Author's Notes: This is a fusion with the book: So Worthy My Love by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. While there will be no text reproduced here, the story line will follow the book's almost exactly, any changes made not too drastic.

Category: Yaoi, AU, Gundam Wing, fusion with a book
Pairings: 1x2, vague hints at 3x4, 5p2
Warnings: shonen ai, minor limish, hints of minor angst
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com
Website: www . geocities . com / arigatomina

Bonds of Love

Part 12

"I would be honored if you would accompany me then," Wufei said, his dark eyes taking in the boy before him.

"You want me to meet your mother?" asked Duo.

He tried not to let his uncertainty show, but the invitation was pushing things a bit too fast. "I'm not sure that would be...appropriate."

"Not at all," said Wufei. "Heero and I often visit her. And I am certain she would enjoy meeting you."

Duo gave a slight smile, glancing to where Heero sat at the head of the table. The man was staring at him. He looked away quickly and tried to hide how much that perplexing expression bothered him.

As Heero had predicted, Wufei had indeed shown up despite the storm, and the man had stayed for a few days until the weather had cleared some. Now, he was preparing for his departure, and Duo realized once Wufei was gone, he'd be stuck with Heero for company. With Wufei there, he'd been able to ignore Heero for the most part, to pretend he didn't feel that intense gaze following him around.

Wufei was speaking again, and Duo concentrated on him, being extremely attentive as he tried to turn his mind from the other man. But it was so hard, especially since every time he glanced at Heero, those cobalt eyes were on him.

Sometimes Heero seemed puzzled, or thoughtful, even questioning when he glanced at the man, but he was always watching him. Duo simply couldn't ignore him. Although he acted as if he didn't notice, it was with low spirits that he saw Wufei to the door.

"I should be back in about a week," Wufei said softly, raising Duo's hand to his lips. He smirked at the fact that this still managed to embarrass the boy, even though he'd made it a habit. "I look forward to our trip. Heero."

Nodding to his friend, he took his leave.

Duo stared at the closed door for nearly a minute, his back straight against the gaze that continued to bore into him. The silence that filled the large room was grating on his ears.

His eyes lit up when the door moved and Trowa and Quatre entered. He rarely saw the two of them anymore, and he was grateful that they'd chosen that moment to come in.

"Trowa," Duo said brightly, smiling at the tall man and ignoring the surprise on his face. "I'm so glad to see you. I have a favor to ask."

Aware of Heero's presence a foot or so behind him, Duo's eyes narrowed a bit. Neither of them had spoken of the incident on the day of Wufei's arrival, but he remembered it now.

"I hope it isn't any trouble," said Duo, "but I need a lock for that door behind my tapestry."

Trowa looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised, and Duo followed his gaze, staring at Heero. It was infuriating, but the Trowa didn't agree until Heero gave a sharp nod.

- - -

The room was so quiet.

Heero's eyes traveled to the empty chair at his right, having returned to sit at the table. It took a minute or so before he recognized the feeling. He stood slowly.

He'd grown accustomed to the boy's presence, and he admitted to being a bit lonely without him there. True, Duo hadn't spoken to him in days, too caught up in their visitor, but the boy's voice had been enough. The fact that he could watch him had also kept him occupied. But now, his absence seemed wrong. Heero crossed the room to the stairs as he made up his mind to seek the boy out.

Once he reached Duo's room, Heero leaned in the open doorway. His eyes glinted as he watched Duo, who was seated in the chair in front of the dresser. That long fall of hair was pulled over one shoulder as he combed it and Heero admired it, taking in the coppery tints from the fire.

Trowa turned, noticing him, and he nodded to the man. He was grateful when both he and Quatre took their leave. The lock was in place, he saw, and the fire had been stirred well.

Nothing would have pleased Duo more than to throw the man out. Instead, he bit his tongue, his hand rough as he combed his hair quickly. He reminded himself that it was Heero's home and not his.

He didn't so much as glance up when Heero entered the room, the door left open behind him. While he was careful not to make eye contact, he saw Heero cross the room, and he nearly sneered when the man sat down in the soft chair Trowa had placed before the fire. Obviously, he planned to continue the staring until he talked to him. But Duo had no intention of doing that. He stubbornly kept his silence and ignored him.

