Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Choice of Death ❯ Chapter 5
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
C-Chan2: I am really sorry about taking so long. I will totally make it up to you guys I promise. On with the fic!
Duo groaned in complete agony as he stretched his poor aching muscles. Heero had worked him harder than he had ever been worked. The young king kept true to his promise, making Duo work well past the serfs had left the fields. He was now only inside because it was nearing supper and His Royal Pain wanted Duo looking presentable. Right now he was allowed to soak in a tub of wonderful steaming water, though his muscles were still screaming at him. He had the feeling that they'd be that way for a few days. With a sigh he opted for just laying back and relaxing. He was on a time limit, or so a guard had told him and he was going to enjoy every minute of it. His eyes closed in relaxation and they reopened at the sound of the door to the bathing room opening. His gaze traveled to the door and he found both Trowa and a smiling Quatre in his presence. What exactly could they want?
“We're sorry for interrupting.”, Trowa apologized moving forward.
His advance caused Duo to sink himself further into the water. He was thankful that the oils that had been added caused the water to loose its clarity. At the moment he was feeling a tad bit exposed. At least the prince was aware of it and stopped midway, apologizing once again.
“I'm only hear to escort Quatre.”, Trowa explained as his slave walked closer, “I'll leave you two here and send for him when it's time for dinner.”
The prince, the taller of the two, stopped the blond boy to place a kiss on his lips. Duo turned away uninterested, still not willing to approve of their relationship. Quatre with a human, what exactly was he thinking? He was grateful when the two finally pulled away from each other, but he didn't turn back until Trowa was gone.
“You'll get used to it.”, Quatre told him walking closer and Duo scoffed.
He would never get used to it. It just wasn't natural to go with someone of a completely different species. It was. . .just. . .weird.
“Why exactly are you here?”, Duo asked, his hands unconsciously hugging himself.
Quatre was now standing over the tub and he felt once again very much exposed. It was a feeling of embarrassment, a feeling he rarely felt. Then again he had never exactly been naked in front of anyone before; at least not by choice.
“Trowa figured you would need company.”, Quatre admitted with a shrug, taking to standing behind the boy, “Besides, you'll need help washing your hair.
He did have a point. Duo hated washing his hair. If Quatre was willing to do it, then who was he to stop him? With a nod, Duo allowed Quatre to start. In a few minutes, he was in a half sleep state that he didn't want to be taken out of. Unfortunately, Quatre had to finish. As the boy moved away, Duo groaned in disappointment, the blond only smiling.
“You're such a big baby when you want to be you know.”, he told Duo resuming in massaging his fingers through Duo's hair.
“I am not.”, Duo responded childishly, causing Quatre to playfully tug at his hair.
“I want to take this small amount of time we have to talk to you.”, Quatre explained cautiously, “I've been meaning to ask you something.”
“And what's that?”, Duo asked sleepily, barely holding back a yawn.
“You have no shadow, Duo.”, Quatre pointed out and Duo chuckled, “Are you just an unfortunate servant of Death who has gotten trapped here in the human world? Or is someone here to die soon?”
“What?”
“You know. Is this, your being enslaved, an act to get a soul and then return back to the Underworld?”
Sitting up completely, Duo turned to look back at the blond, whose blue eyes were staring back at him with deep concern. Was the boy worried for someone in particular?
“You want to know if I'm here for Trowa?”, Duo asked.
As Quatre lowered his head in what seemed shame, Duo reached a hand out to lift it again.
“The most I can say is that I do feel death in the near future. However, you have nothing to be worried about. Trowa has years to go before Death calls on him.”
With a small sigh of relief, Quatre sprang forward, his arms wrapping around the young reaper, whose only reaction was his stunned face. With a laugh, Quatre thanked him over and over again until Duo told him that it wasn't necessary. The boy stopped giving him his thanks but Quatre had yet to release him from the hug.
“You really care for him?”, Duo asked and Quatre hugged him tighter.
“Of course I do.”, Quatre answered with a sigh, “I love him.”
With a laugh of his own, Duo awkwardly wrapped his own arms around the blond to return the embrace. It was the least he could do for him. Quatre did wash his hair and put up with him.
/Well, well, well. What do we have here?/
They both turned at Wufei's voice to find the dragon standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.
“It's not what you think it is.”, Duo said, gently pulling away from Quatre.
/And what exactly do you think I think it is?/, Wufei countered and Duo only opened his mouth to close it again.
“Wufei, did you sneak off again?”, the blond asked, standing to cross the room.
He made it to a table that held piles of towels and took two, unfolding them slowly. He then made his way back to Duo, handing them to the chestnut haired boy.
