Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Shinigami's Gem ❯ Diamond ( Chapter 3 )

Warnings: Shounen-ai, Wu Fei bastardisation (he has his reasons! Honest!) Duo angst. Oh, and language. Lots of language. ^^'

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the g-boys or their affiliates and I don't make any money off this. (If I did, it wouldn't take me nearly two months to save up for Devil May Cry 2. Mmm… Dante…)

Pairings: It's got to be obvious… I mean really.

Author's Notes: You all need to thank one Shiva Kuy for the speed with which this is coming out. I see her at Uni "Hurry with Shini's Gem!" I see her on-line. "More Shini's Gem!" I see her down the street "Have you updated Shini's Gem yet?!" She's obsessed. And you all should thank her. But ask her to stop with the whip already. I'm going as fast as I can! ~_^

Chapter 3: Diamond.

"It's the bastard merc!" Shinigami hissed, his eyes now snapping with fury.

Quatre followed Shinigami's line of sight and looked mortified.

"That's no mercenary! That's Wu Fei! The lordling!"

Said lordling's eyes were still trained on Shinigami and Quatre went back to eating, having no desire to get himself involved in any sort of trouble that might occur.

Then Wu Fei's eyes slid back to his plate. He didn't like this one bit. The only one who knew of his favourite pastime was Trowa and he certainly didn't want his father finding out about it.

"Mother…" he said softly, his eyes flicking back to Shinigami again, then away.

"Yes?" she replied, turning to him.

"That new slave… the one with the braid, where's he going to be staying…?"

"He will be staying in quarters off your room, Wu Fei. He is to be your personal body servant," Lord Chang answered, having overheard his son's question.

Wu Fei wasn't sure if that made things better or worse…

"A lordling? He's a bastard…" Shinigami spat, appetite gone and eyes fixed on Wu Fei. Animosity emanated from the braided boy in an almost palpable wave.

"Actually," came a voice in his ear. "He's the one you'll be serving."

Shinigami whirled to find himself nose to nose with the advisor, Heero Yuy. The un-collared one. When had the man left his place at the table by Lord Chang?!

"H-he's what…?" the thief stammered, pulling back from Heero slightly.

"He's the one you'll serve. You are to be his body servant."

"Pig's arse!" Shinigami snapped with a shake of his head.

"You have no choice. Once His Lordship issues his orders and passes your sapphire to Wu Fei, you must do as you are told or you know the consequences." With that, he was gone and back in his own seat far quicker that should be possible.

A handful of obscenities graced Quatre and another slave on Shinigami's other side as he muttered them under his breath. All were directed toward Wu Fei and the little blonde realised his charge was getting so worked up, he was liable to burst into tears or worse - throw himself up the table and make a concerted effort at killing Wu Fei.

The blonde stood hurriedly and, with a quick bow to Lord Chang, urged the still swearing Shinigami out of his chair and out of the dining hall.

Zechs noticed their departure and followed, a stray hand resting briefly and casually on Heero's shoulder as he stood. He walked swiftly down the room and left by the door the other two had used.

"What is going on?" he hissed sharply when he came upon the other two slaves.

Shinigami was still swearing up a storm under his breath, pacing back and forth, and Quatre was shifting from foot to foot trying to calm him. He was having no effect. The braided man was just too worked up.

They both jumped, though, and turned to Zechs when they heard his words.

"Zechs, sir!" Quatre cried, as though Zechs had just saved his life.

"Hn…" was all Shinigami said.

"Shinigami, the absolute worst thing a slave could do on his first night is to make a scene like that! Now would you like to explain to me what your problem is?" Zechs asked, in the same acid whisper.

"There's no need, Zechs… I'll take care of it. He is my responsibility now," came a soft, calm voice from the doorway.

Three pairs of eyes went to where the speaker stood, and two of the slaves dropped small bows while the third gave an audible growl.

"But… your Lordlingship… I-" Zechs started.

"Wu Fei," replied Wu Fei, cutting the blonde off. "And I'll be fine. He can't do anything to harm me."

Wu Fei held the sapphire up between two fingers with a tiny smile of reassurance.

"Sir…" Zechs said in agreement, though it was underlaid heavily with uncertainty.

"Don't… don't hurt him, sir…" Quatre said softly, pleadingly.

A touch of fear suddenly lit Shinigami's eyes as they turned back to Wu Fei, his lips parting, then snapping shut again with a slight shake of his head. Wu Fei gave another small smile.

"I wouldn't, Quatre. I am more honourable than that," he said.

Quatre gave a slight nod before Zechs physically dragged him back into the dining hall, leaving Shinigami along with his newest master.

"Well if it isn't the bastard mercenary…" Shinigami snarled, eyes flashing angrily.

"And if it isn't the rodent thief…" Wu Fei replied calmly.

