"Center Ring"

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/Adventure, Angst, fluff, sap, mile gore at one point, mild lemons, mild language

Pairings: Eventual 1x2, Singular 2x4/5x2 encounters, 3x4, Eventual 5x6x9

Summary: The last of the world’s half animal hybrid’s face the adventure of a lifetime when they are sent to capture a rogue that appears determined to start a war. However, it is unclear as events unfold what his true purpose is and exactly who is hunting who.

This is an unbeta’ed version.

View Art for Center Ring: Pic 1, Pic 2

" Center Ring "

Ch 5

It took less than thirty minutes for the sky to light up with explosions all around him. They had him on radar, he needed to fly lower or they might just get lucky and get a hit. He didn’t know where else to go but back to the cave where he’d first seen the wraith. It wouldn’t take long for the army to catch up. The good general had forced him to swallow a tracking device the minute his feet had touched the ground. It wouldn’t stay with him more than three days but that was longer than he figured he’d survive so all in all it didn’t really matter if they found him.

The wraith gave him no reason to search. He found him in the huge antechamber full of tunnels where he’d first laid eyes on the winsome creature. It was brighter tonight. The moon was higher and full and shone its silvery tendrils down through the jagged cracks in the stone. Reaching out like everything else seemed to in this world toward the slight, beautiful form of the half demon lying on a stone in the middle of the shimmering cavern.

Hiiro just stood at the entrance watching him. Either he didn’t realize he was there or he simply didn’t care as he lay comfortably on the stone swinging one long leg from the edge, the other curled up under him arching his back a little where he rested his shoulders against the black granite. He seemed unaffected by all that was happening, completely content though there was an air of anticipation about him. He was waiting, waiting for Hiiro, waiting to take him away as well. The only question at this point was, would Hiiro allow it? The Eaglet cocked his willowy head in curiosity as he watched the young demon suckling on what looked like the yellow fruit of a timber cactus. His full lips opening and closing around the ripe, golden flesh of the fruit before he’d suck the dripping juice away. It was a most … erotic vision.

“Your appetite as changed,” Hiiro said softly smiling a little when the wraith started at his voice. Perhaps he hadn’t known he was watching after all?

“Hii…” the demon began then stopped glancing at the half eaten fruit in his hand; a warm blush rising to his cheeks. It was such an endearing expression the fledgling felt his heart skip a beat. His feelings for this mysterious creature had outgrown even his own comprehension. He felt a little guilty knowing how badly he wanted him, badly enough that perhaps he could even forgive him for the murder of his brothers? “Oh... umm…” the demon stammered as if looking for an explanation.

“You don’t eat meat,” Hiiro surmised coming closer to him, cautiously, slowly. He didn’t want to frighten him away. It seemed like an odd thought considering the circumstances but that’s just how he felt.

“Uh… no,” the demon grinned a tad sheepishly tossing the fruit into one of the smaller recesses.

“The slaughtered animals were a decoy,” the Eaglet went on. “A ploy to upset the humans and keep us off balance.”

“You’re very perceptive,” the demon smiled regaining a little of his usual cool demeanor. “A gift for the local wolf pack,” he tidied the story up still grinning brightly as he relaxed a little.

Hiiro stood quietly for a moment letting all the pieces slip together in his mind. The cave; the battle in the village, the abduction of both livestock and a child. The demon had presented himself to the humans as the ultimate menace and dragged Hiiro and his friends into it purposely associating them with his sins. He’d turned what little acceptance they’d managed to gain in this world into abhorrent persecution making it impossible for any of their kind to remain. He taken everything from him, his home, his friends, his brothers. All he had left was his life. Was that what his ultimate goal was? His very heart beat?

Yes.

Hiiro saw it suddenly as plain as the stars in the sky. It was written clearly in the demons glittering violet eyes as he moved, slowly gravitating towards the Eagle, a bright glimmering in his expression that spoke of a longing Hiiro could only compare to his own need to reach out and touch the fleshy bit of night before him.

“I’ve been your target all along.”

“Target?” the wraith repeated sounding affronted. “That’s a bit harsh don’t you think?” he asked looking so damn cute as he pouted indignantly, folding his arms across his chest and sitting back in a tiny little bit of a huff.

