Forbidden Love
by Duo's Chick
and
Star Kindler
Chapter Three
Disclaimer: We don't own GW, never have and never will
Author's Note: As stated in the previous chapter, if this material is disturbing or offending, then please stop reading. But try to open your heart and mind. We're just telling a story of quite possibly the most terrifying period in the history of the world.
***
"In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic. Then they came for me – and by that time there was nobody left to speak up."
-Martin Niemöller
***
Heero clutched his stomach when he saw a very bloodied and beaten young man lying unconscious on the floor. After a moment, his senses returned and he regained composure. Hurriedly, he peaked out the doorway to make sure no officers were patrolling the hallway – especially officer Barton. He was in luck, not a person in sight. Quietly, the brown haired man shut the door and rushed over to the battered boy.
He stooped over, and gently pulled the young man into a sitting position and held him protectively. Tears threatened to roll down his cheeks as he rocked the boy Barton had called Duo. But one thing was on Heero's mind. He was the one who was supposed to 'break' Duo in, why was the boy already battered? Lovingly, he caressed Duo's cheek and wiped a bit of blood that trickled from the corner of mouth. He began to realize how beautiful this young Duo was, but as this thought crossed his mind, the young man in his arms opened his eyes. When Duo saw that there was a Nazi officer holding him, those violet orbs grew wide with terror.
Heero saw the fear in the beautiful boy's eyes and shook his head.
"I'm not here to hurt you." he said in order to drain Duo's fears.
"Bu-but aren't you the officer who is supposed to…supposed to-"
"Supposed to break you in? Seems someone has already done quite a number on you. I'm not going to add to the injury." Heero said, studying the boy in his arms. "I have to warn you now; this is a terrible place. I'm not going to lie to you. Because you are gay, not even straight fellow inmates will be kind to you. But I want you to know something – you can trust me. I promise I won't do anything to hurt you."
Duo looked deeply in the young officer's eyes and somehow knew he was telling the truth but as he was about to respond, they heard the clicking of boot heels marching down the outside corridor. Heero unwrapped his arms from around Duo and grasped the boy's collar as if he was about to punch him.
"Please, Duo, play along, for your life and mine." Duo nodded and squeezed his eyes shut as the cell door opened.
"Ah, Officer Yuy, I see you're finishing what I started." Officer Barton said evilly as he appeared.
Heero's eyes shot up. So it had been Barton who had done this. He should have known. He suppressed the urge to attack the man who had hurt Duo so badly. "Yes sir. Just as you ordered."
"Very good." Came a gruff reply. Officer Barton paused a moment. "Seems more and more fags are popping out from the woodwork, eh Yuy?"
Heero almost cringed. He hated that horrible word and now, it was thrown around as if it were nothing. But in order to remain inconspicuous, he answered, "Yes, I suppose so, sir."
Officer Barton nodded, "Alright then, carry on." he turned, but then added, "Oh and Officer Yuy, when you're finished, please escort him to barrack number five. Tomorrow, he will be put to work and warn him, he better work hard…or else."
And with that the commanding officer marched out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The two remained still until the sound of the boots against the tiled floor faded in the distance. The two sighed in relief and Heero let go of Duo's collar, and helped him to his feet.
"Um…officer? Why are you being so kind to me?" Duo asked nervously.
"Shh. We can't talk now. Look, all I can do now is warn you. Tonight, when you're going to bed, keep your hands above your blanket. If you do not, you will be shot. And tomorrow, you must work hard – and do not stop working. Officer Barton will have you killed if you slow the pace down at all. Oh, and most importantly – never, never ever cry. One tear shed can also mean your life."
Duo looked at the ground. "Maybe death would be the best thing for me…"
Heero was taken back. He couldn't stand the thought of this beautiful boy dying so cruelly. "No! Don't say that. You must never give up faith."
Duo looked in the cobalt eyes, perplexed. This man was in a Nazi uniform, yet he was being too kind to be a Nazi officer. Perhaps officer Yuy was in fact his guardian angel, sent to protect him while he toiled in the labor camp. Perhaps…
"Duo." Heero shook him from his thoughts. "Come on, let me get you to your bunk room. You shouldn't have any problems tonight." And with that Heero led Duo from the separate prison building out into the cold night. They passed many other soldiers who entertained themselves by calling out vulgar names to the braided boy, easily recognizing him as a homosexual from the pink triangle on his prison uniform. Officer Yuy sighed at the ignorance displayed by the other officers. Heero hated the fact that he was in this group of "elite" soldiers. He didn't agree with the hate Hitler was building his empire upon. The only reason he had joined was to please his parents – especially his father, who fought for Germany in the First World War.
Heero almost wished, as he approached the decrepit, wooden bunkhouse, that he too were a prisoner. He was only lying to himself and to his heart. He most of all felt as if he were betraying the braided boy walking next to him. He felt connected to Duo, despite the fact that only just met the other young man.
Finally, they reached the barrack and it was time for Heero to leave Duo. Duo was overcome with fear as he stood before the door, but Heero nudged him forward.
