|
"A Time for Us"Written By: Jewel of Hell Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Romance/Tragedy, Angst, yaoi, lemon, language, violence, blood feud, forbidden love Pairings: 1x2, others Summary: The Maxwells and Yuys are two powerful
noble families that have been fighting for generations. Heero and
Duo are no exception. However, one fateful night changes everything
for the young heirs-a Romeo and Juliet tale with a twist. " A Time for Us"
Heero could tell his sweet Duo was anxious. Even though they lazed quietly on the couch not moving, Duo's body was limp and heavy and relaxed. It was ever-so-slightly tense. The boy shifted a bit, pushing his nose under Heero's chin like a demanding kitten. Smiling faintly, Heero raised a hand to stroke Duo's hair. "They should be here any time," he commented unnecessarily. Duo made a noncommittal sound. About three minutes later he heard a key release the lock, and the front door swung open. Duo sat up, but he didn't move from the circle of Heero's arms. Phylia walked in, followed by the tall and lovely Damia Maxwell. She looked a great deal like her handsome father. The two boys faced their sisters, both of whom smiled sad little smiles. "I'm so glad you're both all right," Phylia murmured. Damia took half a step forward, and only at the sudden distressed look on her face did Duo rise and go to her, allowing her to enfold him in her embrace. Heero could see tears gather in her eyes, but they didn't fall. She blinked them away. "Father thinks I am traveling to a conference with Mylandra and Tori," she said. "We brought the elixir, Duo. Please tell me you aren't actually thinking of using it." Duo pushed away from her to return to Heero's side. "Only as a last resort," he said. "We do have a plan, but we can't really complete it without you." "Go on to your conference," Heero inserted, looking at Damia. "You can tell your father we asked you to bring us the elixir and you refused if you wish to protect yourself. If you're less concerned about his reaction, tell him you brought it to us. Once he knows we might kill ourselves at any time, maybe then he will listen to reason. Phylia, tell Father the same thing. Don't tell him where we are. Next time when we both contact them, they'll know how deadly serious we are. They will either end this ridiculous feud, or we will both die." The two women gazed at their brothers, and Heero thought it rather amazing how alike their expressions and body languages were. Unconscious? Or the result of a long relationship? It made him vaguely curious. "Do you mind telling us what you're planning to do?" Phylia asked, her dark eyes hooded and just a little cautious. Heero looked at her a moment. "If they don't listen?" "Yes." He shook his head. "I . . . we . . . haven't gotten that far. We're going to talk about it tonight, though." He reached over and clasped Duo's hand. The smaller boy's fingers curled around his. "Maybe we can help," Damia insisted. "You can't," Duo said, and his voice sounded pained. "You made that abundantly clear. Our families are already practically at war. What do you think would happen if it came to that? You belong in the capitol, trying to talk people back to their senses." The older Maxwell looked so sad. "I want to help," Damia all but whispered. Heero saw moisture spring up in Duo's pretty, indigo eyes. "You can't," he said again. Voice barely audible. He backed up until he was flush against Heero's chest. "You can't." Heero reached up and squeezed his shoulders. "We'll let you know if you can," he offered. "But you can't stay here. I'm sure your father will want to know where you are, Damia, and you have no reason to leave home for any extended time, Phylia." The two women nodded, though neither looked very happy. After they were gone, Duo took a deep breath and looked up at Heero. "Should we get it over with?" Mouth tightening into a grim line, Heero nodded. This next part, he wasn't looking forward to anymore than he knew Duo was. "I'll go first." Lord Takashi Yuy wasn't an easy man to talk to even in a good mood. He was stubborn and extremely set in his ways. Ironically, it was this very trait that had shaped the people both Phylia and Heero had become. Phylia grew up quiet and observant, allowing people to underestimate her and pass judgments without complaint. Heero grew up quiet and unemotional, never allowing anyone to see him as he truly was. It was easier that way. Lonely, maybe, but easier. Until Duo stormed the fortress he'd built around his heart. Duo and all his emotions like a veritable tidal wave that had simply swept his defenses away as though they were made from clay. Sliding the headset over his ear, he dialed his home frequency. He didn't wait long for his father's firm, imposing voice. Calm, hard, and collected as usual. "Hello? Phylia?" "No, Father," Heero said, waiting to speak. Best let that sink into his father's head for a moment. Perhaps he could take his cues from Takashi as to how he should proceed with this conversation. Threats should always be a last resort. The pause didn't last very long. "Heero!" the man barked. "Lands, boy, where the hell have you been? You better be unhurt, or by all things we hold dear I will bring hell to the Maxwells!" "I'm fine, Father," Heero said quietly. "I'm not hurt. Phylia told you I'm with Duo?" "Yes," the man growled, and Heero could practically see his eyes flashing with righteous anger. "It's all right, Heero. You just come on home before he can mess with you anymore. I don't know what manner of trickery he used to convince you to leave in the first place—" "There was no trickery," Heero cut him off, voice more heated than he'd intended. He quickly moderated his tone. "I left with Duo because I love him, and he loves me. That's all." The pause was longer this time. Heero