Word from the author : Yes, I know, another long wait. I'm really sorry. I work on many fics, I have a bunch of homeworks, and a life (yes, I swear, a life). Because of that I often get overwhelmed, and there's also this thing called 'inspiration' to consider. It doesn't pop into existence at will (although I sure wish it did). Anyway, all that to say that I'm really sorry about the wait I once again put you through. I'll try not to do that again, I promise. I know it gets annoying. Just refrain from throwing things at me please...
Akari : It's okay cherry-chan, I'm sure they'll forgive you.
You think ?
Akari : Of course !
What about you Raiu ?
Raiu : (sitting at a hand-made stand with a poster saying : "100 ways to hurt an unreliable author. Today's Special : Buy an airgun, get 1 throwing knife free !")
RAIU !!!
Akari : Huh... Enjoy the chapter everyone...
.: Carried out to sea :.
by cherry fantasy
Chapter three : Prelude to the storm
When John and Solo Maxwell got home, it was around 3:00 a.m. No one was sleeping though. Lord Maxwell wasn't surprised, considering the situation, nor was he surprised to find part of the Royal Guard in his courtyard and admiral Zechs Merquise in his living room.
"Lord Maxwell, sir. Solo." Zechs greeted them, rising to his feet as they walked into the room.
Father and son looked startlingly alike, both possessing deep emerald green eyes and short strawberry blond hair stylishly done at the latest fashion. Solo nodded politely to their guest while John Maxwell answered his greeting with a smile :
"Please, no formalities this late at night, Zechs. Now, what exactly happened here ? Solo and I were at the Burgundy Club, practically on the other side of town, when we got the message. We left as fast as we could, but obviously we missed all the action. Although, since I can see no ship and no prisoners, I can guess that things didn't go too well."
"Unfortunately, sir." Zechs confirmed as they all sat down. "The Phantom escaped. The pirates had territorial advantage ; this creek they were in is terribly hard of access by any other way than by sea. One of my men even broke his ankle trying to climb down. We shot at them of course, but it had very little success considering our position. All pirates but one succeeded to reach their ship and sail away, and the one left behind is dead."
"So The phantom's crew escapes justice once again, it would seem." Solo commented with an amused smirk.
Zechs gritted his teeth but didn't reply. Lord Maxwell threw his son a half-hearted glare before turning back to Zechs and speaking, trying to sooth the man's ruffled feathers :
"I'm certain you tried all that was possible, Zechs. Don't forget you were at a disadvantage, you said so yourself. There will be other occasions."
Zechs merely nodded, skillfully hiding his frustration behind a mask of calm and discipline. Oh, there would be other occasions alright… He'd make sure of it…
"So, where's Duo ?" Solo suddenly asked. "I would've thought he'd be in the middle of all this ruckus."
Zechs turned to him and said evenly :
"Young Duo seems to have disappeared again, I'm afraid. That is why your head gardener, Mr. Drake, sent for me in the first place."
"By the Gods, that boy is impossible !" Lord Maxwell exclaimed with a laugh, shaking his head. "He takes so much after his mother that it almost scares me ! The next thing we know he will have secretly built his own ship and gone on a journey around the world all by himself !"
"I must say that it wouldn't surprise me, sir." Zechs told him, an odd smile dancing on his lips.
The playful mood was ruined though when Solo suddenly jumped to his feet and rushed to the other end of the room, worry etched over his features. He stopped before the red cord used to call the servants and pulled on it a little more harshly than necessary.
"Solo ?" his father called, puzzled.
He didn't get an answer though since Jenkins, their butler, chose that moment to enter the room.
"You called, my Lords ?" the old man inquired respectfully.
Solo was on him in a flash, his voice tense as he asked :
"Jenkins, do you know of Duo's whereabouts ?"
"I'm sorry my Lord, but no. I personally went to look for the young master earlier tonight at Mr. Drake's demand, but he was not in his room and we could find him nowhere in the manor. That is when we decided to send for Lord Merquise."
"Did someone see him since then ?" Solo urged him.
"No my Lord."
"Solo, what is going on ?" Lord Maxwell demanded, his tone severe as he rose from his seat.
But Solo ignored him and turned to Zechs instead, who had also risen to his feet by now. The young Maxwell heir took a step toward him before speaking :
"You said that the pirates were hiding in the creek behind the manor, right ?"
