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"The Bulwark Contingency"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Fantasy, Fluff, angst, sap…again,
TONS of sap! I can’t even convey the sappiness contained herein… you
might want waders O.o gloves at the very least. Mention of lemon Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5+2+ or … something… maybe
a little 5-1? rofl! Summary: Disturbing dreams lead a restless warrior on the adventure of a lifetime. Beta’ed by Mechante Fille ^-^ Art links: http://usera.imagecave.com/t-shirt/fanart/d_sketch_elf.jpg http://usera.imagecave.com/t-shirt/fanart/h_sketch_6_cg_mergjrevis.jpg
"The Bulwark Contingency" Ch 2 The woods seemed oddly quite during his journey though his mind was clouded so deeply in though it didn’t really surprise him when he was startled by a passing sparrow. He laughed at his own inattention and wiped the dampness of the afternoon sun from his brow. The warmth had slowly crept inside his clothes lulling his mind and body into faux dreams of young boy’s and mystical fountains and someone with bright, violet eyes. It was the eyes his mind kept coming back to. Eyes so clear his heart ached to explore their depths. Eyes his feet were sure lay somewhere down this lonely road to the west but a disgruntled snort from his mount reminded him they hadn’t stopped to refresh themselves in some time. The sound brought his senses back to clarity and he realized his steeds ill manor was due to the scent of a stream in the air. It felt good to have both feet on the ground and he stretched out the kinks in his lower back and legs while his horse drank. It was a strange place thick with yearly oaks that he was not familiar with. Absently, he tried to place where the stream might come from, perhaps a tributary of the river Soux that lay to the north but the water was sweet and clear like that of a fresh spring. There was a small fall upstream some way that bubbled merrily while the birds sang and he decided this might be a good place to take his dinner and rest for a time so with a meager portion of flat bread and dried beef, his tablet and coal he settled himself among the roots of a mother oak and began to sketch. He drew the spring in the garden and the hardened expression of the towering man that had protected it. He drew thick rose bushes though he couldn’t recall if there had truly been any in the dream and spent a good amount of time trying to capture those elusive eyes that teased at the corners of his memory but frustration won out in the end and as he set the tablet aside in disgust he suddenly realized just how very quite it was. The birds had ceased their twittering melody’s, his mount stood deathly still as if straining to listen to sounds that did not come and his pulse doubled as warnings went off in his head that something was amiss. His hand slowly grasp the hilt of his sword drawing it silently as he stood, his eyes, ears and warriors sense acutely attuned to the world around but nothing surrounding him justified the dangerous feeling of the woods. He was being watched; he was certain of it but by who or even what was unclear. Bandits were not uncommon in the darker parts of the forest and predators wandered wherever they wished but something was telling him he was facing something much more dangerous than a band of robbers or pack of wolves. His eyes searched the brush finding nothing until he became suddenly aware of the growing warmth lying against his chest. When he withdrew the cross the silver shown much brighter than it should have in the afternoon sunlight and when he touched it with his fingertip his skin hiss and burned from the touch. His gaze returned to the brush as he turned his back to the trunk of the ancient oak taking the smoldering cross off to twine around the hilt of his sword. His horse shorted and though the sound seemed less than alarmed it still tensed his muscles so that when something suddenly tickled along the back of his neck he whirled and struck but his blade found nothing but tree trunk as his eyes starred at the tufted end of a dangled chestnut braid. The other end of the long rope of hair was attached to the base of the neck of an elf that was hanging upside down from a limb before him, his bow in hand and a cocky grin on his face. “Try again?” the elf smirked before head butting him so hard his vision exploded in stars and before he could clear them to properly see again the elf was gone. A moment later he dropped down behind him and slapped him on the ass whereupon Hiiro spun narrowly missing taking his head off as he rolled away. “You’re quick!” the spindly creature praised amusedly but Hiiro had had enough of his game and advanced with a determination to end it. The battle was quick, sheer power and calculated blows against clever speed and chaotic retaliation. Hiiro’s frustration over not being able to land a hit was wearing his patience thin when the elf made a fatal error in judgment leaning this way when he should have leapt that. There was no wasted time, no flamboyant movement, just the cool, smooth action necessary to win the battle and end the upstart’s life but the blow never landed. He had meant to strike, his blade stopping less than an inch from the elf’s flashing throat when he was suddenly captivated by his wide violet eyes. He had only a moment to gaze into them, his heart thundering with the knowledge that he had somehow found what he sought, that this was the reason for his journey and the answer to the emptiness inside him. He had only a