'...' thoughts
/.../ telepathy
Daystar's Prophecy Part 17
By the time Duo's tear choked voice finally trailed off; he was shaking so badly Heero feared he was going into shock. Tightening his arms even more securely around the boy's waist, he began whispering soothing words into his ear while rocking gently. He could not however push the boy's words from his mind as he felt his anger quickly grow. Knowing the fairy needed his support though, he ruthlessly shoved it down.
"He... he lied to me." Duo finally stammered out after several minutes of silence during which he had managed to gain a tenuous control over his tears. "About everything. He just wanted...."
"Shhh, Duo, it's alright now. You're safe."
"But I should've known." the fairy protested heatedly, the self-disgust plain in his voice. Pushing against Heero's chest, he tried to pull away but Heero would not let him go and realizing he did not have the strength to break the boy's hold, he gave up. "I knew there was something wrong about him, I sensed it that first night, but I ignored it and just let him--"
"No," Heero said firmly with a shake of his head, determined to stop the fairy from blaming himself for what happened. "you didn't let him do anything, Duo. You had absolutely no way of knowing what he had planned."
"But I should have."
"No koi, you said so yourself, your knowledge about sexual relationships was very limited so how could you've know he wanted you like that." the blue-eyed boy reasoned and was moderately please to see the blush rise to the fairy's cheeks. "I'm just amazed you've let yourself trust anyone after what happened, that you allowed yourself to trust me."
"I didn't for a long time; trust other people that is." Duo said softly, his eyes looking at Heero but still seeing the past. "But after a while, I decided I wasn't gonna let him control my life any longer, though I could never let anyone close like that again, at least not until I met the four of you. I don't know how or why, but I knew I could trust you from the moment I looked into your eyes; I knew you'd never betray me."
Tightening his hold, Heero pulled the boy's head down to his chest as he buried his face in the boy's hair, feeling his heart clench at the words. When he was finally able to bring his own emotions back under control, he loosened his arms marginally before rolling over to lie on his back, pulling Duo until he was draped comfortably across his chest. "Go to sleep, koi. You need the rest."
"I... I don't think I can." Duo whispered brokenly, his hand clenched tightly in the front of Heero's shirt. "I'm afraid I'll dream about him."
"Then I'll be here to hold you and tell you everything's alright." Heero said softly as he ran a hand over the boy's back before leaning down to drop a kiss on the top of his head. "Now go to sleep."
"Ok and thanks Heero." Duo sniffled softly, fresh tears springing to his eyes at the boy's words. Then, feeling safe and secure in the other's embrace, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with him.
********************
The next morning found all five boys gathered in the cafeteria as they began planning their trip to the Solan Mountains to retrieve the sword. Initially, they had discussed the various methods of finding the weapon until Duo explained that he would be able to sense its exact location once they were within the mountain range. After that, they simply concentrated on what would be the best routes to take and what method of travel they would be using. They had just started debating a new idea when Hilde arrived at their table with her breakfast plate.
"Good morning." she said with a nervous smile directed toward Duo. "Would you mind if I sat with you?"
"Of course not." Duo said and smiled reassuringly at her, watching as she released the breath that she had been holding. Giving the fairy a bright smile, she moved to sit across from him.
"So, what are you five doing this morning? You appeared to be pretty caught up in your conversation when I arrived." she said conversationally.
"We've been trying to devise a plan for retrieving the first of the last two weapons." Quatre supplied. "Duo said its located somewhere in the Solan Mountains and we were trying to decide the best way to get there."
"Have you talked to Howie about any of this yet?" she asked, a frown marring her face.
"No, why?" Duo asked.
"Because the day after we escaped, the council announced that we kidnapped and brainwashed you." Hilde explained, watching the fairy's brows draw down in confusion. "There's no way you can show yourself now without some unsuspecting villager or townsperson trying to rescue you."
"Actually, we did come up with a plan just in case we had to hide our identities." Trowa said, smirking when he heard the longhaired fairy snort.
"And I already told you I'm not dressing like that." Duo said firmly.
"Duo, there is absolutely nothing wrong with--"
"Forget it Quat." the fairy said, glaring at the boy and daring him to continue.
"What are you talking about?" Hilde laughed.
