AN: Well, here it is, another 1x2 story by Shi no Megami. I hope you enjoy this. It's a little darker than my other story, and I look forward to writing more chapters. Please read and review. I would like to know what you think so far.
Luv to all!
Chapter 1
There was a boy with messy brown hair who admired a beautiful Prince with those Persian blue eyes of his from afar everyday. He lived on the streets, stealing food as he didn't have money of his own to buy anything with. He dodged a guard as he jumped into an alleyway, and ducked down behind some crates, watching as some guards ran past him. Carefully, he came out of his hiding spot and ran back to where he came from. There he bumped into someone, falling back.
He stared up at a beauty that stared back down at him. Cobalt eyes usually full of sadness and loneliness were now filled with worry, as a hand reached out to help him up. Cautiously taking that fragile hand, Heero felt himself pulled up from his spot on the ground.
"Are you okay?" the boy in front of him asked.
Heero nodded. "Uh… yes. Thank you."
A small smile graced the other boy's lips. "That's good." He bowed his head slightly and ran to catch up with the sultan.
"Prince Duo…" Heero whispered after the boy. As if hearing the boy's call, Duo paused to look back.
"Duo!" the sultan called after him and Duo once again ran to catch up.
A smile slowly formed on Heero's face as he realized he had just run into the love of his life. For years now he had been watching the boy, wondering if he could ever meet him in person. He had just recently left the city with his brother and Heero guessed that today was their first day back.
If only he were a prince then he just might have a chance with the beauty that was known all over the city. It was known around the city that Duo should have been born a princess with the beauty that possessed his body. Shaking his head, Heero ran down the street and burst through a door, staring at the boy sitting at his table.
"Trowa!" he shouted all too excitedly. The boy with the gravity defying hair raised an eyebrow at his friend, and Heero took a seat next to him. "I saw him. I ran into Prince Duo today, and he was even more beautiful than I remember him being. Up close is just so wonderful." Heero sighed and leaned back in his chair. "If only I were a prince then I just might have a chance with him."
"You'd need a miracle," Trowa explained and took some of the bread that Heero had stolen. "You couldn't get anything better?"
"I was caught, okay?" Heero glared at his friend and took his share of the bread. "I'll try to do better tomorrow."
Trowa shrugged and swallowed the last bit of his bread. "It's okay. As long as we have some form of food."
Heero nodded and stood. "Anyway, I'm tired. I think I'm gonna turn in early tonight." Trowa nodded and watched as Heero went over to his corner, pulling the curtain over to keep away from distractions as much as possible. Instead of sleeping though, Heero lay there on his bed thinking of the prince. His eyes were always so sad and so full of loneliness. Today was the first day Heero had seen otherwise. Instead there was worry… for Heero. Heero smirked. The prince had been worried for him. That was more than enough to make his day complete. Unable to sleep, Heero decided to go watch the beauty that he wished was his.
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"Duo, who was that young man you ran into today?" Milliardo, the royal vizier, asked.
"I don't know. He ran into me. I thought he might have been hurt so I helped him up," the young boy answered. He sighed and tossed his long brown braid behind him. He hated being with Milliardo. The man was creepy.
Milliardo grinned, staring at that beautiful form in front of him. He brushed a hand over Duo's cheek. "Such a sweet young boy you are. Caring for your people. You make the perfect prince."
Duo pulled away, glaring at the man. "Keep your hands away from me."
"I don't know why you insist dressing as a princess would," Milliardo said. "But then it does match your beauty." He touched the diamond held by pearls on the boy's head. "Such a beautiful tiara. Your mother made it for you before she passed away, no?"
"I said to keep your hands away." Duo stepped back. "You have no right to touch me."
"Now Duo, is that anyway to treat our royal vizier?" Quatre asked his younger brother. As the sultan, Quatre did his best to keep peace between his people. He walked in and stood next to his brother taking hold of his hand. "You know Milliardo is only worried about your safety."
"Worried my ass," the young boy spoke out. "The only person he worries about is himself."
"Duo! Hold your tongue," Quatre lectured.
"I don't know why you trust this guy!" Duo shouted.
"Because Father did."
