Broken English

The next four days Heero was increasingly worried. His calls to the student were unanswered as well as his multiple e-mails, MySpace messages and texts. The distance was growing and Heero was falling into a panic. He cancelled his plans to go out with his friends on Friday just to try diligently to contact Duo. Once he got home from working a late night he checked his e-mail. His heart leapt when he saw there was one from his beloved.

= = = “Duo Maxwell”
Hey love how are you?
Internet has been playing up for days T__T. It appears to be out for all in this quad.
It decided to die until about 5 minutes ago.
Couldn’t charge my minutes on my mobile. I will tomorrow, if I have internet and can pay on line. Thought you must be worried >.<;; sorry.
I just spent the night over at Stebbz's playing cards [ shed and cheat ] and then playing a version of spin the bottle, which only involved truth instead of truth or dare. But now I’m ready for bed, as have had the worst migraine all day.
I took pictures of stuff, but I can't be bothered to get them off my camera right now. And I have to find my USB cable too D: so I’ll do it tomorrow.
right. goodnight~

So the worry was all for nothing, but when it came to Duo… the guy had a knack for getting into trouble due to his naivety and if that didn’t cause him harm he could do it himself. Years ago Duo was slicing a potato and when he got the vegetable knife stuck in one and while tugging it out he managed to have yanked it straight back into his left eye nearly blinding himself. It was truly amazing that his eye was saved, though his vision was damaged. What do you think his wonderful mother did? Hollered for him to stop screaming because she was watching T.V. When he explained through gasps what had happened she told him to knock it off and quit horsing around. Once he got to her and the blood was pouring down his cheek she rethought what she’d originally believed to be a practical joke.
Yes, it was easy to worry about him. Still the churning inside didn’t stop. Something else was up, or soon to be up. Heero had to go see him soon.

He got used to the infrequent calls and the sporadic e-mails. He’d hear from him twice a week. In some ways it made the distance easier. Heero was so used to either being there having dinner with Duo, spending more time breathing in his scent and nibbling his shoulders and neck then that of the food, or e-mailing all day from work back and forth as if it was instant message. It also made the distance more difficult. Because that damn feeling was haunting him and growing stronger.
The middle of October came and Heero had let Duo know that he’d taken the last week of the month off from work and needed to know what day to arrive. Duo’s next e-mail cut him in two.


= = = “Duo Maxwell”
I have to study for a mid-session exam then, it is the third. So come on the forth and then we can still go to the party. Don’t forget your costume. =P
Can you get the first week of November off instead? >.<
Call me on Friday. I have minutes now. I miss you. D: You must tell me all that is happening in Durshire.
Give me ideas for Christmas too. I need to start planning as I am poor -.-

This was bad. The black demon that had been curled deep within seeped out and wrapped around Heero like a shroud. Yet all he could do was type back:

= = = “Heero Yuy”
I’ll switch it. No problem. I just can’t wait to see you… in and out of your costume.
I’ll call Friday at ten. We will have lots of time to discuss our holiday.
Night, Doll.
U R luvd

Heero called on Friday, again to no answer. Saturday night he got the last e-mail he would receive from Duo, though the braided young man didn’t realize it when he wrote:
= = = “Duo Maxwell”
I’ve had the worst time technology wise T_T I dropped my phone when I went out last night and then couldn't find it at all because it was dark and someone probably just kicked when they were walking past *sighs* I’m going to go back and check on Monday to see if anyone turned it in at the bar, but I doubt it. Was very pissed off about that >_< it was just because some guy walked into me just as I was getting my mobile out to answer a text. And then, to top it all off, when I got home my computer wouldn't turn on. I looked at it this morning and there's a big cat pee stain on the side of the tower >.o; looks like one of the boys decided to spray on it, so it's probably fried the insides T__T I’m going to take it to the library tomorrow and ask the tech guys to look at it. I hope they can fix it T__T I’m on Dorothy's laptop right now.
so~ looks like I’ll be sans internet AND mobile for a while D: save me T_T I think I’m going to die.
I’ll try and get on tomorrow and check emails again.

