Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, sea monsters....
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Sacrifice
Duo looked at the mayor of his village in disbelief. "No way," he said shaking his head, his long braid sliding over his shoulder. "No. It's supposed to be girls. Nubile young girls."
"Well yes," the mayor said as he signaled the two men behind Duo to get ready. "But the thing is- it's also supposed to be nubile young virgin girls- and we don't have any of those. At least none that their parents want to give up."
"You'd know, you old pervert." Duo snapped. Then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute! I'm not a-"
"Really? Prove it."
Duo opened his mouth and then closed it again. Shit. How did a guy prove something like that? Damn it, he knew he should've hung around with the girls more, but it wasn't his fault that he didn't like them that way...
The mayor looked smug.
"But I'm a guy!"
"With your hair down, it will never know."
"I'm not doing this." Duo took a step backward. "I'm not. Feed someone else to your sea monster-" Before he could run the two men behind him tackled him to the ground.
"Ah, I'm afraid you are." The mayor smiled. "Young, nubile, virgin enough- and an orphan so we don't have to pay blood price for you? You're the perfect sacrifice. Think how you'll be keeping our village safe for another 100 years."
Duo struggled. "Let me go! I don't want to be eaten!"
"It's for the good of the village." The mayor smiled as one of his men forced a gag into Duo's mouth. "We'll put your name on the stone tablet. You'll be a martyr. It's not a bad ending for someone like you."
Duo snarled and kicked, but it was futile. He was stripped and reclothed in a white gown, his hair was unbraided, and he was ceremonially carried through the village. No one met his angry gaze, no one stepped forward and suggested untying the poor young man. He was carted off to the seashore and chained to the sacrifical rock.
"Now just wait right here," the mayor told him as the priest intoned the traditional blessing. Duo yanked on his chains and cursed through his gag. The villagers left, and he slumped in his bindings.
He had known the villagers had never really accepted him after his mother's death. He looked too much like his foreign father- a wandering bard who had never wandered back to the village after seducing his mother. But he hadn't thought they'd be willing to feed him to the sea monster.
He shivered as he watched the waves roll in. They were lapping at the base of his rock now- soon they'd be waist high. Maybe there wasn't a monster at all. Maybe the waves were higher on this day and the girls all drowned.
"Excuse me?" He looked up at the top of the rock. Two young men in armor were looking at him curiously. "Is this where the sea monster is supposed to show up?"
Duo nodded frantically.
"Great!" Said the one with blond hair. "I told you it was this village, Treize!"
"I'll never doubt you again, Zechs," drawled the other and smiled at Duo. "So, you're the sacrifice?"
Duo nodded again.
"Great! We've been in the saddle for ages. I'm going to go take a nap on the beach- scream when the monster shows up, okay sweetheart? I'd untie you and all, but then the monster might not show- and we don't want that. Coming Zechs?"
"Don't I always?"
Duo tugged at his chains and tried to yell. Were those two insane? How could he scream? He was gagged!
He slumped in his bonds, defeated. There was nothing to do now but wait. The day dragged on slowly, the waves rising ever higher. When at last it was nearing sunset- the time when the monster was supposed to appear- he was only submerged to the middle of his chest. Well, at least he wouldn't drown- though considering the monster, drowning might be an easier death.
Maybe the two idiots would wake up and save him- but Duo couldn't count on that. They'd left him tied to the rock- gone over to the beach- and out of the corner of his eye he could see them snuggled up on the sand. Bastards. They'd never get over here in time if the monster popped up.
He'd heard tales about the monster his whole life. Supposedly it was huge- bigger than three cottages with a mouth that could swallow a sailboat in a gulp. It could blow up a storm with its breath and pull ships under the water with its tentacles. Its mouth was lined with teeth like a shark, and...
"Your pardon, lady," A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you the sacrifice from the Wellspring Village?" He looked down at the water to find a young man looking back at him, his dark hair plastered to his face.