“Then what am I?” Hiiro asked taking a step closer; he was near enough to touch him now. It would have been so easy just to lean forward and take him in his arms, feel those simmering lips pressed against his mouth, taste him, feel him…. take him…. but he knew he had precious little time and needed to understand.

“You?” the demon laughed lightly turning his big violet eyes up to meet Hiiro’s. Hiiro’s breath caught when he saw the absolute, bare, raw desire in their amethyst depths as he gathered the will to go on, glittering sparkles of truth dancing in their crystallized hues as he whispered softly, “You’re… everything.”

“This was all because of me?” Hiiro asked unable to keep his hand from rising to touch the demons cheek. His pulse hammered in his temples when he felt the smooth skin trembling under his fingertips.

“Yes,” the demon replied breathily, unable to control whatever emotions were bubbling in his slight body.

“You took them because of me?”

“You wouldn’t have left without them.”

“You made it impossible for me to remain here.”

“Yes.”

Hiiro gave into his overwhelming desire to lean closer to the dark, trembling creature, so decadent in his existence just looking at him caused a painful swelling inside him, his need to possess him overshadowing the logic in his mind as he knelt on one knee on the stone beside him; extending his wings slightly as he rose over him. His heart slammed against his ribs so hard it felt as if they would surely break with the force of it as the demon slowly, willing and with unconditional trust leaned back offering himself to the Eaglet in utter and complete surrender. Hiiro bent to breath in the dark, thick scent feeling every cell in his body twitch and hum in response as he forced his tongue to form the one question he desperately needed to know the answer to.

“Why?”

The answer came too quickly to be anything but the unmitigated truth and it rocked him right down the bare fibers of his soul.

“I love you.”

“Love?” Hiiro parroted wondering just what in the world this creature would consider a proper courtship even as his blood raced wildly in his veins. These were the words his heart longed to hear. This was the body his flesh ached to hold. Those were the eyes he could so easily see the depths of his eternity in.

“You have no choice now,” the demon reminded him smiling coyly beneath his hungry lips. “And once you cross over… I will make you mine.” he assured him lifting his thigh to brush tantalizingly along Hiiro’s.

“You’re to late,” the Eaglet informed him moving slowly downward blanketing his body in a heat that threatened to weld their very spirits together. He smiled seeing the stubbornly fearful determination in the wraiths violet eyes savoring the momentary advantage of having set him off balance before he finally added in a soft tone “You already have,” then gently kissed him.

He might have noted the quaking tremor that shook the slight demon if his own arms and legs hadn’t been shaking quiet so hard. He’d never in his life ever even dreamed anything could feel so good. It was thick, and sweet, so hot and sticky he felt as if he might never be able to pull away again. Not that he wanted to. He could stay right there and die a slow death and be quite happy with it. It crossed his mind to wonder how he had guided the others to whatever destination had awaited them as he felt his stomach tighten. Was this what Wufei had felt when he’d kissed him after drinking the fire in his belly? Had Quatre’s blissful freefall been any less euphoric? Had the blond boy also felt his throat closing off? His breath still? His heart beat thundering both in fear and exhilaration? Had Trowa been the recipient of such a delightfully decadent death?

None of his questions were to be answered however, as he suddenly found himself holding his throat and gasping for breath while the world swirled around him and the air rushed back into his lungs. Where was he? Still in the cave, but what…? That mystery was solved the moment he glanced back at the grinning demon, the tracking devise the General had made him swallow clutched between his teeth.

“We need to leave here,” the demon told him dropping the devise down a small hole where it slipped out of sight into the bowels of the mountain. Hiiro knew he was right, he could already hear the sound of the helicopters that would first search the mountains then blow them to hell and back. He followed the wraith through the catacombs without a second thought. He could gain the answers he needed... among other things... later when they were relatively safe. The demon had indicated that there was indeed some sort of life to be had once one had crossed over. A life he knew in his heart his brothers were already living. He really hoped they had bodies… bodies were so much fun, especially when they looked like Duo.

“Where are we going?” Hiiro asked as they skimmed the tops of the trees to low for the army to detect.

“A safe house,” the demon replied grinning so wide Hiiro couldn’t shake the tingling it sent all over his skin. “We’ll have to wait for things to cool off,” he explained.

