See all warnings and disclaimers in the first chapter.
A/N: Nothing to say today. I really should stop doing this.
Heero: I'll stop you.
Duo: But we're always together when she plays with us. Don't complain.
Jewel: Yeah, you ungrateful mangy wolf. I should have a hunter shoot you.
Heero: (GUN)
Jewel: Heh . . . heh . . . see you guys later! (runs)
A Taste of Freedom
They didn't have a harness big enough for Heero, so Karon fashioned one out of silk scarves. Heero, she reasoned, was not some dumb dog who would tug too hard at his leash and tear the delicate material. Duo agreed, and Heero had no problem with it.
"The scarves are pretty," he said, "and this way I know for sure I can't lose you."
Smiling, Duo subsided. For the first time in far too long he left the house without a military escort with no goal in mind other than enjoying the day. "Heero, is it a beautiful day?" he asked, breathing deep of the fresh air, still a little cool and crisp from the early morning chill.
He felt the scarves dance a little as Heero shook himself. "Yes, Duo, it's gorgeous. The sun is a bright golden coin in an azure sky, and there are only a few fat white clouds drifting by. You don't live that far from the city, do you? I can see it from here!"
"No," Duo said aloud, finishing silently, "only half a mile. I wanted to walk, and I'm sure you're fine with that."
"Of course!"
Duo felt a gentle tug on the scarves, Heero letting him know he wanted to run! Because of his isolation, Duo had little to do except physical activity in that large house of his, so he was in good shape. Smiling, he picked up his pace to a ground-eating jog.
"Just tell me where to go so I don't run over anything and fall on my face," he said to his guide.
"Of course I will." A tug on the scarves, and he veered to the left a little. "Just don't run out into the street."
The pair jogged into the main city, but here Heero made Duo slow down. There were a lot of people about, there always were. Duo followed Heero's lead as the wolf threaded his way through the throng.
"There are all sorts of stores and stuff," Heero said, bumping his head against Duo's hip. "What kind of store would you like to go into?"
"Music," Duo replied, stroking Heero's ears. "I love listening to music. Maybe I'll break down and buy a kit to teach myself to play an instrument. They have special-made ones for the blind."
"That's interesting. Is it common for humans to be blind?"
"No, not really," Duo said, frowning a little. "But the survivors of the sickness I got are always rendered blind. Very few survive."
Duo could feel Heero's compassion, but the wolf changed the subject with an abruptness that spoke of his discomfort. "There's a music store here. It's called . . . hmm. Pan's Pipes. That's a weird name."
"Pan is someone out of Earth legend," Duo explained, smiling a little. "Remind me to tell you sometime. Take me there?"
"Earth, hmm?" Heero said, turning Duo's direction. "Isn't that where humans are originally from?"
"Yes. That was a long, long time ago."
"Welcome to Pan's, young sir," a voice spilled over Duo's senses, "but we do not allow dogs in here."
Heero made a rather huffy sound, but Duo just smiled, lifting his eyes a little. "First, he is not a dog, sir, and second, he is my guide."
In Duo's mind, Heero let out an incoherent growl. "He reeks of lust, Duo. He thinks you're very pretty, and his excitement jumped when he realized you couldn't see."
Well, this was a first. Being able to tell what people were thinking just by the way they smelled. What a convenient gift. "And what does lust smell like?" he couldn't help asking.
Heero snorted. "Like heat and want, carnal desire and gluttony. It seldom smells good, because people rarely have moral inhibition concerning the things they want."
"Have you met many people?"
"Met, no. Seen, yes. Many come to Tel'Mar with the desire to procure a Telmaran bodyguard. We agree to very few of these."
"Allow me to assist you, then," the man's voice said again, and Duo could definitely hear a subtle undertone of ulterior motive.
He just smiled. "I would appreciate it. Do you have kits for the blind who wish to learn a musical instrument?"
"Indeed we do, young master," the man purred, and Duo heard him step closer. "For several different instruments. Tell you what. You tell me which you would like to play, and I'll tell you if we have kits for that particular one."
"Traditional six-stringed guitar?" Duo asked.
"That one we have. Would you like me to . . . ?" he trailed off, but his intent was obvious.
Duo shook his head. "No, thank you. Heero, follow."
"You know I don't need verbal commands, right?" his guide said, sounding a tad miffed.
Biting back his grin, Duo ruffled his ears. "Of course I do. But this man doesn't, and it would be weird if you just started following him like you could understand every word we just said, right?"
That got him a reluctant chuckle. "Okay. Probably." Another chuckle, a little more heartfelt this time. "He's scared of me."
"Why? Are you glaring at him?"
"Only a little. I was trying to grin at him."
