Duo and Heero exchanged glances, though neither said a word. The American was busy fiddling with his braid, twisting it in his hands as if he was trying to tie it in a knot. A loud groan echoed through the room; startled, he backed into Heero, nearly knocking him over. He put out a hand to steady himself and ended up feeling Heero up. Blushing furiously and hoping the lighting was dim enough so that it didn’t show, he straightened with a discreet cough and motioned graciously for Yalith to continue, only to stop dead.
"What--what are you doing?" he choked out. "Stop that!" The tall blonde gave him a Look and stepped out of her dress, leaving it in a white silk puddle against the marble. Shielding his eyes with his hands, he swore violently. "Put some clothes on!"
"Take your clothes off too." She watched with disinterest as Duo’s face turned several shades of purple, and then settled on a bright, tomato red. <Serves him right,> Heero thought with a smirk, <he’s always embarrassing other people.>
"The ritual dress is sky-clad, Duo. You can leave whenever you want to, but Heero’s a different story. If he tries to leave, do you know what will happen to him?" She pointed a long, slightly crooked finger at the Japanese boy, who glared at both her and Duo alternately. "He’ll be burned to death. That’s the power of the Key; it’s how Dominic can sleep at night, knowing that no Key can pass into his chambers."
"I thought you said Darius escaped," Duo said.
"It was a poor choice of words. He was able to bind the magic of the Key." Seeing his skeptical expression, she stalked over to him and grabbed his chin in one cool hand. "Do you see that?" Yalith yanked his head, twisting him awkwardly so he was forced to look at the walls. "That’s their blood, Duo. Their sacrifice." The white marble was stained irrevocably, turned a dingy brown that Duo was now starting to see as dried blood.
"Whose sacrifice?" The pilot of Deathscythe swallowed hard; her nails were pressing into the soft flesh of his neck; there was a prick of pain and the scent of blood filled the air. Another groan rattled the foundation of the Palazzio, louder this time, closer.
"It doesn’t matter. They were slaves, servants. Old women. Useless souls; they could not help us. Luckily, that is not necessary now." Her eyes flashed, and outside, he could hear rain beginning to fall on the roof. "You can help us. The Diamond Key can help us. We will rendezvous in Siberia. They have captured an OZ base. From there we will attack--"
"Wait, wait," Heero snapped from behind them. "*We*? Is that what all of this is about? Who are we going to be attacking? I’m not some puppet--"
"We will attack the Palazzio with reinforcements that Darius has gathered--"
"I don’t understand," Duo cut in, face drawn into a scowl. What was going on here? The minute he’d thought he understood things, the game changed and new players surfaced. "You never finished--"
"We don’t have time for that now!" Yalith snapped, her voice booming off the stone walls, echoing in their ears. "I’m leaving at dawn. With or without Heero. If you do not cooperate, the ritual will not be finished in time and he will die. Have it your way, Duo Maxwell."
"You’re a real bitch, you know that?" Duo pouted, even as his fingers crept down to his fly and began to unbutton his pants. "Sky-clad, right? Does he have to be sky-clad?" One finger pointed at Heero accusingly, as if they were children on a playground fighting over the last swing.
"He does." Her eyes softened abruptly as she watched Heero slowly disrobe, folding his clothes neatly in a pile, then using the bundle to hide his nudity. "I’m warning you both; one word during the ritual and you’ll both be done for. No matter what happens, you must trust me. If you follow my directions, everything will come out fine in the end."
Duo snorted, but soon he too held a little pile of clothing below his waist, desperately avoiding Heero’s eyes. He’d dreamed of seeing the other pilot naked, of running his hands over his body, pinching, caressing, but not like this. And definitely *not* in the presence of another person, to boot.
"Leave your clothes on the floor, both of you. Let down your hair and stand here, Duo." She pointed to a faded circle with a star in the middle whose points touched the very outer edge of the black ring. "Don’t leave the pentacle for any reason until I tell you to." Gulping, he nodded, eyes wide as she pulled out a knife from seemingly thin air. It wasn’t a butcher knife or even a throwing knife; the blade was white, and the handle was inscribed with strange symbols and letters.
As they watched in silenced amazement, she drew several shapes in the air, blade flashing silver, the light seeming to hover there for a moment before disappearing. The groaning sound grew louder, rumbling in the background.
Then Yalith opened her mouth and began to sing. It wasn’t words, it wasn’t a melody; it was a song that streamed from her open jaw, trembling with newborn uncertainty at first, then stronger, faster, the entire universe captured in a single measure. It was beautiful, new, old as time, a paradox, something that Duo had never heard before and never would again. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he had an inexplicable urge to sing.