"Trowa suggested we disguise ourselves as a traveling circus." Quatre supplied in defiance of the fairy's glare, causing the violet-eyed boy to snort once again.
"Circus?"
"Players, Hil, he wants us to dress as a band of traveling players." Duo explained with a shake of his head.
"You know Duo, that's not a half bad idea." Hilde said after a moments thought. "With the right disguise, we could hide your hair and wings easy. Although your eyes could pose a problem since elves don't have violet eyes."
"Don't encourage him for crying out loud!" Duo exclaimed with a horrified look on his face. "Jeez, Hil, they're talking about putting me in a dress."
"Oh, I don't know, I think you'd made a very pretty girl." the elf said with a smile, watching his face turned several shades of red as the entire table busted out laughing.
"Funny," he sneered, crossing his arms over his chest defensively as he glared at each of them in turn. "very funny but I'm not wearing a dress. I'll fly there by myself first."
His words earned him a glare from the dark-haired boy sitting beside him as Heero growled softly, grabbing hold of the long braid, and tugging on it lightly. "You're not going anywhere alone."
"Heero's right, Duo." Trowa stated. "And besides, I never said you had to wear a dress, it was just one of the options."
"Then find another option 'cause I'm not doing it." Duo growled. "And Hilde's right, elves don't have violet eyes. Hell, not even many fairies do so you have to work around that too."
"I suggest you talk with Jess." Hilde said. "She'll be going with you after all."
"Ch, why would we need a woman to go with us?" Wufei asked snidely from the far end of the table, missing the glare Hilde threw at him due to where he was sitting.
"Uh, Fei, I wouldn't say things like that around Hilde if I were you." Duo said apprehensively, he could see the anger boiling within his dark-haired friend's eyes. "And you know he didn't mean it Hil, so calm down."
"Of course I meant it." Wufei snorted. "Women have no business being in such dangerous situations."
"And why exactly is that?" a voice asked calmly causing all heads to turn toward the other end of the table where Jess was just sitting down with a plate of food; none of them had heard her approach.
"Women are weak and the weak should not fight." the black-haired boy stated simply before returning to his breakfast; believing that the conversation was now closed at having made his point.
"Weak, huh." Jess said, a smirk curving her lips and an evil glint flashing in her grey eyes. "I've been fighting since before you were even a glimmer on the horizon, probably even before your ancestors were born, so how can you say I'm weak?"
"You carry too many emotions and allow them to control your decisions." Wufei said. "Your actions and words last night showed that without a doubt."
"Just because I'm passionate about what I'm fighting for does not make me emotional." Jess stated, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
Sitting back sharply, the others watched as a strange look came across the Chinese youth's face, his eyes locked with the grey ones at the far end of the table. A moment of complete silence followed as he continued to stare at the elf before he stood and gathered his tray then turned to leave without saying a word.
Blinking in shock at the boy's actions, the brown-haired elf watched him go before turning back to the others. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Wufei has some... issues with his past that I think you brought back to his mind." Quatre offered softly, refusing to elaborate any further.
"Ok," she said, dropping the subject. "is anyone going to tell me what I just walked in on then?"
"We were working on a plan that would get us to the next artifact in one piece." Quatre explained.
"And what have you come up with?"
"We haven't come up with anything yet." Heero said with a glare at the braided fairy.
"I'm not wearing a dress and that's final." Duo snarled, returning the glare for all he was worth.
"A dress?" Jess asked in confusion, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Why would they want you to wear a dress?"
"From what I understand, that's not exactly what they had in mind." Hilde said with a shake of her head as she laughed softly. "Duo's just trying to make a point I think."
"No I'm not." the fairy stated emphatically before turning to the grey-eyed elf. "They think we'd be able to hide ourselves if we dress as players and they want me to wear a long shirt that reaches past my knees. Anything that long is a dress, not a shirt."
"You know, that's not a very bad idea; the players part, not the dress." Jess said quickly, as the violet glare was leveled at her. "But you wouldn't necessarily have to wear a long shirt either."
"What do you have in mind?" Trowa asked noticing the calculating look on the elf's face.
"Well, player groups usually have at least one member who dresses as a fairy, so it's a given that we'd have one too. All we have to do is dress him in something that no one would ever imagine him wearing."
