"Shinigami’s Lot "

Written By: t-shirt

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. Written for pleasure not profit.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: AU/High School Gang War, Violence, blood, fighting, violent NCS (rape), language, Bastardized Hiiro (in the beginning), Evil Dr. J, Evil Relena, Prejudice, angst, OOC, Duo POV, humor believe it or not! and I'm told this one will give you a freakishly dark case of the warm fuzzies before its all over. >;^/

Pairings: 2+Hilde, 2+Solo, 2+4, 2+5, 1+3, Rx1 (unrequited), Mx5 (also unrequited), 5x13, 6x9, 3x4, SoloxCatherine, and yes! 1X2!!!! YeeAAaay!

Summary: A small town harbors big trouble as rival factions face off in a war seemingly bred of predjudice and ill content. While Hiiro's White Wing Gang tries to banish the gay community Duo does his best to protect those that have come to be known as 'Shinigami's Lot'. However, dark secrets and misunderstandings lead them on an inevitable path back to one another as old feelings refuse to fade and they discover a love that will ultimately survive.

"Shinigami’s Lot "

Chapter 7

Snowflakes danced about in the air, oblivious to the bustle of the world as they clung to the lashes of happy shoppers out buying their loved ones gifts for the season. Christmas was only two weeks away and the rush was on. Quatre made his way through the crowded sidewalk in the downtown district as unaware of the holiday as the snow, his mind fixed on only one thought. Would Trowa be sent to prison today? His misgivings that perhaps it would be best not to flaunt his relationship with Trowa had been stamped on quiet violently when the tall boy had all but pleaded that he sit by his side through the ordeal. Whatever happened, they’d face it together. He entered the courthouse and stepped up to walk through the security scanner when he heard a familiar voice call his name. Turning he watched with a smile as Duo and Wufei strode over to stand beside him in line.

“Thank you for coming,” he greeted.

“You’re welcome,” the Chinese boy replied. “However, I would be lying if I said it was only for Trowa’s sake. Treize’s arraignment is this afternoon.”

“How is he? I hope it hasn’t been too hard on him,” Quatre frowned.

“I… don’t know,” Wufei replied, dropping his dark eyes to the floor. “They refuse to allow me to speak to him.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the blond returned. “I’m sure he’s fine,” he smiled supportively.

Wufei snorted. “He’s a gorgeous gay man in prison for pedophilia. What are his chances?” he scoffed wryly.

Duo could see the pain that thought brought to his friend and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “He’s also an able man,” he reminded him, then smiled. “He’s kicked your ass a few times.”

Wufei flashed him a sarcastic grin and stepped up to take his turn through security. “I just hope he’s not too angry when I pick him up. I still don’t understand how they can hold him without bail.”

“You seem very confident he’ll be released,” Quatre observed as they walked toward the elevators.

Wufei only smiled softly. “What about you?” he asked. “Have you a strong argument in Trowa’s favor?”

Quatre’s smile was small and strained. “Only the truth,” he said sadly, then smiled as if he were trying to convince himself it would be enough.

“Stay tough,” Duo advised.

When they entered the courtroom, Duo and Wufei joined Zechs and Noin while Quatre went to sit beside his lover. Trowa left no doubts as to who the young blond was by pulling him close and kissing his cheek before he spoke softly and nestled him by his side. Duo sighed and said a little prayer.

It took surprisingly little time for the cases to be presented. The prosecutors attempted to prove that Trowa had acted out of jealousy; also accusing him of shooting the boy while he was unarmed which was quickly verified by the other two boys that had taken part in the beating. Quatre and Duo were called whereupon their accounts were stated and attacked from every angle including the fact that the blond was Trowa’s lover and Duo’s reluctance to cooperate with the still active rape investigation. Relena and Dorothy were called as character witnesses for the Nolan boy as well as several others that also laid down a rather thick layer of bullshit impugning the reputation of all the gays involved. By the time they called Hiiro to the stand, the entire room was buzzing about what a shame it was for a nice boy like Trent to get caught up in such a sordid affair. Duo had been watching the stoic boy all day. He sat silently, listening to each testimony without response until he stood to take the stand.

As he walked by Trowa, he paused and gazed at the green eyed boy, his eyes as blank as ever, cold and heartless as he watched the teary eyed blond cling to his lover’s side. Trowa held his gaze but there was no fear in his eyes, no malice or anger as he let his old friend ponder his thoughts. After a moment the blue-eyed boy turned and took the stand.

“State your name please,” the prosecutor instructed.

“Hiiro Yui.”

“Mr. Yui, would you please tell us what happened on the night of...” the man went on for what seemed like an ungodly amount of time to ask a simple question then stopped and waited for Hiiro’s rendition of the night in question.

The prosecutors face contorted with shocked anger as the assembly gasped with each fact overturned as Hiiro’s account vastly differed from what had been presented by the prosecution more closely following the defense’s story. He managed not to incriminate himself, but all in all his testimony left the prosecution standing bewildered, the assembly murmuring scandalously and one small blond boy with a huge grin on his face.

“It would seem you may not have understood the question,” the frustrated attorney stated.

“I understood perfectly,” Hiiro insisted, his unsettling calm flustering the fatigued man even further.

He went on to try and undermine Hiiro’s story to no avail. Hiiro cut him off at every turn until finally he’d lost his patience and got dirty about it. “Isn’t it possible that your emotional involvement with Mr. Barton may have altered your perception of the incident?” he puffed. ““He was once your best friend after all.”

Hiiro favored Trowa with a glance before answering. “I’d like to think he still is,” he stated bluntly drawing another sweeping murmur from the audience. “Your witnesses are lying,” he added confidently, raising the volume of the scandalized assembly before he went on. “There is a great deal of animosity between some of the teen factions in this town,” he told them. “However, Trowa would not have shot that boy if he hadn’t threatened Quatre’s life.”

“There is no evidence to support the claim that Trent Nolan intended to kill Mr. Winner!” the man growled, red faced and clearly growing desperate. “The truth is that Trowa Barton shot and killed an innocent boy in a fit of jealous rage!” he declared. “Look at them!” he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at where Trowa had Quatre cradled to his side. “They can’t even control themselves in a court of law!” he roared.

Hiiro leaned forward and picked up a file from the table in front of the stand. Opening it, he tossed several pictures on the flat surface where everyone could see them. They were pictures of the damage done to Quatre’s body along with the knife that matched the small cuts on his throat.

“That innocent boy, as you call him, was two seconds from finishing the job,” he stated coolly. “Trowa only did what was necessary to safe his life.”

Closing statements were offered but appeared to be nothing more than formality as Hiiro’s testimony had not only overturned the case but also left several of the prosecutions witnesses under investigation and possible charges of perjury. The verdict was detained until things could be sorted out and Trowa released into his own custody. Quatre leaped on him the minute court was adjourned kissing him furiously all over the face. There were congratulation’s from family and friends as it seemed once things were sorted, Trowa would most certainly be acquitted.

