Ohayo!

This is a songfic (my second) that I started a long time ago! It's
all thanks to one wierd night when me and Syn were tossing different
songs back and forth on MSN chat and this one really stuck in my
head! I wrote it at work - the first half anyway - typed it up and
got the go ahead from the ones who asked for a preview! Well, I
finally decided enough was enough and that I should just go and
finish the darn thing so I did!

The song is Love Bites by Def Leopard. PLease enjoy!

************
LOVE BITES
************

// // - indicates song lyrics

Archiving: GW Addiction, of course! Anyone else, let me know where
you've taken it.

Warnings: Angst, teary-ness (I hope), not-so-nice things thought
about Relena, some language

Pairings: 1x2, 1+R

Does this count as bastardizing Heero? I don't think so, but ya never
know...

*******************************

// When you make love, //
// Do you look in the mirror? //


Duo's fingers clenched tightly as he watched the massive pink
limousine pull up to the school. Through the window of the dorm room
he shared with his partner Heero, he grit his teeth at the sight of
the familiar blonde head poking out from within the depths of the
car. Again. She'd followed them AGAIN.

" Heero, your personal stalker's here again," he said shortly,
letting the plain drapes he'd been holding back, fall free. Behind
him, fingers typing away rapidly stilled suddenly.

" Relena?" Heero pushed off from the desk and stood up, joining his
lover at the window. Duo felt a quick surge of jealousy well up and
clamped down on it instantly. ' There was no need for it,' he told
himself sternly. ' Just because her mere arrival can pry him away
from his laptop when full nudity and seduction does nothing for me.'

Well, that wasn't entirely accurate, Duo amended with a faint blush.
' But still, Heero had waited until his report was finished before
tackling me. He didn't rush away from it like he does for HER.'

His thoughts were disrupted as Heero turned away from the window and
headed for the door.

" Heero?"

" I'm going to see what she's doing here," Heero informed him
briskly. " I'll be right back."

' You KNOW what she's doing here,' Duo wanted to cry out. ' It's the
same reason she's always following you around like some deranged
bloodhound.' But he bit his lip and said none of this, watching
blankly as his silent lover slipped out of the room, closing the door
behind him.

// Who do you think of? //
// Does she look like me? //

Heero winced internally as he shut the door. He wasn't blind - he
saw the hurt look on Duo's face as he left. He sighed. His lover was
jealous of Relena even though there was no reason for it. He had to
see Relena to get her to leave before she drew another crowd.
Irritation welled up within him at the thought of having to change
schools because she'd found them once again.

" How is she doing that anyway?" he muttered under his breath as he
opened the front door of the dorm house. Relena's pink limo stood out
instantly and he bit back the urge to cover his eyes. Relena spotted
him immediately and came towards him eagerly.

" Heero!" she exclaimed with a wide smile, cornflower blue eyes
lighting up at his arrival. She held a piece of paper in her hand but
he ignored it as he trained intense eyes on her.
" There you are!"

' Yes, here I am,' Heero sighed mentally. " Relena. " Curt as always.
Maybe one day she'd get the hint. One could always hope.

// Do you tell lies? //
// And say that it's forever? //

Relena clasped her hands together, paper betweeen them, and smiled
happily at the dark-haired boy, drinking him in eagerly. He looked
the same as he always did, her Perfect soldier, her boy from the sea.
Her beloved.

" Heero," she said again, staring into his eyes. " Aren't you happy
to see me?"

Heero fought off the urge to roll his eyes.

" Relena. What are you doing here?"

* * * * * * * *

" No, no, NO!" Duo gnashed his teeth as he peered through the drapes.
From his vantage point, he could just make out both of their faces,
and he thanked every deity he'd ever heard of that Doc G had taught
him to read lips. " The correct answer to her question is NO! *That*
should be obvious to ANYone."

His hands gripped the window ledge so tightly his knuckles were
turning white from the strain. He couldn't change the helpless
feeling he got, the sensation of being sucker-punched each time he
saw the two of them together. They looked so...........right.

Duo sighed and let his hands fall to his sides, pins and needles
prickling his fingers as the blood rushed back into the neglected
extremeties. There was no use in denying it - they were perfect
together.

" She's the fuckin' Queen of the World," he muttered. " Beautiful,
rich AND the right sex. How do I compete with that?"

' Maybe you don't,' a snide voice inside his head piped up suddenly.
' After all, outside of the bedroom, he barely acknowledges your
existance.'

// Do you think twice? //
// Or just touch and see? //

(( FLASHBACK - 2 days ago ))


" Hee-chan!" Duo grinned as Heero and Trowa returned from their
latest mission. Trowa nodded to the American briefly before bypassing
him to catch a flying Arabian. Duo watched the two of them hug
enviously, before turning to Heero who glared at him with his best
Don't-Even-Think-About-It, glare'o doom.


