22-Oct-2000

Title: Demons
Authors: bonnejeanne (bonnejeanne@yahoo.com) and vonceia (vonceia@yahoo.com )
Archive: GW Addiction http://www.oocities.org/fenris_wolf0/ and if she chooses, Darkflame http://members.xoom.com/riouka/gwpage.html
Category: yaoi, angst
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: 1x2, 6x5, various
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Warnings: LEMON. Angst. AU - we do not guarantee that our interpretations of characters or events will agree with yours, so a general OOC warning.
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Spoilers: Series, EW
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners. Our stuff is ours. No money being made here. As with all our fics so far, while our goal is to stay as in character as possible, any discrepancies are our mistakes.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.

NOTES: This is part of the Frozen Colony Arc, and takes place following The Hunt. If you are not familiar with the timeline and are curious, you can find the stories on GW Addiction and on DF's site. On GWA on the Bonne&Von page, there are numbers denoting which stories are FC Arc and should be read in what order.

Duo's demons appeared first in Down Time in Hell, and reappeared in Dancin With My Mirror. This is a fic to explore their existence and origins. Liberties are taken with Duo's history and original characters from ESO appear, and events from that fic are referred to.

 

 

Demons by bonnejeanne & vonceia

Part 20

 

Monsignor Anthony Elvay stood in his office with his fingers tented in front of him. His dark eyebrows were drawn together in deep concentration and anyone entering his office at that time would certainly wonder if he were not the Beast of Hell come to life himself.

He stood that way for a few minutes, then looked up as his mouth twisted into a wry, unflattering smirk. "Shit," he said, clearly into the room.

Placing his hands on his hips, he growled and walked around the room, for the fifth time, searching for his lost talisman. Muttering curses under his breath, he carefully and methodically searched every inch of the office. Once again, his search proved fruitless. "Oh damnit all to hell!" he swore in frustration. "We are at the peak of the full realization of every thought, idea, and deed of our very existence on this plane and Anthony can't find his oldest, dearest relic!"

Growling once again, the Monsignor opened his hands and held them palms outward. "All right. Calm down. It is an object. It occupies space. It has got to be somewhere. Now, we will cease acting like a bride on her wedding night and retrace our steps back to the bedroom. The office has been eliminated, therefore, the rosary must be there. No, it *will* be there," he said to no one.

Walking towards the door, he shook his head. "Might have known," he muttered, looking up to the heavens. "This is your idea of a joke, isn't it?" he said, then marched back to his quarters, oblivious to the fact that Father Thomas was nowhere to be seen.

An hour later, Monsignor Elvay stood up. Clothes and objects were strewn everywhere. "Fuck it!" he cried out in exasperation. "Where is my rosary?!!!"

The yelling helped a bit with his nerves, but did not calm him too much. He frowned thinking of every possibility that he could.

The rosary had been something he had taken great pains to acquire, as it had originally belonged to Rodrigo Borgia, better known as Pope Alexander VI. It was priceless, but beyond that, it symbolized his own greatest ambitions.

Finally, the only one that made sense struck him like a bolt out of the blue. "Stolen?" he said aloud. Two seconds later, he laughed. "Not possible.... absurd. No one in their right mind would dare steal from me. My things have protections set around them... No, it is here. I am just not seeing it. Perhaps, in the altar room. Yes.." he continued. "It is there in preparation for the return of my darling little Duo and his pal, Heero. We are going to have so much fun," he said, then chuckled at his own joke.

Arching an eyebrow, Monsignor Elvay grinned evilly, "Soon. I feel that you will come to me, very soon, my little urchin. After that, the world will be mine," he said, then sighed deeply. Soon, he thought, very soon.

Taking a deep breath, Monsignor Elvay felt his nerves quiet down a bit further. "It's in the Inner Sanctum.... waiting for me," he said, sweetly. "Coming, my love," he added, then turned and headed to his dark altar.

Walking into his ritual room, Monsignor Elvay picked up the candles and lit them. He added incense herbs to a lit charcoal and breathed deeply. "Yes," he intoned into the room. "Our time is soon at hand," he said.

"You got that right," a voice said behind him. When he whirled around, Elvay saw a slim figure dressed entirely in black but for a white priest's collar. Leaning against the wall next to the single entrance to and from the room, with his arms folded across his chest, Duo Maxwell's violet eyes held an expression unlike anything Elvay had seen in them. Of course, Elvay had never seen Duo Maxwell in battle.

