Worth Fighting For Part 7
The Meal
"You must be mad." Relena said, she threw her hands into the air and spun round on her heels.
"Relena..."
"I don't even want to hear it!" She yelled at Duo, "It's stupid! You are playing into his hands if you go met him tomorrow night."
"Stop it Relena, I have to go."
"You don't care do you? You don't care that you will get hurt."
Everyone was watching Relena cry and shout at her brother.
"You don't care who you hurt you selfish bastard."
That was it, she had gone too far by Duo's standards and he grabbed her painfully.
"Listen to me, don't you say that to me again. I love you, I wouldn't hurt you unless I had no other choice. I also love Heero."
Relena stopped struggling to loosen Duo's grip on her. Duo had never admitted to her he loved Heero before, hearing it came as a shock to her.
"I know what Devalin is like Relena, I have been there with him. I will not leave Heero with him and I have to go tomorrow because if I don't, he will kill Heero."
"I'm sorry." Relena whimpered, bowing her head in shame.
Duo let go of her and knelt down, he looked up at her. "I need your help. I wouldn't ask this of anyone, but my hand had been forced too many times by Devalin and he has done it again so much easier this time. Please Relena, I need you to come with me tomorrow night."
Relena pulled her brother to his feet and she hugged him, her head rested on his shoulder. "I would go with you to the end of the world, if you asked me too."
Duo gave a grateful smile and held her tight.
Tomorrow wasn't going to be easy at all, he was going to face the man he loved most in the world as well as the man he hated the most in the world, he was facing two memories of his life, and he wasn't keen on opening them both up, considering he had left Heero without even a goodbye and he was the reason why Devalin's brother was dead. He breathed in Relena's smell and took comfort from that, but it did little to ease the dread that filled his stomach.
* * *
The restaurant was only half full when the black motorcycle pulled to a stop outside it and Duo swung off the seat. He took off his helmet and looked into the restaurant via the window. His eyes drifted around the room but he couldn't see Devalin anywhere. A few minutes later a white car pulled up and Relena climbed out. She was wearing a lilac evening dress and she looked tense. Duo hurried to her side.
Relena looked over at Duo as he came towards her, he was dressed as a preventer, in his green trousers and green preventer jacket. He was here to do business, she reminded herself, he's here for business not pleasure.
There would be no pleasure in this meeting tonight.
"Ready for this?" Quatre asked, poking his head out the passenger seat window.
Duo nodded
"If you need back-up, just page me and me and Trowa will be in there before you know it."
"Thank You Quatre." Duo gave a shaky smile before holding his hand out to Relena. She took it, feeling it tremble.
"It'll be alright." She whispered and she stood up on tiptoes to give Duo a kiss on the cheek. The hand holding hers tighten and Duo nodded.
"Let's do this."
Heero's prussian eyes were fixed on the doorway at the top of the staircase, Devalin sat calmly beside him, smoking, he was holding the chains that were round Heero's wrists. Heero could feel butterflies in his stomach and he struggled to keep all emotion from his face. He knew that in a few minutes he would be seeing Duo again, and his heart skipped, in agony and in joy. He was so confused. He wanted Duo to come, he wanted to see him again yet he didn't because if Duo came it would surely lead to his death and Heero wasn't worth Duo's life, or so he believed.
They had taken a table upstairs in order for Devalin to be able to smoke and also for some privacy, there were only a few tables occupied around them.
"This way sir, Master Devalin is waiting upstairs for you." Heero heard a waiter say and another deep smooth voice replied.
"Thank You."
No footsteps were heard over the soft music and the gentle chatter of everyday people, but two figures appeared in the doorway and cobalt and prussian met across the room.
Relena felt Duo stop as his eyes locked onto Heero's.
For the first time in 3 years Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy were in the same room and they laid eyes on each other, their breaths quicken as they fully registered what they were seeing. Heero's heart gave a cry of pain at seeing his love so close yet so far, he was unable to get up and run to Duo, he couldn't touch the man he loved. Duo's heart gave off a fiery anger as he saw the chains that cuffed his love to the man he hated, his heart leapt inside his ribs and he wished, not for the first time, that his and Heero's reunion wasn't going to be like this.
