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"Taking Form "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: Angst, fluff, mild lemon, mention of
past, attempted NCS/violence Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 Summary: When his father’s comrade takes a new apprentice Master Hiiro discovers a level of emotion he had long ago left in the past. unbeta'ed "Taking Form " Ch 2
“……………” THHWAP! “Damn!” He hadn’t hit his mark all afternoon. No matter how hard he tried Hiiro found he could not settle his mind enough to perform to his ability after the mornings events. Duo had disappeared entirely after their untimely confrontation so he hadn’t even gotten the chance to apologize. As much as it bothered him the fact that it did bother him upset him even more. What was he thinking? He didn’t know this boy any better now than he had before he had arrived, yet he knew in his heart he had misjudged him. Somehow, though he could not understand how it had come to be, Duo had become important to him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was the strangest vibration in his chest that seemed to whisper untold promises he simply could not comprehend. He longed to speak to him again, just to have the chance to explain his mistake and make amends if nothing else but the boy was no where to be found. “Are you feeling alright?” William asked trotting up with his handful of Hiiro’s retrieved arrows. “Yes, I’m fine,” Hiiro replied. Nichol had released the boy from his duties upon his Masters request and tackled the remaining windows with the aid of the housemaid, Middie. She was no older then William, each being in their eleventh year, but she was less excitable and therefore a safer choice for holding the ladder so Nichol wasn’t complaining. “Master Hiiro?” William asked as he slipped the arrows back into their sheath. “Is that boy, Duo? Is he going to be staying with us for long?” “Why do you ask?” Hiiro inquired curiously as he loosed another shaft that missed its mark by two inches. “I dunno,” William shrugged. “The Doctor says he can paint really good…” “Very well,” Hiiro corrected grimacing as he missed the target altogether when the boy piped up with… “He sure is pretty.” “What?!” “He looks like a girl,” the boy chirped gazing back toward the house as if he thought he might catch a glimpse of their visitor. “Don’t be cheeky,” Hiiro scolded. “May I ask him on a picnic?” “What?!” Hiiro gasped lodging his last shot in a tree trunk some ten feet from his target. “Of course not! What are you saying?” “I’m sorry!” the boy rushed to say. “I just thought he might like to see the view out over the valley! Since he’s an artist’n all!” “Well don’t!” Hiiro snapped tossing his bow on the ground near his quivers. “Yessir!” the boy complied nervously. “If anyone takes him on a picnic it’ll be me understand?” “Y.. yessir!” “And if you’ve got the mind to be planning dates then you ought to be using it on your studies!” “D…date?” “Off with you!” Hiiro snapped sending the boy scurrying and scrambling for the house where he ran head long into a light hearted Dr. J. “Hooo! Hoo there! William,” the man laughed catching him under one arm. “S…sorry Doctor,” the boy panted, “but I’ve gotta get to my studies!” “Studies at super time?” J questioned catching sight of where Hiiro was fitfully gathering his things in the yard. “Master Hiiro says!” William insisted. “And why is that?” the Doctor inquired. “I… I dunno,” the boy cocked his head. “But I’m to do my studies and no ones allowed to date Duo but Master Hiiro!” he exclaimed before breaking free and dashing off into the house leaving the highly amused Doctor to sort it out for himself. “The Birch and the Elm?” Dr. J smirked joining his flustered son in the yard as he attempted to reload his quiver for the third time. “What do you want?” Hiiro snipped shoving a broad head in the needlepoint pack. “You appear a tad… distracted,” the man mused trying very hard not to laugh out loud as Hiiro pushed the tip of the arrow clear through the bottom and into the ground. “Has he returned?” the boy asked non-pulsed. “He’ll join us for dinner I expect.” Once again, J found himself striving not to giggle when Hiiro’s head snapped up as if this possibility had not occurred to him. “It’s ready?” the boy asked. “I’ve just come to… Hiiro?” J grinned as he called after his son who had dropped his arrows and taken off towards the house. “William!!” Hiiro bellowed. “Yessir!?” William responded from the kitchen window. “Fetch my things!” Hiiro ordered the perplexed looking boy. “And tell Mrs. Noventa to hurry with the meal!” “Y… yessir!” William quickly complied as J ambled slowly in Hiiro’s footsteps shaking his head and chuckling low in his chest. However, Duo did not reappear at supper, which left Hiiro in an ill-tempered state to say the least. J and G kept quiet conversation between themselves at the head of the table while Hiiro stewed and William and Middi did their best to avoid going anywhere near