Gundam Wing is not mine. I know that and so do you. ~_^

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Shi-chan: I know, I know, it's Christmas and I'm sitting at the computer like a geek. -_-;;
Duo: *sounding far away* Man oh man! Check out all the cool presents!
Heero: *also far away* Here, Duo, a gift.
Duo: NANI!?!? *ripping paper is heard* Arigatou, Hee-chan! I love it! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!
Shi-chan: *clears her throat* Uh, fic?
Quatre: It's Christmas.
Trowa: You're taking them away on Christmas morning?
Shi-chan: o_O;; Ano...Du-chan! Hee-chan! Pleeeeease?

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Jack Frost Yuy
~By Shimegami-chan
Part 2
Shounen ai, and sap, and angst, suicide, language, and stuff.
Enjoy, and merry christmas!
Author's Notes: Responding to a review in the last chapter. ~_^ I did in fact finish "Death Becomes Him," there were 30 chapters in all, and if you click on my name-link thingie it should take you to a list of my stories and you can read it from there. Okay? (And yes....the Death Becomes Him sequel will EVENTUALLY, come, those of you who have been asking. I've just been so busy! Gomen!)
Now...on with the fic!




The first thought that came to Heero Yuy's mind was "Jesus, I'm cold."

The second was, "What the hell!? I'm dead!"

Or, at least I'm supposed to be.

He looked curiously around: he was standing on the front lawn of the house he and Duo had shared on L2, the very house he had longed to arrive at that fateful day of the crash. The wind had suddenly halted and the snow had stopped falling.

(OOC: And then, Shi-chan kicked her ass into gear and stopped procastinating. 7 hours spent on half a paragraph is a little much. IC:)

Heero began to walk tentatively up to the door, unsure of what he was supposed to do. What had happened to him? He could feel the passage of time--a full year--as clearly as he perceived that this was real, this was now. He was standing in front of his own house, 364 days after the day he had left the mortal world.

364. Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, Heero suddenly realized, frowning slightly. He raised a hand to the doorknob.

The door was locked, but Heero noticed something else was amiss--hidden beneath the green gloves, Heero's frozen fingers weren't bending very well. Colbalt-blue eyes traced a line from his hand to his thin, wooden arm, down his huge white torso, and back to the door in horror. The reflection he saw in the glass door confirmed the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

I knew this was too good to be true. Heero stared hard at the image looking back at him, a large white face with a perpetual frown, ice-blue eyes peeking out of heavy snowy lids. What the hell...!?

I'm a...a...snowman...



-----------------------


"HEERO!"

Duo sat up, bathed in cold sweat, shaking. It was a nightmare. Only another nightmare.

The American put his hand to his chest and tried to calm his breathing, praying his scream hadn't woken the others. The dreams had been as bad as ever, horrible scenes straight from Duo's darkest imagination, always, always, Heero.

(OOC: Twice in one fic, I hate myself. My Internet access was cut at this point, and I didn't get it back till 11 p.m. Boxing Day. Gomen na sai...I'm losing Christmas fast, and this is a Christmas fic, so I'll do my best to finish it tonight...IC:)

This time he had seen Heero in a crowd of holiday shoppers, bustling and noisy, and he had tried to follow his love into the pulsating mass, but Heero has slipped away from him. The clock struck twelve, and Duo knew it was Christmas Eve...he spied Heero running away from him on the other side of the crowd. The lithe shape in jeans and a green tank top seemed to melt before Duo's very eyes. Duo ran to him, but the only thing left where Heero had stood was his own gold cross. Duo looked down only to see the cross safely nestled around his own neck, identical to the one that lay in a puddle on the wet concrete. Then the cross on the ground dissolved into nothing.

"Heero!" Duo sobbed aloud, letting the tears come out for the first time in a while. "How could you leave me on Christmas Eve? I'm so lonely...I need you..." But the cold room was empty save for himself, and quiet save for his own whimpers.

Quiet.

Where had the screaming sound of the wind gone?

Duo froze and composed himself, listening intently. Nothing but silence was heard from outside. Duo belatedly noticed that the snow had stopped sheeting across the window. The night was as cool and calm as if nothing had happened.

And then, the silence was broken.

"Duo?"

Duo clapped his hands over his ears. No...

"Duo, it's Heero. Can you hear me?"

"No!" Duo cried, flattening against the wall. "Shut up!"

The was a moment of silence, and Duo heard light a tapping on the window. "Please...Duo..."

"Shut up." Duo whispered.

"Can you come outside?" Heero's voice was barely above a whisper itself, but the silence all around Duo was still pressing in on him. It couldn't be him. Heero was gone.

"Like hell..." Duo bit his lip nervously.

"Duo?"

Against his better judgement, the shaking American climbed out of the bed and pulled on his black pants and a white t-shirt, and threw a black sweatshirt on top. Damn. What's wrong with me?

He shoved his feet into his low-cut boots and stepped outside, shivering. "Where are you?"