Duo hadn't forgiven him. It was evident, but Heero wasn't bothered too much. To him, it had been lenient of him to spare the boy the entire pail of icy water. His mind didn't quite take in the fact that he might owe the boy for having invaded his privacy. Yes, Duo had been in his bath, but Heero had been sleeping.

The angry silence was actually easy to take. Heero closed his eyes, images of the boy seated across from him flying through his mind. While he didn't particularly want the Duo angry with him, he was content, especially since he was in Duo's room and he'd yet to be yelled at.

It was infuriating, and Duo simply couldn't believe the man had actually fallen asleep in his room. Being dismissed was bad enough, but the thought that Heero took him so lightly he felt comfortable sleeping there was maddening. There was also the problem that with him in the room, he couldn't exactly go to sleep himself. Instead, he was stuck waiting for Heero to wake up.

He crossed the room angrily, snatching the fire poker and he shoved the logs around in hopes that the noise would rouse the intruder. Heero didn't so much as twitch. Out of pure spite, Duo used the poker to sweep Heero's away from where he'd stretched them close to the fire. That proved to wake him quickly.

Heero was on his feet immediately, and his hand moved to his waist, clenching when he found that he didn't have his sword. Then he took in his location, and his eyes narrowed at the violet ones sparking at him.

"Did you need something?" Heero asked, his voice emotionless. It was pure luck that he hadn't worn his sword, and he was cold at the thought of what might have happened if he had worn it. "You should take more care. It is obvious you need discipline in your life."

"A firm hand...is that what you're saying?" Duo's voice dropped, and his eyes narrowed for a moment before his face smoothed suddenly.

He stepped forward and laid a light hand on Heero's chest, blinking his lashes as he looked down. "You sound angry with me, Heero. I need discipline? Is that what you want? To hit me?" He schooled his features, wariness shining in his violet eyes when he looked up.

The husky voice sent tingles down Heero's spine, but he flinched at the boy's question, shaking his head. "Duo...I...wouldn't. I'd never hurt you."

A surprisingly strong fist buried itself in his stomach and Heero blinked in shock, stumbling back a step.

"No?!" Duo cried, all pretenses dropped as he let his fury blaze forth. "You think I'm not hurt? I'm not some unfeeling thing you can play with, Heero."

All of the humiliation he'd suffered rose to clench in his chest, and he gritted his teeth. "I've been kidnapped, thrown in a trunk - a trunk Heero! You drag me out to this God-forsaken place and keep me here for no reason. Do you have any idea what will happen when I go back to England? You've ruined my name. My father's name!"

He gasped suddenly, biting back the burn that tried to close his throat.

"I...should be looking for him," Duo said slowly, his voice dropping as his anger left him. "Not trapped here."

Heero was staring at him, eyes wide, and Duo's shoulders slumped.

"Would you please leave, now? I," Duo sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he turned his back on the man. "I just want to sleep. I'm so sick of these games."

He could hear light steps, and he glanced back when silence came. The doorway was empty. His own steps drug when he went to it, shutting the door with another sigh.

- - -

It was strange, but by the time Heero returned to the castle, Duo actually felt worse about his explosion the night before than he had about any of his pranks. He'd had plenty of time to think about it, as sleep had eluded him despite his exhaustion, and he'd decided that while his anger was justified, it wasn't aimed at the right person. Yes, Heero had been behind his kidnapping, and when people heard who had taken him, he would be considered ruined, but the man hadn't done it on purpose.

He had a right to be angry; he just couldn't point fingers. It had been a mistake. The only thing Heero had done was keep him in the castle after learning who he was and while this still made him mad, he was beginning to believe the man. From what Wufei had told him, the ocean really did have large quantities of ice that made voyages extremely deadly.

Duo nearly ran down the stairs when he heard the sound of horses, and he couldn't help the smile that graced his lips. Heero had been gone when he'd woken, and Duo was coming to terms with the fact that he felt lonely without him there.

While he was worried that Heero might be angry, the fear couldn't keep his steps from being rapid. Then he opened the door, and he halted abruptly, suddenly understanding why he'd heard multiple horses.

Heero was there, his tall black horse standing near the stable, but there was also a cart drawn by two other horses. Duo blinked at the three men and the woman who slowly climbed down.