“Why?” Hiiro asked curious as to what the army had to do with transcendence.

“Because,” the wraith smiled. “The door to heaven lies in the womb of that mountain,” he explained narrowly avoiding the tip of a taller tree. Hm. Heavens door was buried beneath a mountain. Interesting concept. Why didn’t this add up?

“Your riddles are not amusing,” he told the practically giddy shadow by his side.

“Really?” his companion grinned. “I find them absolutely hilarious,” he laughed tucking his flexible wings in tight and doing a quick barrel roll. Hiiro couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping his lips. He should be angry, he should be hurt, he should be lonely, appalled, enraged but all he could muster was sheer delight.

“What’s your name?” he asked tiring of thinking of him only as `demon`.

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhinigami!” the wraith crowed doing several barrel rolls in a row that were suddenly stopped when Hiiro’s formidable form crashed into him, his arms wrapping around his chest pinning both his arms and his wings as he grinned at him in triumph.

“I know what you are,” he told him giving in to the need to kiss the corner of his mouth as he carried him over the canopy. “I want to know your name,” he reiterated gently rising a little higher since his attention was now completely captivated by the demons wondrous gaze.

“Duo,” the demon replied gently sounding deeply moved that the Eaglet had cared to ask such a question.

“Duo,” he replied loving the way the sound felt on his tongue. “I’m Hiiro,” he returned becoming lost in the depths of the boy’s amethyst soul.

“Hiiro?” Duo breathed gently.

“Hm?”

“Duck.”

It was almost too late when he saw the overhanging cliff. He just managed to pull up before slamming both of them into the side of the rock wall, his chest heaving as he panted and clutched Duo tight still stunned by the near collision.

“You can let go now,” Duo grinned but he only offered him a `smart ass` expression and clung tighter as he settled them down in the trees.

“Are we there yet?” the Eaglet smiled. Duo chuckled and shook delightfully in his arms as their feet touched the ground.

“Second star to the right and straight on till morning,” the wraith quipped reciting the famous literary line with a sigh in his voice.

“Neverland huh?” Hiiro asked bending to taste his beautifully sculpted jaw.

“Mmm,” Duo moaned lazily leaning back to give him more room to work. “Actually, it’s that little crag in the cliff waaaaay up there,” he smiled pointing to said crag with the longest ebony finger on the tip of his left wing.

“That’s very clever,” the Eaglet smiled admiring the demons dexterous control as he fluffed up his own thick layer of soft plumage.

“You like it?” Duo returned preening one great ebony wing with the other.

“It’s wonderful,” Hiiro replied a little envious of the talent.

“Its also very ... useful,” Duo grinned wickedly closing his wings around his partner, running each incredibly soft fringe one shaft at a time over Hiiro’s tingling skin.

Hiiro groaned in sheer rapture bending to taste those sweet lips as he drew a deep drought from his mouth that left him trembling and dazed to the point the titillating caresses tapered off as he lost the ability for conscious thought. The reaction was most… stimulating.

“By the Gods,” he breathed doing his best to keep his feet and not fall right on top of the delectable wraith as his head swam with the most indecent thoughts. “What are you?” he asked, his curiosity finally pushing him to ask the question that had been burning deep down inside since the moment he’d found that feather.

“One of a kind” Duo replied a bit shakily burrowing into his arms.

“Yes, but… what is your species?” Hiiro persisted tilting his radiant face back up so he could look at him.

“You call me demon” Duo grinned. “Doesn’t it suit me?” he asked slipping up to lick his chin.

Hiiro caught his delicate looking jaw in his strong hand, both of them well aware that with little effort he could crush his bones but he could no more do that than he could rip his own heart from his chest. Instead, he let the strong fingers of his hand spread out and travel down the demons neck. Duo willingly allowed him whatever privileges he desired tiling his head over to move in harmony with the Eaglets wishes. His need to fully claim this creature as his own was growing more insistent by the moment. Duo groaned longingly as Hiiro’s hand slipped under the neckline of his raven shirt. The fledgling wasted no time in sampling the skin of his shoulder as it was revealed, all the while pushing the stretchy material back, around and down until it slipped from his shoulders completely leaving his smooth chest completely bare. His skin appeared almost waxen compared to the pitch black of his wings, a contrast that was severely overshadowed by the striking difference in their diametrically opposed wings.

