Beauty Uncaged (sequel to In A Gilded Cage)

-----part 1-----

The unnamed boy winced as Heero combed the tangles from his long, pale hair.

"You're so beautiful." Heero told the boy. "And you have such a kind heart. Duo would be proud."

"Tell me more about him." the boy was curious. "How did he wear his hair? Was it short or long like mine?"

"A little longer than yours, maybe an inch or two." Heero replied. "And he wore it in a beautiful long braid." he paused, thoughtful for a moment. "I could braid yours if you like."

The boy thought it over. "I'd like that very much." he decided, sitting back and listening to yet another story about the boy who'd carried him.

"By the way, have you thought of a name yet?" Heero asked, as he tied off the boy's new braid.

"I was hoping you'd give me one." the boy replied.

Heero considered. "Duo-ni." he decided. "After your 'mom'."

Duo-ni nodded. "I like that name." he agreed. "Thank you, Heero."

Odin walked in. "Dad, I was just wondering if me and ... um...."

"Duo-ni." Heero offered.

"Duo-ni? So you finally got a name." he told the pale boy. "That's great! Now I have something to call you besides 'hey, beautiful.'"

"I like 'hey, beautiful'." Duo-ni insisted, laughing warmly as Odin put an arm around him.

"What did you want?" Heero asked.

"I was wondering if we could go out for a bit?" Odin asked.

"Sure." Heero replied. "Just be back before nightfall. And if anyone tries anything..."

"I'll kick his ass." Odin replied.

"You call me." Heero handed Odin a pager. "I don't want either of you put in danger. If OZ ever got hold of either of you..."

Odin nodded, then clasped Duo-ni's hand and led him away.

"You sure it's wise letting them go out like that?" Wufei asked.

"What am I supposed to do?" Heero asked. "I don't want Duo-ni to think we're like those creeps at that lab he grew up in. Do you?"

Wufei considered this. "I suppose not."

-----part 2-----

/Hear no evil... don't you see no evil.... don't you lay no evil down on me..../

"What is that noise?" Duo-ni asked as loudly as he could.

"Metal." Odin grinned. "Why?"

"I like it." Duo-ni replied. "I never heard it before, though."

"Yeah, I doubt old fogey scientists listen to this stuff much." Odin laughed.

/...speak no evil... don't you think no evil... don't you play with evil 'cause I'm free.../

"Can I get you two boys anything?" a waitress asked.

"Two Dr. Peppers, please." Odin ordered. He turned back to Duo-ni.

"Doctor who?" Duo-ni asked.

Odin laughed.

"What did I say?" Duo-ni asked..

"Dr. Who is an old television show." Odin replied. "My 'mom', Quatre, his family's rich so they got me copies of it. I love that stuff. Science Fiction, I mean. I got all kinds of Sci-Fi and anime stuff."

"Anna who?" Duo-ni wondered if Odin were doing this on purpose.

"Anime." Odin reiterated. "It's easier if I show you. Oh, and Dr. Pepper is a soft drink."

"Soft drink?"

"You'll find out." Odin shrugged as the waitress brought back their drinks.

After an hour or so, Odin and Duo-ni decided to walk home. As they made their way back to the safehouse, they were accosted by two OZ soldiers whom Odin made quick work of.

"Your dad said to call him." Duo-ni pointed out as he tore a piece of his own shirt and used the strip of cloth to bandage a knife wound Odin had taken in his upper harm. "We're lucky he only got your arm."

"We?" Odin raised an eyebrow.

"Odin, if anything ever happened to you..." Duo-ni turned away.

Odin put his arms around Duo-ni. "I promise, nothing will ever keep me from you, my love." he whispered into the other boy's ear. "Not even death."

-----TBC-----