Was this a rescue?
Better not get his hopes up. More than likely this was another knightly idiot.
He nodded and the young man squinted up at him. "Why aren't you- oh. They gagged you?"
He nodded again and the young man shook his head. "Barbarians." He stood up suddenly, giving Duo a nice view of his bare chest and reached up to undo the gag.
The knots were wet and Duo could feel the stranger struggling with them. At last the knots loosened and Duo spit out the gag.
"Thank you, but we have to go before the monster gets here. I don't want to be eaten."
Much to his surprise the young man chuckled. "The monster? It doesn't eat people."
Duo blinked. "It doesn't? But it always wants a young virgin..."
"I know," the man rolled his eyes. "My ancestors needed wives. They thought this was the best way to get them. None of the girls were harmed, I promise you."
"Wives? Your ancestors?" Duo shrank back against the rock. This was the monster? But- he looked human! Okay, so there was a slight greenish cast to his hair, but...
"Relax," the other soothed. "I'm going to let you go. You're very lovely, but I don't want a wife."
"Oh good," Duo sighed. "Cause I'm not a girl."
He wasn't sure he liked the way the monster's eyes suddenly glinted. "Not a girl?"
Something slid under the edge of his robe. Duo gasped and tried to move away, but his chains held him fast. He gasped again when whatever it was slipped between his legs and took a firm grasp on what it found there. What the heck was it? He couldn't see below the water. Was it an eel? The monster's tail? Whatever it was, it let go a moment later and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"You aren't a girl." The monster smiled wider.
"No-" Duo managed. "They ran out. I'm sure I could find you one though..."
"Oh no," the monster shook his head. "I don't want a girl. A man though..." He moved closer, one of his hands sliding down the front of Duo's wet robe. "That's much more tempting. Especially one that looks like you..."
"You said you'd let me go."
The monster frowned. "I will, but if you'd consider-"
"I don't want to die!"
The monster reared back a little. "Dying? Who said anything about that?"
"You are going to eat me, aren't you?"
The monster grinned. "Oh I want to."
Duo took a deep breath. Maybe if he screamed the two idiots would wake up and save him?
The monster clamped a hand over Duo's mouth. "Please don't. Listen to me. I said that I'm going to let you go. Remember that part?"
Duo nodded, unconvinced. The monster could easily let him go and then eat him.
"And I promise that I won't hurt you." He moved his hand a little away from Duo's mouth, obviously ready to stifle him again if needed.
"You said you wanted to eat me." Duo hissed at him and the monster's mouth curved slightly.
"Not that kind of eating." He leaned forward a little and pressed his mouth to Duo's, coaxing Duo's mouth open and nibbling on his bottom lip. As he kissed Duo, whatever it was that had grabbed Duo before, slid under his robe again. Duo gasped into Heero's mouth as it gently took hold of him.
Duo blinked as the monster moved on to his jaw line, trying to convince his brain to wrestle control back from his hormones. It was obvious what kind of eating the monster meant...
"Can you- I mean- you're not human- is it even possible?"
Chuckling quietly against Duo's skin, the monster replied: "It's possible, trust me on that. May I prove it to you?"
"Prove it to me?" Duo repeated, closing his eyes for a moment as the monster found a sensitive spot. "How?"
"By letting me have just a little taste? You're very tempting you know..."
"And then you'll let me go?"
"I'll let you go even if you say no-" The monster reached for one of Duo's manacles. The metal crumbled in his hand and Duo put his arm down with a sigh of relief. A moment later, his other arm was free.
"Thank you," Duo tried to rub his numb wrists with his shaking hands, only to have the monster nudge his hands aside.
"Let me." His hands were warm and when he lifted one of Duo's wrists to his mouth to kiss the bruise left by the manacle, the last of Duo's fear left him. He leaned forward just enough to press a kiss on the curve of the monster's cheek.
"Yes," he said and the monster smiled, understanding at once.
"What's your name?"
