Warnings: Yaoi
Duo?
Chapter 16: Bittersweet Revenge
Heero opened his eyes and immediately saw Duo's beautiful face in front of him, still and peaceful as he slept. Heero smiled and glanced at the three roses in the vase. They were as magnificent as ever, in full bloom and standing proud.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Duo said quietly, startling Heero. Duo smiled. "Hi, Heero."
Heero's eyes danced with amusement and he gave Duo a small smile in return. Duo sat up and yawned. Heero got up to close the blinds again and sat back down. Duo raised his eyebrows at Heero and lay down again, closing his eyes. "Are you going back to sleep?" Heero asked him.
Duo opened one eye and grinned. "Yeah, I decided it would be nice to sleep in for once," he replied.
Heero tried to hide a yawn behind his hand and rubbed his eyes. "That sounds like a good idea..." he said sleepily and lay down, his back facing Duo. Duo's grin broadened and he pulled Heero to him and wrapped his arms around Heero's middle. Heero sighed as he was pulled into the safety of his lover's arms.
Both fell asleep immediately.
xxx
Later, Heero woke up feeling very refreshed. Duo also awoke and squeezed Heero once before he got up. Heero followed and went right to his roses that stood so proud like that since the day he received each. He touched the petals of the purple one and smiled at the touch. It felt like Duo's skin; soft and silky. None showed even the slightest sign of withering anytime soon and he silently wondered why.
Duo came up behind Heero and wrapped his arms around him, resting his head on his shoulder. "I love you, Heero," he whispered in his ear. Heero shivered. Duo smiled and left the room so Heero could dress in privacy.
xxx
After much searching, Heero found Duo on the third floor, in the same bedroom as when Heero found him when he had been crying. Duo was seated on a rug in the middle of the floor reading a book. He didn't bother to look up when Heero walked in and sat down next to him. "Hi, Heero," he said distractedly as he read. Heero looked at the book and noticed that it wasn't Haunted Heartland, but a different book called 5 Days.
"What's that about?" he asked curiously. Duo was considerably far into the middle of the book, so Heero assumed he'd been reading that for a while now. It was a large book with small print and Heero wondered to himself where Duo had found it.
Duo finished reading a paragraph and marked his place with a piece of paper he'd torn off of something. "It's about a guy who's given orders by his "master" to go kill some girl within a month... It's really interesting so far."
"Oh? What's happening where you are?" Heero asked, picking up the book.
"Well, after chasing her for half the month, he finally got caught by some people who are working for her and protecting her and now they're torturing him," Duo replied as Heero scanned the back.
"But why's it called 5 Days?"
Duo grinned. "But that would ruin it for you if you ever read it," Duo pointed out.
Heero scowled. "You're right... Oh well."
"I'm reading it to get ideas for torturing Fuka," Duo said, his eyes narrowed.
"But we only started that yesterday... How could you've read this far in such a short time?"
Duo only shrugged.
Heero shook his head and opened to the first page.
I looked up from the computer and scowled at the letter sliding into my room. I knew who it was from... He wanted something again, but I really wasn't in the mood. I leaned back in my chair and pushed my hands through my hair. Last week he had me go after a rival of his... And the week before I killed one of his guards without an explanation as to why.
I'm so sick of doing his dirty work, that I almost thought of discarding the "mission" and getting a real job. But I couldn't. I sighed as I rose to snatch the paper off the floor. I knew it was from him. It had nothing written on it but all of his flunkies know who I am and where I live, so there wouldn't really be much need for an address.
I open the letter irritatedly and quickly scan over the secret code he uses. I've memorized it by now. He wants me to kill someone... A woman. I've never killed a woman before, and it was really one of his rules not to hurt women.
"Hypocrite..." I mutter out loud. I scowl at the letter. It doesn't tell me why he want's her dead, but that doesn't surprise me. I refold the note and shove it into my jacket pocket as I prepare to leave. I lock up my room and stalk towards his building. I scan the streets for cars and passers-by before entering the seemingly deserted building and descend down the hidden doorway.
His guards are hiding in the shadows, completely invisible, but these contacts he has given me connects with the chip that he installed in my head before I started working. I can see and identify the seven guards waiting there. I nod formally and keep walking. Two emerge and silently fall into step behind me. My gloved hands clench in surpressed anger. He still doesn't trust me, after all these years, he still thinks I need escorts.
I take the sharp turn into the shadows where his office lies hidden from view. I glance up at the security camera that the contacts allow me to see in the darkness of the narrow hallway. They also turn my eyes an eerie green color... like a cat's, and it also allows me to see much like a feline.
Heero looked up at Duo's grin. "Catches your attention pretty well, doesn't it," he said, although it wasn't really a question.
Heero nodded. "I've never seen this book before, was it here when we moved in?" he asked.
Duo nodded. "Yeah, it belonged to the last family that lived here," he replied.
Heero closed the book. "I think I might want to read that later." He gave it back to Duo, who set it down on the rug in front of him. "So, did you get any ideas?"
Duo smirked and nodded. "Oh yes, many," he said and closed his eyes. "I think I'll try one now..." He took a deep breath and concentrated on the image of Fuka. He chuckled to himself as he tortured her with beatings at first, like in the book. After amusing himself with that, he opened his eyes. "That should do for today."
"What'd you do?" Heero asked curiously.
Duo shrugged. "I just beat on her a little," he said casually.