"At least I don't lie to my parents," the slave hissed, the lordling's comment angering him even further.

"Probably because you never knew them," the other man countered, still perfectly calm.

Shinigami growled.

"How would you know?"

"What parent would name their child after a god of death?" Wu Fei snorted.

For the second time that day, the sensitive subject of his name had been touched upon and Shinigami couldn't keep himself in check. He lunged at Wu Fei without thinking, hand going for a sword that wasn't at his hip. He was brought up short by the collar as it tightened about his neck and sent him to his knees in an effort to breathe.

"Enough," Wu Fei said instantly, and the collar loosened in response. He'd never liked the way they tightened when a slave disobeyed, but there was nothing he could do to stop it happening, he could only stop it after it had already started.

"Shinigami is my name…" the braided man whispered, a single tear running down his cheek. He dashed it angrily away before getting to his feet and meeting Wu Fei's eyes again.

"We're both tired, Shinigami," Wu Fei said instead of replying and he could see Shinigami was grateful of it. "We will rest and talk in the morning. Come." The lordling walked off down the corridor and Shinigami had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Shinigami stretched like a big cat and gave the purr to go along with movement. This… this was what heaven must be like. He was surrounded in softness. Warmth… Comfort… Oh yes. This was-

"Shinigami."

Hell.

"The fuck d'you want?" he growled, and threw a pillow in Wu Fei's direction. Shinigami had to give a weak laugh at the fact that Wu Fei didn't even try to move out of the way and caught the pillow smack in the middle of his face, but remained stone-faced.

"I want you to get up and get dressed. Even if you don't like it, you are my body servant and, as such, there are things you must do."

Shinigami muttered choice curses under his breath, but he did as he was told and climbed out of bed, totally naked. Wu Fei, to the braided slave's surprise and curiosity, went slightly pink and turned away.

"So what am I doin'?" he asked when the silence because uncomfortable to him.

"You'll be by my side at all times unless instructed to do something else and you will do what I ask, when I ask it without question."

"Oh, okay. I get it. Basically I wait on you hand and foot, right, merc?"

Wu Fei shifted a little uncomfortably.

"I would rather you didn't call me that in front of anyone else…"

"Ooh… so no one knows about Wuffie's little games!" cried Shinigami with a smirk as he freed his hair and began putting a quick brush through it.

"Wu Fei," the lordling corrected sharply.

"Wuffie sounds better," replied the other man as his long fingers began flashing in and out of his hair, working at the complicated task of braiding the long chestnut tresses.

Wu Fei shook his head slightly, hardly hearing Shinigami as he watched those fingers dart through what, for the thief, was an everyday activity, but to Wu Fei looked nearly impossible.

The lordling found himself getting more than slightly warm at the thought of what those fingers could do for him.

"You will make preparations for me to bathe," Wu Fei said abruptly, and turned on his heel to stalk back to his rooms.

"Yes, oh mighty merc…" Shinigami drawled sarcastically, but he went to do what he was told as soon as he was done with his hair.

Wu Fei sat cross-legged in the middle of his huge bed, telling himself all the reasons why he wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't be attracted to the braided man.

First of all, he is a slave. Secondly, he was a thief, dishonourable and unjust. Third, he is more than likely attracted to women. Fourth, he is a slave!

Nevertheless, he was attracted to the other man and he needed to keep that to himself or all hell would break loose and it would break over his head.

* * *

Shinigami spent the whole of breakfast peppering Quatre and Trowa's ears with every obscenity he could think of, and all were directed towards Wu Fei. The two had sat either side of the thief to try and keep him calm, but it wasn't working. Soon enough, Quatre couldn't take any more derision towards the lordling and he snapped under his breath at Shinigami.

"Shinigami, he's let you eat with us now instead of making you serve him, then eat after. You have your own quarters, a soft bed, your own clothes, a roof over your head, food in your belly and a kind master, yet all you can do is constantly insult him! There's no need!"

Shinigami shook his head slightly but firmly, catching and holding Quatre's eyes with his own as he whispered harshly through his teeth.

"He put me into slavery and forced me to endure months of absolute pain and torture with my last master. Once you've been bent over a table and fucked like a bitch in heat until you begged and screamed and bled and then been fucked some more, then you can tell me there's no need. Once the same thing has happened over and over roughly every two weeks until you think it's going to happen for the rest of your sorry life, then you can tell me there's no need. Once a monster has torn apart your insides, making you burn with fear and pain and acted afterwards as though nothing happened, then you can tell me there's no need. If ever you manage to actually live through all of that, then you can tell me there's NO NEED!" He stood, then, punctuating his next words with the action. "If it weren't for him it never would have happened," he spat, then stalked out of the hall.

Quatre stared after him in utter shock.

Once out of their view, Shinigami collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands, shaking uncontrollably. He hadn't wanted to remember any of that. Hadn't been ready at all to reveal to anyone, if he ever would be. Thinking of it made him feel dirty and useless.