moment to see the quiet satisfaction in those beautiful eyes before the beast burst from the brush and slammed into his chest. “NO!” the elf screamed launching himself at the pair as they tumbled growling savagely at one another. Hiiro rolled hard using the monsters weight to throw it off and slam it into a tree giving him time to find his feet before it readied for a second attack. “Stop it!” the elf shouted angrily as what turned out to be a huge tiger gnashed it’s teeth and growled low as it circled. Hiiro found his center crouching low and moved his body between the enormous cat and the elf but his longhaired opponent wasn’t having any of it. Hiiro had meant to protect him from the beast but as soon as the tiger leaped forward the elf stepped in taking the full brunt of the assault and slamming into the ground under the great cats weight. “NO!” Hiiro growled raising his blade only to pause when the elf shouted. “DON’T! Damn it! Get off me ya big fur ball!!”Hiiro stepped back as the cat retreated looking for all the world like a whipped pup as the elf pulled himself to his feet. “When the hell did you get wet?!” the elf growled wiping clumps of sticky, wet fur from his chin. “Do you have any idea who freaking gross that is! Geez!” “Fool,” the tiger growled petulantly and Hiiro dropped his sword. “He could have killed you.” “Yeah,” the elf grinned unrepentantly turning the full force of his smile on Hiiro when he added, “But he didn’t.” There was a moment when their gazes connected that Hiiro forgot the talking tiger, the woods and the world in general. An instant when heat pulsed inside him and some far away memory made him want nothing more than to take this creature by the hand and run away, far away where there was nothing and no one but each other, and the Earth… and the moon… “Libertine,” the tiger grumbled. “The Oracle will be not be pleased with your methods of…” “I’m Duo,” the elf cut in smiling brightly as he offered his hand. “Why am I here?” Hiiro asked abruptly. Duo stilled seeming disappointed for which Hiiro was sorry but his senses were scrambled being in the company of a talking tiger that should be trying to eat them both and an elf he wasn’t entirely sure didn’t want to slit his throat the moment he turned his back. “You are the hero we seek,” the elf finally smiled. “How did you know my name?” Hiiro questioned warily but Duo only smiled wider and laughed. “Are you serious?” he asked chuckling heartily. “You’re name is… Hiiro?” It took him longer to put it together than for the blush to take over his face when he realized his blunder. “Why do you need a hero?” he asked trying very hard to ignore the continued snickering and the odd feeling it gave him to hear a tiger laughing at him. “Several motivations come to mind,” Duo chuckled and Hiiro suddenly found it impossible to stay angry as he was asked, “Shall we explore them together?” He was uncertain, uncomfortable and wary but it seemed a shame to have come this far and not see it through. He chose to lead his mount who appeared unreasonably calm about being in the company of a tiger while Duo glided along the path beside him. His eyes kept straying to the lithe elf, his mind examining the small differences between them. Duo’s ears were elongated as was common of his kin. His legs were long and thin making him seem a little taller than he actually was. Hiiro straightened his back to gauge the difference in their height only to find himself looking up at his companion when Duo grinned and straightened his as well. Hiiro felt a smile tug at his lips and let the playful feeling in his gut take control for a moment lengthening his stride as he pulled himself to his full height but Duo bested him by an inch when he did the same. Hiiro was fully prepared to pout when he happen to notice that Duo was walking on the tips of his toes and the elf burst out laughing stumbling merrily ahead while Hiiro mock glared at him. “A clever rival needs neither size nor strength to be victorious,” the elf grinned.
“Victory is only achieved when one can embrace a rival as a friend,” Hiiro countered brightening Duo’s smile ten fold and the tiger suddenly snorted and disappeared into the brush. Duo spared it an annoyed roll of his eyes before turning his attention back to his companion. “Will you tell me why I was summoned?” Hiiro asked at length. “I’m afraid I know only that the Oracle bade me summon you.” “Then you were the one that called.” Duo smiled sideways at him and Hiiro felt a strange flutter in his chest as a soft mantle colored the elf’s cheeks. “You remember?” “I remember your eyes,” Hiiro confessed and though he felt the heat in his cheeks he wasn’t really sure why it was there. “Why?” he asked curiously when Duo seemed further flustered by his words. “It is… uncommon,” the elf explained. “I wasn’t supposed to remember?” Hiiro smiled. “No,” Duo chuckled leading them through a thicket that seemed much denser than it really was. His stepped stilled when Hiiro turned to him gently touching his forearm. “I remember your eyes,” he repeated. “But there was more.” His gaze sought the truth in those wide, violet eyes, his chest tightening when he saw the quickening of breath in Duo’s chest. “What more?” he asked gently though his heart yearned for an answer to the riddle of the dream. Duo smiled, swallowed and averted his eyes as he took a step back. Hiiro was preparing to grasp his arm and demand an answer when the elf swept aside a stand of tall grass to reveal a beautiful valley set afire by the setting sun. “Elendor,” he