Only Duo held back. He watched as Hiiro stood from the stand and made his lonely way toward the nearest exit. He stopped for a moment to look back at the happy crowd of friends all smiling and hugging each other in their jubilation. His eyes found Duo’s and for the first time in years, the braided boy saw him smile. It was a true smile; one that only comes from the heart. Then he turned and was gone. Duo didn’t wait for his turn to congratulate his friends but followed Hiiro instead. Something was tugging on him, telling him that some small piece of Hiiro still remained in the soulless shell that he had become and this just might be his last chance to catch a glimpse of it.

He followed him out of the building and down the sidewalk trying to figure out just what had made him testify the truth. Was it just that he considered Trowa his friend? Duo had been his friend, his best friend for many years and…. Had he changed his mind? Could he after all this time? Would Duo still be capable of caring if he did? He had to admit he would or he wouldn’t have been following the stoic boy around town. His quarry came to a tall building where many different businesses were located and slipped into the underground entryway. Duo followed a moment later but couldn’t immediately see where he had gone. He realized his mistake when he heard a soft footstep echo behind him in the parking garage.

He turned to face him, both standing silent for a time before Duo spoke. “Why’d you do that?” he asked bluntly.

“Because it was the truth,” Hiiro replied.

“Lies never bothered you before,” Duo snorted. “Since when to you give a shit?”

Hiiro took a step toward him. “He didn’t tell you?” he asked.

“Tell me what?” Duo inquired, cursing himself for the feelings being this close to the Japanese boy stirred inside him.

Hiiro narrowed his eyes and considered the possibility that Trowa had not revealed his secrets. Deciding that this was the case, he chuckled softly. “This,” he snapped as the back of his hand darting out and slammed into Duo’s face knocking him back several steps. Duo not only managed to stay on his feet but also came back around pissed and ready to fight. He stepped back in preparation, a small, sinister smile curling his lips as he urged his rival forward with beckoning fingers in a clear gesture of “bring it on”.

He had never fooled himself into thinking he was as strong as Hiiro but he was a bit faster and more agile and used it shamelessly. Within the first five minutes Hiiro was sporting a black eye, several bruised ribs and a cut on his left cheek that made up for the sprained shoulder Duo now had to endure. Hiiro’s eyes flashed as he regained his balance, his jaw stinging from the vicious blow the braided boy had just landed.

“You’ve improved,” he mock praised.

“Thanks,” Duo smiled. “Why didn’t you hang him?” he asked off handedly just before Hiiro let go another flurry of attacks. Duo managed to block most of them taking a hit to the ribs that left him panting puffs of white breath into the cold December air. “Your gettin’ soft Hee-man,” he chided. “So, tell me. What’s so special about baby green eyes you decided to get all noble’n shit?”

“What do you want!?” Hiiro growled, his patience wearing thin.

“You know what I want,” Duo replied evenly. Hiiro suddenly lunged forward, Duo countered but Hiiro changed tactics in the middle of the move and the braided boy found himself flat on his face kissing the cold cement floor; his right arm being pushed beyond its limit as Hiiro twisted it behind his back. He growled out a frustrated gasp as the injured shoulder groaned under the strain.

Hiiro held him down with all his weight, crushing him into the floor as he bent down close to his ear and sneered, “I know exactly what you want!” The next moment Duo heard and felt his thin dress pants ripping at the seams and froze. For a moment he was back in that bathroom, dizzy and disorientated and at Hiiro’s mercy. He felt the chill of winter air on his bare bottom then Hiiro was kicking his legs apart and forcing his body between his thighs.

Duo’s senses began to return to him when he heard Hiiro’s zipper and he began to struggle to free himself. “For a straight guy you sure do like my ass!” he growled.

Hiiro nailed him in the back sending a stabbing of pain through his kidney that left him breathless and groaning weakly. “It’s what you want, isn’t it!?” he growled without pausing to wait for a reply.

“Shit!” Duo spat, trying to crawl away when he felt cold, slick fingers slip down the crack of his ass. Hiiro held him fast, roughly forcing him to still and Duo grunted painfully as he felt himself being filled once again by the boy he’d once called his best friend. Somewhere in his mind he thanked his lucky stars that his opponent had found something to use as a lube though he had no idea why. It seemed like an odd consideration when raping someone. He cursed himself for his stupidity for allowing himself to be caught like this again, then cursed himself harder for the small part of him that was enjoying the fact that the boy he’d loved since third grade was currently embedded in his ass. He’d fantasized so many times about it but somehow this scenario had never come up.

Hiiro groaned and fell on him pushing himself deeper within Duo’s heated body as he laid his weight on his back. The pressure on Duo’s arm lessened until it had been released altogether but he’d lost the will to fight. For whatever it was worth, this was Hiiro, he’d longed for him for so damn long he just couldn’t bring himself to fight against it anymore. Hiiro’s arms wrapped around his shoulders hugging him tight as he continued to rock rhythmically on his back. Duo felt the odd sensation of small kisses on his temple once again as his assailant’s body filled him with both hard flesh and raw passion. His mind reeled as all thought slowly slipped away and he began to push back against the delectable feeling.

“Duo?” Hiiro breathed, his voice faltering and cracking as he strained to form the words. Duo realized Hiiro was enjoying this as much as he was but the thought only served to feed his building desire. “Damn!” Hiiro groaned throatily at his captive’s suddenly willing participation. “Ah! Duo? Fuck!”

He couldn’t help it, the sounds his efforts were drawing from Hiiro were more of a temptation than he could resist. He grinned to himself as he synched his rectum, the deep groan the action gleaned sending a thrill throughout his body and a shiver down his spine. Hiiro took the braided boy wholly, giving as much of himself as his body would allow; all thought of malice had ebbed from his body and mind the moment Duo had surrendered. He let himself fall into the sheer delight that was their joining and for a time, regressed back to a place where nothing in the world mattered to him more than pleasing the boy beneath him.

Hiiro groaned, calling Duo’s name once again as he shifted, the new angle bringing a shocked gasp from his unlikely lover as the tip of his shaft brushed against something impossibly sensitive deep within Duo’s body.

“Hiiro?!” the braided boy gasped, desperately begging for more. His enthusiastic plea’s set Hiiro’s entire body on fire and he pushed deeper, harder, striving incoherently to meld them into one euphoric being.

Hiiro suddenly stilled as distant footsteps filled the air. They hadn’t exactly tried to be discreet about where they’d ended up, but the high medium and car beside them afforded some small measure of privacy. They watched and tried to quiet their heavy breathing as a pair of high heels under a coat tail walked up to a nearby car down the line. Duo shivered in the cold, or perhaps it was just the extreme emotions of the moment, either way he found his bangs being brushed aside and gentle, comforting kisses being applied to his cheek and neck. He closed his eyes unable to believe that this was real. He was not having sex with Hiiro Yui on the floor of a parking garage. It just wasn’t happening. It had to be a dream. Hiiro began to move within him again as the shoes slipped into the car they’d stopped beside and the sound of an engine filled the air. He was being so gentle Duo sighed and made a wish that he’d never wake from this euphoric dream.

