My newest ficcy! Yes, it IS a GW/LOTR crossover, but it doesn't actually have to do with the War of the Ring or anything. I'm just borrowing the characters! Now, lets, see, what warnings do I have?
It is shounen-ai, and I don't doubt that there will also be yaoi in later chapters. If you don't like shounen-ai, then don't read this. Pairings consist of Legolas/Aragorn, 1x2, 3x4, and anything else my twisted little mind will want to think up! -evil laughter- So you'll just have to read and see!
The rating on this story will probably change, but for now, it is PG-13.
I know that there will be CHARACTER DEATH! Not telling who, but I warn you, you might have to see one of your favorite characters bite the dust.
So, if I haven't scared you off, read on!
--------------------
Edge of a Knife, Barrel of a Gun
Chapter 1
"Aw, shit, we're going to be late again!" Duo Maxwell stuffed books into his schoolbag, trying to close the zipper without catching any of the pages in it. He rushed away towards the back room of his apartment. He knew his shoes were here somewhere...
A hand reached out and grabbed an errant strand of hair. Duo yelped and spun around to face his roommate, Heero Yuy. He glowered at the boy.
"Your hair's unbraided," Heero pointed out. He lifted one hand to show Duo's shoes. "And here are these. Sit down and put them on; I'll get your hair." Duo fell into the nearest chair, blushing as Heero moved behind him and took up the long strands of hair. He slipped into his shoes and waited.
"Ouch, don't pull so hard!" Duo shouted. Heero grunted, softening his grip on the hair, allowing Duo a smirk. "Anyway, we will be late for school again at this rate. It's your fault my hair's unbraided in the first place!"
"Which is why I'm braiding it now, to fix that," Heero said. "So sit still and let me finish." Duo huffed, crossing his arms and legs. He looked around the small bedroom. Neat and orderly, as Heero liked it, at least, that was on the dresser nearest to Duo. Across the room was his own space, trashed by dirty clothes, sketchbooks, inventory sheets from his junkyard (sent dutifully once a week to him by Hilde, who watched the place), and somewhere in all of that a laptop. And beside that was Heero's and his bed. The sheets were unmade, coming off in the corners, and Duo noted that the mattress was a few inches off to the right. Duo rubbed his sleep-filled eyes again and turned back to Heero.
"Not enough time to sleep last night." Heero shrugged, reaching for a rubber band to tie Duo's braid.
"And whose fault is that?" he asked. Duo blushed again, his elf-like cheeks darkening to crimson.
"Well, it was you who insisted..."
"Come on, it's time for school," Heero said. He strode from the room, but waited for Duo outside. Duo wrapped his arm around Heero's waist, swinging his backpack onto his other shoulder. Together, they exited the small apartment.
As with most mornings, the pair waited at the bus stop, Heero lounging on the sign that announced the spot, and Duo pacing around, often times humming a tune under his breath to pass the time, or reading over notes to cram for a test he had learned about only that morning from Heero. But they did not have long to wait, this time. The bus pulled to the stop, and Heero and Duo clambered in, paying their fare before taking a seat at the back. It was not the normal bus they took, meaning they would be later to school, but it was the only one coming that could get them there in any reasonable time.
"Hey, mind if we sit here?" Duo asked. The man he addressed shrugged, gesturing to the seat.
"Sit if you like," he said. He measured Duo with an icy blue gaze. A strand of golden hair fell in front of his face, but he blew it away. "I do not see why there would be any problem." Duo shrugged and pulled Heero down with him.
"I can't believe this," Duo groaned. "First day of school and we're already going to be late!" He threw up his hands. "Well? Heero? You going to say anything?"
"This is a strange attitude, coming from you, since you never seemed to care much about school in the past. I thought you were an artist, meaning you don't need school." Duo sighed.
"Yes, but I don't want to get expelled either. Hilde would kill me if that happened." Heero chuckled.
"Hilde, eh?" Duo huffed and turned towards Heero.
"You know, sometimes you don't act like my boyfriend..." Heero grinned, one of his rare, mischievous grins, and wrapped an arm around Duo's waist. Crimson returned to Duo's cheeks, and Heero removed his hands with a laugh.
"As I thought," he said. Duo leaned back in sullen silence, beaten once more by Heero. He closed his eyes and let the workings of his mind go.
Today was the first day of school, and Duo's last year. He had been attending school now for one year, moving through it with minimal complaint, and his senior year had finally come, after those long months of waiting. Now he had only one hundred and eighty days to drag himself through before it was all over. College? Who needed college? He was returning to the colonies to run his junk shop, and Heero...well, who knew about Heero? Duo considered that he might continue schooling. He turned to face the boy beside him. No, Heero would probably pursue his other talents, when he found them. He just needed time right now, time to mull over his life and find his own path.