That was it.
Heero discontinued calling, as he was sure the mobile was never found. If it had been then he would have heard from Duo. Right? Still he e-mailed him in hopes that at some point he could get onto someone’s laptop, or go to the university library and check any of his multiple accounts. Nothing. November 4th came and went with Heero sitting alone in his flat, tears slowly making their way down his cheeks as he drank his beer.
Weeks went by and as Christmas approached he couldn’t help but pick up a few things that, should he ever get a response, he would send off as a small gift. Heero had just taken a promotion at work which had him now living in the States, so handing the gifts to Duo would not happen. He did make sure to e-mail the shy brunette his address, should he ever decide to contact him via post.
He had tried to contact Trowa and Quatre to see if they had heard anything and got returned e-mail and a mobile recording announcing that “ The mobile number you have reached is no longer in service”.
‘Did every one fall off the face of the planet when I left?’
Christmas day Heero treated as any other. It was easy to do in the States. So many people having different faiths had many shops and restaurants open. He ate pizza and mulled for the hundredth time, ‘What did I do? Why won’t he contact me? If he’s in love with someone else he could at least tell me it’s over.’

Day after day Heero poured himself into his work, and after an evening of downing many beverages, he poured himself into bed. He became a shell of a man. Soon the cold bite of winter turned a bit milder and spring flowers peeked up from the soil. Daffodils. Duo loved them. They were his favorites. Lilies in general, but Daffodils were it. He stared at them everywhere, reminiscing about the bouquet he’d given his love a year ago for his birthday. Duo’s jaw dropped when the delivery man handed him a massive vase holding Daffodils, Iris’ (Heero’s favorite) and white roses.
He couldn’t wait for those damn flowers to be gone. It was as if every where he turned there was the braided man peeking out from the golden trumpets, eyes wide and glimmering then his image fading into an empty garden.
Then the morning came, six months gone by, when he checked his e-mail, something he rarely did anymore as it was just too painful, and got a note:

= = = “Quatra Winner”
hey there…
I need to talk to you about Duo. Please respond.
Kat

He typed faster then he thought he could. After asking how Quatre was and how Trowa was, he asked what information Kat had on Duo’s whereabouts for the past six months.
The next response was quite an eye opener for him.
Quatre and Trowa had broken up due to constant quarrels about finances. Kat found a small flat down the road from where Trowa and he had stayed. He knew that Trowa didn’t live there any longer as he couldn’t afford the rent, but had no idea where he was living. His heart was broken, but he was doing better. He had also taken all the items Duo had left behind because he knew Trowa was one to travel light and if he left, he wouldn’t want to be lugging around some one else’s rubbish. As far a Duo, the last he had spoken to him was the beginning of December, but that was by mistake. Duo didn’t look at his phone or answer it. After the pleasantries Kat started to hound him about where was he and why did he leave the university. He was hung up on. Still he called him every week at different times of the day and left messages asking, pleading him to answer.
Quatre was contacting Heero to ask him if he had heard from him, and if not, could he please call him. He had his phone back, but had left school. When Kat called the university to ask why Duo had left the student director said no reason was given, and he didn’t even withdraw. Duo had just… vanished.
Heero had to think long and hard about what he was being asked. He had just started to get out of a depressed rut. He had made friends and started to go out to movies. Did he want to go back to being ignored? Did he want to find out what had really happened? Could he? Each time he told himself to just forget about him, he would see the last words Quatre had typed to him. : “If anyone has a chance of getting in touch with him it is you. The two of you have a connection that is stronger then anyone’s I have ever known. It’s not just love, it is … like you have a piece of each other inside.”

Two days later Heero mustered the courage to give it one last try.
The phone went to voice mail and Heero stammered out the message he’d jotted down.
“Duo, I- I know that something had to of happened to- to make you run away. Something horrible. I-I know you well enough to know that you must be scared and that you think I will be upset with you. Please remember this. I love you. I love you unconditionally. I don’t care what you might have done or what some one might have done to you. I just need to hear your voice. I- I” he could no longer see the page to read off of it through the tears, “I gotta know if you are even alive. Oh my god, Doll. I fucking miss you. Where are you? Please call me, please… please… I love you” the beep cut him off and he wiped his eyes. He settled down at his desk and dismissed any thought of a reply.

= = = “Quatra Winner”
Call him back and leave your number. He said he doesn’t have it and he needs to talk to you.
Kat

Heero suddenly felt ill. Was he really going to talk to him? Was he going to find out what had made him run away? Was he going to be able to cope with possibly losing him all over again if the conversation didn’t go well? He left another message with his number and began to wait.