Heero nodded. "This might sound crazy, but I think it's... wrong, to be hurting her," he said and looked down at his hands, expecting to be yelled at or hit or something like that. But nothing ever came.
"Heero," Duo said quietly. "I know what you mean, it makes you feel guilty right?" He shook his head. "Heero, she's the only mother I've ever known, and I feel bad doing this too. But she killed me, and no amount of torture can satisfy the hunger for her pain that lingers inside me... It might hurt at first, and I had come close to tears seeing her in that hospital bed. But she can't ever be forgiven, especially by me." He swallowed hard. "Y'know, it took me quite a while to make myself believe the things that I read in that diary. I didn't want to believe it. She was my mother and I loved her, and doing this hurts me too. But it's like I have two different extremes, my soul longs to see her in pain, but causing her pain is another thing... it... it hurts me too..."
Duo's eyes shimmered with tears and Heero immediately understood that he could never really know what Duo was feeling. Duo stood up and tried his best to smile down at Heero. One tear from each eye rolled quickly down Duo's cheeks as he spoke, "Please try to understand, Heero, I'm going to follow my heart."
Heero stood up as Duo left the room. He shook his head sadly and slowly exited also. He went downstairs and out the front door; he knew that Duo wanted to be alone. Down the street, he spotted Quatre and Trowa talking while walking towards the park. He jogged toward them and slowed when Trowa heard his footsteps and turned around. "Hey guys," he said as they started walking again.
"Hi Heero," Quatre said happily. Trowa nodded. "What's up?"
Heero shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, I'm concerned for Duo. He found out a while ago that his stepmother poisoned him and he wants revenge, and he can do things to her with his mind." He looked up at them. "Are you with me so far?"
Quatre blinked. "Are you saying that Duo had a different mother?" he asked.
Heero nodded. "Yeah, he was adopted by one couple, but they broke up when he was too young to remember and his foster father remarried and she's the one who killed him."
Quatre looked at Trowa with a confused expression. He turned back to Heero. "Duo was adopted?"
Heero nodded again. "I know, it surprised me too. But now he kind of has two different sides as he... well... avenges himself. He says it hurts him to torture the one mother he ever knew, but he wants to see her in pain for what she did. And he said he was going to follow his heart, so I think he's going to continue doing things to her, even though it hurts him too..." Heero's voice trailed off and he sighed.
Trowa squeezed Quatre's hand for comfort as Quatre found a sudden interest in his shoes. He looked up and smiled gratefully at him. He sighed. "But how can that be helped?" he asked Heero.
Heero shrugged. "I don't know... I feel like I should support what Duo wants, but I still have a guilty feeling that makes me feel like I should talk him out of it. I don't know what to do..."
"That decision is up to you," Trowa said quietly but knowingly. "If your love for Duo is so strong that you stand behind him, it'll seem right to you. But if you think that he is overdoing it, then you should tell him so."
Heero blinked in surprise as Trowa spoke, but sighed and nodded.
xxx
For the rest of the day, Heero stayed with Quatre and Trowa. Long after dark had already come, he decided it was time to face Duo. He glanced at his watch and was startled when it said 9:47. He sighed and went into the dark house. He didn't bother to turn on any lights, but he went straight upstairs and into his room, where he felt Duo's presence.
He walked in quietly and shut the door behind him. He spotted Duo lying on the bed, his back facing the door. Heero thought for a moment before lying on the bed himself, facing the much troubled Duo. He recalled Trowa's small speech and bit his lip, he sighed inwardly and decided.
"Duo?" he asked softly. Duo didn't stir. "Duo, I'm really sorry about all this, and I want you to know that if you choose to keep going with this, I'll stand behind you, no matter what."
Duo stayed still for a moment, allowing Heero's words to sink in. Then he turned around to face him. He smiled and touched his forehead to Heero's. "Thank you, Heero."
Heero could feel Duo's breath on his face as he talked. He swallowed hard as he felt a shiver run up his spine. Duo's smile widened and he moved his upper body forward. Heero's heart jumped into his throat as Duo placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. Duo pulled back again and cupped Heero's cheek in his hand.
Heero swallowed again and put his hand over Duo's. It was warm...
Duo looked away. "I'm sorry, Heero..." he whispered, sitting up and trying to withdraw his hand. But Heero wouldn't let go. He wrapped his fingers around Duo's and gazed into his deep, amethyst eyes as he sat up also.
A small smile graced his lips. "Do it again..." he said softly. Duo smiled. His hand moved to hold Heero's chin and he leaned in again. Heero's eyes fluttered closed as Duo's lips touched his once again. It started out chaste and dry, but when Heero's lips parted, inviting more, Duo followed. Heero felt Duo's tongue slip into his mouth, sliding against his own. His heartbeat quickened as Duo explored his mouth. Heero released Duo's hand and gripped his shirt instead. Duo shifted slowly so Heero sat between his parted knees and held Heero's head in his hands.
Duo's eyes snapped open and he pulled back quickly. He really hadn't meant to go that far. Heero's breath came in shallow gasps and Duo realized that he was trembling. Heero stared blankly at Duo, mesmerized by the strange color of his eyes.
Heero finally seemed to snap out of his trance when he drew in a shaky breath and turned his gaze away. Duo shook his head and pushed himself off the bed. He then walked quickly - almost ran - out the door.
Heero looked back up in surprise when Duo did this and extended his hand to the door that slammed shut behind Duo. He dropped his hand. "Duo..."