yaoi, some humor. a more serious, twisted fic. slight angst. non-yaoi lemon.
[1/2 ; 2/H ; 3/4 ]
Relena kills Duo to get at Heero. It works; but not like Relena planned. Duo is reborn as her and Heero's son, and will stop at nothing to avenge himself.
page 3
"NO, Heero! Look, I can't right now! Wufei is visiting today and I just can't leave until he gets here!"
"Quatre...Duo is DYING...I can't...I mean...and I..." Heero almost dropped the phone and fumbled with it, keeping hold and sighing.
"Look, Heero...you know, right? About...about Duo?"
"...Yes. I know. All the more reason why you have to help me."
"Alright, just give me...until tonight, I can get out then. I've gotta go now, ok? Good luck...goodbye."
"Yah." Heero listened to the click of the phone, and sighed, putting it down and turning to look at Duo. Or, better put, the back of Duo's head. He was sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room, staring. He hadn't eaten for three days and his eyes were glazed over. He was slightly slumped to the right and didn't acknowledge when Heero tried to talk to him. Relena didn't even seem to notice his condition. She sat down next to him, holding a bowl.
"Popcorn, honey?" She smiled and offered Duo the bowl. Duo didn't do anything.
"Alright then, that's fine. Want to watch something on TV? No? How about a movie? Alright, if you say so, sweety..."
Heero stomped over and roughly pulled Relena to her feet. "Listen, BITCH, you just stay away from him, it's your fault he's like this!"
Relena smiled. "I...know."
Frowning, Heero let her go. "Know?"
"I know about Duo! I know he's really...Duo Maxwell! I KNOW!" Relena laughed.
Heero's mind raced. He couldn't let Relena know. He had to...to...
"Duo Maxwell? He might have brown hair and blue eyes but...do you honestly THINK Duo Maxwell could be our son?" Heero laughed for some effect. Relena faltered. "Um, well...he sure...seems like him and...he freaked out at Maxwell's grave!"
"Oh course he did. He doesn't understand death yet. And you tell him someone with his name is rotting under the ground?! And who knows what else you told him!"
"I...I DIDN'T! I just...told him um...a make-believe story that you and me were plotting to kill Maxwell and that's why he was dead..." Relena looked down.
"You...you told him WHAT?!" Heero looked at Duo again, who didn't seem to have heard or cared.
That's why he's really like this. He thinks that what Relena said was true. That I never loved him and helped to kill him. But...didn't he kill himself? No...
Heero looked at Relena. Of course. She'd done it.
And he's back for revenge...
Heero stumbled back, in shock. It was clear now. He stared at Relena, and raised his hand to strike her. She screamed and ducked, running out the door.
"YAH! RUN! JUST GET OUT OF MY SITE! IF DUO NEVER GETS BETTER...I...I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU, RELENA!"
The door slammed as she ran out and Heero ran over to Duo, kneeling.
"Duo...you didn't believe what Relena said...about me..."
Nothing.
"Duo...please... belive me...she was just testing you...you've GOT to pull our of it and eat something, please Duo!"
Nothing. Duo slumped more to the right.
"Duo, when...when you...died, I...I lost it...I was just how you are now...I would have given anything...ANYTHING...just to...see you again...hold you again...and now for four years, I...I have! And I...I didn't even know it!" Heero laughed quietly to himself.
Duo slowly turned, looking at Heero questioningly. How could he belive him?
Heero saw that he had somewhat broken through.
"Duo..."
He unfolded his hand. In it were two rings. They glinted in Duo's eyes as he softened, brightening. His eyes glistened.
"He...Heero..."
Duo quietly slumped forward, hugging Heero tightly around the waist, sobbing. Heero smiled and smoothed Duo's hair back gently.
I knew I could get through...
He hugged Duo back, trying not to cry himself.
Ring. Ring.
Almost
15 minutes later, the doorbell rang. Heero let go of Duo and went to answer
it.
"Heero! I finally
came...is he ok?" Quatre was at the door, peering over Heero's shoulder
anxiously.
"He's fine now."
Heero almost smiled, and stepped back to let Quatre in. Quatre grinned
sheepishly. "I brought company."
Quatre stepped
in, but Heero didn't see any company. He closed the door. "You...brought
your Invisible Friend, did you? Will he have some tea then?" Heero smirked,
and Quatre shook his head, pointing down.
"No. She's not
invisible and her name is Ling. She's visiting with Wufei and wanted to
come along."
Heero looked
down, blinking at an incredibly small Chinese girl with black hair, pulled
back in twisty pigtails. She clung to Quatre's leg.
