[Shine your light down on me
Lift me up so I can see
Shine your light when you're gone
Give me the faith to carry on]
--- Lyrics to 'Shine Your Light' performed by Robbie Williams (1)
Ray of Hope Part 8
The sound of the oven timer ringing snapped Heero from his thoughts and he stepped into the kitchen. When he entered the large room, he found Duo removing the large turkey he had been working on for the evening's gathering. As he silently watched, the Japanese sailor couldn't help but recall the conversation that he had just overheard. Duo just seemed such a lively, energetic being. And here, he was concealing an illness that was killing him quickly.
Suddenly, having global amnesia no longer seemed such a devastating thing.
Looking up form his efforts as he lowered the pan onto the stove burners, the braided lighthouse keeper grinned, "Hey, Heero. Did you need something?" Shaken from his train of thought once more, the Japanese young man blinked his widened eyes. Once more, Duo never thought of anything more than to look after someone other than himself-even in his condition.
Quickly masking his surprise and embarrassment at being caught staring, Heero gave a small, reassuring smile of his own. Shaking his head, he answered, "I just wanted to see if you needed any help in here."
The tables certainly turned as it was then Duo's turn to look shocked as his violet eyes widened and mouth fell slack. At the expression, Heero's felt a sharp stab of hurt of realization of how little effort he- himself- had made in seeing if there was anything that he could do to help the lighthouse keeper in any of his chores.
Given the depth of surprise that he saw, Heero wouldn't have been surprised if it was the first time anyone had expressed their concern for Duo and his needs.
His smile quickly returning and growing, the American gestured to the drawers beside the sink as he replied, "Actually, if you could find a carving knife, that'd be a huge help while I take care of the stuffing here."
With a firm nod, Heero made his way to the drawer. "You know, you're handling yourself really well out there. They really seem to like you," Duo commented as he began removing the wire stitching at the back of the large turkey to begin removing the stuffing into a large bowl that he had sitting out. "We may make a dysfunctional family," he chuckled deeply, "But we're a family nonetheless."
Heero's small smile returned at the last statement. For a group consisting of so many different personalities, Duo and his friends certainly did make a tight-knit group. He couldn't help but wonder if at another time, he had such a band of 'brothers' and 'sisters' that looked after him in such a way.
For a reason he couldn't explain, there was a nagging feeling that told him he never had.
After a long pause, Duo looked up from his work, his smile faded as he swallowed hard. His voice soft, he stated, "If anything were to happen to me, I know any one of them would be more than willing to take care of you in my place."
With a sharp gasp at that, Heero dropped the large knife that he had recovered. As the long blade fell, its sharp edge cut down the middle of his slackened palm. With a sharp cry, the sailor hissed, "Damn it!
Before the knife could even hit and clang off the floor, Duo was already at Heero's side with a small towel. As the blade clamored off the tile, the lighthouse keeper gently urged the sailor's bloodied hand to open with a gentle, "Let me see."
Opening his clenched-closed eyes, Heero watched as the other young man made quick, careful work of cleaning away the blood to inspect the long cut. With a relieved sigh, Duo moved into the hall and quickly reappeared with a bandage and an antibacterial solvent. "Sorry," was all that the Japanese sailor could mutter as he watched his host clean the wound.
Focused on his task, Duo grinned, "Nothing to be sorry about. I'm just glad that I used to date a doctor to know something about taking care of cuts like these." Once the wide bandage was in place, he straightened and met the other young man's gaze and smirked, "That's your only good hand, there. You'll have a hard time if you end up losing that, too."
With the wave of emotions that were overwhelming him, drowning him, Heero couldn't help but laugh. When he regained his composure, he found himself lost in smiling violet and his breath was caught in his throat. Gesturing to the injured hand, Duo asked in concern, "Are you all right?"
His throat dry, Heero swallowed hard before nodding a quiet, "Yea. Thanks." Quickly retrieving the fallen knife, he cleaned the blood off before removing a clean carving knife from the drawer. He could feel his face burning from another, unexpected turn of emotions that he had not been prepared for.
As Duo moved back to preparing the main course, the usually quiet young man hesitated before saying quietly, "About that comment earlier, I hope that you weren't suggesting you might be leaving anytime soon."
Those vibrant, violet eyes looked back at him filled with surprise once more as the braided lighthouse keeper turned to meet his gaze. Taking a deep breath, Heero summoned all the courage he had and admitted in little more than a whisper, "I'm stating to like it here... with you." He felt naked, exposed, standing there with his feelings opened up for scrutiny.
For a moment, Duo just stood frozen, as if not sure how to react to such a heartfelt confession. Blinking away his surprise, a smile that reached his brilliant eyes slowly spread on his face. In that moment, Heero couldn't recall seeing anything more beautiful. As alarming as that realization was, it was something that he couldn't deny either.
