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"The Road to Hell is Paved With Second Chances "Written By: Jewel of Hell Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, angst (sort of), abuse, torture, memory loss, mental instability, character death, violence, dark Pairings: 1x2 Summary: The war ended, and Duo disappeared. Heero
never stopped searching. When he found his love, locked in a research
facility with devestated memories, he swore he would destroy the one
responsible. "The Road to Hell is Paved With Second Chances "
Chapter Nine "Heero?" "Hn." "Ne, Hee-ro . . ." Suppressing a sigh and a smile, Heero closed his laptop and gave Duo his full attention. "What?" Using a gentle tone. "How did I wind up in Isenger's lab?" Heero blinked. That was one question he'd never thought to answer. For a moment he deliberated, trying to decide if it would be best to gloss over the truth or give it to him straight. Was Duo strong enough to hear his life had been ruined by a petty little girl in a fit of jealousy? Biting the inside of his lip, he gave it at least five full seconds of thought before making up his mind. "Do you remember the name Relena Peacecraft?" "No." "She's . . ." Heero paused. "A political figure with some importance. We met her during the war, all of us. She pushed for peace, and our paths had reason to cross on several occasions. She . . . developed an infatuation for me." Duo's indigo eyes gazed at him blankly. Plainly he didn't see the relevance, but he listened intently just the same. "She couldn't stand it that I loved-love-you. She arranged for Isenger to make you disappear." Duo's eyes widened in his still too-pale face. "What?" The word sounded choked. Heero shrugged one shoulder, letting his eyes fill with his black, depthless hatred for the girl. "Jealousy, Duo. That's all it was." For several moments Duo's mouth worked with no sound. "Jealousy?" he finally bit out. "Some girl did all this to me because of jealousy?" Now Heero held his peace, for some reason disturbingly gratified to see Duo's anger blossoming on his face and in his eyes. "Show me a picture of her," Duo said softly. "I want to see what she looks like." A little surprised, Heero nonetheless did as he asked and pulled up a picture of the girl. Turning his laptop toward Duo, he leaned back so Duo had a clear view. The long-haired boy gazed at the picture in silence for a time, face composed. But his eyes were tumultuous and dark, reminding Heero strongly of those final breathless moments before a vicious storm. Then his love slammed the laptop shut and flung the piece of equipment across the room. It hit the far wall with a crunching, shattering sound and fell to the floor in a multitude of shiny black shards. Duo's chest was heaving. Heero, a little startled by the display of violence, ignored the destroyed computer. "Please tell me you're going to kill her," Duo rasped, eyes wild. Heero remained still, feeling that disturbing satisfaction again. "Yes," he said simply. Duo whirled and stormed around the room, looking for all the world like an enraged, trapped animal with no outlet for its destructive inclinations. Finally he reached the opposite wall and spun around, slamming himself against it and sliding to the floor. His head dropped to his hands, and Heero was at his side in an instant. "Duo?" Indigo eyes shining with moisture met his. "I can't ever remember feeling like this," he said in a low, halting voice. A single tear broke past his long lashes and spilled down his cheek. "It feels good." Not what he'd been expecting, the words startled a short bark of laughter from Heero. "To me, too," he murmured, reaching out to lightly brush away the tear. "It's all right, Duo. Be angry. You've earned it." Duo surprised him again by giving him a bright, teary smile and lunging off the wall into Heero's arms. "I really do feel fearless with you, Heero. I love you. I really, really love you." "I love you, too . . ." Heero whispered, crushing Duo even tighter to him. Duo let out a muffled yelp, but Heero didn't loosen his hold. Last night flickered through his mind. Duo's finger over Heero's had depressed the trigger on his gun. Duo's choice. It was as if at that moment he had given himself permission to step up out of his former, broken shell and arise new and stronger. Like a phoenix rising from its own ashes. Duo was regaining his sense of self worth, a thousand times faster than Heero had ever dared hope. I