"So...ok. Er,
come in."
Duo peeked over
the top of the chair at Quatre and Ling. Heero shrugged at him. "Who's
that?" Duo pointed.
"Ling. She's
Wufei's daughter. Ling...this is Duo...Mr. Yuy's son. You...wanna say hello?"
Ling peeked up
at Duo and blushed. "'Lo."
Duo grinned.
"Hi!" He frowned at the way she was blushing. "Does she have a crush on
me already?"
Ling let go of
Quatre's leg and ran into the kitchen. Duo stared. "Oops."
Sighing, Quatre
sat down on the couch. "She's terribly shy. She won't even look at Trowa,
I don't know why she likes me so much. But she's sweet. She's nearly four...like
you, Duo."
"Oh." Duo sank
back down in his chair and glared at nothing in particular. "Well I...don't
like girls. Sorry." He crossed his arms. Quatre sweatdropped. "He...seems
normal...what was the matter?"
Heero opened
his mouth to answer, but Duo cut in. "RELENA was the matter. She lied to
me! She ALWAYS lies to me! And I really believed her! I hate being related
to that fucking bitch! She can just...DIE! Like...she did to me!" Duo slammed
his little fist on the chair's arm. "She ruined my life to get at Heero
and it worked! RUINED. MY. LIFE! And Dad's! Heero's! WHATEVER!" Duo shook.
"I'm leaving."
He hopped down
and headed up to his room. Heero sighed. "Well I just want to know how
he plans to...kill her. I mean...he's only four."
Quatre shrugged.
"I bet he can do it. Do you...I mean...would you be...upset?"
"Upset! HAH!
No." Heero stared ahead, shaking. "She killed Duo when he was my partner
and now she tortures him as our son. And I won't ever love anyone else.
I'm done for. My life is practically pointless. At least Duo will still
be with me. Even if he's my kid and not my lover."
Quatre felt guilty,
and strangely lucky. He reached out to pat Heero's shoulder. "Well, at
least-"
"AAAUUGGHHH!"
Heero and Quatre
jumped up as they heard Duo shouting from his room. "Duo?"
They ran up and
slammed the door open. Duo's room was a mess. Ling stood by the far wall,
looking petrified, and Duo glared at her.
"What did you
do to my room?!"
"I..."
"You've wrecked
it!"
"I was just..."
"Kids are so
stupid! Stop liking me and just go to hell!"
"DUO!"
Heero stepped
forward and held Duo back. "Duo, be quiet! She was just...I don't know..."
"Ling, why did
you do this?" Quatre tried to be calm, but his voice shook.
"I was just...curious..."
Ling's eyes watered and she ran past everyone and out the door.
Duo drooped.
"Sorry I shouted at her...I just..." He shook his head. "I'll go make up
with her. Sorry."
He ran out, and
downstairs.
"Hey...Ling?
You there, Ling? I'm sorry!" He checked the kitchen, the dining room..."Ling?
Ling!"
Ling was in the
family room, curled up in the armchair Duo had been in. She looked startled
as he walked over.
"Hey...look,
I didn't mean to yell at you. Forgive me?"
Looking up, Duo
was startled to see Ling was crying. "I was weak...weak to do that. WEAK!"
She slammed her fist down, then covered her face again. Duo sweatdropped.
"Oh God...is Wufei still on that whole WEAK thing? HA-ha! That's funny!
Look, you weren't weak. Just curious. Alright? It's perfectly ok."
Ling looked up,
wiping her eyes off. "Just...don' tell my dad, ok?"
"Alright." Duo
smiled, and Ling smiled back.
"Tell me again?"
Duo and Ling
had gone back up to Duo's room, cleaned it, and now Ling and Duo sat on
the floor across from each other, Ling claiming she knew how to help Duo.
She held up a small glass vial. "My dad knows all about you, Duo. I have
to give this to Heero. It will help you kill Relena!"
"How...how will
it help me kill Relena?" Duo blinked, perplexed.
"I can't tell
you...because I don't know. But you have to give it to your dad, Duo! My
dad will tell him what to do with it soon!"
Taking the small
vial, Duo stared in at the water-like substance in it. "Ok...I'll give
it to him."
"Alright, Duo!
I gotta go now..." Ling fell silent. They could both hear Quatre calling
to her. She turned to Duo once more, a sparkle in her bright Chinese eyes.
"Maybe we'll meet again someday. Good luck to you, Duo Maxwell!"
She planted a
kiss on his cheek before running downstairs. Duo blinked, bright red.
