Author's Notes- Whee! Another chapter! Aren't you all so thrilled?
Yami- (unenthusiastically) Whoo.
Oh, don't be such a poop. You can't be the star in everything. Anyways…. This is the second to last chapter folks! Er, at least I think it is…. If you don't count the epilogue, or random ideas I may somehow get in the near future and desperately need to add on, therefore making this story much longer than previously intended, which will in turn drive me absolutely insane because I really need to get the last chapter and the epilogue out before my head explodes from the sheer force of the fluffiness that is stored in it….
Heero-….. Duo, I think you've finally met someone who could beat you in a talking contest.
ANYWAYS…. As I said, if all goes to plan, this will be the second to last chapter. Next we'll have the loverly, oh so mushy ending that we all know and love, and the epilogue I have planned will, somehow, manage to be even MORE mushy, and not related to the Disney movie at all! HA HA!! You know, I was thinking about that….. what do you think would happen if some Disney representative came and saw what I did to one of their best-selling movies…? ^_^
Yami- Oya, would you at least stay on topic?
Topic? Topic…. What IS this topic you speak of? I KNOW IT NOT!!! Right, so, anyways, you got the basic jist on what chapter this is? Yes? Good. On with it then, I suppose.
Disclaimer- Still don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, nor the idea for Beauty and the Beast….. that's not to say that I WON'T, of course… *evil grin*
Warning- Ok, fine, I'll stoop down to warning you people more than once. This story contains yaoi, as if you couldn't tell from the title. Specifically: 1x2. There will also be some 3x4, and 13x5 if you look reeeeeally hard.
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It was the dream again. The same dream that had been haunting him nearly every night since Duo had come to stay in his castle. It was enough to drive a person insane.
But still…. Heero frowned, considering. His gaze dropped down to his hands, his normal, non-fur-covered hands. It really had to mean something, didn't it? Having the same exact dream, a dream which could be interpreted by even the most foolish to mean that the braided youth was the one he was destined to be with. Coming out of his thoughts, the beast-prince's deep blue eyes traveled from his hands to the beautiful sight before him.
Yes, Duo was still there. He was always there. Always there, always perfect, always smiling softly. His amethyst eyes sparkled, and an arm was outstretched in a beckoning gesture. Heero knew what the apparition wanted, it was the same thing he did. The problem was, did the person this dream-figure represented feel the same? Pushing that thought aside to cope with later, Heero tried to work out how to, for once, make this dream end happily.
Sighing, he realized his plan was the same as it always had been. There was no other option. It was a dream, it didn't care what he did, it was just there to tell his subconscious something it wasn't quite getting. Without another thought, he bolted towards the other.
The dream-Duo laughed, now reaching out with both arms. The joyful sound served to urge Heero on, quicker, swifter, he needed to feel the other in his arms. He was close now, oh so close, and very encouraged by the fact that the apparition opposite him still seemed to be quite solid. Now, he could even feel the other's breath brushing over him….
Smiling, a genuine smile of happiness, Heero wrapped both arms around the boy, ecstatic he hadn't yet disappeared. The dream-Duo's eyes sparkled, and the beast-prince was aware of two arms wrapping themselves around his neck. "Duo, I…. I love you…." It was amazing to finally put it into words, even if it was only a dream.
The youth smiled in return, then leaned forward so his mouth was right beside Heero's ear. He had to strain to hear the words coming out of the apparition's mouth, but it was worth it. "I love you too, Hee-chan." The whispered words had something behind them, something more than a mere dream's capabilities, but the beast-prince was too overjoyed to notice. However, the emotion was fleeting. How could he face the real Duo now, after hearing this, but having no idea what was truly real? As he sighed, the world faded to black around him, and he was clutching at empty air.
Heero opened his eyes, staring at the darkness above him. Dreams were too confusing to be useful. He really should stop listening to them. Sighing, he rolled over slightly, trying to get comfortable. However, something was impeding his progress. That something squeaked as the beast-prince poked at it, then stuck it's head out from under the sheets. "D-Duo?!"