"Hey, I resent that. I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself thank you."
"Easy Duo, it's just a figure of speech." Quatre snickered at the braided fairy's indignant look. "But I agree with Jess, if you wear clothing that no one would ever imagine you wearing, we could perceivable hide you in plain sight."
"Well, that's not too hard." Duo said. "Most people have only ever seen me in black; it's sorta my signature."
"So we put you in bright colors." Trowa said with a nod.
"And leave your hair down." Jess added.
"Now wait just a minute." Duo stated, holding his hands up. "I have to braid my hair; it gets in the way if I don't."
"Duo, the braid is too recognizable. It along with your eyes would give us away in no time." Jess explained. "You have to leave it down."
Scowling darkly, the longhaired fairy finally heaved a sigh before nodding his head in agreement, seeing her point. Heero on the other hand was not exactly sure how he felt about the situation. While he rather enjoyed seeing the fairy with his hair unbound, he did not like the thought of others seeing it down. Quickly squashing the stir of jealousy the thought created, he turned his attention back to the conversation.
"Ok, so it's settled." Jess said. "I have a good idea of the things we'll need so I'll have Howard send a couple of his dwarves into one of the towns to pick it all up."
"So, you're really going with us?" Trowa asked.
"Yes, from this point out where Duo goes I go." the elf said as she looked pointedly at the small fairy. Sinking down into his seat, Duo tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling the elf's gaze was giving him; for some reason, he had a hunch this was going to be a long journey.
********************
Walking down the hallway, Duo fought against his growing nervousness as he found himself continuously rubbing his sweaty hands on his pant legs. After their impromptu meeting in the cafeteria broke up, he had pulled Hilde aside to ask where Solo was that morning. When she told him his brother was hiding out in the rec rooms, he knew it was time for the talk he had promised the elf the night before. Therefore, he had quickly told Heero where he was going and why before he hurried from the room, afraid he would lose his nerve if he waited much longer. Now, as he approached the doorway to the room, he felt his stomach twist as visions of he and Solo going at it again flashed through his mind.
Stopping just outside the door, he gave himself a shake and pushed the fear to the back of his mind before calmly entering the room. As it turned out, the room Hilde had directed him to was one of the least used ones and at that time of day, he found it deserted except for the tall elf sitting near the back corner, staring at the wall. With a deep breath, he continued across the room before stopping directly behind the elf's chair.
"You know," Solo said after a moment's silence, not turning to look at him. "you have to be the most stubborn creature I've even known."
"Yeah, but I learned from the best." Duo said softly, a smile in his voice. "You were always ten times worse than I could ever hope to have been."
"True." the elf said with a smile of his own before allowing it to drop as he sighed deeply. "You're really set on this aren't you? Heero I mean."
Grabbing a chair from one of the nearby tables, Duo turned it backwards and straddled it, resting his arms across the back as he watched the elf closely. "Yes. Although I don't really understand what's happening between us, I do know that I like what I feel when I'm with him. The fact that he wants to be with me too makes it even better."
"I just don't want to see you hurt again, little bit."
"I know Solo, but keeping things from me isn't the answer." Duo said softly although his tone was a bit reproachful. "I know you're just trying to protect me, and I really appreciate that, but you have to let me do it myself sometimes."
"That's a lot easier said than done." Solo complained, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I've been looking after you since father died and I don't know if I can simply stop doing it now."
"But I'm not asking you to stop, not completely anyways." Duo explained, knowing he could never ask Solo to stop caring for him. "I'm just asking that you trust me to make the right decisions for myself and that you give me all the information I need to do so. Like with Heero, it would be really nice to talk to you about what's been happening. But I can't if I can't trust you to tell me the truth, and I mean the whole truth."
"I swear Duo, if he does anything to you--"
"He won't, I know he won't." Duo stated then sighed at the elf's doubtful look. "He's not like you think Solo and if you'd just give him a chance you'd see that. He'd never do anything purposely to hurt me and as for the... other stuff, he said he'd wait until I was ready." the fairy explained before his voice dropped to a mere whisper. "And I think I am."
