Where Loyalties Lie

'Ni wa, minna-san! I embrace the realms of Gundam fiction ^_^ Ooookay, this is my first serious Gundam fic (I have written others but never bothered to complete them; meet the story of my life). XD Right, enough waffle.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all its characters are patent copyright of some rich and lucky bastard who isn't me.

Chapter: 1/15

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Yaoi (male/male relationships), a-muchness of rather graphic cursing, OOC, AU.

One: Revelations

"I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household." -- Matthew 10, 35-36

"You'll watch your tongue about it," rasped Heero harshly, glaring at Treize with venomous defiance. His fists, clenched tight at his sides, trembled. "If a single word about this leaves your lips –"

"Relax, my friend," Treize interrupted him smoothly. "Your secret is safe with me." He leaned casually against the alley wall and flicked a cigar from his pocket, offering another to Heero, who declined with a brisk shake of the head.

"I don't."

"Suit yourself." Striking a match against the red brick behind him, Treize smirked at Heero as he touched the flame to the end of his cigar. He puffed it delicately, the discarded match falling to spit once and die out on the damp ground. His eyes never once left his companion's, nor did he make any indication that he wished to speak. A tense silence built slowly around them, as permeable as the thick smoke that Treize regularly exhaled.

"You said you hated him." Heero's blunt and direct statement shattered the atmosphere, and Treize's smirk followed it rapidly. Seeming to lose interest in the expensive cigar, he dropped it to the ground and crushed it with his boot.

"I do. Oh," and he laughed bitterly, "believe me I do. Three little words, Yuy: head of security." Heero waited unflinchingly for Treize to continue and, eventually, the burly man obliged with a deep-etched scowl.

"I've been in his service for more than twenty years, since I was a runner in the kitchens. Working my way up the heirarchy of his snobbish household, I can vouch that nobody – nobody! – has been more loyal and faithful to that ungrateful bastard than me. He gave me his undying word that I'd take my rightful place as head of security when his current officer retired, but when that day came to pass did I assume the position that had been sworn to me? No! The egotistical swaggart tells me he's changed his mind. Trowa Barton, he tells me, will now fill the post. Barton!" Treize spat contemptously on the floor. "What does he know of security? I could run rings around him in a Leo! All his expertise lies in the great art of asskiss - I will not endure the humiliation of taking orders from him." His mouth set in a hard, grim line. "I will not."

Heero shrugged. "I have no quarrel with Trowa. Your pride will be your downfall, Treize."

The other man barely seemed to hear him. "There was a time," he growled, "when a position went to the man who was best able to carry out the duties required; he who had the necessary skills. Now it's nothing but a game of fucking favourites!"

Unperturbed, Heero merely raised an eyebrow. "So quit," he suggested.

Treize shot him a sharp look. "You don't know what you're talking about. There's more at stake here than that. I have my honour and I have sworn to honour my employer, that revolting faggot -" Heero winced. "- I have pledged him my allegiance, and that he has broken his vow to me is of no significance. I keep my promises, Yuy; do not presume to tell me I should stoop to his level of betrayal."

"You owe that son of a bitch nothing but hate," Heero snapped. "Don't let a warped sense of honour disrupt that. I don't."

Treize pushed away from the wall suddenly, a light of purposeful intent glimmering in his blue eyes. "Let's do it, Yuy. Now, tonight; let's go to Father Maxwell and tell him how his little prodigy is taking it up the ass most likely this very moment from the most well-known homo for miles around. No more 'one day's, Yuy, we're going to do it now. That should gatecrash their little party," he ended maliciously.

Heero hesitated only briefly. Years of bitterness and loathing rapidly overpowered his better judgement, and he nodded. "Let's go."

Turning to lead the way to Maxwell Church, Treize allowed himself a wide smirk that Heero could not see.

The two men made their way swiftly and silently through the darkened city streets. No drunkards wandered abroad at this time of night. Treize's eyes scanned smoothly from side to side, Heero's flicking gaze was more rat-like and furtive. Neither method was necessary, they reached the church without incident.

Treize stood aside. "This is your expedition, Yuy. I'll let you have the honours," he offered generously.

"Hn." Seizing the great brass knocker, Heero crashed it against the oaken door with reckless abandon. As the echoes of the impact faded away, rapid footsteps could be heard approaching from inside.

"Who's there? What is the meaning of this racket at these hours, don't you know what time it is? Are you hurt?"

"Father," Heero replied, his voice coldly arrogant, "there is a greater racket going on elsewhere, I assure you."

Treize joined in lustily. "What kind of coward are you who dithers behind doorways while your beloved orphan-child has his innocence stolen away by sodomites? For the Lord's sake, man, take action!"

Stunned silence was their only reply for several seconds. Then, "What are you – devils?"

"Don't be such a foolish old man. It's me, Heero Yuy of L1."

"Yuy!" That announcement had certainly animated the befuddled priest. "How many times must I tell you before it is plain? Duo does not love you! Whatever trickery you are trying to pull here tonight, he will not love you for it. He will never love you. Now go away, and leave us in peace!"

