I've decided to do a difficult thing, and that is to let some of my unfinished WIPs go.
Unfortunately, this is one of them.
This isn't about a "why didn't people review this more?"
This is about my unfortunate tendency to start ideas, to plot them out in my head, and then find myself drawn to a new idea.
I still have this problem but I'm working on it, and I'm trying to only work on fics that I can commit to finishing. So, I've gone back and updated every fic that I am officially abandoning and calling it complete as well as adding in a final chapter - this chapter.
So let me share a few thoughts on where this was headed:
Lost Dreams
Chapter 16
This time of year had always been Heero's least favorite.
It was, he supposed, beautiful, when the heavy winter snows melted and new life colored the mountains and the palace was opened to the citizens of Antioch for spring festivals.
But for years, it had marked the end of long winters spent curled around Trowa under heavy blankets, because as soon as the passes to Kos were open, Trowa left Thera to return to his adoptive kingdom.
This year, of course, Trowa was long gone already. Had been gone for six months, but he had not gone back to Kos. He had gone to Mysia, and by all accounts he had made himself indispensable to the murderers and butchers intent on destroying Hellas.
Solo's military strategy sessions had, over the past months, turned into campaign headquarters. More often than not, Solo, his generals, Quatre, Carl and Duo would meet and then Solo and the army would ride off to battle while Duo stayed behind, impatient and angry and forced to attend a sort of accelerated tutoring program that Gregory had devised so that Duo could learn what, exactly, was expected of him as the future king of Thera.
Heero stayed behind as well, to watch over the prince, a duty he both relished and despised.
Something had happened, between Gregory and Duo on the prince's twentieth birthday, and the very next morning Duo had barged into Heero's quarters to demand that he wake up and spar with him, casually tossing over his shoulder as he left that Heero should probably revise the guard schedules because Duo was allowed to 'have him' again. It hadn't made much sense to Heero's sleep fogged brain, but Gregory had confirmed it when Heero asked him an hour later - Heero's main duty, once again, was to safeguard the life of the future king, and Gregory seemed to be under no illusions regarding Duo's intentions towards Heero. Gregory had even hinted at his own past dalliance, with Heero's father years ago. Heero wasn't sure what to make of that - it made him uncomfortable, picturing his father and the king together, and the memory didn't seem to comfort Gregory much either, likely because Heero's father had almost allowed the Theran monarchy to perish.
So Heero relished his ability to actually guard Duo's life just as much as he relished the chance to speak to the prince, to be near him, to try and ease the loneliness, guilt and anger he could still see in Duo's eyes.
He despised it, however, for the fact that Duo still did not want his life guarded. He despised the days when Solo rode out with the armies, the weeks when Duo paced, anxious and irritable, waiting for the return of his brother, the more often than not signal that the Theran forces had been defeated.
In only six weeks the campaigns would be halted for the Hellas games, and both Solo and the Mysians seemed intent on fighting desperately until the last minute, before the truce would be enforced. And Duo seemed intent on driving Heero mad.
The prince had gone back to sneaking out of his rooms at night, wandering the archives and stalking the battlements and it was clear that he was furious at being left behind by his brother, at being, once again, unable to control his own fate. But, Heero suspected, there was more to it than that.
Finally, Heero gave up any pretense of allowing Duo to sneak about.
The army had left only that morning to go to Croton, a settlement halfway between Thera and Himera, one of the few remaining neutral kingdoms that shared a border with Thera and Mysia, to provide reinforcements and try to stave off the Mysian encroachment.
Duo had asked to accompany Solo and his brother had replied as he always did - a look of horror swiftly replaced by irritation and a muttered reminder to prepare himself for a future as the king, not as a rebel. Duo and Gregory had exchanged a look, and Duo had seemed on the verge of fighting back, but then Duo had looked at Heero and something in his expression had shifted and he had shrugged, given up the fight, and Heero hadn't seen him once since then.
