Blind Love

AN: Okay, this is my new story. I hope you all like it. It make me wanna SHOUT with anticipation!

Disclaimer: Don't own...don't sue

New York. The city of lights. The city of people. A place of individualism, much like his hometown of Tokyo. Maybe that was one of the reasons he felt so at home there. Sure the people didn't all have dark brown hair, but in this new day and age, that was a boundary that was allowed to be played with.

Heero didn't know why, but he had always loved big cities. He was a quiet guy by nature. Soft spoken, hard headed and definitely not a people person. He loved to sit at home and read. He didn't even own a TV. He much preferred the internet as a source of entertainment anyways. He had never had many friends. The ones he did have, he didn't hang around with much. Just a quick word in their conversations at work and a nod here and there. Other than that, he was pretty much a guy you could ignore if you wanted to.

When it all came down to it, New York was one of the last places anyone would expect to find Heero. It was big, and crowded, street safety was an issue and privacy was non-existent to most people. And yet, there he was, sitting on the park bench, watching as people bustled by on the sidewalk opposite him. Everyone was in a rush, talking frantically on cell phones or trying to keep a grasp on all their shopping bags at once. There was noise. Car horns honking were always present and the endless chatter of thousands of people was something you couldn't escape from. If you dropped something small, it was most likely never going to be found. Like a needle in a haystack.

There was a variety of people there too. All different cultures, styles and preferences. Diversity was another thing Heero admired. Being gay had never given Heero many hardships before, besides the fact that his father now hated him. Personally, he was someone Heero could do without, and someone he HAD done without for many years. Not many people actually knew this about him anyways. His mother had taken that secret to her grave, never told anyone about her son, trying as hard as she could to make life as painless for him as possible. His father just sneered and tried not to bring it up at social gatherings, not for Heero's sake, but for his own. He didn't want to be seen as the man with a homosexual son. And Heero was okay with that. He had known since 9th grade of his preferences, and had never had the guts to follow up and prove it. To people at work, he seemed asexual. Never taking interest in any women, never paying attention when the women pointed out a man.

Most of the people he met weren't his type anyways. He was looking for something specific. He was only 21 years old. There was still plenty of time to find someone.

-

Heero had finished work early that day, for once, skimping on his effort so he could get away faster. The topic of today's chatter and gossip had been the new intern's lovely ass. The other men were quiet as she went by and when she was finally out of earshot, they started to make their distasteful comments about her body.

It disgusted Heero. Even though he wasn't into that end of the gender train, he certainly respected it enough to know when it was inappropriate. So, for once, he did less than 110 effort on his reports and headed out into the streets, removing his jacket and tie along the way. Suits had never really been Heero's thing. He would have much rather been a writer. It was what he was good at. But, everyday life required him to have an office job to make money. And until he could find an editor to take a look at his current manuscript, he was stuck working in his stuffy, tiny, corner office on his laptop, while he listened to the gossip and sexist remarks of his co-workers.

But out in the middle of central park, it was much better. He had picked out a nice bench under the shade of an oak tree in the bright, early afternoon sun and was enjoying the cool breeze that was sent from the heavens to calm him. There were people out in the fields, playing Frisbee with their dogs and women with babies in strollers. It was one of his most favorite things about New York. He could finally have the peace he needed with the real world around him still. Luckily, Central Park was just a few blocks away from his office, within walking distance, so he could go there on lunch breaks if he wanted to.

He reclined on the wooden seat, closing his eyes and leaning his head backwards as cold air washed over his face soothingly. He could smell the fumes of streets vendors with hotdogs and the flowers planted next to the path on his left. It felt so good to be out of his dull workplace and into the world again.

Opening his cobalt blue eyes, he ran a hand through his eternally messy chocolate hair, and scanned the space of the park again. Then, something crossed his eyes that his attention immediately grabbed. A young boy, maybe a few years his minor was walking a big black dog, only a few yards away. The boy had a smile of his face and his eyes were focused straight ahead. He was tall and slim and wearing jean cutoff shorts and a baggy black tank top. At first, he suspected it to be a girl, with long flowing chestnut hair that glistened gold in the sunlight pulled back into a high ponytail. But the lack of chest was what tuned him in. His facial features were sleek, petite and a little feminine, but had a definite masculinity to them. Then there were his eyes…big and bright with a strange amethyst color to them, topped with large, long eyelashes. His right ear was pierced twice and his left eyebrow had a small black stud through it. He wore a gold crucifix around his neck and a gold bracelet around his wrist.

He was like an angel; the sun pooling around his head to look like a halo…Heero was transfixed. This was like his ultimate vision of a lover come to life. He was already imagining spending the rest of his life with this boy in his arms. He was falling fast and falling hard for someone he hadn't even met yet. He had never dreamed that he would find someone this perfect and the desire to meet him grew. Everything was in slow motion as the boy came closer and closer…

Before he knew what was happening, Heero was up out of his seat and heading towards the boy.

"Hello…" Heero supplied awkwardly. "Um…I saw you walking and I thought…I…would…." He faded away as the boy walked right past him, still staring straight ahead, ignoring him completely.