The Monsignor's eyes widened, then he straightened himself up and attempted to gather his composure. "You," he said, disdainfully, feeling anything but comfortable under Duo's expression. "I see you have returned to me, my son. What do have to give me?"

Duo smiled slowly. "Oh I have somethin' for ya alright. But what do I get in return?"

The Monsignor frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Duo shook his head. "Come on, you know what I mean," he said. "You sent me on a task... but you only get one. Those are the rules, aren't they? That's what it said in your books...."

Elvay's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I only get one task," he said, impatiently, "And did you even do it? If so, where is what I asked for?"

Duo slipped a hand into a hidden pocket and pulled out an object roughly the size of his palm. It had once had a symmetrical shape, but along one edge it looked damaged... as if the solid had become liquid for a short time and run slightly. It was possible to see that it had once been an eight-sided polyhedron, flat, with two or three graceful, simplistic markings or irregularities along the flat upper surface.

He held it up in the air enticingly. "You mean this?"

Elvay's eyes opened wide. He licked his lips and smiled at the object. He felt his heart race in anticipation. "You wonderful little boy," he said. "Why don't you bring that over here and set it on the altar? Tell me, what is it? What does it do?"

"Oh... you want to see what it does? Sure," Duo said, with an amiability that would have chilled a sane man. He stroked one of the irregularities with a fingertip and what appeared to be a visible field sprang into existence in a spherical shape about three feet in diameter around the object.

"Cool, huh?" he said, grinning almost diabolically.

"Bring it to me," Elvay said, "I have a place for it. We shall begin immediately!" Suddenly, he frowned. "Where's your little friend, Heero?" he asked.

"I'm here," Heero said, stepping out from behind one of the heavy, dark curtains. He moved to stand next to Duo. Looking up at his violet-eyed lover, he said, "Duo's explained... everything. I understand." Brushing his hand along Duo's cheek, Heero moved a little further into the room and walked to the other side of Elvay, glancing up at the altar. His gaze seemed to be just a tad unfocused.

Elvay watched with some interest. Looking back at Duo, he nodded. "Good work. I see you have acquired a few of our traits. Bring the object and we will all usher in a new age."

Duo walked up to the corrupt priest and held the object out. "How we going to do that?" he asked.

Elvay's gaze dropped to the object. He barely heard Duo speak. It lives, he thought, reverently. This is a piece of the foundation of life itself. Proof positive that we are not alone in the Universe and that all of our perceptions and notions are just that... folly. Tearing his eyes away from the alien object, he looked up at Duo. "Oh my child. Don't you understand? The very existence of this... this being negates our notions of religion, of who we are and our place in the cosmos. There have long been demons, Duo. But they live, they exist in our thoughts and our actions. Man is corrupt by Nature, but we paint over our baser selves and declare that we are somehow other than what we are. Good... what is that? Hell is something we make ourselves. We give our deeds labels like bad, evil, good, righteous. It is all one. I say, if there are demons, then we created them and therefore we can control them. We can use their powers, like we use this antiquated notion of good. We are the Masters, Duo. We are the power that controls," Elvay said.

"What's this 'we' stuff, Monsignor?" Duo said. "Actually, they agree with some of what you said... just not with the part about being created and controlled. No, they don't agree with that at all," he said shaking his head.

"Huh?" Elvay said, then shook his head. Kid's a cabbage, he thought unflatteringly. "Whom are you talking about, Duo?" he asked, indulgently.

"Manche nehmen die Gestalt der Menschen an, night wissend was sie tun und wenn Blut wergossen wurde, ziechen sie sich nochmals zuruck in die Grotte des Satans, nehmen die Form an die ich gut kenne," Duo said softly, his violet eyes focused on Elvay's face.

The words were not unfamiliar, though it had been years since he'd read them. 'Some take the semblance of men, knowing not what they do, and when the blood hath been spilled, retreat they once more into the grotto of Satan, taking the forms I know well.'

Elvay nodded. "Demons," he said, "You're talking about demons... I'm talking about a new world order and you're reciting demonology. You psychotic little shmuck. There are no real demons! That's just your damaged brain and psyche playing sleight of hand with your mind. The pictures in those books were allegorical, representative, not real. After this, I highly recommend a good doctor. Perhaps with drug therapy, you might... oh never mind. Put the object on the altar." he said, understanding that Maxwell was a total nutcase.

Duo frowned, and drew the object back. "Not real... but then, why did you call on them? I know you did... you still do, don't you? Why, if they aren't real?"