The next thing he knew, Hiiro had pulled away and was rolling him over. Before he could question the action the Japanese boy had moved in and taken him in a deep kiss. He groaned and hissed as his body was once again filled by the stoic boy’s presence, lifting his legs and wrapping them around Hiiro’s hips. He lost all touch with reality and gave himself over to the fantastic dream with complete abandon. All his penned up affection, all his love and admiration came pouring out in a tidal wave of uninhibited honesty.

Hiiro kissed him, a rolling, deep motion that spoke of a love that would live forever. An undeniable inevitability that bound their hearts together as he drank deeply from the wellspring of overwhelming emotion Duo was sweetly offering. He groaned deeply when the beautiful, violet-eyed boy suddenly gasped and arched back, his arms clinging desperately around Hiiro’s neck as he manipulated the advantageous angle once again.

Duo groaned deeply, his terse body begging for more even as his rasping voice pleaded the same. Hiiro couldn’t hold back against such tantalizingly delicious pleas and pushed them ever higher. Duo’s lungs gasped for air as the intensity flared and encompassed them. Hiiro tensed as his hands moved lower, his fingers digging into Duo’s flesh as he slammed harder and harder into the boy’s quivering form. Duo felt him begin to shake and knew the end was near, the very thought that this was actually real was enough to send him over the edge, but he held on, unwilling to allow it to end.

“Duo,” Hiiro groaned softly. A preclude to his eminent release; the need in his voice coursing physically in the braided boy’s veins. “Duo!” he called again as the boy beneath him suddenly arched up off the floor, his body reacting involuntarily to the overload of sensation Hiiro was causing within him. Hiiro shouted his name again as he suddenly shook, the shockwave of his culmination pushing Duo into the abyss as well.

He felt the braided boy’s hand suddenly fist in his shirt and looked down at his impromptu lover to find his beautiful, violet eyes wide open and staring blindly into the air, a silent cry on his lips as he shook and shuddered beneath him. The resplendent vision quickly overwhelmed him and he fell on him, crushing him in his arms as he felt his body quake and force a second apex from his loins. He heard the hoarse scream that echoed through the garage but only distantly recognized the sound to be his own voice before he collapsed, his body and mind utterly spent as they both fought to recover their senses.

After a time Hiiro rolled off of him, leaving him laying alone on the cold, hard ground. It took a bit longer before Duo found the energy to move. Neither boy looked at each other or spoke. Duo rolled his head when he saw Hiiro bend down to pick something up and realized it was a tube of lube. He wondered absently why Hiiro would be carrying such a thing but then it occurred to him that Hiiro appeared to have no problem with having gay sex himself. Apparently it was only Duo’s preferences that enraged him. The thought crossed him mind that perhaps he and Trowa had been lovers and that’s why he hadn’t let the tall boy go to prison, but he disregarded it as quickly as it had been considered. Hiiro paused to look at him for a moment before turning to leave.

“Why?” Duo asked softly.

Hiiro stopped but did not answer.

“What did I do to make you hate me so much?” the braided boy persisted exhaustedly.

When Hiiro finally replied, he responded with a question of his own, “Why Martin?”

It took Duo a minute to think about that. “Martin?” he mused, a little shocked and very confused. “What”dya mean? He took me to dinner. It was my first date. I didn’t fuck him, Hiiro,” he grumbled.

“Why not me?” Hiiro asked almost inaudibly.

Duo’s heart just about stopped. He’d never thought about it at the time. He thought Hiiro was straight and when he started seeing that girl… but... he hadn’t been ‘seeing’ that girl had he? No. He’d asked her to study once and that had ended with her getting raped by his old man and… holy shit!

“I didn’t think you wanted me that way,” he answered finally. Hiiro turned to look at him, his expression clearly asking ‘why not?’ Duo sat up and straightened himself as best he could, his torn pants were hopeless but if he took his coat off and tied it around his waist… he continued as he tried to make himself presentable. “You never said anything and then there was that girl. I just figured you weren’t interested. Then after Martin….”

“Silvia wasn’t for me,” Hiiro told him flat out.

Duo froze again. This seemed to be a day for revelations. His eyes narrowed in angry disbelief as he turned them on Hiiro, the reality of what he was saying sinking in. “You set her up,” he accused. Hiiro stood silently, unable deny it. “You son of a bitch,” Duo breathed. “Why?”

Hiiro watched him for a minute, then dropped his gaze and prepared to leave. Duo heard his softly spoken words as he walked away. “I never gave you to him.”

“What?” Duo called after him but he just kept walking. Could it be true? Could Hiiro have delivered an innocent girl into the hands of a deranged man in an effort to protect him? Why would he do that? What could his step dad possibly have done that would gain him such control.? His mind reeled, his body was spent and he just could not comprehend that all this time, all the bullshit and pain was because of misplaced guilt and jealousy. That’s just not who Hiiro was. Nothing made him do something he didn’t want to do. He just couldn’t work it out.

He managed to cover himself enough to get home and shower. He remembered he should be at the courthouse to support Wufei and Treize so he redressed and headed out, his mind still tumbling a thousand new thoughts over in his head. Every one of which was centered on the vivid memory that he’d just made love to Hiiro Yui.

**

Duo arrived back at the courthouse twenty minutes before the arraignment was to begin. The previous assembly was streaming out of the courtroom doors as he approached the bench his friends were waiting on in the hall. Wufei stood to the side wearing a long white qui that contrasted his dark features remarkably. His traditional oriental garb was a bold contrast to the prim suites surrounding him, though Duo had to admit, he looked pretty damn hot. Catherine was with them, which seemed to delight Solo unreasonably. He didn’t see Trowa and Quatre at first, but one questioning look at Hilde’s rolling eyes confirmed their presence in a nearby corner discreetly renewing the bond between their lips. He was pleased to find Zechs, Noin and even Howard as well. Another look around revealed many of the town’s storeowners to be present. It would seem their fine Mr. Khushrenada was quiet a popular man.

People started to file into the room so they followed suit, taking front row seats. Court personnel busied themselves while they were settling when a door opened on the left side of the room. Two armed guards ushered Treize in, his head held high looking as good in his jailhouse blue jumpsuit as he did in his usual polo shirt. His blue eyes searched the room for a moment, quickly finding Wufei whose gaze had snapped up and anchored on the man the instant he’d walked in.

“Wufei!” Treize called.

“Treize,” the Chinese boy whispered, his feet already carrying him toward the man. Treize too had automatically made an effort to go to his lover but found himself instantly restrained. It took a moment longer for the Bailiff to intercept the determined young Chinese boy and restore order.

“Are you alright?” Wufei called to him as the big officer pushed him back toward his seat.

“Yes,” Treize answered. “I love you,” he told him without hesitation, letting the youth know that he didn’t blame him for anything.

With one final shove that left a scowling Wufei standing beside his empty seat, the Bailiff made his way back to his station as Treize was seated. It broke Wufei”s heart to see him like that but he consoled himself with the knowledge that by the time this day was over, he would be back by his side and steeled himself for the coming task.

