Braids and Waves

Parings: 1x2, 2x1 (eventual!) 3x4

Warnings: Little bit of fluffiness then another nice little cliff hanger for you ^_^.

Notes: All I can say is I don’t think happiness should come too easy as you will see in this chapter. Damn I love being evil!

Thanks: To my little demons (my muses!) who would not let this story
lie.

Summary: Duo is living with Quatre and Trowa. But what no-one
realises is why. And what happens when they find out the truth,
especially Heero.

Enjoy

Chapter 14 – Storm Brewing


“Duo.” Heero breathed, hardly daring to believe his eyes. The violet eyed beauty smiled.

“Yeah, it’s me Heero.” The Japanese man stared at the creature in front of him.

“I finally found you.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Oh gods Duo, I… can’t believe it, it’s been so long.” Duo couldn’t meet the intense blue gaze.

“I know.” There was a long silence. Duo looked back up. “What’s wrong Heero?”

“I nearly gave up on you. I thought I’d lost you.” The merman swam up to him and grasped him in a tight embrace.

“You didn’t, you found me… and I’m so glad.” He felt Heero shudder against him. “Heero?” He pulled back to see tears in the Prussian eyes. “What’s wrong?” He could feel his stomach squirming.

“It was all my fault. I never meant it. Any of it. I just was so… scared. You scared me and I didn’t know what to do and, and… I just got so angry and I hate myself for it. I can still see your face when I said that and it’s haunted me ever since. I never want to see you like that again. I never meant to hurt you and I never wanted to loose you and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry-“

“Shh.” Duo grabbed Heero back into his arms. “It’s alright, love. I forgive you.” He kissed the top of his dark head.

“I travelled all around the world trying to find you. I’ve been looking since the day you left and haven’t stopped. There was no sign of you anywhere and now I think about I never even thought how I would find you, I just needed to. I really thought I’d lost you forever.” Heero murmured when he managed to calm himself. “I would have never thought I would find you here. Why here Duo? Of all places, why the UK? And come to think of it, why Wales?”

“I thought that was my job.” Duo smiled gently, Heero drew a blank. “Babbling.” Duo couldn’t resist holding Heero closer when a streak of pink covered his cheeks.

“Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s kinda cute to hear you babble, and it’s wonderful just to hear your voice again.”

“Really?” Deep blue eyes looked through dark, sodden bangs a little nervously.

“Yeah really. As to why we’re here. Ok, so it’s not Barbados, but that’s the point. The sea there is really clear and beautiful but that makes it very dangerous for us. Remember how you reacted when you knew what I was?” Heero nodded a little nervously. “Well imagine that if everyone could see us, they have glass bottom boats and everything there, we’d be found far too easily. Whereas here, what can you see?” Heero looked down at the water.

“Not a lot.”

“Exactly, were a lot safer here. Besides, Wales is kinda cool.”

“Damn cold you mean.” Heero shivered, suddenly feeling the chill of the water.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Those three are cousins of mine. They can’t resist a handsome man. What can I say; good taste runs in the family.”

“Cousins… You found your family?” Duo nodded.

“Yeah, they were so glad to see me. They kinda disowned my mum and have been regretting it ever since. They recognised me because I look just like she did apparently. I told Tro and Quat the story when you’d…”

“Hey, forget about it. I’m just really glad for you.” He gave Duo his brightest smile. “Um, Duo what would those three have done with me?” Duo gave a nervous giggle,

“If they were feeling nice they might have just played with you a bit, then left you on the beach.” Duo didn’t meet the blue gaze.

“And if they weren’t?”

“They would have held you under until you drowned. You wouldn’t realise though as you would have been too happy with them.”

“Great, just great. I think I owe you another one, for saving my life again.” Duo shrugged,

“It was nothing. Just didn’t want another dead body floating around here.” Heero stared at him with disbelief until he saw the laughter in the violet eyes.

“Oh yeah, yeah, very funny. You would miss me.” The laughter quickly vanished.

“I did miss you. So much.”

“Me too.” He reached out a hand and brushed the bangs away that clung to the elfin face. He leant forward until their lips were almost touching. “I love you Duo Maxwell.” Duo had barely time to breathe before Heero kissed him. He quickly melted in the embrace he had been longing for. Both of them were so engrossed in each other they didn’t realise how far they had drifted from the yacht, or how choppy the sea had become. It was only when Heero heard a loud thunder clap above that he broke the kiss and looked around him. Then the rain started.