Then as suddenly as it had begun, it ended.
Another pass with the knife, and a silver line appeared in the air, hovering there, pulsing and shivering. Another two passes, and the line was a triangle, a gate. It contorted and folded in on itself, making a disgusting sucking sound. A breeze lifted Duo’s hair; with a shock, he realized that it wasn’t a breeze, that the hole that had been opened in the room, leading to blackness, to nothingness, was sucking air inside.
"If ye be of the Old Way--"
Heero shivered. It felt like worms were crawling all over his body, like something was tasting him before leaning forward to take a bigger bite. Uncertain, he looked over at Duo, who grinned and waved, then winced as the gust suddenly stopped, flinging his long hair back into his face.
"--come forth and take sacrament!"
The groan was there again, but added to that were thousands of voices shrieking and hissing, a cacophony of high-pitched sounds that made both of the Gundam pilot’s ears ring.
"Death before life, death before rebirth. Always changing, always redesigned in an image we cannot fathom. Come forth and take sacrament!"
Duo began to tremble as several dark shapes emerged from the gate. They weren’t dark as in a color, for they were without color, simply the absence of light and shadow. They were darkness, they were nothingness, departed souls waiting for a sacrifice.
They frowned their displeasure at seeing the pentacle surrounding Duo; he felt a strange shock of relief. There was no way he wanted those *things* touching him! They turned away as if burned, shielding their non-existent eyes, and turned towards the next available target.
Heero.
"Heero!" Duo shouted. The boy watched the dark shapes advance with wide eyes, for once his training failing him. His lips moved, but the sound was drowned out by the horrible wailing coming from the gate. "Stop them! They’re going to hurt him!"
Duo almost didn’t hear her. Yet the fates were not kind to him that day, and on a whim, they carried her words to him, safe-guarding them past the shadow creatures, past the gate.
"I know."
"WHAT!? You knew--!?"
"Say nothing else, or else Heero’s life will be forfeit, Duo."
Well, he could hardly argue with that. Inside he was fuming. He moved to step out of the pentacle; he’d be damned if he’d let those funky creatures from another dimension touch *his* lover! He started to move, then had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming as white hot pain shot through his legs.
He looked up at Yalith, and she was shaking her head slowly, mouthing, ‘No.’ He was stuck; Heero was on his own. The young pilot looked semi-frightened, or as frightened as he’d ever seen him, considering.
<Someone help us!> he cried out, but no one came.
Thousands of miles away, a young Gundam pilot sat straight up in his bed, cold sweat dripping down his face, eyes wide with fear.
"Heero..."
They were in serious trouble, Quatre knew it. There was nothing to be done, though. They’d allied themselves with these strange men, agreed to fight on their side. For what? For justice? For peace? Surely these men knew what was happening to Heero and Duo. If he could just...move...a little more... The bed squeaked precariously, and he froze, eyes squeezing shut. Allah, if the bed didn’t squeak again, he’d be fine...
In one swift movement he swung his legs over the side and leapt soundlessly from the mattress, landing smoothly, feet and hands resting on the carpet like paws.
Trowa stirred in his rest, but did not wake. Breathing a sigh of relief, he tiptoed from the room, and went to find someone, anyone, who could help him.
His world was spinning.
The entire scene was too surreal, so fragmented and disembodied. So strange; Heero reached out a hand to touch the strange creature; it had to be Duo, in disguise somehow. Yes, Duo would pull a bull-headed prank like this...
It hissed at him; if it had a tongue it would have flicked it at him. As it was, some invisible force slapped his hand back, pinning it at his side. Anger flared through him before he remembered again that it wasn’t real. It was all some strange dream. Just a dream...
Just a dream...[1]
Duo watched in horror as the shadow’s hand lifted up to caress his cheek. Where there once had been intangible darkness there was now flesh. Two slender fingers, flushed pink as newborns are apt to be. Three more fingers, a palm, a wrist, this strange force coming from Heero, traveling up the creature’s arm, giving it substance, giving it mass. A creamy shoulder, the seductive curve of a familiar spine, firm buttocks, and long, well-shaped legs that melted into perfect feet.
He snorted, despite himself. Perfect feet? But they were; ten little toes rounded off in a soft curve, slender ankles that belonged on a woman. Aesthetically perfect, but not perfect in Duo’s eyes. Only Heero had that distinction of perfection, and even then it was spiritual perfection, a kind of harmony he’d found with Heero rather than any lack of fault.