"Here." The voice came from around the corner of the house.

Duo's footsteps crunched in the snow as he walked slowly to his left.

"Stop!" Heero suddenly said.

Duo came to an abrupt halt. "What?"

"Don't come any closer." Heero asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"Why not?"

"You can't see me. Not like this. I just want to talk to you."

Duo laughed bitterly. "How do I know you're even there? You could be the voices in my head. You always were before."

"You hear voices, koi?"

"Only yours. Only lately."

"After I died."

A few minutes of silence followed Heero's ominous statement. "You…are dead, right?" Duo asked hoarsely.

"Yes." was the curt reply.

Duo choked out, "I thought...maybe...since they never found a body..."

"I'm sorry, Duo. So sorry."

"Why are you here, then?" he hissed. "I waited so long for you...I wanted so badly for you to be okay..."

"I couldn't...all I can do is apologize, my love..." Heero's voice sounded sad.

Duo sat down in the cold snow, not caring how wet he got. "I heard you all the time...calling me...they all think I'm nuts. Even Quatre, I can see it in his eyes. They wanted me to see a therapist."

"Not until now. I'm here now."

"But you won't stay, will you?" Duo sobbed. "They never do. They never do."

Silence.

"Are you still there?" Duo wondered.

"Yes." Heero replied.

Duo shot to his feet and clenched his hands into fists. "You won't stay."

He sighed. "No. I don't think I can."

"You're not real, either! You're just like all the others!" Duo fumed aloud and started to walk back to the house.

Heero's panicked voice stopped him. "Duo, no! Don't leave!"

Duo stopped short. "The others agreed with me. They though there was something wrong with me, all the Heero-voices in my head. They don't care."

"I care." Heero said softly.

"Then why won't you let me see you, if you're there!?" Duo turned abruptly and ran around the corner to the source of the voice.

Heero took a step back in horror.

"No..." Duo said softly, violet eyes staring down the creature before him. "No way..."

"Duo..." Heero pleaded, raising a 'hand' as if to stop him.

Duo flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm worse than they thought...I should have listened to them, but I didn't want them to send me away..."

"Duo, I swear, it's really me. Please don't..." Heero couldn't stand the thought of Duo going insane because of him.

Duo's lips settled into a cold grin and he took a step back. "I should have listened to them all along. I knew it."

With that, he turned and ran into the house, leaving a stunned and shaking Heero behind.



-----------------------------


Duo crashed into the porch and yanked his boots off before running back to him room. He pulled the curtains and blinds closed and dived back into bed, clothes and all.

They were right. They were right. I'm nuts.


----------------------------

Heero was trying his best to break the door down, without much success. He only had thrown himself at it twice before Wufei came running to see what all the noise was about, with Quatre and Trowa close behind. Quickly Heero returned to the place where he had began, right in the middle of the yard, staring into the empty streets. Wufei wrenched the door open and ran outside, howling.

"Baka! Who the hell is that?!? Maxwell, it had better not be you!" Heero did not answer, only heard Wufei cursing and muttering to himself as he clomped around in the snow around the door.

Trowa's voice spoke. "The footprints lead around the corner, but they come back and go right back inside."

"Was it Duo?" Quatre asked timidly.

"I don't see how he could have gotten back inside so fast if that was him at the door." Trowa answered. "but there are no other footprints around."

"I'll go check on him. I'm surprised he didn't come out." Heero heard the door bang shut behind Quatre. Wufei and Trowa stood quietly outside for a few moments before following suit.

Heero stared straight ahead and tried not to move.


-----------------------------


The next morning Heero waited patiently for Duo to come out of the house, but the American never emerged. Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa left in turn in the morning on unknown errands, none locking the door behind him.

He must be inside. Heero looked nervously around before shuffling up to the door and quietly opening it. The house was silent.

Leaving a trail of snow and water behind him, Heero slid through the kitchen and down the hall to Duo's room. He heard nothing, no one was inside. "Duo?" he queried.

Still nothing. Heero moved inside the room and glanced worriedly at the unmade double bed. The room was a disaster zone as always, with oils and hair accessories and clothing strewn all over the place. Heero moved over to the dresser and picked up a small pistol lying on it.

This is mine, he thought, turning the weapon over in his cold hands. Did I scare him that badly?

"Don't move, pal," came an equally cold voice from the doorway. Heero's gloved finger clenched tight to the trigger and he aimed the gun steadily at the shadowed figure.

Duo took a step forward, his own gun levelled straight at Heero's head. "Stop screwing around with me."

"I'm not," Heero answered honestly, still keeping his pistol pointed straight at his lover. "I'm telling the truth."

"Yeah. Right." Duo let out a bitter laugh. "I've got a walking snowman in my room holding a gun, and you want me to believe that you're really my boyfriend who's been dead for a year."

The pained words struck Heero to the core. "Duo..."

"I can't shoot a damned figment of my imagination either. Isn't that what you are? I told Quatre about it, about last night. He's getting me some help. I don't really care if they throw me in the mental hospital anymore, now I know I really need it."

