Disclaimers: They don’t belong to me, people. Duh.
Warnings: Light lime, nothing major. 3+2
Trowa had searched the safe house for the missing American yet again before giving up. It was obvious now that Duo had managed to slip out of the house when he hadn't been paying close attention. This was a little difficult to believe, since he had been watching Duo almost constantly the entire day, determined to find out where he was going every evening after dinner.
He had noticed, some time ago, that the object of his obsession disappeared every evening, and he had begun to wonder where the braided man went. He even got so desperate that he asked Heero about the other mans penchant to go off alone sometimes, but the Japanese had shrugged it off, saying that it was something Duo had done for as long as they had known each other, even during the war. The other man must have wanted to be left alone, for he finally stated that he had seen Duo disappear into the woods that bordered the back of the house some days, suggesting that he go look there.
The tall man was curious about what Duo was doing out in the woods, but hadn't wanted to disturb the other mans privacy, but now Trowa was growing concerned. Lately, the normally cheerful man was quiet, to the point where it was disconcerting. It had become clear that Duo wasn't sleeping well, and his appetite had been on the wane. These factors were causing the already thin body to appear emaciated, with dark circles around his eyes.
Trowa had been trying to pin Duo down all day, attempting to pull him into conversation so he could work his way around to what was bothering Duo so badly. He also wanted to find a way to tell the braided man about the way he felt, and hoped that his advances would be welcomed. It was going to be hard to admit that he had fallen for the former pilot of Deathscythe, and fallen hard, but he had convinced himself to do it.
So far, Duo had avoided him, blocking any attempts Trowa made to talk, even remaining in his room for an unnaturally long amount of time before they ate.
During the war, Trowa had admitted, at least to himself, his growing attraction for his cheerful comrade. After the fighting was over, and they had joined the Preventers, being paired often for missions, that attraction had grown into something much stronger. He wasn't sure how the information would be received, but he couldn't wait any longer to share his feelings. He just hoped that if he was spurned, it wouldn't change their friendship or their working relationship. He wasn't real hopeful; he just couldn't hide his emotions any longer.
Heero had cautioned him, stating that Duo most likely did not want to be disturbed if he was going to the forest. There had been a time during the wars when the Japanese pilot had gotten curious and had attempted to follow Duo, but he had lost the other mans trail quickly. One thing was still true, if Duo Maxwell didn't want to be found or followed, no one was going to find or follow him. He was, by far, the stealthiest out of the five of them, belying his loud nature.
After a search of the entire house proved fruitless, Trowa made his way to the edge of the forest. He was slightly startled when he heard the complete silence coming from the trees within. There were no noises, not from animals, or birds. Even the trees were silent, no wind blowing to move them.
He made his way quietly down the path Heero had seen Duo take earlier, trying not to disturb anything as he went deeper into the woods. He walked slowly, careful not to make more noise than he had to. Breathing in deeply, he could smell the damp earth, and just a trace of the man he was searching for. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped outside a small clearing.
The American was there, his back to Trowa, his braid falling down the back of his tight black shirt, waving slightly in the wind, brushing against the tops of his thighs, the black jeans outlining the lithe body. Trowa froze, motionless, as he took note of the fact that there was no wind, the air remaining still around him, trying to work out how the other mans hair could be moved by the wind when there was none, and Duo's body was motionless.
Duo turned slowly, his eyes meeting Trowa's, as if he had already known of the other man's presence. “You shouldn't be here, Trowa,” he spoke so softly that the sound barely carried across the small clearing to Trowa's ears, the voice subdued and sad. “Why did you follow me?”
Trowa moved forward slowly, not knowing why he did so, but mildly wary of the look in the violet eyes that were intently focused on him. “I wanted to make sure that you were okay. You've been out here for so long…I was… worried about you. I've been trying to speak to you.” He stopped, still several feet away from the braided man, hands out to his sides, showing that he was no threat.
Duo gazed at him, holding his eyes for a long moment, time seemingly frozen in the small haven of the woods. “It's dangerous for you to be here, Trowa. You should stay away from me.”