The creature grew wings, gorgeous white-feathered wings that slowly kept time to a rhythm he knew had to Heero’s heart. The being turned around, and Duo nearly choked on his own vomit. He had to look away to keep his lunch down; he’d never thought something so perfect could be so...wrong! It was a crime against nature!
It had no face. Where there should have been a cute nose, high cheekbones, gorgeous Prussian eyes and a luscious curve of a mouth there was smooth blankness, a plain of lightly tanned skin and soft silk. No face. It had no face.
As if knowing of its fault, the strangely beautiful being lowered its head and touched Heero’s mouth. When Duo dared to look again, the creature had a mouth that was the exact copy of Heero’s, red petals blooming into a pouting lower lip. The creature then kissed Heero.
Duo saw the creature’s tongue slip into Heero’s mouth, but made no move, for it was a chaste kiss despite the tongue. No feeling, no emotion. Simply taking in his mouth, plundering the darkest recesses of his mind. The American boy could almost see the life sapping away from Heero as he slumped to the ground, eyes fluttering rapidly, his entire body shaking slightly.
The creature, now a perfect copy of Heero except for the long, delicate wings that sprouted from his shoulderblades, bent over the prostrated pilot and spread his knees, positioning Heero so that the angel-Heero’s cock was poised at his entrance. A strange rage flooded through Duo; he wanted to be the one to take Heero’s virginity, not some Heero fake! Yet as the angel pushed inside of his love’s body, folding Heero’s pliant legs around his waist, thrusting gently, he couldn’t help but admire the physical perfection of the scene. Heero Yuy caught in the midst of passion was enough to make Duo go hard; two of them making love made him groan and slump to his knees, careful not to stray to the edges of the pentacle, hand slipping between his legs.
As soon as the creature touched him, Heero understood. Intuition flooded his mind in a brilliant flash of memories and future plans. When the creature kissed him, he hadn’t resisted, letting it take his memories, letting it take the part of him that made Heero the person he was. It wasn’t *it* anymore; he was a person now, with emotions and feelings, but no mind, no thought.
Heero whimpered as the angel thrust into him, pushing past the tight ring of muscle with gentle firmness, taking care not to hurt him, but trying not to prolong it. They both knew there wasn’t much time.
He felt the angel’s hands running over his body, caressing the small of his back, sliding over his skin, memorizing every feature. It was strange, he thought, to have your virginity taken by yourself.
Those strong hands lifted him up to a sitting position, where his thrusts went deeper inside, touching all the right spots, places he hadn’t even known existed. Heero could feel his hands clenching in the angel’s hair, so soft, like the finest silk threads. Was that was his hair really felt like? he wondered, in a half-stupor from the liquid pleasure that seemed to stem from deep inside him, shooting through every nerve.
The angel’s hips rocked harder, demanding his release, and Heero gave in, shutting his eyes tightly. <Duo,> he told himself quietly. <It’s Duo.>
A warm mouth enveloped the head of his erection, drinking in his seed, and then Heero felt a strange sensation, like being lifted from his body.
He opened his eyes and gaped openly.
He *had* been lifted from his body. Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, not yet 16, lay panting on the floor in mindless ecstasy, the angel still battering him relentlessly. Heero had to admit, he looked good like that. But the person he really wanted to see breathless and lost in the throes of pleasure was down there, watching the two Heeros have sex, hand sliding over his hardened cock almost numbly.
Things were going according to plan. The spirits had been surprisingly cooperative, for whatever reason she couldn’t comprehend. As she watched, the angel withdrew from the young Key’s body, cock still fully erect, eyes wide as he took in his own painful state. Stepping out from the circle, she slashed at the remaining spirits with her knife, warding them back into the gate, and with a single flick of his wrist, the gate closed with a soft ::woosh::.
The angel Heero looked at her, head cocked to one side, eyes curious. She resisted the urge to laugh; Heero’s spirit was still around, and she needed to keep him around if the transferance was really going to work.
"Duo," she instructed, voice large and brassy, "talk to Heero. I know you can’t see him, but pretend he’s there." The boy’s violet eyes widened, but he nodded and did as told, mumbling about flowers and puppies and the wing zero system, loud enough so that she could hear he was following directions, low enough so she couldn’t tell exactly what he was saying.
She advanced on the boy who lay on the cold marble, eyes closed, chest barely rising and falling. With this one, the body depended heavily on the soul, instead of the other way around. With most humans, the soul needed the comfort of the body to survive; it appeared that she had found yet another reason that Heero Yuy was somewhat out of the ordinary.