Elvay sighed deeply. He saw the precious object move away in Duo's hands. Think fast, he admonished himself. "Duo," he said, a little calmer, "You are correct, I do still call on the demons. They exist as servants to man. What I meant was that their reality exists on another plane from ours. Now, be a good boy and place the object on the altar and we will call the demons together."

Duo tilted his head. "You don't have to call them," he said. "They're already here. In fact they're really tired of you calling them all the time. They want you to stop."

Heero, who had been listening to the conversation carefully, turned his head towards Elvay and Duo. The expression on his face did not change.

"They are here," Elvay repeated. "All right, Duo. I believe you. Now, just put the object down and we will start the ceremony."

Duo nodded, and then said, "Think fast!" and tossed the object at the Monsignor. He chuckled wickedly at the expression on the man's face.

Monsignor Elvay made a strange noise and brought his hands up quickly in both defense and to try and catch the object. That's what I get for working with the insane, he thought, nearly dropping the artifact. And then it was there... in his hands.

He shivered slightly, feeling the odd vibration flowing from it. Yes, he thought, It is real... He looked down at the shape in his hands and a wide smile etched itself across his features. "Yes," he said aloud. "All praises to the Darkness."

And *I'm* supposed to be nuts, Duo thought. The Horde snickered.

"So what now? Whatcha gonna do with it? Besides play with yourself I mean..." Duo asked, his tone both interested and slightly annoying.

Muttering to himself, Elvay placed the object on the altar. "First," he said, answering Duo's question, "We are going to call upon the forces of darkness and then you and your little friend are going to meet with a very untimely death. It's been awhile since our last blood sacrifice."

Duo snorted softly. "Duh... I don't think so, doc."

"Hush boy," Elvay said, then rubbed his hands with ashes. "Let us begin with your favorite part.... calling the demons."

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," Duo said calmly, but not too forcefully.

Taking a deep breath, Monsignor Elvay began chanting, in low, bass tones. Holding his hands over the object as though pulling energy from it, he began his litany.

Duo winced slightly, wrinkling his nose. As Elvay chanted, Duo spoke softly, "Glaube nicht Mench mit verdorbenem Gehirn, das Du der grossen Bestie entkommen kannst durch Beschreiten Deines Altar's, sie folgen schnell durch alle Winkel und sie sind im Innern des Trapezoid. Ich kenne sie, da ich einer der ihren bin und die grosse Schranke erreicht habe und die zeitlosen Ufer gesehn, sowie die monopolitischen Gestalten der Grenz jaghunde."

'Think not, o men of mildewed minds, that ye can escape the great beasts by entering thy shrines, for they follow fast through angles, and they lurk within the Trapezoid. I know them for I am as one with them, and I have approached the great Barrier, and seen on the shores where time exists not the monolithic forms of the Hounds of the Barrier.'

The room's environmental controls chose that moment to have a slight malfunction, causing the temperature to drop several degrees.

Elvay felt the drop in temperature and closed his eyes. It was working. He continued to chant, building energy around him. Once he had gathered what he needed, he would then begin channeling it outward in every direction.

Next to him, Heero moved back and a little behind the man. Slowly, his hand moved behind him and when he moved it down again, his sidearm rested comfortably in his palm. He was becoming bored. The acting thing was harder than it looked. He moved the gun to his ready position and brushed his free hand over the case in his pocket, which held the real artifact. The priest had actually fallen for the decoy, the fake artifact of Treize's, which Duo had lifted from the former General's pocket before leaving the spacedock.

"What was the first demon you ever called on, huh Monsignor?" Duo said loudly, cutting through the man's rhythmic voice like a thermal scythe through a mobile suit.

Elvay turned to look at the violet-eyed pilot with daggers in his eyes. "What?!" he called out impatiently. Then, "Astaroth, Grand Duke of Hell, Prince of Accusers and Inquisitors, the Keeper of Vanity and Sloth," Elvay said quickly, then closed his eyes to regain his composure and continue his chanting.

Duo grinned, looking at Heero and winking. "Yeah! That's the one! You should really set him free, ya know. Of course if you did that, well, he might turn out to be a bit pissed off at ya..."

"Boy, shut...up!" Elvay growled impatiently. "Now be quiet, I am working." Once again, he closed his eyes and sank into his litany.

"I really don't appreciate that 'boy' stuff ya know," Duo growled, his lips slightly curved. "Anyway, you can't do this now... something's missing...hmmm?"

