Desperate Attempt

by Aqua

Heero and Duo have known each other for a while, and have grown attracted to each other. But what happens when Duo's dark past makes itself known? (Please read my profile before any author notes, thank you!)

Desperate Attempt
by Aqua-chan

Part 1: Enrollment

Duo peeked into the room he would be sharing with Heero, frowning. It was so small! Barely enough room for the two beds and dressers. And with a desk shoved over in the one corner, there was even less room. And only one window that faced the outside fields. There was a bathroom, thank goodness, that came off of the room. But it only had a shower cubicle, a sink, a cabinet, and a toilet.

It was not the best room they'd had to stay in but it was not the worst either. This school did not have as much money as some other schools did, so it couldn't afford very good accommodations for its students. Duo felt himself grin as he stepped inside. Perhaps with these close quarters he might get a reaction from Heero. How could Heero possibly ignore him when they were so close together?

Then the expressionless fifteen year old walked into the room, ignored him, and placed his things on the right side of the room saying, "I'm sleeping here. Don't mess up my half of the room."

Catch Heero's attention? Fat chance at that! Well, he could try!

Duo thanked the person that had shown them to their rooms, then collapsed atop his own bed. His one suitcase, as both doubted they would be here for long, flopped down on the floor beside him and promptly burst open. Articles of clothing flew and Duo smiled wider when he saw them take their places like magic around his half of the room.

"Perfect," he commented.

Heero snorted, then quickly placed all of his own clothes carefully in the dresser. He then picked up his portable computer and placed it on the desk, turning it on.

Duo pouted. Back to the computer, like usual! Did he ever do anything else? Duo had been his roommate for three years now, had held the biggest crush on him for three years, and still Heero would rather have a computer for company. He had to admit that Heero was very good with that stupid contraption, but it seemed almost obsessive.

"Do you have to fool around with that thing all the time?" he muttered, scowling.

Heero glanced his way as he sat down. "Yes," he stated.

Letting out a small whine, Duo's pout increased. "But it is so boring. I was hoping we could discuss this mission."

"It is pretty simple, Duo," Heero stated. "We discussed everything before leaving."

And they had. The five pilots had been given a new mission. It was believed that information was being leaked through teenagers in numerous L2 schools between different sections of the OZ cooperation. But it was just a rumor. There was no real proof of that yet. They had to get into the school, find out if the rumor was true, and put a stop to it any way possible. There were two major schools that needed to be checked out, so Duo was with Heero at one while Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were at the other.

So far nothing seemed wrong. Of course, they'd only been there for fifteen minutes. It had been relatively easy to get enrolled into the courses and a basic plan had already been set up for the two pilots. Starting tomorrow they would be students. Duo had a spare first period while Heero had class. During this time he was supposed to go around and find out what he could. The next day Heero had a spare first period, which he would spend researching as well. This was their plan of action until enough evidence was discovered to prove they were correct.

The tricky part was not getting caught in a school of nine hundred students! Heero would probably have no trouble not being recognized, but Duo on the other hand might. He had been involved with many people on this particular colony, although he hadn't mentioned that fact to Heero, and there was a good chance of someone recognizing him. And that wasn't always a good thing.

Duo came back to present and looked around himself with a slightly depressed sigh. Heero was already busy on his computer, completely ignoring Duo's presence. It drove him nuts sometimes. Here he was, Duo Maxwell, drooling over a fellow Gundam pilot like a child over candy and all that particular pilot did was ignore him! And the worst part about it was that he couldn't even try to catch Heero's attention! Heero probably wouldn't be interested in some American street kid. Especially another boy! They were best friends and but Heero would probably punch him if he knew that Duo constantly drooled over those Spandex that left NOTHING to the imagination. Besides which, Heero had Relena, Queen of the World, already in love with him. And Duo had convinced himself to stop moping over Heero since he would have no chance. Not like it worked.

"K'so," he muttered, suddenly feeling very sorry for himself.

Heero didn't even glance in his direction. Needing something to do, Duo grabbed his discman and cranked up the music. With that he flopped back down on his bed and began daydreaming to the heavy sounding alternative music.

He could hear the bass of Duo's 'music' all the way across the room. Heero was tempted to roll his eyes. But he didn't, of course. His American partner was going to go deaf with the way he listened to music. Then what use would he be? A deaf Gundam pilot would be useless on the battlefield.

But he didn't really want to tell Duo to stop listening to music. It kept him from distracting Heero from his computer, and he had important things to take care of. Duo had a habit of drawing attention to himself and Heero was not immune to that. Especially when it was his attention Duo was after all the time. But Heero found that he didn't really mind it all that much. After all, Duo was the only one who could make him smile and laugh. Only Duo could make him notice how beautiful the stars were and how warm the wind was. In space, Heero had never relished in the sight of Earth so far below until Duo had pointed it out to him. Even on their first meeting, Heero had found himself drawn to Duo like a magnet. He never spoke of his past, but Heero knew it had been hard. Most people were crushed by living on a war-shaken colony. But not Duo. He'd survived with a smile on his lips, a cross around his neck, and a gun in his hand. He was a perfect partner, even if he did talk too loud and constantly screwed things up. He was horrible with computers, but loved to play around with Heero's. And he didn't know when to leave things alone, but that was how he'd become so loved by all of them.

Then Heero realized that he hadn't even focused on the screen for a solid ten minutes, too busy thinking about the braided pilot behind him. Even silent and ignoring him, Duo was a distraction.

One that Heero had to avoid at all costs.

He had once entertained the thought that Duo might like him as more than just a friend. And finding out that Duo was a male hadn't calmed Heero's hormones in the least. He had tried to force himself to stop thinking about his partner and his friend in such a way. Duo would probably be disgusted by the thought, especially since it was against his Christian religion. So he forced his impulses down. Forced himself not to watch Duo as he changed his clothing or went swimming. Forced himself to keep from stroking the chestnut hair whenever Duo asked him to brush it out and put it in a braid. He even once found himself forced to keep from kissing those full lips during a few of their arguments.

But this was a war and he couldn't become involved with anyone. What would happen if Duo were hurt or taken prisoner? Emotions were a deadly thing to have when your goal was to destroy people no matter what the cost. Duo was tempting and sexier than he knew. He was cheerful and sweet and he was the only one Heero could talk to, even though he rarely did. Only Duo could make him laugh and bring him to the verge of tears. And it was only Duo that could tempt him into dropping his reserve. There were a few times when he nearly gave in to his feelings. He loved Duo so much---

Heero jerked upwards, his eyes opening wide and his fingers reflectively hitting a few keys. Love? What the hell? Where had that come from? A few seconds ago he'd been lusting over Duo. Nothing to do with love! He couldn't be in love with Duo, or he was already doomed.

But when he glanced back at the day-dreaming American, Heero knew the battle was lost. He'd lost. His heart belonged to Duo whether Duo wanted it or not. No matter what Heero had been trained to do, no matter what Dr. J had taught him, Heero Yuy had learned to love... a boy. A beautiful, wonderful sixteen year old boy.

K'so. Life certainly sucked.

Suddenly Heero's computer beeped at him and he glanced back at the screen. His eyebrow twitched when he saw the glowing square. There was a small bomb on the screen being held by a SD Duo picture. Along the bottom of the window was:

"Sorry Heero, but I gotta blow this thing up. You've pressed a wrong number code. Snicker. I mean, sorry!"

The little SD figure started throwing bombs all over the place, causing the screen to turn black in those places. Then he pulled out a bazooka from behind him, sending a trail of missiles flying all over the place.

Then the computer crashed.

Heero blinked again, then turned the machine off. He walked over to Duo, tapping him on the forehead. Duo jumped sharply, then grinned up at him as he turned off his blaring music.

"Hai?" he questioned.

"What the hell did you do to my computer?" Heero questioned, glaring at him.

Duo blinked up at him innocently. "Whatever do you mean?" he teased.

"I pressed a few buttons. Normally it wouldn't affect anything. But this time I got a little Duo apologizing to me before blowing it to smithereens."

"Oh that."

Silence for a few seconds. Heero grabbed Duo by the front of his black shirt, glaring. "Duo..." he said warningly.

"Ano... hai?" Duo started to sweat as he winced away from that furious expression. Heero was going to hit him and was going to hit him hard. He hoped that his nose didn't get hit as usual. One of these days Heero was going to break it.

But Heero's fist did not connect with his face. Opening his eyes, he was confronted by confused cobalt colored ones that seemed to be staring into his soul. Both of them froze like that, neither able to break away. Duo wondered what he could see there. Was it longing? Of course not! Why would Heero want him? But still...

Heero jerked away from him as though he'd been burned, his face becoming expressionless again. Duo couldn't help the sense of loss that he felt, covering it with a wide grin and a curious expression. "What is on your mind, Heero?" he questioned, hoping that his voice wasn't trembling. Obviously not what's on mine or you wouldn't have pulled away.