/I didn't sneak off./, Wufei replied crossing his arms, /I left. If I had to stay in his presence for one more minute, I swear I would have killed him./
“And then you would have lost your head.”, Quatre reminded him, turning back to the seething dragon, “Please learn to control your temper more.”
/I don't need to control my temper!/, Wufei angrily told him, /What I need is to be free of this damned prison! I need to be back with my own kind, my own people. You humans are gnawing at my last nerves./
Duo, now wrapped in a towel with a second drying his hair, looked to Wufei in utter confusion.
“You place him with them as if he was human himself.”
His toweling paused as he saw Quatre shrug with a nervous laugh, while Wufei only raised an eyebrow in question.
“Wait a minute. Quatre is human? Why didn't anyone think to tell me?!”
“You never thought to ask. You just assumed I was otherwise.”, Quatre told him with sad eyes, “Does that change your opinion of me? Am I no longer considered a friend?”
Friend? Duo had never thought of Quatre as a friend. Nor Wufei for that matter. He didn't believe that he could have friends. Then again, come to think of it, they were his friends. These two were the only ones who looked after him. The only ones who treated him as if he were an actual person. Well, Trowa did as well. So maybe they were friends after all. He turned violet eyes to Quatre's disappointed ones and he cringed internally. He had no idea being Quatre's friend meant so much to the blonde. He found himself wanting to apologize and he was feeling oddly guilty.
“No.”, he admitted finally and truthfully, “You're still my friend. And it does explain why you would fall in love with a human in the first place. However, if you're not human, why can you communicate mentally? Weren't you the one who said that humans can't do such a feat?”
/He's a mage./, Wufei provided, finding his nails much more interesting at the moment.
“A mage?”, Duo asked and Quatre nodded, “What does that mean?
“Well it means that I'm human but much more advanced. I can use magic, I can mind speak with you and I can even use mind control. Though I don't use that particular gift. . . much.”
The knock on the door alerted them to a servant's arrival and Wufei let her in. She had with her Duo's clothes for the evening and she blushed as she found him half naked.
“His Majesty requests that you wear these garments tonight.”, she said in a low voice, her eyes downcast.
As she stepped closer, she held out her hands offering the clothes, which Duo took with a soft thank you.
“Do you need any help in getting dressed?”, she asked nervously.
Duo reassured her that he could get dressed on his own. That and that he had both Quatre and Wufei if he needed help with anything at all. With that she left in a hurry and Duo unfolded his clothes only to have his mouth drop open.
“I can't wear this!”, he exclaimed, Quatre giggling, “I won't be able to get in to these. Even if I did I might as well go naked, the damned things are so short!”
/It seems the king wants all to see what he holds in his possession./
“I am not in his possession!”, Duo yelled, his eyes glaring daggers at the sloe eyed boy.
“Well we can find you something else to wear.”, Quatre tried, but Duo opted for throwing the garment on to the floor.
“I'm not going to dinner.”, he simply announced turning away.
“Duo, you need to eat-”
“I'm not going.”, he repeated coldly, arms crossing, “And that's final.”
A guard knocked at the door to alert those inside that it was time for supper. He was supposed to lead Duo to the dining room, but since Duo wasn't going to supper, he would instead have the burden of bearing bad news. With a look of desperation to Wufei, Quatre was only met with a shrug. He knew this was going to be one long night.
In the dining room a few minutes later, Trowa sat at his table, Quatre on his cushion by his side. His eyes were attached to his stepbrother, who was impatiently waiting for his slave's arrival. His hand lazily and gently stroked Quatre's hair as he turned to give his blond lover a questioning look.
“Where is he?”, he asked silently and Quatre nervously bit his lip.
“I don't know.”, he lied hesitantly, but Trowa only gave him a knowing look.
“Quatre, I know that you know.”, Trowa gently said.
He let his hand gently take hold of Quatre's chin, raising it so that the cerulean eyes were staring directly at his own.
“Now tell me, please.”, Trowa begged him, “Where is he?”
With another nervous nibble at his bottom lip, Quatre lowered his head from Trowa's hold as he revealed the truth in a low voice.
“He's not coming.”
Trowa swore silently under his breath, his green eyes moving across to where his brother sat. He had to get over there and find some way of getting Heero to calm down. Something, before a guard came to tell him about Duo's refusal to attend supper. As he readied himself to stand, he heard the dining room doors open and he found the guard walking in unattended. It was too late. He watched with growing anxiety as the guard drew closer, his eyes measuring the closing distance between the two. This would not fare well at all, Heero was already angry as it was. The news that this idiot was about to bring him would only make it worse, he wished he had been able to put a stop to it.
Now he could do nothing but watch in unease as the guard bowed before the king, followed by the customary salute. Then he tensed as the man climbed closer to finally whisper the impending words into Heero's ear.