One quick thrust, and her knife plunged into Heero’s heart. She twisted twice, then released her athame. It was done.
He was creeping slowly down the hallway when it hit him, a sudden pain deep inside of him, stabbing through his chest and spreading down his side. "Ungh...!" Quatre dropped to his knees, bone slapping the metal floor with little notice to his own pain.
Chest heaving, cold sweat still dripping down his too-pale cheeks, the Arabian pilot pushed himself to his feet, a burning pain still growing inside of him. Allah, it hurt so much!
Staggering down the hallway, leaning against the cold concrete walls for support, he never heard his silent watcher, too concerned with getting back to bed, back to Trowa.
Pierce slid through the shadows, eyes glittering in the darkness. It seemed there was something about 04 they didn’t know...something that could prove very useful.
Yet he hesitated. He could easily empathize with the boy; feeling another’s pain was terrible. Quatre’s own pain had woke him in the middle of the night and sent him flying out of his room to see if anyone had disturbed the Gundam pilots, or if there had possibly been an attack.
He would wait, he decided. Waiting couldn’t hurt.
"You--you killed Heero!" Duo cried out, eyes filled with anguish. He doubled over, arms hugging his middle as he wept softly. Yalith sighed; she didn’t have time for this...
"I see." Duo’s voice had suddenly gone cold; a sense of dread filled her veins. She had *not* taken this possible type of reaction into account. "So now that you’ve got your perfect winged look-a-like, you don’t need the real thing anymore?" Yalith bowed her head; of course it would look that way to Duo. Lovers were hardly ever logical.
"YOU BITCH!!!!!" Duo screamed, surprising himself with the rage suffused in his haggard voice. Before Yalith could move, he’d flung himself at her, hands tensed into claws, intending to scratch her eyes out.
"Duo!"
They both stopped dead, and two sets of eyes turned towards the source of the voice.
The angel stood with his hands on his hips, a scowl on his beautiful face. "Will you stop that?!" he snapped, running his hands through his dark hair. "We don’t have any time!"
"Heero," Duo whispered, a tear running free from his steadily leaking eyes. He rubbed the moisture onto his bare arm, not caring about the sting of the salt, and pulled the Japanese pilot into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of his neck. "You don’t leave me, baka. Don’t leave me."
Heero had had enough. Watching Duo cry was bad enough; he’d never wanted to make Duo cry. But the braided baka thought he was dead and there was nothing he could do about that, except...
But if he entered the angel’s body, he would never be able to leave without another ritual like the previous one. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go through that again; to have his entire being sucked out of him, to have his memories sliced into tiny parcels and shipped out through his skin.
But as he watched Duo fly at Yalith, hands ready to wrap around her thin neck, and then he saw Yalith, barely containing her annoyance, he made his decision and *let go*.
"I don’t understand," Duo said, one arm still wrapped firmly around Heero’s waist, his right hand caressing his hip in slow circles that were making Heero’s face burn.
"Transferance of souls. It comes with...side effects." She paused, as if in a moment of silence. "The others; Darius, Armand, Pierce, and Sarsis still have their brands. Of course, they weren’t virgins, and therefore we summoned demons, instead of angels. You were lucky Dominic decided to sell you instead of take you," she said, in a tone that was almost reprimanding.
"Your wings are permanent. You can fold them up, but you can’t get rid of them. Rather, you can, but it would be a stupid idea to, much like chopping off a leg or poking out an eye. Your equilibrium will be off if you destroy them, so take care of yourself." Heero scowled, and the glistening feathers suddenly folded in, leaving Heero with two tiny wings that melted into the clean lines of his shoulderblades.
"May I?" She stepped forward, hand outstretched, and Duo growled.
"You may not!" he snapped. "Look what happened the last time we trusted you on your word!" Gesturing wildly at Heero, he began to rant about demons and angels and portals and wings and--
"Duo!" Heero sighed. "Stop! It was the only way. I’m still here, baka." The chestnut-haired boy nodded and rested his head on Heero’s shoulder, tongue darting out to trace little hearts on the skin.
Barely amused by the blatant show of affection, Yalith continued. "The others gained certain....powers. Powers that we used to predict your whereabouts and to influence your Gundams. Be thankful, Duo Maxwell. Heero was going to self-destruct in your last battle, but we prevented that. We need both of you to help us, now."
"Powers? Like what? Does Heero have powers?" Duo frowned at Yalith. "Will this affect his ability to pilot a Gundam?"
"What, you want me to self-destruct?" Heero demanded testily.