"I was thinking that we should take advantage of this free day to scope out the school," Heero stated.

"Ahhh! Checking out possible hostile grounds, ne?" Duo exclaimed, then jumped to his feet. "Sounds good. Why don't we head toward the cafeteria? That is the most used area in this building, after all."

Giving him a snort, Heero rolled his eyes. "You just want to check out what kind of food they serve," he muttered.

Duo laughed, wrapping his arm around Heero's shoulder as he led him from the room. "You know me so well!" he declared.

But not as well as I'd like, Heero found himself thinking as the boy who called himself Death led him from their room.

Part 2: School Study

The hallways were relatively empty, as the students were still in their classes. But the few that were roaming the halls stared at the two new students as they walked past. Some were staring at Heero, taking in the casual clothing and dark scowl on his face. Others were looking at the black-clad figure bouncing down the hall beside him, talking a mile a minute even though his companion wasn't answering.

This particular school was not as close as some of the other ones they had gone to, which was a relief. Often enough they would attract a lot of attention, which was a very dangerous thing when they were truly enemies of the school. Making a friend was even worse because they would have to leave and it was sometimes necessary to attack that particular building later on.

Duo didn't really mind not being able to meet people. It was annoying, being surrounded by a huge amount of giggling girls whenever he was at a school. Although... sometimes he did hope it would make Heero insanely jealous enough to finally notice him. But Duo didn't really trust anyone, just like Heero didn't. Almost everyone he'd ever met was after his skin, in more ways than one. And he knew that he was fighting in a dangerous war that could endanger other people. Besides, he had Heero for company. Even if he did have a horrible temper, liked to self-destruct, didn't talk, and was constantly telling him that he was going to kill him, Duo loved his Japanese pilot and his company.

They came to the school's atrium, which was beside the cafeteria. It had several benches and a few fake plants growing in the center. There were banners and flyers announcing the school's latest activity, and this was where the majority of the students were. A few teachers were circulating this area as well.

One of the older women approached them, smiling. "Are you the two transfer students?" she questioned politely. Duo wasn't fooled. She wanted a good look at them to make sure they weren't going to be troublemakers during the classes. It was customary on L2. One could never be too careful.

"Yep! I'm Maxwell, and this is Yuy!" he declared, motioning toward Heero with a huge grin. When they fixed their files on the computer registration sheets, they usually kept their last names but took different first names. The first names were constantly changing, as was all the other information besides gender, height, and weight.

The teacher nodded her head. "I received your file this morning and recognized the pictures. There aren't very many people that look like you," she stated.

Duo knew that she meant his knee length braid and Heero's deep scowl. He was often mistaken as a girl because of his hair, even by people like Heero. And Heero was usually taken as a cold scrapper. Duo supposed that he was, though Heero never really treated him like that. Heero was nice to him, taking his jokes and sometimes even laughing with him. Heero's punches were done in fun, not to hurt, and Duo knew that. Even if he did have a few bruises. He figured that as long as Heero continued to hit him, then Heero was technically touching him and Duo was on cloud nine!

"Hai! Oops, wrong language. I mean, yes!" Duo said, laughing.

"Knowledge of other languages? The two of you must be very smart. I hope you will raise the average of my class," the teacher replied with a teasing tone. They'd obviously passed in her eyes.

Duo grimaced. He wasn't all that good with schoolwork. There was just so much he had on his mind. Mostly a certain Japanese pilot. "We'll leave that up to Yuy," he stated, giving Heero a grin.

Heero rolled his eyes.

The teacher gave a cheery laugh before walking away. "Ne, Heero, this school doesn't seem so bad. The teachers are nice and the students relatively kept to themselves. We shouldn't be bugged or suspected," he commented with a wide grin, speaking in Japanese again. They usually stuck to that language unless it was necessary to change it.

"Good," Heero commented.

They continued on their way, memorizing each part of the school. There were numerous popular teen hangouts that they made a special note of, since those were probably going to be their target areas. Since it was their first day, Duo knew it wouldn't be appropriate to just walk in so he steered Heero clear of those areas. They managed to cover the entire school in one period, making it back to their room before the bell sounded.

As soon as they got back in, Heero sat himself in front of his computer. "I've got to fix whatever the hell you did to it," he muttered darkly.

Duo sweatdropped. "Gomen ne," he replied, putting a hand on the back of his head. At least he hadn't been punched for that trick. He'd been a little surprised by the absence of a fist in his face.

Sighing, Heero simply shook his head and focused completely on the computer again. Feeling left out, Duo bounced up to him and peeked over his shoulder. "Whatcha doing?" he questioned. Heero grunted his reply.

"Why?"

Another incoherent noise.

"Why?" This time Heero glanced at him and didn't make any noise.

"Why?" Duo questioned, dragging the word out.

Heero raised an eyebrow, snorting as he tried not to grin.

"Whyyyy?"

CRACK

"Itai, itai, itai!" Duo wailed, falling to the floor and putting a hand on his nose.

"Omae o korosu," Heero muttered, then turned back to the monitor.

Pouting, Duo made his way over to his bed and pulled out a comic book. Putting his headphones back on, he promptly disappeared into Duo's World (tm) and began daydreaming. The comic was forgotten as the youth thought about a world where he and the sexy boy across the room were living happily ever after. (cackle, cackle, cackle.)

Part 3: First Contact no connection to the movie

Heero slowly made his way through the desks of the room, heading toward the door on the other side. They were three days into the mission and it was his turn for having a spare in the first period. He had decided to spend it checking out the student hangout areas for clues. It would probably have been simpler for Duo to do this since he was more of a people-person but Heero was reluctant to let him. He didn't know why, but he just didn't like the thought of Duo heading into one of these hangouts when Heero wouldn't be able to help him if he got in trouble.

Duo had instantly gotten along with the other students, once they had gotten the nerve to actually approach them. But most were afraid of Heero, taking one look at his expression before grimacing and turning to Duo. Those that weren't afraid of him simply figured it would be easier to talk with Duo than it would be to talk to the silent one beside him. The American had already been invited to several parties and group hangouts by the other students. The girls were drooling over him, constantly asking him out.

If Heero didn't know better, he would say he was jealous. Not of the attention Duo got, but of the fact that he got so much of it. He had never treated his time alone with Duo AS actual time alone, but now that they rarely got a moment to themselves, he found that he missed it. He missed seeing the American smile for him instead of for a crowd, missed the jokes said in his direction. The American was too charming and too polite to ignore their company, like Heero did. Duo always dragged him along and Heero went gladly, although protesting. He'd seen a few of the girls' expressions when Duo turned down their date invitations and wondered why his partner was refusing. After all, a lot of them were very pretty and they drooled over him like there was no tomorrow.

As he moved through the empty room, Heero found himself wondering what kind of girl Duo would go for. A brunette or a blonde? One that talked as much as he did or one that was on the quiet side? Jealousy, although we won't call it jealousy because this is Heero we're talking about, reared up in him at the thought of Duo dating a girl. But what could he say? Duo was a boy and would probably be disgusted by the thought of dating and sleeping with another boy. Especially one like Heero. A worthless killer trapped in a meaningless war between Oz and the Colonies.

Breaking out of his thoughts, Heero pulled open the door he had reached. Several students looked up from the couches they were on. They were making out since the room wasn't monitored by teachers. These rooms were taken care of by the students and completely out of control. It was mostly the gang members that hung out in these rooms. The television was on, blaring loud music out of four large speakers. Off to one side were several students playing a game of pool, while the rest were standing beside the pop machine.

Heero walked in slowly, ignoring the looks sent his way. He sat down in one of the chairs, wondering what he should do next. The music held no appeal to him and he'd only played pool with Duo. Pop was just a waste of money. He didn't want to talk with any of the other teenagers inside the room since he wasn't there to socialize.

He wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"Hey, Yuy, is this your spare? Why don't you come over here and keep me company? All the guys think you're cold. Surely I could warm you up a bit," one of the other students yelled from across the room.

So much for inconspicuous.

Heero ignored the girl and focused instead on the television. There was a heavy metal song playing that he had heard Duo listening to often. K'so! Even the music made him think of Duo. He was getting nowhere with this "quit thinking about a certain American and get to work" business.

Suddenly Heero found himself surrounded by several students. All looked rough around the edges and were male, a violent air about them. They were wearing sneers on their faces and Heero's trigger finger twitched reflexively in his lap.

"Hey there, Yuy," the guy in front of him said, leaning forward. Heero gave him one of his coldest glares, but the guy didn't even flinch. "That is some pretty interesting clothing you've got on."

Heero held his gaze, still glaring. He was wearing his typical Spandex shorts and green tank top. He could tell these guys were up to something and it wasn't good.