"Ah. Your grin is full of nice sharp fangs, remember? He probably thought you were tempted to take a bite out of his leg."
"I was, too, but then I remembered humans taste funny."
"Oh really? What do we taste like?"
"Bad fish," came the flippant reply.
Duo turned his sudden fit of giggles into a cough.
"Here we are," the man said, probably a little too loudly. "Would you like me to describe what they look like?"
"I could do it better," Heero grumbled, definite annoyance in his mental voice.
"I would like that," Duo acquiesced with a smile.
He didn't need to see the man's face to hear the grin. "All right. We have four. The first one is made from polished maidenwood, strings of the finest . . ."
"That's a strange name for wood," Heero commented. "Don't listen to him, anyway. The first one is red, of course, because it's maidenwood. The strings are silver-banded black, and the inlaid design is a carving of running horses. Quite pretty, actually. The second one is some black wood with a curvy inlaid design. The third is very boring, you don't want that one. The fourth . . . hmm. The fourth is not shaped like a traditional guitar though it has six strings. It's shaped like an open flame. Colored like one, too. Rather interesting. The strings are gold."
"I'm a little surprised," Duo admitted. "Most kits for the blind are very plain and basic. I guess they've branched out a little. My father did say he was going to get that changed. He doesn't like to think I might not be able to get merchandise at the highest quality like 'normal' people. He fusses. A lot."
Heero snorted audibly. It sounded adorable, a sort of snuffling sound. "I got that impression," he mused. "Oh, this clown is done describing things. I suppose he's waiting for an answer now. Can I bite him? Just a little?"
Coughing politely, Duo extended his hand. "May I feel the first one and the last one?"
"Of course," his helper said in the same tone.
The hand that closed around his was warm and slightly damp. Duo resisted the urge to shake it off. Amazing how knowing the man lusted for him changed his feelings toward him. Changed it from polite friendliness to borderline disgust. That hand guided his fingers over highly polished wood, and he slowly traced the carving of the running horses.
When the man gently tugged him to the other, he found himself nearly in a hot embrace. The man had cleverly insinuated Duo between the shelf and his own large body. Discomfort and a hint of nervousness flashed through Duo—he did not like positions such as these. Besides being extremely cliché, they were just plain unpleasant.
He allowed the man to guide his hand over the outline of the guitar, and it really did feel like a flame-shape. And that was when Duo had had enough. He could feel the aggression rising in Heero, and it directly affected his own emotional balance.
"Thank you for your help," he said in a voice so cold it startled even him, "but that will be all." With a bite harsher than an arctic chill.
Heero's laughter resounded in his mind as the man startled backward. "If you need anything . . ." he hedged.
"I won't," Duo said, all politeness gone now.
And he was gone. Heero's mirth made it very hard for Duo to stay angry, and he didn't really try. Nothing terrible had happened, and he didn't want to ruin his day.
"A second longer and I was going to bite him," Heero said, still sounding very amused.
"I would have let you, but I try to let people know early on they cannot take advantage of me."
"That's a good habit to get into," Heero mused. "I would protect you whether you were a whining baby or a muscle-brained fool."
"That's very comforting, you idiot wolf."
"Keep up talk like that and I'll bite you, too."
"I should warn you I bite back."
"Oh?"
Duo grinned. "Which one should I get?"
"The flaming one. It's very nice stylized art. Art and music rolled into one. Plus, that one has in huge bold letters on the kit that it's the best for beginners."
"Sounds perfect then. Guide me back to the counter?"
The slow tugs on the scarves told him where to go as he went back to the counter. A different man sat behind the register, and Heero told his Bonded he couldn't even smell the other one anymore. That made Duo grin.
"Excuse me," he said, "I wish to make a purchase under my father's name and have it shipped directly to his house."
"We don't do that," came the annoyed reply.
"There are some perks to being the Prime Chancellor's son," Duo told Heero, grinning inwardly. "Watch this. Works every time."
"Yes, you do, I have done it before." He put his palm on the identification pad. "My father is Denan Maxwell, Prime Chancellor of Hedara. You have his address in your system already."
It was times like these he wished he could see facial expressions. Heero's mental sniggering spoke volumes of the man's sudden change of attitude.
"Uh, of course young master," the man said. "We'll take care of that directly."
Duo flashed a beaming smile in his direction. "Thank you, I appreciate it." His smile vanished instantly as he spun and stalked out.
"Feeling peevish, are we?"
"Biggest difference between you and an armed guard. People take me more seriously with muscle-heads all around me." He laughed lightly.
"Let's find some place with food and go for a walk in the forest just beyond the city. There, right up against the mountains."
"Bossy. That sounds perfect."
I hope that chapter didn't feel too boring to anyone . . .