Elvay stopped. He patience had gone and he felt his body begin to take over. Duo's words held him. "What do you mean, Maxwell?" he said, his eyes narrowing. A feeling of unease, slowly trickled over his nerves.

"Well see, last time we came to see ya, I, um, borrowed a little something from your office..." Duo confessed, still grinning slightly.

Elvay's eyes grew round. Rage filled every fiber of his being as he moved. "You little bastard! You stole my rosary!" he fumed.

Duo rolled his eyes to heaven and nodded.

"You little son-of-a-bitch, give that back right now!" Elvay roared, moving towards Duo.

Heero raised his gun.

Duo easily sidestepped the larger man. He was graceful, quick, and no longer panicked, as he had been when he was eight years old. "I don't have it," he said, still grinning. "I gave it to a friend of mine. Maybe you heard of him... Milliardo Peacecraft..."

At the word friend, Elvay turned his head to Heero and did a rather comical double-take as he beheld the gun pointed at his head. Turning back to Duo, he gasped. "Milliardo Peacecraft?" Elvay, repeated. "He's dead! He died in the war, or don't you remember last year?"

Duo looked slightly confused. "But I was just talking to him..."

From the shadows and near the doorway, a tall figure in white stepped forward. "Excuse me," he said, "But I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. I'm afraid that the news of my death has been greatly exaggerated."

Elvay rose to his full height. "No, I saw you explode on the vid," he cried out, then caught himself. "No matter. Give me my property!"

Zechs tilted his head. "The rosary? Ah, yes... I did have it in my possession, but I'm afraid I passed it along to my friend, the Dragon," he said.

Elvay's eyebrows knitted together. "Who is this Dragon?" he asked, more concerned over the rosary than personal safety.

Wufei stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the door. "Once the pilot of Altron Gundam," he said in answer to the question. "And once lieutenant of Mariemaia Khushrenada. But I don't have it either. A friend of mine wanted to examine it. He was very curious about the engraving on the back. But I'm sure he doesn't have any permanent use for it. After all, he's only a clown."

The dark curtain, which was half draped over a portion of the altar moved and a gloved hand appeared. It moved slowly, revealing an arm a shoulder and then finally a young man in full green pants a blue and white top. Half of his face was covered by a white mask. He bowed gracefully, looking at the man responsible for the distress of his friend. "No smiles today, only tears. Your necklace, I have given to another, treasure to treasure. Perhaps, he holds the key to your mystery," Trowa said, then bowed once again. By the time he stood, he had every area on the priest's body marked and pinpointed.

Elvay squinted at what appeared to be an apparition. "What the hell?" he muttered to himself. "My rosary is where?"

From the opposite side of the room, facing the clown, a slight figure with sunny blond hair stepped from behind another hanging. Though he could feel the man's bewilderment and rage, he also sensed the shallowness and human evil in the tall priest. Showing nothing of his true reaction to this, Quatre giggled softly. "Yes, but I'm afraid I had no use for a rosary," he explained apologetically. "I'm a Muslim!"

Duo smacked his forehead. "That's right! You gave it back to me! I *do* have it!" he exclaimed, and pulled the beaded chain and crucifix out of his pocket.

"Brat! Give that to me!" Elvay said, moving towards Duo, menacingly.

Okay so he's surrounded by Gundam pilots and Zechs Merquise... Duo thought. And he's not paying any attention. Geez. The guy's a cabbage.

'Or soon will be,' Eligor murmured, to the agreement of the Horde, all of whom were focused on every word, every thought, every movement of air.

Stepping back and holding the rosary out of reach, Duo said, "Now, now. I'll give it to you... but first tell me the rule of summoning demons. Why don't they turn on the summoner, huh? What protects him from their dark powers?"

"Give that to me!" Elvay said, impatiently as he reached for the rosary and missed.

Heero steadied the gun in his hand, adjusting to compensate for the priest's movement. All he needed was a touch and the party would be over.

"Uh uh uh!" Duo said, dancing away, shaking a finger at the enraged priest.

"His name," Elvay replied, answering Duo's question impatiently, "The mage's hidden name protects him, now give me the rosary!"

Duo grinned fiercely and nodded. "That was it.... he must be sure the demons never, ever learn it... " he said, and crossed the distance between himself and the tall, dark man in a couple of fleet steps. He tossed the rosary over Elvay's head, and it settled around his neck, with the back of the crucifix showing. "And I have someone here who would very much like to have a word with you, *Zandor*," he growled and grabbed either side of Elvay's shaven head in his hands, as a string of syllables poured from his lips.