"Uhm…." The braided boy grinned nervously, looking as if this hadn't been part of his master plan. In fact, it hadn't been. At all. "Er, yea, well, you see…." Heero just raised his eyebrows and waited for the other to spit out whatever he was trying to say. "Ok, so…." Duo cleared his throat. "Well, it got really cold in my room for some reason, so it woke me up, and then I couldn't get back to sleep, and I tried to start another fire but there were no matches anywhere and so I was trying to think up ways I could get warm again and…." He blushed, and was very thankful the darkness covered it. "Um, yea, so, I, uh, came in here and…. I didn't think you'd mind…." The blush turned up a few notches from pink to scarlet.
"I don't." Really, Heero was quite enjoying the whole thing. "You just should have woken me up, then I wouldn't have tried to roll over on top of you." Heero mentally scowled at all the thoughts that statement brought up, and managed to squash them down for later use. Laying back down, he shut his eyes. "Good night."
"Night…." He felt the other boy burrow under the covers once again. "Thanks…. Hee-chan." The beast-prince's eyes shot open at this. The dream…. The dream Duo had called him Hee-chan too…. Did dream people use nicknames normally? His mind finally calmed down enough for him to fall asleep.
Outside Heero's room, Quatre stepped back from the cracked door and smiled, rather pleased at the way thing were going. Taking another step back, he collided with something solid. "Trowa?"
"Hai." He felt the other peer around his shoulder. "You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" Both of the servant's eyebrows shot up at the end of this statement, and Quatre didn't need to be able to see him to figure that one out.
"Well, maybe I did, just a bit." The blonde's smile turned rather conspiratorial. "Part one complete."
"Hm. So this is part of your mysterious plan, is it?" Wufei stated bluntly, making Quatre jump. "Clever, sure, but cutting off the heat to his room?" The justice-lover shook his head. "Really…." Treize, who had walked up behind him, snickered softly.
"Hey, it worked didn't it?" The blonde servant frowned, but the expression lessened in intensity as Trowa wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. "I don't see you doing anything to help."
"Wufei, I can't get the fire started in my room, can I sleep with you?" Treize inquired, 'innocently'. Wufei's eyes widened considerably, and he sputtered a bit, trying to put together a response but somehow not being able to manage it. The other two servants laughed softly, and Treize gave the sputtering boy a peck on the cheek. The sputtering ceased, only to be replaced by a stammering objection, but it didn't seem to have much feeling behind it. "So? Can I?"
"I… I, uh, I… er…."
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One amethyst eye opened, rather blearily. It surveyed its surroundings, decided nothing was drastically out of place, and shut once more. Duo mumbled slightly, burying his face deeper into… well, whatever it was. It couldn't be called a sheet, exactly, sheets weren't furry. Nor did they have any sort muscles beneath them… and he was doubly sure they didn't smell like…
The braided boy's eyes shot open. Heero. He. Was. Lying. On. Heero. No, not on, just beside. His mind told him cheerfully. Gulping, Duo scanned the surrounding area quickly. Yes, Heero's room. Heero's bed. Heero's…. body. AS the events of the previous night slowly trickled into his brain, the youth calmed down. Slightly. He couldn't remember anything about getting so close to his host, nor about cuddling up next to him…..
Heero stirred, and Duo nearly fell off the bed in shock.
"Hn…? Duo?" The beast-prince blinked tiredly as he heard the squeak beside him. "What's the matter?" Luckily, the one part of his mind that was completely awake held his memory banks, so he wasn't shocked to find the other boy in his bed. Had he woken up a few seconds earlier, however…. But we won't get into that.
"Er, nothing, nothing…." Duo muttered, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. "Nothing." He paused, still absently fiddling with his hair. "Er, thanks again for letting me sleep here last night, I really don't like the cold…"
"Your welcome to sleep in here anytime you like." Heero regretted the statement as soon as it came out of his mouth. He was supposed to keep that thought to himself. However, Duo said nothing in reply, just remained tugging on his braid lightly.