"Where is you're pretty little sidekick?" the guy questioned.

The Japanese pilot felt his body tense and tried to force himself to calm down. But his body was having none of it and his fist tightened. "Class," he answered shortly.

The guy exchanged glances with his friends, then shrugged. "Well that's too bad. He seems to fit in pretty easily with the rest of us. Like a regular gang member. Looks like he's going to miss the initiation. You see, the initiation is very important in this school. Because if you don't take one you might find yourself in a lot of trouble. I've been waiting a while to meet you and Maxwell and, since I'm in charge of the initiations, I figured it would be best if I took care of it."

There was a threat in those words and Heero picked up on it. His cobalt blue eyes narrowed, although his expression remained passive. He didn't say anything.

"Don't worry, though. I'm always REAL careful with the initiations. The teachers won't be here for another hour to check attendance, so we've got plenty of time to take care of business," the guy said. His friends laughed and the guy leaned forward, lifting a hand.

"Omae o korosu," Heero growled. Then he remembered that they weren't in a Japanese school. "I will kill you," he growled instead, this time speaking English.

His growled threat had a caused the boy to pause. But when he translated it, the guy burst out laughing. "I hope you realize that you are outnumbered here. And I am a very skilled fighter. You wouldn't really have much of a chance against me. You HAVE to take an initiation." Again he reached forward for the very ticked off Japanese pilot.

There was a loud smack mixed with the sound of bone crunching. Heero couldn't help the snicker that appeared on his face as the guy in front of him went flying backward, crimson spurting from his newly broken nose. His body fell limply against the television, his breathing coming in shallow gasps. Everyone behind him stared in astonishment, eyes wide, and Heero was certain none of them would have the courage to stand up for their fallen leader. People like these usually didn't.

Heero got to his feet. "Initiation passed. Don't come near me or Maxwell again," he stated, then walked from the room.

Something was seriously wrong with this school. Teachers would never allow things like that to happen, and none of those students had seemed at all surprised by what had happened. Until Heero had punched him, of course. Heero felt his blood go cold when he realized what that guy had been planning on doing to him. Sick and perverted was all Heero could think of these initiation plans now that he'd unleashed his anger.

Then Heero froze.

What about Duo?

Had they done the same thing to Duo yesterday when he'd gone around and searched the rooms? The American had been acting strangely ever since they'd arrived. He came from L2, so Duo could have known it was coming. They had asked for Duo first. Could it be that he'd been attacked too? Had they tried to do the same thing to his young fellow soldier?

Heero had the urge to find Duo and get him away from this place as soon as possible. But he knew he couldn't do that. They had a mission to take care of, no matter what. That was their top priority and he couldn't disregard that just because of his own private feelings that he wasn't supposed to be feeling. He would just have to make sure no one tried to rape Duo.

Sudden anger flashed through Heero and his fists clenched. The thought of anyone doing that to HIS Duo made him want to kill that person.

Painfully.

Part 4: Initiation

Duo flopped down onto his bed with a groan. Now he remembered why he hated school so much. It was damn tiresome. His muscles were aching from lugging around all of his books all day, since he hadn't bothered to use his locker yet. Heero wasn't in the room and was probably hacking into the principal's computer or something.

The Japanese pilot of Duo's dreams had been acting strangely all day. They had their period two class together and when Heero had come into the classroom he'd been very tense. Duo could sense an undercurrent of emotion in his friend that was not usually there. Most people wouldn't be able to tell, but Duo knew that Heero had been absolutely pissed off about something. Perhaps he'd gotten in a fight, no matter how odd that sounded. Some of the other students were giving Heero odd looks and were whispering about him.

They'd eaten lunch together, but Heero hadn't said anything. Not that that was unusual, but this time it had worried Duo to no end. Something was very wrong and he didn't know what it was.

Then Heero had looked up at him with a searching look in his eyes, putting his fork down. "Duo, from now on, the two of us are sticking together. Unless in classes or in our room, you never wander around without me. Even during your spare," he stated.

Duo'd stared at him for a while, trying to figure out why Heero was so worried about him. "Dooshite?" he had questioned.

"Don't ask questions. Just promise me you'll stay with me no matter what," Heero stated, his voice strangely serious.

Blinking a few times, Duo nodded. "H-hai. Of course, Heero," had been his reply. Now he knew something was bothering Heero and he wanted to know what it was. But he didn't have another chance to ask, since three girls had joined them at their table, giggling.

"Hey, you two are Japanese, right? Can you say something in Japanese?" one of the girls questioned.

"Omae o korosu," Heero had muttered instantly. Duo laughed when the girl swooned, completely unaware the Heero had just declared he would kill her.

The others had turned to him. "What about you, Maxwell?"

"Ano... Shinigami ga jigoku kara mai modotte kita ze!" he declared, grinning his head off. This caused Heero to give a sarcastic snort before focusing on his food again. Luckily, these girls had no idea what Shinigami was, so they didn't make the connection.

Aqua note: He said: Shinigami has returned from hell. It is one of his quotes, since I had no idea what to put down and this seems to suit him so well... snickers

After that, they hadn't had a chance to talk to each other again. All the attention from the other students was starting to grind on Duo's nerves. He didn't mind the company, but he never had any time with Heero any more. Someone was always claiming his attention, or paying so much attention to him that he couldn't inconspicuously flirt with Heero any more.

Finally deciding he was too bored to sit there and do nothing, Duo jumped to his feet and walked into the adjoining bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, sighing forlornly. "My love life sucks," he muttered.

"It certainly does," his reflection agreed cheerfully.

Duo glared at it. "Baka. You don't have to agree with me. I am already depressed enough," he muttered.

His reflection grinned and winked. "You sure can pick 'em, Maxwell. Falling in love with Heero Yuy! What could you expect to get out of him? He's a guy and you're a guy. The thought would either disgust him so much he would punch you and never talk to you again, or punch you, never talk to you again, AND refuse to see you!"

Making a pitiful whining noise, Duo slouched over the sink and stared into the eyes in the mirror. "I can't help it. It wasn't something I could stop, you know," he replied.

"Poor baby," the reflection muttered sarcastically.

Why, dammit? Why did he have to love that Japanese pilot? Why did his heart have to pound harder for him alone? Why did his body have to react to him and no one else? It would be so simple to distract himself from thoughts of Heero if he could just become attracted to someone else. It didn't matter who, just someone else! But he couldn't, and would be doomed to live his life wanting the one person he would never get. Heero was the Perfect Soldier. He would never think of falling in love with another boy, much less sleeping with one. Especially when Relena Peacecraft was after him. She was rich and smart and probably very beautiful, although Duo couldn't be the judge of that. She would follow him to the ends of the Earth and usually did. Duo figured that Heero would probably marry her after the war was over. Live a happy life with a wife and children, like a regular person would.

While Duo spent his life as he always had, the way he was both cursed and blessed to. The way he always needed to live his life in order to survive. By dreaming of something better but knowing he could never have it.

Duo firmly slapped himself across the face, snapping out of those thoughts. He was Heero's best friend and partner right now and would probably remain it forever. He would be content with that. And when they separated after the war and only got to see each other during visits, he would be damn content with that too!

There wasn't really a lot of other choices.

Ignoring the stinging sensation in his cheek, Duo walked back into the bedroom and pulled out a piece of paper. "Oi, Heero! I was getting bored sitting here and waiting for you, so I figured I'd do something productive. Don't worry, I won't be stuffing my face... much. I'll be back in time for the evening meal. Love, Duo," he wrote, not even realizing what he'd signed, then placed it on the computer where Heero would definitely see it. Then he walked from the room.

He walked down the hallways of the school quickly. They were filled with students and a few teachers. Some waved but, for once, didn't approach him. Duo rolled his eyes even while waving back. Why couldn't they do that while he was with Heero? His resentment was short lived since he felt like being alone anyway. Peace and quiet on his mind, Duo headed toward the hallways with lesser amount of students. Hey, maybe he would run into Heero in this deserted hallway. The other boy usually avoided crowds.

Duo found himself smiling as he thought of different situations that could arise in an unexpected meeting between the two of them. After a few heated, very well-imagined situations, Duo was battling a ferocious nosebleed.

"Hey Maxwell," a voice suddenly called.

Duo tensed. He wasn't sure why, but something bothered him about the tone of that voice. He turned around slowly, looking back to see someone he didn't recognize. A huge man was sneering at him, a strange glint in his eyes. His nose was broken and Duo wondered if he could have been the reason behind Heero's rotten mood that day.

"Yes?" he questioned, trying not to sound too irritated. He had lived on L2 long enough to know that one never trusted a look like that.

The guy came up beside him, several of his friends standing beside him. "It is good to finally met you. You've got quite a reputation on this colony. And to show up with Yuy. The two of you are such opposites that I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't already know my sources never lie," the guy continued.