"Yes…" Zechs answered slowly, wondering what Solo was getting at.
"And you said that they all escaped, except the one who was killed."
"Yes."
"Are you positive that there was no one left in the creek, or even anywhere else on the beach ?"
"Certain. I ordered a thorough search that revealed itself fruitless : no one was found."
"Damn it…" Solo growled out, brows furrowed with worry.
"Solo, explain yourself." Lord Maxwell ordered sternly.
The young man turned to him and asked him matter-of-factly :
"Father, where do you think Duo goes during his little nightly escapades ?"
Silence. Then…
"Damn it."
"Exactly."
o0o
"Alright. I will close my eyes, and when I open them again I will be in my bed, in my room, in the manor, and this will all have been a dream created by my strange, deluded mind."
No such luck, for when Duo opened his eyes again he was greeted by the same small, although somewhat luxurious cabin he'd been locked in since the last hour and a half.
Duo wasn't sure if the gravity of his situation had completely sunk in yet. It was either that, or… Well, he really couldn't find another explanation as to why he could remain so calm. Undoubtedly, being kidnapped by pirates normally provoked more panic than that, right ? Not that Duo had a lot of experience in the matter… Even so, he was certain that his current reaction was anything but normal.
He'd been tied up and shoved into a craft by Wufei, and he hadn't resisted.
He'd been hauled up on The Phantom by Thomas, and he hadn't resisted.
He'd been lead to and locked into a cabin by Quatre, and he hadn't resisted.
Duo was seriously hoping that a pattern wasn't setting itself.
Sighing softly, the long-haired boy took another look at his surroundings… Well, at least he hadn't been thrown down in the hold. In fact, the cabin he'd been locked in was rather nice looking. It was larger than any other Duo had ever seen so far. Granted, that still didn't leave a lot of space… But that didn't matter. Duo was used to the slightly cramped sleeping quarters that one had to deal with on a ship, and he'd never minded those accommodations.
He was presently sitting on the small and only bed the cabin contained, the furniture resting against the left wall of the room. Duo guessed that it could maybe offer enough space for two people his size… if they slept quite close to each other. The mattress was soft and comfortable, as was the pillow, and the bed sheets were made of dark blue satin. The cabin also contained a large bronze chest, set right between the bed and the door, and an elegant secretary which stood just beneath the cabin's only porthole.
The walls (dark brown, horizontal wooden boards) were all bare except for this one spot facing the foot of the bed, where a strange painting was pinned. It was done on a long piece of parchment, the paper itself sewed on larger piece of red cloth. Duo couldn't for the life of him figure out that painting ; the black ink used on it seemed foreign, and the landscape it represented completely escaped him, as did the strange little signs painted below. Nonetheless, Duo thought it looked very pretty.
On the secretary, Duo could see neatly set stacks of papers, a white feathered pen in its little inkpot, a rolled up map and a silver compass. The secretary's only drawer, on the right, had a small golden keyhole, and it was obviously locked… Not that it would've stopped Duo usually, but right now his hands were still tied behind his back, and although the rope wasn't tight enough to hurt, it was held by a surprisingly good knot. Duo had pulled at it enough to tell. Really, that Wufei had some odd talents.
Duo had nosed around the cabin of course, but he hadn't found much. The bronze chest wasn't locked, but it only contained some clothes, and a gold fob watch that was the reason Duo knew how much time had passed since he'd been locked up.
Almost two hours now. He wondered where everyone else was, and why no one had come for him yet. Should he be worried about that, or relieved ? Once again he wasn't sure.
Well, at least one thing was clear in his mind : by now any escape attempt was impossible. After nearly two hours, The Phantom had certainly reached the open sea. Duo was stuck on this boat until someone came to rescue him, or until the pirates decided to drop him off somewhere. Something told him that the latter was more than unlikely.
His father and Solo had probably figured out what had happened to him by now. Zechs would've explained to them about The Phantom and the creek, and the pirates' escape. Jenkins would've told them about him missing. Solo would've put two and two together. Lord Maxwell was probably alerting the entire British Navy right at this moment.
God, things were such a mess… If Duo had known that all this would happen, he would've never gone out for a stupid walk.
Right ?
Yes, yes, of course. He wouldn't have. No, never.