I am? He mused lightly to himself. Well then, I don't think my bed's going to have much use from now on…. He frowned rather bitterly at the thought, but kept the expression behind the loose hair that had fallen around his face I don't think he meant for you to take the statement like THAT. Duo sighed softly, bitterly. Maybe I could say that the heat has permanently been lost in my room….
"Masters? Masters… Oh!" Quatre pushed the door open slightly, and grinned as he saw the two young men, still in the same bed. "I, er, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt anything…." His grin widened as he saw Duo blush, and Heero begin some sort of objection to whatever he had been implying. Luckily, the blonde servant managed to cut him off. "I just came to tell you that breakfast is ready." With that, he left, pulling the door shut behind him.
"Smooth Quatre, very smooth." Wufei rolled his eyes. It seemed to be becoming one of his favorite pastimes.
"Oh, like you acted last night?" The black-haired servant's eyes widened.
"That... that has nothing to do with anything!" Quatre laughed, and Wufei scowled. It was one thing for Treize to like him, but did he have to do it so openly? Still scowling, the justice-loving young man followed Quatre into one of the various dining halls to help serve. Neither heard the conversation behind the closed doors…
"So, er, shall we go?" Heero inquired mildly.
"Oh! Yea, uhm, sure…" Not much of a conversation to hear, I admit, but hey. Needless to say, both eventually made their way down to the particular dining room breakfast was being served in on this particular morning, and ate, of course, breakfast. Afterwards the hours passed, as they are wont to do, and eventually, it was evening, and both young men found themselves tugged into their rooms hurriedly by an invisible servant.
"What's going on?" Duo demanded as Quatre tugged him over towards the closet and thrust the doors open. The servant didn't respond, instead beginning to rummage around in the seemingly endless array of clothing before him. The braided youth was miffed at being ignored, so miffed that he didn't even take into account that it was slightly un-nerving to see the clothes being sorted through by nothing visible. "Well?"
"Hm? Oh." Quatre didn't answer right away. Tugging out a fancy outfit, he held it up for inspection. Duo frowned at it. It was another black tunic, but long-sleeved and much more dressed up than his normal attire. It was covered with silver embroidery, and yet somehow managed to look un-cluttered and classy. With it hung a pair of pants done in a similar fashion. The braided youth wondered vaguely how someone was supposed to walk without mussing the entire thing up. "This'll work, I think."
"Work for what?!" Duo dodged to the side as the invisible servant held up the outfit for him to take. "Would you PLEASE explain something to me here?!"
"Oh, didn't I already?" The amethyst-eyed boy shook his head. "Oh, I'm sorry. Anyway, we had kind of a…. well, kind of a ball planned… yes, that's it."
"A ball? What on earth are you talking about?!" Duo dodged once again. The floating clothing was inching closer by the second, soon he'd have to climb something to be out of its reach. "Unless I'm gravely mistaken, the only people here are…"
"You, Master Heero, and the servants, yes." Coming from behind, Quatre managed to grab the boy's shoulder. "So, would you please put this on?" He thrust the ornate outfit into Duo's hands.
"Why?!"
Quatre sighed in exasperation. "Because…"
"No, I mean, why is there going to be a ball, or whatever?" The braided youth held up the outfit, and scowled at it. "I don't see the point, especially if it means I have to get dressed up."
The blonde servant paused, slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected this. "Well, you know, just for a bit of fun…" He searched for something, anything. "Besides, I think Master Heero would love seeing you in this…." He gestured towards the outfit, and Duo's eyes widened slightly.
"Really? You think that…." Then he caught himself. "Er, I mean, if, um, if Heero wants, I guess I can… He's the boss after all, right?"
Quatre chuckled. "Yes, Master Duo. Whatever you say."
"What's that supposed to…"
"Now, put it on!"
"All RIGHT."
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"This was Quatre's plan, wasn't it?" Heero frowned.
"Well…" Trowa frowned as well. Was Quatre going to get in trouble…? He couldn't let that happen. "Er, not really, it was…"
"I know it was, and no, he's not going to be punished." The beast-prince paused as Trowa sighed in relief. "What's the reason?"
"Reason, sir?"