Duo tilted his head to the side, forcing himself to remain nonchalant. "Does this conversation have a point? I was kind of in a hurry."

"Are you meeting Yuy?"

Again Duo tensed. "No, why?"

The guy and his friends exchanged glances, then leered at him with obviously evil thoughts on their minds. "Well the two of you seem to be so buddy-buddy. You're always together. And Yuy only talks to you. Something must be going on between you. After all, you transferred here at the same time and you share the same room. Some people might think you were gay with each other!" They all broke into loud laughter.

Duo felt humiliated and angry, his cheeks filling with color. How dare they laugh? Duo could stand their taunts since they were true enough for him, but they should leave Heero out of it!

His sudden anger went unnoticed. "Ya, I bet the two of you screw each other every night, don't you? After all, Duo Maxwell, your reputation has even circulated around this area. Maybe that is why Yuy is so fucking stiff. You must go pretty hard in that tight ass of his. Does he give you bruises and talk dirty in your ear? He probably loves to play with that huge braid of yours, you little slut," they went on.

"Damare, bakayaro!" Duo screamed before he could stop himself, again forgetting that he was speaking Japanese. He didn't want to listen to them degrade his feelings toward Heero, no matter how unrealized they were. "Dama de!"

"Oh, I think we're getting him mad. Is Duo Maxwell getting pissed? We heard you've got quite a temper. Your reputation has you pinned down very well. Slut! Slut!" one of the guys commented, laughing.

Duo clenched his fists. He had dreamed of Heero for so long, so very long. Dreamed of owning and being owned by him. But this was the reason why he wouldn't, couldn't. On top of everything else, Duo didn't want Heero to know about this. Didn't want him to hear the taunts, the insults, and the comments that would be thrown his way. Duo's past always got in the way. He could not run away from it and he wasn't about burden Heero with it as well. Fag, slut, hooker, male-whore, bi, streetwalker, gay. Duo had earned all of those names. Whether it had been straight or gay sex, Duo reputation was unrivaled. He gave a bitter laugh, pain rising up in him. That, he reminded himself fiercely, is the reason why you have to pull yourself together and realize that Heero will never be with you. He deserves far better.

"Screw off," Duo muttered, flipping up his middle finger. He then turned and started back down the hallway.

"That's exactly what I intend to do! I tried Yuy already. He's one damn tough guy. Now I'm looking forward to having you," the guy yelled after him.

Before Duo could react, something hard slammed over his head and he crumpled to the floor. He was out before he hit the carpet. The boy walked up behind him, laughing. "Initiation time," he said coldly to the unconscious boy. His companions picked Duo up and they headed for the auto section of the school. There wouldn't be any students there to interrupt this.

WARNING This fic contains rape/meantions of rape, from THIS chapter on!
Part 5: Visitor

Heero stared at the note in his hand, biting back a curse. He'd told Duo during second period to stay in the room or with him. Of course the first thing Duo had done was to go off by himself to some unknown place. Heero hadn't told Duo why he should remain in their room, but Duo still should have kept his promise anyway.

And he shouldn't have signed it: Love, Duo. That just made the situation worse. Now Heero had been reminded of his rampant emotions and was worrying like crazy that something had happened to the braided boy.

There was a soft knock on the door. It was only four thirty, but it was probably Duo coming back and hoping that a meek approach would keep Heero calm. It wouldn't!

Heero swung open the door, nearly hitting the figure there. "Duo, what the hell do-" he started, but fell silent when he realized who was standing there. His fury died down but was replaced with a new type of anger.

Relena Peacecraft had found him again.

She stared at him with wide eyes for a second, not accustomed to seeing emotions on his face. Then the expressionless mask settled in place again and Heero glowered at her. "Konnichi wa, Heero," she said softly.

He snorted. "What do you want?" he questioned. He could see that there were many students watching them with curiosity. Relena's appearance was going to make things very complicated. Hardly anyone in the world didn't know who she was.

"I need to speak to you. It is about Maxwell-kun actually," Relena replied. She hoped he would talk to her. She'd spent a long time digging up all the information she'd discovered and she wanted to let Heero know before it was too late.

This caught Heero's attention very quickly. She could tell by the way his eyes suddenly shot to hers. Relena waited patiently as Heero slowly opened the door and allowed her to walk in. Some people nearby started whispering about Heero being a two-timer. Relena dismissed their babble easily, closing the door on them.

Relena turned and eyed the room. She could tell which side belonged to whom. Heero's half was spotless, the bed made, clothing put away, and books stacked carefully. Duo's half of the room was a complete mess. Clothing on the floor, bed sheets laying all over the place, pillows on the floor, and books tossed carelessly on the mattress. They were so different, complete opposites really. Relena wondered why Heero insisted on his company so often when he was really of no use at all. Well, now she had come to stop that.

"What about Duo?" Heero questioned the second she had sat down in the chair in front of the desk. It was rare that Relena would come to talk about Duo. In fact, Heero was pretty certain that Relena hated the American.

"Heero, do you know who Duo really is?"

Duo slowly came to, his vision blurred. He knew it wasn't from being knocked out, but rather from a drug that purposely screwed up his vision. He tested his arms, realizing very quickly that he was securely tied down. So were his ankles and his chest.

Oh God... he was naked.

He felt dizzy, knowing what was going to happen and knowing he would be powerless to stop it. His stomach clenched and threatened to rebel. Especially when someone chuckled and ran a hand up his arm, resting it on his shoulder.

"Have a nice sleep, Black Fire?" a male voice purred.

"Black Fire?" Heero repeated, feeling a little numb.

Relena nodded. "He has been called that for a long time by almost everyone on the L2 colony. He earned it because of his reputation in bed. I've heard that he is, and always has been, one of the best hookers on this colony," she continued.

She could see the impact of her words upon Heero, although he kept his face expressionless. It was all in his eyes. The surprise and shock. Even a bit of betrayal. Relena didn't want to break up their friendship. But she knew she had to continue and tell him all she had discovered. It wasn't very pretty.

"You're so pretty," the voice continued to tease, the rough hand caressing Duo's flesh.

He heard those words. He heard them very often from other people. But he didn't listen to them. Duo had gone numb. He'd learned long ago to turn off his mind from the violating sensations of other people touching him. He could touch, but not feel.

The hand that was traveling across his skin was not touching him.

The needle that injected some sort of drug into his system was not injected into his body.

The man in front of him who was going to force him to react was not leering at his body.

Heero, his mind cried out with all its strength. Please get them to stop doing this to me. I don't want to. Please forgive me for letting them.

Heero... I'm so sorry.

"I was concerned about your safety with him as your partner. For the last three years, I've been digging up as much about him as I could. This is what I've found out. Since the death of his mother, Duo has been living on the streets. He has been a part of almost every single gang out there and is still part of the Racing Shadow Gang that operates here. Between working with the gangs Duo is also a stripper, dancer, hooker, thief, and a trader. He steals things from anyone and everyone no matter who they are."

Relena paused there as Heero turned away from her and sat down slowly on the bed. His face was still impassive, but she could see the torrent of emotion in his eyes. She hoped he wouldn't hate Duo too much for this, but knew she couldn't stop there.

"His reputation as a sex symbol in unequaled. Duo Maxwell, the Black Fire, is the best lay on L2. As a hooker, his price is three hundred dollars an hour, but there are never any complaints from his customers. And he takes any gender whether they be male or female. He is considered the sexiest dancer on the stage and is one of the only ones who will strip completely naked. He's been involved with more gang rapes than can be counted, although usually on the receiving end of it."

As Relena's high pitched voice continued, Heero listened with a sick feeling in his stomach. Why hadn't Duo told him this? Then it wouldn't be coming as such as shock to him. He felt betrayed by Duo, but so sorry for him at the same time. The way Relena was painting the picture sounded as though Duo had liked it, but he knew better. He knew the pain Duo had gone through.

Duo... I'm so sorry.

How he cursed them.

All of them.

Defiling his body, the thing that he'd always wanted to keep for Heero. He wanted to pretend he was clean and innocent. He wanted to pretend he was worthy of Heero.

But he wasn't. This was his past. He was Duo Maxwell, the Black Fire. Nothing could change that, no matter how much he wanted to get away from that past. And he had so wanted to.

It hurt so badly, although he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing that. The pain was like a thing ripping him apart, piercing into his body, soul, and mind. Not just physical pain, but emotional pain so strong he didn't think he would ever recover from it.

The boys would grab onto him and push themselves into his anus so hard that he would bleed, the drug causing his body to react although his mind did not. They would work him hard and fast until they'd gained their satisfaction.

The girls would lay on top of him and play with him, scratching their nails into his skin so that he was bleeding through gashes on his chest. They would push his penis into their own private area, pushing against him until they'd reached their own release.