Irea Winner, one of Quatre’s sister’s, came to speak to them for a moment, asking some last minute questions about the case as she had agreed to defend Treize at Quatre’s request. She was as fine a lawyer as she was a physician and Quatre smiled at her confidently before she turned away. The judge entered, charges were announced and witnesses called to substantiate the claims. It turned out that bail had been denied due to several testimonies from local’s that claimed Treize to be some sort of masher that openly seduced his young patrons using his club as the bait. Duo had lost his patience at one point and barked how ridiculous the claims were, that the man was only goofing off and would never do anything like that for real. He was, of course, laughed at until several of the storeowners also chimed in supporting the man’s character as well.

Chief Une gave her testimony as an eyewitness to the crime, which had Wufei spitting nails until Irea exposed the fact the Une had openly chased Treize all over high school and obviously held a grudge over his lack of interest in her. When all was said and done however, it was undeniable that the statuesque club owner had indeed been engaged in a sexual relationship with the minor in question. The judge was just saying as much in his preparation to formally charge the man when Irea asked that she and Wufei be allowed to approach the bench and he reluctantly agreed.

Wufei accompanied her bearing his small envelope and handed it to the judge without explanation. The man opened it withdrawing a single piece of paper and began to read. His expression lightened with each sentence until his eyes shown with mirth and relief. It appeared to Wufei that even this judge had been hoping for some miracle in Treize’s favor and was more than happy to have been handed one.

The judge addressed the assembly with a smile and declared, “It would appear Mr. Khushrenada has been falsely accused.” A loud murmur ran through the crowd at his words but he just kept smiling and held up a hand calling for silence. “It has come to the attention of this court that the victim in question has been a legal adult since the age of thirteen, thereby nullifying any charges of statutory rape,” he stated commandingly. “Bailiff, if you would please free Mr. Khushrenada and offer him our most sincere apologies,” he went on, pausing to smile at Wufei. “That is,” he leaned forward with a sparkle in his eyes, “unless you would like to file charges of your own?” he asked.

Wufei grinned like a Cheshire cat on crack and stated point blank, “No sir!”

Duo could feel the building tension in him from across the room as Treize was released and stepped from his confining seat. A moment later the man suddenly had his arms full of an exuberant Chinese boy. Treize caught him in midair as he flung himself on the man, forcing him to turn and spin him around to keep from being knocked completely off his feet. He had a huge grin on his face glowing with love and relief as he held him off the ground and kissed him soundly.

“That was very clever,” he praised, setting the grinning boy on his feet.

“Meilan though of it,” Wufei smiled. It was going to take awhile to fill his lover in. Meilan had come to him one night and pointed out the fact that Wufei had legally become an adult the day they were married in an attempt to redeem herself and earn her right to remain as member of the Dragon Clan. It had been the deciding factor in his decision to allow her to stay. At the moment though, he was too damn happy to have his lover back to care about explanations.

**

With the major part of the tension gone, Trowa had ushered his lover out of the others company as fast as he could. The giddy elation had taken hold of them both filled the drive to Trowa’s house with laugher as they played grab ass and teased each other mercilessly. Soon, Quatre was giggling breathlessly as an unusually capricious boy with flashing emerald eyes carried him up the elegant staircase. Just before they disappeared, the front door opened emitting Mr. and Mrs. Barton, Catherine and much to his own surprise, Solo, who had been invited to help the young woman prepare for her performance during the aerial competition. Quatre’s loud laugher and sudden squawk resounded in the entry room, then died as the bedroom door muffled their jubilation. Mr. Barton just shook his head and smiled.

“I’ve never seen him so alive,” his stepmother grinned.

“He’s in love,” Catherine sighed, her eyes darting toward Solo who blushed slightly and kept his mouth shut. “Come on,” she said to the dark blond boy. “My stuff’s out back. I hope you’re not the skittish type,” she smiled, leaving Solo with an oddly disconcerted expression as he followed behind her.

Another loud squawk came from the room upstairs as the man turned to his wife and offered her his arm. She smiled, looking at him as if he were handing her some great secret then took it with a wry smile and followed him up the stares toward their own bedroom.

Within the confines of his room, Trowa had managed to tousle his lover all over the bed, playing grab ass and tickle fight and winning shamelessly until the smaller boys face was so red he looked as if he’d been boiled in butter.

“STOP! STOP! Wait! Oh! AH! Geez! HA HA! NO! I… I can’t breathe! Wait!” Quatre laughed.

Trowa finally relented, tossing him on his back and diving on him, both of them out of breath and high on life. They bounced once before they stilled, Quatre smiling up at him with glittering eyes full of love and happiness. So much so that the sight took Trowa’s breathe away. He stopped suddenly, his expression loosing some of its carefree mirth and ran his long fingers through Quatre’s sun bright hair. The raw emotion and hope in those gorgeous cerulean eyes flickered with a light that set Trowa’s soul on fire and he found himself overcome with desire once again.

Quatre swallowed the rising surge of emotion inside him. He’d never grow tired of seeing that look in those beautiful emerald eyes. No matter how often or perfect, each time they joined together only left him yearning for more. One more touch, one more kiss, one more day in each other’s presence. He’d never thought he’d know such joy and it filled him up to overflowing as he gazed into the endless depths of his lover’s heart.

“I love you,” Trowa whispered; his soft declaration demonstrated in the ghostly kisses that accompanied it.

“Oh Trowa,” Quatre breathed.

His heart was so full of love, simply returning the words seemed terribly inadequate. He replied in the only way he felt would convey the depth of his feelings, reaching up to take the green-eyed boy’s lips in a tender kiss. Trowa gladly returned the affection, slowly nurturing the haze that would transport them to another place in time. Quatre whimpered softly, the sound permeating his body, sending warm waves of heat throughout his form. He delved deeper, his hands moving determinedly to rid them both of the clothes that separated them as the tiny noises the blond boy was making compounded his need.

Quatre called to him, his tone testifying to the ever-increasing swell of desire within as Trowa lavished him in tantalizing caresses and hungry kisses that left him groaning and gasping for breath. He was escalating too quickly; he could feel the coil tightening inside him and ground out desperately, “W… wait”. However, his rapidly accelerating condition only served to further impassion the slender boy above and he soon found himself arching back. Trowa’s firm grip demanding his surrender as he continually called out his breathless warnings.

Trowa’s state had become one of desperate determination as he drove the delicious blond higher, delighting in the ever-increasing volume of his cries. Overcome by the vision of him laid bare, his body straining ever closer to oblivion he found himself unable to deny him.

“Beautiful,” he breathed as Quatre cried out when the tight coil inside him suddenly snapped. Quatre thrashed about in an attempt to escape the overwhelming sensations but Trowa held him firm until the cataclysm had passed.

Trowa couldn’t help but smile as he suckled the young blonds neck. The smiled widened considerably when the action caused a sudden shiver in Quatre’s panting body, the aftershock reminding him that his own need still pressed violently against the zipper of his unopened pants.