He didn’t care anymore. Whatever the origin of this creature was it just didn’t matter. He was so hopelessly lost in him he knew he’d never belong to himself again. ’Forgive me’ he prayed hoping that his bothers would hear somewhere in Heaven as he laid him down on the soft earth. His heart simply couldn’t believe that this beautiful being could have truly harmed anyone. Whatever he’d done he’d done because he believed it to be the best thing for all of them. He’d done it out of love and compassion, just as he offered himself up to Hiiro now.

He was the essence of abandonment, giving everything that he was, the ultimate offering, bearing the weight of the sins of man kind and hybrid alike. The supreme sacrifice. There was nothing else Hiiro could believe, for him, this was the only possible truth as he bared his heart and soul to the beautiful demon under the whispering boughs of the leafy canopy. He wondered for a moment if the trees would recall this night and tell the tale of two creatures that once lain beneath their branches and discovered what true love really was. He hadn’t expected to survive.

It was a delightful development that he had when he awoke the next morning in the little cave high up on the cliff. The memories of the night before came flooding back to him making him a little drunk with joy. Those wings definitely came in very handy at times. He rolled over at the sound of Duo’s velveteen wings softly beating the air and watched him land in the mouth of their little hide-a-way, his arms filled with fresh fruit and fish he’d apparently caught in a stream. A leather flask swung from his belt that Hiiro knew would be filled with cool water. Hiiro watched as he poked the fire stirring the flames and carefully nurturing them back to life. He couldn’t help the smile on his lips as his new lover set the fish on sticks in cracks in the stone to cook while he poured the water into a stone basin and dropped the fruit in to keep it cool.

He looked different in the light, the pitch of his wings glinting in the light seeming almost indigo blue around the edges as he moved about. His chestnut hair catching the rays of the morning sun and transforming them into a billion sparkling reflections, the smooth outline of that sinfully delicious body softly glowing warmly around the edges…

Your drooling

“So?” Hiiro laughed continuing to salivate quite happily. Duo smiled and kept at his task. “Is that how you lured Trowa out?” Hiiro asked curious about the demons telepathic abilities.

“With Quatre’s help,” Duo told him.

“Why not just use it to coerce me into following you?” he asked grinning much too smugly.

Duo only turned a sourly sarcastic expression on him that clearly said `get real’!

“You appear to know a great deal about me,” the fledgling mused rolling over onto his back, his wings spread beneath him in a great arch that took up most of the cave floor.

“Telepathy has its advantages,” Duo reasoned.

“You read my mind?” Hiiro asked grinning again at the image he was purposely projecting.

“Only what you allow,” Duo blushed tossing a strange smelling, prickly orange fruit at him.

“I allowed it?” the Eaglet chuckled catching the thing then sniffing it and jerking away. It smelled like it’s been in someone’s shoe for awhile. How could he eat this stuff?

“There’s hardly any way I could manage it if you hadn’t,” the demon told him. He looked different now, his wings were folded so tightly against his back there were a mere shadow leaving him almost resembling a normal human as he walked over and sat down Indian style beside his lover taking the fruit from his hand.

“I’m only an Eagle,” Hiiro sighed taking the opportunity to lay his hand on the wraiths upper thigh.

“Hmph! Hardly,” Duo scoffed wiping the sweet pulp from his lips. The fruit smelled a good deal better on the inside than the out. “Don’t you even know who you are?” he asked spitting a seed in his hand.

“I’m Hiiro,” the Eaglet replied taking the seed and tasting it’s curiously tangy flavor. “Last of the shiroii hanate i-guru,” he said deciding it was worth eating after all.

“You are Hiiro,” Duo agreed biting off a piece of the fruit amble with seeds and leaning over him. “Lord of the Earth and Sky, keeper of Shinigami’s heart, King of Zion and The White ...Winged… God.” It was an amazing introduction to himself but that last one pushed his brow up over his forehead. It was forgotten quickly though as the demons lips covered his offering him the seeds he’d cleaned of the fruits flesh still cradled on his tongue. It was one hell of a way to start breakfast. Hm. Zion. Was this Duo’s idea of utopia? A cave on a cliff in the middle of nowhere with just the two of them? Not a bad definition if he did say so himself. It crossed his mind to ask more questions about his missing friends, what they were supposed to do when the army caught up to them and when, if ever, he intended on guiding him to whatever fate he had in mind but he was just too warm, delicious and enticing to bother using his mouth for speaking right at that moment. He’d push the communication thing later, once their hunger was satisfied.

