Author: Karen, The Huntress
Pairings: 1x2
Warnings: None really, some angst, some sap, a few kisses. Sorry no Lemon.
Archive: DHML Archive
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Why not.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters. Nor do I own the rights to A Love Before Time.
Hello. Sorrow it has been awhile since I have posted anything but I have been away on a short trip. I loved the movie "Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon". The theme song from the movie is "A Love Before Time". Here is my attempt at a songfic based on that song. I hope my story did it justice (sorry Wufei) Please accept my latest offering and be kind in your feedback. I hope you enjoy the story. Take care everyone, Karen, The Huntress
A Love Before Time
If the sky opened up for me and the mountains disappear
If the sea ran dry, turned to dust, and the sun refused to rise.
I would still find my way by the light I see in your eyes.
The world I know fades away but you stay.
Smoke tinged with flames blotted out the sun rendering Heero's visibility to almost zero as he stumbled through the charred, twisted remains that use to be an OZ outpost. The caustic fumes caused his eyesight to tear and blur. The choking dust and smoke burned in his lungs as he rushed through the maze of littering debris.
Moments before the entire site had violently shook loose, leveled into a pile of smoldering rubble. In the hale of propelled stones and other rent building materials Heero and Duo had become separated.
Heero's last glimpse of his partner, friend and lover had been a horrifying vision of chestnut hair and black clothing being swallow up in the quickly advancing cloud of smoke and fire. Now nothing could be seen of his partner.
"DUO!" he called ignoring the jagged edges of stone and steel scraping against his legs as he anxiously picked his way through the aftermath in a desperate search for his soul mate.
*********
FLASHBACK
The infiltration had been easy, the makeshift compound having only a minimal sentry force. The original building had been some sort of warehouse complex so the security system had also been connected in a hurry and without much thought as to its effectiveness.
The alarms, like the guards, had been easily bypassed. Duo divided his attention between keeping watch in the corridor and placing several explosive charges while Heero retrieved and copied the desired information from main computer. That, too, was accomplished with ease.
When Heero was satisfied he had everything he needed, the charges would wipe out most of the OZ real estate in a matter of seconds acting as a perfect cover for the file thievery.
"Finished?" Duo asked pulling his pistol from his belt as Heero stepped into the hall.
Heero nodded, "Set the timer and let's get out of here."
Duo glanced at his watch smiling to himself, "We can get this done and be home in time for dinner. I wondered what Trowa is cooking; it was his turn wasn't it?"
Heero shrugged. What was on the menu was not as much of an interest as escaping the compound in some reasonably sound condition preferably with all his body parts still in working order.
The timer was activated and they hurriedly headed for the nearest exit.
Both Gundam intruders met limited opposition in their hasty retreat. A measured, quite centered, punch from Duo had laid the first interceptor low.
Heero had followed suit decking the bested guard's partner with a "street smart" kick to the man's crouch then landing an uppercut as the man doubled over in pain. A grunt was all that was voiced as the man's head snapped backwards before he soundly hit the wall.
The last fifty meters were without incident. Cool late afternoon air hit their faces as the Gundam duet bolted towards their freedom just moments ahead of impending blast.
However only a few meters into the exposed area they had to traverse to reach the surrounding forest and, hopefully, an undetected escape a gruff voice yelled above the whistling wind ordering them to "HALT!"
Both trespassing insurgents froze in place exchanging nervous glances.
"Turn around slowly." the phantom voice commanded, its orders reinforced by the distinct snap of a firing pin being engaged.
Keeping his pistol pressed to his firm chest, Heero complied with the not so polite "request" making certain that his signature "death glare" was firmly fixed in place and his brooding eyes ready to lock on the OZ trooper.
Duo gave a quick nod of his head causing his heavy braid to brush across his trim bottom before as he turned in unison with Heero to face the, probably overconfident, guard.
A glint of silver in the sun was all the trooper saw before two muzzle flashes threw out sparks and belched fire. The guard's rifle discharged from the reflex pull sending the deadly projectile dangerously close to Heero's tousled brown hair.
Only his trained instincts saved Yuy from a very distasteful introduction to the high velocity bullet. Duo dropped straight down cursing the trooper for forcing him get his black outfit dusty.