Even if it meant he would've never met Heero… Heero and his strong, charismatic presence… Heero and his gorgeous body… Heero and his bed-tousled chocolate brown hair… Heero and his annoying, sexy little smirk… Heero and his deep, beautiful, bewitching Prussian blue eyes…
"Oh, for Heaven's sake !" Duo exclaimed internally, falling back on the bed with a frustrated sigh.
He just had to fall for the pirate captain, huh ? Yes, of course. As if things weren't complicated enough already, he had to fall for his captor. How enchantingly romantic.
Yes, sarcasm was a wonderful thing.
That established, Duo turned on his side (the only comfortable position with his hands tied back as they were) and made himself at home on the satin covered bed. It seemed that no one would be coming for him anytime soon, so for lack of something better to do, he might as well take a nap. They were still in the middle of the night after all.
Snuggling his face into the soft pillow, Duo closed his eyes and let sleep claim him…
o0o
"So ?"
"So what ?"
"Don't play dumb Heero, it doesn't suit you."
Heero turned toward his first mate and glared. Trowa merely stared back at him expectantly.
Both young men were presently standing on the rear deck of The Phantom. Trowa was casually posted behind the wheel, lazily steering the ship with an expert hand. Heero was right beside him, his expression unreadable but for the glare he was now directing at Trowa. The two of them stood straight, unaffected by the tilting movements of the boat. At this hour (it was around 5:00 a.m.), there were few people awake besides them. One man was in the crow's-nest and another was at the bow of the ship. They would be relieved of their duty and replaced by someone else in respectively 10 and 25 minutes.
When Heero saw that his glare was having absolutely no effect on Trowa (not that he'd expected it to), he frowned and turned his gaze away, letting it linger over the sea. Then his voice came to Trowa's ears, cold and flat :
"He has caught my interest."
"Obviously."
The captain turned and glared once more at his mate.
"You never had a problem with it before."
"And I still don't."
"Then why ask ?" Heero said, quickly growing annoyed.
Trowa turned his head to the side and stared at him square in the eyes. For a whole minute he was silent ; when he finally answered, it was with the same soft and even voice he always used, although his tone was quite serious :
"It is no business of mine who you choose to take into your bed, Heero, nor is the way you choose to do it. But you know as well as I do that the one you chose this time is probably – no, surely related to Lord Maxwell, and may even be one of his sons. If we'd taken gold and jewels, the Lord High Admiral may have decided not to chase us pass the English territory. But if we've taken one of his sons…"
He left his sentence unfinished, but Heero didn't need to hear the rest to understand what Trowa was implying. He shifted, but stayed mute.
"This is unlike you Heero." Trowa pursued calmly, moving his gaze back ahead. "The occasional prostitute or harem boy weren't an issue, but this Duo is more than likely dragging the entire British Navy after him. I find it hard to believe that you would take such risks simply because some boy has 'caught your interest'."
Heero flicked his eyes in his direction and grunted, but still no answer came from him. Trowa threw him a sideways glance before asking softly :
"There's something more about this one, isn't there Heero ?"
There was a long silence, then :
"…Aa." (1)
"Hm. I thought so. Quatre and Wufei noticed it too, you know ?"
Heero stared at him quizzically. Trowa allowed himself a tiny smirk as he explained :
"You think we didn't notice your slight change in behavior since the moment you saw him ? We've known you long enough to tell, my friend."
"Damare…" (2) Heero ordered half-heartedly, looking away.
The sound of a door shutting interrupted them. Looking down, they saw two men coming out of the sleeping quarters situated beneath the rear deck (on which Heero and Trowa were currently standing). After climbing the four steps leading on the fore deck, one of the men headed for the high mast ; obviously he was there to take his shift and replace the other pirate in the crow's-nest.
The second man walked in the opposite direction, heading straight for them. His short blond hair was like a flaming beacon in the dark of night.
A moment later Quatre had joined them on the quarter deck. With his usual pleasant smile he greeted them :
"Heero. Trowa."
They bowed their heads in acknowledgement. Heero didn't take offence when Quatre failed to call him by his title of captain. They, along with Trowa and Wufei, rarely used any kind of formalities when they were just together.
"Such a peaceful night…" Quatre was now saying. "The winds are good though."
The other two nodded in agreement. There was a moment of silence, then Heero surprised both his companions by asking tonelessly :
"How is our captive ?"
Trowa exchanged a knowing glance with Quatre ; the latter skillfully hid the little smirk that was fighting to appear on his lips. Clearing his throat, he answered sedately :
"I'm not sure. The last time I saw him was just before I locked him up, about three hours ago."