"The reason for the ball. Don't play stupid."
"Oh, yes. Well…. Do you want the truth, master?" Heero nodded. "Well, Quatre is telling Duo that it's just for fun, but really…. You know what he really thinks, don't you?"
"What?" I don't know… do I? Yes. Yes I do. "He's trying to hook us up, isn't he?"
"Yes, sir." There was another pause, and Trowa gulped. He drastically hoped his lover hadn't gone too far… Quatre had a good heart, but it wasn't a totally alien idea for him to have gone completely overboard. The servant gulped again, waiting for the response he knew had to be coming.
"Am I that obvious?" The servant blinked. He hadn't been expecting that particular response. Perhaps he head heard wrong.
"Sir?"
"I said don't play stupid."
"Well… not really, sir, but we know you. When someone's known you as long as we have, well, yes, it is rather obvious." Trowa paused, not sure if he was supposed to continue with this train of thought. However, Heero merely raised his eyebrows, so he decided it was safe. "You take such care when it comes to him, and, well, you've seemed so much happier since he's come here." He held out an outfit. "So?"
"So what?"
"You'll go?"
"Of course I will…." Heero accepted the outfit, not really thinking about anything except seeing Duo in whatever Quatre had selected for him. It was bound to be worth seeing… And besides. Maybe his over-enthusiastic servant was right. Perhaps this would help, or at least allow him to confess his feelings. That had to be better than nothing. Sighing, he began to get dressed.
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"I have to do WHAT?!"
"Oh come come now, my dragon, you LOVE to sing…"
"Not in front of other people!"
"You sing in front of me…"
"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SPY ON ME WHILE I'M BATHING!!!" Treize grinned sheepishly, but didn't stop his persuading efforts.
"Please? Quatre'll kill us both if you mess this up." The tall servant waved the sheets of music in front of Wufei's nose once again. "If you do it, I'll reward you when this is all over…."
All over indeed. That's where Wufei turned red. Still blushing, he snatched the music out of Treize's hands, muttering something or other about injustice under his breath. The other servant just smiled triumphantly. "Don't fret, you have a lovely singing voice." Leaning in, he kissed the black-haired servant firmly on the lips before walking off, leaving Wufei sputtering and trying to concentrate on the music he had been handed.
"All right, so the dinner is set, and the ball room… TREIZE!!" Quatre waved him over. "Is the music taken care of?"
"Oh, I believe so…" One of Wufei's random mutterings reached his ears. "Yes, I do indeed." Quatre just rolled his eyes.
"You two, honestly…" Shaking his head, he picked his way through the various instruments and servants, eventually reaching the main doors, where Trowa was standing. "Are they coming? Did you get Heero to agree?" He bounced on the balls of his feet, going near-insane with the stress this was putting on him. Perhaps this hadn't been such a great idea….
"Calm down, koibito." Trowa placed both hands on the smaller servant's shoulders. "Everything's going to be fine, your plan will work." The blonde didn't seem convinced. The taller of the two sighed. "If it'll make you feel any better, I left just as Master Heero was getting dressed, and he seemed rather eager to see Master Duo….." He grinned. "You were right. He actually came out and admitted it."
"Hai, now we just need to find out if Master Duo feels the same way, neh?" Winking, (although it lost the real effect, of course) Quatre dashed off to find the afore-mentioned braided youth. Wandering through the halls at a rather quick pace, scanning the rooms, he finally found the amethyst-eyed boy in his room, fussing with his hair. "Master Duo?"
"Hm? Oh, Quatre…" Duo glanced towards the doors, gave up on finding something to hold eye contact with, and went back to his hair. "Well, I was just wondering…" A blush threatened to creep up his cheeks, but he managed to keep it down. Mostly. "It's just that…. Er, well, Heero seemed to like my hair better… when it was down… and…." He released his mass of hair from the fist he'd been holding it in, sending it cascading down his back in a chestnut curtain. "I thought that, well…."
Quatre smiled. "I think it's a wonderful idea. You look marvelous with your hair down. Leave it." Walking around behind the youth, he began to push him towards the door. "Now, come on!"