Heero shut the
door after watching Quatre and Ling leave. He turned around to see Duo
coming down the stairs, looking dazed.
"Hey...Da...er...Heero?"
Heero smiled.
"What?"
Duo looked over,
still looking dazed. "How's Hilde doing? Do you know?"
"Yes - I do.
She's on this colony, but the other side of it. I saw her last year sometime,
shopping, I think. We talked a bit..."
"About...what?"
"Stuff. And you."
Heero shrugged. "She's keeping up the scrap yard, by herself. She says
it's tough, but it brings the money in. Thing is...she has this...hollow
look to her. I dunno. I think your death really messed her up, Duo. She
didn't come to your funeral or my wedding. She was invited to both." Sighing,
Heero smiled. "Don't worry about it. She's ok."
"Oh. Hey um...have
you heard anything from Relena?"
"Oh yah. She's
staying with her brother until tomorrow afternoon, I think. Scared I'll
kill her after what she did. Not that I blame her, I wish I could."
He winked at
Duo. "But that's your job."
Duo looked down.
"I think...I think maybe you should go out tonight. And I'm very little.
I might...need a baby-sitter."
Slowly it dawned
on Heero what Duo meant. "Oh...yeh...I was gonna go visit Wufei and Ling
tonight...I was. And you're right, you're too little to stay here on your
own. I'll go call someone to stay with you."
Heero stood up
and Duo beamed. He wasn't sure why a happiness filled him when he thought
of Hilde, but it did.
Maybe it's
because I CAN'T love Heero anymore...
He shrugged
to himself, and ran upstairs to his room to get ready.
"Hey..DUO! Before
I go...well hold on."
Duo was sitting
on the couch, nervously, staring at the door. He watched Heero run upstairs,
then run back down with something in his arms.
"Put this on.
It's big for you, but it outta be ok."
Duo took the
shirt from Heero's arms. It was...
"Heero...this
is one of my old shirts!" Duo's eyes watered, and he hugged it. Heero grinned
sheepishly. "I've had that for...six years. You left it at my house one
time..."
There was an
embarrassed silence, which Duo broke by struggling to pull his shirt on.
He stood up, and looked down at himself. The shirt went past his knees,
touching his feet. He grinned. "Hey...it works. It smells like you, Heero!"
Heero stayed
silent. He didn't feel like explaining how he'd held it all that time,
draining and savoring each last bit of Duo smell left in that shirt.
The doorbell
rang and Duo jumped. "HELP!" He scrambled onto the couch and ducked down.
Heero laughed, and went to get the door.
"Hi Hilde...thanks
for coming so far...no one else would sit for him..."
"It's alright."
Hilde stepped in and smiled, though it was an empty smile. Heero pointed
over to the couch. "He's over there...I think he's shy about girls. I outta
be back later tonight...and if you need me I'm just down the road. Oh,
he has to take a bath and be in bed by 11! His mom's rule. If he's watching
a movie, though, he can-"
Hilde laughed.
"I got it, I got it. I'm sure he knows the rules."
Heero nodded.
"He runs and hides...but never lies." Winking, he shut the door. Unnerved
by Duo's old saying, Hilde walked over to the couch.
"So...Duo...eep."
Hilde laughed. Duo wasn't anywhere to be seen, except for a lump under
one of the couch pillows.
"Don't be shy.
I'm not that ugly."
Duo's muffled
voice could be heard from the lump. "I know you aren't. But I'll scare
you."
"No...nothing
scares me. Come on...!" Hilde flipped the pillow up.
Duo looked up
at her, wincing. Heero was right - she had hollows under her eyes, her
hair looked more mussed, and her once bright pink hat was black. She stared
down at Duo.
"You...you..."
"Look like Duo
Maxwell?"
Hilde looked
down, eyes watering. "Please...don't."
Duo hopped up,
hurting inside to see her so sad. "Aw, Hild'...don't cry." He hugged her
leg and grinned up at her. "If you don't cry I'll tell you a secret."
Hilde looked
down at Duo's grinning face and had to smile a little. "Alright...I hope
it's a good secret."
"It is!" Duo
blinked, deciding to act his age for a change. "Carry me." He held his
arms up.
Hilde laughed
despite herself, and lifted the small Duo. "All right. So tell me this
big secret.
He did.
...an hour ago.
After realizing
what Duo was talking about, Hilde just stared, then hugged him tightly
without a word. She'd been like this for just about an hour. And Duo liked
it at first, but now he was starting to fall asleep.
"Hey...Hild'..."
"HILD'! That's
the name you always used to call me, Duo..."
