Watch Over You

Disclaimer: Don’t own, don’t sue.
Pairing: 1+2 (suggested 1x2)
Song Used: Watch Over You – Alter Bridge (again, don’t own, don’t sue)


Watch Over You

Heero POV

Leaves are on the ground
Fall has come

I watched him as he hurried ahead of me down the walkway. He didn’t want to attract attention. We were supposed to be under cover at a male boarding school conveniently located near an OZ base. The bell for class had already rung, so he sped ahead of me, then would stop every thirty feet or so to dance about, complaining that I was taking being late too lightly. What do I care, honestly? One glare at a teacher and they press upon nothing. So why would I hurry, when I can enjoy my time with Duo?

Originally I hated him, and I made that clearly known. He’s loud, and obnoxious. Yet, he has an air of superiority, and grace about him. He can run his mouth and back it up. After every battle, I watch him tend to his wounds and re-braid his hair, and I wonder how anyone else hadn’t jumped at the opportunity to be his love.

When I learned of his past, a cold night when we both were shot down and awaited pick up, I didn’t shy away, like he later explained he thought I would. I held him. Kept him close as he cried into my shoulder.

I think I love him.

I contemplate this as leaves swirl about my feet, then drift off into the air. A cool autumn breeze carries them away.

Blue skies turning grey
Like my love

Shutting my eyes, my head tilts upward as I savor the calming breeze. I know deep down that I cannot love him, that I must crush my feelings for him now, before the final battle. It’s fast approaching, and if something happens to me during it…I could never allow Duo to suffer through that alone.

So I’ll simply ignore my heart.

“Heero?” My eyes snap open and I turn when I hear my name whispered so sorrowfully from those gentle pink lips.

Oh god but I love him.

The tears fill my eyes before I even have a chance to prevent them from spilling forth.

“It’s okay Heero. It’ll be okay,” Duo softly crooned to me. If only.

I tried to carry you
And make you whole

After my break down, Duo fretted about me more often, and always wanted to talk. It bothered me, not that he showed me such attentions, but that I broke down to begin with. Since when does the perfect soldier cry?

“Heero?” Every time he says my name, he sounds so tentative, so nervous.

“Yes Duo?”

“We’re gonna make it through this final battle, right?”

I looked up sharply. He was wringing his hands, auburn bangs hiding his amethyst gems from my sight. He sounded so scared.

“Of course Duo.”

He looked up, and his sad eyes made something in my chest tighten. “Really, Heero?”

At first I didn’t think I could answer him truthfully, but my voice managed to find itself. “Yes,” I lamely croaked out, and then added a bit more confidently, “I’ll keep you safe.”

But it was never enough
I must go

Walking away from him was the most difficult thing I could do. Reassuring Duo that I felt for him the way he did for me brought us closer than ever. So it was understandable that as I left, Trowa escorted me, making sure I wouldn’t turn back, as Quatre tried to calm a sobbing Duo. My heart was cracking in my chest, I could feel it.

Who is gonna save you
When I’m gone
And who'll watch over you
When I'm gone?

We all fought for our lives in the end. The radio crackled as our five different voices shouted commands and messages back and forth. I couldn’t bear to hear a reaction, so I cut my radio as I locked my arms into the most powerful enemy’s, and hit the self-destruct button.

Communications forgotten, I was shocked when my vid feed crackled to life. And there was my angel’s face, tears streaming down it. At that moment I hated myself for initiating the self-destruct sequence.

“I don’t want to,” I mumbled pitifully, tears coming to my eyes.

He choked back a sob and his fingers touched the screen. My own itched forward and felt for his. “Heero…”

For the first time in my life I cried openly. “Ai shiteru Duo… oh god I love you.”

“Shhh,” he cooed gently to me, “I love you too, it’s going to be okay Heero. Remember? You promised, we’d make it. I love you.”

Alarms started sounding, and I cried out for him as my suit went up in flames.

You say you care for me
But hide it well

Silence met my ears as I came around. Judging by my drug induced state, another pilot must be here. Only they know it takes enough drugs for five men to barely put me under.

Scanning the room, my eyes rest on my braided lover, slumped in a chair on the far side of the room.

Later on the others told me how he threatened many doctors and nurses in order to gain access to my room.

How can you love someone
And not yourself?

