like an eagle, enjoying
the sheer size of the bed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, indulging
in the pleasant moment. He listened to Heero speaking on the phone, letting his
mind wander into a hazy, jelly-like, state.

“I’ve signed the papers down at the municipality this
morning. The clerk said that there would be no more problems with removing the grave.”
Heero said, his voice calm though he sounded like he was trying to convince
someone into something he would not do.

“I understand that these things take time, sir, but I’ve
made the arrangements three weeks in advance. It was hard as it is to purchase
a burial ground on this colony, please don’t make this any harder. I beg you,
sir, I need that burial ground tomorrow. It was already arranged.”

Duo sighed at his lover’s aching tone. Heero had worked so
hard to purchase the right to bury his mother on L1. Usually colonist were
given a space-burial, sending their coffins into deep space because there was
simply not enough room to bury the dead on the colony itself. It was a waste of
precious space. Only those who could afford it were buried at their home
colonies. Heero’s father was one of these people; at the time Nora had enough
money to arrange his burial. She did the same for their son, burying him by his
father’s side.

Only there was no one to bury, the coffin was empty for
all was found of Hikari Ishikawa were his shoes and a broken toy. There was no
need for a tombstone that bore his name. Hikari was alive, he was Heero now.
And all Heero wanted was to use the precious space his unnecessary grave took
and use it so he could bury his mother by his father’s side. He didn’t want to
see his mother’s coffin sent into the darkness of space. He didn’t want to lose
her again to the unknown. He wanted a grave to visit, and he wanted her to be
back with her husband, the man she had loved all her life.

But it seemed that the L1 authorities did not understand
such a simple heart’s wish. While they agreed to allow Nora to be buried
instead of her thought-to-be-dead son, they did not bother to make the
arrangements in advance. The funeral was due tomorrow, and Hikari’s grave was
yet to be removed.

“But I am telling you that the grave is EMPTY!” Heero
nearly shouted into the phone, his tone getting desperate. Duo flinched at the
mere sound of it. He opened his eyes, gazing blindly at the ceiling as he
listened to his lover struggle with the dense authority.

“I know this because I am the person who’s supposed
to be lying in that grave!” Duo flinched at that sentence, closing his eyes in
pain. He wished that Heero wouldn’t have to speak like that, but it seemed that
there was no other choice. His lover worked even harder to prove to the world
that he was not dead. It was ironic in a way. Five to six years ago all he
cared about was ending his life, and now he was struggling to prove that he was
alive and breathing. It was funny how things changed.

“I’ve already sent you all the proof you need, you’ve
settled this matter over a month ago!” Heero continued, his voice close to
threatening. “It is not my fault that Governor Chaplin is on vacation. Check
his records, he’s heard all about me. I’ve spoken with him but a week ago.
Please, I’m running out of time. The funeral is tomorrow afternoon. Can’t you
arrange that something will be done by then?”

Duo held his breath, crossing his fingers as the silence
stretched on. His eyes were closed tight as he wished with all his might that
for once Lady Luck would be on their side.

After a few tense moments he heard Heero sigh in relief.

“Thank you,” he breathed into the phone, a small smile of
relief gracing his lips. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.” He repeated and
then said his goodbye. Putting the receiver back in place, he collapsed into
the back of the chair and took a moment to just breathe.

Duo pushed himself up to a sitting position and gazed at
his lover. “So the jerk succumbed?” He asked with a playful tone.

Heero, who was currently sprawled like a puddle of goo
over the chair, managed a slight nod. “After a sufficient amount of pleading,
yes.”

Duo chuckled. “I never thought I’d see the day when Heero
Yuy will plead instead of glare... well, outside of bed, I mean.”

Heero’s hand somehow managed to find a pillow from a
nearby sofa and he threw it at Duo’s face. “Baka.” He muttered, shaking his
head tiredly. He threw a limp arm over his eyes, hiding from the dim light of
the room.

“Hmm... that’s the third ‘baka’ I’ve gotten today... I’m
on a roll...” Duo pointed out, throwing the pillow back at his lover. He slowly
got off the comfortable bed and made his way to Heero. He stopped to open the
curtain on the way, revealing a magnificent view of the colony lights sparkling
below. The traffic was alert as always, the red and yellow of various vehicles
painting the roads like a river of light. The L1 skyscrapers offered a random
display of office lights, while the malls and entertainment districts shone in
a more colorful display of neon illumination.

Duo took a stand behind Heero’s chair and rubbed his
shoulders gently, massaging his tense muscles. “Why won’t you take a nice long
shower?” he suggested with a warm whisper, rubbing his fingers against Heero’s
warm flesh. “You can even use the Jacuzzi... it will help you relax.”

Heero sighed, opening his eyes, which were still hidden
under his arm. “All I really want is a nice long sleep... I’m exhausted.” He
mumbled, his voice sleepy.