The last obstacle routed Heero ran passed Duo grabbing his hand pulling him from his reclining position. They both had lost all track of time. Now they had no way of estimating the minutes, perhaps seconds, before detonation.
Now all they could do was run as fast as they could hope the fates would grant them the few extra moments they needed to clear the blast zone.
The g round's trembling was the only warning before a deafening boom assaulted the Gundam Pilot's ears. There wasn't enough time to grab hold of each other before the gathering shock waves overwhelmed their reeling bodies hurtling them in opposite directions like two discarded rag dolls.
Heero felt Duo's fingernails scraped his palm as their hands touched briefly then he was holding nothing but thin air. Clouds of dust shot straight up. More of the gritty particles bombarded everything within their considerable scope with stinging pellets ranging in size from small bothering bits to chunks large enough to deliver a good strike.
Being thrown to the ground most likely saved both Pilots from immediate injury but the aftershocks and fallout took a second turn to see just how much damage they could do.
END FLASHBACK
*********
As the earth reclaims its due and the cycle starts anew.
We'll stay, always, in the love we have shared before time.
A great carter spilt the ground swallowing up half the building in one sucking force. The falling away of the earthy crust rippled across the compound digesting anything in its wake.
When Heero raised up still partly blinded by the heavy concentration of dust and smoke, all he could see was Duo's hands scraping in the broken shards, clawing to stay ahead of the expanding abyss consuming everything in its path.
The yawning monster's wanton appetite was unleashed in feeding frenzy. Its uncontrolled cravings, it decided, should include the fragile mortal forms of two Pilots barely old enough to have experienced any length of life in their limited time among the confines of Mechas and war.
"DUO! NO!" Heero screamed as his lover disappeared from sight.
Heero stopped short as complete helplessness seeped into his heart. His soul ached as he found no clue to tell him where his precious koi could be.
"DUO!" he shouted once more but his pitiful pleas for some tangible answer to his calls were almost drowned out by the crackle of fire and the renewed rumbles of secondary explosions.
His eyes darted trying take in the total chaos surrounding him on all sides. His mind was overwhelmed by the utter disarray of an area that, moments before, had been recognizable territory. The shambles, the muddled upheaval, all presented a baffling disconcertion.
Now Heero Yuy are frightened maybe for the first time in his life. The Perfect Soldier trained to handle any combat situation, one borne of tested fire in the heat of battle, was alone and confused and scared to death.
His soul mate, the one person he had ever trusted with his life, was gone perhaps never to be recovered. The thought of an eternal separation from his lover triggered a small whimper low in Heero's throat. The misery welled up spewing forth in a retched, bitter wail of pure agony.
The painful death cry of Heero Yuy's soul rose above the popping of flames, penetrating the scorching blazes sending black clogging clouds to turn day into midnight.
The grievous languishing, mournful howl shook loose more clinging scraps of ground as the bellows reverberated resounding again and again until the last of the moan faded into the dense haze.
"DUO!" he screamed once more falling to his knees pounding his fists on the burnt earth and curing himself for letting go of Duo's hand.
"If we had stayed together, he would be with me now." he railed against his failure, "Even if we were both dead, at least we would be together."
Then a peaceful composure wafted over his splintered soul. Duo was alive; Heero could feel it in every fiber of his being.
"Look.....Heero......this way." his inner consciousness ordered. "Listen to you heart it will show you the way." it promised.
Wiping his reddened eyes with the back of his hand, Heero staggered to his feet. He took in a catching breath then let the slow exhalation escape over his heat-dried lips releasing some of his trepidation. As his confusion floated away in the expelled air a clear picture of what he needed to do appeared in his mind.
He pivoted guided by some odd, by strangely familiar presence. Without any further thought Heero started to his right surrendering his will to a higher guidance and trusting his heart to lead the way.
Some twenty meters ahead his heart leaped then settled with a thud as Heero saw a rope of chestnut snaking from behind a partially standing wall. As he drew nearer, Heero eyes adjusted to the filmy smog allowing him to pick up a black jacket over strewn with smaller pieces of the same wall.
Duo laid on his side in a modified fetal posture. His grit streaked face seemed calmer than it should and his curved form was still, too still. But the steady rise and fall of his chest told Zero's Master that, for that moment anyway, his lover was breathing.