I could see the lines of worry etched upon his beautiful face, even as he slept. Guilt for what I had done gripped me terribly. The cards and signs scattered about the room congratulating me on saving the world meant nothing compared to the worry I must have caused Duo.

And when I'm gone
Who will break your fall?
Who will you blame?

Pain shot through me as I tried to speak. My voice is so raw even to my own ears. Coughing followed, and by the time I reopened my eyes, Duo was in front of me, frightened violet eyes boring into my pained cobalt.

Every muscle in my body protested as I reached up for him. Duo must have sensed this because he opened his mouth to order me to stop moving as I gently grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him down for a kiss.

“You scared the shit outta me!” He glared when we parted for air.

“I know,” I wheezed.

“You’ve been out for almost two months,” he added softly. Fear clutched at my heart. Did he move on? Am I too late? I did leave him, after I promised not to…

“Duo…” My eyes stung and my chest hurt. Is this really fair to him? To expect him to remain by my side, after months of unconsciousness, and now months of physical therapy?

I can't go on
And let you lose it all
It's more than I can take
Who'll ease your pain?
Ease your pain

“His name’s Ben.” He explained that he met Ben in the cafeteria at the hospital one day while visiting me. How ever since then Ben has been his source of comfort and support. They’ve gone to the movies, and jogged together in the park.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why should you be?” Did I really sound that bitter?

He looked so hurt, as he left the room.

Who is gonna save you
When I'm gone?

He had cried for me, now I’m wondering if he had meant it.

Who'll watch over you?

And now he has Ben.

Who will give you strength
When you're not strong?

I’ll never be able to hold him like I used to.

Who'll watch over you
When I've gone away?

Now Ben holds him in the middle of the night, when he whimpers in his sleep from the night terrors.

I still wake up screaming.

Snow is on the ground
Winter’s come

The snow silently falling outside of my apartment building was an odd comfort. It’s so pure, like my ex love.

The sleek black gun in my hands was a sharp contrast. Sinister, it silently speaks volumes of what it has accomplished.

All morning I worked on building the confidence. I’d pace about, place it to my temple, then bring it back down and pace more. Duo would have found it humorous, the perfect soldier unable to do something as simple as kill.

Fate is so cruel. The phone rang that afternoon, and after my inner debate I answered.

“Heero,” his voice was just as lovely as the last time I’d heard it.

“What?” Long gone was my kindness.

A long silence followed. He didn’t know what to say, and I was losing patience.

“What?” I repeated harshly.

“I miss you,” he whispered roughly into the phone. “You…you never called after you were released from the hospital, and I got worried. I figured you’d want your space, we all did after the war ended. I just thought…I dunno, that you’d call me or something,” he finished lamely.

Heaving a sigh, I tried not to imagine his pretty face contort with pain. “I did not call, because I never wished to speak with you, Duo. We’ve gone our separate ways. You can hang up now, and tell Ben all about this conversation. I’m going to go-”

“Is that what this is about?” he demanded shrilly. “You never spoke to me again because of Ben?!” He inhaled harshly and I could tell he was on the verge of a break down. “Christ Yuy! The love of my life decides to bring down the enemy with a suicide tactic and remains in a coma for two months and you expect me to deal with that by myself? Sure he wanted more, but I made sure he was just a friend. That shit I said at the hospital, I don’t know, I wanted to make you jealous, or test to see if you still cared, or something. I never expected you to run off and not try talking to me for forever! I…” He paused to hold back sobs.

Man did I feel like shit. I thought I’d given Duo a chance to be together with his new lover, when I’d just hurt him even more.

“Meet me somewhere.” God I sounded so desperate.

After a short pause to collect himself, Duo murmured, “Where?”

I released a relieved sigh. “Quatre’s old cottage in the mountains? I live nearby, and I can’t manage traveling very far yet,” I felt ridiculous revealing that.

“Yeah sure,” he eagerly responded.

You long to hear my voice
But I'm long gone

The media devoured the news of our relationship. Quatre and Trowa expressed their approval, having been revealed in news as a couple shortly after the war had ended. They had made no move to hide their relationship from the public eye, but Duo and I are more private people by nature.

People tried to figure out where we lived, but besides when we showed up to one of Quatre’s extravagant parties, we were rarely photographed. And that’s just how we liked it.

Fading from the public eye, so we could blend into each other.


A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I just love Heero and Duo. They really are the perfect couple. Well, please R&R. Thanks!