Begin Part Nine (semi-revised)
When Heero came to he realized exactly where he was immediately.
He was in Duo's bed.
A small smile graced his lips, but then a grimace when he also discovered what an awful headache he had.
Duo's head peeked through the door way and immediately a huge smile spread across his face as he bounded into the room and sat down next to Heero on the bed.
"Heero! You are awake!" he cried happily, grabbing his hand and kissing his knuckles. "I love you!"
Heero chuckled despite his headache. "And I love you too."
Duo lay down next to him and snuggled against his neck. "I was so scared for you.... I am never letting you go back!" he declared, sitting up once more, anger and fierce protection splashed across his face.
"Duo.... What happened...? Never letting me go back where?" Heero asked, confusion thick in his voice.
"You don't remember?"
Heero tried to think, pain washing through his head.
"I remember getting suspended...." No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't discover why he was in Duo's bed.
"I can't remember...."
Duo leaned down and let his lips brush over Heero's for a minute.
"I love you so much...." he whispered. "When you walked into your house, I waited, because I knew something bad was going to happen. I just knew it. Five minutes later the door opened and...and who I presume to be your father threw you to the ground. You were beaten, bleeding, coughing up blood. You.... I was so scared, Heero! I was terrified when you closed your eyes! I thought you had abandoned me! I thought he killed you!" Duo cried, a few tears slipping past his eyelids. "I brought you here. You were still breathing. I.... You had just passed out. Oh, Heero, I love you...." Once more Duo settled down and hugged him, tears wetting Heero's neck from where Duo's face was buried into it.
Slowly Heero stoked the soft strands of Duo's hair, letting him cry out his fears, stunned that he didn't remember such a thing. Obviously it terrified Duo and he didn't blame him.
"Duo...."
Duo took his head from Heero's neck and looked down on the face of his love.
"Yes?"
"I love you too."
Duo smiled weakly at him. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"Some aspirin might be nice," Heero tried to laugh. "I have an awful headache."
Duo's smile became marginally brighter.
"I think I can handle that, as long as you promise to go back to sleep afterward. You need some more rest. I want you to get better soon."
Heero spoke yes, since nodding hurt too much.
When Heero awoke next, he found Duo sleeping, his head nuzzled into his chest. The failing light that snuck through the cracks in the blinds glittered off Duo's golden hair and illuminated his beautiful pale skin.
Duo's eyes opened and they stared into each other until Heero could take it no more and began to stroke his bangs lightly.
"You thought I was sleeping," Duo observed.
Heero nodded, he didn't have a headache anymore and he generally felt a lot better than when he first awoke.
Duo brought a hand up and stroked his cheek.
The both of them were so content in their love that they didn't need words to express their feelings. They merely needed each other's eye contact and gentle, loving touch, and they were satisfied.
However the romantic moment was ruined when Heero's stomach growled its hunger.
Duo giggled at him and Heero blushed slightly, embarrassed by his body's protests of its malnourishment.
Yet Duo leaned up and gave him a peck on the nose.
"Want some take-out Chinese?" he asked, standing and helping Heero to his feet, wrapping his arms slowly around his neck and rocking his body slightly against Heero's hip, his face resting in Heero's neck.
"Sounds great," Heero replied, stroking Duo's soft braid.
"...love you...." Duo whispered softly.
Heero let his fingertips run down Duo's cheek. "Love you too," he murmured back.
Duo smiled up at him, beaming, and dragged him up the stairs. They ordered fried pot stickers, beef lomain, and white rice then snuggled up on the couch to wait for the food to arrive.
"Hey Duo?" Heero asked and Duo looked up at his love. "How do you pay for all of this? You work at Starbucks coffee."
Duo managed a blush. "Well, ah, you see.... I do not work there anymore. I now work at a bank. I um, well, I mess with the files once a month or so.... No one notices...."
Heero just stared. "I can't believe...."
Duo cringed. Heero saw a look of dishonor and shame cross through his eyes. He really didn't know how to accept this information. He wanted to say that it was okay because it was Duo and he was foreign -- really foreign -- but he knew that was a shitty excuse.
"I don't want you to do that much anymore.... We'll just have to combine incomes."
Duo's eyes shown. "You mean you are staying with me?"
"Unless the law gets involved."
Duo threw his arms tight around Duo, almost suffocatingly close, and Heero hugged back with everything in him.