"And what about Mother?" Duo questioned. "She never trusted this man. Are Father's feelings all that matter?" Duo shook his head. "Never mind. I'm going to my room." Turning around, Duo's braid whipped at the other two around him, and the braided boy stormed off to his room. Slamming his door shut, Duo went to stand on his balcony.
Cobalt eyes lit up when a bird landed on his hand. "You're so lucky little bird. You're free to do whatever you want… To go where ever you want." He threw his hand out and the bird flew up into the air. Sighing, Duo leaned against the banister, gazing up into the sky. The sun was setting. It was beautiful. His hand fell to his chest where he wore a flower shaped brooch with a scythe drawn in the middle of it. It was something his mother had made for his just before she had passed away. The tiara he wore wrapped around his head was also made by her for the last birthday of his that he shared with her. These were the two most important mementos he held of her, and he made a point of wearing them everyday. To have that psycho touch even one of them was forbidden. Not even Quatre was allowed to touch him and that was his brother.
Duo sighed. While he had been close to their mother, Quatre was more drawn to their father. Duo didn't like him very much. Their father hated that Duo dressed more feminine than like a prince. But Duo's mother encouraged it. He had a sort of beauty that shouldn't be hidden in such clothes that a prince wore. Duo deserved the clothes that he wore. His beauty would be a waste otherwise. This beauty he possessed was all that was left of his mother. He would show it off proudly.
"Duo, can we talk?" Quatre asked, peering into his brother's room. Duo nodded and watched as Quatre walked towards him. "Duo, I'm worried about you. You barely speak to me anymore, and you tend to lock yourself away from other people. Everyone who comes to ask your hand in marriage you chase away."
"I'm just not ready for marriage," Duo explained, looking away from his brother into the now dark city.
"And when will you be Duo?"
"When I find true love," was Duo's answer.
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Heero was watching from a building just outside the castle walls. Prince Duo looked lonely again. Heero hated seeing him look lonely. He wished that there were some way he could be there to comfort him. He reached out wanting to embrace the boy and squeeze all that loneliness out of him. If Heero could, he would protect the boy from all the hurt that he endured. He'd find a way to fight it away.
He remembered just a little over a year ago when Duo was full of smiles. There wasn't a day where Heero didn't see the braided boy without a smile on his face. That was when his mother was around. She had been his hope… the most important person in his life. The day that Duo's mother died, Duo's smiles died with her, and he did nothing but sit on his balcony everyday staring out into the city.
Heero watched as Duo stared up into the sky and he felt a sort of pain when he met those blank eyes. There was no emotion, no joy on the boy's face. It happened every now and then and Heero wanted to learn why. It was like something was eating at the boy, taking away the few emotions that he had left. Heero didn't want to see that… didn't want the boy to be an empty shell. Duo was too beautiful for that.
"What is it that makes you like that?" Heero asked into the emptiness. "How can I help you? Please tell me. I'll do anything for you Prince Duo." As if hearing the boy's pleas, Duo's gaze turned to where Heero was. Heero wasn't sure if Duo could see him, being as the sun was down now and everywhere was dark, but he knew one thing was for sure… the boy knew someone was there.
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Duo stared out at the building. Someone was watching him… that same someone who did every night. He wished that he could see who it was. What was this person's fascination with him? He squinted into the darkness, trying once again to see who his stalker was. Shaking his head, he retreated back into his room. He pulled his hair out of its long braid and ran a brush through it. Wavy hair flew around the boy, practically cloaking him.
Reaching behind his head, Duo unclasped his tiara, carefully pulling it off. He set it in a small jewel box that used to belong to his mother. He then pulled the brooch off, setting it with the tiara. He placed the top back on the jewel box.
"Mother, if you were here you'd probably lecture me. I don't smile anymore and I don't think I'm beautiful anymore. I've long forgotten how to cry." He shook his head and wrapped his hair up to keep it from tangling. "You'd wonder where your son has disappeared to." He ran a hand over the jewel box. "You were all that I cared about. This isn't the life for me. I hate being a prince. Life was okay only because you were around. Who do I turn to now?"
AN: Well? How was it? Interested in reading more? Please tell me what you think. Reviews people. I need reviews. Luv to all!