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"Forsworn "Written By: Presser
Disclaimer : Gundam Wing characters aren't mine Rating : NC 17 Warnings : BDSM, toys, language, more Feedback : Yes Please. **interior voice one** //interior voice two// /italics/
"Forsworn"
Chapter 5
**These are the cups Master Duo drinks from when he has something to celebrate. It's important that I keep them shining.** He set the cup to one side and picked up another. **He brought these from Romania. I wonder how old they are.** Heero buffed the smooth exterior of the goblet, then brought it close to his mouth. He breathed on the surface. As he pulled it away, his attention was caught by the light fog dissipating. He found his own eyes, distorted by the curved finish, staring back at him. He blinked, then quickly set the goblet down. He picked up another. **I should hurry. I have a class at ten this morning.** He finished the last two, then returned them to the
display case beside the fireplace. He closed the door to the case
and ran a clean edge of the cloth over the beveled glass. He folded
the diaper so that the side without polish faced outward and began
to dust the mantle. He moved on to the pictures on the wall, then
to the corner of the library that A small table designed to fit in a corner stood below framed documents and pictures hanging on the walls. There was a map of Romania, the deed to Duo's grandfather's house, a portrait of Vlad Tepes, the Romanian lord who became known as Dracula. Below the painting was a document tracing the story of this prince of Wallachia. On the table sat a Latin bible, and in a glass case to one side was a silver stake. Bat wings, displayed on red velvet, were under another glass box. Candles on silver stands flanked the table. A spotlight mounted in the ceiling shone gently on all. Heero ran the diaper over the frames, then dusted the glass and the bible. He stared blankly at the picture of Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler. He put his hand on the bible, then jerked it back quickly, as though it was hot to the touch. Heero stared at his hand. He suddenly drew a sharp breath and turned on one heel, hurrying out of the room. * "Il y aura un interroge sur le chapitre neuf jeudi." Groans from several students were heard as Dr. Beauvais shuffled papers at the lecturn. Jessie stood, stretched. "She said, 'There will be a quiz on chapter nine on Thursday.'" "I /know/ what she said, Jessie. You don't need to translate. This /is/ a French literature course." Heero gathered his notebook, workbook, and text, putting them in his backpack. "Yeah, well, you're new to the language, Heero. I want to make sure you get it." Jessie smiled and punched Heero lightly on the arm, then pushed strands of her dark blond hair behind one ear. Heero stuck his tongue out at her. "You free now?" she said as she exited the room behind Heero. Heero shrugged his backpack onto one shoulder. "I guess. I have English lit at two o'clock." Jessie pulled up even with Heero in the hallway. "Eat lunch with me." Heero stopped. Jessie took a couple of steps forward, then realized that Heero wasn't walking with her. **Master Duo wants me to -- to --** "Heero? You okay?" **I have to go, to get ready for --** Heero jumped when Jessie put her hand on his arm. He blinked widened eyes at her. "What?" "Um, are you --" Heero spoke with sudden decisiveness. "I'm fine. Let's eat." He took her hand and pulled her out the door of the communication building, hurrying toward the student union. * Heero took an enormous bite of his second BLT, smiling as he munched. "Have you ever seen Heero so hungry?" Lisa, wearing her signature black denim jacket with steel studs on the shoulder seams, sat next to Alex in an overstuffed cloth chair, facing Heero and Jessie who were on a matching sofa. "Growing boy, all that," Heero mumbled around his food. He swallowed and reached for his Jones soda. "Yeah. Don't grow too much!" Alex patted his stomach. Heero harrumphed. "Anyone seen /Garden State/ yet?" Jessie leaned over the arm of the couch, reaching for her purse. "No, but I hear it's good," Alex said. "Natalie Portman's great, they say." "Zach Braff's in it, too. I like him on /Scrubs./" "He directed it, too." "And wrote it," Lisa put in. "What's it about?" Heero said, leaning back on the couch. He propped his feet on the low table between them. "Zach plays this wannabe actor who's home for his mother's funeral," Jessie said. "He's been on drugs -- the medication kind -- for years, and has decided to take a holiday from them. When he wakes up from the