"Pushy pushy…" Duo muttered. Tossing the brush onto his bed, he took a few steps forward, taking him out of the blonde servant's reach. Mind you, he didn't actually know that the servant was blonde, but that's beside the point. He eventually made his way to the doors of the ballroom, amazing himself by managing to keep his outfit in perfect condition the entire way.
Reaching the gigantic wooden doors, the amethyst-eyed boy gulped. Stepping forward a bit, he pushed them open ever so slightly, and peered inside. The room looked very good, as if it were preparing for a gigantic party, instead of two people. A small orchestra seemed to be set up in one corner, most of the instruments being supported by invisible servants already. He noticed a few that were currently un-occupied, namely a violin, flute, and guitar, but didn't really take much notice. His eyes were now fixed on the other visible person in the room.
Yes, it was Heero, of course. And, really, he didn't look all that bad, for a beast-prince. Not bad at all, Duo realized, if the light caught him just right. Speaking of light, wasn't it flashing a bit oddly? Yes, it was definitely too bright… Ah! Duo screwed his eyes shut at the brightness. Wondering what had tried to blind him, he opened one eye, just a crack. What it caught sight of caused both eyes to widen in amazement. Yes, it was still Heero… but it was again the young man, not beast.
A small part of his mind was busy wondering if he was going insane (he had seen this young man three times now in place of the beast, had you been counting) but the rest was focusing on keeping him from drooling. Now, more than ever, he realized this young man was simply gorgeous, and even that was selling him short. A lightly muscled frame, currently leaned slightly to the left, suggested hidden strength and grace beyond compare. The hair, still a messy brown. And the eyes….
The eyes. Always the same, always stunning. A shade of blue Duo hadn't previously realized existed. Before he could move on to describing the rest of the young man's body, he was gone, replaced once again by the beast Heero he knew. And loved? A part of his mind inquired. And loved…. Maybe. No, not maybe… was it a maybe? No, no maybe. Definitely. The long-haired youth sighed. Good going Duo, you just admitted to yourself that you're in love with about the most un-attainable person there is. The rest of his mind told the cynic part to keep its mouth shut.
"Why are you standing out here still?" Quatre's quiet voice nearly made Duo jump out of his skin. Calming down, slightly, he turned around, one eye twitching. The blonde servant wondered if that could be considered a good thing in any circumstances.
"Right now, trying to calm down from a near heart-attack, thanks."
"My apologies, Master Duo. What were you doing out here?"
"Er…" Another blush faintly colored the youth's cheeks. "I was, um… Well…" Yes, actually, I was checking out your real master, because I'm in love with him, and keep seeing him as a drastically attractive young man. Does that answer your question? "I… nothing… really…"
"Well then, go on!" With a light shove, Quatre sent the well-dressed Duo into the room, slipping in behind him and shutting the doors. The youth stumbled slightly before catching his balance, and immediately shifting his gaze to his feet. He locked his hands behind his back and seemed to freeze in place. Actually, he did.
What am I supposed to do?!
"Go on." Quatre urged softly from behind him. "Master Heero is just over there. He is supposed to escort you to the dinner table, and then to the floor for dancing."
"D-d-d-dancing?!" Duo stuttered, feet not moving. He, however, was moving across the floor at a surprising rate: Quatre had decided to push him along the slick floor. "But I don't know how!" Wonderful, I can make a fool of myself!
The servant just chuckled. "Master Heero will teach you." He grinned in determination, and gave Duo one last, powerful shove. "Now, go on, he's waiting!"
Once again, the long-haired youth stumbled forward. Luckily though, his body seemed to catch on, and his legs began moving of their own accord, carrying him closer and closer to Heero. The beast-prince seemed to be conversing with himself—no, wait, another servant—and didn't seem to notice at first. As Duo drew closer, however, he heard his footsteps and turned. And nearly gasped aloud.
Duo was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He couldn't find another word. His long locks flowed behind him in a chestnut wave, catching the light and throwing it in different directions in dazzling patterns. The youth's pale skin contrasted starkly with the black outfit he was wearing, which in turn made every curve of his perfectly shaped figure stand out and draw attention. Heero caught himself staring and gave himself a mental shake.