The guards Heero assigned to him had been unable to find Duo until the evening meal, when everyone found Duo, since he walked into the great hall and took his customary place beside Gregory and completely ignored the scowls of the Royal Guards assembled, all of whom, by this point, had had to suffer through a reproach from Heero for losing sight of Duo.
So, that night, Heero grabbed his sword, his pillow and a blanket and barged unannounced into Duo's room.
Duo and Hellas looked up at his arrival. Duo was in the process of pulling on a pair of breeches and Hellas was valiantly struggling to pull them back off, her sharp teeth snagged on the bottom hem and her rump swaying furiously as she tugged.
Heero arched an eyebrow.
"At least one creature in this palace is capable of keeping track of you," he muttered.
Duo glared at him, picked up the dog, placed her on the bed, and swiftly fastened the breeches before she could attack again.
"You seem to keep up with me just fine," Duo retorted, but then he eyed the bundle in Heero's arms.
"I keep up with you when I'm awake, but since I cannot stay awake for the rest of my life and you refuse to respect your life, I'm sleeping in here and we are going to bed now so take the breeches back off."
Duo stared at him.
Heero hadn't spoken to him like that since Duo's identity had been revealed, and it shocked both of them. But Heero was at the end of his patience - at the end of his reserve of everything.
"Heero -"
"Duo. I can't lose you too. This has nothing to do with you being my prince. I cannot lose you too."
The admission was hard for both of them and Duo actually turned away, his shoulders tense and his head bowed.
Heero set down his sword and started to make a pallet for himself by the door.
"Stop."
He turned at the sound of Duo's voice. He realized just how exhausted Duo looked - he looked nearly as bad as Heero felt - with pale violet rings under his eyes and his skin pale, tight with worry.
"Sleep on the bed at least. I won't sneak out if you fall asleep."
Heero trusted him - Duo had yet to go back on his word, though he had seemed to have forgotten his promise, months ago, to stop sneaking away from his guards.
Heero set aside the pillow and blanket and approached the bed. Hellas greeted him by standing up on her back legs and licking his face. Heero allowed it, keeping an eye on Duo as the other man took his breeches off, and absently petting her.
-o-
Lost Dreams
Chapter 17
Duo's POV
Hellas games arrival.
The opening match for fencing, Duo removing his shirt.
Meeting Trowa by the river that night.
-o-
Lost Dreams
Chapter 18
Heero POV
End of the fencing competition, Zechs defeats Duo and Solo defeats Trowa. Solo and Zechs face off.
The archery competition begins.
The archery competition ends - Duo, Trowa, Ralph and Sylvia are the finalists, with Trowa using his final arrow to shoot Solo. All hell breaks loose.
-o-
ost Dreams
Chapter 19
Trowa POV
Taken prisoner by Sylvia and the other Sentinels. Ralph pays a very special visit, revealing that he is a Mysian spy. Implies that he is going to kill the other prince since Trowa has done his job and gotten rid of Solo.
Carl visits him and Trowa manages to escape.
Just in time to see Ralph attempt to Solo and he saves him, but they are both injured in the process.
-o-
Lost Dreams
Chapter 20
Heero POV
Duo completely taking charge of everything.
Holding a war council with their allies, still on the grounds of the Hellas games, and the armies are summoned.
Heero alone at Trowa's bedside, wishing for something.
Quatre showing up to apologize, to beg forgiveness, and Trowa waking up to give it to him.
Duo shows up, decked out for battle, and kisses Trowa goodbye before promising to bring Heero back in one piece after they've defeated the Mysians.
-o-
Lost Dreams
Chapter 21
Duo's POV.
The epic final battle. Gregory arrives with the army.
Gregory dies in battle, in Duo's arms.
Duo defeats Treize, Heero kills Zechs, and Hilde and Carl are generally awesome.
The return to Antioch.
-o-
Lost Dreams
Chapter Twenty Two
Duo is crowned king.
Heero swears to protect Duo with his life.
Trowa, Heero and Duo are FINALLY together.
The end. Huzzah.