"Father –"

"I said go!"

"This is not a trick!"

Father Maxwell's laugh was a scornful one. "You wouldn't know honesty if it bit you on the ear."

Treize beat a solid fist against the door, and it shook. "Are you a man of God or not?" he roared, blazing with anger. "Would you let your boy be plundered by perverted devil-men before you heard a sentence from those who come only to help you? Go to his room if you'll not believe us, and see if you'll believe your own two eyes!"

"You sick-minded –"

"They fuck, Maxwell!" Treize's powerful voice easily drowned out the Father's protests. "That queer bastard Winner fucks him hard every night, and he likes it!"

Father Maxwell's anger was spent, and there was an audible thud as he dropped to his knees. "Lord have mercy," he whispered. "Tell me it's lies, Heero, for pity's sake."

"Look in his bed, Father," was Heero's sombre reply. "If he's there, then we'll apologise and be gone, and never trouble you again. But mark my words: I doubt he'll have the gall to be anywhere near a house of God tonight."

There was a long silence, betraying the indecision that Heero could well imagine Father Maxwell wrestling with. "…Stay there," the priest eventually ordered in a shaking voice. "Stay there, both of you. If you lie… be damned. Be damned to hell!" And his clattering footsteps echoed away from them as he retreated back into the belly of the church.

Treize turned to Heero. "I have urgent business to attend. You know the way to the Winner mansion, I believe?" Heero opened his mouth to protest at this unexpected desertion, but Treize cut him off sharply. "You're not my only friend who has problems, Heero! I can't afford for you to become selfish with my time."

Heero nodded briefly in assent. "Of course. Thank you, Treize. You've been… most helpful." In truth, Heero was unsure of his actions - if Duo found out the L1 pilot had been the one to sell his secret to Father Maxwell, he would only despise him. Yet at least he had managed to get on the Father's good side, or at any rate he hoped so, which was more than Quatre had. And God knows, he added silently, even if I can't have him, I can't stand to see them togther anymore.

An anguished scream suddenly ripped out from inside the church. Heero's head snapped up; Treize was gone. He had an uncanny knack for simply appearing and then vanishing again, without anyone being at all sure of where he had taken off to. The scream took form and became words.

"Sister Helen! Sister Helen!" All hell appeared to break loose within the building. Lights flicked on and off, voices were raised in calling to each other. Heero waited patiently until the footsteps of Father Maxwell returned, accompanied by several others. Great rusting bolts were shot back, and the heavy door was pulled inward. Father Maxwell emerged, his face almost purple with rage, several monks flanking him. His eyes fixed on Heero.

"You speak the truth," he admitted, features twisting. "He is not here. But he would not - not lie to me - not do THAT! Oh Lord… His mind has been poisoned. Duo would never willingly commit such a disgusting sin! I know him, and he would not!"

Heero remained tactfully silent throughout this frenzied outburst, but then a faint spark of hope seemed to light up inside the father. "Perhaps," he said slowly, "Duo wasn't willing. Perhaps he was drugged - that's possible, isn't it Heero? Isn't it?"

"It is," the Wing pilot agreed readily. Let the old fool believe that Duo had been coerced by Quatre. Let him drag him back to the church, 'for his own good'. Then, Heero could comfort the braided boy, show him how much they needed each other. Heero's loins tightened just from the thought of holding Duo in his arms; and if that wasn't love, he didn't know what was. Duo would forget Quatre, and turn to him instead. Heero was positive of it. He'd heard rumours that Quatre wasn't particularly well-endowed anyway - whereas the dark-haired Japanese was impressive and he knew it. Duo would be his, and his alone.

Father Maxwell was ranting again like a man possessed, presumably about one Quatre Winner. "It's sickening," he growled in a low voice, the steadiness of his tone belying the barely controlled anger he held. "To simply be such a beast, such a demon, is sin enough to cast a man into the brimstone furnace for all eternity - but to flaunt it, as he does! I would rather even you had taken Duo from me. You at least are relatively discreet."

Heero kept the joy from his face at hearing these words, merely scrutinising Father Maxwell in his usual fashion. The priest grew impatient. "Well?" he demanded. "Are you leading us to his house or not?"

"I am indeed," Heero replied, an edge to his voice, but he controlled his irritation at being spoken to like dirt. He could snap this impudent fool's weak neck in a second, if he so chose. But he musn't do that. He turned, but looked back when he felt an unexpected hand on his shoulder.

"I will not forget the debt I owe you," Father Maxwell said softly, his revulsion temporarily outweighed by his concern for Duo. "Perhaps God may take pity on your ailment, and cleanse you with His mercy."

"Hn." Heero could have said a lot in reply to that, but didn't. Instead, he simply turned to lead Father Maxwell to Quatre's abode, the monks following closely behind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I know there's not much, but I don't know how much time I'm going to be able to spare on this, so I'd like to post little and often instead of keeping everyone waiting for ages *weak grin* Ja ne! Ti x