“WHAT?!"
Heero's exclamation echoed throughout the room, startling the guests and causing Trowa himself to jump. Feeling an oncoming headache, Trowa groaned. He did not have the strength to deal with this right now. Heero was already storming off and he knew that it was best to go after him. Standing, he urged Quatre to follow, knowing that the blond boy would come in handy with reasoning with Duo.
During all of this, Treize sat silently watching with ongoing amusement. The king's slave was not present for dinner as of yet and from the looks of it, he had no intention of showing up. His eyes traveled to Wufei, whose own eyes followed the king in his enraged exit.
“I told him that boy was trouble.”, he said out loud and Wufei only sneered back at him.
Treize gave his slave a smile, leaning back into his chair as he began to eat the food that was placed in front of him. He didn't care that the king wasn't present. Besides, it seemed as if Heero would not be returning in the court's presence for the rest of the night. His stubborn boy would be keeping him far too busy.
Heero stormed through the palace towards the slave quarters where Duo had demanded the guard leave him. How dare he refuse to join him at dinner? As he drew closer to the bathing room, he recognized two set of footsteps following him. They were still a ways behind, but Trowa and his pet were hot on his trail. His stepbrother was not going to interfere.
“Not tonight.”
Heero burst through the door of the bathing room, causing the servant girl now finishing with Duo's hair to jump. His eyes glared at the poor innocent girl, pinning her in her spot and she whimpered unwillingly.
“Get out.”, he growled threateningly and she meeped rushing out with a bow.
Heero watched her leave, noting that Trowa was merely a few steps away. He slammed the door shut and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed. He would deal with Duo on his own. As Trowa pounded on the door, Heero slowly turned back to Duo, who sat on a chair with his back facing the king. Though that didn't stop the shadow from feeling the menacing gaze on his back.
“When I send a guard to bring you to dinner, I expect to see him return with you.”, Heero stated slowly, his voice dangerously low.
Duo was aware of the king's statement, but he merely ignored it.
“You were supposed to join me in the dining hall.”, Heero continued, slowly stalking closer, “Yet you sent the guard back to me with the message that you wouldn't be joining me.”
“I wasn't hungry.”, Duo answered and Heero clenched his fists.
“You were given an order.”
“There was no way in all of the Seven Hells that I'd be caught in that poor excuse of clothing that you sent me!”, Duo shouted, standing to face the king head on.
“You do not make the decisions around here!”, Heero bellowed and Duo glared, “I am the master! You are the slave! You follow every order that I give; you have no say whatsoever!”
“I am not your slave!”, Duo answered back, matching Heero's anger.
“You wear my mark!”, Heero pointed out, pulling Duo's arm to reveal the newly painted seal, “And that makes you mine!”
Snatching his arm away, Duo stormed over to the bathtub where the water had not been emptied as of yet and he wet a towel in the water before dragging it across the symbol on his arm.
“Now I'm no longer yours.”, he growled throwing the towel aside.
Heero ground his teeth as he stared at the violet-eyed boy in front of him. His hands were clenching and unclenching, itching to do something other than hanging there at his sides. Though he knew that to strike Duo now would be lose him for good. If he had any intention of keeping his braided beauty, he would have to find an alternative to hitting him. However, Duo would not get away with this so easily. Disobeyed orders were to have a suitable punishment.
“So you won't come to dinner?”, he asked, ignoring Trowa's pounding at the door.
“I'd rather starve.”
Walking to Duo, Heero grabbed the boy by his arm again, turning him to face him. Colbat eyes and violet met in a glaring contest and Heero moved close enough so that he could at least hope to intimidate him.
“So be it.”, he growled, roughly letting Duo go.
Turning away he headed for the door, unlocking and pulling it open. Trowa stumbled in, his eyes looking back and forth between the two. He had heard the yelling, but he wasn't exactly sure if anything violent had happened. Heero continued to ignore his stepbrother and he called for the guards. As they bowed to him, he turned to look at Duo.
“He will be once again sentenced to solitary confinement.”, he told them, his eyes never leaving his slave, “However, he will be in my chambers, where I can keep an eye on him. He is to be bound at all times, unless I say otherwise. He is not to be given any food or water unless it is from my hand.”
“What!”, Duo cried, his anger escalating.
“Heero-”
“You!”, Heero said sharply, pointing a finger at Trowa, “You are not to say anything in his defense! I don't want you or your slave anywhere near my wing of the castle unless I call for you! Duo is mine Trowa and that means I will do with him as I see fit!”
Trowa kept silent as Quatre rested a hand on his arm and he looked to Duo with sympathy. Heero was serious, very serious and that meant that this punishment would be seen through.