(( END FLASHBACK ))


// Oh babe//


" You'd think around the guys at least, that he wouldn't mind just a
hug," Duo muttered testily, squinting at the two talking figures. " I
mean really - can't he at least pretend that he was happy to see me?"

Suddenly his eyes widened impossibly and his jaw dropped open as
Relena squealed and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Heero's
frame.

" He's not hugging her back," Duo ground out as he watched Heero's
arms rise up to encircle her awkwardly. " He's trying to keep his
balance. That's all."


// When you are alone? //
// Do you let go? //


Heero sighed as he allowed Relena to hug him, telling himself that he
couldn't really hit her off him since she was the Queen of the World
after all.

' Beside's,' he reflected sourly. ' How else did you expect her to
react?' Telling Relena that he agreed to be her body guard at an
upcoming function where she had to make a customary public appearance
was a surefire way to get his circulation cut off.


// Are you wild 'n willing? //
// Or is is just for show? //


Were it not for the piece of paper she held in her hand from Dr. J
telling him to treat it as a mission since keeping Relena alive meant
hope for peace, he would have told the self-centered Queen where to
take herself and that god-awful car of hers. As it was, he chalked it
up as an incident to add to his ever-growing list of things to kill
Dr. J for. He pried her hands off him, feeling a twinge of guilt for
having let her hang off him for so long. Someone might get the wrong
impres-- Oh shit.

Heero turned his head up sharply - and encountered a pair of icey,
violet eyes.


//I don't want to touch you too much baby //
// 'Cause making love to you might drive me crazy //


Heero's gaze never wavered as he turned back to Relena, cursing the
girl for showing up when she did. Duo had been acting quiet all day,
and even before then, had been more reserved then normal. This was
not going to help matters.


// I know you think that love is the way to make it//
// So I don't wanna be there when you decide to break it //


' No matter,' he decided. ' Duo knows the mission comes first. He'll
understand.'


// Love bites //


Anger slowly seeped out of Duo, leaving behind only raw, unconcealed
hurt. He could feel the sensation of tears prickling behind his eyes,
but years of keeping them at bay prevented the from escaping.

' Turning away doesn't mean anything,' he told himself desperately. '
Nothing at all.'

' Even though he'd have knocked you out by now,' came that mocking
voice again. Duo blanched and once again let the drapes fall shut.

It didn't help that he was already confused - that he didn't really
didn't have any idea of how permanent things were between him and
Heero. his partner, usually tight-lipped, was adamantly rigid about
not saying anything about their relationship. If one could call it
that. Duo didn't want a huge declaration of love, but he desperately
craved a hint of something. An open gesture of affection once in a
while would make his day.

' Like what he's giving Relena?'


// Love bleeds //


Heero came back upstairs, resigned to hearing a first-class rant from
Duo about the abrupt embrace he'd witnessed. He opened the door and
mentally braced himself. When nothing erupted, he cautiously opened
his eyes and saw Duo sitting cross-legged on the bed, flipping
through an old wrestling magazine.

' Hn. Maybe he understands more then I thought.' With that approving
thought, he made his way back towards his laptop.


// It's braving the jungle heat //

Duo turned another page as Heero entered the room.

' Please talk to me,' he willed his lover. ' Just explain. I wouldn't
care so much if you'd just talk to ME for once!'

His heart sank as once again, Heero bypassed him for the computer


// Love bleeds//
// Love dies//


Duo watched with hooded eyes as Heero quickly typed something,
mumbling what Duo was sure was 'Mission Accepted' even though the
tone was too soft to hear. He kept his eyes glued to the magazine as
Heero then stood and crossed the room to the large closet, pulling
out his duffle bag. Duo felt Heero's eyes on him and forced himself
to remain unmoving save for the rythmic turning of the pages.

' Say something! Anything!'

" Duo, " Heero began, almost hesitantly. " I'm leaving."

' Except that!'


// It's no surprise //


" Figured as much," Duo replied neutrally. He turned yet another
page. " Say hi to Relena for me. //


// Love bites //

Heero froze when he heard the cool tone of voice coming from his
lover, in place of the warm silky tones that always made him feel
welcome and safe.

Loved.

" It's not like that," he said at last, pausing in his search for his
dressy clothing. He placed some more clothes in the duffle bag,
before reaching in and pulling out his tuxedo, still in the plastic
covering the dry cleaners put it in for protection. " She needs a
body guard."

" I'm sure that's the idea," Duo said dryly, picturing an image of
Relena trying to seduce him into an intense body cavity search. He
fought back the urge to retch.


// Love bleeds //


Heero turned around, suddenly sick of being doubted. He had told Duo
numerous times that Relena meant nothing to him. Why couldn't the
baka just accept that?

" Jealous?

Duo met his eyes evenly, and Heero stepped back slightly from the
pure misery, anguish and loss in his eyes. Heero had the vague idea
that he had overstepped some kind of invisible line. He wondered if
it was too late to retract the little comment and saw the fire spring
into Duo's eyes. Yes. He was dead.

