Author: Jei
Warnings: Ficlet, bittersweet
Pairings: 1+2
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
No Regrets
"I'm going to be gone for a while," Duo said, folding his t-shirt with excruciating care. The sides were folded in, then the shirt was folded in half, then half again, and he tucked it into the side of his suitcase.
Leaning back in the chair at Duo's desk, Heero let his eyes fix upon Duo's braid, where it hung hugging Duo's spine. "I know."
That hadn't been nearly the point Duo was trying to make. "And the way I figure it," he continued, moving on to the next shirt in the pile upon his bed. "There's going to be some time when I look back at this time and think of all the stuff I always wanted to do, but never got around to doing. Stuff I'll never have the chance to do again. Stuff I'll only ever be able to do right here, right now. Regret stuff."
Regrets were terrible things. "You still have some time, Duo. Some time left to do some thing you always wanted to do."
"I got 'til tomorrow morning, Yuy. And I still got crap to pack."
"You'll never get around to doing absolutely everything anyway. Just do what you can. Minimize the regret."
Duo looked over his shoulder with a peculiar expression. "You think? Some of the stuff is just stupid. Stupid kid stuff, I'm sure. Maybe I'll end up regretting that I did do it, one day."
Heero shrugged. "Regret that you did, regret that you didn't. If you're going to regret it either way, then there's no harm in giving it a shot. You're young and resilient now. What better time to be a fool?"
"Some regrets outlast 'young and resilient'."
"And the regret of not doing something is surely one of them."
Duo stuffed one more shirt into his suitcase before turning around. He watched Heero watch him expectantly. "I'm gonna be gone for a while," he repeated slowly.
Heero nodded solemnly. "I know."
"You're not gonna think less of me if I do something stupid?"
"I'll think you're a guy trying to do something that can only be done right here, right now, and he'd be some kind of fool for letting that singular window of time slip past him."
He took a deep, steadying breath before nodding decisively. "Okay."
Heero stood with a small smile, fingering the car keys in his jeans pocket. "So where are we going?"
Duo parted his lips as if to answer, then stared at the gray toes of his socks for a few seconds before taking three steps forward and stealing a swift kiss from startled lips. He backed off with a nervous smile. "Um, that was the biggest thing, pretty much." He flashed that weak grin once more before turning back to his bed to continue packing.
The car keys were forgotten until Heero found himself sitting back in his chair in a daze, squeezing the fingers still in his pocket awkwardly. He absently withdrew his hand as he blinked and considered. "Duo..."
Duo folded a pair of pants, working to keep the wrinkles out.
The haze lifted. "You're going to be gone for a while."
"I know."
He stood. "You're not the only one that might be left with regrets."
"Wh--?" Duo barely finished turning before he found his question smothered by another's mouth. One hand reached back to steady himself with the top edge of the suitcase behind him. The other hand reached forward to steady himself with a light touch on Heero's waist.
Heero ended it with a shy, apologetic smile directed towards Duo's shoulder, inspiring the same in Duo. It turned bittersweet. "I'm gonna be gone for a while," he whispered softly.
"I know." Their foreheads touched. "But no regrets?"
"No regrets."
OWARI
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