'...' thoughts
One and Only Part 6
It was a beautifully warm day with not a cloud in the sky and Heero decided that a special lunch was in order. After asking Ms. Johnson to prepare a picnic basket full of finger sandwiches and fruit slices as well as tea, which could be kept hot in a special container, he went to retrieve Duo. Having only left the braided elf about fifteen minutes ago on the veranda outside the large ballroom, he was relatively certain that he would still be there and sure enough, he found him sitting in the same chair as when Heero had left.
"Duo?" he called softly as he approached the boy. At the sound of his name, the elf turned and smiled brightly at Heero before gesturing for the man to join him once again. Since he had only told the boy he had an errand to attend to before leaving, Duo did not know about the lunch Heero had setup for them. "As much as I would like that, it's almost lunchtime and I thought it would be nice to have a picnic on the grounds."
The smile that lit the small elf's face was more than worth any hassle the picnic might bring and the blue-eyed man felt his heart swell at the fact that he had put the smile on that angelic face. Bounding to his feet, Duo followed Heero back through the house, stopping briefly in the kitchen to gather the picnic basket and blanket that Ms. Johnson had all ready for them, before heading out the kitchen door to find a quiet spot on the manor grounds for their lunch.
A relatively short distance from the main house was a large oak tree that was full at that time of the year and provided a wonderful shade from the sun. In addition, the area around the tree was well secluded as rows of hedges blocked the view of the servant's quarters as well as the first floor of the main house. Only someone looking out one of the windows on the house's second story would be able to see into the area but only one side, the other being blocked by the tree itself.
Having found their picnic area, the two worked together to lay down the blanket before setting out the sandwiches, fruit and tea; then sitting down on opposite sides of the blanket, they proceeded to enjoy their meal. While they ate, Duo listened as Heero told him about the current goings on within the human senate. Since the longhaired elf had come to live with him, the dark-haired man had given quite a few of his responsibilities concerning the senate to Trowa since he could not leave the elf alone for the five to six days it would take to travel to Trasil, the human capitol city, for the monthly senate meetings and back. Instead, Heero and Trowa would spend at least a day before the man left for each meeting comparing notes on what business needed to be discussed. Upon his return, they would spend another day, as Trowa would relate the events of the meeting back to Heero. It was not an entirely foolproof method, but as long as Duo remained at the manor, it was the only one they had.
Sitting back to enjoy a cup of tea apiece once their meal was finished, they lapsed into silence as they savored the beautiful day. It was only a few minutes later though that Heero noticed Duo's eyelids beginning to droop heavily as the violet-eyed boy seemed to be fighting the urge to curl up and take a nap. Chuckling softly, the blue-eyed man sat his teacup down before moving to the other side of the blanket where he gently pulled the boy to lean against his side and wrapped an arm around the elf's small waist.
"Thanks." Duo said softly, giving him an apologetic smile before resting his head on the man's shoulder. Within a few seconds, he was sound asleep.
Knowing he would not be able to hold the boy in that position for long nor would Duo appreciate the stiff neck that would surely accompany an extended period as he was, he gently shifted the small elf so that he was lying on his side with his head pillowed on Heero's leg. Once the boy was settled, he poured himself another cup of tea and leisurely sipped at the drink while gently rubbing the small elf's back with his free hand. It was nearly a half hour later when he too found himself becoming drowsy as the warmth of the day, even with the comforting shade of the oak tree, began to lull him to sleep. He was just considering lying down beside Duo when he spotted one of the servants headed their way. Waiting until the girl was close enough, he signaled for her to be as quiet as possible with a finger to his lips since he did not want to wake the boy unless absolutely necessary.
"Your lordship." she whispered once she was sure he would be able to hear her. "I hate to interrupt, but you have a visitor."
"Why didn't Sam come tell me?" he asked quietly, normally his butler would not impose upon one of the maids to carry out his duties.
"He's seeing to the General's comfort, my lord." she answered with a nervous glance at the longhaired elf still sleeping peacefully.
"General?" he said, his tone shocked as he looked at her questioningly; having not missed the glance she threw at the boy.
"General Khushrenada, my lord." she answered, which not only increased Heero's shock but also made his heart flutter painfully. The only reason for the captain of the king's guards to visit him would be if King Peacecraft had summoned him personally. 'Or if they found out about Duo.' his mind supplied. Neither choice being something he wanted to deal with anytime soon but knowing he could not ignore the man, he placed his hand gently on Duo's shoulder and gave it a little shake to wake him from his nap. Blurry violet eyes blinked up at him and for a moment Heero found himself completely enraptured by the fey creature lying in his lap.