“I-”
He tried to speak again but Heero merely held up a hand to silence him. With a defeated sigh, he gave a half-hearted bow before leading Quatre away. The blond looking over his shoulder as he left. Heero was the next to leave, turning away from Duo's sneer and facing the guards.
“You will take him to my suite and chain him in his place by my bed.”, he ordered, the guards nodding, “Guard him while I am at dinner and I will relieve you when I return. And do not lose him!”
With a “Yes, Your Majesty”, the guards bowed again, ready to carry out his will. With his orders given, he turned to leave, only glancing back once at the angry Son of Death. As the king took his leave, the guards drew closer, each taking hold of an arm. These weren't the same guards as before; they were much bigger, so struggling against them was pointless.
He was lead, or rather carried, back to the king's suite where he was given a metal collar. Though he did struggle against it, the guards were able to easily place it on him. That and the chain that anchored him to the wall limited his movement. He was in the process of unsuccessfully pulling at the chain to free himself, when his wrists were bound as well. His eyes stared down at the iron bindings before they coldly glared up to the two guards who only ignored him. Checking that there was no way for him to free himself, they both nodded in satisfaction before walking out of the bedroom, slamming the doors behind them. They remained in the suite just outside of the bedroom doors, leaving Duo on his large floor cushion and cold bindings.
With a cry of anger, Duo continued to struggle against the chains but it only made him tired. With a groan of defeat he stopped, his breath now coming in pants. Heero would be up here soon and if he was going to make sure that the king didn't try anything, he would need to catch as much sleep as he could now. At least the chain was long enough for him to lie down, though the collar was what made him uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he did fall asleep, unaware of the small shadow that was slowly crawling toward him.
It had been exactly two days since Duo was put on solitary confinement. Though Wufei was able to sneak almost anywhere in the castle without being seen, Heero's chambers were the exception. So Duo had only both Quatre and Wufei's voices in his head as company. He slept when Heero wasn't there and kept alert when the king was present. Though Heero assured that nothing would be done, Duo didn't trust him. Throughout the duration of his punishment, he was barely out of His Majesty's sight. Heero was there when he was taken for baths and Heero was who offered him food. Food he refused to eat and Heero would not leave it there for him; it was taken away. So by now he was sick with hunger and dying of thirst. Heero was keeping true to his promise and Duo felt as if this would last until he acknowledged what Heero believed was his place. Since Duo was very stubborn, it seemed as if this would last longer than wanted.
At the moment he was lying on his back atop his “bed”, his eyes staring up at the ceiling blankly. There were a few moments where he would finally blink and he gave a sigh of pure boredom. Wufei was busy avoiding Treize and Quatre was busy trying to get the prince to convince Heero in releasing him. In his boredom he was unaware of the shadow that lazily flickered above on the ceiling. That is until it moved towards the floor. He sat up in an instant, his eyes following the shadow as it slowly descended. As it stopped a few inches from him, Duo felt himself hoping that this was who he thought it was.
“Papa?”
His small whimper was barely audible and he waited on end for an answer. The shadow gave a quiet hiss, more of a screech and Duo's head hang in disappointment. This was merely another servant.
“Is my father coming?”, he desperately asked, “Will he be here soon?”
There was another hiss and what would be to human ears, ineligible whispers.
“Three weeks?”, Duo asked, his hopes deflating, “Three weeks! I can't wait that long! Tell him where I am! Let him know that I'm a slave to a…a human! He must come for me sooner!”
The shadow continued to reason with him and Duo slowly shook his head feeling his chest tighten as the shadow kept on. His father was incapable of returning to the human world just yet. He had to wait for his father's return, live life as a slave longer than he wanted to. A lump rose in his throat and he forcefully swallowed it down, trying to rid himself of it.
“I don't want to stay here.”, he whimpered softly, his voice trembling and his head hanging, “I want to be back with my father, my family. I want to go home.”
With a soft screech the shadow encircled Duo, in what could only be a caress. Then it slithered away, avoiding whatever light shone in through the window. Duo didn't watch it go, he didn't want to see it slither away in freedom. He instead opted for drawing his knees close to his chest and burying his face away in his arms. He couldn't explain what was happening but suddenly he was silently sobbing, too overcome with emotions to even care if Heero walked in at the next moment. All he could think was that he was lost now. He could never go home.
T.B.C.
C-Chan2: Sorry it was so short, time was limited and access is rare. I will continue this fic though. Leave reviews and sorry if it sucked something major.
Jim: Did you notice we haven't said anything yet?
C-Chan2: Hey, that's right.
Lloyd: Did you at least miss us?
C-Chan2: I honestly didn't notice you were gone.
Lloyd: *sigh* And here I thought you loved us.