The bus stopped three more times, steadily gaining more passengers. Another man sat down beside the blond next to Duo, and they plunged into some conversation, but Duo paid them no heed. His mind had chosen the path of reminiscing, and he would continue until it was finished.
Poor Heero, Duo thought for not the first time. This was the kid's first try at life in many, many years. The first year went without hitches, and it even appeared that Heero would be adjusting to living a normal life on Earth.
"Oh well," Duo said. "That's just him, I guess."
"What were you thinking about me?" Heero asked, not lifting his head.
"Nothing!" Duo stammered. Damn his habit to think out loud.
"You had that look in your eye that you were thinking about me. But if you want to keep that a secret, then fine by me." Duo would have made some retort, but the bus had stopped in front of the school. Duo and Heero exited, followed by the blond man and his companion.
"You're going to this school?" Duo asked as they bus sped off behind them. The blond one nodded.
"Yes," he said. He indicated his friend. "Aragorn and I are transfer students from...Wales." Duo formed an "oh" with his mouth.
"So you're the new guys? Then you must be Legolas, right? Nice to meet ya! The name's Duo Maxwell, and ah, I guess I should introduce this guy too. His name's Heero, since he'll never speak up to tell you that on his own." Heero nodded his head in greeting, returned by both Legolas and Aragorn. The four ascended the steps to the school in silence. Duo cleared his throat.
"Looks like class has started," he noted. He turned to the right, down a long, winding corridor before stumbling upon a row of lockers. There was a large printed sheet containing the names and locker assignments. Duo skimmed them, but could not find his name. Just his luck; his locker was in another hall. Heero found his, situated close to the door to the computer lab, and began emptying his books. Duo, with Legolas and Aragorn in toe, headed to the next hallway.
"Probably your lockers are here too," he said. Duo skimmed the list. Sure enough, there was his name. He turned to the small metal box; a cruel contraption that was far too small (even though it seemed, to Duo, that since the school was so massive they would have enough room to put in larger lockers) and was never fully vacated after the last year. He looked at the small box on the front of the locker. The screen read, "Please insert password." Damn, damn, a password? It was only three numbers, at least, but Duo had created it at the end of last year. How was he supposed to remember? He scrambled through all the options, typing them in frantically and being greeted every time with a harsh "beep."
"This day is turning into hell. I hope this isn't what the whole school year's like." Hell...that's it. Duo smacked himself for being a fool before typing in the numbers "002." There was a click, and Duo opened his locker without opposition.
Duo threw his books inside without care. He pulled the schedule from the back of the locker, glanced it over, and sprinted down the hallway to his first class, calculus.
"I'm...sorry I'm late," Duo said between gasps of air. The teacher turned from the front of the class. He nodded to the empty desk at the front of the room, and Duo slid into it with a nervous laugh.
"I expect that tomorrow you will not miss thirty minutes of class, Duo Maxwell?" Duo shook his head. With a shrug, the teacher turned away from him and continued his lesson. Duo leaned back and listened with half of his mind. The teacher, Elrond (or at least, that was what everyone called him, and he seemed not to object), droned on about the subject matter of the year. His voice lulled Duo into a calming half-sleep. Hmmmm, in ten minutes he would head to art, one of his few classes with Heero. Then, free period, then lunch (oh, two free in a row, he was lucky), then another art (he finally got to double up on that), then a creative writing class, which he only agreed to with pressure from Heero, and after that was only computers and strings. It was his lucky year, being able to weasel his way out of a history and a science, but only because the teachers loved his artwork so much, and they didn't mind him helping in the computer class. He and Heero basically taught it themselves.
"Mr. Maxwell, are you listening to me?" Elrond asked. Duo snapped out of his reverie and smiled.
"Sure am," he lied. Elrond eyed him suspiciously. Duo rattled off the topics Elrond had just been discussing to prove his point. Elrond waved his hand, silencing the braided boy. Duo leaned back with a smirk and watched the clock beside him. One more minute. The second hand ticked...ticked...the bell rang. Chairs scraped on the floor, and Duo rushed to make it from the classroom before he was caught in a lecture by Elrond. He slipped around the doorframe and rushed down the hall to his next class.
----------
"Wow, Duo, that's splendid," the art teacher said. She looked over Duo's first drawing of the year, nodding to herself. "For just a sketch...this is outstanding. I've heard about your skills, but nothing like this." Duo beamed. He had done a drawing of Heero, as he leaned over his own work. And the teacher loved it, no matter if it wasn't the actual assignment of sketching the bowl of fruit on the table. "You will have to finish this," the teacher continued. Duo smiled.
"I will then, though I was considering trashing it..."
"Oh, don't do that. I'm sure that if you painted this one, you could snatch a nice price. I know I'd buy it from you, if you didn't want it." Duo's eyes widened in fake surprise. This was just what he planned.