Snapping his head sharply around, Solo saw that the fairy was no longer looking at him but was staring intently at the floor; a pensive look on his face and a blush on his cheeks. After studying the boy's heart-shaped face for a few minutes in silence, he finally gave a deep sigh then stood from his chair, immediately drawing Duo from his contemplation. Giving his little brother a careful smirk, he turned and started walking toward the door, leaving the stunned fairy to watch his slowly retreating back. "Well, if things are getting as serious as they appear to be then I think it's time I had a little talk with your boyfriend."
"Solo--" Duo cried, jumping from his seat as he started across the room as well.
"Don't worry, little bit." the elf said with a wave of his hand but did not stop walking. "I'm just going to talk to him. Whether you like it or not, there're some ground rules for those who want to date my little brother."
"Ground rules?" the longhaired fairy asked apprehensively. "What kinda ground rules?"
"Nothing he won't be able to live with if he truly cares about you." Solo said as he crossed the door's threshold, throwing a hand casually over his shoulder as he went. "Later, little bit."
Snarling in frustration, Duo walked back to his chair and flopped down, his mind not knowing exactly what to make of Solo's departure. Slowly and thoroughly he ran the conversation he had just had with his brother over in his mind, searching for some indication that Solo finally understood but instead found himself hoping and praying the elf would not say anything stupid to Heero. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he failed to notice Hilde enter the room, causing him to jump when she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Duo, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking." he said.
"How did things go with Solo?" she asked apprehensively, undisguised hope clear in her voice.
"Alright I guess." the fairy said with a shrug. "Not really sure to tell you the truth."
"Where is he now?"
"He went to talk with Heero."
"Uh-oh"
"No, I think it'll be ok, at least I hope it will." Duo said with a smile to reassure her. "He said he just wanted to talk and I think he meant it. I'm more worried about what he's actually gonna say."
"I hope you're right Duo." Hilde said as she sat in the chair Solo had vacated only a few minutes ago.
"Yeah, me too." Duo sighed then, deciding a topic change was in order, he turning a rueful grin at her. "So, we're gonna be dressing as players, huh? I remember more than once us talking about just throwing everything off and traveling like that."
However, instead of the laugh he had expected for his comment, Hilde turned her eyes away as a sad smile curved her lips, causing his heart to ache at the sight. Reaching out, he grasped her hand in his own, forcing her to look at him.
"What wrong, Hil?"
"I'm afraid I can't go with you this time Duo." she said softly.
For a moment, Duo could only sit in stunned silence, staring at her before giving himself a shake. "Why?" he asked.
"Because I'd be too much of a liability in my condition." the elf said and the smile on her face grew just a little, losing some of its sadness as she placed her right hand over her stomach.
"Condition? What condition? Hil, you're not making sense here." Duo said before standing from his seat to pace the room. Hilde merely sat and waited, knowing the fairy would eventually figure it out.
A few minutes and several muttered curses later, Duo suddenly stopped dead in his tracks before turning slowly to face her, a hopeful and yet disbelieving look on his face. "Hil..." he squeaked and had to swallow a couple times, trying to moisten his mouth that had gone completely dry before he could continue. "are you telling me you're gonna have a baby?"
"Yes Duo, I am." she said, the smile finally grown to full size. No sooner than the words had left her mouth, she found herself with a longhaired fairy wrapped around her neck as the boy voiced his excitement over the news.
"This is great, Hilde! I'm so happy for you!" he cried before drawing back to look her in the face, his own smile dimming when he noted the earlier sadness that still tinged her eyes even as she smiled happily. "It is great, isn't it?"
"Yes, Duo, it is. I just wish..." she said then shook her head with a sigh. "You and Solo will be leaving soon and now I won't be able to follow. I'm worried about what might happen to the two of you without me there to take care of you."
"Ah, Hil, you know we'll be alright. We always look out for each other." Duo soothed her as he pulled her back into his arms. "Besides, Heero and the other guys will be with us and so will Jess. Nothing will happen, I promise."
"You know you can't promise that Duo. You don't know what'll happen once you leave here." Hilde admonished lightly even though she wanted desperately to believe him.
"Maybe not, but I know Solo and once he finds out you're pregnant, there won't be--"
"No," she stated soundly, pulling out of the violet-eyed boy's arms to give him a piercing look. "I don't want him to know."
