.:The Gravity of Love:.PT:1

The Gravity of Love.  
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Gundam Wing Fiction by:
Duo Dark Shinigami/05
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The normal blah blah disclaimer. I obviously don't own the Wing Guys (duh) and this is no way in company with Bandai, Sunrise or any of them. I'm just borrowing the guys for the time being and I will return them safely. So please don't sue me. All my money goes to buy your stuff anyway.
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.edicated to two very special people: Alia (my Solo) and Hilde :3-Alia, I know you have your hard times and your doubts, but know that if you need someone to help you though them you can always count on me to be your Duo ^_~. Hilde you’re a very special person and don’t let anyone ever tell you any different. The world needs more people like you. To you both you ,helped me more then you will ever know, and this is just a small thanks to you:.
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“They what?” The voice shouted, showing more than displeasure.
“The Project got away sir, he waited until we opened the cell.” The second was more submissive and seemed careful of the next choice of words.
“Was he not sedated!?”
“He was sedated but…woke sooner then expected. We are…”
There came a resounding slam of fists on a desk. “You Idiot!, you know the mental conditioning isn’t completed yet, and you lost the Project?! You know how much was invested in this?! Find him! Find him and bring him back! Now!”
“Yes sir.” The submissive voice said, seemingly wanting to end the communication as soon as possible.
“And when you do…” The second tone dropped from shouting in anger to seething “…punish him for his disobedience”.

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“Yeah, I’ll take about twelve of these please.” Duo pointed out the apples that had caught his interest to the shop keeper. It was a balmy summer day outside in the street market. The sun was high in the sapphire abyss over head, shadows chased over the buildings and the streets, as only a few wisps of clouds could be seen like cotton trailing across the sky. This place and season created such a peaceful atmosphere that one could almost forget, with the illusion of the perfect sky, the torrent of violence and bloodshed that was going on past its-meets-the-eye beauty. The warmth of the wonderful summer day was only complemented more by the soft breeze that helped dry laundry that was hung out on the lines, like multi colored flags. Across the streets and balconies, they connected the neighbors in a web of ropes.  The breeze helped the children, that were laughing and playing in the field across the way, to fly their brightly colored kites, as they seemed oblivious and were spared of the horrors of the war that seemed to have touched and tainted every place of this planet. This was an oasis for the damned and the tainted. *Those like me.* Duo thought, as he watched the children playing, if only for a moment. Him and his tainted group, would only make this place a small stop, for repairs and self restoration before they moved on, sparing them from the torment of the Hell they seemed to bring with them. The breeze tussled the fringes of Duo’s bangs, pulling his mind away from these bleak thoughts.

They had decided to stay at this small little village as long as necessary. There was a empty military base not far from here and just near the coast so that they could make their repairs, adjustments and rest, without too much molestation from the enemy, or to much speculation from the civilians. The village itself offered what they needed. It was less crowded then a city, those here were kinder and less apt to question them in any means and it was quite peaceful. As long as they kept a low and subtitle profile, there shouldn’t have been conflict or danger brought to the small village. With its open port side base, they could also keep better watch on anyone that was watching them.

Duo had volunteered to get the supplies. He didn’t want to be stuck inside of a stuffy building, when it was too nice of a day to stay in. Since they had arrived at the base, Duo had always been out enjoying the natural warmth, wind and sun, even though now he had a slight case of  nasty sun-burn. Not being a native of Earth, Duo never thought much about the effects of the sun, since he never had to worry about it before. He soon learned the value of sunscreen.

He already had a small collection of groceries on the back of the bike. He had loaned it from Wufei, well without Wufei knowing, and would have it back before Wufei even noticed. Like Hell he was going to walk. A basket strapped to the back of the bike, made a make shift place to store the food until he got back to their Base. Other then food, Duo also wanted to pick up some “munchies”. He was going to work a long shift on Deathscythe, there was adjustments to be made and some repairs needed after the last battle and, when well into the night hunger strikes, they were always a downer.  