Should've seen it coming. Shouldn't've let him. Should've known better… It's yourfault, Shinigami. It's always your fault. You did it. It's your fault!

"I know it's my fault! I know!" he whimpered into his hands, no longer speaking of the rape, but of things deeper in his soul. Things he'd lived with for far longer.

"Shinigami…" The voice was soft, as was the hand across the back of his neck, but he knew whoever the speaker was, they couldn't feel anything but contempt for him.

"I know it was my fault…" Shinigami whispered to whoever-it-was.

Wu Fei knelt beside the other man, wondering what he was talking about. All he'd seen was Quatre bristling at Shinigami, and the other slave snapping back and storming out. Evidently whatever he said must have been shocking, because the blonde looked stunned. He'd expected to find Shinigami destroying things, not curled up in a sobbing heap.

"What was your fault…?" he asked, gently rubbing the thief's neck in an effort to calm him.

Wu Fei was well aware a lot of people thought him an unfeeling, heartless person, but this wasn't true at all. He reserved his feelings for special people and, whether the lordling liked it or not, Shinigami appeared to have begun along the road to becoming one of those people.

"It was my fault… I am Shinigami. I am a god of death. It's my fault… All my fault…"

Wu Fei shook his head and gently brought Shinigami's face up to look at him, the tears clinging to the slave's cheeks catching the torchlight and seeming to sparkle and wink like diamonds.

"What was your fault?" he asked again, his other hand taking one of Shinigami's.

Something seemed to snap back into place in those tear-filled violet pools and Shinigami blinked - once, twice - before snatching his hand from Wu Fei's, shooting to his feet and dashing away what remained of the tears.

"Not this, that's for sure! You're the one who forced me into slavery, bastard merc…" he growled, tossing his braid back over his shoulder.

Wu Fei's black eyes flashed with mixed emotions as he too got to his feet. He covered the short distance between himself and the slave, anger taking control and pushing the other emotions down. His hand snapped out and before Shinigami could react, the lordling had hold of his braid. The other hand pulled a knife out of seemingly nowhere and held it to the braid, as close as it could get to Shinigami's skull without actually cutting into skin.

"You want that bastard merc here, now? I can give you that. I can be the person you seem to think I am. I can sever this braid from your head and burn it if that's really what you want. After all, it is what a bastard mercenary would do. Is that what you want, Shinigami?!"

Shinigami growled, masking well the trepidation he was feeling.

"What I want isn't gunna make up your mind. You wouldn't listen to me. And the title of mercenary suits you better than lordling anyway."

Shinigami was almost certain Wu Fei wouldn't go through with it. He was almost certain the lordling didn't have the balls. He wouldn't do it. He really wouldn't…

"Remember, you asked for this…" Wu Fei whispered, and Shinigami had only the barest of moments to wonder if that was regret in his master's voice.

The knife was sharp, and the only sign that it had done its work was the loss of tension Wu Fei's grip had previously put on Shinigami's hair. He could almost believe the lordling had merely let go, but for the lack of the familiar weight of the length of braid.

"Oh… God, no…" Shinigami whispered hoarsely. He turned to find Wu Fei looking at him. The oriental man's expression was stern, but something strange glittered in his ebony eyes. In his left hand rested the knife, from his right the entire length of Shinigami's braid dangled almost to the floor.

"That is half of what your merc would do, Shinigami. He can burn it too, if that's what you want…"

"Please… please don't," Shinigami said in a small voice, his eyes flicking back and fourth between the dangling braid and Wu Fei's face.

"I shan't," the lordling assured him, but his fingers tightened around the rope of hair when Shinigami reached for it.

"I want it…"the slave whispered, angry at himself for his weakness, but unable to just leave his hair in Wu Fei's possession.

"No. I am not the horrible person you seem to think I am. I got you off the streets for the sake of those you stole from. It wasn't up to me what happened after that, but while you were under my care, I never hurt you. I may dress as a mercenary and do the work of one, but I'm not in the wrong when I bring justice upon those who deserve it. I will give this back when you realise that, Shinigami."

"But-

"Come now. We have things to do."

Wu Fei turned and strode off, giving Shinigami no choice but to follow him. He tucked the knife back into its hidden sheathe and found a length of string to bind the free end of Shinigami's braid so it wouldn't unravel and none of it would be lost. He had plans, and the braid was a central part of them.

Shinigami lifted a tentative hand and examined the damage to his hair at his end. Wu Fei hadn't cut as close as he'd threatened to, so Duo's hair fell neatly around his ears and down to the nape of his neck, but now went no further.

His eyes never left the chestnut braid as they walked.

~ ~ ~

Author's notes: Yeah, I know. Mean ol' Wu Fei. But don'tcha love 'im? *smirks*