Duo continued his massage silently, simply enjoying the
feel of Heero’s skin under his fingers. When a considerable amount of time went
by, he stopped, looking down at Heero in question.

“Hey, lover-boy, you sleeping?”

Still hidden behind his limp arm, Heero slurred a small
“Uh huh...”

Duo smiled in compassion. “Want me to help you to bed?”

“Mum hmm...” Heero muttered incoherently, feeling too
heavy to move or talk. When Duo finally helped him to his feet, he stretched
and yawned before turning to Duo with thankful eyes.

“I think I better shower first... it’s been a long day.”
He said, smiling tiredly.

Duo nodded and tapped on his shoulder. “Sure, no problem.
I’ll wait in bed with a goodnight kiss just for you.” He added with a loving
smile, guiding his lover to the bathroom.

“Thanks.” Heero said as they stopped at the door. He
turned to Duo and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “See you then.” He said and
then entered the shower. Duo waited a few more seconds by the door, watching it
thoughtfully, before he made his way to the phone. He settled in the chair with
a heavy sigh and picked up the phone. After dialing, he waiting for the
operator in the lobby to answer.

“L1 Colonial Plaza Switchboard.” A woman’s voice soon
replied.

“Hello,” He mumbled, straightening in his seat. “I need to
make a long distance call to Earth please.” He took a deep breath to calm
himself. His heart was racing like it did back at the café when he made the
first call. That phone call was relatively easy. Now was the hard part. Nora
told him that it will be hard, but he promised to not only do his best, but
also to succeed. She trusted him, and he was not going to fail her.

*  
*   *

Neither of them got much sleep that night. They lay in
bed, holding each other while watching the night crawl by. Heero lay on his
back; one hand under his head while his other arm was wrapped around his lover
in a gentle embrace. Duo was lying close to him, skin pressed to skin, his head
resting on oo’s naked chest. His hand lay limply over Heero’s stomach, just
lying there, feeling the heat of his lover’s flesh. Both their eyes were open,
shining in the dark.

The balcony curtains were still open and both stared
numbly at the view. An eerie neon glow washed the city below, L1’s skyscrapers
glimmering with the midnight illumination. The main roads were still busy with
traffic; the silent hiss of cars flowing down the asphalt was like a silent
lullaby to the L1 nighttime. The large water canal that split the colony to two
seemed like a long black snake tearing through the forest of skyscrapers. A few
ships were sailing down the canal, their fancy lights reflecting off the black
water. A large amusement park was sparkling in a colorful display of lights,
which reflected on the water. A Ferris wheel, glowing with all the colors of
the rainbow, spun lazily as it towered over the canal.

Duo watched the giant wheel’s movement with tired, aching,
eyes. He exhaled a small sigh and closed his eyes, wishing for sleep to come.
He concentrated on the slow movement of Heero’s chest, heaving gently up and
down as he breathed. A small smile pulled at his lips at the feeling of Heero’s
soft fingertips brush casually over the small of his naked back. Pleasant
shivers tickled him under his skin as Heero continued to caress him
absentmindedly.

Heero lay still, listening to his lover’s breathing while
his hand offered small caressed to the soft, warm, skin of his lower back. He
felt Duo’s body slowly relax under his soft ministrations as his breathing
slowly evened out. In a matter of minutes, Duo was asleep, lying heavily
against his chest. He didn’t mind. That weight comforted him in ways he
couldn’t begin to explain. He held Duo close, his fingers moving down to brush
against the soft rope of hair that lay sprawled over the mattress. He ran the
soft str bet between his fingertips, his still cobalt eyes watching the scenery
shown from the small terrace.

He could feel Duo twitch in his arms, his limbs jerking
slightly in his sleeps. He was dreaming, possibly a nightmare. A soft moan
escaped Duo’s lips and Heero held him tighter in response. The twitching ended
fairly quickly and Duo sunk deeply against Heero’s warm torso. He nuzzled his
head against the warm skin, as if trying to settle more comfortably into it.
Chestnut strands tickled Heero’s chest, raising a small smile on his lips. He
lay motionless, looking down at his lover. It seemed like the nightmare was
over, it was probably not that bad if Duo was still sleeping. Some nights, he
would wake up screaming, but those cases were becoming rare.

He expected that his mother’s death would give his own
nightmares a reason to return, but that didn’t happen. It’s been two weeks
since she died and his only response was light insomnia. He did dream of her,
small and precious memories flooding his mind while he was asleep. It was funny
what he remembered. Such small, seemingly insignificant things. The way her
hands felt against his, covered with baking flower while she guided his hands
over the doe. The way she always got baking powder into her long hair while
they worked in the kitchen. Her smile. That wide, careful smile on her delicate
lips. It was such a fragile smile, threatening to collapse at any moment, but
the sight of it was truly incredible. When she smiled, it even reached her dead
eyes. He remembered one time, when he took her to a concert and that smile
spread so widely on her lips, her eyes tearful at the sound of the magical
melody being played. He remembered what she had whispered so emotionally. “I
can see the music,” she said. He remembered the happiness he felt at making her
happy.