Paying for the Apples and talking to the shop keeper for a bit, Duo went back to return to his cycle and place the apples in the back. A small laughing group of children ran past him, almost running into him as they chased after a dog. Duo gave a small smile as he watched them, stopping for a moment as he thought if he would ever find peace and happiness like that. Someone walked past his ride.

It wasn’t the way the young person walked, hands in the pockets of his grayish brown pants, head down face hidden by a two tone green vest over a white t-shirt, that caught Duo’s attention, The way he seemed to keep himself detached from the rest of the people that walked along the street market. It was how he suddenly decided to help himself to the bag of oranges, from the basket of food that was on the back of Duo’s bike. “HEY!” Duo shouted, as the young person snatched the oranges and took off down the street at a dead run. This was not something that Duo was going to tolerate. They needed those supplies and it seemed that, if this person was able enough to lift the oranges and run like a scared deer in an attempt to escape, they would be able enough to work and pay for their own groceries. “Hey you! Stop!”, Duo chased after the thief, not only noting the irony that he was chasing someone that had stolen from him, but that they could keep a well enough pace, weaving in and out of the crowds of people, so that even he was having a hard time, keeping him within sight.

He gave up shouting at him, it was obvious that he was not going to pay attention to him anyway, and he was wasting valuable breath. As the people started to thin out on the street, some moving aside as the two youths raced past them, the thief was finding it harder to hide and Duo gained on him. He was just as spry as his fleeting prey, and he was going to get justice for the stolen fruit. He caught up with them as they tried to duck into an alleyway. This only led the culprit to a dead end that was blocked off by a high wooden fence and no where left to go. He looked a little panicked. Duo was huffing for breath, when he came into the alley way himself and blocked off the retreat. He rested one hand to the wall of the building, as he attempted to catch his breath, before huffing out, “Ok you! If…you could just give me the oranges back…… we can forget……this happened.” The thief turned to look back to him, giving him only a glance of his face before, with the agility of a cat he scrambled to grasp to the bottom rungs of a fire escape ladder. “Oh no you don’t!” Duo knew that if he got up there he was going to get away with the pilfered fruits. He was not going to lose this game. It came down to a full tackle. Taking a flying leap, Duo managed to grab hold of the thief’s waste and hold tight in a bear hug, using his body weight to pull him off the ladder.

The two went down to the ground and wrestled for the oranges. Wrestling with this one was like tangling with a wild cat; he obviously had the will to survive. Duo had to watch not to get a scuffed looking boot to the gut. The bag of oranges was suddenly thrown back into Duo’s face and as it broke, scattered spheres of the same colour ran all across the pavement, where they rolled out across the alley way. The two continued to fight on the ground, no longer over the oranges, but just for the personal insult that both had taken for the scuffle. Duo managed to get the thief down on the ash fault to his back and held him down. He sat onto his hips and pinned his shoulders. When he tried to get up, Duo just shoved his shoulders down once more keeping him there. “Now! You mind telling me why…?” Suddenly the words that he was so willing to shout at the youth stopped caught in his throat. He had gotten a good look at his assailant and what he saw was unbelievable and impossible in every way.

The one beneath him was a young man. He couldn’t have been more then four, five years older then Duo. Tussled sandy blonde hair was cut short at the nape of his neck and hung lose about his shoulders. Long bangs hung in crystal blue eyes, deeply full of strength and inner ability. His features were very handsome, mature, and rivaled those of Duo. But it was one small distinct feature that had made Duo stop in his assault. It was a scar: a small jagged scar that was on the young man’s right cheek just below his eye and that followed the contour of his cheek bone. It was the same one that he had seen so many years ago, when he remembered asking someone about the very same scar and how he had gotten it.