"I'll call you
even more names if you don't let up!"
"Oh...Duo, I'm
sorry." Hilde pulled back and set Duo down on the couch again, and Duo
was shocked to see the bright look on her tearstained face.
"Duo...you have
to let me...babysit you again...so we can talk more..." Hilde wiped her
eyes off with her sleeve. Duo grinned. "Aw Hilde, Dad...Heero...won't be
back for a while. We can talk now."
"No...no. You...you
have to take a bath and be in bed by eleven." Hilde sniffed, wiping her
eyes off again.
"Ok. I'll take
a bath. Wanna help me?"
"DUO!"
"Hilde, I'm only
four! C'mon."
Hilde blushed
dark red and turned the other way. "No...I'm sure you can manage on your
own."
"Oh...ok. 'Bye."
Duo climbed down and headed upstairs, then made an exaggerated falling-over
moment, banging against the ground.
"OW! Ow...OW!
My um...LEG! OW! HILDE! OW!"
"What?!" Hilde
jumped up and ran over. "What happened? Your leg?"
"It...it really
hurts. You need to carry me, Hilde." Duo's eyes watered as he held his
arms up. Hilde frowned. "Duo, that's so fake. You did this twice before
trying to get out of work. I let you and I won't fall for it this time!"
"Hilde..." Duo
sniffed. "Ok. I can tell you hate me." He got up and hop-limped over to
the stairs, slowly attempting to crawl up, whimpering and wincing. Hilde
winced too.
"OK! Duo...stop.
I'm sorry. I'll carry you."
Duo grinned as
Hilde picked him up and walked upstairs. He pointed. "That way. Turn there.
And in there."
Hilde was stunned.
"This house is...HUGE! God..."
Duo laughed.
"Relena is rich. I really can't decide if I liked growing up on the streets
or this house better. On the streets at least I didn't have to wear pink
and see her ugly face each day." Duo scoffed, then pointed. "That's the
bathroom."
Hilde held her
breath in. It was more like a private poolhouse. The "bathtub" looked like
a huge spa, and there were what looked like hundreds of various soaps and
shampoos.
It was all pink.
Duo hopped down
from Hilde's arms and struggled to pull off his huge shirt. Hilde looked
away, then blinked and looked back.
"Hey, Duo...that's
the shirt from my picture!"
She pointed at
all small stain on the collar, and Duo stop fighting it and blinked. "Huh?"
"The picture
I had the guy at the park take." Hilde reached into her shirt pocket and
pulled out a small photo, handing it to Duo. Duo grinned at it. He was
maybe 17, before he had gotten married. Hilde was smiling sheepishly and
Duo was grinning widely, his hand behind Hilde and giving her bunny ears.
There was a brown stain on his collar that, Duo remembered, was caused
by spilt ice cream earlier that day.
"Oh! Hehe...yah,
I remember that." Duo gave it back to Hilde quickly, the feeling that he
wished he could be his normal age starting to tear at him once more.
He reached over,
turning the water on, and began pulling off his clothes once more. Hilde
turned away, scarlet again.
Duo climbed into
the now filled tub, and watched Hilde. "Wanna help me?"
"You can do it
yourself!" Hilde blushed more and stayed turned away. Duo frowned. "Fine.
You're boring, Hilde."
He rested his
chin in his arms, staring over the rim of the tub at Hilde, who's ears
were also red.
Is she cold,
or embarrassed? Whatever she is, she's boring...
Duo yawned,
soon lulled to sleep.
Oh Duo...I'm
so glad you're not a little kid anymore.
Me too, Hilde...why
don't you stay here tonight?
Really, Duo?
It's what I've always wanted...
Me too, Hild'.
C'mon, my room is right over here...
Oh, Duo.
Hilde.
"Duo?"
Duo blinked sleepily.
"Hil...hilde?"
Hilde had her
eyes shut tight, and was poking Duo, who was still in the tub. "Duo. You
fell asleep, I think. It's been an hour and its nearly eleven. So get out
and get dressed and go to bed."
Duo yawned again
and closed his eyes once more. "Naw."
Hilde turned
away, feeling like she might cry. Why did Duo have to be so troublesome?
If he would just get out and get dressed, then they could talk, about everything...
Feeling determined,
Hilde grabbed a towel, turned around, plucked Duo from the tub and wrapped
him in the towel so fast that Duo yelped.
"ACK! Hilde,
what the...eep!" He grinned sheepishly at Hilde, who was grinning. "That's
what happens when you don't listen to your babysitter. Now c'mon - get
dressed, and we can talk."