Heero knelt by Duo's side bracing one hand in the dirt for balance as the other hand lifted Duo's bangs encased in grit and strips of crimson from his grazed forehead.
He had sustained several long gashes and numerous minor scratches none of which seemed overly serious.
Heero ran his hands along the still Boy's arms and legs to determine if the bones were still in their proper alignment. Then he took the chance that was no spinal injuries carefully and slowly shifting Duo to lay more flatly on his back.
The rearrangement made Duo flinch, the sudden movement causing him to draw in a catching gulp of dust-fouled air. A fit of strangled coughing erupted. Heero rocked Deathscythe's Master on his side to keep any ejected fluids from slipping down his windpipe.
A gurgle rattled in his throat before Duo retched up a mixture blood tainted saliva from cuts on the inside of his mouth and phlegm that had gathered because of his too long stationary position.
Wheezing and coughing, Duo's gage reflexes took over until every last bit of interference was dislodged and spit out.
"Easy." Heero instructed supporting Duo's lopping head. "Take is easy." he repeated, "Come out now breath."
After several feeble attempts Maxwell finally drew in one good breath clearing his throat. His respiration improved immediately.
"Relax, let me do the work." Heero ordered shoring up his embrace about his fragile lover. "Rest now."
Duo gazed up his shifting sight finally finding Heero's face. At first Heero wasn't certain just how well Duo was seeing or how accurately his brain was processing his tactile sensations.
He couldn't find any evidence of head wounds but with all of Duo's hair, in its entangled length and thickness, a small injury could easily be overlooked.
Duo's sight moved again taking in more of the shattered tatters of his world. A transitory flicker showed once more as a certain confusion showed itself in the drawing in of his eyebrows and the frowning of his mouth.
"Duo, are you all right?" Yuy asked tensely as the confusion mounted on Duo's face.
"Who are you?" came the puzzled, quite bewildered, question.
This time when Heero's heart sank in his chest it hit bottom so hard it felt as though someone had inserted a large long knife and was now twisting it inside.
If the years take away every memory that I have,
I would still know the way that would lead back to your side,
The North Star may die but the light I see in your eyes,
Will burn there always lit by the love we have shared before time.
"Its Heero. Don't you know me?" Heero asked his voice trembling over every word. "Oh Duo, don't you know me?" he whimpered.
The next few moments seemed to stretch into eternity as Duo considered the tear-stained face hovering above him. He took forever and a day to study each curve, the line of Heero's jaw, the way the firelight bounced off his high cheekbones.
To scrutinize the golden tone of his person's skin and to suddenly find himself held fast in the most mesmerizing gaze of the deepest cobalt eyes he had ever seen.
Slowly certain pieces began to come together. One bit fit into the next until a finished picture began to emerge. Duo's heart started to solve the mystery before his befuddled brain could fully comprehend the jumbled signals filtered through the opaque mist of confusion.
His soul took over from there telling him, without a doubt, that he and this person had a connection that neither time nor space could compromise. There was a union of their entire being that was sure and stable and perfectly natural.
Then a single word began to form in his mind. A name. And the sound of that name as it echoed in his head brought on a wonderful peace and a security Duo knew he would never have to doubt.
The word worked its way to the surface breathing out as Duo sighed. The marvelous mystery no longer vexed his thoughts. Love was clear and right and he knew in that briefest measure of time this man was someone who would never harm or forsake him.
A smile brightened Duo's face and his lips curved up at the corners. "Heero." the word sang from deep inside. "My love." he declared not a bit of uncertainty remaining.
Heero's tears flowed freely as he unashamedly revealed his soul to the only person he had ever loved. "Duo, I love you." he confessed.
Pulling Duo closer Heero brushed his lips with a chasted kiss. Duo slid his arms over Heero's shoulders wanting to be as close as physically possible.
"Hold me." he whispered melting into Heero's strong enfoldment.
"I will never leave you." Heero promised, "Even in death we will always be together."
When the forest turns to jade and the stories that we've made dissolve away, one shining light will still remain.
When we shed our earthy skin and when our real life begins.
There'll be no shame just the love that we have made before time.
OWARI
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