"N'kgnath ki'q Az-Staroth r'jyarh wh'fagh zgasa phr-tga nyena phrag-n'glu!"

The word, 'silence', died on Elvay's lips as he felt a strange burst of heat from Duo's hands, as if something were traveling from the boy to him, first into his body, then his mind. He heard the words Duo spoke and his eyes grew round. His body tensed, but offered no resistance.

"Welcome to emancipation day, motherfucker," Duo hissed.

Elvay looked at Duo with large, unseeing eyes. "No," he whispered, feeling the darkness slither across his nerves, chilling his body. "I... I deny... I don't believe... in .. you," he said, softly.

He heard a deep, rich laugh inside his head, and shivered. As Elvay began to pant, his unfocused eyes looked up at Duo. Pain flashed behind their depths and he grimaced. "The Accuser... speak... Yes!" he shrieked. "Kingdoms have fallen, by my word alone," he continued unevenly, as a thin sheen of perspiration covered his forehead.

Duo released his hands and stepped back, watching the disintegration take place before his eyes.

Elvay swallowed, feeling his throat arid. "The Inquisitor comes," he breathed as his body began to shake with fear. "Yes, my lord! I confess! My name is Zandor. I have been the eyes and ears of the Alliance and friend to no man. I have caused the deaths of innocents. I have lied upon the good name of the priest at the L2 Colony. I turned the Church away from Maxwell and gave the Alliance his name as a revolutionary and a traitor. It was one of my grand experiments. The first was bringing down the Sanc Kingdom. It was so very easy. Bishop Robardi, whom I despised, had a surveillance device planted into his clothing. These recordings I sold to the Alliance general, after altering them to his specifications to support his bid to destroy the pacifist Kingdom."

Zechs closed his ice-blue eyes slowly, feeling the pain roll over him in waves. Forcing his eyes open, he lifted his chin, tasting the ashes and smoke once again. Father, he thought in silence, neither of us stood a chance. Our fates were written by forces greater than we could ever know. I have searched these many years for a pathway home. I've lost and gained hope by turns. Now I have found something to add to your legacy. Peace is worth the blood that is shed in its name. Turning his focus back to Elvay, Milliardo Peacecraft felt free enough to grieve.

Elvay's shoulders slumped slightly, but he still stood. Suddenly, he whimpered and recoiled as though being struck. "Yes, my lord!" he cried out again. "I am Zandor. I am he who took the L2 child, Duo and bent him to my will. I used hypnosis techniques to make him doubt himself, what he knew and what he had seen in my room, to silence his tongue and control him. Then I...I.. raped him, used his body for my pleasure and to cause him shame. I would do it again..."

"Hai," Heero said, softly, his own suspicions confirmed. "Mission Accepted," he said, feeling a cold fury move through him. In one graceful movement the gun was back and secured in a double-handed grip.

A gentle touch stopped him as a small hand placed itself on his arm. Quatre's soft voice was audible to Heero's ears alone. "It has to all come out," the Arabian said with calm, measured intensity. His words forced Heero to look not at his target, but at the face of his lover.

Duo had frozen into complete immobility, hearing Elvay's recital of the memory he had blocked for so long. It did not shock in the way it would have, had he not recovered the memory, but the corrupt priest's viewpoint and the words he chose resonated between Duo's suspicions, his emotions, and his experiences, unlocking still more inner doors. Elvay's next words shook more than his reality. They rocked his soul.

"Father Maxwell ... suspected something. I hated the man. He was an easy target. I signed his death by falsely reporting him to the Alliance as a supporter of the rebel forces there... troops were sent to the church to wipe out the traitors... These are but a.... yes! Bishop Robardi died by my own hand! F...Thomas... I... I have made a game of planting the seeds of doubt in his mind. I have caused him to question his faith innumerable times. It was a game I enjoyed...."

Cobalt blue eyes looked at Duo over the barrel of the gun. Slowly, Heero's arm moved at a down angle. He reached out and touched Quatre's shoulder, his focus still on Duo and the poison the priest was spitting out. "Arigato," he said, softly, then glanced over to meet Quatre's teal-eyed regard.

The once proud man, Anthony Elvay, looked through still unseeing eyes and the fear was plain. "No...no.. I .. you cannot.. I... no, no, no..." he whimpered, feeling the darkness ebb and flow into his body and his being. That part of him that remained struggled, but he knew and understood that he was not strong enough to halt the inevitable. Soon, the skeptic, the intellectual, the elitist, that was Anthony Elvay, bent and gave way to the ancient force, and allowed it to enter him. He felt it fill in the spaces where he once was until only a shadow of his true self remained.