"Did you have a nice nap?" he smiled down at the elf as he brushed the long bangs out of the boy's expressive violet eyes.
Feeling his heart skip a beat at the sight that greeted him upon waking, Duo could only blink lazily at the man looking down at him with those gorgeous blue eyes. However, after a moment he finally realized that the young man had asked him a question and he pulled his scattered thoughts together enough to nod his head in answer but made no move to sit up.
From the small nod and still blurry eyes, Heero could tell the boy was still not quite awake and he cursed inwardly at having to disturb him. However, knowing the general, if he did not appear soon the man would seek him out on his own and that was the last thing the dark-haired man wanted. "I'm sorry, but I have to get up. There's a visitor I have to deal with, unfortunately."
Disappointed the moment had been broken, Duo slowly sat up, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, and made to stand as well but Heero's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Why don't you stay out here? The tea should still be warm and there are some sandwiches left as well." he asked softly, his eyes conveying his apprehension plainly. "I shouldn't be more than an hour then I'll come straight back."
His reasoning for wanting the longhaired elf to remain outside was simple; reducing the chances of Khushrenada seeing him, reduced the risks of the man learning of Duo's presence, assuming that was not the reason for the general's visit. While the boy's hair managed to hide the tops of his ears most of the time, there was always the possibility that they would come uncovered and people would learn of his existence at the manor. Duo knew this, yet when strange people visited the manor it made him feel vulnerable, which in turn made his need to be near Heero even stronger. Thankfully, visitors were rare and he was usually given enough time to hide in either Heero's bedroom or sometimes his own before they arrived. However, with them being caught outside this time it meant there was too great a chance of Duo being seen if he tried to enter the house before escaping upstairs.
Releasing the breath he did not know he had been holding when the braided boy nodded his head in agreement, Heero leaned forward and lightly kissed the boy on the temple before climbing to his feet. "No more than an hour, I promise." he said, then started across the lawn toward the manor house. He knew he was asking a lot of the elf by having him remain outside and he just hoped the boy could forgive him for it later.
As soon as Heero walked away, Duo's hand reached almost reverently for the spot where the lips had touched his skin as he felt it tingle. During his time with the man, that was the first time Heero had touched him in that manner. There were always gentle brushes with fingertips, or when he was frightened, Heero would run his hand over his back or comb his fingers through his hair to comfort him but never anything more. Unfortunately though, the violet-eyed elf was beginning to realize that he wanted more. Duo was not naive, nor was he a child; he had been a normal, healthy eighteen-year-old boy before his kidnapping and was very well aware that he was attracted to the blue-eyed man. However, he worried that the attraction was not mutual. He had thought a few times that Heero's action spoke of a deeper meaning than mere comfort but then the man would do something that made him think that Heero only saw him as a child to be protected and coddled. While Duo would be the first to admit that he still had many issues from his time spent with his capture left to work out, he also knew he had come quite a ways from the near break he had been approaching. Yes, he was still afraid a lot of the time, but his main fear was that the man would find him again, taking him away from Heero and his life here; he was beginning to think he did not ever want to leave Yuy Manor.
********************
Stalking through the house, Heero worked to prepare himself mentally for what was to come as he once again wiped his face of all expressions. In most instances, the young man would consider Treize Khushrenada a friend. Before the death of his father five years ago, Heero had spent most of his time training to become one of the king's guards, the most elite regiment of the royal palace's guards. It was there that he met the charismatic man, who was training for the guard as well and despite their obvious differences, the two managed to strike up a strange friendship. With the death of his father however, Heero had no other choice than to claim his title and return home to take over the duties associated with it. Later that same year, he heard that the ginger-haired man had not only made the elite group but had been named captain as well. Quieting his thoughts as he arrived outside the closed parlor doors, Heero stopped briefly to catch his breath before pulling them open and breezing inside.
As the doors swung open, the man sitting comfortably in one of the large, wing-backed chairs sipping a cup of tea, gracefully rose to his feet placing the teacup aside as he approached his host. A few inches taller and a year older than the dark-haired young man, he wore the tailored uniform of the king's guard in red and white with the captain's insignia on his right breast. His ginger hair was neatly groomed and trimmed while his blue-eyes were piercing yet held a certain warmth. Meeting the young man halfway, he extended his hand in greeting.