Unfortunately, his mind took a temporary leave of absence at the outstanding sight before him. Clearing his throat, Trowa elbowed the beast-prince in the side, trying to recall some vague memory of what he was supposed to be doing from wherever it had taken to hiding. Heero blinked once, twice, then finally remembered. Inhaling deeply, he stuck out his arm, managing to make the action graceful in spite of his nervousness. Apparently, the effect worked.
Duo smiled gratefully, incredibly glad the other had made the first move. He wasn't sure what he would have done… probably blabbed something or other. He was good at talking, but now didn't seem to be the right time to put that talent to use. Not sure exactly what to do, but not caring, he reached out and took the offered arm. The two young men made their way to the ornately set dinner table, and proceeded to eat a meal full of things Duo had never seen before, but had no trouble polishing off.
As soon as both were full, a chord was heard being struck on the guitar across the room. First Heero blinked, then Duo. Confusion, however, reigned for only a short while, for both were soon being ushered out of their seats by invisible servants, and the orchestra was kicking into full swing. All the instruments were occupied now, even the guitar, which brought some confusion to the servants. What brought even more confusion was the girl playing it, which, luckily, only seemed to be seen by the servants, so required no explanation. To anyone besides themselves that is.
She had iridescent silver hair, eyes no one could quite seem to catch the color of, and seemed to be having a pretty darn good time playing the guitar. Her emerald green clothing clashed horribly with everything in the room, again adding more good fortune to the fact that she was not seen by the people who the room was decorated for.
"Er…" Quatre began quietly, but was cut off by an apple hitting him in the back of the head. "Hey, what…"
"Shh!" He looked up to where both the sound and apple had come from, and spotted the last person he expected to see, sitting on the chandelier. Well, maybe not the last, but pretty dang close.
"You!"
"Yes, me." Indeed, it was Sage, the sorceress more or less responsible for the whole thing. "Don't even question it, I'm making sure this all goes right for everyone. Don't question that either, just get back to playing before Wufei over there has a cow." Rather startled, Quatre blinked once before glancing over at the black-haired servant, who did seem rather peeved at him.
"All…. Right…" Deciding to do as told and just not question anything, Quatre once again began playing his violin, quickly losing himself in the music. Everyone else went back to playing as well, except for the unknown guitarist, who had never stopped in the first place. Finally hearing his cue approaching, Wufei cleared his throat, took a deep breath and began singing.
"So…. hitotsu-me no yoru ni…"
"Um… Duo began as he walked onto the dance floor, close beside Heero. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but…." He grinned sheepishly at the confused expression on the beast-prince's face. "I don't know how to dance."
Heero blinked once, twice, then began laughing softly. Before the other boy could take offense, he stopped himself, but remained smiling broadly, which was definitely something new. "That's all right. Here, I'll teach you…" (a/n- again, incredibly ooc Heero behavior, neh?) Reaching out with both arms, he began to do exactly as he said. By the time Wufei's song was over, Duo had gotten the basic concept, and was ready to sit down. Mainly because he kept putting his feet down in the wrong places, and once or twice managed to step on his own foot.
"Heh, not cut out for dancing, I guess." The long-haired youth said lightly, sitting down on the bench that rested against the railing of one of the many balconies that protruded from the ballroom. "At least not in an outfit like this, half the time I'm afraid I'll rip the hem out or something…." He made a face at his clothes, causing Heero to laugh once more. He sounds like he needs to laugh more… The youth noted. I'll have to try and take care of that.