fog he's been living in, he tries to figure out what he wants out of life." "Yeah," Lisa said, "a 'discover yourself, coming of age' story." "Except he's in his twenties -- like, late twenties." Alex pushed himself up on the arms of his chair and crossed his legs under him. "Nothing wrong with finding yourself in your late twenties," Lisa shot back. "Yeah, I guess. But aren't we supposed to do that by the time we're out of college?" "I know people in their /thirties/ who /still/ haven't figured out their lives," Jessie said. She slid down, resting her head on the back of the couch. "Well, /I/ have," Alex announced. Jessie and Lisa oo'ed at him. "I'm graduating with honors and then joining an architect firm. Two years, tops, I'll be invited to be a partner." "Well aren't /you/ confident!" Jessie said. Lisa leaned over and shoved Alex roughly on the shoulder. "Hey!" "Come /on,/ Alex!" she said. "Nobody has their life figured out like that!" "Well, they /do,/ actually," Jessie said. "It's just that -- that life usually doesn't cooperate." "You saying my plan's no good?" "No. But what if you aren't accepted to an architect firm? What if you meet the right girl in your senior year, and wanna get married?" "Yeah," Lisa said, "What if you meet the right girl?" Alex ducked his head and blushed, then looked up. "Well, she'll just have to get with the plan, that's all." "Good luck, pal," Lisa said. "The 'little woman' who follows her big, strong man around all day long went out with the fifties." Jessie and Lisa laughed. Alex smiled. "What about /you,/ Heero?" Alex said. "You've been pretty quiet. You figured out /your/ life yet?" Everyone turned to look at Heero. His arms were crossed over his chest; his eyes were narrowed. He was staring at his feet. Jessie put her hand on his arm. "Heero?" He jerked his head to look at Jessie, surprised to see her there. He stood abruptly. "I gotta go." He stepped between the arm of the sofa and Alex's chair and walked off. Jessie sat up on the couch, turned to face Heero. "Hey," she called after him, "your book bag!" "I'll get it later," Heero growled over his shoulder. Alex, Jessie, and Lisa looked at each other, eyes wide. * Heero walked toward Pryor Hall, the administration building, his hands shoved into his pockets. **Why the hell am I even here?** //Master Duo wants you to have an education.// **What if I don't /want/ an education?** Heero paused at the bottom of the steps leading up to the main doors of Pryor Hall. **What I /want/ is --** //Don't you know what you want?// **I -- I want to please Master Duo.** //And he wants you to have an education.// **But why? Why can't things be the way they were?** Three girls started down the steps of the building. Heero glanced up sharply, glaring at them. He began stamping up the steps. He entered the building and paused on the landing, looking up the stone steps to the main floor, then heading down to the basement level. He walked the hall past computer rooms and small offices to the door at the back of the building, pushing through into the small alcove there. Concrete benches and brick walls, an architect's lame idea of a gathering place, stuck in an outside corner, facing the back of another building. Heero sat with the heels of his hands on the bench on either side of his hips. **I want to please him. That's all I ever wanted. I like serving him. Nothing makes me happier than to see him smile.** //Then why aren't you happy to be here?// **Being here makes me...** Heero hung his head. **I don't like the ideas.** //What ideas?// **I don't like...they want me to think.** //So?// **I -- like it better when Master Duo tells me what to do.** The voice in Heero's head was silent. He closed his eyes. Became aware of his breathing, each breath heavier than the last. His arms began to tremble. He slumped forward, sliding off the concrete bench onto his knees, sitting back on his heels. He squeezed his eyes tightly. * "What the hell is wrong with /him?/" Alex said. He and Lisa looked to Jessie. "I -- I don't know." Jessie's eyebrows came together, creasing the skin above her nose. Lisa spoke quietly. "Maybe he's just got a lot on his mind." "Or maybe he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life." "Yeah, Alex. Maybe he hasn't got it all figured out like /you/ have." Jessie sat staring at her hands. Lisa got up and moved to the couch, sitting by Jessie. "Hey," she said. "Jessie." She took one of Jessie's hands in hers. Jessie spoke in a whisper. "I just wish he'd let me in." * Heero opened his eyes and looked up. //He /wants/ you to have ideas. He /wants/ you to think.