The little things. There were so many little things to
remember. He will miss them dearly. The feeling of her hand stroking his hair.
The sound of her laughter. The taste of the cakes only she could bake. The
smell of her shampoo and the way the light touched her long, flowing brown
hair. She was a beautiful woman, both inside and outside. He missed her so
much. He didn’t know if he could handle seeing her lying in a coffin, pale and frozen
in death. He asked the funeral home to dress her in her blue dress, the one he
remembered from his childhood and the one she liked to wear when Duo and he
came over for dinner. They kept her coffin in a special refrigerator until the
funeral arrangements will be completed. He didn’t see her since she had died at
the hospital, and now he was going to see her again. Dead.

He was a little appalled by an open-coffin funeral. He did
not like tdea dea of seeing someone dead lying in a cushioned coffin, wearing
their best clothes and make up. It seemed like a bizarre Christian tradition to
him, but he could understand the deeper meaning of it. It was some sort of
closure. The human mind was always delusional when it came to death. There was
always that stupid bud of hope blossoming somewhere, those little wishes a
person made, wishing that his loved one was not dead. Wishing that it was a
mistake, a misunderstanding between he and the higher powers that be. There
were always these little deals, the hollow promises. ‘I’ll go to church every
Sunday’, ‘I won’t steal ever again’, ‘I won’t this’ and ‘I will do that’. False
promises. Empty pledges a person was willing to make if only someone will bring
back his loved one. There was no end to those wishes and promises unless there
was cold, hard, proof of that loved one being gone. Closure. An open coffin was
closure. It helped people face the truth, and that was why he was going to look
into that coffin tomorrow. To make sure. To let his mind rest. To bid his mother
a final, painful, goodbye.

Taking a deep breath, Heero moved to lie on his side,
maneuvering Duo so he will lie down with him. The longhaired man opened half an
eye, looking sleepily at Heero before curling deeply into the covers and diving
back into slumber. Heero watched him for a few moments; his eyes lingering to
the sight of Duo’s bangs as they lay sprawled across his face, obscuring his
eyes. With a heavy sigh, he finally closed his eyes and buried his head into
the pillow, wishing tomorrow will never come.

*  
*   *

The visit to the funeral home was short. Heero signed
whatever papers they presented to him, thanked a man or two for taking care of
his mother’s coffin throughout the flight from Earth and then went into the
main hall to see her. was was by his side the whole time, holding his hand
tightly.

She seemed peaceful enough, her face serene in sleep. An
eternal sleep, Heero had to remind himself. He reached a hand into the coffin
and touched her carefully, afraid that she will crumble in front of him. The
dead body did not disgust him. He had seen enough of those, and besides, she
was his mother. He let his fingertips brush gently down her cheek, and then
caressed her stiff hands, which were lying over her stomach. Tears filled his
eyes, and he sniffled. Still, there was a small, sad and helpless smile on his
lips. Closure. He had it now. Maybe now he will be able to sleep peacefully at
night.

“I don’t want to see it.”

“I didn’t want to come here either, Duo. But it was
something I had to do.”

He sighed, turning back to Heero. “I tried to go there,
you know. After the war... I spent two years in space trying to gather the
courage to go there, and in the end... I didn’t. I couldn’t.”

“Things changed.” Heero reminded him. He reached a hand to
cup Duo’s chin, gently turning him towards him. “You changed.”

Duo smiled, a weak, yet grateful, smile. “Look who’s talking.”
He mumbled, and kissed Heero’s hand.

Heero smiled and pulled his hand a  “Think about it.”
he said, settling more comfortably into the sofa. “You’ll get your closure and
that jacket you wanted.”

That earned a small laugh out of Duo. The ice melted and
the heavy tension was gone in a second. Heero smiled to himself. Duo’s
laughter, even when he was feeling down, could have a magical affect on
everything around him. It made things so much simple. So much easier to bear.
Even the weight of mourning.

“All right, Heero, I’ll think about it.” Duo said more
thoughtfully, and then snuggled against his lover. He let his brain absorb a
few cartoon images that flickered on the television and then smirked. “But if I
don’t find that jacket,R’re a dead man!”

*  
*   *

Merely an hour before the funeral they made love
furiously. Under the warm shower stream, the two lost themselves in passion.
Both were in desperate need for contact, for the feeling of life pumping so
vigorously through their veins. Hot, maddening passion awakening their bodies
with need. The desperate breathes, the helpless gasps, moaning and the frantic
beating of their hearts. Life. In the most primal form of it.

Heero was pressed against the white porcelain, his back
sliding up and down the slick wall as Duo drove into him. His legs were wrapped
tightly around Duo’s waist, to keep from falling. His body knew nothing but the
burning pleasure his lover’s movement inside him evoked. The tempo was mad,
every thrust almost violent. It hurt, and it drove him insane with the
intensity of it. He was screaming in pleasure, moaning and groaning loudly with
every hit that made sparkling white sensations burst inside of him.