“That…” Duo said, suddenly sitting back on his heels and letting the boy’s shoulders go, as he pointed to the abrasion on his cheek. The one pinned beneath him glared back. “Yeah…what of it?! Is it a crime to have a scar now too?!” Duo ignored the bitterness in the question. “Hey! You stole from me, but, you got that…when you tried to get though a chain link fence didn’t you? There were dogs chasing you…two dogs.” The blonde boy beneath Duo looked suddenly shocked and confused. “How…” “You were stealing food for some kids, orphans you were caring for, only you didn’t know about the dogs.” The blonde didn’t know what to think, it was like this other one was reading his mind. How did he know all this? Who was he?! The expression on the blonde’s face told Duo that he was right in his assumption. There was only one person that he knew that had carried the same scar of bravery. “Oh God…”, this was possibly the only time that Duo even considered the thought that there could be a God, other then Shinigami. The name he wanted to ask, was caught in his throat, like something sticky he just couldn’t swallow. His vision started to blur, as his eyes watered.

“Solo?”.

The blonde boy gave a blank expression and seemed even more stupefied that this other random victim knew his name. He had never even seen this guy before and he knew everything about him! “Who are you! How did you know that!? Are you one of them!? Get off ‘a me!” He gave Duo a shove to the shoulders, trying to topple him. Duo was crushed, Solo didn’t remember him. Hell, never in his world did Duo even think he would get to meet the one that he often dreamed about, had nightmares that he had lost for all eternity, only to wake and know that it was true, and have to live the heart ache all over once more. This was to much for words, Duo could only show the heart wrenching emotion that he felt for someone he had thought the lost part of his soul. Duo tackled Solo into a tight embrace, as he knelt on his knees in Solo’s lap. Passers by, curious and leering in made expressions at the odd scene, as they glanced. Solo caught only a few of their expressions and low whispered comments to each other about what they saw.  Something about ‘sense of self decency’ and ‘peculiar behaviors ’. Duo was nearly squeezing the breath right out of the boy who only moments before was ready to rip Duo’s throat out. It wasn’t less then to assume that the boy seemed……stunned. “Solo it’s me! Kid! Remember?! Please remember. It’s me Solo! It’s Duo.”

The name sparked something in Solo, as he heard the it mentioned. He has lost almost all of his past memories to something he wouldn’t even blame, but there had always been one that haunted him. He often dreamed of a boy with long hair and a way ward smile. Remembered sharing pilfered food with him, and caring for him when he was hurt, but most of all, sharing moments of deep kinship with this other being he had always figured was his minds way of coping with his loneliness. He thought he was someone he had created, much like a small child dreams up an imaginary friend. He hadn’t known why, but ‘Duo’ had always seemed the name most appropriate for this fabricated friend, though he always seemed to know him best  as simply ‘Kid‘. Now, to learn that these dreams and imaginations of his mind were real, opened a flood gate of emotions, feelings and memories that he had been forced to be suppressed for so long that Solo had almost forgotten them. He had almost forgotten himself. Christ…what had they done to him?

Solo sat there looking to Duo who, with the stall of silence, thought that maybe he had made a mistake and had just squeezed the breath out of some ‘innocent’ boy, thinking he was someone that Duo knew it was absurd, to believe was really alive... ‘innocent’ being though that had still stolen Duo’s oranges. For Solo, to look into those heliotrope eyes and now know that what he had dreamt had been real was more then a dream come true. He had always wondered what had ever become of the spunky little firecracker of L-2 that he had raised as if he was a brother. A broad grin suddenly spread across his face, unable to contain the emotions that bubbled up inside and screamed to be released. “DUO!” The shout took the brunette off guard, as his eyes went wide, and it was his turn to be smothered in a hug. He heard the words that were spoken so heart felt near his ear. “I thought about you all the time. You were my only thought when I was asleep, when I was awake and when I was feeling like I didn’t know who I was anymore. I didn’t know if your memory was real or not…but you were real to me, and that was enough”. The embrace was more then returned as it felt like some missing part of Duo’s soul had found it’s way back and at least a part of his past could now be mended. He just didn’t think it could possibly ever happen over a bag of stolen oranges.

