Title: Mardi Gras Beads

Author: ChimeraDragon

Pairings: 1x2x1 3x4x3 5xOCx5

Warnings: Lime, AU, silliness

Author's Note: I wrote this for Mardi gras, inspired by my good friend Spryte.

Duo walked up to Heero, festive looking drink in hand. "Hey, Heero, what are you doing looking so glum tonight? It's Fat Tuesday! The Ultimate Party Day!" Duo said happily as he slung an arm around Heero's shoulder.

"I apologize but I don't participate in Holidays," Heero replied.

"What if I make a bet with you?" Duo said with a happy grin. "Would you participate? Please?"

"Oh, what kind of bet?" Heero asked raising an eyebrow.

"I challenge you to get more Mardi gras beads than me by the end of the night!" Duo crowed cheerfully. "And believe me baby, I'm real good at this game."

"You know," Heero said looking Duo over with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Think I'll challenge you to that. Mission Accepted."

"Really?" Duo asked excitedly.

"Hai, I will," Heero replied with a straight face.

"Sweet! See you at the end of the night."

Heero nodded and headed off in the other direction.

Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei headed off into the thick of Mardi Gras parties. Duo did quite well in his collecting of beaded necklaces.

"You know, Maxwell," Wufei said with a tone of appreciation. "You are very good at collecting those."

"I'm one of the best," Duo replied grinning. "Can't wait to see Heero's face when he sees all of these bad boys."

"Sees all of what?" Heero asked calmly as he stepped quietly into view.

"Look at all of the necklaces that I collected tonight!" Duo crowed proudly as he held up a handful and gestured to the rest around his neck.

"Not bad, but I believe that I have you beaten," Heero said calmly. "Allow me to show you," he said and took the backpack off of his back. He unzipped it and beaded necklaces of all colors, shapes, and sizes fell out. Duo gasped in shock realizing that the ones around Heero's neck would also be added to the pile.

"Wow man! You well and truly beat me! Great job!" Duo said as he flung an arm around his fellow pilot. "How did you manage to get so many?"

"That's my secret," Heero said with a very tiny smile. "What about my winnings for this evening?"

"Oh right, we did have bet," Duo said thoughtfully.

Suddenly a strange teen around there age came up to their group. "Hey there hot stuff! How 'bout another round?" the guy asked sauntering over to Heero and grabbing his ass. Heero's eyes went dangerously narrow.

"Remove your hand from my butt or suffer the consequences," Heero growled menacingly.

"Aw, come on!" the guy insisted and squeezed Heero's ass. Heero growled and grabbed the guy's arm, twisting it at an unnatural angle and then breaking it with a sickening crunch.

"Mardi Gras was over an hour ago," Heero said, voice deadly calm. "Leave now or I will kill you."

"Dude! You didn't have to break my arm! It was just harmless fun!" the guy whimpered cradling his broken arm.

"Only one person is allowed to touch me like that on days that are not holidays. You aren't him. Now go away."

"Dude, you're frickin' psycho!" the guy shouted running off.

"Um, Heero, wasn't that a bit excessive?" Duo asked warily.

"No," Heero replied. "I warned him of the consequences earlier in the evening. He chose not to heed them. I warned him a second time. I believe that I was justified in my actions."

"But did you have to go a break his arm?" Duo asked.

"Well, I believe in saving myself for the right person," Heero replied. "I will avoid as much contact as I can with those I do not chose to include in my group of friends or the person I chose to give my heart to."

"Well, I can respect that," Duo said with a nod. "So, what do you want from me for winning?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"I want you to be my slave for two days. You have to do what ever I tell you to. Are you alright with that?" Heero asked.

"Sure, I guess so. As long as you let me set some limits," Duo said. "Reasonable limits to what I have to do."

"Alright," Heero said. "Your two days start now. Grab my backpack and come with me."

"Alright, but what should I call you? Master? Or Sir?"

"Sir is too military, Master will do," Heero replied.

"Yes, Master," Duo replied with a grin and waved to their dumbfounded friends.

"Wow, that is not something I would have expected from Yuy," Wufei said after several minutes of silence.

"Well, I know who has Heero's heart, so it makes sense now that I think about it," Quatre said thoughtfully.

"Who has his heart?" Trowa asked.

"Duo of course, and I'm sure Heero is going to use his two days to show Duo just how much he loves him," Quatre replied.

"And how do YOU know all of this?" Wufei demanded.

"Because Heero came to me asking advise on how to talk to Duo about his feelings. I told him that he would need to have Duo's undivided attention and to be away from everyone else. And now he's taking the opportunity for that. I'm very proud of him," Quatre replied. "Now, let's go home."

"Alright," came the consensus from his two companions.

Meanwhile with Duo and Heero . . .

"Duo, I have something that I need to talk to you about," Heero said quietly as they got to an alternative safe house from the one that the others were using.

"Sure," Duo said noticing the slight hesitation in Heero's voice. "You know you can talk to me about anything you need to man." He set Heero's backpack down by the door and removed his boots. He knelt infront of Heero and helped the other boy with his shoes.

"Duo, you don't have to," Heero started to protest.

"Ah, I'm your slave for the next two days, and besides, I don't mind. You have a lot on your mind."

"Alright, but I really do need to talk to you," Heero lamented.

"Good," Duo said as the place Heero's shoes by his own next to the door. It was an unspoken agreement that in all of the safe houses the pilots would wear their shoes as little as possible so that they would have less to clean up when they left. "There I'm all done."

"Alright, let's sit in the living room to talk," Heero said as he shifted his weight nervously. The two walked into the living room and sat down on the same couch. "Duo, I don't know how to say this. But, I have feelings for you."

"What kind of feelings?" Duo asked, not daring to get his hopes up.

"You know, the ones for people who are more than just friends. Tonight, when I said that I was saving myself for the person that has my heart. Well . . ."

"Well? Who is it?"

"It's . . . it's you, Duo," Heero said in a rush.

"Really?" Duo asked almost absentmindedly. He smiled genuinely. "Well, then, I have good news for you. I am in love with you too. Though, I was beginning to think that it was unrequited love. You have no idea how happy this makes me!" Duo cried hugging Heero tightly.

"Thank you," Heero said hugging Duo fiercely.

"So then, this whole contest was to get me to admit my feelings for you and give you time to work up the courage?" Duo asked as he cuddled with Heero.

"Mostly, but I still intend to make you my slave for the next two days," Heero replied with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Duo groaned. "Oh, Shinigami help me," he whined.

Heero only smiled wickedly.

Owari

(The End)