Heero almost lowered his weapon. "Duo, please, don't do this to yourself."

Duo laughed and spun the pistol around his finger. "I can't kill you, maybe, but I can take care of your source easily enough." he gave Heero a grim smile and raised the gun to his own temple. Heero's weapon clattered to the floor. "Duo! No!"

The American's finger tightened on the trigger. "Oh, if I should be so lucky...no, Wufei knew. There's nothing here. He took them all out. After last night. They knew I was suicidal, but I wouldn't do it to them. Not so close to Christmas. But oh, after last night...hell, I'd do it. Anything to make them stop. Anything to be with him."

"Koi..." Heero took another step toward the braided pilot.

"No, Wufei knew." Duo said coldly before closing his eyes and pulling the trigger. "Bang."

Heero barely caught him as Duo crumpled to the floor.




-----------------------



Heero cradled Duo in one arm as he gently took the pistol from his koibito's fingers and snapped it open.

Empty. I guess Chang has some sense after all.

Duo's eyes fluttered open. "Why can't I do it? Why won't they let me?"

But Heero would have none of that. "You listen to me, Duo Maxwell. Don't you EVER scare me like that again, or I'll kill you myself. And you know damn well that I'll make good on the threat."

"Heero..." Duo's violet eyes sought out Heero's colbalt ones nervously. "You can't really be Heero..."

"Who the hell else would I be?" Heero growled.

"The ones before didn't care if I died," Duo said simply. "They wanted me to die."

"Pull a stunt like that and I will too, just so I can get my hands on you again. And not in a good way."

Duo cracked a small smile. "I'm horrified to find myself actually believing you."

Heero's anger melted away as quickly as it had appeared. "You do?"

"I think so." Duo brushed tears away from his indigo eyes.

Heero stared intently at Duo's heart-shaped face. "Duo...I..."

"Why are you here? How are you here?" Using Heero's snowy shoulder for support, Duo got to his feet.

"I told you I'd be home for Christmas, and I am. I don't know how."

"I'm going insane."

"I swear it, Duo, no you're not. I'm really here. How can I prove it to you?"

"Hmm." Duo looked deep in thought for a moment. "I--I'm not sure, Hee-chan..."

Heero's blue eyes suddenly focused on a gold chain around Duo's neck, mostly hidden beneath the sweatshirt. "What's that? That necklace?"

Duo slid his fingers under the charm and pulled it out. "It's this."

"Where did you get that?" The words were dry in Heero's mouth. He hadn't expected to still have the gold cross around his neck, not while he was a snowman. But he hadn't thought Duo would...

"They found it at the crash site." Duo started to unclasp the chain. "Do you want it?"

"No...it wouldn't fit me, and it's yours...but I'm glad that you got it back."

"You always gave it back when you came home." Duo said sadly. "You promised you wouldn't lose it."

Heero was unsure of what to say. "Hn..."

Duo tentatively stepped closer and gave Heero a nervous hug. "I believe you."

"Really?" waves of relief washed through Heero. "My Duo..."

"I don't understand. But I don't think I care." Duo wrapped both arms around Heero and held him tightly. "You're so cold..."

"Hn." Heero gave him a stiff hug back.

"What did I expect, hey? You're a snowman...ye gods, why the hell are you a snowman anyway?" Duo pulled his head back and gazed into Heero's colbalt eyes.

"Ano...I don't know." Heero quirked an eyebrow.

Duo rolled his violet eyes. "A cruel twist of Fate, eh? I built the snowman last night with your gloves and scarf. Maybe that was it. I put the cross back on for the first time, too."

"They matched yours..." Heero said quietly. "Only yours were red."

"Perfect for Christmas." Duo smiled. "I'm glad you got to wear them, ne?"

"Hai, a year later..." Heero finally broke the embrace and stood back to look at his lover curiously. "You've lost weight."

"And you've gained." Duo shot back. "I was mourning, could I help it?"

"I'm sorry." Heero sighed. "it's all because of me, isn't it?"

Duo didn't answer, but turned around and started to leave the room.

"Matte! Where are you--"

"Kitchen." Duo smiled over his shoulder. "Now that you mention it, I *am* kind of hungry."

Glancing back at the puddles of water on the hardwood floor, Heero followed his koi out the door. "Quatre's gonna have a fit about this."








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Shi-chan: Chapter 2, ready to go. I'll start on 3 right now to make up for my lack of work last night. ^_~

AN: I also scared the crap out of myself again, when I went to post this I couldn't get onto the Net. Turns out I hit the button on the power bar with my foot and turned it off, luckily the computer itself was plugged into the wall or I would have lost this chapter. o_O;; Sadly, it took me 10 minutes to actually figure out what the problem was.

OH-HO! And NOW, ff.net tells me that my account has been frozen because my e-mail's not working, or something! WTF?!?!? Well, gee! Way to scare the frikking CRAP out of me! It's fixed now.

I hope.