Original Message

“DUO-!!!!!!!!!” The scream echoed throughout the air like a pulsing heartbeat, while the heat of the flames danced in the darkness, cackling their torment to the starless sky.

“Let go, let go! Duo!” My throat was hoarse from screaming and I started to cough from the smoke inhalation but I couldn’t stop, I had to get back in. The stupid baka! But they just wouldn’t let. Me. GO!

“Goddammit, Yuy,” I heard Chang hiss from his hold on my right arm, “Stop already, there’s nothing you can do!”

Trowa didn’t say anything, his grip just tightened.

My heart wouldn’t stop pounding, eyes affixed to the roaring flames in front of me, grinning mockingly. I had only one chance; I just hoped it worked.

I let myself go slack, forcing my heartbeat to slow to a sluggish crawl, drooping to the ground.

I mentally ticked time off in my head, waiting. I heard Chang sigh and loosen his grip, a silent sign for Trowa to do the same.

I slammed my elbows into their kidneys and flew forward, ignoring the shocked gasps of pain behind me or the shouts of the other Agents telling me to stop. I just couldn’t. Duo was still in there, I wouldn’t let him die.

As I entered the fiery tunnel I refused to acknowledge that tiny voice that smiled in grim acceptance of my back up plan. Because if Duo wasn’t coming out, neither was I.

…

Fuck it was hot.

I coughed again as I dodged another falling beam, my hand pulling up the collar of my black suit to cover the bottom half of my face.

I gritted my teeth and jumped over burning piles of ash and forged ahead, ignoring the sting in my eyes and the inferno on my skin. If I could just get to the entrance of the damned tunnel where I had left Duo I would have a chance. I would-

The wall next to me burst into flames, rock and wood shredding my skin to pieces. I bit back a scream as slivers of flaming wood imbedded themselves into my skin. I collapsed onto the other wall, eyes screwed shut, trying not to breathe too heavily because of the smoke.

I couldn’t stay here Duo needed me. I pushed myself off the wall and staggered forward, hissing when I stumbled and grabbed a piece of burning beam. Fuck. This wasn’t going good.

I blinked as I continued forward and shook my head. Black? I groaned as my chest constricted and I felt tears gather in my eyes. The edges of my vision were getting hazy and I didn’t have long left. Double fuck, I should have stolen an oxygen pack off of one of the trucks.

I shook my head again. Keep mind on track. If I don’t I might not make it. Baka. That’s it, think ‘baka’.

It was too hot, too smoggy, I can’t feel anything-barely see…

I tripped over something and face planted into the ground, barely conscious of the fires of Hell blazing around me in a swirling tsunami.

It was a force of will just to get my head to turn around to see what I tripped on. I gasped, inhaling smoke and began coughing as I slowly got myself to turn around and crawl back the way I had come.

There was my goal, lying half propped against the exit of the tunnel. He had used the side like a doorway in an earthquake. He was less likely to get crushed by the explosion that way.

There were beams piled up all around him, obviously from the first explosion.

I finally reached him, hoisting my body above his, squinting at his face for injuries, tears finally falling from my eyes. Stupid smoke.

“Duo?” It came out more of a croak than a name but I had to say it anyway. It was then that I saw his hair.

Triple fuck it all to hell! I grabbed the burning end of the braid and crushed it to the ground, smothering out the flames and quickly tucked the rest of it in the neck of Duo’s jacket. It was then I noticed the blood.

I was running out of swear phrases. I tracked the trail to a gouge in his hairline and got so close my nose could have touched it. Yep. It was bad.

Another blast rocked the foundation around us. I pitched us forward to the side, rolling from the collapsing beam, Duo’s head tucked under my chin. The rest of his body cradled in the protective ball of mine.

I was panting now, almost suffocating. My eyes darted around and I couldn’t find my way out. I had lost my focus point. Any way I took us could be wrong, I could be risking taking us deeper into death’s clutches and the flames were everywhere.

I heard a groan and looked down. Duo was coughing, face pale and caked in ashes and small burns.

I felt the world rock around us and smiled as I tucked my head on top of his, my body cradling us together.

I’m sorry I couldn’t say this before. I love you, you stupid baka. Then the world erupted in an explosion of heat and darkness.

…


Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…

I inwardly groaned, what was that awful noise?

I forced my eyes to open, wincing at the too bright light. Oh, fuck it, this must be the Heaven Duo was always going on about. It was sure as hell white enough.

“You’re up.” The voice was familure.

I forced my eyes open again to see a hazy figure blotting out the light. Thank God.

“You gave us quite a scare, Yuy. But it’s probably pointless to tell you not to do it again.”

Wait, wait what was, “Sally, why are you in Heaven?”

A choked sputter was his immediate answer. “I don’t know whether to be insulted or laugh.”

There was a sudden crash as something hit the wall and Sally was suddenly out of his line of sight and the white light was back. He winced as the noise around him rose to a roar.

“Quiet!” Sally’s voice over road all the others and there was blessed silence.

There was some more muttering and then she was back, talking to him. “Okay, Heero, I’m going to have to put you out for a little while longer and the next time you wake up I’ll take you to Duo.”

He was suddenly up, Sally trying to push him back down onto the bed. “Duo?”

Sally was cursing as she yelled at others to come help her.

“Heero, calm down! Stop thrashing, godammit! Oh, hell.” She was gone and a couple seconds latter He felt as if a train had hit him, a lethargic feeling claming his limbs.

He couldn’t move and fell backward, words slurring together, “Duo-”


…

That horrible beeping noise was back. He groaned again, head throbbing and dared to open his eyes.

It wasn’t as bad as the last time but he still had to squint.

Walls, white walls, and he was-in a bed? He turned his head, ignoring the pain and saw the heart monitor and the I.V. to his left. Hospital? But why would I-?

Then it hit him. The fire. The explosion. Duo…

Panic hit him as he lurched forward, heart monitor suddenly going wild.

The curtain to his right was suddenly thrown back and he was abruptly staring into the face of the one he was looking for, similar panic covering his face.

“Heero!?” His voice was raw and held a tinge of fear.

The heart monitor slowly decreased into its regular rhythm. “Duo?” He winced. It hurt to talk.

Duo’s eyes seemed to be taking in every inch of him before he finally sighed and released the curtain, shoulders slumping.

“Duo?” Heero tried talking again.

Duo turned to look at him, violet eyes weary and bruised. “Dumbass, what were you thinking?”

Sudden rage consumed him as he pitched himself between the beds and grabbed onto Duo’s shoulders and started to shake him. “Thinking! Thinking! What the fuck were you ‘thinking’?” His throat cried out in extreme pain but he ignored it, the full force of his energy riveted on the braded boy in front of him.

“You could have died!” Duo yelled right back, ignoring Heero shaking him.

“So could’ve you!”

His arms were shaking now with the force of clutching Duo and the sudden weakness, he fell forward, black rushing into his vision.

A panicky voice and strong arms clutched him and held him against something warm.

The familure voice kept murmuring nonsense and stroking his hair. Finally everything was back into focus and the voice was now comprehensible.

“You stupid, stupid, stupid shithead. I almost lost you.”

Heero levered himself up and grasped Duo around his waist, burying his face into his neck, breathing in the scent of Duo. “Baka, I almost lost you too.”

Nothing was said for a long time, as they just lay there.

Duo felt something wet on his neck and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Heero’s mussed up head of hair. “Heero?”

“Stupid smoke.” The murmured reply came against his skin.

Neither one spoke the fact there wasn’t any smoke in the room.