His features were damp from the shower, washed with
pleasure, tears and water. Duo’s tempo slowed down in an attempt to prolong the
pleasure. There was sudden gentleness in his movements, his grip on Heero’s
hips loosening up a bit. They moved slowly, the passionate craze of wild sex
melting into a slow, gentle lovemaking.

Heero’s moans became silent whimpering of pleasure as he
felt Duo’s length move slowly inside him, letting him feel his entire length
brush along his inner walls. He cherished the feeling, all warm and moist
inside of him. His cheeks were flushed, a rosy color that painted his features
as his eyes closed in pure pleasure. He leaned his head back against the wall,
sinking into sensation. Duo rocked gently inside of him. He let his hands
wander up Duo’s back, grabbing a handful of his thick wet hair.

Tears filled his eyes. He was weeping Duo’s name, moaning
it and breathing it as the hot water rained from above. His mouth opened in a
silent cry as Duo’s warm lips found his nipple and began to suck it gently.
There were more kisses, everywhere on him. And Duo’s flesh... it was still
moving inside of him. So warm. He thought he heard himself sobbing. When Duo
kissed away his tears, he realized that he was crying. He did not care. There
was so much love inside of him, he couldn’t help but crying. It almost hurt.

Their pace grew quicker. Still pressed against the wall,
Heero pushed his hips forward, meeting Duo’s every thrust. His legs tightened
around Duo’s waist. There would be bruises there later, but neither of them
cared. Heero threw his head back and cried out in pleasure, his body convulsing
under the approaching orgasm.

As the mist of pleasure began to close in on his rational
mind, a flickering thought, like a fluttering butterfly, flew through his mind.
He somehow knew, that wherever Nora was, she was looking down at this and
smirking. He could still enjoy life, just like she had wanted him to. Smiling
to himself, Heero wrapped both his arms around Duo’s neck and he pushed down
against him one last time. He threw his head back as he shouted with the force
of his climax, a scream so loud and full of passion, that the sheer force of it
brought on Duo’s climax as well.

Spent, tired and panting, the two collapsed down to the
porcelain floor. They were both grateful for being alive.

*  
*   *

“God, our Creator,” The old Minister opened in a prayer,
standing in front of Nora’s grave. Duo and Heero were standing at the opposite
side, looking down at the grave as they held hands.

“The death of our beloved Nora, recalls our human
condition and the brevity of our lives on earth...” The Priest continued, and
Duo looked away, his eyes scanning the graveyard.

The cemetery was silent, as to be expected of it, of
course. The dead had no use for sound, nor did they have any use for the
greenery around them. It didn’t matter though, Duo mused. A cemetery was more
for the living than for the dead. It was a place for mourning, a place to visit
and cry over a beloved’s grave. Perhaps the dead appreciated it, in a way. But
Duo was never one to believe in greater things like the afterlife and such. He
saw no reason in it. If there was such a thing as the so-called afterlife, why
did people fight so hard to live? Why was the survival instinct ingrained so
deeply into the human brain? Why did a drowning man fight for his very last breath
if he knew that there was something better out there? Why bother? To Duo, the
answer was simple. People struggled to stay alive because deep down they knew
that there is no great reward after living. There’s just death. Cold, black and
heartless death. No existence.

“But for those who believe in your love death is not the
end, nor does it destroy the bonds that you forge in our lives.”

And therefore he didn’t even bother to listen as the
Minister offered a last prayer for Nora’s soul. It meant nothing. It was all
formality. God was not listening, he never did. Father Maxwell tried to
convince him otherwise once, but he had failed. Perhaps if he hadn't been
brutally murdered, things would have ended differently. Perhaps his faith would
have been restored. But things didn’t work out that way. The Priest standing if
front of them spoke empty words without meaning. He was sure that Heero felt
the same about it. He was rather certain that Nora felt the same too.

Still, it was just for formality. The cemetery did not
allow a burial without a Priest and a proper ceremony. So let the man speak,
Duo concluded. Get it over and done with.

“We share the faith of your Son's disciples and the hope
of the children of God. Bring the light of Christ's resurrection to this time
of testing and pain as we pray for Nora and for those who love her through
Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Duo rolled his eyes, but still, out of simple respect
towards the old man, muttered a small “Amen.” [i]

The old Minister smiled and closed his book. He bowed his
head humbly and offered a silent ‘I’m sorry’ before leaving the two alone by
the grave.

“Well, that was pointless.” Duo commented dryly, flipping
his braid over his shoulder.

Heero shrugged, taking a step closer to the fresh grave.
“I don’t know. It’s a nice idea.”

“Oh please!” Duo snorted. “It was just a bunch of useless
words he says at EVERY funeral.”

Crouching on the ground in front of his mother’s grave,
Heero turned to look up at his lover. “I’m not saying I believe in it, but you
must admit that the thought is comforting.”

