Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2 eventually...
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, Greek mythology
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
As for this- what can I say? I started it cause I was teaching Greek mythology at that time and it went to my head. :P
Fate Part 1
"Watch carefully," Heero's father bent over his workbench, his hands moving quickly. Heero suppressed a sigh and did as his father asked, he'd seen this process before- many times, and yet his father refused to let him help. He could watch, but not assist.
Heero often felt like reminding his father that he was well into his third decade, but to his father, that was still too young to do much of anything. Thus the problem with being the half-human son of an immortal.
So, he bit his tongue and watched as his father worked, doing his best not to look at his own workbench, littered with half-finished projects. Not that it mattered, his work was not considered important...
"It's still so dirty in here," said a light sweet voice from the doorway. "Do you never clean it at all?"
Heero's father's head snapped up and he glared at the woman in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
Eyes widening, Heero stared at his father. He'd never heard such a tone from him before. It was sheer hatred. What could the woman in the doorway have done to earn such hate? Studying her, Heero concluded that she must be another of the Immortals, no human woman could be so beautiful. She tossed her golden curls and made her way carefully across the floor.
"It's broken," she said, holding out a handful of delicate golden links. "I need you to fix it."
Heero's father turned a dark red. "You dare to ask me a favor? After what you did? Never. Get out and take that bastard with you."
Bastard? Heero frowned and then realized that there was another figure behind the female, still lingering in the doorway. A young man with a long braid of hair swinging past his waist. Must be a new fashion, Heero sighed, and wondered what else had changed out in the world since his mother died and he had come to live with his father.
"He's my son." The female frowned. "Not your brother, as you can plainly see. I haven't seen your brother for hundreds of years."
Oh. He knew who this was now. His father's unfaithful first wife. No wonder his father was furious.
"I can tell that's not my brother." Heero's father growled. "There's nothing wrong with my eyes. But if he's your son, then he is a bastard."
"No more than yours-" The woman snapped, gesturing at Heero. "That's not the son of either of your wives."
Heero felt his face turn red and he looked away from the woman as his father growled something in reply. He caught the eye of the man in the doorway. Much to his surprise, the other winked at him.
Before he could think of what to do, the ground shook under his feet. He turned to find his father, red with anger, lifting up his hammer as if he was going to swing it at the woman.
Oh no. Heero knew there would be a punishment for that, no matter what the provocation. His grandfather frowned on fighting among his Immortal children- especially these days.
"No!" He snapped, reaching out to grab his father's wrist. "Don't!"
He wasn't exactly sure what happened next. Somehow he ended up flat on the floor, his head ringing, every bone in his body screaming in pain. "Ungrateful child!"
And then everything went black.
~*~
"Heero?" Gentle fingers touched his face. "Heero? Can you hear me?"
Heero opened his eyes. He didn't recognize the person leaning over him, looking at him with worried eyes. "Who are you?"
"You don't remember?" The man frowned, twisting the end of his braid around his fingers.
"No-" Heero tried hard. Nothing. He knew he was Heero. He knew he was lying on a bed- but he didn't recognize the room. He couldn't remember anything about how he had gotten there- or what he'd done before... Panic rose up inside his throat and he tried to swallow it. What was going on?
"Shh." The other's fingers caressed his face again. "It's okay. You had an accident. They said you might not remember anything for a bit."
"Where am I?"
"Home." The man smiled and Heero had to smile back. "You're home." Heero looked around the room. The bed underneath him was covered with a black spread; the walls were hung with pictures of bamboo. There was a dark lacquered chest in the corner. He recognized none of it.
"I am? This is my home?"
"Yes, though I know you like more of the overstuffed and comfortable look."
Heero blinked. "I do?"
"Oh yes." The man chuckled. "Your place before this was full of furniture like that."
He couldn't remember the place before but that brought to mind another question. "Who are you?"
"Duo."
"Duo." Heero studied the face above him for a moment. "I don't remember you either. What are you to me?" A brother? A friend? He tried to place the other man and failed.
Duo leaned down and brushed a kiss over Heero's mouth. "I'm yours."
"Mine?"
"Very much so." Duo kissed him again. "All yours. Is that surprising?"
For some reason it was. Heero wondered why. "I'm sorry I don't remember you-"
"Shush." Smiling, Duo stretched out beside him. "It's not your fault. It was an accident. I'm just happy you're still in one piece. It was a close thing." His hand caressed Heero's arm. "I will help you make some new memories."
Heero frowned. Something seemed... not quite right about that sentence. Or about any of this really. Then again, maybe that was just because he couldn't remember anything?
"Why aren't I in the hospital?"
"You don't need to be in one. Once we established you didn't need urgent care, we brought you here. Your doctor thought it would be best for you."
"What kind of accident was it?"
"You fell." Duo reached up and slid his fingers into the hair at the back of Heero's neck. "Feel the bump? And you have quite a few bruises. You were lucky not to break anything." He kissed the corner of Heero's mouth. "I was very worried for you."