him. Luckily, his appetite had vanished at the absence of their young, long haired guest so it took little more than keeping his wine glass full to ensure their safety. By the time dinner was over, with little food in his stomach to counter the wine, the young Master of the house had drank himself into a melancholy stupor that left him grumbling incoherently at anything that got too close. When Mrs. Noventa, their cook and caretaker, wandered through with a covered plate at the end of the meal Hiiro was quick to notice. J paused in his explanation of his latest surgery to silently regard his wavering son as he poured himself out of his chair and stumbled curiously in the woman’s footsteps. Where was she going with a covered plate of food? Hiiro’s mind supplied him with the question but the wine confused his thoughts until only a vague reasoning would form. He knew something was amiss but he still found himself mildly surprised as he watched the stately woman bend awkwardly to jiggle the handle of the studio with her elbow and enter. Could it be? But he had checked there earlier in the day. He just caught the vase of flowers he had stumbled into as he made his way toward the slightly open doors then ducked, for some unknown reason, behind the table they stood upon when Mrs. Noventa reemerged and closed the doors behind her. His heart rate thrummed unreasonably fast as he watched her walk away and made his way toward the doors to slowly opened them and peer inside. The evening light begged entry into the darkening room where Duo stood silently working. The canvas before him bore no evidence of his labor that Hiiro could see as the deepening shadows veiled its contents from view. However, it was not the painting Hiiro’s eyes sought to bring into focus. He entered slowly though the mesmerizing quality of the vision before him numbed his mind to any effort of concealment. Why did his heart beat so? Like a frightened rabbit in the bush it thumped rushing a heated pulse in veins. Could there truly be such a creature as this? His drunken mind pondered carelessly as he pushed deeper within the artisan’s realm, his eyes never leaving the glowering visage before him. Golden ribbons dancing on chestnut waves that encompassed the single most beautiful face he could possibly imagine beckoned him forward until the gentle strokes of the brush in Duo’s hand suddenly stilled. “What do you want?” the longhaired boy asked resuming his work without altering his eyes. “You,” Hiiro clamped down on the truthful response his inebriated mind almost offered up to the boy. “Your painting,” he said instead forcing the desire to close the hated distance between them and take him in his arms away. “They are my paints,” Duo stated quiet clearly and Hiiro felt the pain in the harsh words lance his chest. “I... I know,” he stammered nervously searching desperately in his foggy memory for some reasonable thing to say. “Would you like more?” was what spilled from his lips. “I don’t want anything from you,” the violet-eyed boy softly intoned. “I’m sorry,” Hiiro managed stumbling over a crate that had been left on the floor and Duo finally took his eyes from the canvas to regard him curiously. “For before,” he explained sheepishly and Duo cocked a brow at him when he stubbed his toe on the couch as well. “Are you drunk?” Duo asked though already certain of the fact. “Just a little,” Hiiro shrugged chuckling anxiously before Duo’s even gaze sobered him once more. “I’ve rescinded the order,” he informed him hopefully. “The windows stand open wide.” “Why?” Duo inquired skeptically. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll make away with your silver?” he sneered hatefully going back to his work. Hiiro stood shell-shocked for the moment of sheer terror the tone of voice had caused within him. Had he hurt this beautiful boy so deeply? Never in his life had he ever felt such a vile feeling as what washed through his belly at the very thought of causing him any pain. “Whatever I have,” he said gently as if scared he might frighten him away. “It’s yours,” he told him taking a tentative step forward only to pause when Duo’s bright eyes shifted their icy glare his way. “You don’t even know me,” Duo reminded him. “But I want too,” Hiiro enthused knocking a box off the table as he brushed by in his effort to negate the emptiness between them. “I don’t understand anything about you!” the longhaired boy snapped but he made it less than a step before Hiiro’s hand closed on his wrist jerking him hard into his arms. “Duo… please!” Hiiro begged drunkenly, relishing the feel of him before he was suddenly lying flat on his back on the floor. “What in the hell is wrong with you!?” Duo growled glaring down on him. Hiiro blinked up in confusion, his mind slowly clearing under the heated wrath pouring from his assailant’s eyes. “I…” “I am a man you know!?” A man. Yes, he was but that just didn’t matter. Hiiro realized too late that small, irrelevant fact might be of no consequence