"It will be okay," he whispered, "just follow what I said. Best of luck." And with that he pushed the door open and told Duo to go in. The braided boy obeyed. Heero shut the door and ventured back into the night. He promised himself as he walked away that he would not let that boy die, whether it caused him his life or not.
Duo was left standing in the front of a long room that held many bunks, stacked in five rows up to the high ceiling. Many men lined these bunks and were staring directly at him, their faces twisted with pity for the young man. Duo was unsure of what to do, that is, until one man told him to find an empty space to sleep. Duo nodded and walked down the center, dodging the small oven – the only source of heat. He noticed that every man kept his hands above the blanket he was wrapped in, just as Heero had told him to do.
Finally, Duo saw an empty spot at the end of a bunk on the second level. Gratefully, he climbed in, only to find that he would be sleeping on straw. Duo sighed and settled in, hoping that by daybreak, the throbbing pain coursing throughout his body will have subsided. He turned to his side to see whom he would be sleeping next to. He came face to face to young blonde man who looked to be his age. The blonde smiled kindly at Duo.
"Hello. I take it you were just brought in."
Duo nodded.
"Looks like they've already broken you in." He paused. "Judging how badly your face is battered, it must have been from the Kommandant." [1]
Duo nodded again. "My name's Duo. What's yours?"
The blonde smiled again. "I'm Quatre. Nice to meet you, even if it is in a place like this."
"Why are you here?" Duo asked
"Same as you; I'm gay." He replied. "Everyone in this barrack is here because of his sexual preference."
Duo groaned unhappily. "This really isn't fair."
"Of course it isn't. Look, just stick with me and you'll be fine. I've been here for what seems like a lifetime. I know what the proper behavior is – basically what keeps you alive and what can get you killed."
Duo nodded. "How long-"
"Hey, will you two stop talking? Do you wanna get in trouble?" Someone from above them said bitterly.
Duo looked over at Quatre who simply nodded and mumbled a 'good night.' Duo did the same and turned onto his back. He let his sink shut, and images of the young Nazi officer named Heero filled his mind. There was something very alluring about that particular soldier and Duo wasn't quite what that something was. The only thing he was sure of was that he could trust Officer Yuy. And with that final thought, Duo drifted into a deep sleep.
***
Heero watched as Officer Barton lined several inmates up, the last of which was Duo. Heero stood behind his commanding officer and watched in horror as he raised a gun, aimed and fired at each prisoner. Heero saw the fear in Duo's eyes as Trowa's gun neared him. Desperately , Duo called out to Heero, but the cobalt-eyed boy could do nothing but watch. Then Officer Barton aimed at Duo and pulled the trigger.
"DUO!"
Heero awoke with a jump, screaming the braided boy's name. He sat up in bed and ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. He couldn't believe the dream he had and he certainly didn't understand why Duo had this affect on him. He was just another inmate. New ones came in everyday, so what was so special about this one? Sighing, Heero looked over at the clock on the bedside table. It was 5:30 a.m. Soon the prisoners would be lined up outside for roll call. As he got out of bed, he hoped he might catch a glimpse of Duo this morning. As he pulled on his uniform, he prayed that beautiful boy would make it through his first day of labor camp.
***
Duo sighed. He had made it half a day and already he was exhausted. He glanced over at Quatre who was shoveling the soil from the ground, not seeming to be the least bit tired.
"Damn, Quatre, how do you manage to do this all day?" He asked, slowing down his pace.
"When your life is on the line, it isn't hard." He looked back at Duo. "You better work faster, or else you won't make it through the whole day."
Duo was about to respond when he noticed a Nazi walk in his direction.
"Why are you slowing down?" He demanded. Duo was struck with fear until he realized that the soldier was talking to the man next to him. Duo shoveled faster.
"I said, why are you slowing down?!" He shouted angrily at the man.
Before the man could answer, the Nazi pulled out a gun and shot the man in the head. Duo saw the man fall to a heap on the ground. Then he saw a stream of blood flow towards him.
"Oh God, Quatre. The blood…it's-" Duo felt sick.
"Shh, Duo, keep shoveling. Please, just keep shoveling!" He whispered almost desperately.
***
A few days later, Heero sat in the officer's mess hall, eating dinner. A few other officers surrounded him including the Kommandant, Officer Barton, and Officer Chang. Heero picked idly at his food, while the others discussed the affairs of the camp. He was too busy thinking about Duo to care what the other officers had to say. He had been watching the braided boy every chance he could. The boy seemed to be getting along all right, physically, that is. As for emotionally, it seemed to Heero that the young man had become dead in that aspect. It wasn't surprising, of course, all prisoners did eventually.
Much to Heero's relief, he noticed Duo had made friends with a blonde prisoner. He was happy that Duo wasn't going through this hell alone. Yet, he felt bereft because he hadn't spoken to Duo since that night he had arrived at Sachsenhausen. He still couldn't get over his fascination with the gorgeous boy; he had the most amazing eyes and his hair was as beautiful as silk-
"Officer Yuy? Are you listening to me?"