Duo sighed, slumping his shoulders. “Do you really believe
she’s in a better e?&#e?” He asked, looking at Heero in defeat.

Heero shrugged and placed a small garland of flowers on
Nora’s grave. “Sometimes. It comforts me.”

“I thought you don’t believe in that stuff.” Duo muttered,
frowning.

Heero smiled at him, his eyes shining with amusement.
“It’s a bit contradictive, I admit.” he said slowly, thoughtfully, “But when I
think about it this way, it makes things easier.”

“So you think that all the people we’ve killed went to
Hell, Heaven or whatever?”

Heero frowne dar dark cloud shading his eyes. “Lets not
get into that, Duo.” He said almost coldly, rising up to his feet.

Duo sighed and waved his hands in a helpless motion. “Sorry.
It’s a touchy subject, that’s all.”

Heero nodded in understanding, once again thinking that it
would be a very good idea to visit L2 after this ordeal will be over. His lover
needed to put an end to his struggle, and visiting the ruins of the Maxwell Church
was the only way to do it. But that, he would leave for another time.>

Standing in front of the fresh grave, Heero looked down at
it solemnly. Only a few hours ago a tombstone bearing his name was hovering
over an empty grave. Now, another headstone, bearing his mother’s name,
replaced the gravestone bearing the name of Hikari Ishikawa. There was irony in
there somewhere, or something akin to it. Fate, if you may. It was easier to
believe in Fate than in God. He often amused himself with the idea. Wasn’t
meeting his mother by pure chance, and therefore bringing her absolution, a
sign of higher powers guiding them? He never gave it much thought, but he did
know one thing- there was no such thing as coincidence. There was something
more powerful, more meaningful behind all this. Maybe one day he will find out
what, exactly. Maybe he will be able to help Duo find out as well.

Duo stepped forward to take his hand, giving it a light
squeeze. “She died happy, Heero.” He said, his voice soothing. “She
was grateful for the chance to meet you.”

Smiling weakly, Heero closed
his eyes. “I know.” He whispered, squeezing Duo’s hand. “I’m grateful for it
too. I just... I just wish that...”

“That you didn’t have to lose
her again, I know.” Duo finished where Heero’s words failed. He leaned his head
on Heero’s shoulder, watching the grave as well. “But you have to look at it
this way- it was a miracle that you two met. You had the chance to affect each
other’s lives, and for the best.”

Heero smiled a small, hidden,
smile. He had just been thinking the same thing.

“She was happy to know you,
to be with you. She died with a smile, Heero. It’s also something to be
thankful for.”

“I know.” Heero whispered and
turned to Duo, taking both his hands in his. “There was a meaning behind it,
Duo. I’m sure.”

The young braided man offered
a small, doubtful, smile in return. “Maybe.” He said, looking away. He was
facing the large gate leading out of the cemetery and into a small parking lot.
His eyes narrowed as he saw two cars pull over by the gate. He watched as a
couple, a man and a woman, walked out of the first car. Their outfits were
black, as was their hair, and they were both fairly short. The woman was
carrying flowers.

Duo frowned, leaning forward
a bit in order to see better. Could it be? Dare he hope?

Another couple exited the
second car. Also a man and a woman. The woman was blond, her hair contrasting
with her black outfit. The man, her husband perhaps, was carrying flowers.

Duo watched the two pairs
walk stiffly towards one another. They stopped in a great distance from each
other, shaking hand but their movements were stiff. Duo could tell, even from
this distance, that the four knew each other, but were not very fond of one
another. There was great tension between them. It was obvious even from nearly
200 meters away. There was no doubt about it. It’s them. They made it.

Breathing in relief, Duo
turned to Heero and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention.

“Heero, look.” He said,
pointing at the gate. Heero turned, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he
watched the two couples walk into the cemetery. His mouth hung open with a
forming question, but Duo beat him to it.

“The couple over there,” Duo
said, gesturing at the blond woman and her husband, “They made it all the way
from Earth. I called them last night.”

“Who are they?” Heero asked,
his voice full of wonder as he watched the entourage approach.

“Nora wanted you to meet
them.” Was all Duo said, and Heero understood. There was no more need for
questions. She knew him so well that she knew that she to kto keep this a
secret from him. He would have run away if she hadn’t.

He stood quietly and watched them approach. The first two
were both Japanese, around forty years of age. The man, he could see the
resemblance to his father, was a few inches taller than him, with pleasant
features and tidy black hair. The woman, who must be his wife, was a short and
chubby woman, with long curly black hair and features that could only be
described as ‘motherly’. When their eyes met, she smiled at him, a big warm
smile he had seen on some Christmas movie. He nodded in acknowledgement and
turned to look at the other couple.

