Save Your Charms

by Shaman Dani

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine; it is copyright a bunch of people that don't deserve it! The song, Jezebel, belongs to Chely Wright. I don't get any money off of this (*sigh*) or anything like that. Did you actually think I owned this stuff? 9.9; Moron...

***

I give him love, the best I can,

But you don't seem to understand.

It was a quiet day at the Winner residence, the final mission had gone admiringly and the boys, as well as Sally Po, Lady Une, Marymaia and Relena, were all taking advantage of Quatre's hospitality. Trowa had curled up in Quatre's study to read, listening as the Arabian practiced his violin. Wufei was meditating in the garden, pretending he couldn't hear Marymaia's shrieks as she played in the pool. Sally and Lady Une watched the child's exuberant play from the side of the pool while trying to see who could hit Wufei with the most paper wads.

Duo, however, was not relaxing. In fact, he was standing in the doorway between the library and Quatre's study, ignoring the odd looks Trowa was throwing him. He was watching Relena and Heero, sitting together on a couch in the library drinking tea. Relena kept laughing and touching Heero's arm. The friendliness was really rubbing Duo the wrong way. After all, why didn't Heero just tell that-that Jezebel-to back off? The American knew that Heero wasn't technically his lover, since he had never actually come out and even kissed Heero, let alone...umm...yeah. But! The normally stoic pilot had said he loved Duo. It was monotone and a little cold at the time...but still! Love was love, wasn't it? It was all the same.

The Japanese boy certainly didn't love some hypocritical pacifist-wannabe, perfect golden girl angel with too much spare time and money. Had Heero said the same things to Relena at one time? Said that he loved her? Or was he just being nice to the girl?

It's not always deep, but it's always true

And he does not belong to you.

Relena stood and excused herself from Heero's presence, headed for the door Duo had hid himself behind. The American let out an 'eep' of dismay and quickly tried to pretend he was looking through Quatre's books. Trowa spared another moment to glance up from his book as Quatre skipped a beat, surprised by his friend's edginess.

"What are you doing out here Maxwell?" The snotty, rich voice penetrated his thoughts like nails on chalkboard. Maxwell, the way she said his name...oohhh...

"I was cruising through Q-man's bookshelf, Relena-ojo-san," he quipped cheerfully.

Trowa and Quatre exchanged quick looks and slipped out the door. After all, they weren't part of this.

Relena's expression changed from malice to sickly sweet. "Oh, of course, I just wanted to tell you the good news from Heero and I." She ignored his sputtering and continued. "He's agreed to be my personal body guard from now until I no longer require his services. Isn't that great?"

Excuse moi? "Yeah! Great Relena."

"Listen, Duo. I want you to forget about Heero and you together, ok?"

"Nani?"

Relena waved her hand in annoyance. "I know that you've been courting this little fantasy of you and Heero being more than just friends for some time, but frankly it's silly. Heero loves me, we understand each other fully." She glanced back at 01, who sat typing on his laptop, oblivious to their conversation. "I'm sorry, please forgive the two of us, but it's time for you to move on."

The braided pilot stared in complete fascination during her little speech. Did this chick truly think that Heero belonged to her and her alone? "Sure, whatever you say Miss Relena. Everything is kitto ok."

"Good."

Hey, I do not forgive, and I do not forget.

I will fight for love, until the death!

She left him standing alone, returning to Heero's side and kissing his cheek. The stoic soldier glanced up at her, an expression of annoyance on his face.

"You going to do something about that witch or are you going to let her control your, and Heero's, life?"

Duo turned to see Wufei standing not far away, with his arms folded across his chest and one foot propped against the wall. The arrogant stance was familiar to 02, but this time Wufei's face betrayed his true feelings. He felt sorry for Duo. He had heard Relena's little lecture as he walked by the door and had come to investigate.

"Well Maxwell?"

"Hey, who could be such a complete moron to stand in the way of true love?" The American snapped bitterly at his friend.

"Who indeed?" Wufei quipped back. "Fight for him, Maxwell. He deserves someone better than that onna."

Duo watched as Wufei walked away with his head held high, back outside to meditate. Fiddling with his braid Duo followed his friend out to the pool to watch Marymaia play for a while. His thoughts were deep in themselves when Relena, scantily clad in a bikini, and Heero joined them by the poolside. The Japanese pilot sat next to his comrade as Relena fussed over the temperature of the water before getting in.