C-Chan2: I guess you thought wrong. Good bye for now, everybody! ^_^
Duo groaned in complete agony as he stretched his poor aching muscles. Heero had worked him harder than he had ever been worked. The young king kept true to his promise, making Duo work well past the serfs had left the fields. He was now only inside because it was nearing supper and His Royal Pain wanted Duo looking presentable. Right now he was allowed to soak in a tub of wonderful steaming water, though his muscles were still screaming at him. He had the feeling that they'd be that way for a few days. With a sigh he opted for just laying back and relaxing. He was on a time limit, or so a guard had told him and he was going to enjoy every minute of it. His eyes closed in relaxation and they reopened at the sound of the door to the bathing room opening. His gaze traveled to the door and he found both Trowa and a smiling Quatre in his presence. What exactly could they want?
“We're sorry for interrupting.”, Trowa apologized moving forward.
His advance caused Duo to sink himself further into the water. He was thankful that the oils that had been added caused the water to loose its clarity. At the moment he was feeling a tad bit exposed. At least the prince was aware of it and stopped midway, apologizing once again.
“I'm only hear to escort Quatre.”, Trowa explained as his slave walked closer, “I'll leave you two here and send for him when it's time for dinner.”
The prince, the taller of the two, stopped the blond boy to place a kiss on his lips. Duo turned away uninterested, still not willing to approve of their relationship. Quatre with a human, what exactly was he thinking? He was grateful when the two finally pulled away from each other, but he didn't turn back until Trowa was gone.
“You'll get used to it.”, Quatre told him walking closer and Duo scoffed.
He would never get used to it. It just wasn't natural to go with someone of a completely different species. It was. . .just. . .weird.
“Why exactly are you here?”, Duo asked, his hands unconsciously hugging himself.
Quatre was now standing over the tub and he felt once again very much exposed. It was a feeling of embarrassment, a feeling he rarely felt. Then again he had never exactly been naked in front of anyone before; at least not by choice.
“Trowa figured you would need company.”, Quatre admitted with a shrug, taking to standing behind the boy, “Besides, you'll need help washing your hair.
He did have a point. Duo hated washing his hair. If Quatre was willing to do it, then who was he to stop him? With a nod, Duo allowed Quatre to start. In a few minutes, he was in a half sleep state that he didn't want to be taken out of. Unfortunately, Quatre had to finish. As the boy moved away, Duo groaned in disappointment, the blond only smiling.
“You're such a big baby when you want to be you know.”, he told Duo resuming in massaging his fingers through Duo's hair.
“I am not.”, Duo responded childishly, causing Quatre to playfully tug at his hair.
“I want to take this small amount of time we have to talk to you.”, Quatre explained cautiously, “I've been meaning to ask you something.”
“And what's that?”, Duo asked sleepily, barely holding back a yawn.
“You have no shadow, Duo.”, Quatre pointed out and Duo chuckled, “Are you just an unfortunate servant of Death who has gotten trapped here in the human world? Or is someone here to die soon?”
“What?”
“You know. Is this, your being enslaved, an act to get a soul and then return back to the Underworld?”
Sitting up completely, Duo turned to look back at the blond, whose blue eyes were staring back at him with deep concern. Was the boy worried for someone in particular?
“You want to know if I'm here for Trowa?”, Duo asked.
As Quatre lowered his head in what seemed shame, Duo reached a hand out to lift it again.
“The most I can say is that I do feel death in the near future. However, you have nothing to be worried about. Trowa has years to go before Death calls on him.”
With a small sigh of relief, Quatre sprang forward, his arms wrapping around the young reaper, whose only reaction was his stunned face. With a laugh, Quatre thanked him over and over again until Duo told him that it wasn't necessary. The boy stopped giving him his thanks but Quatre had yet to release him from the hug.
“You really care for him?”, Duo asked and Quatre hugged him tighter.
“Of course I do.”, Quatre answered with a sigh, “I love him.”
With a laugh of his own, Duo awkwardly wrapped his own arms around the blond to return the embrace. It was the least he could do for him. Quatre did wash his hair and put up with him.
/Well, well, well. What do we have here?/
They both turned at Wufei's voice to find the dragon standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.
“It's not what you think it is.”, Duo said, gently pulling away from Quatre.
/And what exactly do you think I think it is?/, Wufei countered and Duo only opened his mouth to close it again.
“Wufei, did you sneak off again?”, the blond asked, standing to cross the room.
He made it to a table that held piles of towels and took two, unfolding them slowly. He then made his way back to Duo, handing them to the chestnut haired boy.
/I didn't sneak off./, Wufei replied crossing his arms, /I left. If I had to stay in his presence for one more minute, I swear I would have killed him./
“And then you would have lost your head.”, Quatre reminded him, turning back to the seething dragon, “Please learn to control your temper more.”