Devalin's eyes rolled over the two in the doorway, his black eyes taking in the handgrip and the way Duo stood in front of Relena protectively. The way Duo's eyes flashed with so many different conflicting emotions.
Duo collected himself as he felt Relena squeeze his hand and whisper something he didn't registered but her voice did the trick and he strolled forward, his eyes moved to Devalin's and he made his face as hard as stone, no emotion showed through and he stopped at the table on the opposite side to Devalin and Heero.
"Duo Maxwell." Devalin smiled and he stood up, "It's a pleasure." He held out a hand to Duo who took it, his other hand finally let go of Relena's hand and he moved it to rest by his side, the heel of his hand resting on the handle of his gun that was hidden beneath the green jacket. Devalin took the message, Duo was armed and he would use it if he need to.
"The pleasure is all yours, I can assure you of that."
Devalin's smile widen. "You haven't lost your charm. And Miss Maxwell, you look lovely this evening."
"Thank You." She said, smiling and nodding her head at the compliment.
"Shall we eat?"
Duo and Relena sat down and Relena opened her mouth to speak to Heero but Duo talked first.
"We didn't come here to eat, we came to talk."
"Let me remind you Mr. Maxwell, I hold the advantage here." He raised a hand and cupped Heero's chin, Duo's eyes flashed with hatred at Devalin, "You wouldn't want anything to happened to this pretty face now would you?"
"Let's eat then." Relena said trying to keep peace even though her own blood was boiling at the way Devalin was treating Heero. She turned and beckoned to a waiter and four waiters stepped forward, offering menus.
A few minutes passed in silence.
"I think I'll have the lobster." Devalin said to the waiter.
"I'll choose the same." Duo said as well.
"Would you like to come this way gentlemen and you can pick your own."
Devalin and Duo stood smoothly and walked over to the tank.
Relena looked up at Heero and met his eyes.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
"Yes."
"He hasn't done anything has he?"
Heero shook his head.
"Everyone misses you, we all love you, you know that right?"
"Hai."
"We're gonna get you out. Duo swears he will."
"Lena..."
"Well what do you two want to eat?" Devalin snapped sliding back into place.
Relena and Heero quickly ordered as Duo returned to the table. His hand not leaving his side.
"Why did you ask us to come here?"
"To make a deal."
"What kind of a deal?"
"I will tell you later. First let's just be friends, enjoy the drink and the food."
The food arrived and they began to eat, during the meal Duo and Heero kept making eye contact, Duo checked Heero over, there was no signs of Heero being hurt in anyway and soon the food was gone and Devalin leaned back on his chair and licked his lips.
"To business?"
"Yes."
"You have to win Mr. Yuy's freedom."
"What?" Relena asked.
"I'm testing him Miss Maxwell, I want to see if Mr. Maxwell really loves Mr. Yuy or not. The only way Mr. Yuy gets out alive is if Mr. Maxwell completes all of the 5 challenges I set him."
Duo's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"Because plain killing is so boring, what I want, Duo, is to see you and your boyfriend suffer."
"Bastard."
"Why thank you."
"If I lose?"
"You both die."
"And if I win?"
"You get to kill me."
"Think about this Duo, make sure you do the right thing."
It took the rest of the table a few seconds to realise that it was Heero who had spoken.
Duo gazed at Heero.
"The right thing?"
Relena glanced between the two of them and suddenly she realised that Duo was doubting his feelings for Heero.
"They are strong enough." Relena told her brother, trying to ignore the look on Devalin's face. "Think of what you gave up before, they are strong enough."
"Together forever." Duo whispered.
"Longer than forever." Was the whisper that was replied from the other side of the table.
Duo raised his head to Devalin and he stood up.
"It's a deal. I will do your tasks, and I will win."
Devalin stood up, pulling Heero to his feet.
"Relena, we must leave."
The two twins turned and began to leave.
"I will be in contact Mr. Maxwell."
Duo looked back.
"Ai shiteru Koi." He whispered and Heero heard.
Their eyes met for one last time and Heero knew that Duo meant what he had said. He smiled and watched Duo's back leave the room, the words echoing in his head over and over.
"Ai shiteru koi."