replied as Hiiro’s eyes grew wide. He had thought the valley lay somewhere to the south, perhaps where the Garden of Life was rumored to be. Never had he expected to find it right under his nose. The land changed instantly from sparse forest shrubs to rich, thick brush and trees so old he could feel them watching as they passed. The orange light of the sun set the grass aglow and made the canopy shimmer with rippling illuminations that made it almost impossible to see the phoenix until it cried out and swooped down upon them. His first inclination was to draw his sword but Duo’s greeting stayed his hand. “Go screech at the sun if that’s all you’re good for!” the elf scolded as the huge, fiery bird flapped fluently above them and unleashed its harsh cry again. “A nightingale’s song would be to much to ask!?” Duo bellowed as the creature turned to flew away. “He’s watching you ungrateful crow! Show a little respect!” Hiiro tensed when the mystical bird let fly a thick column of fire and circled back shouting, “Hai! As he has been watching you all along!” before rocketing skyward. Hiiro paused in momentary contemplation trying to recall if any of the phoenix tales he had heard depicted them as having the power of human speech until he caught a glimpse of Duo’s bright red face just before he turned away and lopped down the hill. “This way!” the elf called back and Hiiro prodded his horse into a trot behind him to keep up. There was a garden but not the one he remembered from the dream then a long path lined in tall, slender trees. A round-about was set in the Earth before a wide circular stair of white marble that led to a dais above them. Evening lamps were already cradling flames the cast dancing light over the scene and Hiiro slowed as he approached seeing Duo standing quietly on the bottom stair, his presence a perfect compliment to the surrounding beauty of the coming night. “Come.” It had not been Duo that had spoken but his mouth curled into a soft smile as he held out his hand in invitation. Hiiro glanced up the stairs knowing by instinct alone that the request had originated at their apex then took Duo’s hand and climbed the steps with him side by side. He thought it odd at first that the elf did not release his hand but the warmth was comforting so he was grateful for it. He was mildly shocked if not pleased when they put the last of the steps behind them and he found his eyes lighted upon a familiar face. The blond boy seated in the center of the dais on a long, cushioned couch had been the warrior child in his dream. “Welcome,” the blond boy smiled warmly and for the first time Hiiro noticed another boy seated with him, his long body tucked in behind the blond, his arm nestled under him in a most intimate way that both shocked and excited Hiiro at the same time for the second boy was obviously an elf. It was common knowledge that elves did not care for human mates as they knew they would loose them in less than a tenth of their own lifetimes yet here before him were two of different races that had chosen to defy that contingency. The fact that they were both male was an afterthought compared to the enormity of that revelation. “You are the Oracle,” Hiiro surmised. “My name is Quatre,” the blond nodded seemingly pleased with Hiiro’s insight as he waved his hand in invitation for his guests to sit. “I must apologize for the method in which you were brought here,” he began. “It was not our intention to deceive you,” he said giving Duo a scolding glance. Hiiro’s eyes also sought the longhaired elf as his brow knit cautiously. “You are in need of my help?” he asked. “Yes.” “Then I’m afraid I don’t understand. How was I deceived?” Hiiro asked looking to Duo for an answer. “I hear you, you mangy beast,” Duo grinned turning to greet a large, black wolf as it strolled from the shadows. “That hardly answers his question,” the wolf smiled. “The real question being why we went to all this trouble to call him here,” Duo evaded. “Quite right,” Quatre agreed as his companion leaned close to whisper something in his ear. “You are correct. We are in need of your aid.” “I’m listening,” Hiiro replied but his unease toward Duo was evident in the way he kept steeling glances at him. “Listen well,” the wolf advised in a low growl. “For the value of your life may be weighed this night.” “Wufei,” Quatre sighed impatiently. “He is human,” the wolf complained. “So am I,” the blond reminded him. “It would be sacrilege.” “Honor your vow.” “Trowa?” Quatre whispered turning to face his companion as if shocked that he had spoken aloud but the taller boy only tilted his head gently brushing their temples together as is one visible eye regarded the scowling wolf. Without another word the canine form began to shift and change until a young Chinese boy stood in its place, his eyes no less severe for the transformation and something suddenly snapped in Hiiro’s mind. “Changeling,” he spoke out loud recognizing both the tiger and the phoenix in the boy. “Why anyone would want to be smelly and covered in fur is beyond me,” Duo chided. “It has its perks,” Wufei grinned proceeding to lick his eyebrows to demonstrate and Duo burst out laughing. “Enough,” Quatre sighed. “We are all here just as the vision proclaimed.” “What has this vision to do with me?” Hiiro asked. “There is a task I must complete,” the blond sighed laying a comforting hand on his lover’s thigh when he moved in closer. “It has been shown to me that you are the one that can ensure I am successful.” “There is a faction that plots to kidnap and