The blond woman was walking stiffly and determinedly
towards the grave, her head held high. Her dyed blond hair was set in a short
and elegant hairstyle, bouncing up and down as she walked. She was dressed in a
black business suit, her features as hard as stone as she walked. Her face
betrayed nothing, but he couldn’t help but notice the anger in her blue eyes. Pure
resentment, maybe even betrayal. He remembered what his mother told him about
how she left her family on Earth in order to begin a new life in space, along
with her husband. The family did not see eye to eye with her. That woman, she
must be her sister.

The blond woman’s husband was walking a few steps behind
her. He seemed more compassionate than his wife, his features honest and
sorrowful as he walked towards the grave, holding a garland of flowers.

The Japanese man stopped in front of Heero and offered his
hand for a handshake. “Daisuke Ishikawa, your uncle. Hajimemashite.”
He said, smiling genlty.

Heero smiled and nodded in
return. He reached a hesitant hand to shake with the man before him. “Heero
Yuy.”

The man smiled and nodded in
return. He gestured at the woman by his side. “My wife, Maya.”

The Japanese woman took a
small bow and smiled warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Heero.” She said,
her tone slightly sheepish. “The last time we met you were three years old.”
She commented with a bitter smile, though her brown eyes shone brightly. They
were gradually filling with tears, until the motherly woman could hold back no
more and she hugged Heero tightly.

“It’s so great to see you!”
She called, nearly suffocating him. “How you’ve grown!” She continued
excitedly, pulling back to have a good look at him. “My, my! You look just like
your father! Doesn’t he, Daisuke?” She said, turning her cheeky face to her
husband.

Daisuke smiled kindly and
nodded his head. He did not turn his eyes off Heero. “I’m your father’s older
brother,” he explained, “And seeing you now reminds me of how he was when we
were little. The resemblance is uncanny.”

Heero managed to smile back,
somehow. He was still in shock. This whole situation was more than bizarre. It
was almost unreal. He turned to the other couple. He noted that the man was
laying the flowers by the grave. The blond woman was looking at him
impatiently, tapping her black high heel shoe on the ground.

When she noted that Heero was
looking at her, she turned to him with her cold eyes. Her lips rose in a
sarcastic impression of a smile. “Vanessa Woodridge,” she snapped as if annoyed
by the fact that she must introduce herself. “Nora’s older sister.” She added
and then gestured at her husband. “My husband, Wayne.”

The man, who struck Heero
like the submissive kind, a poor fellow ruled by his wife’s iron rules,
approached him with a warm smile. They shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Heero.”

Vanessa glared at both of
them and then turned back to Heero. “We never met, so I don’t have any cute
stories to tell you. I only came here to pay my last respects to my foolish
sister.”

Heero nodded, taking an
unconscious step back. He didn’t like that woman and he felt uncomfortable
under her gaze. Clearing his throat, he gestured at Duo who was standing
silently by his side.

“This is Duo Maxwell.” He
said and Duo took a step forward. “He’s my--”

“I’m a good friend of
Heero’s.” Duo cut in, shaking Wayne’s and Daisuke’s hand with a smile.

“We’re lovers.” Heero
corrected, catching Duo, and everyone, by surprise. He glared defiantly at
everyone. He had no business lying to these people, and he was unwilling to
hide who he was. He was not ashamed of his love for Duo, nor was he going to
hide it from people he didn’t even know. They might be his family by blood and
law, but Duo was his life. How can he deny someone so important? Duo might have
thought he was protecting him by presenting himself as a mere friend, but the
way Heero saw it- there was nothing to be protected from. If those people
couldn’t accept his as whom he was, there was no reason for him to accept them
as his family. It was that simple.

Both men seemed rather
shocked, and Vanessa was appalled. Maya was the first to recover. Blushing
lightly, she reached a hand towards Duo.

“Well! Uh, it’s a pleasure to
meet you, Duo.” She said and shook his hand. Her husband, Daisuke, did the
same. Wayne was the next to follow, mumbling an embarrassed “How do you do?”

Only Vanessa remained
standing frozen, as if afraid that if she will move, she will somehow be
contaminated by something like AIDS.

“Did Nora...” She began, her
voice trailing off as she looked back at Heero.

“Yes, she knew.” Heero cut
in. “She had no problem with it.”

Wayne smiled, a wide and
toothy smile. Heero couldn’t help but think that this man was with the wrong
woman. “That’s Nora all right. She was always a free spirit!”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “And
look where it got her. She left Earth for the Colonies, went blind and then
died of cancer. Pff! Good going!”

Her words hurt Heero more
than any physical pain. How dare this woman, his aunt no less, speak that way
of the most amazing woman he ever knew? How dare she!

He turned to her with an
angry glare that could have made the entire oceans freeze over. “Nora lived her
life to the fullest, and she had no regrets.” His voice was cold and hard as he
spoke, his cobalt eyes piercing into the blond woman with a vengeance. “She
died happy. Not many people attain that privilege.”