"I owe so much to you," he spoke quietly, obligation in his voice. "I don't ever want to be away from you.... I...I want to do everything for you. If you could only see what an amazing person you are and how much I love you...."
Duo smirked at him. "I think I see how much you love me just by looking into your eyes and realizing how strong my feelings are for you," he replied, leaning down and placing his lips over Heero's.
Heero willingly complied with the kiss, wrapping his arms around Duo's thin waist, relishing in the feel of Duo's body against his. He loved it, he loved Duo. It didn't matter that it wasn't Duo's body or true form, because it was. That was all Heero ever saw him as, that was all he ever would. That was how he knew Duo and that was how he loved him. He wanted to show the beautiful, technical brains of Duo just what the human body was like and this was his vessel with which to do it.
Then the doorbell rang.
Heero groaned his annoyance as Duo quickly got off of him to answer the door.
He followed Duo out to the door and watched as the transaction was made between the two of them. He was rather scared for Duo. Scared that someone would realize his beauty and take advantage of him, because he was very beautiful. At the same time, though, he didn't want to become too possessive of his love and scare him away.
They returned to the living room floor with sodas and began their little feast.
"So, what do you think we are going to be doing for the next three days?" Duo asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Heero shrugged. "I'm out for five, Duo."
"I know, but I am only out for three. It would look awful suspicious if I just did not show up. Rumors would be worse than ever."
Heero didn't say anything. He didn't like this idea at all, but on the other hand he knew he had to give Duo some freedom.
"You are upset with this," Duo spoke up after a few minutes of silence. "Tell me why you are upset so that we can move away from the distraction."
"I'm upset because I'm afraid someone like Wufei will get his hands on you and try to hurt you...." Heero admitted, staring down at the pot sticker and twirling the fork slowly in his hand.
"I guess that I will have to take that chance." Duo lifted a hand to his cheek and brought his face up to look at him. "Do not worry about me so much, Heero. I am a man too; I will fight back when I need to." Duo leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before settling back into his food.
Heero wasn't much relieved, but decided to move away from the subject.
"Well, I have to go to work on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday."
"Oh? I have to work Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so we will have tomorrow together."
Heero smiled. "Good. I can't imagine a better fate for me at the moment."
"What will we do tomorrow?"
"Sleep in," Heero decided immediately and Duo nodded rapidly in agreement to the suggestion. "Then we can grab breakfast or something and maybe hop some movies?"
"I think that we should get your stuff...."
Heero's brows furrowed in confusion. "My stuff?"
"You know, while your parents are at work, you should get your stuff from your room?"
Heero nodded solemnly. "If they call...."
"I will tell them to fuck off."
Heero couldn't help but giggle slightly. Duo rarely ever cursed and he had such conviction to his voice and posture as he said the words that it made him adorable.
"Are you laughing at me mister Yuy?" Duo asked, picking up a napkin and whapping him with it.
"No! You're being cute!"
"Oh, I see how it is! I am being cute, huh? You know, being cute is sooo funny!"
"It is! You are cute!"
"Oh, and how am I being cute, eh?"
"Just the way you said 'fuck off'! It was adorable!"
Duo blushed a little, still trying to act flustered and doing a miserable job of it, finally giving up to say, "you know, Yuy, you have the easiest time sweet talking me."
Heero snorted. "I wasn't sweet talking you."
"You were not?" Duo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. *This* would be sweet talking you, you beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, bright little sweet heart you," Heero murmured, moving closer to him with each word and finally knocking him back onto the shag carpet, taking the fork out of his hand and placing it in the pot sticker tray. "You're just the most amazing thing I've ever laid eyes on and there's nothing in the entire world I would ever give you up for. I just wanna lay right next to you for the rest of my entire life and love you up until your mind goes numb and kiss you...." he trailed off, letting his lips linger over Duo's before closing his eyes and ravishing Duo's sweet mouth.
Duo brought his hands up to trail through Heero's hair, pulling him closer to his body. Heero began to trail sloppy kisses down Duo's neck, nipping on all the sensitive flesh where his neck met his shoulders.
Heero knew what he wanted and he knew he wanted Duo, but he was much too afraid that he would scare him away. They'd only been together for a few weeks, though it felt like so much longer....
No, it was definitely not time yet to do anything.