“You… didn’t stop,” Quatre choked still unable to open his eyes.

“Hn,” Trowa acknowledged still nibbling on the boy’s neck and caressing him softly.

“But...” the blond began, only to be shushed by a deep kiss that answered his question before his lover pulled back and spoke the words.

“Who said we were done?” Trowa grinned as he moved in to nibble the other side of his pale neck.

Quatre sucked in a deep breath and wrapped him up in his arms. A small smile blossomed on his face that countered his uncertain tone when he breathed. “Oh… Allah.”

**

Duo had decided to walk home. Solo had gone with Catharine, Trowa and Quatre were... well… doing what they did normally he supposed, and no doubt Wufei and Treize were doing the same as well. Hilde had gone to meet some of her friends and Zechs and Noin had returned to prepare the club for later that night.

The world looked different somehow as he recalled what had happened earlier that day between Hiiro and himself. Trowa had defiantly been right about his old friend being gay. There was no way he could’ve made love to him like that if he weren’t. It felt so strange to have all these conflicting memories and feelings. They’d been at it for so damn long. They’d been friends for even longer, he reminded himself. It just didn’t make any damn sense though. Why the hell was Hiiro so angry with him?

He recalled Hiiro’s words ‘why not me?’ Jealousy. It seemed so far fetched. He could see where that might play some small part of it, but not to the level Hiiro had taken it. It also implied Hiiro had deep feelings for Duo; feelings deep enough to hurt him when he thought of him with someone else. He remembered Martin’s bloodied face and battered body and decided that was a definite possibility. It surprised him a little when the thought brought a huge smile to his face. He cursed himself again for being so weak as to let the Japanese boy get so easily under his skin as he passed by a short strip mall near his home where there was an ice cream shop. Perhaps it was odd, but the chilly weather and bustle of the season always made him crave the sticky sweet stuff. He bought a cone of raspberry cheesecake swirl and headed off toward his house.

He was three blocks away, passing by a small, one lot park that had been built by the local neighbors. The two-seat swing hung heavy with snow barely swaying in the light breeze. The jungle gym had tiny icicles hanging from the frozen metal bars and the little castle looked like something out of a fairytale story with its high arched window all covered in snow. The braided boy hardly gave it a second glance until he caught sight of a figure standing motionlessly beside the little structure.

Duo stopped dead in his tracks as he recognized the figure to be Hiiro. He stood quietly, looking like a fairy prince with snow settling on his dark brown hair and shoulders. Duo had taken several steps toward him before he realized he had that shit eating grin on his face again, and why was he going over there anyway? Did he want a get in another fight? What the hell did he want this time? Another piece of ass? Or worse, maybe some blood this time? He tried, he really did but that damn grin refused to yield so he just stood there feeling stupid as his fingers froze to his ice cream cone.

Hiiro looked to the ground then over to his right then back at the ground. The effect of his shy motion was to melt Duo’s heart into a gooey puddle. He’d never seen the stoic boy look so uncertain before. It piqued his curiosity so he moved forward until he stood only a few feet from him, that damnable smile still firmly planted on his face.

“Hey,” he greeted softly.

Hiiro glanced at him then back at the ground then at whatever was so interesting over to his right again then back to the ground. Duo was getting a little dizzy but he wasn’t sure if it was the chaotic gaze or the funny feeling they were giving him in his chest.

“Did you want something?” he asked tentatively.

Hiiro glanced at his ice cream and snorted softly as if to say ‘baka’ like he used to do when they were kids. Duo stilled as a chill ran through him that had nothing to do with the cold.

“Want some?” he offered with a silly smile, holding out the cone for the other boy’s inspection. Hiiro just looked at it. The fact that he hadn’t glared sent another thrill through the braided boy. He pulled it back and licked it all around; even though it was cold out the surface was still melted leaving his tongue coated in white cream and raspberry syrup.

He grinned when he was done and held it out again. “See?” he smiled. “No poison. Go ahead.”

Hiiro favored him with a half grin then did his three point glance again before asking, “Why?” Duo just stood there and looked at him, his smile drooping a bit as his mind tried to work that one out. Why what? Seeing his confusion, Hiiro found something interesting on the ground at his feet and elaborated. “This afternoon. Why didn’t you fight?”

Duo instinctively answered with a question. “Why didn’t you?”

“You should hate me,” Hiiro told him.

Duo stood still for a moment, then relaxed a little and started in on his ice cream again. He walked closer and leaned on the small castle before he answered with a shrug. “Yeah, guess I should but ya know? I’m just tired of it. All the fighting and bullshit. Besides, I can’t help it if I still care about you,” he admitted. “Even if I don’t really know what crawled up your ass.”

It appeared he’d hit some nerve with that one as Hiiro’s demeanor suddenly changed. All of a sudden he looked much more like the boy that had been threatening to rip Duo’s head off for the past couple of years. Duo’s eyes widened; his brow knitting in curiosity as it tried to defuse the bomb standing next to him.

“Settle down! Geez, what’d I say?” he asked, looking into the hard cobalt glare.

Something passed through Hiiro’s eyes, something that suddenly made the boy’s heart race with fear, a fear born of knowing that something is beyond your comprehension or control. The utter anguish in those beautiful blue orbs snatched words from his memory. Words Trowa had said to him not so long ago. ‘He’s dying inside.’ He felt his heart wrench as the frustration twisted his gut. Why?! Damn, he wanted to understand so fucking bad!

Hiiro’s glare softened somewhat before he let his head fall forward and rest against the cold little castle.

“Hiiro?” Duo prompted softly.

“He wanted you a lot,” Hiiro told him quietly.

“You gave him Silvia,” the braided boy said quietly, trying not to sound judgmental, then added with no small amount of shame and remorse in his voice. “To protect me.” Hiiro didn’t raise his head, only nodding his confirmation. “We were young,” Duo reasoned, though he wasn’t sure why he was trying to console him. He didn’t have to do what he did; he could easily have told Duo the truth and avoided the entire mess.

Hiiro groaned and rolled his head from side to side then lifted it and leaned on the castle. “I was weak,” he said softly not looking at the braided boy. “Too weak to stop him… too weak to… fight.”

“You were eleven, Hiiro,” Duo reminded him.

“Eight,” Hiiro whispered putting his head down on his arms and hiding his face. Duo looked at him puzzled. The incident had taken place when they were in the sixth grade, not the third. He had no clue what he was talking about. “He wanted you a lot,” Hiiro whispered again.

Something was very, very wrong and it was making Duo sick to his stomach. How many times had this happened? Since they were eight? Fuck! That’d be like three years! But there hadn’t been any other incidents involving the children in the town. only Silvia. Suddenly Duo’s eyes widened. Hiiro peeked out from beneath his bangs; the pain clearly visible in the dismal depths of his dark blue eyes and Duo suddenly understanding exactly what he meant; turned and threw up.