should have known. I should have known you'd be all right. You're amazing, you're the most amazing person I know, it's what drew me to you in the first place. "Heero . . ." The soft, hesitant tone made Heero lean back to look down at Duo. "Nani?" "Did we . . . um . . ." Heero was momentarily entranced by the faint color that splashed Duo's cheeks. "Did we-?" he encouraged. The blush deepened ever-so-slightly. "Did we . . . ever . . . were we . . . intimate?" It took a second, then Heero grasped his shy meaning. Did we ever make love. For a moment Heero had to keep desire in a stranglehold. Not yet. Duo wasn't ready for that, no matter how he was looking at Heero now. "No," he replied. Then added quickly when Duo's face fell, "We never had the chance. We hadn't . . . confessed to each other but more than a day when Relena had Isenger take you." He ran his thumb over Duo's lower lip. "Not because I didn't want to." Hope flared up in indigo eyes. Duo squirmed a little closer, placing his hand flat on Heero's chest. "Then . . . you still . . . want me?" Heero almost groaned. "More than anything. But . . . Duo, we can't-" "Why not?" Duo immediately argued, placing a feather-light kiss to Heero's jaw. "I want you too, Heero." Taking Duo's wrists in a gentle but inexorable hold, he pushed Duo back. "Because you just met me." "No I didn't," Duo said, eyes intense. "Even if I can't remember practically anything, I can still feel that I've loved you for a long time. That you're my most important one." Heero's resolve wavered. "After . . . after I take you to Deathscythe," he said in a dry, husky voice. "Promise?" Duo breathed, leaning toward Heero's lips. Ah, god. "Promise," Heero gasped, yanking Duo close to seal their mouths together. Duo responded with sweet abandon, lips already parted and tongue seeking. He tasted sweet, like honey and spice. Hot. Wet. Heero resisted the urge to bite down and sucked Duo's tongue into his mouth. It made the long-haired boy utter a faint moan, fingers digging into Heero's shoulders as he pressed closer. His kiss grew more demanding. It was almost painful, wrenching away. He tucked Duo's head under his chin, aware he was probably squeezing the boy too tight again. "After," he panted. Duo made a soft sound of acquiescence, and after a few moments the mood calmed again. Heero closed his eyes. If this kept up, Duo's memories wouldn't matter at all. In an enormous hangar there stood five great mobile suits. Each with different colors and slightly different designs, they all looked like impressive, deadly weapons. For a moment Duo stayed back to appreciate the sheer scope and scale. He could feel Heero at his back, but the Japanese boy didn't move or direct him. He also didn't point out which one was the one they'd come to see. After Duo's initial appreciation wore off, he gave each a critical eye. And somehow, without being told, he knew which one was his. Had been his. As he strode with purpose into the hangar, he realized he had stopped reminding himself his own name. A sense of self oddly buoyed him, and he came to a halt at the feet of the one predominantly black. "This one's mine." He reached out and touched the cool metal. "Yes," Heero said quietly. Duo's eyes tracked to the right. "And that one is yours," he continued, not sure where this certainty came from. "Wing Zero." "Yes," Heero confirmed. Suddenly, Duo's eyes widened. "I shot you," he gasped. He turned to face Heero. "That's how I first met you. I shot you." The pilot of Wing looked startled. "You remembered that?" Feeling elated as images rushed into his mind, Duo nodded. "Irony's a bitch, Hee-ro. I shot you to save Relena." He cackled gleefully. "I shoulda let you kill her." Heero snorted. "Hindsight is 20-20," he quoted. "It's all right. We'll rectify that when we return home." Grinning, Duo moved to wrap his arms around Heero's waist. "Sweet-talker. You don't have to seduce me, you know. I'm all yours." A slow, barely-there smile teased Heero's lips. "Mine, hn? I like the sound of that." "Wanna put a collar on me?" Duo teased, leaning forward with no great hurry. "'If found, please return to Heero Yuy'?" Heero said with a smirk. Duo laughed, and for a moment, he wasn't an ex-terrorist with erased memories and separation anxieties. He was just a kid. One who was very much in love. "Can we take them for a spin?" This time, Heero's smile finished growing. "Sure."
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