"What are you talking about, you did wonderfully for a beginner. I put my first dance teacher out of commission for quite a while by accidentally stepping on her foot and breaking her big toe." He sat beside Duo, and tilted his head back, looking at the stars above. The twinkled brightly. Never as bright as Duo's eyes… never even close to as beautiful…. Well, it was now or never…. But could he really say something so important so bluntly? Was there any way besides bluntly? "Duo, I…" Wonderful start. "I…. Are you happy?" Not exactly the original thought, but it was something to work with. (a/n- did I take that directly from the movie? I can't remember… *thinks*)
The amethyst-eyed boy blinked. Happy doesn't even come close to describing it. Well, that more than likely wasn't the best response. Perhaps something a bit milder. "Of course!" He winced. Exclamations were rarely considered mild. "Er, I mean…. Yes… I am… Very happy…." Duo gulped. He was in for it now. "Heero, you see, I…."
The beast-prince didn't reply, didn't prod in any way, merely raised his eyebrows and waited patiently. "I…" The long-haired youth glanced around in desperation. That proved to be the absolute worst thing he could have done. "MAXWELL CHURCH!!!"
"What?" Heero looked to where the other's eyes were focused. The small village he had come from was very faintly visible from his castle, but now it was illuminated—especially a tall building adorned by a cross—by a incredibly large fire.
"OH MY GOD!!!" The fire was reflected in Duo's eyes, and he clutched at the railings tightly. "They're trying to burn down the church! Why… why?! I need to… I need to go help! I…. But, I…" He turned to the beast-prince, the only thing in his eyes now desperation.
"Then… then you have to go… and help."
"What…?"
"I said, you need to go and help… You… you're from the church, it's your home, and it's important to you…" More than me… Scowling, he pushed that thought aside. "You… you're free to go."
"I… I…" Duo gave up on finding the proper words. There weren't any. Instead, he flung his arms around the other's neck, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for understanding…" A tear threatened to fall, but he shoved it away fiercely. Pulling away slightly, he looked deeply into the sapphire eyes of his…. Love. Yes, love. "I will come back. I will. I promise." With a final hug, he dashed off to his room to get more suitable clothes on.
Heero remained on the balcony, and watched the boy go as he ran out the front gates a short while later. The beast-prince belatedly realized he should have offered a horse, then of course, remembered he didn't exactly have any to offer. Sighing deeply, he finally got up, and began slowly trudging back indoors. He won't come back, don't be stupid.
"Your highness! I think it all went spectacularly! Did you…" Quatre stopped at the look on his master's face. "Your highness? What is it? Where is Master Duo? Did he…"
"I let him go." The quiet statement was barely audible, and the blonde-servant decided to check once more before jumping to conclusions.
"You…. You what, sir?"
"I let him go. I had to." Heero sighed deeply once more. "Please, just leave me be for now…." Without another word, he set off slowly for his quarters, leaving Quatre frozen in his wake, trying to comprehend the words that had just poured into his brain.
"Quatre, what are you doing just standing here? Where's Heero and Duo? Where…" Wufei paused at the lack of response. "Quatre? What is it?" Trowa made his way over as well, along with Treize.
"Koibito? What is it?"
The blonde servant tried to talk, but failed. Gulping down a mouthful of air, he tried again. "He… he let him… go…" The others didn't say anything right away, merely stood with their mouths open in shock. Amazingly enough, their vocal capabilities seemed to all come back at once.
"HE DID WHAT?!"
Quatre merely nodded in reply, realized it couldn't be seen, and voice his confirmation sadly. "It's more true than I ever thought. He's so deeply in love with the boy… I don't think I've ever seen anything like it." Normally, this would be the perfect opportunity for either Trowa to break in and comfort his smaller lover, or Treize to make a rather suggestive comment to Wufei, but neither seemed to be taking up the chance.
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"FATHER MAXWELL!!!!" Duo mentally slapped himself. He was still much to far away to be heard, and shouting only took valuable air away, which he needed desperately to run with. Deciding that it would be wisest to just keep his mouth shut, he continued running in silence. Why would the be burning down the church?! Why the HELL would they be doing that?! He didn't even pause to realize the irony in his choice of swears.
Panting, he reached the back of his previous home and leaned against the wall for support. Maybe running the whole way wasn't the smartest thing for me to have done… Too late to gripe now. Still gasping for air, he peered around the corner of the house. Funny, Maxwell church didn't seem to be burning from here…
It wasn't! It wasn't burning at all! Duo nearly swore again, quite vividly, before catching sight of the source of the orange light that bathed the surrounding area. In front of the church burned a gigantic bonfire. Bonfire? What the hell… Creeping around to the front of the house, he decided to take a chance and knocked on the door. There was a quiet response from inside, and Duo immediately dashed in.