/I don't need to control my temper!/, Wufei angrily told him, /What I need is to be free of this damned prison! I need to be back with my own kind, my own people. You humans are gnawing at my last nerves./
Duo, now wrapped in a towel with a second drying his hair, looked to Wufei in utter confusion.
“You place him with them as if he was human himself.”
His toweling paused as he saw Quatre shrug with a nervous laugh, while Wufei only raised an eyebrow in question.
“Wait a minute. Quatre is human? Why didn't anyone think to tell me?!”
“You never thought to ask. You just assumed I was otherwise.”, Quatre told him with sad eyes, “Does that change your opinion of me? Am I no longer considered a friend?”
Friend? Duo had never thought of Quatre as a friend. Nor Wufei for that matter. He didn't believe that he could have friends. Then again, come to think of it, they were his friends. These two were the only ones who looked after him. The only ones who treated him as if he were an actual person. Well, Trowa did as well. So maybe they were friends after all. He turned violet eyes to Quatre's disappointed ones and he cringed internally. He had no idea being Quatre's friend meant so much to the blonde. He found himself wanting to apologize and he was feeling oddly guilty.
“No.”, he admitted finally and truthfully, “You're still my friend. And it does explain why you would fall in love with a human in the first place. However, if you're not human, why can you communicate mentally? Weren't you the one who said that humans can't do such a feat?”
/He's a mage./, Wufei provided, finding his nails much more interesting at the moment.
“A mage?”, Duo asked and Quatre nodded, “What does that mean?
“Well it means that I'm human but much more advanced. I can use magic, I can mind speak with you and I can even use mind control. Though I don't use that particular gift. . . much.”
The knock on the door alerted them to a servant's arrival and Wufei let her in. She had with her Duo's clothes for the evening and she blushed as she found him half naked.
“His Majesty requests that you wear these garments tonight.”, she said in a low voice, her eyes downcast.
As she stepped closer, she held out her hands offering the clothes, which Duo took with a soft thank you.
“Do you need any help in getting dressed?”, she asked nervously.
Duo reassured her that he could get dressed on his own. That and that he had both Quatre and Wufei if he needed help with anything at all. With that she left in a hurry and Duo unfolded his clothes only to have his mouth drop open.
“I can't wear this!”, he exclaimed, Quatre giggling, “I won't be able to get in to these. Even if I did I might as well go naked, the damned things are so short!”
/It seems the king wants all to see what he holds in his possession./
“I am not in his possession!”, Duo yelled, his eyes glaring daggers at the sloe eyed boy.
“Well we can find you something else to wear.”, Quatre tried, but Duo opted for throwing the garment on to the floor.
“I'm not going to dinner.”, he simply announced turning away.
“Duo, you need to eat-”
“I'm not going.”, he repeated coldly, arms crossing, “And that's final.”
A guard knocked at the door to alert those inside that it was time for supper. He was supposed to lead Duo to the dining room, but since Duo wasn't going to supper, he would instead have the burden of bearing bad news. With a look of desperation to Wufei, Quatre was only met with a shrug. He knew this was going to be one long night.
In the dining room a few minutes later, Trowa sat at his table, Quatre on his cushion by his side. His eyes were attached to his stepbrother, who was impatiently waiting for his slave's arrival. His hand lazily and gently stroked Quatre's hair as he turned to give his blond lover a questioning look.
“Where is he?”, he asked silently and Quatre nervously bit his lip.
“I don't know.”, he lied hesitantly, but Trowa only gave him a knowing look.
“Quatre, I know that you know.”, Trowa gently said.
He let his hand gently take hold of Quatre's chin, raising it so that the cerulean eyes were staring directly at his own.
“Now tell me, please.”, Trowa begged him, “Where is he?”
With another nervous nibble at his bottom lip, Quatre lowered his head from Trowa's hold as he revealed the truth in a low voice.
“He's not coming.”
Trowa swore silently under his breath, his green eyes moving across to where his brother sat. He had to get over there and find some way of getting Heero to calm down. Something, before a guard came to tell him about Duo's refusal to attend supper. As he readied himself to stand, he heard the dining room doors open and he found the guard walking in unattended. It was too late. He watched with growing anxiety as the guard drew closer, his eyes measuring the closing distance between the two. This would not fare well at all, Heero was already angry as it was. The news that this idiot was about to bring him would only make it worse, he wished he had been able to put a stop to it.
Now he could do nothing but watch in unease as the guard bowed before the king, followed by the customary salute. Then he tensed as the man climbed closer to finally whisper the impending words into Heero's ear.
“WHAT?!"