" Fuck yes," Duo choked out before throwing the magazine hard against
the wall. Anguish suddenly disappeared, to be replaced with anger. If
Heero wanted to play his little silence games, that was fine. But if
he wanted to play with fire, then damn it, Shinigami would show him
who was gonna end up burned. " Jealous 'cause Relena gets everything
in the whole world her little spoiled heart desires. Jealous because
she's never had to go through HALF the stuff I have. But that's not
what I'm jealous of now, Heero. I can ignore that - luck strikes
differently. It's not her fault my life was so shitty."

"I'm jealous because once, JUST once, I have something that means
more to me then anything else in the whole world!" He viciously
scrubbed his wrist across his eyes, mopping away tears that refused
to fall. " And she gets to have that too."

'WHAT?'

" She doesn't have me Duo," Heero said calmly. Duo laughed - short,
hard, brittle.


// It's what I need //


" Yes she does Heero," Duo chuckled harshly. " You just don't know
it. I do though - I never had you, after all."

" What are you talking about Duo?" Heero was getting frustrated. The
situation was escalating rapidly out of control, and he didn't have a
clue as to what Duo was so upset about, beside's the obvious. " You
KNOW I have to accept my mission!"

// When I'm with you? //
// Are you somewhere else? //

" I know you do Heero," Duo said quietly, all of his anger spent. His
muscles felt limp, drained. " I just wish I meant even a fragment of
how much the mission means to you." His shoulders slumped and his
head dropped, long wisps of hair covering his eyes from view. " Or of
how much you mean to me."


// Am I getting through? //
// Or do you please yourself? //


" You think I don't care about you?" Heero asked, struggling to
comprehend. " Is that it?"

Duo shrugged, sick of arguing and suddenly not caring. " What I think
doesn't matter," he said at last. He waved his hand feebly at the
duffel bag at Heero's feet. " Shouldn't you be packing?"

Heero started and looked down. It was nearly full. " I'm done." He
stood up slowly, watching his partner. " I'm sorry you think that
way, Duo." He looked at the door. " I have to go," he said, wishing
that Duo would look up. But Duo resolutely kept his face turned to
the floor. " But we WILL be discussing this when I get back after the
party tomorrow night."


// When you wake up? //
// Will you walk out? //


With that, he turned and walked out the door. As the door slowly
shut, Duo imagined that he could feel his already fragile heart
crystalizing slowly, numbing his senses, before shattering into a
thousand multi-colored fragments.


// It can't be love //
// If it don't survive //


Duo nodded once at the door.

" Bye, Heero."


// I don't want to touch you too much baby //
// 'Cause loving you might drive me crazy //


Heero stumbled slightly as he opened the door to his and Duo's room.
He was tired, miserable and completely sick of dignitaries and
politicians. From now on, he was refusing any mission that requested
'black tie.' Between dodging Relena's completely obvious advances,
and worrying about his long-haired lover, Heero had never been more
glad then when the clock had struck the hour signalling the end of
the party. Eager to get away from the clinging princess, he had
declined her offer of a ride back to the school, and had hijacked a
vehichel of his own, dumping outside of town before walking the rest
of the way home. But tired as he was, he knew there was no sleep to
be had yet - he still had to face the wrath of Duo. He flicked on the
side table lamp, looking across the room to the bed he and Duo shared.

It was empty. A piece of paper rested on the pillow and a numb Heero
made his way over to it slowly. It hadn't quite sunk in yet that Duo
wasn't just down the hallway in the communal bathroom, getting ready
for bed, late as it was. Hands that were mysteriously shaking reached
out and picked up the paper carefully.

Heero:


// Love bites //
// Love bleeds //


I think we need to spend some time apart. I realize emotions aren't
the easiest thing in the world for you to express - I understand that
and don't blame you for it.

But you still hurt me last night. No kicks or blows, but you still
managed to sucker-punch me anyway. You need to decide what it is you
really want. I love you, but I refuse to be in a relationship
strictly for casual sex. And as much as you deny it, there is
something pulling you to Relena, something that keeps you from
denying her anything. I'm not mad at you about this Heero - I just
wish you'd talk to me.

Anyway, take your time - figure out what it is you want. I need to
think some stuff through too - the stress of worrying over you when
you're on missions, combined with the stress of wondering whether or
not I mean anything to you is eating me up inside. I can't live like
this anymore - I need someone willing to meet me halfway. I can't do
it alone.

Take care, okay? Love you.

Duo


Heero carefully folded the paper and set it down. Something wet
touched his face and he raised one trembling hand slowly, touching
his cheek with a faint hint of surprise.

Tears. He was crying.

" Duo..."


// It's what I need //

**********************************
OWARI
**********************************


Well, for a second songfic I don't think it was *completely*
horrible...then again, as the author, I'm biased anyway. ^_^ So
you're going to have to let me know! C&C please!!

Stormy (three weeks w/out a sig....it's getting easier...^_^)