A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Nichan, kanza, Darkwood, Fallen-Yuki, acindra, hanjuulover, and Jane Austen Girl. Mucho luff.

Hour Twenty-Four

I just couldn’t resist teasing him. After he figures out exactly what happened, he’ll probably come hunt me down and shoot me, but it was worth it. Completely and utterly worth it.

We’re just about done here. Crazy. We actually made it through without killing one another. Now to just make it through the war without dying, and then...

Well, I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

“So, Heero, where do you go from here?” I ask calmly, though inside I hope it’s the same place as me.

“Southern Japan to destroy the main OZ base there.”

“Ah,” I say with dismay. “I’ll be all the way up north. So I guess it’ll be a while before we meet up again, huh?”

“My mission length is only four days. It could be sooner than you think.” Heero eyes me carefully, measuring my reaction, whether or not I want it to be sooner.

I grin at him, although I’m careful not to let the full strength of the bright feeling inside of me show through. “Do me a favor, will ya?” I say, giving him a playful shove.

“Yes?”

“Listen to some music for once in your life.” He blushes ever so slightly and ducks his head, scowling at his hands. I think he’s still not completely sure what happened.

With a contented sigh, I lean into the scrawny pillows behind me. The minutes slip by, and I wonder why the end always comes too soon, no matter what you’re doing or where you’re going next.

“Time sure went by fast,” I comment aloud.

Heero, ever the literal one, is quick to respond. “It went by at the same speed it always goes by.”

I stick my tongue at him, but nod my head in agreement. “Yeah, I guess it’s just me that sees it as faster than usual.” I hesitate, and then add, “Too fast.”

Silence, reminiscent of the very beginning of this strange mission, echoes around me. But into it, Heero mutters, “Me too.” And it’s all I can do to keep from hugging him.

I really need to get over this.

And suddenly it’s time to go. Our watches both begin to beep simultaneously as exactly twenty-four hours become yesterday.

I stand up, straighten my hat, and turn to Heero. “That’s it, then.” Slightly dazed, I pat him on the shoulder, and then turn away towards the door. I’m not so smooth at goodbyes. I’m always afraid that they’re real.

“Duo.” Heero’s strong voice stops me, but I don’t look at him. Instead, I feel my braid lift from my back as he runs his fingers over it.

“I’ll meet you at the dawn,” he says in a voice so gentle and soft that I’m surprised that this is the same guy who can bend steel bars with his bare hands. The Perfect Soldier. Wow. I’m not exactly sure what his words mean, but it’s clear that they’re important to him.

We walk out the door, into tomorrow, and we don’t look back.

End Part One

---

A/N: Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. Anime Expo was last weekend and I got kind of distracted. Be on the lookout for oneshots and a new multi-parter soon, but I probably won’t have the sequel to this up until the end of summer. If we’re lucky. Thanks for reading!