Heero's exclamation echoed throughout the room, startling the guests and causing Trowa himself to jump. Feeling an oncoming headache, Trowa groaned. He did not have the strength to deal with this right now. Heero was already storming off and he knew that it was best to go after him. Standing, he urged Quatre to follow, knowing that the blond boy would come in handy with reasoning with Duo.
During all of this, Treize sat silently watching with ongoing amusement. The king's slave was not present for dinner as of yet and from the looks of it, he had no intention of showing up. His eyes traveled to Wufei, whose own eyes followed the king in his enraged exit.
“I told him that boy was trouble.”, he said out loud and Wufei only sneered back at him.
Treize gave his slave a smile, leaning back into his chair as he began to eat the food that was placed in front of him. He didn't care that the king wasn't present. Besides, it seemed as if Heero would not be returning in the court's presence for the rest of the night. His stubborn boy would be keeping him far too busy.
Heero stormed through the palace towards the slave quarters where Duo had demanded the guard leave him. How dare he refuse to join him at dinner? As he drew closer to the bathing room, he recognized two set of footsteps following him. They were still a ways behind, but Trowa and his pet were hot on his trail. His stepbrother was not going to interfere.
“Not tonight.”
Heero burst through the door of the bathing room, causing the servant girl now finishing with Duo's hair to jump. His eyes glared at the poor innocent girl, pinning her in her spot and she whimpered unwillingly.
“Get out.”, he growled threateningly and she meeped rushing out with a bow.
Heero watched her leave, noting that Trowa was merely a few steps away. He slammed the door shut and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed. He would deal with Duo on his own. As Trowa pounded on the door, Heero slowly turned back to Duo, who sat on a chair with his back facing the king. Though that didn't stop the shadow from feeling the menacing gaze on his back.
“When I send a guard to bring you to dinner, I expect to see him return with you.”, Heero stated slowly, his voice dangerously low.
Duo was aware of the king's statement, but he merely ignored it.
“You were supposed to join me in the dining hall.”, Heero continued, slowly stalking closer, “Yet you sent the guard back to me with the message that you wouldn't be joining me.”
“I wasn't hungry.”, Duo answered and Heero clenched his fists.
“You were given an order.”
“There was no way in all of the Seven Hells that I'd be caught in that poor excuse of clothing that you sent me!”, Duo shouted, standing to face the king head on.
“You do not make the decisions around here!”, Heero bellowed and Duo glared, “I am the master! You are the slave! You follow every order that I give; you have no say whatsoever!”
“I am not your slave!”, Duo answered back, matching Heero's anger.
“You wear my mark!”, Heero pointed out, pulling Duo's arm to reveal the newly painted seal, “And that makes you mine!”
Snatching his arm away, Duo stormed over to the bathtub where the water had not been emptied as of yet and he wet a towel in the water before dragging it across the symbol on his arm.
“Now I'm no longer yours.”, he growled throwing the towel aside.
Heero ground his teeth as he stared at the violet-eyed boy in front of him. His hands were clenching and unclenching, itching to do something other than hanging there at his sides. Though he knew that to strike Duo now would be lose him for good. If he had any intention of keeping his braided beauty, he would have to find an alternative to hitting him. However, Duo would not get away with this so easily. Disobeyed orders were to have a suitable punishment.
“So you won't come to dinner?”, he asked, ignoring Trowa's pounding at the door.
“I'd rather starve.”
Walking to Duo, Heero grabbed the boy by his arm again, turning him to face him. Colbat eyes and violet met in a glaring contest and Heero moved close enough so that he could at least hope to intimidate him.
“So be it.”, he growled, roughly letting Duo go.
Turning away he headed for the door, unlocking and pulling it open. Trowa stumbled in, his eyes looking back and forth between the two. He had heard the yelling, but he wasn't exactly sure if anything violent had happened. Heero continued to ignore his stepbrother and he called for the guards. As they bowed to him, he turned to look at Duo.
“He will be once again sentenced to solitary confinement.”, he told them, his eyes never leaving his slave, “However, he will be in my chambers, where I can keep an eye on him. He is to be bound at all times, unless I say otherwise. He is not to be given any food or water unless it is from my hand.”
“What!”, Duo cried, his anger escalating.
“Heero-”
“You!”, Heero said sharply, pointing a finger at Trowa, “You are not to say anything in his defense! I don't want you or your slave anywhere near my wing of the castle unless I call for you! Duo is mine Trowa and that means I will do with him as I see fit!”
Trowa kept silent as Quatre rested a hand on his arm and he looked to Duo with sympathy. Heero was serious, very serious and that meant that this punishment would be seen through.