wished like crazy he could see his father's face, detect visible cues as to what he was thinking. Finally, "I know you think that, son," he began slowly—as though Heero were being dense. "If you'd only come home, be away from that devil for a few days, I'm sure your senses would return—" "Is your opinion of me so low you honestly think I could be fooled into thinking I'm in love?" Heero said. Calmer than his last interruption. "What do you suppose he did, Father? Hypnotized me? And why in god's name would he convince me to run away with him? He didn't lead me into some dark prison or something equally ominous and idiotic. I'm safe. I'm not hurt. Why would he even—" "I've no idea the inner workings of the mind of one of them!" Takashi cut in harshly. "I do know they desire the destruction of my family, and damn it Heero, you're my heir! Can you think of no reason why the head of that damned family would want to see you dead and gone?" Heero felt his calm beginning to chip away, and he forced his breathing to remain even. "Yes, I can but—" "Then why can you not understand that Maxwell brat is just using you? Obviously he wants to gain your trust so the blow is all the more painful—" "And he would waste valuable time doing so because . . . ?" Heero demanded. "There could be any number of reasons if he wants to hurt you!" Yuy snapped. "Mainly to get to me!" "This isn't about you!" Heero exploded, slamming his hand down on the desk. "For once in your life, listen to me! I'm dead serious about this, Father. I love him, and I'm not leaving him. If you won't take us seriously, and if I have to live in a world where I can't be with him, I don't see any reason to remain in it." This time the silence was thick and oppressive. "What do you mean by that?" Yuy finally asked. Calmer, but in a brittle sort of tone. "I mean, I don't want to live without him," Heero replied, following his father's lead and letting his voice ice over. "I'd rather die." "Son, you . . . you can't mean . . ." "I do." "And does this strike you as a rational desire?" Yuy asked pointedly. Riling Heero once more. "So, you think Duo seduced me to get me to kill myself?" "I'm saying this doesn't sound like you. You're normally so rational and collected." "I've never been in love before, either," Heero snapped. "Maybe not all the Maxwells think like you, Father. If you would just meet Duo, you would see the sincerity of his feelings for me—" "Why don't you do that? Bring him here so I can meet him and snap his thin little neck?" Ripping the headset off its perch, Heero hurled it across the room with as much strength as he could muster. It broke into tiny fragments, littering the floor with bits of shiny black and silver. Mind boiling with white-hot fury, he lashed out at the wall. Plaster cracked and crumbled away from the force of his blow, and heat quickly gathered in his knuckles as blood burst from the broken skin. "Heero!" Duo almost yelped, uncoiling from his spot and grabbing onto Heero's hand. "Stupid, stupid fucking son of a bitch!" Heero snarled, wrenching his hand free to viciously hit the wall again. It hurt worse this time. "Stupid fucking idiot!" This time Duo insinuated himself between the wall and Heero's fist. He stroked the injured hand, eyes gleaming with unshed tears. Though he could have only heard Heero's side of the conversation, Duo would easily have been able to piece together the gist of it. Anger bled into something only slightly different, and Heero jerked Duo against him to plant a semi-aggressive kiss against his moist lips. Duo offered no resistance, but his lack of response caused Heero to pull away and really look at his lover. Tears spilled freely down Duo's ivory smooth cheeks. "My dad probably wouldn't have listened either," he whispered, voice choked with unhappy emotion. "He'd have accused you of the same things. Threatening to kill ourselves won't work, will it?" Feeling the sting of impending tears himself, Heero crushed Duo against his chest in a tight embrace. "I won't give you up, I don't care what they want," he hissed, burying his face in Duo's cinnamon hair. "But our families . . ." Duo whimpered. "Shh, don't," Heero cut him off, squeezing even harder. Duo made a funny grunting sound. Heero cupped his face and this time, Duo responded ardently to the kiss. They remained this way for several long moments until Heero broke it off, lifting Duo and carrying him back to the bedroom. This time only quiet despair fueled their near-desperate actions. Later, after the furor had waned, Heero sat propped up against the headboard, eyes closed. Duo lay sprawled over his chest, looking like he was almost asleep. Heero had drawn the blankets up over Duo's hips to keep the cold at bay. "I have an idea," he said at length. "Ever heard of moonwort?" "Yeah," Duo mumbled. "If you mix that with the arrowroot, you get something completely new. Similar, but new. Instead of killing the victim, it induces a death-like state. A coma so deep that it seems the victim is dead. A regular dose of two 20 cc's wears off in about four days." As he finished this explanation, Duo slowly sat up. "How common is this knowledge?" "It's obscure." "Obscure enough we could get away with what I think you're suggesting?" Heero nodded slowly. "I think so. This isn't something I learned in a text book. My grandmother's aunt whom I knew when I was very little was something of a horticulturist. She grew moonwort because she thought it was pretty. She often experimented with arrowroot too, I think she was looking for antidotes to its venom. I don't think she ever found any. So I'm not sure if anyone else even knows of this. These discoveries might be unique to her. She died when I was about six." Duo stared into his eyes for a long, long time. Then,
"I know how to make it work out."
tbc |