to him, but for Duo it was quiet probably a massive problem. This became evident when the violet eyed boy suddenly shouted, “Why?!” and turned to frantically search his boxes and crates. Hiiro blinked once again in confusion as he watched and listened. “Why doesn’t anyone ever look past the binding!?” Duo growled tossing a small crate that apparently had not yielded what he desired to the floor. “I am not a fucking woman!” CRASH! “You’re just like everyone else!” he snarled latching onto something inside the big chest by the couch. “You think because I have thick lashes and long hair you can do whatever you please!?” he growled brandishing a large cutting knife. “I’m fucking tired of it! I am not a god damn girl!” Duo screamed and Hiiro’s eyes flew open wide as he seized his long braid and made to saw it off. “NO!” Hiiro gasped as he panicked and dove on him grasping his knife hand in one fist and wrestling him to the ground. ”I’m... not a ... woman!” Duo grunted fighting to free himself and complete his task. “Damn it!” Hiiro snarled doing his best to see to it that neither of them was injured in the fray. “Stop it!” “Get off!” “Put it down!” “It’s my hair!” “I said STOP IT!” Hiiro roared slamming Duo’s hand so hard against the wall the knife was dislodged and slid harmlessly under a chair. The sound of Duo’s painful gasp cut into him deeper than the blade ever could have but he didn’t dare let go of the seething boy. “Get off!” Duo demanded thrashing in his arms but Hiiro had a feeling if he let go it was going to cost him more than his pride and held on tight. “It’s my hair! I’ll do with it what I want! I’m tire of being taken for some mindless dame!” “Damn it, Duo!” Hiiro grunted taking an elbow in the jaw. “Cutting your hair isn’t going to make you any less beautiful!” he roared and was pleasantly surprised when Duo suddenly stilled. “Just… calm down,” he panted taking advantage of the moment’s reprieve. “I’m sorry,” he choked through a dry throat and labored breathes. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he assured him. “Honestly, I really do want to get to know you.” “You want an ornament for your bed,” Duo softly accused and Hiiro loosened his hold in utter shock of the statement. “No…” “You’re just like everyone else,” the boy charged him once again rolling slowly away to lie beside him on the rug. His first instinct was to rebut the accusation but the sudden realization of what Duo was saying lanced his chest once again. How many times had he been hurt like that? How many men had aimed to own him? The fury that stirred inside him scared him a little when his mind got to the point to ponder if anyone had accomplished what the man that had stabbed him in the leg had attempted. He ached to ask, to know who and where they could be found so he could bring them to justice but at that moment there was something infinitely more important on his mind. “Duo?” he called softly, the honesty in his voice drawing the violet eyed boy’s attention to him in spite of his distemper. “I truly believe I could love you,” he told him gaining an uncertain gleam in those amethyst depths that brooked the request, “If you will only let me try?” “I’m a boy,” Duo chuckled dismissively. “An undeniable truth,” Hiiro smirked undaunted. “That would make intimacy a little difficult,” Duo laughed pulling himself to his feet. “But not impossible,” Hiiro grinned following suite. “No,” Duo chortled. “Why not?” “I’m not a woman.” “I’m not interested in a woman,” Hiiro smiled taking his hand gently. “I want you.” “No,” Duo grinned but the blush on his cheeks screamed and alternate response. “Is that a challenge?” Hiiro cooed daring to pull him into his arms again. “You realize G and J set us up?” “Remind me to thank them,” Hiiro breathed slipping smoothly in to cover his mouth with his own. The thunderous effect of the short kiss was shattered when Duo pushed him away and his muddled brain scrabbled and scratched around for a reason why. “Your taking liberties unbidden,” Duo gasped. Hiiro’s pulse slammed into overdrive as the flush on his face warmed the embers in his eyes but he forced himself to back off in honor of Duo’s decision. He wanted so much more than to simply kiss him he couldn’t even seem to work it all out in his mind. The only thing he was sure of was that he never wanted to leave this boys side and he had every intention of seeing to it Duo felt the same way. He needed a plan. “A picnic,” he smiled recalling Williams’s suggestion. “Isn’t that a little cliché?” Duo chuckled pulling away. “Perhaps,” Hiiro nodded. “But the view over the valley is nothing less than inspirational.” “Valley?” Duo inquired curiously. “You can see the waterfall from the ridge,” Hiiro coaxed with a roguish smile. “I have classes to attend to tomorrow,” Duo sighed. “G will see to them.” “You would have me abandon my duties?” “The day after then,” Hiiro reasoned stubbornly
and knew he’d won by the smile that forced its way onto Duo’s
lips. Yes!
~ * ~ tbc... |