"Duo?"

Hearing his name pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to give Heero a fake smile. "Hey buddy, something wrong?"

"Yes. Relena wishes for me to become her personal guard."

"What's wrong with that?" Duo gave him a false cheerful reply.

Heero opened his mouth, then closed and opened it again. "You don't mind?"

"What? Really, buddy, you're strange sometimes. Relena-ojo-san will be a lot safer with her hero to watch over her."

Cobalt eyes regarded him carefully. "Was that a joke?"

Jezebel, save your charms.

He'll be back here, in my arms.

Before Duo could answer Relena's singsong voice called for Heero to join her in the pool. Heero, after stripping off his tank top and shoes, did so. Almost immediately she was out again, getting a drink of water. With deliberate steps she joined Duo, standing above him with a haughty look on her face.

"I told you to forget about it, Maxwell." She rolled her eyes. "Is that even your real name? Or did you steal it from someone?"

"No more than you stole 'Peacecraft' from some nice people who truly believe their own teachings."

Relena's face turned bright red. "Just remember one thing, street rat. Heero Yuy belongs to me and don't you ever forget that."

"Oh? You're going to have to do more to scare me away, Miss Relena. You seem to forget who he's turned to for comfort the past year, who has always been there for him. You don't own him."

"Not yet." She yanked a scrunchie out of her hair and deposited it on the table, walking back into the pool and to Heero's side.

Oh, how quickly you forget,

He's not yours yet.

Her hair...Duo picked up the lock of hair, twirling it around his fingers. In Quatre's library...what was that book called? He couldn't remember, but he could find it again, no problem. Heero; how he loved that impossibly stoic soldier. His eyes met Relena's and he mouthed two simple words at her.

Not. Yet.

She just smirked back at him, wrapping her arms around Heero's waist from behind.

He's not yours, not yet!

Midnight approached, the witching hour. Duo couldn't help it; he let out a giggle at the thought. "Whatcha do, whatcha do with your voodoo? Whatcha do is put a spell on me..." Light tenor voice sang out in an old song. Into the library he crept, as quiet and stealthy as his Deathscythe. The pilot began cruising the shelves, looking for the book he'd seen earlier. There! Voodoo in the Middle Ages by E.C. Lock. He took the book down and tucked it under an arm, sneaking back to his room.

With a sigh he flopped down on his bed and opened up the book.

"Yeah, yeah. History, practice of voodoo today...ah ha! The Craft." He leaned closer, reading the slightly faded letters out loud. "'To create the figure of the one to be bewitched a sorcerer would need a link. A link was something bodily personal to the victim, such as hair, toenail clippings, blood or skin tissue. The sorcerer would then create a doll resembling the victim with scraps of the victim's clothing or other objects belonging to the victim. Once the link was added the doll was kept in a veil to be sure that the victim was not affected when the sorcerer did not wish them to be.' Sounds kinda gross actually," Duo mumbled to no one.

Carefully he reached under his pillow and pulled out the Barbie(tm) doll. Well, it wasn't exactly personal to Relena, but it certainly resembled the self-image she had of herself. He had even tied the hair from the girl's scrunchie into Barbie-Relena's hair.

With a grin he tucked the doll into a spare pillowcase and went to sleep.

Gonna throw on this cotton dress

Put lilac scent on the back of my neck

"Now, let's see if this works." Duo mumbled to himself as he took up station outside the smaller dining room where Quatre had his personal guests served. In the pretense of not feeling well, Duo had grabbed a tray of food to eat 'in his room'. He was actually sitting on the servant's stair, where he could see the dining room well but was hidden from the view of others, munching his bacon and holding Barbie-Relena.

He dipped his fingers into his orange juice and, with a few deliberate flicks of Duo's fingers; the front of Barbie-Relena's dress was covered with orange juice. The American peered into the room just in time to see the real Relena dump her orange juice down her blouse.

Fighting back giggles of delight Duo continued to torment Relena the rest of the meal, spilling her food and making her fall. He stopped soon, he didn't want to hurt the girl after all, just remove her from Heero's company for a bit. Sure enough she excused herself to go change he now well-stained blouse, skirt and even socks. As soon as she was gone Duo skipped through the main door with a now empty tray and exclaiming how his headache was gone.

"Humph, sure Maxwell." Wufei told him as Duo took Relena's old chair next to Heero.

"Huh?" Duo asked innocently. "Mornin' Hee-chan!"