"You mean you haven't checked on him since ?!" Heero exclaimed.
"Well, no… Haven't you ?"
"No !" Heero barked. "I assumed you would, or that you'd send someone to do so !"
"Hum… Oups ?" Quatre said with a sheepish grin.
Heero glared.
"It's not his fault, Heero." Trowa intervened. "If you remember, we've been quite busy fleeing from the authorities during the last hours. You didn't think to check on him either."
Heero turned his glare on him, barely pacified.
"I'm sorry, Heero." Quatre then spoke up sadly. "I should've thought about it."
Heero looked back at him. Seeing Quatre's truly apologetic expression, he sighed and told him :
"Iie. (3) Trowa is right. We were in an emergency situation and it slipped all our minds."
Quatre smiled, reassured. Then a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he said :
"Well, it's not too late to check on him now, hm ? Why don't you go, Heero ? He's in your cabin after all. Your orders were quite clear about that. I believe it went something like this : Bring him directly to my quarters, lock him up before coming back and if someone so much as looks at him the wrong way, break their nose for me."
Heero shifted, glared, grumbled something under his breath and just dumped them there without as much as a 'goodnight'. The minute after that he'd disappeared beneath the rear deck.
Quatre waited until he was sure Heero was gone to burst out laughing.
"Allah !" he exclaimed, wiping at his eyes. "I think he was blushing ! I never thought the day would come when I would see Heero Yuy embarrassed…"
"I don't think he ever had a reason to be embarrassed before." Trowa commented.
"You're right." Quatre agreed more calmly, moving to lean against the other man. "He's fallen hard, hasn't he ?"
"Sans aucun doute." (4) Trowa answered in his native tongue, a small smile on his lips as he moved an arm to wrap around the other's waist.
"Now if he could only realize it…" Quatre mumbled, snuggling closer.
"He will, in time."
"I guess… I really think Duo will be good for him, Trowa. I can feel it."
"If you say so, mon ange," (5) Trowa replied, tightening his hold, "then I can do nothing but believe."
Quatre looked up at him, eyes sparkling. He leaned in for a kiss, then whispered softly against the other's lips :
"Ana hebbek, Trowa." (6)
"Je t'aime aussi, mon ange…" (7)
o0o
When Heero stepped into his cabin, he wasn't sure what to expect ; an attack, a shout, his personal belongings thrown randomly across the room, tears, pleading… But what he actually saw was something else entirely.
The cabin was neat and tidy as usual, and nothing seemed to have been touched. Heero took only a brief note of this though, for another sight had already gotten his undivided attention : that of a slender, slumbering figure presently curled up on his bed.
Slowly, silently, Heero moved forward until he was hovering above his sleeping captive… Duo was lying on his side, knees slightly brought up against his chest. The black ribbon holding his ponytail had loosened, and his long fall of chestnut hair was now spread around him like a silky blanket. His breathing was light and deep, his face completely relaxed. His eyes were closed of course, long lashes fluttering against his porcelain cheeks : Duo was dreaming.
Heero stood there for what seemed like an eternity, mesmerized. The only thing going through his mind at the moment was the word "beautiful". He decided not to ponder too much about the feelings this vision was stirring inside his long untouched heart…
Hesitantly, unable to resist the urge, Heero reached out a hand and gently brushed his knuckles over Duo's satin-smooth cheek. The long-haired boy sighed softly in his sleep and instinctively leaned into the touch.
Heero removed his hand like he'd been burnt, his heart racing.
"What the Hell is wrong with me ?" he thought, frowning.
His gaze quickly swept over Duo's sleeping form… Somehow it was all that boy's fault, Heero knew it. Since the moment his own blue eyes had met those large, pretty violet ones, Heero had known that something was different. He just didn't know what.
It wasn't the first time he did this : picking up a beautiful boy and carrying him away on his ship to satisfy his desires for a couple of weeks. He didn't see any harm in it. After all, more often than not those boys were more than willing to follow him. And even in the very rare cases when they weren't… Well, let's just say that one night with Heero was quick to change their minds. Captain Yuy possessed a great variety of talents.