"Well, maybe..."
"Let me see the finished work and then I'll name a price for you." She patted Duo on the shoulder before leaving him to his work. Heero looked up from his bowl of fruit and glowered.
"You don't even work on the assignment and the teacher praises you...along with money..."
"You shouldn't be complaining. It's me who makes the money for us anyway, and I'll get it how I have to! Heh...if I keep this up, we'll be able to pay for a trip to the colonies by Christmas break." Duo plunged into his work, intending to complete the sketch so he could start work on copying it when the teacher's voice interrupted him.
"Excuse me, class? I would like to announce our transfer students for this year, Legolas...and Aragorn...they came from Wales and will be with us all of this year, they think. Why don't you two go sit down and get started? There should be some extra paper somewhere around here..." Duo looked up. The transfer students headed his way and sat down across from Heero and him.
"Get lost? Class is already ten minutes in." Legolas nodded.
"Yeah, we lost our way. So, are we copying that fruit there or..."
"It's just braid boy here that's doing his own thing. If you're good enough, the teacher lets you." Duo scowled at Heero. "But yeah draw those fruits."
"Braid boy, huh?" Duo retorted. "Well, at least you did speak, for once in your life." They lapsed into silence. Duo looked up from his work to say something, but as he took in his first look at Legolas he stopped. What a perfect subject...the flowing light gold hair, his shining ice-blue eyes, tall, lithe, but muscled all the same, with a wistful look in his gaze. Light seemed to radiate from him, purity, perfection. In fact, he was downright gorgeous. And his companion was no normal man either. Aragorn did not have as much grace but a rougher side to him, with wavy dark brown hair, tanned skin, and storm grey eyes. But even he would prove interesting to draw. And here they were, in one of Duo's art classes. This was perfect. Once he finished Heero, he could draw both of them...
"So, what's Wales like?" Duo asked. Aragorn shrugged, and Legolas stared out the large windows to his right.
"Beautiful. Not to say that America isn't, but there was something so magical about Wales, as if it was a link into another time, one that appeared..."
"Great," Aragorn muttered. "Now he's started on his Wales rant." He put a hand to Legolas' mouth. "If you really want to know what it was like, I'll tell ya. It was boring, just boring. Hills...hills, and more hills, with some trees and some sheep thrown in, well, lots of sheep, and nothing to do at all. I'm glad to be out of there." Legolas smacked Aragorn's hand.
"Don't listen to him at all. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He travels a lot so there's no time for him to appreciate the beauty locked in those rolling hills." Aragorn shook his head, causing Legolas to laugh. "Yes, he does not appreciate it."
"But there's nothing wrong with travel," Duo said. "It's weird. I used to...travel a lot, but I never went through Wales. Huh." Legolas sighed.
"You were missing out, then," he whispered. Heero looked up from his work for just a moment, curious about his lover's conversation with the new students, and almost let out a small gasp. Legolas was staring out the wall sized windows. The sunlight reflected in his hair, and his blue eyes shone. His pale skin glowed, shadows dancing across its surface.
"I've been to Wales," Heero said. "It is nice there." Duo opened his mouth to speak, instead just grinning.
"Well, it looks like Hee-chan can say something after all," Duo said. Heero glared at him.
"Don't use that name." Duo shrugged innocently, his round eyes narrowing.
"Well, it's just since you called me braid boy!"
"That's what you are, you and your little braid." Duo chuckled.
"Let's see, who was it that only last night was running his hands through that braid saying how much he loved it..."
"But mind you then I took it out!" Duo crossed his arms, looking down his nose at Heero.
"Still doesn't change the fact that you said you loved it..." Duo stopped, turned, and saw Legolas, clutching his stomach in laughter. Aragorn hid his mouth behind his hand, stifling a laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You two," Legolas gasped between laughs. "Just the way you fight with each other is cute." Duo gave Heero a sideways glance before throwing his arms around Heero's neck.
"Yep!" Duo grinned. Heero squirmed in Duo's grip. Legolas buried his head in his hands, shaking with uncontrollable laughter. Aragorn put his head on Legolas's shoulder, unable to control his amusement.
----------
The rest of the day passed, Legolas, Aragorn, Duo, and Heero traveling mostly together. Most of their classes were the same. And so the final bell rang, releasing them from school for a blessed 16 hours before returning to that hellhole. Duo bounced down the steps, his braid flying behind him, and leaned on the railing to wait for Heero.
"179 days left," Duo said. Heero grunted.
"You're counting?" Heero arched an eyebrow.
"I'll lose count eventually, but I'm ready to be rid of this." He and Heero started the trek across the parking lot towards the bus stop. Both of them easily sidestepped the passing cars that didn't notice them and jumped back from those that almost ran them over. But they reached the bus stop in one piece.