Hiiro waited patiently without expression as he turned his stomach inside out knowing that finally his secret wasn’t his alone anymore and wishing to high heaven that he could take it back. His heart ached with each heave of Duo’s body until finally the boy caught his breath and wiped his mouth. Duo managed to turn back and look at him before his knees gave out and he found himself kneeling in the cold snow, his desert fallen forgotten onto the ground.

“Jesus,” he breathed through the fog that hovered over his mind. “Thr…three years… you… fuck,” he pulled himself together by closing his eyes and steeling his wits. This was no time to fall apart. “What’s... a lot?” he asked firmly through gritted teeth.

“Couple times a month,” Hiiro replied in a steady but quiet voice.

Duo felt a tear leak down his cheek, the warmth of it stinging his face in the frosty air. “Gods,” he ground out, his stomach once again turning but there was nothing left to rise. His breath started to quicken, suddenly there just wasn’t enough air and he clutched his chest as the icy breeze filled his lungs with fire. Then Hiiro was suddenly there holding him by the wrists and pulling him to his feet. He ushered him over to the little castle and took him inside, seating him on the low bench before taking the seat opposite him. It took the braided boy a minute to compose himself enough to continue.

“He raped you twice a month for three fuckin’ years,” Duo stated aloud, his voice cracking as the tears began to fall regularly. Hiiro looked decidedly uncomfortable about the crying but tried to let it go. This was one of the main reasons he’d never told him about his sacrifice.

Duo’s head suddenly slammed into the wall several times, alarming Hiiro as the little castle shook. “Martin,” the braided boy growled suddenly in understanding. “You thought I was fucking him. That’s why you almost killed him. After all you went through … FUCK!” he shouted, slamming his head into the wall again.

Hiiro grabbed him by the front of his jacket and forced him to stop abusing himself. “What I did I did because I had to,” he told him firmly. “I never blamed you for it.” He let him go and looked out the window at the falling snow “I just don’t understand why you never even gave me a chance,” he told him.

That was the last piece of the puzzle. It all fit and Duo saw his sin for the putrid stain that it truly was. Hiiro had made the ultimate sacrifice for him, protected him, put himself in harms way and Duo had never even given him a chance because he was too damn scared he might damage their friendship if Hiiro rejected him. The irony made him want to pound his head again.

“It hurts,” Hiiro said softly, tearing another little piece from Duo’s heart with each word.

“Gods Hiiro. I... I wanna say I’m sorry, but it’s not enough. Nothing will ever be enough,” Duo sighed dejectedly.

“Why?” Hiiro repeated his original question.

It took Duo a moment to catch up and when he did, he thought back to that afternoon and how sweet it had been to be coupled with the Japanese boy. Why had he not fought? Why had he given himself fully instead of running away?

“Because I love you,” he said honestly. He knew he’d never again withhold his feelings from anyone, especially Hiiro. His silence had cost so much more than he could ever atone for.

Hiiro sat motionless for a time, his cobalt stare taking in some far away land that only his eyes could see before he turned to him again and told him softly, “It’s enough.”

Duo began to sob; he couldn’t hold it back and just started balling like a baby. A moment later Hiiro was kneeling in front of him wrapping him in warm, strong arms. “Don’t cry,” he said softly as the braided head buried itself in his shoulder. “Please,” he pleaded. Duo’s pain was breaking his heart. “I’m so sorry Duo,” he said softly, holding him close.

“N… no I’m s... sorry. I didn’t know. How could I have known?” Duo cried pulling him tight.

“I should have told you long ago,” Hiiro replied. “Too much pain,” he said softly. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”

“I’ll never stop loving you,” Duo whispered clinging tighter yet. “I always have and I always will.”

Hiiro pulled him so tight he couldn’t breathe but he didn’t care. They just stayed like that for a long while until the braided boy really did have to back off and take a proper breath. Hiiro had the stamina of a wild horse and might never let go. He pulled back and smiled, a little embarrassed when Hiiro brushed his tear streaked face.

“I never want to see you cry again,” the Japanese boy said softly.

Duo softly rolled his eyes, still smiling mostly but the moment was over quickly as his heart began to race. Hiiro’s eyes clouded over suddenly as if a storm had risen in the evening sky. Slowly he leaned in closer, his presence stealing Duo’s breath away. Moist heat brushed over the braided boy’s lips and suddenly his entire body was alive with tingling emotion. His mind raced from the shiver on his skin to the chill in his spine as fire swept through his veins and his mind surged with energy. Hiiro stopped just an angle’s breath away, his open mouth hovering just over Duo’s eager lips.

Duo felt as if he might explode. He couldn’t stand it; he needed to feel him, to taste him and know him and live inside of him until he couldn’t tell them apart. His breath labored, his mouth watered until he felt he might drown, then slowly, Hiiro spoke, the words gentle and full of truth as he breathed them into the braided boy’s open mouth., “I will always love you,” then he closed the small distance and melted into the quivering mass that had once been Duo Maxwell.

-~-

Solo stood as still as the grave. Something told him this was a ‘bad’ idea and once again he wished he had nerves of steel like Duo. It probably wouldn’t have worried him so much if it hadn’t been for the fact that the impassioned noises from the second story window kept throwing her aim off. He winced and clenched his eyes shut as another razor sharp blade sank into the wooden circle he stood against. Just his luck the prettiest girl in town had to be a friggin’ knife thrower! Cracking an eyelid he peered at his newest assailant. It stood embedded in the wounded wood quivering less than an inch from his head.

“Damn!” Catherine shouted casting another annoyed glare at her brother’s bedroom window. It’d been three hours since the boy’s had disappeared into that room and they were ‘still’ rattling the fucking windows! Quatre’s pained voice rose once again, drifting down to the couple in the back yard. “Give it a rest why don’t’ya!” she shouted at the window.

Solo sniggered and watched her storm over to the small table that held a pile of knives. She scooped them up, turned to him and spread them in her thin fingers, her gray eyes flashing in the late afternoon sun as she let fly four at a time. Solo’s eyes went round and he held his breath but managed not to move as the silver blades found their marks on either side of his slightly trembling body.

“Uugg!” the girl growled, coming to remove them. Snatching them out one at a time with a familiarity born of a lifetime of practice. “Why can’t they go to Quatre’s house and bother ‘his’ family?” she groused. “What’re ‘you’ smiling at?” she growled at the simple grin on Solo’s face just before she let fly another round of knives.

It had seemed pretty odd to learn that the siblings were involved in the circus but once Catherine had explained that her father had worked with the band of traveling performers since before she was born it only made sense that Catherine would spend her summers with them. Trowa had apparently jumped on the bandwagon when their parents had gotten married some years back and had proven to be a valuable and talented addition.

The yard was strewn with the tools of the trade. Everything from large balls used for balancing tricks to the circular backboard Solo currently found himself ‘pinned’ to, as well as the high wire stretched across the lawn twenty feet above. There was also a trapeze, several large cages filled with white doves and a fucking lion for chrissake! The curly haired girl jerked another knife loose and clenched her eyes shut as a thunderous roar of desperate shouts erupted from upstairs rattling the windowpane.

