by KatiKat
In
one of the shipīs smallest cabins Duo was lying on a narrow bunk he shared with
Heero, his eyes fixed on the bed above, the one that would belong to Trowa for
the rest of their journey. He was listening to the creaking sounds the ship
made as it danced on the waves, tied to the pier into which it bumped from time
to time.
Duo
sighed and turned onto his side, watching Shinigami scratch himself behind the
ear with his paw. Heero and Trowa had disappeared to who knew where, leaving
him all alone in the small room with no windows and only the two beds, one
chest, a table and two chairs. Not that
he complained about their accommodation. It was really nice of Treize to insist
that the captain cleared one of the smaller cabins for his guests. Duo couldnīt
imagine sleeping with all the men in the long cabin that lay next to the shipīs
galley. But he knew that something was going on that no one wanted to tell him
about. He heard the sailors, the Kingīs most trusted men, moving around the
ship and shouting orders, preparing to set sail. Even though the captain seemed
to be in a bit of hurry, they were still waiting in port. And he suspected that
Heero and Trowa knew what was going on.
The
braided lifebearer sighed and turned onto his back again, arms behind his head.
He watched as the shadows danced around the room. The one oil lamp hanging from
the ceiling in the middle of the room didnīt do much to light the room. Maybe
it was the half-darkness that ruled in the room that was causing his depressive
boredom. But maybe it was the order Heero gave him to "Stay and
sleep." He was tired of resting. He was no invalid. He did feel a bit
lightheaded from time to time but as Trowa said it was normal for a person who had
experienced such massive blood loss as he had in the last couple of days. He
wasnīt sick anymore and he hated that Heero forced him to feel like he was. And
the fact that his friends were keeping secrets from him didnīt help either.
And
then there was Howard... Now that they were in the relative safety of the royal
ship, he allowed himself to think properly about the old man he had considered
an uncle. The mercenary who had burned down Duoīs village and killed all of the
lifebearerīs people. And what for? Just because he, Duo, had been claimed by
another. Had he always been a madman and the braided young man had just never
noticed? Had he always been a killer, murderer and slaughterer? Duo shuddered.
He
felt his heart clench as he remembered Solo, his dear brother. What was he
doing now? Was he safe? Wufei said that Solo hadnīt been in the village when
Howard and his men came, but he could be mistaken. The lifebearer knew that he
would probably never see his older sibling ever again, but he hoped with his whole
heart that Solo was okay and that he would be happy with Sal...
And
Wufei? Duo sighed again. He would never regret the time he spent with the
black-haired youth. No matter what had happened between them in the end... He
knew that Wufei was a good man, even though it had hurt deeply to be betrayed
in the one moment he needed him so much. But on the other hand, if that hadnīt happened,
he would have never gotten together with Heero and maybe he would have fallen
in Howardīs hands, too.
The last thought
brought him back to his present situation and his depression turned into anger.
He loved Heero dearly, but the Enforcer shouldnīt think that because his
sickness forced him to play the submissive role, it was a natural part of his character.
Duo had been taking care of himself and his family since his Bearer died and he
had no intention giving up his independence. He was ready to compromise, not to
submit.
Suddenly,
shouts could be heard from the deck, the sound of many horses hooves on the
wooden pier echoed through the ship. Duo sat up on the bed, torn from his
contemplation. For one terrifying moment he thought that Howard had caught up
with them and his heart started to beat faster in his chest. But the shouts
were ones of greeting. He allowed himself to relax a bit but stayed alert
anyway. Something was obviously going on. Even Shinigami sat up straight, his
ears twitching as he listened to what was happening.
Curious,
Duo got up from the bed and headed for the door, Shinigami slowly trailing
after him. But right at the moment he reached for the door knob, the door
opened.
"Heero!"
the lifebearer shouted, startled. "Whatīs going on?"
Even
though the Enforcerīs face was grim, a sparkle of satisfaction shot through his
eyes. "Howardīs dead," he announced quietly. "Treizeīs men
killed him."
Duo
paled. He felt light headed. His knees buckled and he reached out blindly for
support. Heero caught him in his arms and together they slowly sank to the
floor. "He is dead? Really?" the braided young man asked, clutching
the Enforcerīs warm shirt in his fists. He needed the reassurance.
Heero
nodded and brought Duo to his chest, hugging him tightly. "They waited for
him and his men in the inn. There was a fight and the mercenaries went down
together with their leader. The soldiers watched them burn with the inn."
The
lifebearer was shaking with relief. Was it over? Was the horrible nightmare
really over?
"Yes,"
Heero whispered in an answer to the question the braided young man wasnīt even
aware of saying aloud. He kissed the crown of Duoīs head and caressed his back.
"Itīs over. He canīt hurt you anymore. Not now, not ever again."
Clenching
his eyes tightly shut and pressing himself closer into his mateīs embrace, Duo
started to sob with relief. It was over... It was finally over...
TBC