None cared if he came. The few that did would simply punch him until he gave in and forced himself to come. When one lived his life they learned things like that. He felt disgusting, defiled, and dirty. But that was nothing new. That was what Duo Maxwell was.

"And he's a criminal," Relena went on mercilessly, not realizing how close Heero was to sending a fist crashing into her face. "He has the highest record of crime than anyone else on this colony. There is a price of over thirty million American dollars on his head to be turned into the police alive. There are a lot of people who want to turn him in. Even more who want revenge, or just a piece of his body. He is nothing but some slut, Heero. A little, disgusting, bisexual slut who receives money for good sex! You should get rid of him before he gets you into trouble or ruins your reputation!"

Finally they finished with Duo. Laughing, they gave him a pair of overalls and underwear to wear, having torn his clothing to pieces in order to get it off of him. Then they untied him and left, declaring that he was just as good as his reputation had said. Black Fire had lived up to his standards.

Duo bundled himself in a little ball, fighting back tears. His body felt gross, his stomach coiling and his mouth filled with a horrible taste. He wanted to puke, but didn't have the strength to. All he wanted to do was get to his room and clean himself off as fast as possible.

After a few seconds, Duo forced himself unsteadily to his feet and put the clothing on. He hoped they hadn't marked his face or he would have to come up with an excuse for Heero. He was pretty good at hiding the rest of his wounds, since this happened almost every time he came to L2.

Once dressed, Duo forced himself to keep his chin up. He put a smile on his face, hoping it wouldn't crumble. Then he walked out of the room. Everyone stared at him as he walked past, knowing full well what had happened and snickering because of it. But Duo didn't even glance at them. He didn't let them see his fear, his horror, or his anguish. He went on through the hallways, through the school, past the students and teachers.

He wouldn't cry.

"Relena," Heero said suddenly, catching her off guard. She knew he was troubled to hear those things from her. She just hoped he wasn't too crushed to hear that his friend was a pervert.

"Hai?" she questioned.

"Shut up," Heero stated coldly.

Relena blinked in shock. "Nani? Heero, how could you say that to me? It's all true," she cried.

"I don't care if it is! You have no right to discriminate against Duo because of the way he had to live. Everyone has to make money somehow."

Relena was about to protest when she saw the absolute fury in Heero's eyes. She knew he wouldn't kill her, but she certainly didn't want to have to put up with his accusations. Standing, Relena glared at Heero. "Don't be so rude, Heero Yuy. I was telling this for your own good!" she declared.

"My own good?" he repeated with disbelief.

Relena nodded, deciding now was the best time to drop her last bomb shell. "He hasn't stopped either! I spotted him on the way in. I went through the back entrance so I wouldn't be seen. I happened to look through one of the windows of an autoshop classroom and saw him surrounded by a large group of people. They were having sex, Heero! And he didn't seem to be protesting at all!"

He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to hear about others having what he longed for, but could never possess.

Heero recoiled as though stung and Relena saw a pained look in his eyes that went beyond just the betrayal of friendship. Oh God! Could Heero have feelings for Duo? Well it was a good thing she had come when she had!

"He was having sex with someone and liking it. You should leave him here to be with the scum he deserves and come back to Earth with me! He doesn't deserve the friendship of someone as good as you," Relena declared.

"I don't need your suggestions!" Heero yelled back.

Suddenly the door opened and Duo stepped through.

Part 6: Duo's Secret

Heero had never been so glad to see anyone in his entire life but he forced himself to remain calm. Both Relena and Heero stared at Duo as he walked into the room, starting when he saw the both of them. He cut the whispers behind him short by shutting the door.

"Oi! Good to see you. What's going on, you seem a little tense," he said, his smile in place as he laughed a little.

The smile didn't reach his eyes, but he seemed all right aside from a large, ugly bruise on the side of his face. It looked incredibly painful but Duo didn't seem to notice it at all. He was as cheerful as always. Then again, Heero reflected, Duo was very good at hiding his real emotions.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"Following a lead," Duo replied shortly, glancing over at Relena with a slightly pointed expression. "I was just going to head to the bathroom, though, and get cleaned up. It was a very dusty lead. Had a bit of a fight with some pushy people."

Heero cursed himself for letting Duo out of his sight for even a second.

Relena shot the American a cool glance. "Where are your clothes?" she questioned, ready to prove her point.

There was a flash of panic and fright in Duo's eyes so fast that it didn't seem as though it had been there at all before it disappeared. Then the smile was back at full force. "Underneath this, of course," he replied with a slight laugh.

Heero knew he wasn't telling the truth. The fact that Duo didn't trust him hurt more than anything else could. All of Duo's clothing had a high neck. But there was nothing underneath those coveralls, which had a low neck. Why would he lie?

"Duo, come here," he said.

There was so much guilt in those eyes, belying the unworried and smiling expression on the older boy's face. "Hai?" he questioned when he'd reached Heero's side.

Heero reached forward and reached for Duo's zipper. Duo flinched but didn't try to move his hand away. His eyes became wide and glittered with unshed tears as Heero slowly brought the zipper down, revealing the flesh underneath.

"K'so!" rang through the room.

Relena flinched with the sound of that curse. But she could not tear her eyes away from the revealed body of Duo Maxwell. His pale skin was covered in deep gashes and stained with blood that was still flowing from them. They ran across his chest and shoulders, onto his stomach and along his legs. Covering the entire area of his thighs were large, darkly colored bruises. She knew that they were also beneath the white cotton underwear he had been given.

She didn't know how he could stand in that shape, much less have sex with someone!

The look Heero gave her was strangely lacking in any emotion. "Go, Relena," he said. When she was about to protest, he held up a hand. "Onegai?"

Knowing she could not refuse him this, Relena turned and walked out of the room. When she closed the door behind her, there were a lot of people eyeing her with curiosity. Keeping her face neutral, Relena turned and walked toward the guards she had brought to accompany her.

Inside the room, Duo was fighting a losing battle against his tears. This was his biggest fear come true. Heero knew about him and his past, he had seen the marks on his body. This was the proof of his worthlessness. This was the proof of Duo Maxwell's past!

Once Relena had left, Heero walked up to Duo's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was careful not to hurt him. The shoulder was trembling greatly. Something needed to be said. Normally one would ask if the other was okay, but it was obvious Duo wasn't all right, so he couldn't ask that. What could he ask?

"Duo, do you want me to clean those wounds?" he asked.

That was all it took. Duo burst into tears for the first time in his life since he'd realized the harsh reality of living on the street. Even after everything that had obviously happened, Heero was still so nice to him. It tore at his heart and Duo let all of his pent-up frustration and sadness out in a wailing sob.

Seeing Duo crumble, Heero pulled him into a strong hug. Duo buried his face into Heero's neck, his tears instantly staining Heero's tank top. They were gut-wrenching cries, huge tears, and thundering wails that came from Duo as he clutched onto Heero with all his might.

Acting on impulse, Heero gathered Duo closer and sat down on Duo's bed. He gently rocked Duo back and forth and let him cry on his shoulder. He held one arm around Duo's waist, careful of his wounds, and the other gently stroked the loose chestnut locks that fell around them.

This must have been pent up for so long, this frustrating wail of pain. It made Heero's own eyes mist up to know that Duo was truly that upset inside. He hoped he had not been the cause of it.

After a long time, Duo's cries decreased to small hiccuping noises as he leaned into Heero's embrace. He felt like he'd just run a marathon, both exhausting and refreshing at the same time. His eyes were sore from the tears.

Knowing that Duo was recovering, Heero pulled back a little and tilted Duo's tear stained face up to see his. Duo stared back at him with an embarrassed smile. Then Duo crossed his eyes and looked at his nose. "It's all red," he complained, covering it with this hand.

Heero smiled softly, then gathered Duo closer to him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you," he said.

"This wasn't your fault, Heero. I should have listened to you, after all. Please don't blame yourself," Duo replied, staring up at him in surprise.

Heero sighed, pushing Duo off of his lap and retrieving the medical kit that they always kept with them. "Duo, whatever happened is something that you can tell me about. Or you can keep it private. That is your decision. But I want you to know that I never want it to happen again. And if it does, I want you to let me know so that I can help you out, okay? Let me clean those for you," he stated.

If he could have, Duo would have started crying again. But he had spent all of his upset in his tears and was feeling very happy again. His smile was already reappearing. "Thank you, Heero. But I really need to have a shower," he said softly.

Understanding, Heero helped Duo get to his feet. He knew Duo could take a lot of pain but he wanted to help in any way. It really was at least partially his fault, since he knew it was going to happen eventually. He should have tried to stop it with more effort. He shouldn't have been so damn worried about completing their mission! This is where it had gotten him! For a brief second, Heero felt a wave of fury so strong that it overcame all of the training and suffering he'd gone through. He wanted to walk up to Dr. J and tell him where to shove it.