"If you can’t pilot a Gundam, how am I suppose to keep you near me all the time? No more running away, Heero. One mile radius at all times." He grinned and punched his love affectionately, but Duo’s smile slowly faded as the gesture was not returned.
"We don’t know. For now..." She couldn’t help but sneak another look at two pilots who were busy groping each other. "We’ve got to get going, children. Put on some clothes."
As she turned away, her sharp hearing caught the sound of a raspberry and she stifled a laugh. "I saw that, Duo." The shocked gasp that Duo made was more than gratifying. "We leave at dawn. Meet me here. I’m sure there’s a few...extracurricular activities you’ll want to get started on."
This time as she walked away, all she heard was a cheerful shout and a loud thumping noise, then...
"DUO!"
"Eep! Sorry, Heero..."
Wufei and Treize exchanged cautious glances, neither willing to concede any point towards victory. The Chinese boy raised a single arched eyebrow, as if to say, 'It's your damn room. You get the fucking door.'
Treize hmmphed softly and lifted a glass of wine Wufei hadn't seen him pour to his lips, tongue sliding over the edge of the glass. 'Be polite and get the door for me.'
The younger man snorted. 'I don't think so. I'm the guest, anyway.'
'It's not like you didn't make yourself comfortable,' Treize retorted silently, sending a heated look towards Wufei, who sat on satin sheets that were twisted into exotic figures pooled at the foot of the canopy bed.
'Whose fault is that?'
'Certainly not mine. I--'
"This is ridiculous," Wufei growled, breaking the tenuous silence and jumped to his feet, padding to the door carefully so as not to trip on the long hems of his silk pants. He could almost feel Treize smirking behind him.
"Is anyone there?" A plaintive female voice floated in through the cracks between the door and the walls. "Hello?"
Wufei flung the door open, about to give the damn onna a piece of his mind when he suddenly froze, onyx eyes wide. His jaw trembled slightly, and he reached out a tentative hand, as if afraid he was going to pass right through her.
"MEIRAN?!?!"
He sat in his office, one hand absently petting his newest toy, the young Green Key. He was lying on his back, legs spread to give him easier access to his small, pre-pubescent cock. Trained well, he noted. The fact that he was barely eleven didn't seem to deter him at all; rather, the thought excited him.
But what to do with this petty rebellion stirring within the Palazzio? He could end it all here; his free hand strayed towards the small gray metal box with two buttons. He could kill Heero now, or give him enough pain to ensure that he would lose some kind of essential function. Sight, perhaps, or maybe his hearing; or he could send the Diamond Key into a coma, and have him for his pleasure every night, unresisting, perfectly submissive. The thought of the Japanese boy, tied down, legs spread, eyes closed, chest heaving with ragged breath...
Yet though the chase was half the fun, naturally he enjoyed the fuck itself, squeezing their nipples until they cried out, licking the salty tears from their soft faces as they wept. The Green Key made a noise, and he realized he'd been twisting his nipples. He let out a soft chuckle, and his hand strayed lower in apologies.
How long had he been at the Palazzio? It felt like years.
It had been more along the lines of centuries.
And he hadn't lived so long, played his cards so carefully, to let three Gundam pilots and one traitorous servant ruin everything. Yalith...she was becoming a problem. No, she *was* a problem, and it was his fault for not seeing it before. But Sandalith was so helpful, always coming to his bed chambers after the torches were blown out, warning him, warming him.
She had ambition. She'd have to be put down eventually, or kept under tight watch. Sandalith...Yalith. Both so beautiful.
Their beauty was only a façade, though, of their real powers. He was glad the fool girl still thought he was ignorant of their plot, or else he might never be able to take her down. Unless...
Unless...
The disturbance he'd felt around the force fields surrounding the Palazzio; could that have been...?
She wouldn't...
She would, a nasty voice chanted in the back of his mind. She's as devious as you are. Dominic nodded and laughed to himself, hand moving faster unconsciously, jerking the young boy off. He came with a loud sigh, and collapsed against the floor, purring slightly as he nuzzled his boot.
But there had been no further spells, no further magic being done. Which meant that Heero had his new body, but Yalith had not yet Unlocked him. Which meant there was a new Master walking around the Palazzio, untapped, unknowing of his own potential. He could use this slip to his advantage...
"We won't be coming for you, Heero Yuy." He laughed, letting his fingers trace greasy hearts lovingly on the Green Key's stomach, sliding through his sticky seed. So beautiful...
"It's only a matter of time before you come to us."
Duo looked over at Heero anxiously, his nerves humming. The entire day had been beyond belief. Duo was not a religious boy; he had his own reasons for the cross around his neck, and none of those included a belief in God.
Yet looking at Heero, watching his chest rise and fall softly with every small breath, in a body that was so new, so perfect, he could almost believe, could feel the hope edging at the outside of his soul. Not a scar marred the long reams of golden flesh. He would have to learn Heero all over again, hours spent watching him out of the corner of his eye in the baths for naught.
He'd *known* the other Heero. He knew the soul was still the same; he could feel his vibrant, tenacious spirit emanating from every pore. But the body held him back. He leaned forward slowly, to give him time to back away, and was encouraged when the Japanese pilot made a pleading noise in the back of his throat.
Duo let his arms drape loosely around Heero's neck, and with the utmost delicacy, brought their faces together for a close-mouthed kiss that still sent shivers down his back. He felt a corresponding trembling in his lover's body, and smiled slightly, caressing his shivering frame. Duo found he couldn't stop wanting to run his hands over his back, to feel the silky skin beneath his fingers.
Duo shifted so Heero was kneeling next to him, wincing as the cold marble made contact with his body. Lying back, he pulled Heero on top of him, tracing the edges of his lips with his fingernail, then replacing it with his tongue. He wanted to do this right, to hear the stoic boy cry out loud enough to echo off the walls, to feel him arching beneath him, eyes squeezed shut, panting in time with his thrusts.
With malicious intent, he hugged Heero close to him, the full-body contact sending tremors through him, and rolled over so he was on top, thighs brushing over the taut line of Heero's stomach.
Duo looked down at Heero's flushed face, watching for any sort of reaction as he began to rock slowly, torturing Heero, torturing himself, with the sensations. A hand found his erection, stroking it ruthlessly.
"Ah--Heero--wait--"
The gentle touch stopped abruptly, and Duo couldn't help the slight whine that erupted from his throat. Swallowing hard, he fought down a wave of desire that unfurled in the pit of his stomach, sending hot waves of pleasure streaking through him from the tips of his toes to his face, which was slowly reddening.
"Like this," he whispered huskily, reaching down to push aside Heero's bangs. He wanted to--needed to--look into his eyes, to see some kind of reassurance that what he was doing was okay, that he wasn't hurting him. Two lidded Prussian blue eyes stared back at him, lips parted as he struggled to keep his breathing even.
His fingers found a carmel-colored nipple, stroking the nub until it erected in his hand. Duo repeated the process with Heero's left nipple as he tongue-bathed his chest, tracing the firm lines of his muscle. As one hand found the urgency of Heero's erection, the Japanese pilot of Wing Zero jumped a little, causing Duo's teeth to scrape against sensitive flesh. Instead of wincing, as Duo had expected him to, he moaned, arching his back ever so slightly in a silent entreaty.
Well.
This was certainly interesting. If Duo hadn't known better, he would have thought there was a masochistic streak in Heero Yuy. It made sense--the constant self-destructions, lack of concern for his own bodily health. Maybe Heero didn't know it yet, but there was definitely something there to be explored.
Duo pulled Heero up into a half-sitting position, turning him so that he was sitting in Duo's lap. Heero flushed slightly as he felt Duo's penis grind against the firm curve of his buttocks, his back tensing. Sensing his distress, the American pilot rained soft kisses down on his neck and shoulders, slowly kneading the stress of the past few days out of his body. After a few minutes, Heero made a slight whimpering sound, his erection left unattended for too long.
"Love," Duo whispered, his breath tickling the sensitive skin just above his ear, "I want to be inside you. Can you feel me?" Slowly, one finger ran along his spine from his neck to his entrance, causing a shiver to run down his back, chasing after the renegade finger. "Ooh--I'll--I'll put my cock inside you..." In one shallow thrust, his finger slipped past the tight ring of muscle. Heero moaned softly, eyes closed, as his mind began to shut down and his body took over, an all-consuming hunger beginning to stir from its dormant sleep. His cock became even harder, if that was possible.
"You want me to, don't you? You want me to put my cock inside you, Heero?" The finger began to move, pushing higher and higher inside until his finger was embedded all the way to his knuckle. "Can't you feel me...filling you..."
Another finger joined the first.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" A throaty moan, and then a sound of denial. "It hurts, but you want it to. It feels so good, Heero. You want my cock inside of you, thrusting, splitting you apart but it doesn't matter, it's so good..."
"Nngh...no, no Duo..."
Duo grinned. "You don't want me to? Okay, I guess if that's what you want--" The fingers suddenly pulled out, and Heero was left with a wide emptiness that was slowly consuming him.
Seizing all of his remaining willpower, Heero cried, "God damn it, Duo, just *fuck* me!"
"Okay," Duo agreed amiably, and then neither had the energy to talk, just move, feel, taste. He plunged into Heero's depths, his hip bones pressing into Heero's buttocks, leaving bruises as he thrust up, Heero still in his lap, one arm looped loosely around his chest, nails raking red lines across his torso.
But Heero wasn't making *those* noises yet, so Duo knew that he wasn't hitting that spot that made the world explode into molten fire. Wordlessly, ignoring Heero's sounds of protest, Duo withdrew and pushed him onto his back, spreading his legs with one impatient knee. Then, in a single hard thrust up, he again impaled Heero on his cock, hips slamming him into the stone floor, faster and faster until they reached their peak, spiraling downward at a dizzying pace, choked screams tearing from their throats in the most primal of fulfillments.
Heero's cry echoed throughout the room, bouncing back at them as they lay sated and sweaty, thighs sticky with their mingled seed. Duo was still seeing stars; he groped blindly for Heero and ended up honking his nose.
"Duo," Heero panted, but could not find his voice to say more. The American slowly withdrew, his flesh slick with...with blood. Horrified, he buried his face in Heero's shoulder, kissing the round muscle in apology. How could he have lost control like that? He had let his desire run away with him and he'd hurt Heero.
As if sensing Duo's guilt, Heero leaned forward and kissed him gently, forcing him to think of other, more interesting, things. Duo felt his cock harden again as Heero draped his slender body over him, thighs parted over his lap, hands caressing his back in calm circles. Hesitantly, the Japanese Key rested his head lightly in the crook between his neck and shoulder, breath coming in little spurts.
This time, their lovemaking wasn't so much a dizzying need for release as it was a hazy exploration of the pleasure their bodies could afford them. Watching Heero come, his wide eyes glazed over, hands clenched into small fists by his head, a look of shocked ecstasy scrawled over those Asiatic features, was the most arousing and erotic sight Duo had ever had the pleasure to witness.
And this time, Duo's thrusts were deep but gentle, slow but firm. They kept their eyes trained on each other, not wanting to miss the expressions of their lover as they moved in rhythm with a pulsing beat that was slowly growing to a fevered pitch.
And then it happened.
<Oh God...harder, Duo, do it harder...> Heero's eyes were staring up at Duo through the thin veil of his bangs, refusing to relinquish his attention.
<Heero?>
There was a pause, then, <Duo?>
<I can feel you,> Duo thought in amazement, fingers making the lightest feather touches along his face. <I can feel everything, Heero. You're still so beautiful...>
Watching the two boys fly through ecstasy, limbs intertwined indefinitely, Yalith sighed. She only hoped that they were truly soulmates, or else the Bond would cause them nothing but suffering.
She nodded slowly as their soul-lights flickered, dampening back down to a mild glow. It was time to go.
"We've got to get going."
Her voice rang out sharply in the silence. Duo jerked in shock, thrusting deeply into Heero one last time. "If you're done...?" she offered, a small smirk on her face.
Duo glanced at Heero.
<I don't know, koi. I think I'm imagining this.> Heero frowned at Duo, his mouth twisting into a thin line.
<If you're imagining this, then I am too.> Suddenly, the suspicious Diamond Key cast a look at Yalith, who had carefully schooled her face to neutrality. <I bet it's Yalith. She would have no qualms about doing something like this.>
<You don't like it?> Duo seemed almost...hurt?
<It's not that,> Heero assured him, pulling him in close for a quick hug. <She could have asked.>
"Are we done?" Yalith snapped impatiently. "We've got to get going. You're Bonded, that's great, let's get going."
"Wait a minute," Duo said, holding up a hand. "You're not keeping us in the dark anymore, Yalith. You never told us what happened to Darius. I don't know what the fuck this thing with Heero is, and I sure as hell am not going to fucking chase after you like a puppy dog on your say-so!"
Heero nodded in agreement. They'd had bits and pieces of the truth, but nothing coherent, and definitely not the big picture. She was deliberately keeping them in the dark, of that he was sure. And he didn't like it one bit. In war, information meant survival, and lack of it meant...
"And I keep telling you that we don't have time!" she snapped, a low rumble churning in her throat.
"Oh yeah, we don't have time but we had to time to screw like rabbits. You're playing with us. It stops now!" Duo cried, taking an aggressive step forward.
They all froze as hollow footsteps echoed in the supposedly sealed chamber.
Yalith stood motionless, eyes dilating rapidly. In the dim light, they could make out a gray suit, greasy hair, a firm mouth.
"Yes," Dominic agreed, coming to a halt a few feet from Heero and Duo, "it stops now."
Heero heard Duo whisper, "Oh shit," before he felt a sharp pain in his neck and the world began to spin.
"HEEEEeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrooooo...."
"Heero!" Duo shouted, sliding down on bended knee to catch his lover before he slammed his head against the stone floor. "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing," Dominic replied, looking not at Duo, but at Yalith. "It's nothing that I've done; rather, something that Yalith *hasn't* done."
Duo, who was ready to jump at a shadow, turned to the slender blonde, eyes afire. "What's he talking about?!?!"
"Amateurs. You obviously have no idea what you're doing, Yalith. After all, you never had access to the restricted texts...or rather, you weren't supposed to." He peered closely at his servant, noting the trickle of sweat that beaded on her high forehead. "You called a Gate, move this young man's soul from his natural form to this one; you Bind him to a mortal and leave his power locked away and expect him to be 'okay'? To put it in modern day terms, you've fucked it up royally.
"Fortunately," he continued, "your sister retains some pretense of loyalty."
"Sister!" Yalith hissed, eyes flaring to life, glowing a vicious red. "Where is that conniving viper?"
"Behind you." A child's voice rang out.
Duo looked all around, but he couldn't see anyone. Apparently Yalith couldn't either; there was a strange glow surrounding her, burning white, and slowly rising in intensity to pale blue.
He looked down at his lover, who remained unconscious, his face twisted in pain. "Heero," he murmured softly. "Come back to me, Heero."
"Stop playing games." Drawing the same knife she'd used during the ritual, she made several vertical slashes, only to have her arm cut open by a flying arrow. It took a good sized portion of her arm with it, landing in the wall, quivering with the force of the bow.
"Naughty naughty." The childish voice echoed off the walls, followed by high-pitched giggling straight from some terrible horror movie.
"Yalith, you've been such a bad girl." Her voice seemed to bounce from wall to wall; it was impossible to tell where her sister was standing.
"And now it's time for justice."
"So step into the circle, Yalith."
"If you dare."
"I was always the weaker one."
"I was always second."
"To you. You never let me win. I could never beat you."
"I hate you."
"I'll show you just how much..."
"If you step into the circle, Yalith."
"If you dare."
The voice faded away, leaving all eyes on the blonde witch. Swallowing hard, she took several steps forward, jerking to a halt as a wall of blue light was thrown up from the floor.
"That's right, Yalith."
"No more of your tricks."
"Just you and me."
"If you dare."
"I accept," she hissed, and held out her hands, spinning them in a short, tight circle, the tanned flesh and blue bracelets blurring together.
There was a clap of thunder, and suddenly, Yalith held a long staff with a pointed blade at both ends. She casually stepped through the wall of blue light and assumed a fighting position.
"You were stronger."
"But I was always smarter."
With that, a black gate opened up, like the one Yalith had used to summon those shadow creatures, and with a startled shriek of agony, she was pulled into the black hole. It closed with a soft boom, so final, like a deadbolt or the click of a lock. The blue walls pulsed, like a living creature eager for a feast, then sank back into the floors.
Eyes wide with horror, Duo turned to Dominic. Abruptly, his eyes widened, and his jaw worked furiously. He tried to scream, tried to find breath to force words out, a sound, a peep. But there was nothing. Terror had struck at his heart, and he found himself trembling, tears dripping down his face as he sobbed in frustration.
"Oh God..."
He shook Heero furiously. <Heero? Now would be a great time to wake up...> But the pilot of Wing Zero never stirred, his weight like a stone on a drowning man.
"Oh God..."
Armand shivered as a disturbance in the Earth's energy fields raked over his unprotected mind, stirring old memories. His heart pounded in his chest; he could feel the ground moaning in agony, every living thing's ki shifting towards a single focal point. His garden would die now; there would be drought and there would be famine with such a radical movement.
"Yalith..."
Scrambling to his feet, he started to run through the maze of the OZ base. Yalith was dead; only the death of her or one of the others at the Palazzio could have caused such a change in the world's power balance. Already things were changing, the balance between fire and water readjusting, interacting, shifting to account for the loss.
Darius had to know about it as soon as possible. It threw their plans off; no, it destroyed them. Without Yalith, they had no inside contact, no one to influence the Gundam pilots and see them out of the Palazzio safely, if not intact.
And across the globe, thunder sounded and lightning flashed as the storm arrived.
Owari Book One
Ariana
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