Armistice Wedding
-----part 1-----
Blindfolded, bound and gagged, Duo trembled with barely controlled
rage. He would make them pay. Oh yes, indeed. They would pay dearly
for daring to tie him up like this. He worked the knots out of the
ropes and began to fiddle with the locking mechanism of the trunk. No
go. It was too dark and the car was bouncing too much. His hands
closed around a gun. It was somehow familiar, but he didn't have time
to speculate on its make and model. He'd used up too much of his
oxygen trying to pick the lock. He had to get out now.
As the fire from the flamethrower curved back and engulfed him, Duo
realized that he had just made one very big mistake.
"Shit!" the Oz soldier swore as he saw the smoke rising from the trunk
about ten minutes later.. He pulled the car over. The trunk was too
hot to touch and he had to force it open with a crowbar. The entire
trunk was a bed of flame at this point. Duo lie in the middle of it.
"Son of a bitch!" the soldier swore as he pulled Duo from the flames
and extinguished the fire on Duo's badly burned body. "Zechs is gonna
kill me if he finds out." He found a pulse. "Thank god."
First he called the hospital, then he called the base.
Zechs waited for the car with Duo Maxwell to arrive. They would be
joined in wedlock soon. The war was coming to an end at last, and the
arranged marriage of Zechs and Duo would seal the peace accord.
At first Zechs had been strongly opposed, but as he began to observe
Duo more closely, he couldn't help be endeared by the young pilot's
skill and determination. Not to mention his uncanny ability to talk
for long periods of time without stopping to draw breath.
"Sir," his personal aide sounded troubled, that did not bode well.
Personal aides usually sounded troubled when there was bad news they
didn't want to deliver.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, there is a problem."
-----part 2-----
Zechs paced the waiting area of his private hospital. He paused and
glared at the doors leading into the surgical area. Beyond them, Duo
was undergoing intense surgery as the doctors attempted to save his
life.
He'd suffered second and third degree burns over most of his body. By
some strange miracle his hair had remained undamaged. It was as if the
braid loved Duo as much as Duo loved the braid. Zechs couldn't blame
it. Even though this was an arranged marriage, he wanted Duo as his
spouse.
//But does he want you?// he wondered. //We want peace and a wedding
between our groups would be the perfect way to seal it, but does Duo
want this?//
He resumed pacing.
//You're afraid.// he told himself.
"Ridiculous." he argued back. "I'm Zechs. I fear nothing."
//You're afraid he'll die. You're afraid of losing Duo.// he
admonished himself. //You're trying to convince yourself he wouldn't
want you anyhow so that if he dies it won't hurt as much.//
"Nonsense."
//A perfectly normal reaction to death.// He told himself.
"Duo is *not* going to die." He concluded, refusing to listen to that
nagging voice anymore.
The door leading to the exterior hallway opened and Zechs turned to
see Heero and Trowa being shoved in, both blindfolded. He went over
and un-blindfolded them.
"I'm sorry about the blindfolds." he said. "But until this war is
officially over, the location of this base must remain a secret."
Heero gave the simple nod one would give a respected enemy. "I heard
Duo was hurt. Where is he?"
"He's in surgery." Zechs replied. "It was bad. I won't lie to you."
"What happened?" Trowa asked.
"He was badly burned." Zechs informed them. His voice grew dark and
despondent as he told them about the terrible injuries Duo had
sustained.
"But he'll live." he said in a rather unconvincing tone.
"If he dies, I'll kill you." Heero growled.
"You'll lose him even if he lives." Zechs pointed out.
Heero nodded. "I don't like that wedding idea one bit." he confided.
"I know it was only set up to separate me from Duo. Still, this peace
treaty is important, so I'll put up with it for the sake of peace."
Zechs sighed. "I love him, Heero." he admitted. "One cannot have the
type of respect I had for Duo for very long without falling in love
with him."
Heero had to admit this was very true. It was, after all, the same way
he'd fallen in love with the braided pilot.
The door to the surgical area opened and one of the doctors who'd been
operating on Duo stepped into the room.
-----part 3-----
"How is the patient?" Zechs asked as the group gathered around the
surgeon.
"He's going to be fine." the surgeon replied "I'm frankly amazed. He
should've died, but he pulled through. Pardon my saying so, but that's
one amazing fiancé you have there, sir."
Zechs nodded. "Yes. He is. When can I see him?"
"I want to see him, too, Zechs." Heero cut in.
"When can *we* see him?" Zechs amended.
"You can see him now, though he's going to be under for a while."
Zechs nodded in understanding, then walked into the recovery room with
Heero and Trowa in tow.
Duo was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. There were machines
hooked up to him, monitoring his vital signs. At present, he was
unconscious, but at least he was alive.
Zechs sat in a chair by the bed, his eyes never leaving Duo's
bandaged form. "My poor darling." he said. "My exquisite Duo." he
kissed Duo's bandaged lips, then sat back.
Heero was glaring at him. "Can't you wait until your wedding day to
take him away from me?" he asked.
Zechs nodded. "It's in three days." he replied. "I can be patient until
then."
He stood up and let Heero take his place.
"Duo, my love." Heero told him. "I'll always love you. I promise."
-----part 4-----
Duo woke early the following afternoon. He'd had the best burn
specialists and plastic surgeons working on him, but until the
bandages were removed, no one would know how successful they had been.
"Heero," he whispered. "Heero, I'm sorry."
"I know, Duo." Heero reassured him. Zechs had permitted he and Trowa
to remain as his guests until Duo recovered and they'd had a chance to
talk. "I am, too. I suspected Relena was up to something, but to force
you to marry like this..."
"Its all right, Heero." Duo replied. "Other people have made greater
sacrifices for peace. I'd rather do this than let the war continue."
Heero nodded. "I'm very proud of you, Duo." he said, meaning it. "I
know you're unhappy about the wedding. I wish I could talk you out of
it."
"If I leave or don't marry, the treaty will be voided. We'll be back
at war, and God knows how long it will be before we get another shot
at peace. I want to run away with you, Hee-chan. I want it so badly I
can taste it. But my fate is sealed. I must do this, Heero. I have no
choice."
Heero nodded and kissed Duo's bandaged lips.
Zechs watched from the door for a few minutes, then spoke up.
"Heero, it's time to go."
Heero stood up. "I'm sorry, Duo." he told him. He stood up and went to
the door. "I'll miss you, Duo." he told the braided pilot. He looked
eyes with Zechs and a dangerous moment passed between them. "If you
ever hurt Duo," Heero whispered, "I'll kill you."
"Then it's a good thing I don't intend to hurt him." Zechs whispered
back.
-----part 5-----
Duo's heart raced as they removed the bandages from his face. Soon
he'd see it. He'd see his own face as burned and as singed as those
he'd beheld at the Maxwell Church massacre. He wanted to scream and
run, but pure horrified anticipation held him in place.
At last, they were off. Duo stared at the mirror. "My god." he
whispered.
There was no sign of burn or damage at all. The surgeons had
performed a miracle.
"My sweet Duo." Zechs told him. "You're as lovely as you were the
first day I beheld you. Such savage beauty. And soon you will be my
promised one."
"I'm only doing this for the sake of peace, Zechs." Duo told him. "My
heart will always belong to Heero."
Zechs nodded and left the room. "I'll see you at the signing
ceremony." he said as he departed.
All those concerned signed the peace treaty and the heads of state
gave a standard "at last the war is over" speech. As always no one
listened.
At last, it was time for the wedding of Zechs and Duo. There was no
priest, no wedding clothes or romantic vows. A purely political
ceremony, it was completed with the signing of their names.
Heero shook his head. "Duo deserved better than that." he grumbled.
The other pilots nodded in agreement.
There was a short reception afterward, for the sake of the press.
Then, Zechs led Duo to his private transport and the two departed.
-----part 6-----
Duo tossed a blanket over the video camera that was monitoring his and
Zech's bedroom. A man who was a member of the peace delegation walked
in and removed the obstruction.
"We must make sure the marriage is consummated." he explained to Duo.
"Until then, the peace treaty is not fully in effect."
"I can't make love with people watching." Duo protested.
"Just close your eyes and pretend the camera's not even there." the
delegate suggested as he left the room.
"I'd like to pretend I'm not here." Duo sighed as he got undressed and
climbed into bed.
A short while later, Duo felt Zechs join him in their marriage bed.
He wanted to move away, but the delegate's words, that the consummation
of their marriage was required or the treaty would not take full
effect, rang in his ears and he lie still.
"Don't be afraid, dearest Duo." Zechs whispered in Duo's ear. "I will
be gentle. I promise." he kissed Duo's neck and shoulder, then kissed
his lips as he dipped two fingers into a jar of lubricant and
carefully eased them into Duo.
Duo tensed for a moment, and Zechs felt a twnge of guilt. Zechs could
tell Duo didn't want this, but both of them knew they had no choice.
Zechs pulls his fingers out of Duo and slowly climbed on top of him,
guiding his manhood in, slowly and carefully. He moved within Duo in
short, slow movements that became longer and longer until he was
moving in long, deep thrusts that seemed to go on for hours to the
braided ex-pilot until Zechs at last out a triumphant cry of passion
and collapsed, exhausted, on top of Duo.
-----part 7-----
Zechs was the first one awake the next morning. He kissed Duo,
softly until Duo opened his eyes.
"Good morning, beloved." Zechs said, hoping that Duo would not be
angry with him for that previous night.
Duo averted his eyes. "I want to go home." he whispered.
"You're my spouse now, Duo." Zechs reminded him. "This is your home."
"Why? I love Heero."
Zechs nodded. "And Heero loves you. But our wedding was arranged and
if you leave me, they'll declare it an act of war. I wish I could help
you."
"This is where you tell me you hate it as much as I do, right?" Duo
asked, his tone a bit sarcastic.
Zechs shook his head. "I don't hate it at all." he admitted. "Duo, I
know you don't care for me, but I really do love you."
"Then help me." Duo pleaded. "Set me free. Let me go back to the man I
love."
"I can't." Zechs shook his head. "Not without restarting the war."
Duo slumped resignedly back against his pillow.
Zechs lie down beside Duo and gently kissed away his tears. "Please
don't cry." he whispered.
-----part 8-----
Duo gazed, listlessly, at the plate of food on the nightstand by the
bed. It had been nearly two months since his marriage to Zechs and in
that time he'd grown more and more despondent.
Zechs had made love to Duo every night. They had to. Every moment of
their marriage was being monitored and they were obligated to fullfill
their marital duties as per the peace treaty. And every night, Duo
cried himself to sleep, missing Hero while Zechs stroked his hair and
whispered loving reassurances to him until he was sound asleep.
"Please, eat something." Zechs begged. "You've barely touched your
food in over three weeks." he kissed Duo's hair and offered him a
forkful of his presently untouched supper.
Duo showed no interest in eating it, however, so Zechs returned the
untouched portion to Duo's plate.
"I'll leave it here and you eat it when you're ready." Zechs told him.
He went into the bathroom to take a shower and have a good think.
When he came back out, Duo had still not touched his dinner.
"Is there any way we can bring his appetite back up to normal." Zechs
asked a doctor he'd summoned about Duo. Not only had Duo stopped
eating, but other than lying in bed, he had stopped doing just about
everything.
"How serious is it?"
"He's pining, I'm afraid." the doctor replied. "He's unhappy and it's
affecting his health. His condition makes this even more serious."
"What condition?" Zechs asked.
"He's pregnant."
"How?" Zechs asked.
"He had an artificial womb implanted. It's a new procedure for gay
couples who want to have a child. He had it put in shortly before the
treaty was signed. "
"But he doesn't love me." Zechs sounded uncharacteristically
confused. "Why would he have the surgery if he doesn't love me?"
"Perhaps he intended to marry someone else until the treaty." The
doctor suggested.
"Heero." Zechs mused. "He wanted to have Heero's baby and now he's
having mine instead. Poor Duo. How far along is he?"
"About five weeks." the doctor said, effectively confirming Zechs as
the father.
-----part 9-----
Heero was sitting dejectedly on the sofa, watching the news, when the
report about Duo came on.
"...Merquise, spouse of Zechs Merquise, is in stable condition at
Zechs's private hospital following a fainting spell during a recent
conference. Doctors claim that the young newlywed is doing just fine
and blame the episode on his recent pregnancy. Also, in today's news,
several..."
"What?!" Heero blurted out as he leapt off the sofa and ran to get
his coat. He picked up the phone and called Zechs's house. He hadn't
spoken with Duo since the wedding. The thought of seeing Duo and
knowing that he couldn't hold him or touch him was too painful. But
now, he had to see him. Duo had been in a hospital and for Heero, his
best friend if nothing else, not to visit would've been wrong. "Would
you mind if I came to visit Duo?" he asked when Zechs picked up the
phone. He half-expected Zechs to say "No." and that Duo was to have
nothing to do with Heero or any other Gundam pilots.
"Of course." Zechs replied. "Duo would be so happy if you stopped by.
I think it would speed up his recovery. Will you be staying late?
You're welcome to stay for supper if you like."
Heero nodded, then remembered he was on the phone. "Sure. Thank you.
We'll see you in half an hour."
Duo looked up as Heero walked in followed by the other four pilots.
Heero had a hand behind his back.
"Heero!" he gasped in delight, though he sounded sleepy. "Its good to
see you again. What are you hiding, Heero? You didn't buy me a
skyscraper did you?"
Heero smiled. "No." he said, pulling the arm forward and revealing a
small teddy bear. "For the baby."
Duo smiled, weakly. "You heard."
"It was on the news." Heero replied. "Congratulations, by the way."
Duo sat up and beckoned Heero to him.
"Hmmm. I dunno." Heero said, warily. "If I hug you I might start
another war."
"If you don't hug me, I'll start one." Duo threatened.
Zechs smiled and Heero got the feeling that a friendly hug was okay
with him. So Heero sat on the edge of the bed and hug Duo tightly. It
felt good to hold Duo again, but it felt bad that he could never
have Duo.
Zechs reached his decision at that point. The one he'd been fighting
with all day. He knew the risk, but as he watched the tears of mixed
joy and sadness fall from both Duo's and Heero's eyes, he knew what
he had to do. While the pilots were all occupied with talking to Duo,
he went over to the medical supply cabinet and retrieved a syringe
and filled it.. Returning with it to the bedside, he quietly injected
the drug into Duo's bloodstream. It was mild enough that it would not
cause a miscarriage but he had to time things just right or the child
within him would die.
Heero felt Duo go limp in his arms. He looked up at Zechs in horror.
"You... " he said, as he felt for a pulse. "You killed him."
Zechs nodded.
Heero sprang at Zechs and pinned him to a wall, throwing punch after
punch.
"Stop!" Zechs cried out. "If we don't revive him now he'll lose the
baby!"
"Revive him?" Heero asked. "How? He's dead.."
"The poison is very mild. There's an antidote. We just have to
administer it and perform CPR to restart his heart." Zechs told him.
Heero glared at him. "Where is the antidote?" he demanded.
"The supply cabinet. The white vial."
Heero retrieved it and injected the antidote into Duo. "This had
better work, you bastard." he told Zechs.
"I'm just trying to help." Zechs protested.
"By murdering Duo?!" Quatre demanded. "What kind of help is that?"
Trowa looked up from his protective vigil around Duo's lifeless body
and glared at Zechs, his eyes demanding an explanation while. Wufei's
expression was different, however. His held no malice toward Zechs.
It just said "I hope this works."
Quatre and Trowa performed the CPR. They had no intention of letting
any of this murderer's doctors anywhere near Duo. They kept at it for
what seemed an eternity and were almost ready to give up and strangle
Zechs when Duo's heart began to beat again.
Duo opened his eyes. "What happened?" he asked.
"He murdered you, Duo." Quatre said, pointing an accusing finger at
Zechs.
"I died?" Duo asked, his voice full of wonder and bewilderment. "I
*died*?!" there was a touch of pure joy to his voice that made
most of the other former Gundam pilots think he'd just gone off the
deep end.
Quatre nodded.
To their surprise, Duo sprang up, cheerfully, and hugged Zechs.
"Thank you!" he cried out in a delighted tone.
The others stared at him, slackjawed, except for Wufei who watched
Duo with an expression worn by those who are sharing an inside joke.
"You guys still don't get it, do you?" Zechs said to the other
pilots. "Wufei understands though, don't you?"
Wufei nodded. "Yes. His death ended your marriage to him."
Zechs nodded. "By killing him, even temporarily, I freed him of his
obligation to me."
As this fact sank in, Heero's anger was replaced with joy. Duo would
be his now! As he was meant to be from the beginning. "Duo." he said,
taking Duo in his arms. "Please? Will you marry me?"
"You bet I will." Duo said, with great enthusiasm as he hugged Heero
tightly.
Heero looked over Duo's shoulder at Zechs who looked very sad at the
moment. "I'm sorry I called you all those things." he said.
"I'm not." Zechs replied. "It made your love for him shine even more
brightly. Separating him from you was wrong. The two of you belong
together. He's absolutely beautiful, Heero. The most beautiful
creature to ever grace this universe. He loves you and that makes you
the luckiest man alive.
Heero nodded. "Yes." he said. "It does. And you're right. Duo is the
most beautiful creature to ever grace this universe."
-----part 10-----
"Hey, guys!" Wufei called to Trowa and Heero. Quatre was in the
other room, helping Duo do his hair for the wedding. "They're
restarting the war. I just heard on the TV."
Heero nodded. "That was expected. Though it is unfortunate. I hope
those idiots don't make Duo feel guilty about it."
"All this fuss over one braided baka." Trowa shook his head.
"That's *my* braided baka you're talking about." Heero retorted.
Trowa smiled. "We'd better get to the temple." he said. "The ceremony
is in twenty minutes."
Trowa and Wufei drove Heero to the temple.
Heero waited at the altar for Duo. He was dressed in a men's
wedding kimono, black with his family crest embroidered down the
back and over one shoulder. Duo walked in. He was similarly dressed,
though being a Maxwell in name only, he bore no family crest. Duo's
hair had been styled especially for the wedding. Two narrow braids
were pulled back and tied together at the back of his head, joining
to become a single narrow braid. two more medium to narrow braids
were woven just behind each ear and rested upon Duo's shoulders the
rest of his hair hung unbound like a beautiful chestnut waterfall.
Heero felt his heart racing. //He's even more beautiful.// he
thought to himself.
The ceremony, which was almost as elaborate and beautiful as Duo,
lasted for nearly an hour. When it was over, Heero took Duo into his
arms and kissed him.
-----part 11-----
"Get the hell back to the safehouse, Duo!" Heero shouted as
Deathscythe Hell raced up behind him.
"Like fun!" Duo shouted. The war was in full swing now. Duo, very
pregnant at this point, wasn't about to let his delicate condition
stop him from joining in the battles. This is where he belonged.
Fighting alongside his husband.
"Duo!" Heero argued, just as two enemy fighters buzzed him.
Duo let out a joyous war-whoop and cut down one of the fighters while
Heero took out the other.
"All right! Woo hoo!" Duo cheered. "Shinigami is b..."
"Duo?" Heero asked.
"I'm fine." Duo said a moment later. "It's nothing. I've got five
bandits coming in at four o'clock." he dispatched two while Heero
took out the other three.
"Good shooting." Duo panted as Heero took out the fifth fighter.
"Heads up. Two more at seven o'clock. Let's get 'em."
"Quatre, Wufei. Take out those last few fighters. I'm getting Duo to
the hospital now."
"Now until the battle is over, Heero." Duo insisted.
"Duo, I'm getting you to the hospital if I have to break into that
Gundam of yours to do it." Heero told him.
"I'm fine, Heero." Duo panted.
"The hell you are!" Heero protested. "For crying out loud, Duo!
You're in labor! Now follow me down. We're getting you to the
hospital right now.
As they turned to land, a fighter followed Duo. Quatre and Wufei were
too far to go after it, so Trowa made a run on the fighter. Another
fighter fired upon Trowa. A lucky shot (or an unlucky one depending
on your point of view) disabled Trowa's gundam and he was forced to
make an emergency landing.
"I'm sorry, Duo." he said as he saw the fighter head straight for its
original target. "Forgive me."
The fighter drew closer and closer to Duo. Heero was too intent on
getting Duo to the hospital to turn and fight it and Duo was too busy
concentrating on his breathing and getting himself to the hospital to
fight it himself.
Another fighter, Zech's personal fighter, came screaming into view.
He could not let this person kill Duo.
//Whatever the cost,// he thought //Duo must live.//
"Sir!" the pilot protested. "What are you..."
Those were the last word ever spoken by that pilot or to Zechs
Merquise. For, at that moment, Zechs rammed his fighter deliberately
into that of the pilot who was pursuing Duo. There was an explosion
and Deathscythe Hell was thrown into a wild spin.
Duo didn't panic. He let his training take over and quickly got his
Gundam under control. He landed, then started to get out.
"Duo. Stay where you are." Heero told him. "I don't want you falling.
He brought his Gundam alongside Duo's and carefully made his way to
Deathscythe Hell's cockpit. "Okay, open up."
Duo opened the cockpit door. Heero put a rescue harness around Duo
and secured him to Heero's back, then carried him down the ladder,
piggyback until they got to the ground.
"Aw," Duo complained, playfully, as Heero undid the harness and put
an arm around Duo's shoulders to support him. "That was fun. Can we
do that again? Please?" he winced as another pain hit him.
A few hours later, Duo's baby was delivered. The c-section had left
Duo exhausted and aching all over. But the baby was born.
"May I hold...?" Duo began to ask.
Before he could finish, someone gave him an injection and he passed
out.
Duo woke some time later. Heero was sitting there with a distant look
on his face. "When can I see my child?" he asked.
"You can't." Heero told him. "Duo, I'm sorry."
"Oh, God. Don't let the baby be dead. Please..." Duo felt his heart
breaking. "Please?"
"The baby is alive, Duo." Heero told him. "But he's been taken into
custody by Zechs's estate."
"What... what are you talking about?"
"The baby is Zechs's only living relative, so they took him or her as
soon as he was born.
"And you *let* them?!"
"It was that or a custody battle. Duo, none of us can afford to
appear in court. I'm sorry."
Duo cried for hours, his fragile heart broken.
A year later, Duo's grief was softened by the arrival of his second
child. This one, a boy, looked very much like his father, Heero,
though he had Duo's eyes.
He never got over losing his first child, but being able to play with
and teach his second child made it easier for him to cope.
Shiniheishi Maxwell-Merquise Yuy, born in the midst of a war, would
nonetheless grow up in a world of love, Duo would see to that.
And so would Heero.
-----OWARI-----