11-Nov-2005
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters nor do I profit from them. Gundam Wing is the property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency.
Title: Cupid's Breath - part 2
Genre: Alternate Universe/Modern Day Fantasy
Author: KwyckSylver
Rating: NC-17 overall
Spoilers: None
Notes: I'm borrowing and butchering some Greek mythology for this fic. Bullfinch is at least rolling his eyes if not over in his grave.
The cupid tumbled onto the cold marbled floor before springing dizzily to his feet. He hated instantaneous transport, it meant he'd been summoned and he was in deep trouble.
"By Zeus's beard! What the hell were you thinking, Duo?" Eros roared.
"You missed three windows of opportunity. One of which wouldn't have appeared again for two years."
The cupid nervously picked the stray feathers from his tunic while Eros stood over him and glared. It was rare to see the god of love so angry. He'd taken on the fierce countenance of his father, Ares, instead of the softer features of Aphrodite, whom he most resembled. The small cupid didn't want to look him in the face.
Duo raised his head. "Wouldn't have?" he asked.
"I had some of the others pick up your slack. Just don't do it again." Eros's voice softened, being the god of love he couldn't stay angry for long, even when he wanted to.
"I won't," Duo promised, with every intention of keeping his word.
Eros reclined on his large, heart-shaped bed and patted a spot next to him, inviting Duo to lie with him.
"And you are not to concern yourself with the human named Heero Yuy," he added as he wrapped an arm around him.
Duo gave him a puzzled look as he snuggled into Eros and rubbed his cheek against his chest.
"Because he's not your concern," Eros answered while he affectionately tousseled Duo's hair then tugged his nose.
"Can I get him assigned to me?" Duo asked, pulling himself away from Eros. He hated being treated like a child. "There's something about him that makes m . . ."
"No," Eros interrupted.
Duo raised himself up on one elbow. "Why?"
Eros shrugged and rolled over on his back, "On the day he was born, the Fates decreed his heart would never be pierced by a cupid's arrow. Because of this Aphrodite has ordered it so and we must obey. We don't question the Fates."
No matter how much Duo begged and cajoled, he could get no further explanation from him. But he would find out why, even if it meant going to the Fates.
The cupid shuddered at the idea. The Fates were as frightening in their appearance as they were in the powers they wielded. Perhaps he would ask Aphrodite first.
His biology class was over and Heero was going to ask his professor about the feathers he'd found. But when he dipped his hand in his shirt pocket, they weren't there. He was always bending over to set his backpack down or pick it up so the feathers must have slid out of his pocket, he rationalized. He couldn't rationalize the glittery dust that now coated his fingers, though.
Duo sat on the wood railing that enclosed the front porch of Heero Yuy's small house and waited for Heero to come home. He thought it best to stay away from Olympus for a while. Eros might have trouble holding on to his anger, but it was a different story when it came to his mother.
Not only had the goddess threatened to pluck every feather from his wings, she also threatened to assign him to cleaning Helios' stables for the next millenium or two.
If Aphrodite thought her threats had scared him away from Heero Yuy, she was only half right. Her threats scared him because he knew she would carry them out, but they also made him more curious about the lonely human and the reason behind the Fates' decree.
He heard a rustling in the bushes planted next to the house and yelped when a cat jumped up on the railing and began to stalk him.
"N...Nice kitty," Duo called out to the cat. He cursed himself under his breath for not being more careful. Humans might not be able to see him, but animals could. He flew off the railing and hovered in the air. The cat watched him while it sniffed the air, confused by his scent. Duo's movements said bird to the cat but his scent said something else, something the cat's nose could not identify as food. That did not dissuade the cat's curiosity, however.
The cat continued to stalk the cupid, leaping from the railing to a tree branch that hung low. If Duo continued his upward path, the cat could easily knock him out of the air and pounce on him. But Duo was well acquainted with the hunting skills of felines. He flew past the branches and grew to full size, hovering in the open space above the walk that lead to the front door.
"Scat kitty," he hissed. The cat let out a startled meow as it jumped from the tree and ran into the neighbor's yard. Once it reached the front steps, the cat slowed to a saunter then lay down on the bottom step. Its eyes narrowed and its tail twitched as it sniffed the air, hoping to catch the scent of the small creature he had been hunting before the stupid human scared him away.
Duo chuckled as he watched the cat and floated down on the lawn. He rubbed his feet and wiggled his toes in the grass, reveling at how soft and cool each blade felt against his soles before he remembered he was still his full size and very visible.
He flapped his wings, becoming smaller and more transparent as he rose in the air until he disappeared completely. He stayed hovering in the air since landing meant attracting the cat's attention again.
A few moments later, Heero got off the bus that stopped at the corner of his street and walked down the sidewalk to his house.
Duo continued to hover in the air, holding his breath while he watched Heero pass under him to his front door.
Duo waited until Heero had the door opened then tried to fly inside just as Heero closed the door, catching a few of Duo's wing feathers as he did. Heero quickly reopened the door, thinking he had caught a corner of his backpack or his jacket sleeve in it. He looked around outside when he thought he heard the squeak of a small animal. He saw the next door cat sitting on the top step to his porch staring up at him. The cat looked unhurt so He ignored it and shut the door again.
Heero never saw the crystalline feathers floating down to the porch before they exploded in a puff of glitter that scattered in the breeze.
Like a bird with a crippled wing, Duo flew erratically once inside Heero's house and made a less than graceful landing on the sofa. He grimaced in pain as he rolled over and pulled his injured wing from under him before he sat up. He spread the wing out then wrapped it around him, wincing when he examined his wounds.
There was a long gash in his flesh where some of the primary(1) feathers had been torn from his wing. He opened the pouch strapped around his waist and pulled out a small bottle. It contained a healing elixir Asclepius(2) had once given him. He'd never had to use it until now and he hoped it was still potent enough to work.
He uncorked the bottle with his teeth then poured the contents over his wounds. The cork crumbled as he bit into it to keep from yelling out in pain. The elixir stung as it seeped deep into the wound, hurting more than the injury it was meant to heal.
Duo hugged his knees and rocked until the pain faded. He slowly spread his wing then flapped it. Except for a little stiffness it felt as good as new, although it would take a few days before his feathers grew back. He wouldn't be able to fly until they did. Duo decided he'd take advantage of the time by getting to know Heero Yuy.
A shadow fell over him and he looked up just in time to see Heero about to sit down in the space he was occupying. He tried flying out of his way but he couldn't gain enough lift. Instead he was forced to make a hurried scramble to dodge Heero and the book he tossed down next to him. Duo's heart raced and he was breathing hard when he finally climbed up the back of the sofa.
AS bored as he was from watching Heero work on assignments most of the evening, Duo found it even harder to stay awake after Heero turned the television on and became engrossed in a documentary. Duo decided it didn't matter what the Fates had ruled, he was a cupid and it was his duty to help this human find love. Duo yawned and stretched across the sofa cushion. This human was going to need all the help he could get.
~ TBC ~
(1) http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/label/extanatomy/index.shtml
(2)http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/features/greek_gods/other_gods.shtml#asclepius
End Part 2
KwyckSylver
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