“Um… Duo. I think we’ve got a problem.” Duo looked at the sky as a fork of lightning danced across it. Panic filled his eyes.

“We need to get back to the yacht.” Heero simply nodded and aimed for the yacht that was twisting about on the raised waves. It didn’t take him long to realise he wasn’t getting very far. In fact he was getting further away. He looked around him and realised Duo was not next to him.

“Duo!” He cried out just as the thunder rumbled once more. A large wave carried him further away and he tried again. This time he got an answer but it sounded so far away. Another wave managed to pull him under before he could call again. He struggled to the surface, his eyes stinging from the salt water.

“Heero!” He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Duo’s voice shouting next to him.

“The current’s too strong!” Heero yelled back, the wind taking his voice. Duo dived under the waves and came up next to him.

“I’ll help you.” Heero nodded and Duo held onto his arm. “Trust me?” Heero just looked before Duo dragged him beneath the waves, making the course a little easier for both of them. Very quickly Heero’s lungs began to burn with the lack of oxygen. He found himself pulling out of Duo’s grip to swim upwards. He finally managed to break the surface as his head started to spin. He was able to get one gasp of air before a wave rolled over him, pushing him under once more. He struggled for the surface, having completely lost his sense of direction. Another wave crashed over him and sent him spinning away. He was thrown against something hard and bashed his head against it and quickly fell into darkness, letting the waves claim him.

-x-

When Heero opened his eyes, the first thing he realised was that he was breathing. The second thing was that he was on dry land. He suddenly sat up and very quickly wished he hadn’t. His head began to swim as if he was still in the sea, it made his stomach churn. When his brain decided to stop spinning, he looked around. It was still raining but the storm seemed to have died out. He could still see the yacht anchored out in the bay. One less thing for Quatre to kill him about. He gingerly raised his fingers to his temple and felt the large bump there. He realised that it had been the yacht that he was thrown against. The one thing that would have meant he was reasonably safe was the one thing that nearly killed him. Great. He then realised that he was on his own.

Heero carefully stood up, fighting the nausea that threatened as his world began to spin again. He looked out to sea and saw nothing but white tipped, grey waves and the yacht silently riding over them. There was no sign of Duo. Heero began to walk along the beach for any sign of the merman. As he approached an outcropping of rocks that reached out into the water he heard his name being called. It vaguely sounded like Relena, that thought made him shudder. When he looked around, he saw the black haired mermaid, one of Duo’s cousins, further out concealed by the rocks. She indicated for Heero to come over.

Heero was a little cautious at first, knowing what she and her sisters had done to him before, but seeing the look in her eyes made him quickly forget that. Worry, anger and sheer terror shone in those eyes. He climbed over the rocks to her as quickly as he dared.

“What’s wrong?” He asked her carefully, still unsure as to her motives.

“I am sorry about before.” She whispered, her voice still captivating but not full of charm like it had been.

“That doesn’t matter.” Heero told her firmly. “Tell me what’s wrong. It’s about Duo isn’t it?” The mermaid nodded.

“I saved you when you were unconscious. I brought you to shore as far as I could. Knowing now that you know Duo, I couldn’t let you die.”

“You saved me?” Heero couldn’t help the surprise in his voice. “But what happened to…” The girl sobbed.

“The current was too strong. As a rule we don’t go near to the surface when there is a storm. We may be strong swimmers but the sea is stronger.”

“Duo was trying to help me get back to the yacht, we got split up. That’s when I hit my head.”

“Duo, was carried away by the current, he ended up on the shore and then…” The horror that filled her eyes made Heero fill with dread. What could possibly strike so much fear into her?

“Please carry on.” He urged.

“They took him.”

“Who, who took him?” He could see the tears in her eyes now. She raised a shaky hand to the nearby cliff with a bleak looking building perched at the top that Heero hadn’t noticed before.

“Surfed.”

-x-

Anyone going ‘ooooh’ and then screaming at me? Yeah I get that a lot these days. New chapter will be up soon. Patience, lovely people, is a virtue!