Some of the boys had made the mistake of getting attached. Those ones had suffered a severe reality check : Heero had brought them back where he'd found them after a few weeks, like he always did, then left without looking back. He didn't feel guilty about that either. He always let them know right at the beginning that there would be no commitment on his part. If they were foolish enough not to take him seriously, it was their problem. It wasn't like Heero had played them. He'd been honest with them, they'd known what to expect. End of discussion.
The situation with Duo was completely different though. First, Trowa was right : unlike Heero's usual conquests, Duo was not a simple tramp, a lonely prostitute or an obedient harem boy. He was someone important, and powerful people would come after them to get him back. Heero knew that.
That was his second point : he knew, but he'd brought Duo with them anyway. It was stupid, it was careless, it was dangerous… but he'd done it anyway. Why the Hell was that ?
He could've just left Duo there, on the beach. He should've left him there. It wasn't as if the violet-eyed boy could say something to the authorities that would compromise them : they'd been very careful not to tell him anything that could lead to their capture. So yes, leaving Duo behind would've been the smart thing to do.
Heero hadn't been able to.
He'd been all around the world. He'd seen many beautiful boys, but none were as beautiful as Duo. When Heero had seen him, his first thought had been : "Perfect…". And it wasn't just Duo's appearance either. Trowa had been right about that too. There was something… more, about the long-haired boy. Physical beauty was all neat and good, but it took more than that to faze Heero. Some of his previous conquests had learned it the hard way.
Duo was different. Without even trying or even knowing it for that matter, he'd caught Heero's interest since the moment the captain had first laid eyes on him. Heero was unable to name what he was feeling when he was around the other youth, but he could say with certainty that he'd never felt it before.
When the time had come to flee, Heero hadn't been able to leave Duo behind. It hadn't really been a conscious decision on his part ; the thought had occurred to him that if he left Duo now, he'd probably never see him again. Then Wufei had asked him what he wanted him to do with the boy, and just like that the words were out of Heero's mouth, almost without his consent. He'd ordered his mate to take Duo on the ship, despite knowing about the risks of doing so.
And even now, as he stood looking at the peacefully sleeping beauty on his bed, Heero didn't feel a twinge of regret. He was even persuaded that, if given the chance to go back in time and relive the entire situation, he would do it the same all over again.
He wanted Duo with him ; it was as simple as that. He would ponder about the why of it later.
Bringing his attention back on Duo, Heero noticed something he hadn't seen at first glance, probably because of Duo's long hair : the boy's hands were still tied behind his back. Well, that had to be uncomfortable. Heero was surprised Duo could even sleep like that. He must've been quite tired.
Leaning forward, Heero carefully pushed the long chestnut locks out of the way (pretending not to notice how soft they felt against his fingers) and slowly untied the rope.
"One of Wufei's special knots." Heero realized. "No wonder Duo couldn't remove it. I'm sure he tried though."
As soon as his hands were free, Duo mumbled something unintelligible and brought both his arms before himself, cradling them against his chest and curling up even more on Heero's bed. Something fluttered in Heero's heart, something warm and foreign that made him want to lay down with Duo and hold him for the rest of the night ; just hold him, nothing more.
Heero ignored the strange need and went to sit before his secretary. He had no intention to sleep ; the night was almost over anyway, and he had work to do.
The Phantom was now heading for Lisbon, Portugal. Heero wanted to get as far away from the British Marine as possible. He had halted his choice on Lisbon, one of their usual (and secret of course) stops. The ship also needed to put in soon in order to refill. They had five days ; any longer than that and the food and wine would run short. Making it to Lisbon in five days would be difficult, but not impossible. After all, The Phantom was the fastest ship ever built.
In fact, they'd planned to refill in London, but obviously that option was out now.
Heero glanced toward the bed ; he wondered what Duo would think of this new development…
A/N : So, was it any good ? I know it didn't have any real interaction between Heero and Duo yet... But don't worry, that will come next chapter. Also, in said chapter, more characters (new or not) will appear. Please keep an eye out for it. I swear it won't take as long to come out as this one. I just got a renewed inspiration for this fic, thankfully.
Translations :
(1) Aa - one way to say "yes" in japanese
(2) Damare - one way to say "shut up" in japanese
(3) Iie - one way to say "no" in japanese
(4) Sans aucun doute - means "without a doubt" in french
(5) mon ange - "my angel" in french
(6) Ana hebbek - one of the many ways to say "I love you" in arabic
(7) Je t'aime aussi, mon ange - means "I love you too, my angel" in french
Please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter !