Beyond All Doubt Part 14
Gazing around their surroundings for a moment, pleased with how everything worked out, the fey's smile grew as he turned back to the Japanese boy. "Open your eyes," he said quietly.
When Heero's cobalt eyes did open, they widened instantly in disbelief. His mouth falling open, he looked all around, not finding the inside of their small tent, but the inside his own bedroom back at the cottage.
Everything was just as he left it, his bed still neatly made, the small fireplace in the far corner, the lit candles spread throughout the space for light, the fur rugs, everything. It even smelled like his room. He made a complete turn where he stood, peering on the familiar space he never thought he would miss so much.
Duo bit his lip as he watched his love gaze on his room in pure wonder and shock. When the boy turned completely to meet his eyes again, he smiled lovingly and said warmly, "Welcome home, Heero."
Finally able to find his voice, Heero could only manage, "How... Why?"
Shrugging, Duo grinned, "I thought that you might want to remember what it was like in your own room and bed again."
The awe never faded from the human's eyes as he took a few steps forward. Almost timidly, as if afraid that it would disappear, he reached out to touch the wooden post at the foot of his bed. "It feels... real," he said, his voice filled with wonder.
Behind him, the braided creature stepped towards him as he nodded and explained, "That's because I transported us back to your actual room. I have a spell over the tent so that no one will disturb us for the night. The spell is like an invisible shield that cannot be penetrated until I lower it. If there is anything wrong back at the gully, I'll be able to sense it and end the spell if needed tonight."
His hand still on the wooden post, the boy looked over to him as Duo continued, "I can only use this spell once when I am past the Border. When I first came here, I was planning on saving it to return to my favorite hill in the fey world... but this is more important."
Turning to him with wide eyes, Heero asked quietly, "You're doing this for me?" At Duo's blushing cheeks and nervous nod, he walked up to the fey and took his hand. Overwhelmed by the emotions coursing though him, he could only stammer, "I... You... I don't know what to say."
With a warm smile and a shrug, Duo replied sincerely, "You don't have to say anything. It's the least that I could do..." He looked around the room and explained, "I know that this time away from your home has been hard on you." Turning back to his partner, he smirked, "No matter how well you manage to hide it."
"And what about you?" Heero asked quietly, frowning slightly in concern. "Do you consider this your home, too?" Sensing the hesitation from the fey, he quickly stated adamantly, "Because it is if you want it to be, if you believe it is."
Small tears filled Duo's eyes at those words. If it were at all possible, the smile on his face brightened even more and he nodded. "Yes, Heero... I believe it is," he whispered. Placing his hand over the heart beating strongly in human's chest, he said, "I believe you are."
Heero placed his own hand over the braided fey's and smiled, "Good answer." His free arm wrapped around Duo's shoulders to pull him into an embrace. They held each other tightly for a long moment in silence. Biting his lip, Duo cried silently and buried his face in Heero's shoulder as the other boy gently rubbed the back of his head.
When they pulled back, Duo chuckled quietly to himself as he dried the tears rolling down his cheeks. Rubbing his shoulders as he peered around the room again, he commented, "It's been so long since we were back here, I almost forgot what this place looked like."
Nodding, Heero also gazed around the room and replied, "But I can never forget the feeling of this place." He turned back to his partner and took one of his hands as he asked, "Can we walk around?"
"Of course," the fey answered with a bright grin. Their hands joined, they walked around the room slowly. Taking everything in, Heero brushed his free hand over the bed post, dresser, walls, whatever was along his way to the open window.
His cobalt eyes widened as they gazed on the stretched fields on the hill where the house was perched. The sun continued to set in the distance as the trees tops off the sides swayed in the gentle breeze.
"You recreated the outside, too?" he questioned breathlessly, unable to tear his eyes from the familiar scene before his window.
Duo nodded and answered, "I recreated the entire house and everything around it for about three miles."
Guilt and concern reappeared on the human's face as he turned with a deep frown. "Does that tire you?" he inquired softly.
With a slight hesitation, the braided creature finally admitted with a shrug, "It will in the morning, when the spell ends... I'll be immobile for some time." His smile quickly returned, lighting the room as he stated, "But it's worth it."
Biting his lip, Heero squeezed his hand tightly. He moved to say something, but stopped himself as he struggled with words at that moment. Duo blinked in confusion with a small frown and inquired, "What's wrong?"
His partner answered with a deep sigh, "You shouldn't waste your energy on me."
At that, the fey laughed, "I don't consider it wasting anything." Keeping their eyes locked, he said sincerely, "The look on your face when you opened your eyes in here was more than worth whatever I have to endure tomorrow, Heero."
Left speechless again, Heero could only smile lovingly at Duo before raising his hand to his lips to kiss it tenderly. With a gentle tug on the hand when he lowered it again, he led them from the bedroom.
They stepped out into the hallway and passed Kumi and Trowa's room as they walked towards the living room. Heero chuckled deeply at the familiar corner where the hallway ended and the living room began. Pointing to it, he said, "There. That's where Kumi stood screaming when she first saw you."
Duo's head fell back as he laughed loudly. When he began to recover, he continued to chuckle, "How could I forget!? I haven't feared for my life like that moment, when she held that knife at me, in a long time." He became serious, but still smiled as he commented, "I knew at that moment that she'd make a great warrior."
Pointing over at the large living room window, the fey smirked, "There's Sette's favorite entrance. She never believed in doors did she?"
Shaking his head, Heero snorted, "Not as long as I lived here." An eyebrow raised, he asked, "How long has it been since I met you?"
"More than five months now," Duo replied. With a lopsided grin, he shrugged and stated, "As cliché as it sounds, it feels like I've known you for much longer than that."
Heero smiled lovingly, showing his own agreement to the sentiment. Gazing around the living room, he sighed quietly, "I wish that Kumi and Trowa could be here, too." Quickly, he looked over to the fey with wide eyes, already expecting the look of regret that he found on his face.
"Please don't take that the wrong way, Duo" he insisted with a shake in the head. "I am glad that we have the chance to enjoy this, just the two of us." He began fumbling on words again as he tried to explain, "I just mean... I wish there was no war."
Sighing deeply, Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's waist and leaned his cheek against his partner's shoulder. With a sad smile, he replied quietly, "That makes hundreds of thousands of us right now. At least for tonight, this spell was cast to help you forget about it for a while."
Heero snaked his own arms tightly around his love's waist. Savoring the feel of him in his arms, the Japanese soldier kissed the top of his head and whispered, "I thank you."
The fey squeezed him tight for a moment and looked up to him with a loving smile as he answered , "No need for that." After placing a soft kiss on the human's cheek, he chuckled deeply at the slight blush on the other youth and said, "You have all night to see and do whatever you want."
There was a playful smirk on Heero's lips as he took hand of Duo's hand as he suggested, "Let's go outside." Quickly, he went to the front door and after slightly fumbling with the lock in his excitement, he ran outside. Duo laughed as he followed after him.
When they were both outside, Heero had a hint of surprise in his voice as he stated, "I'm feeling impulsive. I never feel impulsive."
"I'll never complain about that," Duo chuckled when he finally reached the young man.
Turning to face the braided creature, the Japanese soldier smiled, "It's you, Duo." Taken back by the statement, Duo froze and blinked his wide violet eyes in confusion.
Uncertain what he meant, the fey stammered, "M-me?"
Heero walked up to him and began leaning in close as he whispered, "You. You make me impulsive." When Duo began to move in closer to follow his lead, the human gave a quick kiss on his nose and gave a gentle yank on his braid as he announced, "Tag." And with that, he turned and ran across the field, laughing.
Duo gasped, taking hold of his braid as he watched the human run off. With a wide smile, he laughed and shouted, "No fair!" Running after him, he yelled, "You caught me off guard!"
As he continued to dash through the grass, Heero looked over his shoulder with a smirk. Soon, Duo managed to catch up to him enough to brush the Japanese boy's arm with his hand as he announced, "You're it!"
Surprised that the fey managed to catch up to him so quickly, Heero made a smooth turn as Duo began running in the other direction. In mock accusation, he hollered after him with a broad grin, "You're using your magic to catch me!"
Laughing sharply as he glanced back at him, Duo replied, "It's not my fault you're not as fast as I am! Besides, I don't cheat in games like this."
He lost track of Heero after he made a large arc around him, his eyes widening, he all but ran into him when his love moved to intercept him. A satisfied smirk on his face as turned towards the woods to dash off, Heero said simply, "It."
Blinking his wide eyes for a moment, Duo chuckled deeply, "Nice move," before chasing the heels of his partner.
For nearly an hour, Heero and Duo chased each other in a light-hearted game of tag. For that moment, they were able to forget the war, their duties, their problems. They were not the soldier and the Blade, both thrust into adulthood before their time. For that moment, they got to remember what it was like to be teenagers again.
Panting softly as he searched the trees after being tagged again, Duo called, "Heero?" From above, the Japanese boy threw a few twigs in several directions, one towards the braided creature. Quickly able to narrow down the direction from which the sound of leaves all around was coming from, Duo looked up and smirked to himself.
With the ease of a cat, he climbed the tree behind him and reached to tap Heero's ankle as he cheered, "Tag!" When he touched the ground again, his love was right behind him, tackling him to the ground. They both laughed heartily as Heero pinned the fey to the ground. Gazing up at the cobalt-eyed soldier, Duo grinned, "Looks like you got me." His eyes closed as he yawned quietly.
Still leaning over him, Heero frowned slightly in concern. "I forgot how tired you must be," he commented as he offered his partner a hand up.
As they got to their feet, Duo shrugged and smiled sadly, "It's all right. That was a lot of fun."
Taking his hand, Heero never broke their eye contact as he replied sincerely, "I had fun, too. Shall we head back?" The Blade nodded, and mumbled something quietly that sounded like it would be a good idea. Together, hand-in-hand, they began to head back to the house.
All around, the sound of crickets filled the air as they stepped from the cover of the trees and back into the field on the tall hill over the Shay kingdom. Night was almost completely over the land as the last rays of sunlight began to fade in the distance. Looking up to the star-filled sky, Heero commented in a quiet voice, "That is what the sky should look like all the time."
Duo smiled warmly as he looked up to the brightest star among the thousands that spanned the heavens. Nodded, he stated just as softly, "Agreed." Recalling his nights watching the stars when he was on his own favorite hill in the fey kingdom across the border, he closed his eyes and made a wish on the North Star.
When his eyes opened, he noticed Heero's concentration on the same star, making his own wish. When he was finished, the human turned to him and asked, "Ready?" At that, their hands still joined, they walked towards the small house.
After cleaning himself up, Heero stepped into his room to find Duo standing at the window. He wore a long, white silk robe that Heero could only imagine was something that was conjured at the fey's magic.
His long braid fell along his back as he stared out to the world. Captivated at the sight, the Japanese youth held his breath, still unable to believe how a creature of such beauty could come into his life to grace him with so much.
Remaining at the window, Duo didn't need to turn to see that Heero had entered the room. He felt his presence. Recalling his first day wandering in this strange world, all that he wanted was to return to his realm once his mission to find Zechs was accomplished. Now, Duo couldn't imagine ever leaving this place, this place that he once dreaded but has since come to know and love.
What was more, he dreaded who he would be leaving behind. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "I don't want to go back... I wish I could stay here with you."
From where he sat on the edge of the bed, Heero gazed out the window along with him and asked, "Are you sure you can't?" He watched as the robed fey shuddered, and gave a small nod.
There was a long silence between them as they just watched the world beyond the window. Stealing himself for a moment, Heero heard himself ask distantly, "Are you really...it?"
Slowly, Duo turned to face him, a breeze from outside blowing his long bangs and braid as he moved. "It?" he repeated softly in an uncertain voice.
Unable to meet that violet gaze, Heero looked beyond him as he explained in a near whisper, "Kumi's Trowa. Quatre's Sette..." Finally, he managed to make his head move to peer into the deep violet orbs before him. "It," he concluded.
Duo gasped sharply as his eyes widened in disbelief and realization. Walking over to his partner, he lowered himself to his knees before him. Staring up into his gaze, the fey said breathlessly, "Oh, God, Heero... I want to be that for you more that anything."
The cobalt eyes above him unfocused and focused on him again before Heero replied quietly, "I want that, too."
Closing his eyes, Duo took a deep breath before looking back up into the eyes watching over him. Slowly, he rose to his feet and moved his hands to take hold of the bottom hem of Heero's shirt. In realization of what the fey was doing, the Japanese boy shuddered and closed his own eyes and raised his arms as Duo removed his shirt. Their eyes met again, never breaking the lock they had on each other, as the braided creature hooked his fingers in the waist of Heero's pants.
Without any reservations, Heero raised his hips enough so that the fabric could be tugged off easily. Sitting naked on the edge of the bed, he kept his eyes on Duo's as he reached forward for the long braid that fell over his love's shoulder.
Removing the hair tie, he began unraveling the long strands until they fell loosely around the slender frame before him. Surprised at how steady his hands were, he reached down to the silk tie that secured Duo's robe closed.
As the soft fabric slowly fell from his shoulders and onto the floor, the fey now shuddered as his own nakedness was exposed. At the sight of the same hunger in Heero's eyes that he knew must have been in his own, Duo finally managed to relax himself enough to smile warmly at him. His partner returned the gesture and extended a hand.
Their hands joined, the long-haired fey moved forward to straddle Heero's legs as their eyes closed in the wake of a heated kiss. The kiss continued as the young soldiers lowered themselves fully onto the bed. When they found themselves with Duo lying on his back and Heero hovering over him, their lips parted for air at last as they panted heavily.
"You're shaking," Duo whispered in concern as he looked up into his love's cobalt eyes.
Heero gave a nervous chuckle as he nodded, still trembling slightly as he replied just as quietly, "I just... wanted this with you for so long now." The fey beneath him smiled lovingly in his own agreement to the sentiment.
Gently caressing his cheek and watching as Duo leaned into it, he asked sincerely, "Is this... Are you sure that you want this? It could complicate things-" His words were cut off by another deep kiss when his partner pulled him down on top of him.
When they broke, Duo reassured him in a voice little more than a whisper, "Heero, I would gladly face any Hell to be with you. Whatever the consequences may be for tonight, nothing would ever make me regret this."
At those devoted words, Heero smiled and whispered, "I love you." Kissing the fey before he could respond, he relaxed his entire body atop his partner's as they finally gave into their desires.
* * * * * *
The following morning, the sun rose over the encampment within the Sephron Gully. Slowly, Duo began to stir in his sleep as he laid in Heero's arms. Both covered only by the thin sheet of their bed from their waists down, he could feel the slow rise in the air temperature at the sunrise.
He blinked until his violet eyes focused and gazed up to his sleeping lover. Smiling warmly at the peaceful human, he sighed deeply in content and closed his eyes again as he recalled the extraordinary events of the prior evening.
Never in the Blade's life had he ever been allowed to love another, let alone experience what it was like to couple with them. After the prior evening, he wondered how he managed without such a wonderful act. Heero had been more than gentle with him as it was the first time for either of them. Their love making was something that he would have as a cherished memory for the rest of his existence.
Duo attempted to lift his head, quickly finding that his neck was the only part on him that he could move. The spell had cost him the use of the remainder of his own body, leaving it a heavy weight. He felt Heero stir slightly beneath him as he moaned his name.
Smiling anew at the sound of his own name on those lips, he replied softly, his own voice thick from sleep, "Right here, love."
Automatically, Heero's arms tightened around his slender form as a small smile tugged at his lips. Duo attempted to return the squeeze, only to remember in vain that he couldn't not manage to move his arms. When there was not the usual return of his gesture, the Japanese soldier quickly opened his eyes in concern.
At seeing his lover's state, he remembered the price of the magic that he used so that he could be in his home again for one night. Smiling slightly to make light of their predicament, he commented, "Looks like we're stuck."
His partner chuckled deeply, "Just roll me off of you if you want. I can't move myself. I'll be like this for a couple hours yet."