Heero blinked once, twice, three times before he realized what had happened. He had been rejected right away. He had barely said a word to the beautiful boy, and already, he was thrown off like some scum…

He swallowed. Something wasn't right about this boy…Heero shook his head. There was nothing wrong with the boy. He was just too good for Heero. A guy like that would never be seen with him. Maybe he wasn't even gay…

Heero stared after the boy as he kept walking, white fisted grip on the dog's leash. Oh well…it had been worth a shot.

-

"Quatre, do you think I'll ever find someone right for me?" Duo asked, holding his cup near his lips before taking a sip.

His roommate shook his head and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry Duo. You are a very handsome boy. If it makes you feel any better, if I didn't have Trowa, I would have claimed you long ago."

Duo laughed outwardly, accidentally knocking Quatre's class off the table, where it shattered on the floor.

"What was that?" He asked, turning frantically about, nearly falling out of his chair and feeling around. His breathing became ragged. "Did I do something bad Quatre? Did I break something else?"

Quatre sighed as he bent down to sweep up the remaining pieces of the broken glass with a dustpan. "Yes Duo, but its okay. I'll just buy some more."

Duo buried his face in his arms. "I'm sorry." He whimpered. "I'm such a FREAK!"

"No Duo…no your not! Don't talk like that. You are still the same Duo as you always were. You are just not used to this…this condition yet." Quatre came up to his friend and embraced him, petting his long, chestnut head.

Duo was sobbing now, into his blonde friend's arms. "I hate it…why did god have to make me this way. How have I ever sinned Quatre? Why did I have to get sick?"

"God made you this way because maybe he has a special plan for you. Maybe this way, something better will happen and light up your darkness…He didn't make you blind for no reason Duo…there is a purpose."

Duo looked up to his friend, eyes wide and puffy. He smiled weakly. "I think he should have made me blind with my eyes closed, it would have been so much easier on other people. Then they wouldn't think I'm retarded because I walk into things."

"Maybe Duo…maybe."

"Thanks Quatre…I'm glad I can count on your support."

The longhaired boy embraced his friend once more tightly.

Quatre smiled a sad smile. The day Duo had heard the news of his illness, it had been devastating to him and Quatre. The name was elaborate and Quatre couldn't quite remember…but the doctor had said that it wouldn't be long before Duo went completely blind. He had an infection that had started out as pink-eye in his left optic. It had been no big deal. Then it started to get worse. Duo said his vision kept getting cloudy and that it was slowly going darker in that eye. They went to see the physician and that is when they were told. There was nothing that could be done. If they tested Duo with new drugs, it could simply make it worse. It was best to let it run its course. Being blind was better than not having eyes at all.

Still, it was bad. Duo cried his eyes out for days. And everyday, his vision got worse. By the time two weeks had passed, Duo's left eye's vision was black. Not even the tiny shine of light could register in the nerves there. Then his right eye started going and before he knew it, Duo was totally blind.

It had been hard for him. Duo couldn't do the things he loved anymore. He couldn't read is favorite manga, which required looking at pictures. He couldn't watch TV without being frustrated. Quatre worried about his safety as well. New York was not a good place to be wandering about blind. Especially for someone who looked like Duo.

There was no denying it. Duo was a plain target for sexual predators. He looked like jailbait, and with this new disability, he acted like it too. He wasn't confident, he wasn't brave. He was meek and afraid. Not like the old Duo who acted like nothing could stand in his way. Quatre had bought him a big, black, Seeing Eye dog for friendship and safety, and only then was he even remotely satisfied.

His whole future turned upside down.

Duo was discouraged about finding a lover as well. Being gay had been hard for him to admit, he was convinced he liked girls. But there was no denying what his body told him. Hard enough as it was to find a good relationship for him, now that he was blind, that made it ten times harder than before.

Quatre pitied him. He knew he shouldn't. Duo hated getting pity, but he couldn't help it. He went from being a happy person, to someone who was miserable all the time.

"Quatre?"

"Hmm?"

"Was it the good china?"

Quatre laughed. "No…you got lucky this time Duo. If you ever do break my good china, YOU'LL be the one paying for it."

"Aw…is that any way to treat someone who's blind?"

"Don't think just because you can't see, doesn't mean you can't pay for things, buddy."

Duo giggled and punched Quatre's chest lightly.

"So Duo…how did things go with the new intern job today?"

Quatre's eyebrows creased with worry as Duo bit his lip and shifted uncomfortably.

"What is it Duo?"

"The men there…they were making whistling noises at me. I think they think I'm a girl. They make rude comments about my butt when they think I can't hear. And the women laugh at my when I bump into things with the mail cart."

"Did your boss tell them you're blind?"

Duo cringed. "No…and I can't real brail yet either. I keep getting angry. You can't teach

an old dog new tricks I guess…"

"Duo, you are not old. You are only 19. You have plenty of time left."

"Yeah…but I think I've run out of spirit…"

TBC

Mistress Shinigami: Okay…new fiction…new situation…new problem…yeah

Duo: HELP MEEE

Mistress Shinigami: Please read and review!