“I can't,” he whispered in answer to the plea. “I can't stay away from you. I don't want to stay away, Duo. Please don`t ask me to do that.”
“You don't know what I am, Tro. You wouldn't want to stay if you knew,” again, the voice was soft, a hint of desperation lacing the tone.
He stepped closer still to the other man, almost close enough to touch. “What do you mean? I want to know everything about you.”
Duo moved away, his eyes never leaving the green ones that were focused so intently on him. Trowa began to move closer, stopping when he saw that those beautiful eyes were glowing slightly. Quickly, he looked for a source of light, anything that could be causing that glow, but there was nothing. Duo smiled and began to move farther back into the forest, the trees hiding his form as he moved away, melting into the surrounding blackness of night.
“You have seen part of me that no one ever has before, Trowa. Think carefully before you go any further, and remember that I never lie.” Duo's voice came from all around him, surrounding him. “Once you discover the real me, there will be no turning back. You have to be absolutely sure that this is what you want, because the knowledge will be with you forever.”
Trowa made his way back to the house, not surprised to find the American had made it back before he did. Duo would not look him in the eye, retreating from a room whenever he entered it. Once, he managed to catch Duo looking at him, sadness clear in his eyes.
That night, as he lay in bed, he thought about everything Duo had said to him in the clearing. He remembered the glowing eyes, the ethereal voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. These memories brought back others, from the war many years ago.
He had always wondered how Duo just seemed to know where they needed to go to evade a guard or group of soldiers, how he had had a sixth sense about how to get around people he needed that needed to be avoided. Duo had been able to get out of situations that would have killed most other people. He also recalled the utter ruthlessness of the braided pilot when he had had to fight, be it during a mecha battle or during hand-to-hand combat. He had been able to kill without the guilt plaguing him afterwards, dragging him into depression. He remembers Duo had said that he was…the God of Death.
Trowa had always wondered why he had called himself that, when he had never met anyone that was more alive.
It seemed that he now had his answers, but those answers only brought more questions.
He wanted the answers to those questions, and there was only one place he could get them.
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
He slowly slid the door open, the hinges silent in the still darkness of night. Sliding inside and shutting it behind himself, Trowa fixed his gaze on the still form in the bed, blankets pulled up to his waist, chest bare to the cool night air.
He sat on the bed, knowing the other man was aware of his presence, even if it didn't show in any way. The man in the bed was still, his breath a steady rhythm, a counter point to the beating of Trowa's heart. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and calming his racing heart. When he opened his eyes again, glowing eyes were fixated on him, the violet shining and entrancing him.
“How long have you been Shinigami?” he asked after several minutes of just watching the other man, his eyes raking over the breathtakingly beautiful face, the well formed chest, the perfectly sculpted abs as he spoke.
“Everyone thinks of Death as a hideous, ugly figure, scary and frightening,” Duo's voice was soft, merely a whisper in the dark. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I met him twice, the first time I was too young and foolish to understand why a creature so beautiful would be in such a place at such a time. The second time,” there was a soft wistful sigh, “the second time, I realized he wasn't human. There I was, kneeling in the middle of dead bodies, the Sister at my feet. I…felt…someone near me. I looked up and before me was the most incredibly gorgeous man I had ever seen. He was tall, blonde, and golden. I really can't describe how he looked, but I knew he couldn't be human. No living person could look like that,” Duo's eyes stopped shining, focusing on the green that was so intent on him. “Are you sure you want to know this, Trowa? Once I tell you, nothing will ever be the same. You won't be able to look at me the same.”
He never hesitated, not even for a second, crawling up the other mans body and lying behind him, pulling the thin sheet up to cover them both. He gasped slightly when he pressed up against Duo's very naked body, the heat and scent from the other man overwhelming his senses briefly. He shuddered as a bare ass was pressed against his rapidly growing erection. He placed one arm over the American, pulling them closer together with a soft moan. “I already know who you are; I just want to know how you became who you are now.”
“Don't you mean you know what I am?”