Instead of moving him off, Heero just held him tighter and grinned the confusion in his love's violet eyes. "We have until this afternoon before we have to report in to stand watch." Humming to himself in relief that Heero did not elect to be separated from him for a while, Duo relaxed his head back on his chest.
There was a comfortable silence between the two of them for a while. Heero gently ran a hand up and down Duo's back and arm. Silently, the fey was thankful that while he could not move his body, he was not lost to the calming sensation. Small goose bumps ran up every time the light fingers brushed past, causing the human to chuckle deeply as he felt them grow.
Finally, Duo stole enough courage to look up into the young boys cobalt eyes. "Heero..." he began after biting his lip, "About last night... I... I mean..."
Worry filled the human's eyes as he urged, "Yes?"
A warm blush colored Duo's cheeks and he had to look away to be able to say the words. "It meant a lot to me," he stated at last, peering back up to see a slight blush on Heero's cheeks as he smiled down on him.
"Yeah," he replied in a near whisper, clearly feeling the same embarrassment that Duo had at not being to express his own feelings on the night before better. "It meant a lot to me, too."
Sighing deeply, Duo closed his eyes and smiled, "I love you." Kissing his shoulder, Heero whispered the same and watched the creature that he held in content, snuggling closer to him.
The reality of the war came rushing back, regardless of how badly Duo wished that he could will it away. The fact remained that Treize and his clan were coming for them. Not only would he want to eliminate the Shay and Prusia forces to continue his domination over the lands, Duo knew that the cunning man would stop at nothing to capture him. Whether it was anything he could have prevented or not, Duo was more of an incentive for Treize to find them and wipe his friends out. He shuddered.
He heard himself whispering, "Whatever happens, I swear that I won't let any harm come to you." Lifting his head slightly, as to show the determination in his eyes, he said, "Heero, promise me that if this attack takes a wrong turn or if it gets too dangerous, you'll run."
Without hesitation, Heero nodded firmly, showing his own seriousness as he replied, "Fine. But you must promise that you'll do the same."
Duo sighed deeply and shook his head, "I am the Queen's Blade. It is not my place to run," he answered in a voice that seemed to have the same emotion as if he were reading from a text.
Propping himself on his elbow, Heero stated clearly, the desperation not even attempted to be hidden from his voice. "Not even if it gets dangerous for you?" he retorted. "Duo, I don't care who or what you are, I am not losing you to pride."
'But whether in battle or when my mission is over and I have to return to my world, you are going to lose me somehow,' Duo thought to himself, forcing the tears from filling his eyes as they dared fill his eyes. He was so tired. After everything that they had experienced, he wasn't about to rob Heero the only happiness that he had since leaving to join the war. He would never allow anything to take that happiness away.
Forcing his best smile thought it killed him, he nodded and replied, "If it is within my power, Heero, I'll do whatever it takes to stay by your side." While he knew it wasn't exactly the promise that Heero wanted to hear, he was relieved to see that it was enough to satisfy him as his body relaxed to hold him tightly with a whispered 'thank you.'
Heero smiled lovingly and suggested, "No more talks like this, love. We don't have many opportunities like this to enjoy together."
Unable to argue with that, Duo nodded and laid his head down on the human's chest again as he said, "You're right. Better to live in the moment."
The comfortable silence fell around them again as they simply allowed themselves a rare moment of peace before having to step back out into the world of reality.
* * * * * *
"He's how far?" Noin asked in disbelief, he eyes wide with shock as she looked up at the scout.
Within the Commander's tent, the young soldier shifted on his feet uncomfortably as he watched her from where she sat behind her desk. "At best, a day from now, Commander Noin. They have been riding hard both day and night to cover as much ground as possible. They will be here before sunset tomorrow at their rate."
Sighing deeply, Noin sat back in her seat and nodded. "Thank you for the report, solider. Please have Captain Chang to join me here immediately." With a salute and an affirmative response, the scout left the tent quickly.
Folding her hands on her desk, Noin frowned deeply. "So the final test has begun... And the fate of millions hanging in the balance will be decided tomorrow."
TBC...
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