"Why not? He's wanted this for so long, you both have."
"I know and that's why he can't find out; not until you return. It would be too much of a distraction for him otherwise."
Duo could tell from the look on the elf's face that she had already made her mind up concerning the situation and therefore he could do nothing to change it. Sighing tiredly, he stood up, giving her a weary smile as he pulled her to her feet as well. "Ok, Hil, I won't tell him if that's what you really want."
"Thanks Duo." she said sincerely, knowing how much it would bother him to keep the secret from the blonde elf. "Now come on, let's go find the others and see if there's anything we can do to help."
********************
As it turned out, the preparations for their departure took another two days to complete since finding the right clothing took more time than they had originally thought. Finally though, the day came for them to leave. While Howard and his dwarves saddled the horses they were going to be taking, they were each given a bundle of clothing and sent back into the hold to change.
The four human boys were the first to reappear, dressed in nearly identical outfits consisting of loose fitting black pants with brown ankle boots and an equally loose fitting tunic that was belted at the waist. The only difference in the four sets of clothing was the color of the shirts with Quatre in blue, Trowa in green, Wufei in red, and Heero in purple. They also each wore a soft brimmed hat that quite effectively covered their ears. Looking them over critically, Howard was quite pleased with the outcome and nodded them toward the horses.
Solo and Jess were the next two to arrive and while the blonde elf was dressed the same as the boys except his shirt was yellow in color, Jess was wearing a white peasant's blouse and a flowing blue skirt with several brightly colored scarves tied around her waist. Joining the four boys, Jess also surveyed their attire and was equally pleased with what she saw. Turning to the horses, she began going over the supplies packed there while they waited on the final member of their party to arrive.
It was several more minutes before Duo finally reappeared through the door of the hold and headed their way, causing Heero's breath to catch in his throat at finally seeing the costume the longhaired fairy had been given to wear. He also found himself extremely grateful for the loose fitting pants he was wearing as his eyes traveled over the boy's frame. Duo's outfit consisted of a pair of black tights that left absolutely nothing to the imagination as they clung to his body like a second skin. A white long-sleeved vest, which was open down the front leaving a great deal of his narrow chest on display, only reached the top of his thighs and was held closed by a bright red sash tied at his waist. His glorious mane of hair had been left down as required and flowed around his body, covering his ears as well as obscuring his wings, which had been streaked with brightly colored body paints. Moistening his dry lips, Heero could only watch helplessly as the fairy walked toward him.
"Hey." Duo said once he was standing in front of the dark-haired boy, trying to gauge his reaction to the outfit. "So, do I look as funny as I feel? I swear, if these pants were any tighter they'd cut off my circulation."
"You look..." Heero said hoarsely as he continued staring, physically willing himself to keep his eyes above the boy's waist. 'good enough to eat.' his mind finished helpfully. Unfortunately, his mind also chose that moment to remind him of the fact that he would be traveling for the next several days with the beautiful boy pressed against him since they would once again be sharing a horse. Groaning softly at the realization, he felt his already aching cock harden even further at the thought.
"You ok, Heero, you look kinda green." Duo asked with concern, laying a hand on the other boy's arm.
"I'm fine. Just wondering how likely it is I'll arrive at the mountain with my sanity intact." he answered cryptically, causing the fairy to look at him in confusion. Fortunately, before Duo could ask what he meant Jess called for them to mount up.
Grabbing Duo by the hand, Heero pulling him over to where Malikai was waiting only a few feet away before helping the fairy into the saddle then climbing up as well, pulling the boy flush against him. The feel of the dark-haired boy's hard cock as well as the soft moan that escaped the boy's throat at the contact caused the fairy's eyes to snap open wide as he finally realized what Heero had been saying. "Uh, Heero?" he said softly.
"Just... try to hold still." Heero groaned out, fighting the urge to grind against the boy's bottom. Instead, he wrapped one arm around the small boy's waist while gripping the reigns with the other before nudging the horse forward. Of course, the subtle gait of the animal instantly caused them to rub together in the most delicious sort of way. He heard himself groan once again as the full realization of what he was going to have to endure came crashing down around him and burying his face in the fairy's soft hair, he was completely unaware as the large stone doors swung shut behind them.
TBC...
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