"You won't have to worry about that," Heero was saying to Trowa, "the two of you deserve some free time. The carpenters should be able to finish all of the repairs, and since I own this castle now, it may as well be fixed up."

"But a new stable, isn't that a bit much?" Quatre shook his head, frowning at the thought of how much it would cost. "Heero, do you have the funds for this?"

"Don't worry," said Heero.

He dismounted, nodding as Trowa immediately took the horse. His eyes were on the boy who stood in the doorway, but he stopped suddenly, turning a bit as he looked back. "And Trowa? The first thing they're going to do is fix the room on the third floor. I don't like you two staying out here."

"Thank you," Trowa smirked.

If truth be told, he hadn't minded that much since they had more privacy in the room adjourning the stable. But it was a kind gesture.

"Duo," Heero greeted soberly.

"What is this?" Duo asked when Heero reached him. He was confused by the easy expression on the man's face.

"Carpenters," Heero said, taking in those wide eyes.

He was relieved to see that Duo didn't seem to be holding any of his anger from before. He nodded as the woman climbed out of the cart and walked toward them. "Duo, this is Darla, she's going to be doing the cleaning now."

The woman nodded, her brown eyes moving between them. "Sirs."

Duo blinked in surprise and he barely noticed the strong arm that prodded him into the castle. Heero stepped a few feet from the woman, and Duo leaned towards him quickly, his expression worried.

"Heero, how did you afford this?" he asked quietly.

"Wufei gave me an advance," Heero replied. "He seems to have faith that I will be reinstated in the Queen's good graces, despite my current status as a traitor. Don't worry, Duo, I have faith myself."

"Pardon me, Lord," Darla said swiftly, her demeanor respectful as she remained a polite step away. "I would like to start my duties immediately."

Heero nodded, and she turned to Duo, her eyes sweeping over him quickly. "When will you and Mister Yuy require your dinner?"

"Duo Maxwell," Heero said sharply. The back he had his hand touching had stiffened at the mistake, and he nodded to the woman. "And we generally eat at four. You may room near the kitchen, you'll see the Chef in there and he can explain things to you."

"Yes Lord," said Darla.

Her eyes moved to Duo again, and she smirked suddenly. She'd thought she knew what he was, and the boy's wide eyes told her she'd guessed correctly. He was the man's mistress, despite his male gender. Her smirk widened as she eyed him with contempt. "I'll go now."

Duo turned sharply, and Heero blinked in surprise. The boy was half-way up the stairs before he caught up to him. Duo stopped when he touched his shoulder, but he had to turn him forcibly. "Duo?"

He could see the hurt visible in those expressive eyes, and he frowned in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"You don't know?" Duo asked, his voice dropping as he glared at the man.

His anger evaporated when he saw that Heero's confusion was honest. "Don't you know what she thinks of me, Heero? She thinks I'm your whore...and I don't blame her."

His fingers curved around the edge of his shirt, despondent. "Look at me. I can't stand these rags. There's no way I can go on that trip with you and Wufei. I do have pride, Heero..."

Duo was worried about what Wufei thought of him, Heero was certain of it, and his eyes narrowed. The boy's hurt bothered him, but not as much as it would have if it had been only about the woman's behavior. "You bought clothing, that much shouldn't be a problem. And I'll speak to Darla."

"No," Duo said quickly, flushing as he shook his head. "That'll just make it worse. Don't worry about it, Heero."

"Well," said Heero, "this should cheer you up. Your clothing has been finished."

Duo's face lit up, and Heero gave a slight smile. "It should be here in an hour."

"Oh. Thank you!" Duo grinned, turning suddenly and he had almost run up the stairs before he remembered his manners. "I'm going to get my room ready. This is great."

- - -

He wasn't thinking clearly, that much was obvious. For some reason, he seemed to think Heero's having hired so much help was an attempt to make him feel better, and Duo couldn't help but feel warm towards the man. The fact that they hadn't spoken a single harsh word made it difficult to remember why he wasn't supposed to like the man. And he found himself involving in a dangerous habit, for reasons he didn't really understand.