"Duo. Do you- have a name?"
"Of course. I'm Heero." Heero moved closer and put his lips on Duo's throat. "Just a little taste, I promise," he murmured and slid under the waves.
Duo felt the chains drop off his ankles, as fingers gently caressed his thighs. Whatever it was that had grabbed his cock slid away- and was replaced by something warm. It felt like a mouth.
He opened his legs a little wider, felt something cradle his knees as his feet were lifted gently off the ground. He leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes as something lapped at the underside of his cock.
Fingers slid up the under his robe, caressed his chest, pinched his nipples. He gasped and the fingers gripped him tight, teasing and caressing. Fingers were caressing his thighs, rubbing his back, dipping down to tease his opening. How many hands did Heero have? And all the while the warm mouth tormented him delightfully, never establishing a rhythm...
Then it moved away and he cried out at the loss. But a warm cheek was next to his and someone murmured in his ear. "That's a taste."
"Oh..." Was all he could manage. He heard Heero chuckle.
"You're free. Do you need me to help you swim for shore?"
Duo cast a glance at the still-snoring knights on the beach. "I don't think it's safe for you over there- hell," he said, remembering his village, "I'm not sure it's safe for me..." Duo shuddered. How could he go back to the village? And if he didn't, then where could he go?
"I'm not afraid of them- but why are you? Did they offer to harm you?" Heero frowned.
"Oh- not them!" Duo shook his head. "The villagers- I sort of put up a fight-"
Heero smiled. "I see. Then maybe you'd consider coming home with me?"
Duo hesitated. "Do you live under the water? I couldn't..."
Laughing, Heero shook his head. "Hardly. I promise you'd be very comfortable."
Before Duo could answer, a shout from the beach made them turn their heads.
"Hey!" The redheaded knight had bounded to his feet. "You can't take off with the maiden! We need her to feed the monster!"
"Feed the monster!!" Duo felt quite indignant. The bastards hadn't even meant to try and rescue him!
"She already did!" Heero called back, and much to Duo's surprise a huge tentacle lifted up from the water beside Heero and waved at the two knights. "Quite well too! Tell Wellspring Village that I said thank you for the sacrifice!"
Both knights were now on their feet, running towards the rock. "Take a breath!" Heero said in his ear, and pulled him underneath the waves.
The salt water stung his eyes, so Duo closed them, hoping they wouldn't be under for long. He'd only barely managed to inhale before they'd gone under the waves.
Happily, Heero brought them back up to the surface only a few moments later. Duo blinked the water out of his eyes, astonished by how far they'd gone. The two knights were now just two little specks standing on top of the rock, waving their swords in the air.
"I think they expect me to go back and fight them," Heero said, chuckling.
"Idiots," Duo brushed his wet bangs out of his face. Heero was still pulling them through the water; he could feel the pulsing of Heero's... tentacles? limbs? what did he call them? next to his legs. Part of him thought he should feel a little disgusted, but the other part was wondering what else Heero could do with them...
"You're a fast swimmer." He said inanely, trying to pull his mind onto a better track.
"Been doing it all my life." Heero smiled back and glanced at the sky. "Sun will be down soon- hopefully we'll make my home before then. Unless you'd like me to take you someplace else?"
Duo shook his head. "I don't really have anyplace else to go."
"Then you're more than welcome to stay with me."
"You really don't live under the water?"
Heero laughed. "No. I have a nice little cottage in a cove up the coast. My grandparents left it to me."
Duo blinked. "Cottage? But..." He looked down at the water and Heero laughed again.
"I have legs on land," he explained. "All those human ancestors? Pretty useful. So, would you consider staying with me?"
Heero's expression was so hopeful; Duo doubted he'd say no even if the man did live under the sea. But with tentacles in the water and legs out, as far as Duo could tell, he'd be getting the best of both worlds.
"I think I'd really enjoy that," he said and Heero smiled.
"I'll make sure you will."
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