// **I know. I'm trying.** //Maybe there's more to it than your courses.// **More?** //Maybe.// Heero stood shakily. **I have to get home.** //You have to get to class.// **Shit. My books.** Heero headed through the administration building, back toward the student union. * Alex stood. "I'm gonna head over to the library. I've got a paper that needs some tender loving care if I'm gonna pass my acoustics class." He shouldered his book bag. "Yeah," Lisa said, releasing Jessie's hand with a gentle pat, "I guess I should spend some time studying, too. You gonna be --" Alex spoke on top of Lisa's words. "Look, I'm --" Lisa looked up at him. He continued. "I didn't mean to --" "It's okay, Alex," Jessie said. "Not your fault." Lisa spoke. "You gonna be okay, Jessie?" Jessie nodded. "Thanks." Lisa stood, bent to pick up her books. Alex saw Heero enter the student lounge, striding quickly toward them. "Hey, Heero," Alex said, "I --" Lisa looked up sharply. Jessie turned quickly in her seat. "I'm late for class," Heero said curtly. He retrieved his book bag, turned away from the group as he heaved it onto his back. Jessie spoke quickly. "Can I walk with you? I -- I've got a little time before --" Heero jerked his head over his shoulder, turning at the waist to face Jessie. "If you want. I don't care." Jessie jumped up, gathering her things. Alex and Lisa said goodbye quickly, Lisa giving Jessie a tight little smile as she turned to leave. Heero walked quickly toward the door, Jessie right behind him. * Wind cut over the collar of Heero's jacket as he sat at a traffic light, Duo's Harley thrumming underneath him. He pulled the leather closer about his neck, Jessie's last words replaying in his mind. "If you ever wanna talk, Heero, I'm --" "Yeah," Heero had said, cutting her off. "Yeah. Thanks." He had turned and walked off, leaving her standing at the door to his English lit class. She had waited for him, sitting in the hall until his class was out. **I wish I /could/ talk to you, Jessie. But that's --** The horn behind him made him jump. He looked up to see a green light, and kicked the Harley forward. The wind blew down his back as he headed home. * "Proust? One of my favorites, of course. Has she introduced you to /Le côté de Guermantes/ yet?" Duo sat in the high-backed red leather chair facing the fire, smiling at Heero, who was kneeling before him. He went on, ignoring the lack of response from his slave. "No? Well, perhaps in the next term. I'm sure she has you deep into /À la recherche du temps perdu/ at the moment. Which of the seven novels are you reading now?" Heero spoke quietly, his eyes on the floor. "We're only reading excerpts, Master." "/Excerpts?/ Pity. I suppose you wouldn't have time for the whole of it in a simple survey course. But how will you understand Proust's vision if you don't read it all? Hmm?" Duo's eyes flicked from his drink to the large painting of hounds that hung above the mantle, the shadows cast by the fire dancing in and out, back and forth. Heero sat still, his haunches resting on his heels. "Proust was, in my humble opinion, the greatest of the twentieth century novelists. No question about it. A satirist of the first order. I especially appreciate his exploration of human sexuality. He found nuances there that few had seen before. Of course you're aware of Tolstoy's profound influence on Proust, yes?" Duo glanced down at his slave. "Heero? Have you been listening to me? Heero looked up into his Master's face. He saw how at ease he was with ideas, how he loved his own words. //"You goddamned! little! fuck!"// Heero's eyes contracted. He shuddered involuntarily. His head drooped. * The tile of the kitchen floor was cold against the side of his face. The whip marks across his thighs burned. The heel of his Master's boot cut into the soft flesh of his buttocks. The folds of skin around his erection caught on the floor, the flesh raw where it split open. * "Heero! I'm speaking to you!" Heero looked up. One of his Master's eyebrows was arched, an imperious look in his eyes. Heero turned his head slowly to the right. Duo put out his left hand and took Heero's chin between his thumb and forefinger. Heero jerked his head back, pushing off of his heels, sprawling backwards on the Persian rug. "Don't. Touch. Me," he hissed. He scrambled to his feet. He stood, looking down at Duo, visibly trembling. "What did you say to me, boy?" Heero's growled through clenched teeth. "Don't touch me." He walked out of the library. Duo sat forward in his chair, mouth open, a look of astonishment on his face. TBC |