"Duo…? DUO!!" Father Maxwell stood up suddenly, light from outside revealing his tired features. "It is you! How did you escape? What…" His eyes widened. "We have to tell them to stop this! We… no, we can't…"
"What are you talking about?!" Duo was past politeness. Taking a deep breath, he managed to calm himself slightly. "Yes, Father Maxwell it's me. I didn't escape, Heero let me go…"
"Heero?"
"The…" He couldn't say beast. He wasn't one. "The master of the castle."
"That terrible beast?! How on…"
"He's different now… he's…" Duo shook his head sharply, causing a few hairs to fall from his quickly done braid. "Crap." He didn't even care about Father Maxwell's dislike of cursing. He was too worked up. "Anyway, what's going on? What's with the bonfire?"
Hurriedly, the priest managed to explain all about how he had told Duo's location to Relena and Zechs, and their decision to dispose of the beast. At the conclusion of the short tale, the youth's amethyst eyes widened a considerable amount.
"We can't let that happen!"
"Yes, I regret…"
"No time for that, Father! We need to do something, and now… I need to warn him, I need…." Pausing to think, Duo frowned. "Yes, we need to go, but first… You are coming with me?" The priest nodded hesitantly. "Right, come on, we need to go see what they're planning…."
"I know what they're planning. They're going to take all the strong men of the village and storm the castle. Relena will be…"
"Relena?! I should've known she'd be the one initiating anything involving 'saving me'." The braided youth scowled. "Well come on…"
"Duo, how're we going to get there ahead of the mob? We can't take the main road, we'll be seen, and then…" Father Maxwell caught the glint in the youth's eyes. "Duo? You're not thinking of…"
"Oh, I'll bring it back…" Without another word, Duo was out the door and gone. A few minutes later, he returned, leading a slightly confused horse. "Problem solved."
"Duo, you can't just…"
"I said I'll bring it back. I'm just borrowing it. Besides, this is for a very noble cause." He mounted the animal as Father Maxwell exited the house. "Are you coming?"
"I am very sure this is improper behavior, but…" The priest sighed and climbed up in the saddle behind the amethyst-eyed boy. "I think I've already damaged the properness of the entire situation."
Duo laughed, although rather bitterly. "All right then, let's go."
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Author's Notes- UGH. FINALLY. Ahem. Sorry about the abrupt ending all, but this chapter is already TWICE the length of my other chapters….
Duo- Not chapter one! ^_^
*mutters* No, it's only a page longer than that, but that's beside the point. Anyways, I had to finish this chapter at a certain point, and that meant going by ideas, not word count. -_- SO… yea, it was really long. The next chapter might be pretty long too, who knows. Ah well.
Yami- *grumbles* She only goes overboard on the 1x2 stories…
Pffff, what're you talking about? The only long story I've actually finished is "Transfer Students"! ELEVEN CHAPTERS! OYA! Don't whine! ANYWAYS I DO have two actual notes regarding the story here, folks!
Yes, Wufei WAS singing "Sound Life" from Trigun… er, yea, I know it totally doesn't relate at all, but it's a really nice song, and I like it so… yea. ^_^ Just pretend that the translation is different, ok? The person playing the guitar was my friend Silver making a guest appearance. *nods* It was going to be me playing, but then she wanted a part, and I remembered she's a much better guitarist than I am. Eh heh heh…MOVING RIGHT ALONG… next chapter is the last one all,(besides the epilogue of course) and you know what that means!
Duo- Fluff! ^_^
Yup! And sparkly objects raining from the sky! And Relena's death! And…
Heero- Baka, don't give it all away.
Oh, poo to you. They all know how the story goes… Ahem, anyways…. I'm sure reviews would help the next chapter be written quicker, neh? -_^
Yami- *rolls his eyes* That was shameless.