return him to his homeland,” Wufei explained taking a very protective stance near the blondes couch. “We need you to help protect him and see that he reaches his goal,” Duo added solemnly. Hiiro thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he recalled, “A huge man with black eyes…” “Rashid,” Quatre confirmed sadly. “He is the leader of the Maguanac’s.” “I saw him in a dream,” Hiiro explained. “You fought him as well as many others.” “What you saw was a representation of the situation,” Quatre explained turning his head as if to hide his eyes when he added quietly, “I cannot fight them.” “That’s why we need you!” Duo chirped springing to his feet. “Our journey begins tomorrow so you should get some sleep.” “I haven’t agreed to help yet.” “You’re still here,” the elf waved him off draping an arm around the indignant Chinese boy’s shoulders. “That’s good enough. Come on, we’ll show you a place where you can rest.” “Do it yourself,” Wufei growled throwing him off before stalking away. “If I must,” Duo grinned expectantly and Hiiro tossed a defeated glance at Quatre before finally giving in. He was led through another garden the opened into an intricate maze of paths. The shrubs and flowerbeds soon gave way to small building where Duo stopped briefly to fill his pockets with sweet bread and cheese, a bottle of wine and flask of water and called a keeper to tend Hiiro’s horse before showing him inside what looked very much like a curtain of mossy roots. On the other side however, was a cozy living room complete with a crackling fire where a large, fluffy couch sat patiently awaiting him. Duo saw to the meal and settled them in either end of the couch as he went on about the valley, it’s history and how humans had pretty much butchered the reality of it throughout the years as generation after generation added to or forgot the details of the tales. His ramblings soon prompted Hiiro to ask the obvious question. “How old are you?” Duo grinned widely and replied with a question of his own. “Want to guess?” “I would say older than my shoes,” Hiiro smirked chewing a piece of cheese while Duo snorted. “You would be correct,” the elf chuckled. “You seem well skilled for one of so few years,” he observed. “The sword comes naturally to me.” “Is that all that comes naturally to you?” Hiiro looked up curiously at the change in Duo’s tone to find him smiling at him in an entirely different way that sort of made his thighs ache. “I’m told I am… quiet good with… numbers. What’re you doing?” he asked nervously when Duo rolled up and was suddenly hovering so near he could smell the wine on his breath. “Perhaps you should expand your perception,” Duo smiled curling into him, his body lying smoothly along his chest as his legs slipped unerringly over his thighs and suddenly he felt as if his entire insides had been set on fire. “Are you… offering yourself as a means?” he stammered trying to maintain an even breath. “It could be arranged,” Duo grinned then kissed him so sweetly he knew he would drown on his own fluids if he didn’t break free. “Is that allowed?” he gasped shaking his head in an effort to clear his mind. “It’s not like it’s any of their business,” the elf snipped loosing some of his vigor. “I thought elves didn’t care for human lovers?” Hiiro persisted glad to have a moment to collect his smoldering thoughts but then suddenly Duo was gone and he was left choking on that sickening feeling of having lost his grip on something mortally indispensable again. “Well, it’s not like I wanted to pick out curtains or something,” Duo snipped already donning his cloak. “Wait…” “We rise before dawn,” the elf reminded him and Hiiro suddenly found himself utterly alone and in need of a seltzer for his churning stomach. What had just happened? He shook his head and tried to make sense of it. A guy had just made a pass at him. No, an elf; not a normal man. Was that a common practice within the race? He’d never known an elf to ask one before. That Trowa was obviously involved with Quatre so he knew it wasn’t taboo, or at least he hoped not. Or… no… that’s not what he meant. Was it? Damn but that kiss had been so sweet. Was it merely because it had been his first? He didn’t think so, the heat in his groin seemed to indicate otherwise but he’d never been attracted to another man before. But Duo wasn’t a man; not really, he was an elf. But he was still male with all the things that that implied. But damn his body had felt so warm and inviting and the way he’d spread his legs… NO! It couldn’t be! He was a human damn it! How could he live knowing his lover would have to go on for how many hundreds of years after his death? That thought brought with it an entire volume of new questions he wasn’t anywhere near ready to address so he forced his mind to quite and decided that perhaps it had been nothing more than exactly what it had seemed; a playful elf with an appetite for human men. He wouldn’t loose his heart to such a creature, how could he possibly know what it felt like to have only eighty years to love? He’d probably done this before with any number of human lovers. The couch was warm and soft but he couldn’t get comfortable. How many times? He slapped the pillows but they refused to grant him peace. With who? Stupid fire was too hot. Women as well as men? The ceiling seemed to mock him. Was he nothing more than a potential playmate? The night was sorrowfully silent. Was there no place in Duo’s heart for more? The crackling of the fire began to fade. What color would the curtains be? ~ * ~ tbc... |