“Where have you been? I missed you so much! Do you live here now? What happened, when I lost you?” The flurry of questions seemed to come out of no where as Duo and Solo walked from the alley way back out onto the street. They had gathered the oranges that broke lose from the bag and held them collected in their arms. “I…don’t really remember much of my past. Just bits now and then, like a broken movie.” Solo, despite the wonderful and almost impossible encounter seemed a little distressed, when he was pressed about the past few years of his life. He would have been glad to share them with his companion brother, if he could remember them himself. “Oh.” Duo said, frowning in thought and looking worried himself. Had something happened to Solo that had caused him to lose part of his memory? If so, Duo was more then blessed that he didn’t forget him. They returned to the bike and dropped the oranges into the back. Duo had all the supplies he was going to need and now, he just had to get back to the base. Duo hopped onto the bike and then, taking a look back, called Solo. “Come on! hop on, you can come back with me. I’m on a base not to far from here”. Solo hadn’t any problem with that. He had no particular place to stay himself, and of course he was willing to go anywhere with Duo. He sat down onto the seat behind Duo, and just because he could, gave a nuggie to Duo, rubbing the knuckles of his fist into Duo’s head. “Hey!” Duo took a swat at him, “Don’t be a pest!” The words said with a very unthreatening smile. The small gesture brought back memories and sent a warm feeling though Duo. It was just like old times, just him and Solo, picking up where they had left off, all those years ago.

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The two of them traveled down the road along the sea side toward the base. To their left was a thick woods that seemed to roll down the emerald green hill sides and then, before reaching the road, it broke into a small roll of grass. To the right was the Ocean. Its deep cobalt, sparkling under the sun like some shimmering gem, was dotted here and there with sail boats and small fishing boats. The air held a salty fresh taste and smell, as the white cap waves broke on the rocks far down from the road, sending mists of sea water into the air. It all seemed to be more wonderful now that Solo was here. The calm exterior that Duo showed only hid the excitement and joy that was bounding inside of him, ricocheting off every thought and question that he had of Solo. He couldn’t wait to get back to the base and let the others know, Duo wanted to tell the world. “I see you decided to keep your mop, huh?” Solo said, as he hugged to Duo and rested his chin on Duo‘s left shoulder. He was speaking about the long length of chestnut colored braid that was pressed between them. “Yeah, I kinda figured that, when you di….” Duo didn’t think it appropriate now to think of Solo as someone that ‘had’ existed. “I just thought that you would be mad, if I cut it.” It was only the partial truth. Duo had become quiet accustomed to it himself…and made of it his trade mark, his pride. After all, it represented two important people in his lifetime. Solo gave a small smile as it softly brushed against his cheek. “I‘m glad you decided not to…it looks good. Better then mine, eh?” He gave a laugh and reaching a hand back, tugged to the roughly cut flaxen mess.

They started down the slope of a hill, Duo giving the bike a little more speed as they came racing down the road. “Wooooooho!!” Solo gave out a howl from behind Duo, as he let go and held his arms up and out, like he could lift from the bike and take off into flight. The wind off the ocean pulled out and whipped the bottom edges of his celadon vest around, it also tugged at the hems of his white t-shirt. His golden blond hair waved in the wind. The sun was warm beating down on them and he was delighted. Solo tilted his face up to the sun and closed his eyes. It was so warm. Duo, turning back, gave a laugh as he watched the boy behind him. Except for his appearance, and even then there was not too much of a change, Solo was almost the same as Duo remembered him.