Vanessa seemed to get angrier
at every word, her shoulders trembling as if she was about to launch at Heero
with her fists. Wayne placed a strong hand around her shoulders, to restrain
her more than to calm her. He smiled apologetically. “Forgive my wife, Heero.
She is just upset. Nora’s death affected her greatly, despite what it may look
like.”

“Sure doesn’t seem that way
to me... May Maya whispered to her husband out the corner of her mouth. Duo caught
her words and smiled in amusement. That was woman was cooler than he expceted
her to be.

“You shouldn’t have come
here, Vanessa.” Daisuke intervened, his tone reprimanding.

“I have every right to be
here! She was my sister!” The woman growled.

“You can at least try to
forgive her.” Maya said softly, her gaze compassionate as she gazed at the
angry woman. “Your eyes hold the same amount of anger they held at Hayashi’s
funeral. You had a chance to forgive her then, when she needed you the most.
But here you are now, still spitting angry words at everybody.”

The blond woman opened her
mouth to reply sharply, but no words came out. She remained gaping at the
Japanese woman for a while, before snapping her mouth shut and whirling around
to face he husband. “Come on, Wayne, we’re leaving.” She snapped, shoving her
black purse under her armpit. “I don’t have to take this from you! Any of you!”
She muttered angrily, turning her back to them as she stalked towards the gate.

Wayne offered a helpless,
apologetic smile. “She doesn’t handle grief very well.” He explained and it
seemed like he was about to say something more, before thinking better of it.
With a final little smile, he clumsily shook Daisuke’s and Maya’s hands.

“It was good to see you all
again. Take care.” He said, and then turned to Heero. “She’s not a bad woman.”
He said, his expression giving the impression that he knew that his words were
useless. “I’m glad to see that you’re still alive, Heero. Take care.” He nodded
his goodbye to the young Japanese man and hurried to follow his wife.

Heero watched the two enter
the car. It was a while before they drove off. Heero thought he could see
Vanessa collapse into tears in the driver’s seat, but he couldn’t be sure. It
was probably his imagination, but when he looked up again, he could see Wayne
leaning towards her, offering a comforting hug. The woman shoved him away and
started the car. And just like that, they were gone. He couldn’t help but get
the feeling that he will never see them again.

“Good riddance.” Maya
muttered, rolling her eyes. She turned back to her nephew. “I never liked her,”
she said, “I never understood what business she had in Hayashi’s funeral. Nora
was feeling torn apart as it is, and then that woman came and tried to convince
her to come back home to the fmaily business! How insensitive!” She exclaimed,
turning to watch Daisuke who was kneeling in front of his brother’s grave,
pulling out a few weeds from around the tombstone. His movements were careful
and loving. It almost hurt to watch.

“Nora couldn’t bear to leave
this place, where she buried her family.” Maya mumbled, her gaze forlorn as she
watched her husband rest his hand over the headstone, touching Hayashi’s name.

“But she did.” Heero pointed
out, feeling the urge to know more. “Why?”

Maya sighed, shaking her
head. “I don’t know.” She said, turning back to her nephew. “Maybe the memories
became too much. Daisuke and I, we offered all the help we could give, but
after some time she refused us. She wanted to forget, I suppose. So she went
back to Earth. We never heard from her since. We knew nothing of her
whereabouts, until Duo called us yesterday.”

Heero turned to look at his
lover, and Duo offered a small, sheepish smile in return.

“Are you two staying here
long?” Daisuke asked, finally rising to his feet. He came to stand by his wife.
He looked at Heero straight in the eye, and for the first time Heero noted that
the Japanese man in front of him had grayish-green eyes.

Daisuke smiled. “Would you
like to see where you used to live?”

*   *   *

“No, that’s okay.” Heero replied in a distant, dreamy
voice, still looking at the white building. “I remember it.”

He felt Duo come to stand by his side, taking his hand. He
didn’t turn to look at him, his eyes glued to the sight of a young mother
playing with her son.

“I’ll go wait in the car.” Daisuke mumbled sheepishly and
left the two lovers alone. He entered the car, where his wife was waiting, and
the two watched the couple standing in the park, their expression wistful.

“He’s really back, isn’t he?” Maya mumbled, her eyes
tearful. She was speaking Japanese.

“Hai.” Her husband agreed, also in Japanese. “He looks so
much like him, dear. It’s amazing.”

She smiled. “Nora knew what she was doing when she
reunited us.” She said, turning to face her husband with tearful eyes. “I think
that they would both like us to be a part of his life. Hayashi wouldn’t have it
any other way.”

Daisuke nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the sight of
the young Japanese man walking into the park, holding hands with his braided
lover. “Though he would have a fit if he knew Hikari was gay.” He commented
with a humorous tone.

Maya chuckled and slapped him playfully over the head. “Oh
anata!” She called. “That was so mean!”

And the two burst into a well-hearted laughter, one of
which they didn’t have in years.

*  
*   *

They parted ways with Daisuke and Maya after the trip to
the park. The married couple dropped them off at the hotel, after making the
two promise that they will meet them for dinner at least once before they leave
the colony. Maya insisted that Heero would meet his cousins and niece. He had
no choice but to agree, his aunt was an insistent woman.