They moved into the bathroom and Heero started up the shower while Duo removed his underwear, shame and embarrassment in his eyes. The Japanese pilot had to force himself not to stare at the nude body that, despite all the marks on it, was still absolutely gorgeous and he was glad that Duo wasn't looking up to see his barely controlled desire. He kept his eyes firmly pinned on Duo's face, knowing that if he looked down he would not be able to hold onto that control for long.

Duo silently moved into the shower, trying to keep as much of his body from sight as possible. He couldn't meet Heero's eyes even now, knowing that Heero could see the full evidence of what had happened. He just hoped that the other boy hadn't noticed his semi-arousal from being held in his arms while crying. That would be really hard to explain!

"Ahh! Heero, this water is cold!" Duo shrieked the second he was submerged in the fall of water.

Glowering, Heero crossed his arms. "Quit complaining," he stated.

Duo stuck out his tongue, turning up the heat of the water. "Do you shower with water that cold? Man, it was freezing! My ass is already numb!" the American declared.

A declaration that didn't help the other boy's situation much. He had seen Duo's ass on many occasions, since they usually shared a room, and it was damn gorgeous. Don't think about his ass, don't think about his ass! But it was too late. Heero's body had a will of its own and was becoming uncomfortably hard. It was times like this that he would take one of those cold showers.

"Ne, Heero, what did Relena want to talk to you about?" Duo questioned from inside the shower stall.

Sitting down on the floor by the sink, Heero took his time replying. "Nothing important. She was just being a bitch as usual," he replied.

Duo peeked from around the edge of the curtain, his violet-blue eyes twinkling and wide grin in place. He was already completely covered in soap suds, his wet hair sticking to his skin and coated in foaming shampoo. "She thinks she's in love with you, you know. I think she is obsessed," he commented.

"I don't care. I'd kill her if she wasn't so important to the world," Heero replied as Duo disappeared into the shower again.

"You always threaten to kill people. You've threatened to kill me a lot too. But maybe if you try dating her, you'll find that she isn't that bad."

"I don't want to date her."

"Why not?"

Heero was about to retort with something about perfect soldiers not being able to date or love, but stopped himself at the last second. He suddenly had the desire to tell Duo the truth. In light of what had happened, that was probably the best thing. Heero didn't want Duo to be oblivious to his attraction when his sex life seemed so cold and cruel.

During his silence, Duo finished his shower and turned off the water. He was slightly concerned, not to mention very jealous, of the fact that Heero hadn't replied to his question. But he remained cheerful as he quickly dried himself with the towel Heero had handed him, scrubbing as much water out of his hair as he could.

When they walked back into the bedroom, Duo suddenly put a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Why not?" he repeated.

The tension in the silence was strong as Heero slowly turned around to face Duo. His captivating eyes were filled with a promising, heated emotion that Duo had seen only glimpses of before. Now he could see a desire so strong that it looked barely suppressed. He could feel Heero as he lifted a hand. He felt fingers brush against his cheek with a gentleness that belied the callused tips and base. His breath caught in his throat as the room's temperature rose.

"Because I like someone else a great deal and I would never be satisfied with a replacement," Heero said softly.

Duo's eyes widened. For all of his dreams, for all of his wishes and pleas, he had never though that Heero could possibly be attracted to him. Yet here he was, touching Duo's cheek softly and talking about liking him. It was like a dream, but so real, so very real that Duo knew that it wasn't.

"Then why don't you ask that person?" he asked in return.

This time Heero's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened in surprise. Duo couldn't help the soft laughter that lifted in his throat, but it quickly died when he saw the pained look in Heero's eyes as the other boy looked away.

"I couldn't possible ask you that. We are fighting in a war that could get either of us killed at any moment. I'm just a cold-blooded murderer. Not anyone worthy of your affection," Heero said, his voice filled with self-loathing.

Duo moved until he was only a few inches away and he stared up into Heero's eyes. "And what about me? Today was evidence enough of what my past was like. We are both damned to a life of suffering, so why not be damned together? Why not reach for what little bit of heaven we can reach before going to hell?"

Heero stared down at Duo's eyes, unsure and uncertain. "But I have no real reason to live," he started to say, the same speech he gave often enough. But soft fingers on his lips stopped him from saying anything more.

"What if I gave you a reason?" Duo questioned with a soft tone, then moved the few inches remaining between them and touched his mouth to Heero's. He felt the other boy's surprised jerk, but Heero didn't pull back. That thought ran in circles in Duo's head. Heero wasn't pulling back. Realization of what that meant nearly caused him to pass out and Duo forced himself to calm down. But he couldn't stop himself from taking in all the sensations he could. Heero's mouth was firm and hard, yet so gentle at the same time. He was still at first, then kissing Duo back with fervor, even groaning a little as he leaned into the American's arms. He smelt of sweat, he tasted of heat. His mouth was like velvet and his skin so smooth to the touch. Duo wanted to touch all of it.

Heero's mind was spinning out of control. Soft, warm hands were brushing tantalizingly across his shoulders. A firm mouth worked on his skillfully, but still held a shy and tentative feel to it. He tasted like chocolate or some equally sweet candy. Perhaps like ice cream on a nice summer day when it was most needed. He knew he needed it. Badly.

Lifting his hands, Heero ran them through the loosened tendrils of chestnut locks on Duo's head. The strands were like the softest silk, the water causing them to stick to Heero's hands as though trying to capture them there. Acting on instinct, Heero slid his tongue forward and brushed it against Duo's lips. The boy in his arms groaned deeply, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss even more. Their tongues twined together, sparring in the recess of each other's mouths. Heat flared and the room suddenly became warmer with that contact.

Suddenly Duo broke away, his breathing coming in gasps as he stared at Heero with huge eyes. His face was flushed with longing, his lips already swollen slightly. "Why, Heero? Why are you letting me do this? To make me feel better, because you need to? Or because you want to?" the American boy questioned, his voice quivering.

So much rested on Heero's answer. The Japanese pilot knew that and his muscles tensed as he stared at the boy in front of him with a slightly nervous expression on his face. Desperate eyes stared back at him, in a face on the verge of breaking down. Heero had never meant that much to anyone. He'd never seen such a look on anyone's face. It sent his heart racing like nothing else ever had.

"I am doing this not because I need to. Not because I want to. I'm doing it because I want YOU," he replied, his tone and face solemn.

It took Duo a moment to digest this, because he had been so certain he would be rejected. When he realized that Heero was not rejecting him, but had accepted what was between them, his entire face lit up and a huge smile split his face. Not a grin, but a smile. And it was so beautiful that Heero found he couldn't tear his eyes away even if he wanted to.

"Domo arigato gozaimasu!" Duo cried out, nearly crying with happiness. It wasn't a declaration of love, but it was so damn close that it didn't matter! Heero wanted him and wasn't going to deny it any longer.

Heero felt a shadow of a smile appear on his face, which turned to surprise when Duo launched his slight form into the other boy's body, knocking them both flat on the bed. His lips and tongue frantically worked across Heero's jaw and chin, working up to his cheeks and eyes, across his nose and forehead before claiming his mouth for a hot, demanding, soul-searing, I need you now! kiss. Heero returned it just as eagerly, pulling Duo's tongue into his mouth and nipping at it as he pushed his lips up against Duo's. He reached up with his arms and pulled the American even closer, always mindful of his wounds, sliding their faces up to the same level.

Both froze at the same time, giving little gasps. Both of their throbbing lengths were pushed up against each other, rubbing through the thin Spandex and towel with the instinctive motions their hips were making. Both were very eager to finish what had been started.

They managed to regain some of their shattered composure long enough to get completely on the single sized bed, lying beside each other. Their mouths were firmly fixed together while their hands roamed across the planes of the other boy's body in hot exploration. Duo finally became frustrated with Heero's clothes. They were thin enough to feel the contours of Heero's chest, but it wasn't what he wanted to be touching! He sat up and pulled Heero with him, pulling off his tank top and throwing it on the floor.

"Sugoi. You are so perfect," he breathed in an awestruck tone which caused Heero's cheeks to redden slightly. He'd seen Heero naked often enough, but never like this. His skin was flushed with the heat in the room, nipples erect from Duo's earlier touches. He was hard and muscular, but on such a thin frame and with a few scars running here and there. It made Duo upset to think of what had caused those scars, but he pushed the thought aside. This was one of the sights he was planning on savoring forever.

Heero was very conscious of the gleam in Duo's eyes and found himself becoming uncomfortable. He reached up and whipped Duo's towel off so quickly that the American couldn't do anything to stop it. Not that he would have. The towel joined the tank top with the rest of the mess on the floor.