Trowa tightened his arms around that firm body again, “No. I meant what I said. I know who you are. I've always known you were different from everyone else. I've wanted to know more about you for a very long time, Duo.”
The braided man turned over in his grasp, eyes searching his own, glowing slightly once again. Trowa held the gaze for a moment before leaning forward slightly, placing his lips on the soft ones before him. When he pulled away, Duo smiled softly. “Careful what you wish for, Tro.”
“Tell me everything,” he commanded softly, hoping to learn what he needed to know before the urge to kiss the other man ran through him again. One taste of that soft mouth and he was instantly addicted.
“Very well,” Duo sighed, those intriguing eyes sliding closed slowly. “I saw this …creature. This golden …god…for lack of a better word. He was perfect in every way, except his eyes. His eyes were…blank…dead. I stared at him for a long time before I spoke to him. He didn't seem like he was gonna talk to me at first, and I couldn't understand why he was just standing there, watching me.
“What the hell ya gonna do, just stand there and look? Can you help me, damnit?”
“Help you with what, child? They're all dead. You can't help them.” the man spoke, his voice eerily empty of any emotion.
The child's head shot up, challenging. “So you help them,” he sneered.
The man smiled, the effect somewhat frightening to the young boy. The child would have run if the events of the night hadn't already made him strangely immune to anything scary. “You are a very intelligent child, very perceptive.” The smile disappeared, “But there is nothing I can do for them any longer. They have already gone, their souls where they should be.”
“Then why are you still here?”
The man laughed, softly, again no emotion behind it. “You really are a very smart child. Why do you think I'm here? Who do you think I am?”
“You're not human. I guess you're here for me, right?” the child was blunt, not scared at all.
“I'm not human. I'm death. I actually came here for you along with the others, but you managed to escape my grasp, yet again.”
“Again?” the boy frowned, thinking long and hard. “I remember you,” he said suddenly, meeting those dead eyes with his own violet ones. “You were there when Solo died. Did you take him, too?”
“I did,” Death admitted, kneeling beside the small child. “Come with me.”
“Go where?” the braided child demanded, having seen too much in his short life to trust anyone.
“Not far, just somewhere to talk. Do you really want to be here when the authorities come to investigate?”
They went away from the charred remains of the church, the second home that Duo had had in his life, the second to be taken away. He didn't look back as they walked away.
After going a few blocks, the child stopped suddenly, sitting on a low rock wall that had barely managed to survive over the years. He looked directly at the creature before him, eyes challenging. “So what do you want from me?”
“What makes you think I want anything from you?”
“Because everybody wants something from me. That's just the way it is.”
Death laughed again, no humor in the sound. “I guess you would be right, then.”
“So, what is it? You want me to die so you can do your job?”
“Actually I want you to live.”
“You WHAT?” the child gave the first indication of surprise since Death had appeared in front of him.
The creature smiled slightly. “I am very old, and very tired. I can't die. But I want at least part of my soul to enjoy life, really enjoy what it means to live.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
“I want to share a part of my soul with you. You will live, and be able to do things you never dreamed of. People that you care for will be protected. However, there are certain…conditions…that I should warn you about.”
“There always are, ain't there. So what are these conditions?”
“The people you care about will never die from an outside influence, but they will die from old age, there is nothing I can do to prevent that.” Death sighed, “That is not the main concern, however. My soul is dark, and the darkness within my soul will taint your own. If, at any point in your life the darkness in my soul overtakes yours, you will cease to be, and the protection of your friends will be gone.”
The child stared at him for a long time, then narrowed his eyes at the creature before him. “So what happens to me if the darkness doesn't take over?”
“Nothing at all. You will live to an old age, and upon your death, I will regain the part of my soul that I gave you.”
Duo looked at him for a long while, then shrugged lightly. “Why the hell not, it's not like I got anything to lose anymore.”
The American opened his eyes slowly, not meeting the green ones that were focused intently on him. During his speech, Trowa had kept rubbing his hands over the other man's body, light caressing touches that were beginning to really distract them both. “So now you know everything,” he said tightly, waiting for the hands to stop moving and release him, waiting to be pushed away in disgust.
