'Breathe. Don't move. Don't think about it. Just breathe.'

But that hurt, too. Even taking in the slowest, shallowest breaths, it didn't get any better. It was impossible to ignore the burning pain, and he couldn't reach for a cigarette without making it white hot and nearly blinding. Slouched against the remains of a wall and bleeding to death, Duo would have to be content with looking at the ruins surrounding him.

Calling for help was useless. The only humans within earshot were devoid of life, their comrades having fled to temporary safety, and Duo had been abandoned with six shattered ribs and a gaping hole in the center of his torso. His beautiful chestnut hair, long since liberated from the plait that had held it, clung to his sweaty skin and tattered uniform, dirtied by blood and dust.

Why had he gotten involved in this stupid civil war? The Preventers were supposed to ease things, using weapons only if forced, but the citizens of the deteriorating L1 cluster had erupted into violence, and Duo, always willing to fight for a good cause, had strapped on his battle gear.

With his peculiar brand of "luck", he had found himself in the middle of the most brutal conflict. He had done his share, upholding his title, but the destruction that he knew was coming made his skin prickle and break into a cold sweat. Those fighting around him who had escaped might have their lives now, but the most extreme radicals had made themselves a new Wing Gundam and were about to test it on the colony. In retrospect, getting rid of all mobile suits in the name of peace might have been a terrible idea. Duo wished his pain would stop, but he was certain he would rather bleed to death than die in the cold void of space.

To distract himself, Duo let his thoughts wander to his favourite person to think about. He had no doubt that the stoic was still living; he was a perfect soldier, after all. Duo wished he could see him one last time, taste those perfect lips, gaze into those perfect eyes, and tell Herro he loved him without expecting to hear it back.

Such a happy reunion would be all but impossible. They were together when they entered the colony but had split up immediately. Now Duo had no idea where the other was and couldn't imagine Heero coming to find him. Sitting in the middle of a field of waste, the God of Death didn't need to act strong and solitary. His greatest fear that he kept hidden was going to become a reality : he would die alone.

He closed his eyes to hold back tears of mental and physical anguish. All around him, the colony shuddered as the first devastating blow was dealt, most likely from the Buster Rifle of the new Gundam. That something so deadly stood for freedom in the eyes of many usually made Duo smirk, but now his wounds stung enough and he cried, his lips pulled back to reveal teeth gritted into a grimace that stifled all sound.

The colony around him, after one hit, was already beginning to crumble. The artificial weather controls must've been damaged because his violet-blue eyes could faintly make out that a section not too far off was roasting beneath the heat turned upon it while the one just beyond it felt the snow generally reserved for the winter holidays.

Rain began to pelt him in a torrent. Within moment he was soaked to the bone.

"Fuck me," he muttered, closing his eyes again, ready to give into a final sort of slumber.

"I don't think that would be the best choice for you right now."

Great. Now he was hallucinating. Well, he wouldn't be fooled by his mind projecting his lover's voice. He wouldn't be excited or hopeful because that wasn't real. "Were you attempting humour, Heero?" he answered sarcastically.

"Yes."

Duo's eyes open wide. He looked up to see Heero standing over him, drenched but smiling. To Duo's surprise, the Japanese man had a wound that ran from his right temple down his face, ending after cutting his mouth open at the side. It was a wonder that he hadn't lost an eye, though it did seem that he couldn't see from that side. Still, if that was the only damage he'd taken, he had done much better than Duo had.

"Heero," he breathed, staring at him through blurred vision. "Why are you still here?"

Instead of answering, Heero gently scooped his injured companion into his arms and held him close as he stood. "I don't think I can get us to a shuttle port quick enough," he admitted, gazing into the distance with a frown.

The second blast rattled them. A hole had been ripped in the shielding of the colony. Thousands had died instantly, and millions more were going to be victims. Duo clutched Heero tightly, his eyes screwed shut. "You stupid... Why didn't you get out?"

Explosions far-off turned the sky red, but the rain still pounded down on them. It wouldn't be long before the air was gone. Heero calmly tilted Duo's face up to his. "I couldn't do that."

Those cobalt eyes snapped open in a glare. "Don't lie to me. Now you're going to die in the worst way possible! Why would you do that!?"

Affection. His look was that of absolute devotion. "Because I love you too much to let you go through it alone." He leaned forward and pressed their mouths together.

As the emptiness of space ripped the colony apart at its seams, it was Heero who stole Duo's last breath away.