"General, it's a pleasure." Heero said as he grasped the man's hand firmly and looked him in the eye, trying to find some hint as to why he was there.
"Please Heero, no formalities between old friends." Treize said, looking the young man over closely. On the surface, he appeared to be the same calm and cold man he had always known, but the general could sense a tension dwelling just below the surface and he had a sinking suspicion his visit was not going to go very well.
"Very well, Treize. What brings you to Akrin?" Heero asked as he waved the man back to his seat then sat in the chair directly across from the man before pour himself a cup of tea. "Don't tell me that his highness sent you all the way out here just to check up on me."
"Actually, that's exactly what he did." Treize answered and watched Heero's facial features closely, but in truth, he did not really expect to receive a reaction knowing as he did that it took quite a shock to elicit anything out of the dark-haired man.
"And why would the king find it necessary to check up on me?" Heero inquired, carefully keeping his voice neutral as he sipped his tea.
"It has come to his attention that you have missed several Senate meetings and that Mr. Barton has been acting in your stead during your absence. Since this is highly unusual for you, he deemed it of importance to send me personally." Treize explained.
"Trowa has my complete confidence as the Senate well knows and has acted for me many times in the past." Heero said, his voice darkening slightly at the implied slight to his competence.
"Yes, one or two time. However, this last meeting makes three in a row you have missed. His highness is concerned about your health, as is the princess." the general stated and finally received a response from the normally stoic face although not the one he was wanting as the young lord grimaced slightly. Princess Relena had been hounding the handsome young man into proposing marriage for several years, which he had continuously declined. For as everyone knew, except the princess it seemed, Heero has absolutely no interest in her or women in general for that matter. However, to keep up relations between the royal court and his family, Heero tolerates her when required but mostly ignores her the rest of the time, something that does not sit well with the princess at all. "But as I can clearly see, you look to be in perfect health. So perhaps there's another reason you've been neglecting your duties?"
"I have not been neglecting my duties. Trowa is more than capable of handling the meetings. And as for why I haven't been attending; I decided I needed a vacation." Heero replied heatedly, the feeling of being interrogated in his own house not sitting well with the blue-eyed man.
"Vacation? Yes, I can see where you feel you would need one; after all, you've worked for the last five years nearly non-stop. Actually now that I think about it, it's good that you've finally decided to take a break." Treize said, silently elated that he was getting under the other man's skin.
"I'm glad you agree." Heero said, but the sudden agreement only heightened his unease.
"So tell me, how has the vacation been going? Meet any new friends?" Treize asked casually, leaning back in his chair and steepling his hands together.
Instantly, Heero was on alert as every muscle in his body tensed. "What do you mean?"
"Well, there are rumors, just rumors of course, that you've acquired a new companion shall we say. And there are also rumors that this companion has the most unusual violet eyes."
Like a spring, Heero was on his feet as he glared down at the man. "Enough games, what is your real reason for being here?" he demanded.
"You know very well why I'm here, Heero. You've known from the minute you walked through those door. What happens from here is entirely up to you." Treize said calmly, refusing to look up at the dark-haired man.
"Heero?" a soft voice called from the door and, spinning around, the young man saw the object of their argument standing there, looking very small and frightened. That was when he also noticed the sound of rain outside the parlor window and knew that their beautiful, sunny day had brought a sudden storm in with it, which was typical of that time of year. However, it meant that the elf would have been forced to retreat indoors and had more than likely heard them arguing, which meant he would be feeling very unsure at the moment. In addition, glancing quickly at the clock near the door, Heero saw that the hour he had promised was nearly up. Knowing he had unwittingly upset the boy, Heero completely forgot about the other man in the room as he took several steps toward the boy and opened his arms. Duo did not need another invitation as he practically ran across the room and allowed the blue-eyed man to wrap him close while he buried his face in the man's chest. Instantly, the feeling of calm that always came with being near Heero settle within him and the tremors that had begun when he had heard the man's raised voice subsided.
"I'm so sorry, Duo. I didn't mean to frighten you." Heero whispered into the small elf's hair.