She stood still, her hand on the handle of a blade and ground out through clenched teeth “If they don’t pass out this time I’m going straight up there and conk them ‘both’ on the head!” Her gray eyes snapped open at the sound of Solo’s chuckle. “What in the hell is so funny!?” she growled.

Solo just stared at her. He knew he had to be wearing the stupidest fucking grin but somehow he just didn’t care. The more irritated the girl got, the more his chest swelled, and he couldn’t stop thinking how beautifully her eyes sparkled when she was angry. He took a chance, a BIG chance seeing as how the girl had a fist full of knives, and leaned forward to steal a small kiss.

She froze and for a moment he thought he’d made a mistake but then the knives fell to the ground as she dove on him, wrapped herself around him and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Such was the intensity of her attack that it knocked the boy over, spilling a nearby table of assorted accessories with a loud crash as they tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

His first instinct was to separate them and access the damages, but the girl would have none of it and pinned him to the grass, continuing the brutal assault.

“Hey!” Trowa’s voice called, causing her head to snap up and glare at him. “Could ya keep it down out there?” he grinned. “We’re trying to sleep here!” He’d only just barely gotten the window closed when a knife was suddenly buried in the sill.

**

Hiiro entered the small modest living room with no small bout of deja vu. It’s been so long since he’d been in the Maxwell home.

“Come on in,” Duo smiled. He bounced a little too briskly to the kitchen, dropping his coat on a chair as he went. “You want a drink?” he called as Hiiro slowly made his way into the hall. Hiiro raised an eyebrow as he looked around and noticed not much had changed. A dark shadow passed over his heart when he saw the picture on the hall wall. He stood with Duo on the dock down by the lake. That dock didn’t exist anymore, having been torn down some time ago. He smiled as he remembered how they’d danced and fought in the shallows trying to pull that stupid fish out of the water. The shadow was quickly replaced by something warm when he thought about it. Even after everything he’d put the braided boy through he still had this on his wall. Truly, he’d never given up.

Duo’s braided head popped around the corner, one brow raised as if in question. Hiiro finally woke up and nodded. “Tea, if you have it,” he replied, moving on down the hall to join Duo in the kitchen.

“Hot?” Duo asked, rummaging around for a teapot. He was sure they had one …somewhere.

“Just use the microwave,” Hiiro grinned as he sat at the table. Hn. Same table as well. The small scratches where he and Duo had forgotten to put something under the paper when cutting with a razor knife for that science project they did together slid roughly under his fingers, making his heart flutter oddly.

“Hey, good idea!” the braided boy praised, grabbing a fresh cup from the cupboard and filling it with tap water. While he waited for it to heat, he got himself a soda out of the fridge. “You hungry?” he asked. Hiiro smiled at him as he bent and browsed through the icebox. He was acting so strange, could he be nervous? Whatever it was, it was terribly endearing.

“Let’s see,” Duo said from his frosty vantage point. “We’ve got, umm, something brown. Ew. Maybe not. Ah! Leftover pizza rolls!” he exclaimed as one of said rolls fell to clunk loudly on the floor. He stared at it a moment then went back to his foraging. Hiiro just grinned, he hadn’t felt this good in years. There was a great deal of shuffling for a moment before the boy stood up and gave the uncooperative appliance a disgusted glare. The microwave beeped, but before he could attend it, Hiiro was already there.

The Japanese boy absently opened the cabinet, noting wryly that Mrs. Maxwell still kept the tea in the same place and began to fix his drink. He pulled a box of snack crackers down and tossed them to his frustrated companion who caught them with a smile and finally ceased his violation of the fridge. They sat down at the table and ended up just staring at each other for a minute while Duo ate crackers and Hiiro drank his tea.

Finally Duo found a subject to break the ice. “I hear you’re signed up for the mobile suit competition?”

Hiiro’s face grew dark but he nodded. “I saw your name on the roster. Where’d you get a suit to compete with?” he asked, seeming mildly distracted.

Duo let it go and replied with a huge grin. “Quatre set me up. It’s gonna be one hell of a show this year!” he smiled.

Hiiro’s brow furrowed slightly wondering just what the boy was going on about but he didn’t pry. Instead he offered his own information. “Don’t get cocky,” he warned coyly. “Wing Zero’s going to be tough to beat.”

“Wing Zero?” Duo gasped. “Are you shitting me? THE Wing Zero!?” he asked, aghast.

Hiiro took a sip of his tea and nodded.

“Holy shit!” the braided boy exclaimed. “How in the hell did you manage that? That thing’s dangerous man, it’s driven people insane with that damn neural system.”

“You’re familiar with it?” Hiiro asked, sounding impressed.

“I read about it,” Duo shrugged. “It’s take a perfect pilot to fly that thing. You should think about it before you get in too deep,” he advised.

“I can handle it,” Hiiro said simply.

Duo wasn’t convinced. He’d only just gotten him back; he had no desire to loose him to some stupid machine. “Now you’re getting cocky,” he accused. “I’m tellin” ya man…”

“I’ve been piloting it for six months,” Hiiro informed him. “I can handle it.”

Duo just sat staring at him slack jawed. What the fuck? “What the hells going on?” he asked. He couldn’t imagine the kind of money it’s take to run a mobile suit like Wing Zero for six months. Surely more than this little competition was worth.

Hiiro took another sip of his tea before answering. “I have a contract,” he told him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to reveal the nature of his shrouded past. “Odin,” he said evenly, holding Duo’s gaze seriously. “Is an assassin,” he told him, pausing a moment to allow the shocked expression to fade a little from Duo’s eyes. “He was placed with me so he could train me until I was ready for mobile suite operations.” Duo was understandably shaken, his eyes wide with wonder as Hiiro spoke. “Mr. Darlian provided Wing so I could be trained to lead his army in the upcoming war against the Earth Sphere. The competition is to be used as a cover for the destruction of the Alliance base two miles south of the airfield.” By this time, Duo’s shock had turned to utter bewilderment but Hiiro pressed on. “I am supposed to lead that mission.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Duo breathed.

“Because I’ve decided to fight against them instead,” Hiiro told him. “I’ll protect the base from the battalion they’re sending and hopefully; if I survive; prevent a war.”

Duo was dumb struck. And here he’d been worried about who would take the blue ribbon in the aerial competition. His decision was made before he’d had time to think past the possibility of Hiiro not coming back. “I’m gonna help you,” he declared.

Hiiro snorted and looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “No,” he said simply. “This isn’t a game, they’ll cut you down in a heart beat and I won’t be able to help...”

Duo leaned up and shushed him with fingertips to his mouth. His grin caught Hiiro off guard; the boy looked like he’d just won the lottery. “Trust me,” he said. “I can hold my own. Besides, now that I know, you can’t do shit to stop me,” he boasted.

“Duo,” Hiiro began, taking the boys hand in his and trying to reason with him. “Please, I can’t be distracted with trying to keep you alive. These are battle ready Leo’s and Aries that I’ll be up against. Not a bunch of ill tuned back yard hobby suits.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head over me,” the braided boy grinned. “What? You think you’re the only one that rates a Gundam?”

