damage: Chapter 1

You are cordially invited

     Duo stared at the wedding invitation as tears rolled down his cheeks. It had a vellum overlay with a handwritten monogram in Spencerian Calligraphy on it attached to the stationary with pink and blue ribbon. When he opened it, the actual invitation was written in Romantic Caroline. He set the invitation aside and decided to the letter that Relena had sent with it.

Duo,
     I just wanted to make sure that you would come to our wedding. I can

tell Heero really misses you. You are his best friend, after all. The wedding is on a Sunday, so I thought Heero would really like it if you and the other guys would come in on Friday and stay the whole weekend here. We have rooms for and everything will be great! You guys could keep Heero out from under my feet so that I can finish the last minute wedding arrangements. I hope to see you there, Duo.

Sincerely,

Relena

     Duo wiped the tears away from his cheeks as he scoffed at what Heero let her assume. "Best friends" she had said. He knew that he was more than that. He played the ring on his left ring finger. They were much more than that.

Then, he went to the closet of his small apartment and grabbed his suitcase. After he threw it on the bed, he looked out his window at the rest of the colony. He sighed heavily and started packing.

*****

     Duo sat in the room Relena’s butler had shown him to and tossed his suitcase on the bed. Heero hadn’t even shown up to greet him. The butler did tell him however that the others were already here. Suddenly, a huge wave unrelenting despair and loneliness rushed over him as if trying to drown him. He frantically dug through his suitcase trying to find his Valium. When he found them, he poured three into his hand and tossed them into his mouth. Then, he hesitated when going to put the cap back on.

     There was no way he could live with this kind of pain. Everyday living off his pills waiting for the day Heero might come back. He had to end it.

     He poured the rest of the bottle, all seventy-two into his hand and started eating them as if he were a child with a bag of Skittles.

*****

     Quatre stood with Trowa at the bottom of the long, spiral staircase as Wufei came in from the large garden outside.

     "When did you get here?" Quatre asked as he squeezed Trowa’s hand in his.

     "I was here early this morning."

     "Where were you?"

     "Out in the garden. Getting some exercise."

     "Did Duo come?" Trowa asked quietly.

     "I saw him climb out of a cab not too long ago." Wufei glanced up at the landing.

     Duo was standing at the railing looking down. His eyes appeared swollen and red, his hair unkempt. H started down the stairs, staggered a bit and caught his balance.

     "Hello Duo." Quatre said, smiling.

     Duo jumped slightly and looked over at him. He tried to return Quatre’s smile but faltered. "Hey there." His voice was weak and trembled slightly. "How you been, Quatre?"

     Quatre leaned in close to him. "Are you sure you’re well enough to be here? You don’t look to well."

     Trowa nodded slightly in agreement.

     "Don’t be silly. I’m fine. I’m great."

     "Oh my." Quatre said staring wide eyed over Duo’s shoulder.

     "What?" Duo slowly turned and looked back and his breath caught in his throat.

     Heero stood in the doorway of the great room, his piercing blue eyes in slits of what looked like anger. His brow furrowed frantically and his hands shook violently. He looked behind him before storming across the room towards them.

     "How you doin’ buddy?" Duo asked, his voice slurring slightly.

     Heero grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the large entrance doors that led out into the garden. He pulled on him even when he resisted every once in a while. He threw him down on a stone bench by the large marble statue in the middle of the garden.

     "What are you doing here!" Heero fumed.

     "I was invited by your fiancé. She said you would want your best friend here for your wedding." Duo stood up and started walking back towards the house.

     Heero grabbed his arm again and threw him against the base of the statue. He could here Duo’s breath rush from his lungs. "Why did you come! I didn’t want you here for this!"

     "Is that really all I was to you? Your good friend?"

     "That’s beside the point Duo!"

     "You’re right. I am just ruining the mood of your special weekend." Duo dropped his eyes to the ground.

     Heero leaned in so close Duo could feel his breath on his face and neck. He shivered.

     "You shouldn’t be here. Go home, Duo."

     "Your right." His words slurred a little more as he pushed his way past Heero. He staggered again and grabbed the statue for support.

     "Have you been drinking?" Heero asked from what seemed like so far away.

     "Wha..." Then, Duo’s eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the ground.

     Heero watched and seemed to fall with him. He didn’t even realize he had hit his knees and was crawling to him. "Duo!" He rolled him onto his back and cradled his head in his hands close to his chest. "Someone help us!!" He screamed.

     "Shh. Don’t worry. I’ll get you some help." Heero said quietly.

      "Where does it hurt, Duo?"

      "I hurt so bad."

     Duo could feel and hear the footsteps on the ground rushing towards them. There was so much he had wanted to saw when he saw Heero this weekend. He just couldn’t say it now.

     "Oh no!" Quatre wailed.

     Trowa set him on a bench and hurried over to them with Wufei.

     Duo moved his mouth wordlessly and fluttered his eyes again.
     "Save your breath, Duo. Please" Heero whispered.

                                     I’m slipping off the edge
                                      I hanging by a thread
                               I wanna start this over again

     "I am...so sorry, Heero. I wish...I could have done...so much more for you."
     Heero sniffled as a tear fell from his eye and onto Duo’s cheeks. "It wasn’t you, Duo. I swear."
     Duo smiled.

            So I try to hold on to a time when nothing mattered
                  and I can’t explain what happened
              and I can’t erase the things that I’ve done
                                  no I can’t 

     "Will you...do something...for me?" Duo asked, his eyes drooping slightly.
     "Anything, Duo." Heero blinked through his tears as his eyes burned fiercely.

     "Remember before."

     "I love you, Duo."

     Duo smiled again as his eyes closed and his head lolled to the side.

                                    How could this happen to me

     Heero inhaled sharply and looked up into the sky. He squeezed his eyes shut and howled a cry of such anguish, Quatre had to choke back a sob. Then, he pulled Duo to his chest and began to rock and whisper in his ear. "I love you. I always loved you, Duo." Tears cascaded down his face as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a golden wedding band. He slipped it onto his finger.
     Trowa slowly walked towards them and put his hand on Heero’s shoulder.
     "Don’t you touch him! You leave us be!" Heero shouted, his face buried in the side of Duo’s neck.
     Trowa pulled back and looked at Wufei and Quatre. Then he motioned for them to follow him out of the garden.
     "I won’t ever leave you again." Heero whispered through his sobs. "I love you and I will always stay by your side."