Slowly approaching the sailor, the braided lighthouse keeper placed a hand on his good shoulder, squeezing it gently. "That means a lot to me, Heero," he whispered sincerely. "And I promise not to go anywhere as long as I can help it."
A small lump grew in Heero's throat at that, knowing that there was no telling how long he would be able to keep that word. Still, it was enough for that moment and he gave a nod with a relieved smile. Clearing his throat, Duo was quick to turn away and the sailor noticed him reaching a hand to his face. "We better get this food out before it gets cold," the American suggested.
Swallowing away the last of the lump that had formed, Heero assisted him by taking up the large bowl of stuffing. As he followed the braided young man out, he thought of how turbulent their connection had been over the last few weeks. Now more than ever, he knew that he had a real friend that would have his best interest at heart. He had someone that he could talk to that would understand and really listen... And his time with him was limited.
He began to wonder if life would ever just give him a break from the seemingly endless rollercoaster that he was on.
When they returned to the dining room, their chattering 'family' looked up from their conversation. Grinning brightly, Duo announced, "Dinner's served." Another lively discussion broke out as the meat was cut and passed around along with the other fixings that had been brought to the party.
Clearing her throat, Sally elbowed her lover with an expectant look. Wufei gave her a brief mock glare before sighing deeply and looking across the table to the Japanese stranger. Begrudgingly at first, he began, "I want to apologize if I made you uncomfortable, Heero."
"As an officer, I tend to be suspicious of those I don't know. I didn't mean it if I came off poorly in our first meeting earlier. It was brought to my attention just now that I may have given the wrong impression." The Chinese policeman's tone had taken a calm, sincere warmth to it in the end and he peered a dark eye out the corner of his eye to the braided young woman as if asking that he did right. Sally gave him a proud smile in response.
Taken aback for a moment, Heero smiled back and shrugged, "It's understandable that you would be suspicious of someone new coming into your group. Had you easily welcomed me in, it would speak poorly of your conviction to protect those you care about, so it speaks worlds of how much everyone here means to you." With a firm nod, he concluded, "I would have expected no less from a professional upholder of the law."
Everyone around the table blinked in shock at the tact and reserved calm that the young sailor had displayed in light of what could have been a very uncomfortable moment. Recovering from his own dumbfounded state, Wufei smiled and rose from his feet. Stretching his hand to the sailor, he replied, "I am glad that no harm was done, then. So let's start on a new foot, then."
Gladly taking the hand in his bandaged palm, Heero shook it firmly. With that, the group fell back into a comfortable conversation as they continued to enjoy their meal.
'Dysfunctional, but a family nonetheless,' Duo's words rang through the Japanese young man's mind again. Smiling to himself, he appraised the group around him with a newfound sense of belonging that he once feared he would never know.
Almost an hour later, Duo looked to his watch and excused himself for enough time to light the tower. Upon his return and for the remainder of the night, the band of 'brothers' and 'sisters' moved to the living room to continue their pleasant discussions.
In the late hours, the guests began shuffling out. With a quiet 'good night' to his friend, the lighthouse keeper made his way back to his ever present perch over the cliffs.
When he climbed into his own bed, Heero was smiling to himself in recalling the evening's events. Falling into an easy slumber, his dreams were not tortured with demons that they normally were. Instead, he was surrounded by smiles and warm embraces.
* * * * * *
Two days later, Heero woke not long after the sunrise and stretched as he made his way from his room and down the stairs. As he neared the bottom, he heard the voice of his braided friend, "Well, it seems that there is a bit of a reprieve. The last tests from the blood work came back and I've been told six months now, instead of one."
His cobalt eyes widening at the news, the young sailor moved to the doorway of the living room, straining his ears. There was an excited response from the person on the other end of the vid phone call.
Recognizing the voice as that of the young woman that Duo had spoken to in the wee hours of the morning about almost week before, Heero tried to understand what she was saying to his friend. While he could not make out her words, the relief and joy in her tone were clear as broad day light.
With a snort, Duo's tired voice replied, "I'm fine. I wish that everyone would stop worrying about me. Besides, there is a new lease on life now. Sally said that there is an off chance that since the white cells ate suddenly kicking in again, that six months could become six years, and from there even more."
Overwhelmed with relief, Heero sighed deeply, sagging against the doorway. There was a chance... an off chance but a chance. And there was certainly more time than he had first thought. It was the best new that he could have ever been given.
Struck with a thought, a small smile tugged at his lips. His mind set, he made his way to the kitchen to start breakfast before the other young man had the chance. With all that Duo had done for him, if all that he had was six months, he was going to make them the best six months that the lighthouse keeper ever had.
And with any luck... maybe... maybe he would have something worth sticking around for.
TBC...
(1) All some lyrics will have the words 'glow,' 'shine,' 'light,' or some like word as a play on the lighthouse theme of this fic.
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