Four days had passed before he realized that the hunger in his belly was never going to be sated. He still hadn’t managed to finish a complete conversation with the beautiful wraith. They always ended up tussling or chasing each other through the jagged peaks that surrounded their little nest. As long as they stayed close to the cliffs the authorities wouldn’t be able to detect them. When things got quite, they ended up making love endlessly. It didn’t seem to matter where they were, in the cave or by the stream that supplied Hiiro’s staple diet. Gathering fruits in the forest or, just once, they’d pushed their luck loosing to the incredible desire for altitude flying high, so high ice crystals formed on their bodies and wings where Duo took the opportunity to show him just exactly why Quatre had been so overwhelmed in that dream. Hiiro wasn’t a unicorn however, and bore no such weakness. It had been the single most erotic, exciting, mind blowing experience of his life and a damn fine ego booster when he found that Duo had actually passed out. Of course, he’d been on the receiving end but it still made the alpha male Eaglet feel pretty damn good.

It wasn’t until late into the fourth night as he laid in the demons arms, his slight body still heaving for breath beneath him as they drifted back from the realm of rapture that he had a sudden revelation.

“You’re not… a hybrid,” he rasped through a very dry throat and labored breathing as his body heat recoiled sending a hot flash through him. Duo didn’t bother to deny it. “How can that be?” Hiiro asked pushing back, licking the sweat from his lips as he wiped the same from Duo’s glistening brow. The demon just lay there recovering, his eyes shut, his breath beginning to slow.

“I am not of this world,” he replied finally cracking one violet eye to peer at him. Hiiro was obviously trying to work it out but it was just too freaky to even consider. A half human that had not been created by genetic tampering. A natural. Was it even possible? Could it be that he really was from another realm? Heaven or hell? A messenger sent to carry his soul back to joukai? Had he really killed the others? Hiiro realized then that he’d been avoiding the issue. He really didn’t want to ask, he didn’t want to hear that his beloved demon had taken his brothers lives even if he had sent them to heaven. When it came right down to it, he didn’t want to die.

“Stay with me,” he pleaded wrapping his ebony lover up in his arms, his head pillowed on his chest where he could feel and hear his heart beating strong.

“I can’t,” Duo informed him sinking his slender hands in his unruly chocolate brown mop of hair. “If I don’t go back by tomorrow night,” he told him, his voice sounding much too serious for Hiiro’s liking as he finished by softly confessing, “I’ll die.”

“What?” Hiiro asked raising his head to look at him in shock. “Why?” he went on sitting up suddenly.

“Its part of the deal,” Duo sighed rubbing his eyes with his palm. “The only way I could come into this world to retrieve you was to agree to drink a slow acting poison made from the black root of the Satamoda bush,” he explained. “If I don’t go back and take the antidote, I’ll die” he finished with a small, apologetic smile at his stunned lover.

What the hell kind of deal was that? And why in the world would Duo agree to such a thing? And who was holding the keys to the frigging pearly gates that would allow him to take such an irresponsible action?!

“Then you have to go back,” he stated bluntly. If it came down to Duo dying or him dying he had no doubt which it would be. He’d already said they could be together on the other side so it really wasn’t debatable. Duo appeared to be pretty happy with the outcome. Hiiro might have been affronted if he weren’t so relieved that the wraith wasn’t going to argue.

He suddenly realized that this was their last night together in this place. Whatever happened tomorrow night would change things between them forever. Gods he reeeeeeally hoped he’d still have a body. He was seriously going to miss this if he didn’t! A quick scouting mission the next morning revealed that the army wasn’t about to make things easy on them. Could they just pack up and go home? NOOOOOO! They had to dig in making use of every god forsaken toy man had ever created to turn the catacombs the lovers needed to get enter into a headquarters for their stupid monster hunt. Well, kudos for them. They were about to get a lesson in just how dangerous a determined hybrid could be.

~ * ~

tbc...

Chapter 6

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