Heero rolled off of the tease underneath him and let their fingers twine together as they stared up at the ceiling, watching the stars through the skylight.
"Do you know that line from Romeo and Juliet about the moon?" Heero asked quietly.
Duo shook his head slowly. "Do you remember it?"
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she; be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast if off. It is my lady; O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing; what of her eye discourse, I will answer it. I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing, and think it were not night! See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!" Heero recited flawlessly.
"Ah me!" Duo continued.
"O, speak again, bright angel!" Heero returned, "for thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winger messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air."
"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Duo replied, then changing pace, recited, "Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face; else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek for that which thou hast heard me speak tonight. Fain would I dwell on form--fain, fain deny what I have spoke; but farewell compliment. Dost thou love me? I know thow wilt say 'Ay'; and I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear'st thou mayst prove false. At lovers' perjuries, they say Jove laughs. O' gentle Romeo, if thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully, or if thou think'st I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thow wilt woo; but else, not for the world. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, and therefore thou mayst think my havior light; but trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true than those that have more cunning to be strange. I should have been more strange, I must confess, but that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware, my true love passion. Therefore pardon me, and not impute this yielding to light love, which dark night hath so discovered." [1]
Their words trailed away and they were left in a comfortable silence.
"You knew more than you thought," Heero finally spoke.
Duo turned to look at him. "I know the entire thing, I merely wanted to hear it from your sweet lips."
Heero sat up, sighing and giving him a kiss.
"I suppose this should be cleaned?"
Duo nodded and they both set to work cleaning.
They were finished quickly and retreated downstairs, stripping down to boxers and climbing into the bed together when the phone rang.
Duo sat up and grabbed it, speaking hello.
Heero immediately saw his face darken.
"Yes," he growled then paused. "No. No," he repeated and Heero wrapped an arm around his waist for support, nuzzling against his back. "No! I refuse to let him go back there!" All of Heero's muscles immediately tensed and he squeezed his eyes shut tight, violent memories flashing in his mind.
Even when his father took the first hit, he didn't feel it.
The second punch knocked him to the floor, but he didn't feel it. He didn't get back up. He just lay there.
He was already too broken to care.
"Heero."
Such twisted emotions.... He craved nothing more than the attention of his father, but now there was such fear....
The entire house smelled of beer....
Just get to my room, lock the door....
"You fucker," he hissed, "you shouldn't stay out late like that."
"It wasn't even nine o'clock!" Heero cried in frustration, only getting another slam across the face.
The copper taste in his mouth...his nose and lips were now bleeding.
Oh Gods, he *was* going to die! His own father was going to kill him!
'Not again! Oh God, Lord, please, don't let him hit me again!'
"Stop it!"
"Please, not again," she pleaded desperately. "I'll call the cops! I swear, this time, I'll call them.... Please don't hurt me...again.... Please...."
"He is eighteen! He is legally allowed to get the hell away from you!" Duo argued into the phone. Heero realized that they were both crying.
"Give me the phone," he asked.
Duo shook his head, his eyes full of anger and sorrow.
"There is no way in the entire world you'll get me to change my mind!" Duo declared, his arms now shaking, but his voice still strong and steady and angry.
"Give me the phone," Heero commanded again and Duo handed it to him, wrapping his arms around his knees and burry his head in his lap.
"Look mom," Heero started, trying to keep the tears out of his voice. She was babbling in hysterics and he just tuned her out. "You get a fucking divorce, okay? You do that. I'm not coming back. I'm not going back! I refuse to be around that bastard! I refuse to be around him!" Heero shouted, his voice growing in volume with each word. "I don't have to live like that! You don't have to live like that! I'm staying right where I am! I don't want to be hurt anymore, you understand? I don't want to be hurt! I'm sick of it! Understand?! I'm sick of it!!" With that, Heero promptly turned the phone off and then back on so she couldn't call back and threw it to the floor. He immediately wrapped his arms around Duo, who uncurled slightly and was sobbing gently into Heero's chest as Heero's tears fell and clung in the soft brown mass of Duo's hair.
"Why does everything have to be so violent here?" Duo whispered, clinging to the blankets. "Why is everything so violent...?"
Heero could only shake his head. "I don't know, lovely.... I don't know...."
[1] act two, scene two, lines two through thirty-four then lines eighty-five through one hundred and six
End Part Nine