Hiiro’s eyes went wide this time. “A Gundam?” he asked almost suspiciously.

Duo just kept grinning and held his hand tighter. “Yep. Quatre’s got some pretty mean connections,” he told him. “Introduced me to a tall, dark guy that goes by the name of Deathscythe,” he grinned. He could tell Hiiro had heard the name before from the shocked expression on his face. He looked so adorable Duo couldn’t help but lean forward and give him a little kiss.

Hiiro sat still for a moment, his eyes drowsy with thought before a small smile blossomed on his lips. Slowly it spread into a wide grin and Duo felt himself being drawn forward by the hand that still held in his. “If we’re going to be partners,” the suddenly sultry boy purred. “We should consummate the deal.”

Duo swallowed hard, his body moving wherever Hiiro had a mind to put it like some giant rag doll. Hiiro pulled him forward until he was seated on his lap, his arms slipping smoothly around his waist kindling a long awaited fire in the braided boy’s body. Duo swallowed again, clearing his tightening throat before he leaned in and kissed him gently. Hiiro’s hand ran up his thigh, his fingers raking firmly along the warm flesh beneath his palm, garnishing a soft, broken whimper from the long hared boy that ignited something deep inside him. Duo gasped as he was lifted suddenly from the chair, Hiiro’s strong arms cradling his body as easily as if he were a child. “Bedroom,” the stoic boy demanded.

“Yes,” Duo conceded instantly.

A low growl reverberated in Hiiro’s chest as he headed for the stairs, his feet guiding him along a path they remembered well. This left him free to explore the depths of Duo’s devotion as he moved them slowly along and kissed him blind. He climbed the stairs almost effortlessly with the slight boy held tight in his arms. Duo sank into him, tasting his sweet essence as the rush his impossible strength brought him pulsed in his throat, his mind spinning into infinity as Hiiro kicked his bedroom door open so hard, it slammed shut behind them.

**

Relena followed Dorothy up the stairs. Whatever reservation she felt about what they were doing was buried under the seething frustration she felt as she recalled her intended’s blatant disobedience. Who did he think he was ignoring direct orders like that? That Barton scum should be in prison by now, not off somewhere banging that stupid Winner whore!

She quickened her steps as she thought about the fact that, that idiot, pervert Treize had gotten off on such a stupid technicality. All their plans were going down the drain and it was all because of that little prick Duo Maxwell! If he had just left like Hiiro told him to, none of this would have happened!

Dorothy smiled as she followed the distraught girl. Miss Relena really was too cute when she was angry; and oh so easy to manipulate.

Relena reached the top of the scaffold and faced the huge hatch of Wing Zero. Entering the secret pass code her father had installed, she stood back as the door hissed open to admit her. She climbed in and slipped the disk she held into the console. This would fix that upstart of a pilot once and for all. Dorothy grinned and waited for the girl to finish the download. The next time Hiiro piloted this suit he would come out an entirely different man.

-~-

Mrs. Maxwell stumbled into the house, her grocery bags teetering in her arms. A clunking sound from upstairs revealed that her son was home. She smiled and wondered how things went in court that afternoon. Since he was home, perhaps things went well. There was another clunk that made her brow knit in curiosity as she deposited her bags on the kitchen table.

“Duo?” she called, wondering what the boy could be doing that would warrant so much banging around. He didn’t answer but she decided to unpack her bags anyway. She paused as a loud moaning sound permeated the floor, looking up at the ceiling as if it were covered in pink polk-a-dots. Another clunk and a sudden scream sent her flying down the hall, her heart racing as yet another scream ripped through the house.

She slammed into the door because she hadn’t turned the knob quickly enough and bounced off. “Duo!” she shouted twisting the handled quickly and throwing the door wide. “Shit!” she exclaimed upon seeing her son laying in the bed, a second body firmly planted between his spread legs, looking as if he’d just swam across the lake. She balked and backed out instantly slamming the door behind her. She hadn’t even let go of the handle when her mind registered the identity of the other person. Flinging the door open again she stormed into the room, her usually placid features contorted with rage. The two boys in the bed had scrambled for the sheets and were still hastily covering themselves as she looked around and lunged for a nearby baseball bat.

Duo jumped in front of his lover holding the sheet to cover himself as he held up one hand and shouted, “Wait! Mom, it’s ok! He wasn’t hurting me! Calm down!”

“What the hell are YOU doing here!?” she demanded, holding her bat at the ready.

“I invited him,” Duo told her, adding a nervous, “Put down the bat, Mom.”

She stood her ground, drifting around the bed to get a clean shot at the boy that had tormented her son. “Get out!” she growled.

“Stop it!” Duo insisted as she rounded the corner of the bed, giving her a clean shot.

“You leave him alone!” she shouted, swinging the bat with all her might.

Hiiro’s hand came up instantly, the bat smacking his palm loudly as he caught the blow steadfast, his body hardly flinching under the force of the blow. He held it still where it had landed and looked her in the eye.

“I’m sorry,” he said simply. “I know it doesn’t make up for all the pain I’ve caused, but obviously Duo has found it in his heart to forgive me. Perhaps you could refrain from trying to kill me for his sake?” he smiled.

Duo’s heart was pounding almost as hard as it had been before she’d barged in but for an entirely different reason. “It’s ok,” he soothed his irate mother. “We umm… made up,” he informed her, blushing brightly.

She let Hiiro take the bat from her trembling hands and took in the scene again. Both boys were naked, covered in sweat and the room positively reeked of sex. Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand,” she said softly. “How could you? After everything he’s done.”

Duo sighed and relaxed a little. “I’ll explain later,” he told her. “Just... trust me for now. There’ve been a lot of misunderstandings but it’s alright now,” he assured her, gazing affectionately at Hiiro, his expression calming his mother more than anything else had.

She seemed to take his words to heart but still didn’t stop glaring at Hiiro. “I’m going to go fix dinner. You two are going to get dressed and come down and tell me what this is all about,” she instructed, turning to leave without waiting for an answer.

“Shit!” Duo breathed falling back on the mattress.

“That went well,” Hiiro chuckled, crawling in to kiss his chest.

Duo shivered as warm lips touched his cooling skin. “I thought we were dead,” he snickered.

“How long till dinner?” Hiiro asked absently, snuggling down beside the braided boy. Duo hissed when he felt his hand slid over the sensitive skin of his stomach.

“An hour... maybe,” he replied distractedly.

“Mmm,” Hiiro moaned his understanding as his mouth was currently busy suckling Duo’s left nipple.

“Hiiro?” Duo breathed.

“Hmm?”

“What’re you doing?”

“Forgotten already?” the blue-eyed boy teased, slipping on top of him.

Duo’s legs parted without hesitation; his body and mind already completely at ease beneath the heavier boy. He smiled and pulled him down for a long kiss. “Guess you better remind me,” he grinned, wrapping his legs around Hiiro’s slender hips.

“As you wish,” Hiiro whispered, and proceeded to do just that.

Chapter 8

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