"Morning Duo," came the slightly-less-than monotone reply. "Thank you for breakfast Quatre. Relena and I are leaving today."

Duo nearly spit his coffee all over Trowa. "Today!?"

Quatre smiled a bit sadly at Heero. "You're welcome to stay longer Heero."

"I would like to," Heero muttered, barely audible, "but Relena needs to get back to work..."

I'll walk barefoot down that mountain's side

Straight to your door, girl you cannot hide.

After exchanging pleasantries with the others Duo excused himself and marched up to Relena's room, hardly waiting for her cheerful "Come in!" as he slammed the door open. She stood beside her bed, in a clean outfit, packing her suitcase. She didn't seem surprised that Duo had barged into her room.

"You can't leave today!" He spat out.

Relena gave him a pitying look. "I have to get back to work Mr. Maxwell, and Heero must come with me, to protect me, you understand."

"But-"

"Surely you're not still mooning over him?" She challenged. When he didn't answer she laughed derisively. "Oh, please! He doesn't love you Duo; the man hardly even likes you."

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is, you slimy little bastard," Relena hissed at him. "He's always telling you to shut up and go away. You aren't going to try and deny that are you?"

"He tells you he'll kill you."

"Not for years. Who did he come to for comfort after the Marymaia Incident? You? No! Me." She took a breath. "And another thing-"

"Relena?" Heero appeared in the doorway. "Are you packed?"

"Yes Heero!" Relena's cheerful voice was back. "I was just saying goodbye to Duo."

'Cause, I do not forgive, and I do not forget,

I will fight for love, until the death!

Duo watched forlornly as Pagan drove Relena and Heero away. Why did she have to win? Was Heero really in love with her? It scared Duo to think he was losing his best friend, and his love, to Relena. In a totally out-of-character gesture of comfort Wufei took Deathscythe's pilot hand in his own and squeezed it gently.

"You aren't giving up already?" The Asian whispered into Duo's ear. "That's hardly like you."

"What other choice do I have?" Duo mumbled. "She won. I might as well just forget about Heero and move on."

"That's it? You admit defeat just like that?" Wufei demanded.

"Yeah."

Wufei watched his friend walk back into the house, and then turned to glare after the car. "You are a moron Yuy. You just leave behind your family; not knowing what kind of happiness is waiting here. Not even realizing you have the love of a wonderful person here."

"He is isn't he?" Trowa mumbled. "Heero a moron, I mean. Duo obviously loves him greatly."

Wufei clenched a fist; he was just as mad at Duo as he was at Heero. "Duo needs to learn to fight for what is his."

Quatre smiled at the two of them. They had all become so protective of each other. "It'll work out, you'll see. Heero loves Duo too, I can tell. Just let it go for now."

Jezebel, save your charms.

He'll be back here, in my arms.

Duo cried softly, leaning against the windowpane. He let the tears he had been holding back for months finally flow. The boy from L2 hated crying, hated it so much, because once he started crying he couldn't help but think of all the other times he had cried before...when Solo died...when Sister Helen and Father Maxwell died...when those other kids had called him smelly...he couldn't help but smile through his tears at that last one. It had seemed important at the time, important enough for him to severely beat up those kids. He had cried when he thought Heero had died once, not much, but the tears had come.

"Jesus Christ, Heero I love you." Duo mumbled against the glass. His eyes cast themselves up to look for the stars, but the clouds obscured them. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rolled.

Oh, how quickly you forget,

He's not yours yet.

On their own Duo's hand clenched into fists. "He's not yours Relena!" He shouted to the sky. "Not yours! Not yet! I won't let someone else I love slip away this easily!" Mind made up, Deathscythe's pilot ran through the empty halls of Quatre's manor and out to his car. In his hand was a pillowcase, with a single leg sticking out of a small hole at the bottom.

Flinging the bag into the passengers seat Duo threw the car into gear and peeled out of Quatre's driveway fast enough to leave tire marks along the road. White knuckles gripped the steering wheel as the sports car barreled down the road.

"He's not yours yet Relena." Duo hissed into the rain.

He's not yours, not yet.

Duo pulled up in front of the Sanq Kingdom castle at midnight. With skills only attributed to a street rat he stealthily crept into the grounds. He could see Heero standing out on a balcony, watching the sky. Suddenly, the heavens opened up and the rain poured down.

Duo stood below the balcony, he felt a little silly now that the adrenaline was gone. The scene actually looked like some sort of demented Romeo and Juliet.

