01-Oct-2002
Ohayo! Gomen for the cross-posting. And I'm very, very sorry that the last few parts took so long to get out... I'm having trouble with figuring out where to take the fic next, and getting the time to write it. =^-^=;;;; Thanks for sticking with me despite my slowness!
"How the hell did Deathscythe get all the way out here?" Odin blurted incredulously, raking a hand through his hair. Heero stood beside him in the hallway, Duo's limp body a dead weight in his arms. Deathscythe stood before them, halfway between the mobile suit hangar bay and their former cell. Frozen in mid-motion, the giant mobile suit's thermal scythe had sheared halfway through a nearby wall before apparently deactivating; behind it, the hallways were in ruins; twisted metal and wires hung from the walls; the ceiling had been demolished, the beams laying among the rubble; here and there the bodies of guards lay, still smoking.
Heero blinked, once, but the image before him did not change. Glancing down at the still form he carried, a strange feeling of unfamiliarity and -- fear?-- swept over him. How much more did he have yet to learn about the boy he loved?
"It doesn't matter --for now," his mouth set firmly, eyes narrowed in resolution. "Let's just get out of here. I'll take Duo in Wing; you get Deathscythe."
Odin glared suspiciously at the unmoving suit, before nodding shortly. "When we get home, though... you do realize we're going to have to have a very long talk." He glanced at Heero, his face grave. Heero returned the gaze frankly. "I don't doubt it."
<He looks so innocent, so helpless, laying there,> Odin stared down at Duo's sleeping form, which they'd lay on Heero's bed a few minutes before. Heero was in the shower, cleaning up and winding down from the strange mission they'd just completed, and Odin was trying to calm his own troubled thoughts.
Duo -- Shinigami -- his "child's" lover and his own worst enemy -- were one and the same. Had once been, long ago, the being he himself had loved. So very long ago... Gently running his fingers through Duo's silken hair, he closed his eyes, overwhelmed by ancient memories of his own loss, long ago.
<Don't you see? It's the only way! Shinigami must be contained -- the elders say it is our last chance, before he becomes too powerful to be stopped.> His lover's eyes -- pure, violet eyes-- stared up at him, beautiful and haunted.
<I don't care, damnit! I love you! I can't accept that you're willing to throw your life away like this!> The being now known as Odin clutched his lover tightly, his entire body aching at the thought of losing him forever to Shinigami.
Finally, his lover drew back, staring deeply into his eyes. <Beloved-- we cannot let Shinigami remain unchecked. He will destroy all life on our planet if he is not contained. And the only way to do so is to bind his essence to another -- a soul pure enough, and strong enough, to restrain him, and fight his influence.>
<But why you? Haven't we both fought enough against him? Haven't we given enough?> Bitter tears stung Odin's eyes, blurring his vision into a haze of violet. Gentle fingers wiped away his tears.
<There is no one else, Beloved. You know as well as I, that only I can do this task.>
<But... what will I do without you...?> Odin whispered brokenly. Loving arms encircled him, holding him close. <I will be with you, always... as long as you love me, remember me,> his lover's voice was a soft brush of air against his cheek. <And as you love me, promise me... that Shinigami will not triumph, so long as you live... that you will fight him-- even should he be a part of me....>
<I promise,> he choked on the words, tears closing his throat til he could barely breathe. It was all he could do-- promise his very life to the being he loved, and keep his promise till the end of time.
Heero leaned against the slick tile wall of the shower, feeling the warm water beat against his skin; feeling the warm tears flow down his cheeks. Sensing Odin's emotions through their strange link was still disconcerting, especially when they hit so close to home. Would he also lose Duo in the battle against Shinigami? Already he couldn't imagine life without the braided pilot. Duo occupied a space in his heart, a warm, living place that would always be his and his alone. Friend. Lover. Mate. He had become a part of Heero, as surely as Odin had. Somehow Heero knew this; that he would not be complete without Duo.
Slowly, he turned the knobs on the shower, halting the stream of water. The air felt suddenly chilled around him, without the warmth of the water. Feeling the cold wrap itself around him, his first thought was that he suddenly, fiercely needed to see Duo. See him with his own eyes, know that he was, for the moment at least, here and alive.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he strode into the bedroom. Odin stood next to the bed, staring down at Duo, who still slept, features twisted slightly, as if plagued by unpleasant dreams. Odin glanced up at Heero's arrival, not speaking. Duo stirred slightly, a soft noise of complaint passing his lips, before settling again. Heero moved to touch his lover's cheek, softly.
Duo sighed, arching into the touch. Heero's name was a bare whisper of sound, a slight smile curving his lips. Heero found himself smiling as well. Somehow, no matter how strong Shinigami's influence may be, Duo would still recognize him, still respond to him. He was sure of it. Feeling Odin's eyes upon him, he glanced up. The naked longing and envy were clear in his cobalt gaze; followed by a flash of guilt, as his gaze met Heero's, and he flushed.
"He's yours now," Odin whispered. "I know that. I just wish... we could have had more time, he and I. It was so long ago; and I've been following him ever since; only able to touch him in the heat of battle." Images flickered through Heero's mind with Odin's words; seeing different planets, different bodies, as Shinigami reincarnated time and again; sometimes remaining buried within the body's psyche, sometimes breaking free to wreak havok and bring death. And each time, Odin was there, forced to see the same violet eyes he had once loved, staring out of a different form, glazed with Shinigami's mocking rage.
<How many times will I have to kill him?> The thought was plaintive, despairing. Heero felt an answering rush of adrenaline, but for two very separate reasons, leaving him torn and confused. On the one hand, Shinigami had to be stopped. He knew this. But on the other... Heero simply could not imagine killing Duo. Could not even contemplate the possibility. He would give his life in a heartbeat for Duo's. But he could not imagine standing by while Odin tried to kill him. Even if it was to destroy Shinigami; the demon would simply rise again, in a new body, and Duo would be gone, forever.
Odin glanced away, sensing Heero's turmoil. <I won't ask you to stand aside, Heero. I still don't know... when it may come down to that. If the time comes....> his thoughts trailed off; instead he turned to gaze at the sleeping figure once more, gently fingering a lock of chestnut hair.
Shinigami waited. He listened to the voices around him; so similar, the both of them. From Duo, from the memory of a long-dead spirit, he could feel deep love for each of them, but it did not concern him. What were the insignificant feelings of a few pesky mortals to a god? He would kill them both, he decided. They would be so pretty covered in their own blood, the perfect skin torn. Maybe he'd rip out those beautiful blue eyes.
From inside came shrieks of outrage, refusal, denial? <Don't you dare touch him, Shinigami! I swear I'll kill you before I let you hurt him!> Duo's anger was a palpable thing, pulsing and red, and he drank it in sweetly.
<Soon... very soon... they will both be mine...>
End Part 17
C+C will be so incredibly appreciated!
(:./madcat/separate17)