For the second night in a row, he found himself standing in front of the tapestry. His fingers trailed down a dark blue swirl, feeling the thick cloth. He hesitated for a moment, then his hand moved the tapestry aside, undoing the lock with habitual ease.

He walked down the dark corridor, no candle needed since he didn't want to announce his presence, and he had the turns memorized already. It wasn't long before he was opening the door on the other side, and once again he gave a silent thanks that Heero didn't lock his side.

The man's room looked considerably better than it had so few weeks before. Duo gave a slow smile as he ran his hand over the silk curtains surrounding Heero's bed. It never ceased to amaze him, how luxurious the man's room and bed were.

His eyes moved over the sleeping man. Heero's dark hair looked soft on the pillow and his fingers tingled with a need to touch it, his eyes moving over those dark eyelashes. He was so pretty. Duo couldn't seem to help the pull, the need to take him in. The first night, he'd come out of curiosity, but now, now he knew he came because he couldn't resist the opportunity to study the man who confused him so often. It was with a long, silent, sigh that he turned away.

A strong hand caught his wrist and Duo jumped with a gasp.

"What...no ice water this time?" Heero murmured, his lashes parting a bit so his dark eyes glinted up at the boy.

Duo was staring at him, and he suddenly jerked on the wrist he held, pulling him down so his arms could move around the boy's waist. "Sneaking into my room at night..."

"Heero...I..."

Flushing furiously, Duo moved fitfully against the man, his body very aware of the one under him. Heero's arms tightened until their faces were inches apart and his breath caught in his throat. Then soft lips touched his and he closed his eyes.

Heero's smoothed his hands over Duo's back and buried one in that thick hair, pulling the boy until he lay on him. Duo's soft mouth opened to him and he didn't bother to think. His tongue swept inside, teasing Duo's until he responded to the slow, exploratory kiss.

Without a noticeable pause, Heero moved his lips to the side, kissing Duo's cheek and trailing down to his neck. The boy sighed, tilting his head and giving him more access to the silken skin. Duo ducked his head, so warm breaths fell on his hear, and Heero made a little sound against the boy's neck. He shifted a hand down, undoing the first buttons to Duo's shirt. A warm tongue flicked out to brush his ear, and Heero groaned, nipping the boy's collar.

Heero's mouth was agonizingly close to his nipple, and Duo gasped with expectation. He hid his face closer to the man's dark hair, using his teeth to tug lightly on Heero's earlobe and relishing in the answering growl.

A crackling shift from the fireplace broke the quiet passion that had settled over the bed. Duo's eyes snapped open.

His shirt was half undone, and he was lying on top of Heero. He didn't want to stop, didn't want to care what would happen if he stayed. But his body was tensing as rational thought returned.

Duo pulled away and Heero's eyes opened to stare up at him. For a moment neither of them moved, Duo standing next to his bed. Then Heero saw the stark horror in those violet eyes. Duo turned and bolted for the pathway, and Heero swung his legs over the edge of his bed to rush after him.

"Duo...!"

He ran, stumbling over the stairs in the dark. His heart was racing in his chest, his breath ragged. He hit the door to his room and shoved through.

Duo sagged against door, his eyes burning hot with condemnation as he cursed himself with every word he could think of. There was no excuse he could think of to pass off his behavior. He knew better than to try and blame his own actions on Heero. He'd been the one to come into the man's room, and he hadn't argued with what they'd almost done.

His hands shook as he buttoned his shirt, and he gasped when a light sound brushed the door behind him.

"Duo, let me in." Heero's voice was soft, and he ran his hand over the door, not wanting to push it open. He wanted the boy to open it for him. "Duo?"

"Go away," Duo said roughly, his own shame surging through him. "I'm sorry."

"You can't do that," Heero cursed, his body still aching from the fleeting moment. "I need you, Duo."

The blunt words made his body react, and Duo flushed, leaning his forehead against the door. "Heero...I can't."

"What would you have me do?" Heero asked, his voice low as he slowly backed away. "Find someone else?"

Even as the words left his mouth, he knew it would be impossible. He was just so frustrated. His hands curled into fists as he turned away.

"No," Duo whispered, closing his eyes. "I just can't do that. I can't shame myself like this."

There wasn't an answer, and he ducked his head, turning away to return to his solitary bed.

- - -
TBC