"Sugoi yourself," Heero commented, taking in the completely naked Duo kneeling in front of him, whose face was bright red. He was even more beautiful that Heero had given him credit for. His body was just as slender and built as Heero's. It had its own set of scars and the new marks, but that only added to the perfection that Heero was now beholding. Long legs that led up to a very aroused length, followed by a firm chest, up to a heart-shaped face. All flushed and filled with longing. For him...

Heero grasped Duo with strong but gentle hands and laid him down on the bed. He moved his hands up and down Duo's chest, kissing his throat and shoulders. His lips moved lower and brushed across Duo's chest. When he came in contact with a nipple Duo groaned his name and arched. Pleased with his discovery, Heero played with one nipple while sucking on the other. Duo writhed beneath him, jaw slack and mouth giving small groans that were somehow making Heero even harder than he'd been before.

Duo's world was a spectrum of sensations, and Heero was the cause of it all. Slightly callused hands moved down to his hips while the tongue continued to salve his chest. As Heero's hands moved down so did his body, brushing against Duo's painfully hard sex.

He lifted his arms with great effort, caught up in passion, and started caressing Heero's shoulders. His hands moved up to Heero's head, running through the silky dark strands there. When a tongue dipped into his navel, Duo tightened his grasp and pushed Heero's head down more securely against his stomach. Then the strands slipped out of his fingers as Heero moved farther down and Duo couldn't breathe with expectation.

Heero paused, his mouth inches away from Duo's stiff proof of passion. He looked up at the American, unsure if this was really what Duo wanted. One look was all he needed. Duo was plastered against white sheets, limp and tense at the same time. His violet eyes were hooded and filled with expectation and longing, fixed on his own blue ones. Wet strands of loose hair fell all over the place, some sticking to Duo's sweat soaked skin. He was flushed EVERYWHERE and giving little gasping moans as Heero's fingers knead against his hips.

Heero swept down and took Duo's length into his mouth. "Oh God! Heero! Heero! Heero! Heero!" Duo screamed, thrashing as he thrust into the heat surrounding him. It felt so damn good. Heero's mouth were moving up and down and his tongue stroked him while teeth scraped. He felt something brush against his backside, but could only ignore it. Until it slipped into his anus.

Duo tensed for a moment and he felt Heero pause. How often had he been forced into this situation? Duo asked himself. But it had never felt like this. Not ever. He felt no pain with Heero. All he could feel was wave upon wave of pleasure. And when Heero bit him slightly, the pleasure exploded and Duo was mindless again as he moved, worked from both ends.

Heero slipped another finger in, not even having to move any more, but doing it anyway. Duo was mindless, gasping and screaming Heero's name as he moved. It was enough to bring Heero straight to the brink of that tightly spun control.

When Duo began moving more fiercely Heero pulled away. Duo made a whimpering noise, his body still agonizing from the frustration of being brought to the brink and left hanging there. Then he saw Heero pull off his spandex and forgot completely about his discomfort.

Kneeling by his legs was the sight he'd always wanted to see, a sight he'd been longing to see for so long. Heero. Quite simply, Heero. Nude, his body flush and taunt with need. Obviously aroused and quivering with desire. Real desire for him! He was everything Duo had dreamed about and more. Everything he had could ever want in a lover and so, so much more.

Without needing words, Duo slowly turned over and got onto his hands and knees. He heard Heero's sharp intake of breath. "A-are you sure, Duo? Because if we go much farther I will not be able to stop. And I don't want to hurt you," the Japanese pilot said as he positioned himself, his hands on Duo's hips.

Duo smiled happily. "Hai. I'm very sure, Heero. To me this will be like losing my virginity no matter what I've been through. And I want it to be you. I always have wanted it to be you," he replied.

Heero nodded, took a deep breath, and pushed into the tight heat that was waiting for him. He heard Duo scream his name just as he did Duo's. Nothing had ever felt so right! Heero wanted to pause and concentrate on the sensation, but he was too far gone. Duo was already starting to move below him and Heero started pushing just as hard. The old bed was making a lot of noise, but the walls were soundproof. Not that it could have been heard over Duo's screams and Heero own husky moans.

One hand bit painfully into Duo's chest, the other hand pumping his length. Heero felt himself rising higher and higher, the pressure becoming almost impossible to bear. He knew he could have been hurting Duo and was going to bruise the poor boy but he couldn't stop himself, just as he couldn't stop moving.

"Heero! Oh, God, Heero!" Duo groaned. He didn't even notice the pain. He could only feel one thing and that was Heero's movement within his body. He could feel himself tipping over the edge of control as he shoved his body back against Heero's, everything melting together like molten heat. "Oh, Heero! I love you!" he finally screamed, completely unaware, and arched fiercely as his seed burst out onto Heero's arm and the bed. That was the final bit. Heero could only take so much. He pulled back and yanked Duo hard against him, face and body taut as he let his own liquid spill into Duo's heat.

He moved slowly a few more times as they slowly came back. Then he pulled out and collapsed beside Duo, pulling the American into his arms. Duo was grinning up at him with a groggy but contented expression on his face. "Heero, I've never felt anything like that before," he managed between gasps.

Heero stared at him for a few seconds, catching his own breath. He noticed a small tear moving down Duo's face and felt his heart stop for a moment. He reached up and brushed it away, suddenly feeling like a jerk.

Duo seemed to realize what he was thinking and shook his head while snuggling closer. "No, Heero, I wasn't crying from pain. It was so good. It was so wonderful," he said softly.

Heero couldn't believe it. He'd brought tears to Duo's eyes from how good it was? Then Heero smiled, running a hand through the chestnut locks that were already starting to knot up. It had been like nothing he had ever experienced. Something that made him feel human, that had given him a soul he hadn't known he had.

Just as Duo had said, it had given him a reason for living.

Duo heaved a happy sigh before promptly falling asleep, snoring slightly against Heero's chest. Noticing that his shoulder was bruising rather badly from his hand mark, Heero flushed and grabbed the medical kit that Duo had thrown absently onto his night stand. Without getting out of bed, Heero gently cleaned and dressed the worst of the wounds. Once that was finished, he gathered Duo back into his arms and fell into a deep sleep that was, for once, not filled with nightmares.

Part 7: Found Out!

Duo was a strange mixture of feelings when he woke up the next morning. Some parts of him were stinging in pain, some all-out throbbing, but it was numbed by a tingling pleasure that was still running through him. His skin felt slicked with dried sweat and Duo wondered what had happened to him the night before. All he could remember was one of the most exotic dreams he'd ever had.

Then he realized there was an arm firmly holding him against a warm body. Duo opened his eyes and slowly turned around, holding his breath.

Heero.

He was in bed with Heero.

He was in bed, naked, with an equally naked Heero.

A nose bleed was threatening, but Duo forced it away as he studied Heero's face. It hadn't been a dream then. That blissfully wonderful night had really happened. No wonder he was so happy. Heero even looked happy. His face was relaxed from sleep, a slight smile stretched upon those oh-so-desirable lips.

An idea suddenly came to Duo's mind and he smiled, gently kissing Heero on the nose. A blue eye cracked open with fuzzy tiredness.

"Ohayo," Duo teased, in a remarkably good mood.

The uncaring mask was back on Heero's face again, but Duo could still see the contented light in those expressive eyes. Heero reached forward and returned the kiss on Duo's lips. Melting, Duo grinned like an idiot even while he was being kissed.

"Ohayo," Heero said huskily when they broke apart.

Duo couldn't help but giggle. Heero was so adorable in the morning after. His hair was sticking up in so many directions that Duo couldn't name them all. "You're ten minutes late for class," he informed, motioning over to the clock.

Shrugging, Heero buried his face into Duo's neck and inhaled his scent joyously. "Mmmm... Duo," he commented with a slurred tone, sounding a lot like Homer Simpson. He stuck out his tongue and tasted Duo's skin. He did this several times, then looked up at Duo with a strangely serious expression. "Definitely better than ice cream on a hot day," he commented.

Giggling again, Duo slowly lifted his arms to encircle Heero's body. He didn't know what Heero meant, but he took it as a compliment anyway. "So, are you going to leave me here all alone, or are you going to be late for class?" he questioned.

Heero could feel Duo's length against his leg. He was already aroused again. Well, so was he, but that didn't matter. "Sorry, Duo, but I've got a reputation to keep up. Besides, the teachers will either come to look for me or expect an excuse and I can't exactly let them know I was absent from class because I had found myself an irresistible boyfriend."

Duo pouted good-naturedly, then smiled. "Am I really irresistible?" he wondered.

"Very. Even screaming, teasing, fully clothed, or holding a gun to my head, I can barely restrain myself. You are impossible to ignore for many reasons," Heero told him.

"So are you," Duo stated. "Although you are silent, glaring, wearing those sexy Spandex, or holding a gun. Why do you think I was always touching you and stuff? I figured it would be the only way I would ever get the chance."