"The balcony is the east and Heero is the sun." Duo mumbled, giggling at the absurdity of it all. "I can't even remember how that scene went." He giggled again. "Well, I'm here..."

Standing out in the pouring rain,

Calling out my lover's name.

"Heeeeee-ro!" Shinigami called out, without knowing he sounded like Relena. He was, cold, wet and not a happy God of Death. He wanted to talk to Heero now, before he lost all of his courage and just slunk back to his car. "Come down here and talk to me!"

"Duo?" Heero leaned over the rail to stare incredulously at the rain-soaked American. His hair was coming out of its braid, creating a tangled mess around Duo's face. Black clothes clung to the thin frame, leaving nothing to the imagination. "What?" The Perfect Soldier asked, realizing his training wasn't helping him much against this beauty below him.

"I love you Heero! I love you more than I can bear and I'm going to stand here all night until you tell me you either love me or you love Relena."

"Duo." Heero's voice was tinged with worry. "You're soaking wet, come inside."

"No! Not until you tell me," was the stubborn reply.

The Japanese pilot sighed, and, turning his back on the figure below him, went inside.

Duo's heart shattered. With trembling fingers he reached into the pillowcase, pulling out a rather wet Barbie-Relena. "You fucking bitch." He mumbled half-heartedly. "It's not fair." A cry of anger tore the air as Barbie-Relena was flung into the mud and pranced upon. Mud spattered everywhere as Duo's curses filled the air.

I know he won't leave me in the cold.

Send my baby home! Send my baby home!

"Give him back! Give him back to me!" 02 shrieked as he stomped on Barbie-Relena.

"Duo?"

Suddenly Duo was no longer standing in the rain. He looked up to find an umbrella above his head, a rather pink umbrella. Turning in anger, expecting a certain Peacecraft bitch, he was amazed to find himself caught by very strong arms and held steady. Looking up he found himself drowning in intense cobalt blue. A flush crept up his face as Heero knelt down to pick up Barbie-Relena.

"Duo? Is there a reason you're standing outside the Sanq Palace, in the rain, dancing on top of a Barbie doll," Heero faltered, "and saying you love me?"

"Because I do love you."

Heero blinked. "That doesn't explain the Barbie."

Duo giggled and found himself explaining the last few days to Heero. How Duo had created a voodoo doll to make Relena leave Heero alone, but how it hadn't worked. How he had made Relena make a mess of herself at breakfast. Everything.

"Duo?"

"Yes Heero?"

Jezebel, save your charms.

He'll be back here, in my arms.

"Why didn't you just say something?"

Duo tried to answer but couldn't, because just then Heero leaned in, capturing Duo's lips with his own. It began as a chaste, simple kiss, but developed into something more as years of hidden feelings poured out of both. In pure heaven Duo wrapped his arms around his love's neck, burying slender fingers into matted hair. Heero did likewise around Duo's thin waist, pulling him as close as possible. The umbrella lay forgotten on the ground. They broke off a moment later.

Laughter bubbled out of Duo's lip as he hugged Heero tight. "I love you so much!"

"Ai shiteru, Duo. Why did you ever doubt?" The Japanese pilot glanced down at his angel.

"I have no idea," was his angel's honest answer. "I wonder if this thing really did work." He mumbled, picking up Barbie-Relena.

"No. I don't think so."

"How do you know?"

"Wufei kept making Relena spill stuff that morning at breakfast...it was almost amusing."

Duo laughed out loud at that. "Good ole Wufei!"

Oh, how quickly you forget,

He's not yours yet.

"Let's go back to Quatre's, Duo. I think I need to quit my old job. Maybe join the Preventers?"

"And what shall we do with Barbie-Relena?" Duo asked innocently, holding up the ragged doll.

"Leave it behind. Forever." Heero whispered, kissing Duo's lips again.

Wrapped up in the kiss Duo dropped the doll into the mud with a satisfactory *splat*. Together the two of them walked, hand in hand, back to Duo's car.

He's not yours yet.

Oh, he's not yours...

Relena stood, covered in mud and grime, watching the car pull away. Heero had left her for a street rat. He'd left money, and fame and her for nothing more than a braid. Forlornly she picked up Barbie-Relena out of the mud. She was crying and, in a spurt of very non-pacifist behavior, she broke the doll's head off.

Never.

***

Muhaha! Review please!