Chapter 8: Secret

„You meet all the requirements, Duo. You are loyal and reasonably honourable - for a pirate. I don't see why I shouldn't do business with you."

"Business?—" My voice was embarrassingly close to a shriek. What was he talking about? He didn't have to pay for sleeping with me! And I certainly wouldn't pay, not I! Never! Um… not really never... I mean, I was pretty sure I was in love with Heero and if he really insisted— now, wait a second, Heero was a prostitute?

But... but if he sold his body for money, how many lovers had Heero had and did his father force him to sell his body or had his mother—his own mother? Suddenly the words 'My body is very valuable.' took on a whole new meaning.

"I guess, you'll want to see what I can offer you. Then you can decide if you're interested."

I must admit I just stared at him. My poor, poor Heero.

"Okay," he said, smoothing out my crinkled sheets. "It's time I turned around now."

"T-t-t-tt-urned aa-around?"

Heero didn't reply (as a matter of fact, there was nothing much to reply to). He just turned around and draped himself over my blanket.

God, he was beautiful. Pale, smooth, beautiful skin everywhere I looked... but this was Heero I was staring at. Poor innocent Heero who had to sell his body in order to please his wretched parents! So, while I was still gazing greedily at Heero's beauty, I spluttered:

"Heero, maybe you should reconsider! I mean, if it's about your father or, worse yet, your mother, I'm sure we'll find a way— I mean, don't be reckless, I mean... um...— hey, you sure have a very peculiar tattoo on your back, Heero, did you know that? He he... kind of like... tiny... footprints? That's funny, you know, this really reminds me of... I mean, this really looks... just... like..."

... a map?

A MAP!

THE MAP!

Oh!

Oh...

"W-why exactly are you naked, Heero?"

"To convince you to do business with me, Duo," he mumbled into my comforter.

"Business..."

"What else do you think I am doing here, lying naked on your bed, Duo," said Heero, voice muffled. "It's drafty in here, so if you would look at the map now. I'd like to get dressed again."

"Of course." I hurried over to him. "How did you know that we... could be interested in a map or a treasure."

"Duo, I'm not stupid. Why would you be here of all mysterious Atlantic islands? You may not be particularly clever, but even you aren't so stupid as to sail around completely without a plan or purpose."

"Thank you," I said.

"The final evidence was the disappearance of my diary. For a while, I suspected Zechs... Zechs, however, wouldn't have been content with the possession of my diary. Finding me asleep and without protection, he'd probably have assaulted me."

"Thanks again, I think..."

"No need for thanks, Duo. Taking advantage of you is a more efficient way to attain my goals than waiting until your snooping around the island alerts my father."

I sighed unhappily. Heero hadn't mysteriously fallen in love with me. He wanted to do business with me. And all that pale, smooth and beautiful skin was to be considered nothing more than a land map...

Heero's right shoulder was marked by a tousled clew of shaky black lines and tiny red dots in the shape of footprints. The footprints padded along a winding route along Heero's spinal cord, crisscrossing a lot of scrawly black lines and eventually hopping down the soft slope of Heero's lower back... to disappear.

As a pirate I recognized a mysterious treasure map when I saw one. But where was the X that was supposed to mark the spot? Heero shifted a little and I squinted at him more closely. Ah, theeeere it was.

Finally! The map has been found:)

at Toola: Thank you very much for your encouragement!:)) You were right about the map!