Having also risen from his chair at the small boy's arrival, Treize could only stand and stare in shock as the scene unfolded in front of him. The rumors they had been hearing at the capitol over the past two weeks only gave minimal information about Heero's purchase of a longhaired, male slave. That fact in itself would be enough to warrant a visit by the general as the king would no doubt want to know why the greatest advocate of ending the slave trade would suddenly purchase one himself. However, within a few days of the first rumor starting, the second began circulating, which said that the small slave had violet eyes, causing an uproar in the palace. Therefore, after much deliberation and arguments, Treize was sent to find out if indeed the rumors were true and as he stood there watching the boy, he had no doubt that he was indeed the missing elf prince.
Of course, that still did not explain the scene he was now seeing. Upon leaving the capitol, he really had no idea what to expect once he arrive at Yuy Manor. Heero's strong beliefs in regards to slaves pretty much guaranteed he would not keep the boy a slave if he actually had purchased one, whether he be an elf or not. However, he would never have expected to witness the normally cold young man speaking or acting so tenderly toward the elf as he gently rubbed the small boy's back and whispered soothingly into his hair in what could only be described as an act of true affection. In addition, the trust the boy showed toward the man that most people would consider his master as well as the utter willingness to run into the man's arms, proved that this was anything but a master/slave relationship. Unfortunately, he had been sent on an errand by his king and no matter how much he would like to disregard it at that moment, he knew he could not. Clearing his throat to gain their attention, he took a few steps forward but was momentarily taken aback when Heero turned to glare at him as the longhaired elf kept his face hidden in the man's chest.
"Your highness." he said formally, shaking off his unease while taking another step forward but stilled immediately when he saw the boy's shoulders visibly tense.
"It's alright, Duo. This is General Khushrenada, captain of King Peacecraft's royal guard." Heero soothed the boy, still rubbing his back softly with one hand while the other was firmly grasped around the elf's waist. Not raising his head completely from Heero's chest, Duo turned enough that he could see the general standing about ten feet away. Watching the man closely for a moment, he finally gave a small nod for him to proceed.
"Your highness." Treize started again. "King Peacecraft was greatly relieved to find that you had been found and were safe with Lord Yuy. It has been a very tense period of late and there was fear that we might not ever find you. That is why he has sent me to escort you to the royal palace in Trasil where you..."
Letting his words trail off, Treize realized he had said something very wrong. Just as the words were leaving his mouth, the already pale face grew even paler and visible tremors began running through the small frame. Then before anything else could be said or done, the boy began shaking his head violently as he clutched his fists in the front of Heero's tunic.
"Duo?" Heero called as he tightened both his arms around the tiny waist feeling the boy's legs give out beneath him. Panic suddenly gripped his heart as the elf refuse to respond to his calls and the young man was just about to pick the boy up and carry him to one of the chairs when he heard loud voices come from the front of the house followed by running footsteps, which appeared to be headed toward the parlor.
"Where the hell is he?" Wufei growled as he entered the room, his dark eyes quickly scanning over the scene before him. Treize, who in his concern for the small prince had step forward when the boy had started shaking so violently, was now standing by Heero's elbow, though the young man did not seem to notice as his whole attention was riveted to the small form still trembling uncontrollably in his arms. Not knowing exactly what had happened but having a good idea who had frightened the elf so badly, he turned his dark glare back to the king's captain. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Following orders." Treize said simply, quite stunned by the venom in that glare. In all honestly, he was feeling more and more confused by the events that were transpiring in that small room. Of course, he knew there was information he was not aware of but he could not think of anything that rated this intense of a reaction first from the violet-eyed prince then the black-haired constable. The combination of these factors was making it very hard for him to know exactly how to proceed.
Realizing he now had the perfect opportunity to remove Duo from the situation; Heero immediately swept the small boy up into his arms as he stalked toward Wufei. Stopping for only a moment in the doorway, he turned back to the general still standing in the middle of the room before giving his dark-eyed friend a pointed look.
"Tell him." he said then turned and stalked from the room, the small elf cradled carefully against his chest. Turning to watch him walk down the hall toward the front of the house, Wufei felt his need to protect the two of them grow even stronger.
"Tell me what?" the general asked, having heard the blue-eyed man clearly and needing desperately to know what had been happening in this house.
"You just had to come here didn't you?" Wufei said so softly, Treize had to strain to hear.
"I'm following orders, Wufei." the ginger-haired man said with a sigh.