“I-”
He tried to speak again but Heero merely held up a hand to silence him. With a defeated sigh, he gave a half-hearted bow before leading Quatre away. The blond looking over his shoulder as he left. Heero was the next to leave, turning away from Duo's sneer and facing the guards.
“You will take him to my suite and chain him in his place by my bed.”, he ordered, the guards nodding, “Guard him while I am at dinner and I will relieve you when I return. And do not lose him!”
With a “Yes, Your Majesty”, the guards bowed again, ready to carry out his will. With his orders given, he turned to leave, only glancing back once at the angry Son of Death. As the king took his leave, the guards drew closer, each taking hold of an arm. These weren't the same guards as before; they were much bigger, so struggling against them was pointless.
He was lead, or rather carried, back to the king's suite where he was given a metal collar. Though he did struggle against it, the guards were able to easily place it on him. That and the chain that anchored him to the wall limited his movement. He was in the process of unsuccessfully pulling at the chain to free himself, when his wrists were bound as well. His eyes stared down at the iron bindings before they coldly glared up to the two guards who only ignored him. Checking that there was no way for him to free himself, they both nodded in satisfaction before walking out of the bedroom, slamming the doors behind them. They remained in the suite just outside of the bedroom doors, leaving Duo on his large floor cushion and cold bindings.
With a cry of anger, Duo continued to struggle against the chains but it only made him tired. With a groan of defeat he stopped, his breath now coming in pants. Heero would be up here soon and if he was going to make sure that the king didn't try anything, he would need to catch as much sleep as he could now. At least the chain was long enough for him to lie down, though the collar was what made him uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he did fall asleep, unaware of the small shadow that was slowly crawling toward him.
It had been exactly two days since Duo was put on solitary confinement. Though Wufei was able to sneak almost anywhere in the castle without being seen, Heero's chambers were the exception. So Duo had only both Quatre and Wufei's voices in his head as company. He slept when Heero wasn't there and kept alert when the king was present. Though Heero assured that nothing would be done, Duo didn't trust him. Throughout the duration of his punishment, he was barely out of His Majesty's sight. Heero was there when he was taken for baths and Heero was who offered him food. Food he refused to eat and Heero would not leave it there for him; it was taken away. So by now he was sick with hunger and dying of thirst. Heero was keeping true to his promise and Duo felt as if this would last until he acknowledged what Heero believed was his place. Since Duo was very stubborn, it seemed as if this would last longer than wanted.
At the moment he was lying on his back atop his “bed”, his eyes staring up at the ceiling blankly. There were a few moments where he would finally blink and he gave a sigh of pure boredom. Wufei was busy avoiding Treize and Quatre was busy trying to get the prince to convince Heero in releasing him. In his boredom he was unaware of the shadow that lazily flickered above on the ceiling. That is until it moved towards the floor. He sat up in an instant, his eyes following the shadow as it slowly descended. As it stopped a few inches from him, Duo felt himself hoping that this was who he thought it was.
“Papa?”
His small whimper was barely audible and he waited on end for an answer. The shadow gave a quiet hiss, more of a screech and Duo's head hang in disappointment. This was merely another servant.
“Is my father coming?”, he desperately asked, “Will he be here soon?”
There was another hiss and what would be to human ears, ineligible whispers.
“Three weeks?”, Duo asked, his hopes deflating, “Three weeks! I can't wait that long! Tell him where I am! Let him know that I'm a slave to a…a human! He must come for me sooner!”
The shadow continued to reason with him and Duo slowly shook his head feeling his chest tighten as the shadow kept on. His father was incapable of returning to the human world just yet. He had to wait for his father's return, live life as a slave longer than he wanted to. A lump rose in his throat and he forcefully swallowed it down, trying to rid himself of it.
“I don't want to stay here.”, he whimpered softly, his voice trembling and his head hanging, “I want to be back with my father, my family. I want to go home.”
With a soft screech the shadow encircled Duo, in what could only be a caress. Then it slithered away, avoiding whatever light shone in through the window. Duo didn't watch it go, he didn't want to see it slither away in freedom. He instead opted for drawing his knees close to his chest and burying his face away in his arms. He couldn't explain what was happening but suddenly he was silently sobbing, too overcome with emotions to even care if Heero walked in at the next moment. All he could think was that he was lost now. He could never go home.
T.B.C.
C-Chan2: Sorry it was so short, time was limited and access is rare. I will continue this fic though. Leave reviews and sorry if it sucked something major.
Jim: Did you notice we haven't said anything yet?
C-Chan2: Hey, that's right.
Lloyd: Did you at least miss us?
C-Chan2: I honestly didn't notice you were gone.
Lloyd: *sigh* And here I thought you loved us.
C-Chan2: I guess you thought wrong. Good bye for now, everybody! ^_^