Heero lifted an eyebrow as he got out of the bed. He dressed quickly in his uniform, then bent over and gave Duo another lingering kiss. "I'll see you later. Make sure you change the sheets of the bed and get those to the laundry. If the principal gets word of stained sheets from a spot investigation, we're in trouble," he stated sternly, but his eyes were twinkling.

Sitting up, Duo saluted. "Yes sir!" he declared.

Heero rolled his eyes as he headed for the door. He stopped before he reached it, turning around. "And promise me you'll stay here if you aren't in class!"

Duo looked down. "I promise. I really will this time."

"I worry about you," Heero said softly. Then he turned and left the room, leaving a very confused Duo in his wake.

For what seemed like forever, Duo simply laid there in bed, sheets still tangled around his nude body. His hair was a mess, but he would take care of that later. Turning, Duo could smell Heero's own musky scent still on the pillow and could feel his heat still on the mattress. And that's when it hit him.

He'd slept with Heero.

Duo Maxwell had spent the night having sex with Heero Yuy.

Lurching to a sitting position, Duo looked around him, his face doing a slow flush. The sheets were stained, twisted halfway off of the mattress. The pillow held the head indents of the both of them. And he could easily remember everything that had taken place there.

He and Heero... Heero and him...

The pilot of Wing and Deathscythe...

Suddenly, a huge smile appeared on Duo's face and he bounced to his feet. Pain shot up his backside and the American winced, his cheeks reddening again when he realized the cause. He was far from a virgin in the strict sense of the word, but somehow his body had recognized the only time he'd ever given permission, making it seem like it truly was his first time. Duo wasn't sure whether he was happy or rueful for the pain.

Last night had surely been the most wondrous night of his life. Heero had wiped away his bad past with a few simple words, had erased all the previous defiling actions with one simple caress. He had made Duo pure.

And Duo Maxwell swore he would never allow himself to become impure again.

Deciding to be happy, Duo stripped the sheets off of the bed and stuck them in the laundry hamper to be washed after school. Inspections took place, but they never looked in the dirty laundry hampers. All Duo had to do was clean up a little.

Wrinkling his nose, Duo headed to the bathroom first. His skin was covered in small bruises and scratches, but the most prominent of them was the hand print on his chest where Heero had clutched him close. Smiling, Duo traced the hand print. He hoped it never healed!

Brushing out his now dry hair, which was surprisingly not as tangled up as he'd first thought it would be, Duo couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in himself. First of all, his smile was a genuinely happy one. Second, he was beaming. Reddened cheeks and flesh, coated with something he would definitely have to wash off, and glowing with pride for his new found prize. And, thirdly, he looked very damn proud of himself! For a very good reason too.

After having a quick shower, being sure to scrub his body clean so that no scents would cling to him, Duo dressed in his uniform, which was luckily not what he'd been wearing yesterday. Thinking of it now, Duo realized that Heero had made it nothing but a bad memory. It was like something in his distant past that held no connection to what was going on now.

Then someone knocked on the door.

Opening it slowly, Duo peeked out warily. A student from one of his classes was standing there, a flush on his face. "Ano... the principal wants to see you," he said.

"Me? I wonder why," Duo wondered out loud.

"I don't know. But he asked your roommate to come down too. Maybe it's about those new rumors. I hope everything's okay," the other boy said.

Rumors? What rumors? Duo didn't bother asking. Instead, he thanked the other student for delivering the message, went back into his room and grabbed his gun just in case he ran into those people from yesterday again, fetched his key's, then locked the door and was on his way.

When he arrived at the principal's office, Heero was leaning against the outside wall. He looked as impassive as usual, but Duo could tell that he was nervous about what the headmaster could want to see them about. Heero visibly relaxed when Duo came into view, actually coming over to meet him.

"Come," he said, motioning over to the open door.

Clenching his hands, Duo nodded and followed the other boy into the principal's office. The man had been waiting for them, instantly motioning them to sit down across from his desk. He got up and closed the office doorway, then turned to Heero and Duo with a solemn expression on his face.

"It has come to my attention that the two of you have been performing obscene acts within the confines of your bedroom. While I personally have nothing against this, I am afraid it is against school regulations to allow such adultery to take place within our walls. Unless you can prove that such a thing is not true, I will have to ask the both of you to leave the premises," he stated.

Duo blinked, a slow burn working up his face. One of embarrassment and anger. Who had turned them in? After just one night? Who could have known?

And would Heero deny it? Duo couldn't blame him, considering he couldn't complete their mission if they were expelled, but would Heero really chose the mission over him?

Realizing it was foolish to hope that he meant more than the war, Duo simply bit his lip and looked away, waiting for Heero to deny it.

A denial that never came.

Duo looked quickly over at Heero, shock evident on his face, wondering why. But Heero was expressionless, save for a slight red tinge to his cheeks, and he simply stared forward as though he hadn't heard what the principal had said.

His jaw dropping slightly, Duo felt the insane urge to cry with happiness. Dooshite? Heero? Why not deny it? Why make me hope that you might actually have feelings that could possibly be labeled as love?

The principal sighed, shaking his head. "I'm very sorry. But as of now, neither of you are students of this institution. You have three hours to pack your things and leave."

Part 8: Revenge is Best Served with a Punch

Duo held his suitcase clenched in his hand, feeling the eyes of the other students on him. They had finished packing just as the lunch bell had rung. It had not taken long for it to get around the school why the new students were already being sent away, and Duo could feel everyone staring at them as they walked down the hallway.

But he kept his head up and his grin on his face, too damn happy that he was with Heero to really care what the others thought of him. It just made him feel like some damn bug under a microscope!

"Naa... Heero, what are we going to do now?" Duo questioned in Japanese. "We never finished the mission."

"The mission has been accomplished," Heero said in a flat monotone, glaring at the people looking at them. He'd been tense the entire time as though waiting for someone to comment or make a move toward them.

"Huh? When?" Duo stammered.

Heero glanced his way, his expression softening a little. "I cut class this morning in order to follow a lead. I've found all the information we needed. The Colonies will send in some specialists to deal with the situation, since they don't want to destroy the entire school," he replied.

His grin widening, Duo tired not to glomp Heero's arm and failed, causing a huge number of people to begin whispering. "Sugoi! Heero that's so cool of you! Now I don't have to worry about pulling you away from a mission!" he exclaimed.

His smile microscopic, Heero simply nodded once and lead Duo from the building. However, they had gone no more than three steps away from the school doors when a familiar person with a broken nose met them, all of his flunkies gathered close.

"Well, looks like the little faggot boys got expelled for foul play. So how was he? Looked like you enjoyed yourself," he said with a lecherous grin, the guys around him smirking as he held up a small video tape. It was labeled "Faggot Boys Get Horny".

Seeing their expressions of shock, the bastard began laughing. "Who do you think turned you in? I loved watching every moment of it. Although Maxwell over there is such a bad actor. You'd have thought he was a virgin still, instead of having gotten his brains fucked out just a little while before!"

Duo felt Heero's muscles clench beneath his hands and saw the raw fury in the other boy's eyes. Heero wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard for what he had done. Raping Duo, and taping their private time together like they were some sideshow. He deserved nothing less than a bullet straight through that skull of his. No! He would rip him to pieces with his bare hands! Even better, slowly torture him until he bled to death!

"You fucking bastard," he growled deeply, stepping forward, already lifting his fist.

"Heero. Stop."

He wasn't going to stop. He really hadn't been planning on it. But the tone of voice was not something he'd been prepared for. He had never heard such a lack of emotion in Duo's voice before. Turning, Heero gave Duo a startled look. The American's face was blank, but his eyes were shining with suppressed anger. Duo slowly walked forward, looking so calm that even his target was beginning to feel unnerved. When Duo was standing before him, the pilot of Shinigami was able to pluck the tape right out of his hand and easily shatter it on the ground. Then he turned around, bringing his fist back.

Heero had seen Duo fight often. But he'd never seen such a firm punch delivered ever in his life. Not even by him. Duo's fist connected straight with the bigger man's solar plexus, lifting him right off the ground and sending him flying backward several yards where he landed with a crack and a thud.

Returning back to his usual relaxed upright position, Duo looked at the fallen man, a single tear trailing down his cheek. The anger was gone from his face, leaving it blank.

"Never again. One final desperate attempt got me the one person I had always dreamed of. And never again will someone like you rule my mind," Duo said coldly to the unconscious man.

Heero slowly walked up to him, looking down at the smaller boy. Duo looked up at him, his tears drying. Then a smile broke across his face and he moved into Heero's arms, taking his bag once more. Without words, the two of them walked away together.

"Never again," Duo whispered one final time as they walked from the school yard.

Heero gazed down at the boy he loved beyond his own life. He was very thankful for Duo's desperate attempt.