Heero was brought back to the real world when the sound of his commanding officer's voice entered his ears.
"Um…I'm sorry sir. Can you repeat what you said?" Heero asked as respectfully as possible.
Officer Barton sighed. "Honestly Yuy, I don't know what is the matter with you lately. I said, there is a bunch of prisoners coming in tonight. I wish for you to break them in."
Heero's heart ripped in two. Why did Barton constantly ask him to do that terrible deed?
"Why are these prisoners being brought in?" He asked, but he should have known the answer.
Officer Barton chuckled lightly. "They're gays. What do you think? Honestly, I don't know where they're all coming from. Good thing Hitler is making sure they don't disrupt the new German Empire, isn't that right Yuy?"
Heero felt the rage building inside him. How he just wanted to rip that bastard to pieces! But instead, he calmly mumbled a "Yes sir."
"Hm. Well, are you going to break them in, Officer Yuy?"
"Yes sir." He said softly.
"Good. I knew I could count on you."
"Of course, sir. Please excuse me." Heero picked his tray up and walked across the mess hall. Before he threw it away, he wrapped an uneaten broiled chicken leg in a napkin and stuck it in his coat pocket. Officer Barton noticed this from across the room and decided to find out what his best officer was up to. Quietly, he followed Heero out of the mess hall and down to the prisoner barracks.
***
"This isn't enough to eat. Why do we only get bread and water? We work and work, and this is our only payment." Duo complained as he sat next to Quatre.
The blonde sighed. "I understand how you feel Duo, but we should be grateful they're feeding us, period."
Duo nodded, "I guess you're right…"
Heero walked quickly and looked back to make sure there were no other soldiers behind him. He didn't see any, which meant he didn't notice the Kommandant carefully following in close pursuit.
Then he noticed Duo sitting with the blonde, eating the little bit of bread he was given. He wanted to give Duo the chicken leg, but could he do that in front of the braided boy's friend? He decided he should. He didn't like the fact that the boy he seemed so connected to was eating so little.
Discreetly, he sauntered over to the two young men. Duo saw him and looked a little frightened at first, as did Quatre. Then he stood before the two who cowered in his shadow. Even if Heero had been kind to Duo that first night, when a Nazi soldier approached a prisoner, it usually meant trouble.
Nervously, Heero pulled the chicken leg wrapped in the napkin out of his pocket and handed it to the two boys.
"Um…I thought that you would be…uh…a little hungry…" He said, feeling incredibly foolish. Quickly, he walked away, not sure of why he just did what he did.
Duo unwrapped the napkin from whatever it was Heero had handed them.
"It's a chicken leg!" Duo exclaimed and took a big bite out of it.
"That was strange. Why would he do that?" Quatre watched the young soldier walk away. "Hey, wait, save some for me!"
Duo handed it to his friend. 'I don't know why Officer Yuy-no, Heero, is so kind. But he is. He is unlike anyone I've ever met… I know he has been watching me. I've seen him…Wait. Maybe I was right! Maybe he is my guardian angel!'
Officer Barton watched the whole episode in utter amazement. Why had his best soldier just given some prisoners extra food? Under normal circumstances, a soldier could be punished for committing an act like that. But Heero was his favorite out of all the soldiers under his command. Officer Barton decided that instead of punishing Heero, he should perhaps watch him break in those new prisoners…
***
"Officer Yuy, those new inmates have arrived. Remember, I expect nothing but the best from you." Barton spoke rather harshly, still a little irked from the act Heero had shown with those two prisoners.
Officer Yuy nodded, dreading the whole ordeal. And as he approached one of the new prisoners, he noticed that Officer Barton followed close behind. He stopped in front of a small-framed man, who was trembling uncontrollably. With regret flowing through his veins he made a fist and slammed it into the man's jaw. Then when his head was thrown to the side, Heero went for his gut and the man spit out blood onto Heero. Heero jumped back as the man fell to his knees, crying out in pain. Suddenly, as Heero eyed him, Duo's face appeared on that man's. It was no longer a stranger's face stained with crimson red blood, but Duo's. Heero began to back away and held his head in his hands. The other soldiers looked on in astonishment as Heero fell to his own knees and screamed angrily in wordless phrases.
Officer Barton grabbed his shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you, Yuy?!" He yelled loudly. "God damn it! Somebody get him to the doctor! Now!" A Nazi ran forward, pulled Heero to his feet and led him away.
Officer Barton stood with clenched fists. Angrily, he ran over to the kneeling prisoner and kicked him in the face, rendering him unconscious.
Gaining composure, he said, "Officer Chang, come here."
The black haired man obeyed. "Yes sir?"
"From now on, I expect you to keep a close on Yuy. Damn it. There is something going on with him, and we need to find out what it is."
~~End of Chapter Three~~
***
[1] Kommandant: German for commander
So what do you think about it so far? We really want to know your thoughts, but please keep them open-minded! ~Star Kindler and Duo's Chick