There came the sound of a horn, as an old truck passed by them, they almost sailed into its path, Duo looked back and just about lost control of the bike. He pulled it back away from the line just in time to almost hit a farmer pulling a wagon along the side of the road. “Whoa!” Duo swerved again and, Solo was taken off guard. The sudden swerve of the bike made him open his eyes quickly enough to see the wagon and grab Duo’s shoulders. Some loose oranges in the back tumbled out and onto the road chasing the bike a ways. “Holy Crap!” Solo spoke boldly, as they shot past the man and his horse that was startled by the sudden noise. Solo looked back to see the farmer struggling with the spooked horse and waving a fist, shouting something at the two wild boys that was lost to the roar of the motor and the wind. Looking back to Duo, Solo suddenly burst out laughing so hard he almost fell off, as he gave a slap to Duo‘s one shoulder with a hand. With the other, he pointed a thumb back. “I bet we almost gave the old guy a heart attack!” The rest of the ride back to the base was laughs, jokes and playful prods at each other about their near incident.

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As they rolled onto the base grounds, Duo slowed the bike. He only took a moment to open the high chain link fence that ran around the perimeter of the base. Solo looked it all over, as they rolled though the gates. It seemed that the place was quiet deserted. Grass and weeds poked up though the pavement and tarmac of the base, showing that it hadn’t been used in quite some time. However, the high fence and the razor wire, that ran across the top of it, were still threatening.

“You work here or something?” Solo said, leaning over and pressing up against Duo’s back to get a better look of the place ahead of him. He didn’t really know what Duo would be doing here. “Well, it’s just a pit stop, in between reaching our destination point.” Solo noticed the plural there. “Our? who else is here?” Now Solo was really interested. It seemed that Duo hadn’t lost his gregarious nature and maybe things were more like they used to be then Solo realized. “Oh…just the guys, Don’t worry they’re okay. Though Wufei can be a bit of a dick.” Duo smirked to himself.

The sound of the bike managed to draw out life from one of the buildings. It was another young boy that seemed about the same age as Duo. He came out from one of the large hangars that were on the base. “Hey Duo!” A hand waved out to him, joined with the friendly greeting. This one was blonde too. He seemed smaller in build then what both he and Duo were, but Solo had learnt that this didn’t mean anything. It was the general look of this boy that intrigued Solo. He seemed well groomed for a street kid. His short hair, that could have been described as platinum blonde, was neatly combed and seemed to be placed just rightly so.  A silken, pale rose coloured dress shirt was tucked into camel colored khakis, with a dark brown belt. Were those brown dress shoes? A lavender colored cotton vest was over the shirt, making this one look more out of place then anything. Back to his hair, beneath the fringe of bangs, were azure eyes that seemed friendly, warm and inviting to see Duo once more, from his journey into the village. An equally innocent smile matched the eyes expression on his handsome features. Of course Solo still thought himself the better looking of the two.

“Hey there Quatre. I got the things that you sent me for. Though I might have lost some of the oranges on that last turn.” Duo said giving an embarrassed laugh and scratching the back of his head.
Quatre took on a worried yet, diplomatic tone. “What have I told you about taking those corners too fast Duo? And you’re going to have to act fast, Wufei noticed that his bike was missing and guess who was the first that he blamed for taking it?” It was then that Quatre noticed Solo from behind Duo. “Oh!” he gave a surprised blink. “Um.. Duo?” Motioning with his expression, worry played over Quatre’s features. They didn’t want anyone knowing that they were here and Duo took it upon himself to bring a civilian right here to the base! “Oh, where the hells my head? Quatre, this is Solo. Solo…Quatre.” It was a simple introduction, that left the two of them not really quite sure on each other’s relation to Duo yet. Though Quatre thought he had heard the name mentioned before. “Hey there!” Solo said out right and bold, as he stuck his hand out to shake Quatre’s. Which Solo did whole heartedly. “Any friend of Duo’s is a friend of mine.” It was about then it dawned on Quatre. “Oh, my! You were the one that…But how?” The poor blonde now seemed confused for sure. Duo thought he had better intervene on this. “Don’t blow a fuse Quatre…I’ll explain in a minute as soon as I introduce him to the rest.” That’s what Quatre was afraid of: the rest of their group.