As soon as the two had left the room Devalin shoved Heero back into the chair and began to stalk the room.
Heero stared at his hands, Duo still loved him, Duo was willing to risk his own life for Heero's. Heero smiled slightly.
Devalin spun round, his eyes glared at Heero.
"He won't survive." Devalin spat and Heero raised his eyes, his old self back.
"That's what you think."
"It's what I know."
Devalin sauntered over to the table and he lent over it, his hands flat on the table and his head just inches for Heero.
"You will watch him die, and then you will join him in the fires of Hell."
Heero smirked. "I wouldn't get so close to me if I were you."
Devalin moved closer. "I'll do what I want."
Heero spat at the man and Devalin growled as he wiped spit from his eyes, and in doing so he never saw Heero move.
There had been a time, namely three years ago when Duo believed that Heero was a weak computer geek, Heero proved him wrong that summer, and if anyone still had any doubts to the strength that Heero had in his body all they had to see was what Heero did to Devalin and they would never doubt Heero again.
Devalin gave an animal shriek.
Heero had managed to shove a fork through Devalin's hand (1), Devalin looked at his hand in disbelief and he called his men forward.
Heero didn't make a sound as Devalin's men grabbed him and pulled him away from Devalin by the hair, nor as Devalin pulled the folk from his hand and strolled forward ignoring the blood that flowed from the four punctures in his hand. Devlin reached Heero and gripped his chin with a force that made Heero's jaw bones grind together.
"You'll regret that." He hissed before raising his arm and curling his hand into a fist.
* * *
Relena let Duo lead the way out of the restaurant and he helped her climb into the car still parked out the front.
"Duo?"
Duo slammed the door shut and he pushed his head through the window that Quatre had opened.
"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Get Relena home and safe. I'll see you in the morning."
Duo pulled away and strolled to his motorbike and kicked it into life before he rode into the night.
Quatre looked behind him at Relena who was leaning back against the seat, silent tears running down her face.
"Are you alright Miss Maxwell?" Quatre asked and she looked at him.
"Not really." She muttered.
"You want to talk?"
She shook her head as Trowa pulled the car away from the pavement and they began to journey across town to the Maxwell's Mansion.
* * *
Duo pulled to a stop on a long stretch of road far from the city. There was no one about and he swung his leg over the bike before pulling it to the edge of the road.
Suddenly all his energy, all his strength, everything went out of him and he fell to his knees by his bike.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH."
He let out a loud scream, pouring everything he felt into it.
He never felt so helpless before.
Duo threw his fists into the ground, not feeling the cold wind that blew snow into his face.
Tears fell down his face, freezing against his cold cheeks and they stung when Duo wiped them away.
He sat by his bike, listening to the darkness of the night.
He didn't know if he could save Heero or not. He hadn't been strong enough last time to save himself from Devalin, how could he possible save Heero?
He lent back against his bike, not caring that snow and mud drenched his trousers or that oil and grease was being rubbed in to his hair and jacket.
Duo gagged and choked, forcing himself not to be sick.
He would have to fight Devalin, he knew that he would do it no matter what. He loved Heero, he had loved him for too long to let him die at the hands of someone like Devalin, but he was so unsure of himself.
He had killed Devalin's baby brother.
True it had been in self-defence but the memory of it still haunted Duo (2).
He couldn't let Heero die.
Duo stood up, pulling his jacket tightly around himself. The wind blew against his face, pushing the hair that had fallen free away from his face. Duo pulled his gun from his holder and stared at it.
"I swear." He whispered. "I will not quit, I will save you Heero, even if it costs me my own life." (3)
TBC...
(1) This isn't impossible to do if you are strong enough, and being as it's Heero, he can do it.
(2) Duo and Heero both grew up in loving families, not in war so killing anyone would haunt you, espically if it's the first time that you've done it.
(3) Ok, I don't like this whole bit, Duo is way ooc, but I don't want him to always be the strong one. I don't see Duo as a wimp or as a hard man, this paragraph was me trying to show you that Duo wasn't as strong as he trys to make himself out to be. Did it work?
Author's Note: Sorry, it's not that long, none of my parts are, but I promise I'll try and make them longer.
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