That evening, they ordered dinner to their room. A dish of
roast beef and pasta, along with a bottle of red wine. Duo scattered candles
all around the room and Heero spread a small picnic map on the floor. The two
sat in the middle of the room, within a sea of candles, and ate their dinner.
They saved the dessert for the shower. Filling the Jacuzzi with water, the two
settled in the warm water, trying to relax. It had been a very long day.

Heero was sitting behind Duo, his back resting against the
smooth porcelain of the large bathtub. Duo was sitting between Heero’s
straddles legs, his back pressed against his chest. His hair was unbound,
floating lazily over the water. They didn’t turn the Jacuzzi on, so the water
was still. Duo poured nearly half a bottle of soap and bath oils into the tub
and the exotic aroma filled the room. There were three candles burning in
various places around the large bathroom, casting a dim orange light on
everything. Shadows danced gracefully across the walls, and the only sound was
the dripping of water when either of them moved.

Heero raised his hand out of the water, holding a soaked
sponge. He wringed a bit and then pressed it against Duo’s shoulder, slowly
massaging him. He felt like spoiling his longhaired lover. Duo surely deserved
it. He had done so much for him lately, more than he could ever repay for.
Tonight, he wanted to pamper him, show him his love in a more tender, sweeter
way. Besides, after their little lovemaking session that afternoon, he was too
sore to do much more.

“Catchy, isn’t it?” Duo asked, looking up to seek his
lover’s face, who was hovering somewhere above him. Heero smiled down at him,
and Duo smiled back. He leaned down to kiss him on the lips. Without a word, he
returned to washing his lover’s hair. The bathroom coated with a honey like
silence, pleasant and warm in the same time. Duo’s pleasant voice continued to
hum quietly, accompanied by the soft dripping of water as Heero shifted his
position. He turned to hug his lover, both of them sinking deeper into the
water. He pulled Duo close, one warm and slick body against another, and leaned
back against the porcelain for support. Both lovers closed their eyes in pure
bliss.

“Heero?” Duo broke the silence, opening his eyes.

“Hmm?”

Duo sighed. “I did some thinking, and...” he stopped, a
dramatic pause, and then turned to look up at Heero. “I’m wig tog to make that
trip to L2.” He said, his eyes shining under the mellow candlelight.

Heero smiled at him. “I’m glad.” He said, reaching up a
dripping hand to caress Duo’s hair.

“But not now.” Duo added, “Maybe later.”

“When you’re ready.” Heero assured him, stroking his hair
gently.

“Will we come back here?” He asked, leaning his head back
so he could look down at Heero. He could feel Heero’s chest falter under him.

“I think so, yes.” He answered thoughtfully, looking down
at Duo. “Why?”

Duo smirked and then shrugged casually. “Oh, nothing. I
just think that Maya is a really cool woman, yanno? She can kick some seri ass ass.”

Heero chuckled and shook his head. “You know what you are,
don’t you?”

Duo grinned. “Yup! A total baka!” He called out in pride, waving
an imaginary flag in the air.

“You are hopeless, Duo. Hontou ni.”

The grin was back on Duo’s lips as he melted into Heero’s
warm body, sinking against him with a pleasant sigh. “Mumm... and that’s why
you love me so much...”

Heero smiled and wrapped his arms around Duo’s slick body.
“Hai, Duo, that’s why I love you so much.”

They returned to lying silently in the warm water, soaked
with love and warmth. Ten days later, the two returned to Earth, and
life moved on.

OWARI.

.

. .

. . .

. . . .

Um... Disappointed? Happy?
Bored to death?! Tell me all about it! Please!

And, uh, one more thing. I
don't make a habit out of asking for fan art... but I would
REEEEAAAALLLLLYYYYYYY appreciate some fan art for this story. If you like it
enough to draw something for me... well, all I can really offer in return is my
sincere and eternal gratitude... Will it be enough? *puppy pout*

If not, well, can you at
least review? *pleading chibi-eyes* Pwease?

Naomi.

Back

[i]  The text was taken from the “Order of
Christian Funerals”. I am
sorry if I’m offending anyone with this. Belief in God is a very touchy subject
to deal with, I know. So if anyone was offended by the way I treated the
subject, I apologize. Let me just say that I myself am I strong believer in
God. Anything I write here has nothing to do with me. I remember reading in
Episode Zero that Duo said that he didn’t believe in God. Heero said the same
thing on the show. A lot of fan fiction authors portray Duo as a faithful
Christian. I wanted to write something different. So, once again, if I have
offended you, my apologies.

[ii]  In case you have a small hole in your
education, and no one ever read you the story of Peter Pan when you were
little, then here’s a little FYI: 
In order to get to Neverland, Peter’s home, you must fly to the “second
star to the right, and straight till morning”. Just FYI. ^_~