Trowa never let go, holding the other man even tighter for a moment, thinking how close he had come to never meeting the amazing violet-eyed man before him. “Not quite everything. You said that getting close to you would be dangerous to me. How?”
“Because I'm losing the fight, Trowa. The darkness is spreading through me, taking over my soul. One day I'll be gone, and where will that leave everyone here? I just can't fight it anymore, I have no reason.”
The green eyed man pulled Duo close, pulling their bodies together and claiming the other mans mouth once again. “Fight it for me, Duo. I need you with me. I need you. Let me be your reason.”
Startled eyes met his own. Duo seemed to search for something in his expression, in his eyes. “But… why?”
Trowa pulled the other man even closer, so there was no space left between them, reveling in the feel of that lithe, muscular body pressed against his own from chest to knees. Leaning forward, he took Duo's mouth with his own, kissing him softly, yet thoroughly at the same time. Both men were breathing heavily when he pulled away. “You already have my heart, Duo. I am more than willing to share my soul with you as well. If you'll promise to take care of both.”
He was rewarded by a beatific smile from the man in his arms, violet eyes lighting up in sheer joy. Duo leaned forward, this time initiating the kiss, less gentle than the previous one, but no less passionate. The long-haired man pulled back slightly, then proceeded to kiss and lick on Trowa's ears, neck, and every other part he could reach, without relinquishing his position in those strong arms. “I had hoped and dreamed of this, but I never really thought I had a chance with you. That was one of the reasons I was giving up. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, but I didn't believe…”
Trowa stopped the words in the most effective way he could think of, leaning forward and sealing his mouth over Duo's. Soon after, they became immersed in each other, learning how to please each other long into the night, falling to sleep only when the sun began it ascent over the horizon.
On a hill not very far away from the safe house, two figures watched the sun rise, their arms locked around each other. Once the sun broke from its slumber, banishing all leftover remnants of the night, one of the figures let out a long sigh, causing the other to chuckle slightly. “Why the sad sound, love?”
“He is finally at peace. I was afraid I had destroyed him,” golden blonde hair blew in the slight breeze, the pale skin at odds with the dark robe he wore.
The God of Silence tightened his arms around his lover. “We could only hope that they would discover each other before it was too late. There is only have so much we can do in their lives, Thanatos (1); they must make the final decisions for themselves.”
“Free will,” the God of Death snorted in disdain, shaking his head. He gave his love a long, passionate kiss before continuing the conversation. “When will you unveil his memories, Harpocrates (2)?”
“I will let them have some time together first. He may be starting to remember on his own,” the other God said with a thoughtful look. “He took your protégé's news quite well.”
“I have to agree. Being faced with a human that had part of an immortal soul would normally be terrifying, but he accepted it without question,” the blonde God nodded, in deep thought. “It won't be long before we can tell them of their choice.”
The God of Silence gave a small smile in agreement. “I hope they will take it well. I am tired and would enjoy living some years as a normal human before we pass into the ether. It should go better when they realize that their friends will be able to join them as well. We can only wait for the right time, and hope that the others stop dragging their feet. We may be immortal, but the humans are not.”
“It is best to get them when they are young,” Thanatos stated absently, tossing his head to get his golden blond hair out of his eyes. “They are much more agreeable then, less likely to argue about the impossibility of it all.”
Harpocrates agreed with a small nod, then turned smiling eyes to his long-time lover. He pulled his partner into another long kiss, drawing a moan from the blond God, and then pulled back enough to gaze into the eyes he had fallen in love with so many centuries before.
The two Gods enjoyed the silence of the forest behind their hill for a moment longer before disappearing, leaving nothing behind but vapor.
TBC?
Authors Notes:
Thanatos - the demon personification of the God of Death usually portrayed as a youth holding a down-turned torch and wreath or butterfly, a symbol of the soul of the dead.
Harpocrates - Greek God of silence
I have an idea for a sequel for this, but am trying to decide if I should write it or not. Let me know what you think, and tell me if you have any ideas for the next segment! Thanks so much for reading- Angel
Back to Fanfiction