"I don't give a damn about your orders." Wufei snapped as he whirled on the man. "He was getting better dammit. He was talking and look what you did just by showing up. He's back to the way he was when they first brought him home." By the time the black-haired young man was finished he was practically screaming and breathing heavily as he fought to control his anger.
Knowing the young man was very close to losing what little control he had left, Treize quietly walked to the open double doors where he drew them closed and locked them. Then returning to Wufei, he took the dark-eyed man by the arm and led him to the sofa, sitting him down before joining him. "Perhaps you should tell me exactly what is going on here?"
Turning to look into the man's blue eyes, Wufei finally nodded his head before he began to chronicle the events of the last few months.
********************
After leaving the parlor, Heero headed directly for the stairs and his bedroom. Since Duo seemed to consider the room to be one of his safe zones, he hoped that by doing so, he could bring the boy out of whatever state Treize's words had created. He also wanted to make sure the longhaired boy was as far from the man as he could but since he could not possibly remove Duo from the house, the bedroom was his only choice. As he approached the front door though, he saw a woman he did not know speaking with Hilde and seeing him draw near, both of them turned to meet him.
"Lord Yuy, this is Ms. Sally Po, a friend of Constable Chang's." Hilde explained when he was in front of them, a look of concern on her face at seeing the braided elf.
"You're the healer?" Heero asked gruffly, not caring that he was being rude.
"Yes, I am." Sally answered all the while taking in the state of the boy nestled in the man's arms. Duo had yet to stop shaking and his face was still firmly pressed to the man's chest while his small hands were fisted in the man's shirt. Before anything further could be said however, Wufei's angry voice could be heard coming from the parlor and Duo's shaking stopped as every muscle in his body tensed.
"Hilde, go to Quatre's, ask him and Trowa to come here. Tell them it's very important." Heero commanded knowing he needed to move quickly to keep Duo from withdrawing further. Turning back to the blonde-haired woman, he nodded shortly. "Follow me."
As he moved toward the stairs, Heero did not even look back to see if the healer was following or not as he started to climb quickly. After he reached the landing, he turned down the hall toward his room but stopped once he reached the door when he found he would not be able to open it without putting Duo down; something he would not even consider. Luckily, Sally had also realized this and immediately stepped around him to open the door, moving aside to allow him to enter. Nodding his gratitude to her, he walked across the room to the bed with the idea of laying the elf down on the bed however, he soon realized that Duo had no intention of letting him go, forcing him to sit down with the boy in his lap instead.
"I take it we arrived at a bad time?" Sally asked with a great deal of concern in her voice, causing Heero to look up.
"No actually, you arrived at a very good time." Heero said as he once again started rubbing the elf's back but Duo still would not relax. "Shh, Duo, it's alright. You're safe." Heero whispered soothingly hoping for some kind of reaction but sigh when none came. Looking back up at the woman, he saw her watching them intently. "I apologize, Ms. Po. I did not mean to be rude. I'm Heero Yuy."
"Yes, I figured that on my own." Sally said as she walked to the table beside the bed setting the small bag she was carrying down before opening it and pulling out a glass bottle. "Is there somewhere I can get some warm water?"
"Ask one of the servants to bring you some from the kitchen." Heero answered and Sally nodded before walking to the door and exiting the room.
Heero watched her leave and shut the door behind her before turning his attention back to the boy in his arms. "Duo, it's ok. Everything's going to be alright, I promise."
"No, it's not." came the whispered reply causing Heero to almost slump with relief at hearing the elf's voice.
"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked softly, his hand coming up to brush at the top of the boy's head.
"They'll take me away from you." Duo choked out as the tears began to gather in his eyes.
"I'm sure they only want to make sure you get home safely." Heero explained calmly but inside his heart twisted at the thought.
Pulling back slightly, Duo looked into the Prussian eyes he knew he would never be able to get out of his mind as a single tear trailed down his cheek. "Don't you want me to stay?"
"Oh god Duo, of course I want you to stay." Heero said, his hand coming up to wipe away the tear before cupping the elf's tender cheek. "But don't you want to go home? To see you're family again?"
"I do want to see them again, but.. I don't want to leave here." Duo said and lowered his eyes before continuing as his voice dropped to a mere breathe that Heero had to strain to hear. "I don't want to leave you."
Tightening his arms again, he pulled the boy back to his chest as he tried desperately to slow his racing heartbeat. Duo wanted to stay, not just here at the manor, but with him and Heero realized he wanted that too, more than anything.
TBC...
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