"I'm sorry-"
"It's all right," Duo soothed. "You couldn't help it. It wasn't your fault. You saved someone else from being hurt."
"I did?"
"You did." Another kiss. "The doc said we shouldn't talk much about the accident- you might never remember what happened. He said to start with little things if you really wished to remember things."
Well, that made sense. Still, the not quite right feeling persisted. Heero studied the man next to him. Had he managed to win someone like this? How?
"How did we meet?"
"We have some mutual acquaintances. Eyes met across a room and all that."
"Did I ask you out?" Heero couldn't even imagine it.
"Nope, I picked you up."
"And what did I do?"
Duo grinned. "Fell into my arms. I couldn't quite believe my luck. Most guys like you are taken, you know."
Well, Heero didn't know, but he supposed it didn't matter.
"What... what is my life like? What do I... How do I?" Heero struggled to frame the question. Duo seemed to understand.
"How is your head?"
"Aches."
"Could you sit up?"
Heero tried, Duo's arm around his shoulder, and found that he could. The room spun a little, but then settled down.
"Okay?" Duo asked and Heero nodded carefully.
"I think so."
Duo helped him to his feet. "Let me give you a tour of our home. That should answer some of your questions." The hallway was lined with prints; the carpet was soft under Heero's bare feet. The room beside the bedroom had an antique looking desk with a computer perched on the top and several bookcases. "This is my workroom."
"What do you do?"
Duo shrugged. "A little of this, a little of that. I run a few online services, write a few articles, occasionally a book or two. Enough to pay the bills."
Something glimmered on one of the bookshelves. Heero squinted at it, but Duo was already tugging him down the hallway. At the end, the hallway opened out into a gleaming kitchen, divided from a cozy living room by a half-wall.
None of it looked remotely familiar. Before he could say anything, Duo tugged him to another door. "Your workroom is in the garage," he said and opened the door.
A workbench, cluttered with metal, wires and wood pieces. A wall lined with tools. Heero stepped into the garage and reached out for the workbench, running his fingers along the smooth surface.
He knew this... this was familiar.
"Recognize it?" Duo asked cheerfully.
"I... think so. I know what this is..." Heero picked up the closest object and smiled at it. "But I don't remember working on it..."
"You did. It's your work." Duo joined him beside the bench, leaned over to kiss Heero's cheek. "Want to spend some time with it all while I make dinner?"
"Is that okay?" Heero asked and then wondered why. It was strange, but he had a feeling he was supposed to be working on something more important...
"Of course it is." Duo kissed him again. "I'll come out and get you when dinner's ready."
"Thank you." Greatly daring, Heero touched his lips to Duo's cheek. The smile he got in return was near incandescent. It took a moment for him to turn away, to focus his attention on the workbench. So many things to do.
He barely felt the soft touch on his head, barely heard the "I knew you'd be happier here," murmured in a soft tone. He didn't hear the door open or shut. He was lost in the projects before him.
He didn't know how much later it was when Duo laughingly pulled him away from the bench and into the kitchen. "Time to eat- and I don't want you overdoing it for a while okay?"
"Okay," Heero agreed. His head was hurting and the food smelled good. He was willing to stop for a while. Duo didn't let him go back out to his workshop after dinner. He made Heero stretch out on the sofa, in front of the TV, his head in Duo's lap.
"Just relax." Duo caressed Heero's head with cool fingers. "You need to rest."
Heero closed his eyes. Duo's touch felt good on his aching head, relaxed him enough to let him doze.
The faint jangle of the telephone woke him a little, but Duo was still caressing his forehead, so he stayed still.
"Hello?" Duo's voice was soft. "Yes mother, somehow I knew you'd call. No, not yet. It's only the first day- give him time. No I haven't. No I won't. I told you to let me do this my way. Be patient."
A soft click as the phone was hung up again. Heero stayed still- apparently Duo's mother had heard about his accident? He wondered what she wanted Duo to do.
That brought him to another thought. He opened his eyes and found Duo looking down at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Heero smiled a little. "Do I have a family?"
Duo nodded. "Yes, of course."
"Do they know about that happened?"
Duo nodded again. "They do. The thing is- you're a bit estranged from them at the moment. They might call to check on you, but I can't say for sure they will."
Oh. "Why?"
"A fight." Duo smiled sadly. "What else breaks up families, right?"
"Do we fight?"
"We haven't yet." Duo tapped his nose. "I don't like fighting. Not when there are better things to do."
Heero wondered what Duo meant by that, but before he could ask, Duo leaned over and kissed him again. It was a different kind of kiss than the others he'd given Heero- deeper and warmer...
Ah, that's what he meant.
Duo pulled away and settled back against the cushions. "Rest," he said, his hands once again gliding over Heero's forehead.
Heero closed his eyes and sank back into sleep.
TBC...
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