Death Is Only The Beginning

'Necrophilia means never having to say you're sorry.'

Duo's jaw dropped, his face a perfect mask of undisguised horror. He grimaced in distaste, looking as if there was a foul taste in his mouth. Before Heero could say anything to make him feel better, the self-proclaimed Shinigami's face twisted up in a mask of murderous rage.

"That…is…sick!" Duo declared vehemently, anger darkening his normally smiling face. "I may be the God of Death, but I have never had sex with anyone who wasn't breathing."

Hoping a joke would cheer his lover up, Heero said dryly, "I should hope not. You've only ever had sex with me."

Duo blinked up at him quizzically, then smiled shakily. "Yeah…you're right." He grimaced at the black T-shirt – with blood red letters that looked like they were really dripping life's fluid – in his hands. "But this is really sick," he reiterated.

"Dark humor," Heero corrected. "Humorous, but also slightly morbid."

"Slightly!" Duo squeaked, voice rising three octaves from the norm. "This is completely and utterly degrading! I don't know what…whoever it was who sent me this was thinking."

"Probably that they'd like to get you back." At Duo's uncomprehending look, Heero sighed and said pointedly, but gently, "You did start this game, Duo."

Duo squirmed and stared down at the hated shirt in his hands. Frowning, he unconsciously flipped one of his knives out from the sheath on his wrist and attacked the item of apparel. "Yeah, I know, Heero," he admitted grudgingly, as he began methodically cutting the shirt into strips. "But the Ozzies are taking this too far."

"It's just a joke, Duo," Heero said softly, one hand reaching out to knead his lover's tense shoulders "You're not supposed to take it seriously."

"At the core of every lie is a kernel of truth," Duo quoted in a quiet voice. "What if this is really what they think of me?"

Lips quirking up in a small smile as he watched the black cloth fall in tattered ribbons to the floor, Heero said, "I think whoever it was just wanted to get under your skin."

Pausing in his clothing dismemberment, Duo appeared to give that due consideration. A Shinigami grin overtaking his face, he said, "Well, if they want to get to me, let's see how they like it where I'm coming from."

Heero blinked. "Hn?"

Duo's grin – already impossibly wide and showing more teeth than ten sharks – spread wider. "Welcome to Hell, Ozzies. Hope you enjoy our…hospitality." He chuckled darkly.

Though Duo was in a much better mood, Heero suddenly wondered if it that was such a good thing.