Duo listened to the words pouring out and felt a great many things. But in the end, he shook his head, looking into the Monsignor's eyes, seeking that last spark of the man who had so altered his life. Finding it, he said clearly and deliberately, "Remember, Monsignor? Hell is something we make ourselves. There are no real demons... That's just your damaged brain and psyche playing sleight of hand with your mind...."

Inside his mind, Elvay heard deep, rich laughter, in a voice that throbbed with cinnabar and retribution. 'Treibwenn in die Aussmasse Deine aussersten Bewusstseins und sie gefangen fur immer,' the ebony demon whispered, mocking him. 'Wir bereiten einen bahaglichen Platz um zu verweilen, uber der Qual erhaben.'

*Drift into the dimensions of your outer consciousness, and be trapped forever. We prepare a place of comfort for ye to dwell in torment sublime.*

And that voice was answered by many voices, voices that no one else seemed hear.

Heero looked over at Duo, feeling the smile etch itself across his face. The gun had vanished and in its place was now a small, black recording device. "Mission Complete, koi," he said, to his lover. "Do you wanna keep him around for a little while?"

Duo looked up at his cobalt-eyed lover and his face was smooth, his eyes clear. "It doesn't make any difference to me at all," he said simply. He turned and saluted Trowa. "Thanks for the help with the environmental controls but can ya turn em back? I'm starting to get cold..."

Trowa took off the mask. "Sure thing, Duo. Give me a second," he said, then darted behind the curtain.

Quatre took a deep breath. What he had sensed taking place in that room was something he never planned to try and explain to anyone. He only knew that sometime soon he was going to spend a lot of time in meditation and prayer, and he thought that this would probably be a very good thing.


Heero moved to Duo in one fluid motion. He looked into the violet eyes with an expression that let the braided pilot know that he was being surveyed for damage.

"I told you I wouldn't ask you this a lot, but I guess I lied. Are you ok?" he said, simply.

Duo looked back, his eyes wide, clear, and as deep as the well of space. He slid his arms around Heero's neck and pulled their bodies together, then leaned some of his weight against the solid form of the Perfect Soldier and rested his chin on Heero's shoulder, closing his eyes. After a moment he said, "It wasn't... my fault."

Heero's arms locked around Duo's body, holding him tightly. "No, Duo. Not your fault at all," he said, quietly. "You just got used. I know all about that."

Duo shook his head silently and his body began to shake a little in reaction. After a moment, he whispered, "No... that's not what I meant. I thought... I knew... all this time... that Father... and Sister Helen and everyone... got killed because... of me. Because I stole that mobile suit for the rebels, so they'd leave the church alone. I *knew*. There was no other reason for the Alliance to destroy a church... it was my... fault... but..." the flood of whispered words stopped, and Duo's arms tightened.

Heero sighed deeply and just held on to Duo for a little while. "Hai," he said quietly, as he thought of all the damage the corrupt priest had caused. He could picture the small child that Duo was trying to resolve an issue that went way beyond him.

Cupping Duo's face in his hand, he leaned down and kissed Duo deeply.

Duo felt Heero's lips against his like a benediction. His foundations were shaken but he had other foundations, newer ones that had begun to build themselves under the old somehow, making them stronger. He opened his mouth with a sigh and gave himself to the kiss.

After a while, he looked into Heero's eyes. He took a deep breath and then said, "To answer your question..." and grinned slightly, "I'm okay." He reached up and brushed at the unruly locks of hair that tumbled perpetually over Heero's forehead. "How about you? You looked like... you were going to have an apoplexy if you didn't get to shoot someone, for a while there," he teased gently.

"Incorrect. I was about to shoot his brains out of his head because he hurt you, which I suspected. When he confessed, I could see no reason to keep him breathing. He has Quatre to thank for shifting my focus," Heero said. He kissed Duo's lips and then his cheek confirming for himself that the braided pilot was as okay as he stated.

Duo smiled. "He won't be thanking Quatre or anyone. Hee-chan," he said softly. "Shooting him would be doing him a favor."

Heero turned to look at the man. "Hn," he remarked.


End of Part 20 - TBC

What do you think?

bonnejeanne & vonceia

 


Please send comments to: bonnejeanne@yahoo.com or vonceia@yahoo.com

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