And across the parking lot, Legolas and Aragorn were facing about the same predicament.
"You know, Duo and Heero were pretty nice, don't cha think? Duo was pretty...talkative, to be sure," Legolas said. Aragorn nodded.
"But still..."
"I know, but loosen up Aragorn. Let's get to know them better, what do you say? I believe that they could be good friends to have." Aragorn sighed. He put an arm around Legolas's waist.
"Legolas, I..." Legolas reached up, setting his finger to Aragorn's lips.
"Don't worry about it. I haven't lost sight of anything yet. So just, let things take their course. It's not like we're on any time limit here." Aragorn grumbled under his breath, but he could not argue with Legolas. Legolas grinned, raising his hand in greeting to a figure that was waving at him near the bus stop.
"Hey, Duo!" he called. He and Aragorn broke away from each other before joining Duo and Heero.
Fifteen minutes later, the bus pulled up. The four students boarded it, as usual, and found their seats near the back. Duo and Legolas chatted to each other about something or another, and Heero had buried himself in a notebook, scribbling something down. Aragorn turned his attention to a TV at the front of the bus, one that had been silent in the morning but was now blaring news. Something important had happened somewhere or another, but since the driver didn't want any more noise then needed, it only had captions on. Aragorn leaned forward but he could not make out the words. It showed images of a colony, and Aragorn shrugged. Probably nothing important then.
The bus stopped, pulling in front of Legolas and Aragorn's apartment. They waved goodbye to Heero and Duo and left. Duo leaned back in his chair.
"What were you two talking about?" Heero asked. Duo peered over Heero's shoulder at the notebook.
"Only if you show me what you're writing." Heero slammed the book shut. "Aww, come on Heero. We're a couple remember? You shouldn't hide things from me."
"I'll let you see it when I'm done," Heero retorted. Duo threw up his hands.
"You always say that, and you know what? I haven't seen anything, nothing! But I guess I shouldn't complain."
"No, you shouldn't." And so the rest of the ride went, Duo sometimes rambling on about a topic with Heero listening, sometimes making a comment, but most of the time not saying anything in particular. Most of the time it was like that. Heero was never very talkative, but it was enough for Duo, enough to make him happy, and Heero was pleased being able to listen as he did. And so their life went on in that way.
The bus slowed to a halt, and both of them exited. Duo half-skipped to the steps, Heero following behind him. They made their way up three flights of stairs before reaching their apartment. Duo unlocked the door.
The first sound that greeted him was the buzzing of their phone. Duo cursed and rushed into his bedroom. Well, that's some timing, Duo thought. Heero followed idly behind him. Duo grabbed the doorframe to round the corner before jumping onto his bed and digging through his junk to find the screen. He pressed a button beside it, and a very familiar face popped up.
"Hey, wait...that's you, isn't it? Hey, Trowa! Long time, no see. How are things for you, up in the colonies, I suppose? It's been a year, hasn't it? Hey, Heero, come here! Trowa just gave us a call." Heero sat down beside Duo, but unlike Duo, who was still grinning, his face darkened.
"What's wrong, Trowa?" Heero asked. Only then did Duo stop. He noted the long streaks on Trowa's cheeks, streaks from tears. His eyes were red and puffy; he looked as if he had been crying for quite a while. Duo closed his mouth. Trowa, crying? He was such a stoic boy, more so then Heero, and yet, here he was, shedding tears. There was only one thing that Duo could guess that would make him cry like that.
"What's Quatre done?" Duo asked. Trowa hung his head, shaking with sobs.
"Nothing...he hasn't done anything...no...But..." Heero leaned closer.
"Trowa, what is it?" Trowa shook his head from side to side. He was crying again, unable to control himself.
"Look on your TV. The news should be there. I..." The screen went blank with a click. Duo stared at it for a moment, but Heero was already moving, back to the living room. He turned on the TV, and Duo could barely make out the noise from it. He threw the phone to the ground with a sigh.
"Hey, Duo, come in here now," Heero commanded. Duo stood up slowly, dragging his feet in the room. He stood behind Heero, his elbows resting on the back of the chair, and watched the screen. His eyes went wide, and his body began to shake as he heard more and more.
"It...no, that can't be true," he said. And as if the newscaster heard him, they repeated the first phrase over again.
"In world news, Quatre Reberba Winner, heir to the Winner family fortune was assassinated today in his home in the colonies..." The rest of the sound faded as Duo buried his head in his hands.
--------------------
Hm, that's a record for me. A main character already offed in the first chapter. Well, if you want to find out more you'll just have to keep on reading.
This story was betaed by my wonderful beta Eilonwy4! Arigatou!!!!
And once, again, I beseech you to PLEASE review this story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
