Pull the Trigger and the Nightmare Stops�

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Gundam boys, I just like to imagine them in my own little world (which is totally of my making). No profits are made from this story, just gratuitous pleasure.

Summary: They were thrust together at the age of 14, members of an assassins guild, then rudely ripped apart at the age of 21. Now, three years later, Duo walks back into Heero's life. The rollercoaster ride has just begun as they must learn to live together once more and to love each other again. Life isn’t always easy, living with Duo, and Heero has to fight hard to remember that.

Rating: NC-17

Warning Codes: Anal,Angst,AR,H/C,Lang,M/M,OC,Oral,Violence,WAFF,WIP,Yaoi

Pairings: 1x2


Feedback is appreciated. I enjoy hearing from all of my readers. That you take the time to read is great, that you take the time to write is awesome. You are what makes writing worth while. I hope that you enjoy reading it and I look forward to your comments.

My sincere thanks to the following:

Everyone who has taken the time to read, even if you don’t have the time to review. Thanks to all of you for giving me the chance to entertain you.


~*~

Pull the Trigger and the Nightmare Stops…

“dear my friends in the time we've spent forever after beyond this when will our nightmare ever end?
pull the trigger and the nightmare stops...”

Part 25


Duo awoke to Quatre looking down on him, and was a bit startled until he remembered that he was in the atrium and not in his bedroom.

“Did you sleep out here all night?” Quatre asked curiously.

“Yeah. I was restless, so I thought I’d look at the stars for a while,” replied Duo, yawning. “I didn’t expect to fall asleep. What time is it?”

“Lunch time. I came out to ask you if you wanted to join us. We’re eating out on the back patio,” Quatre told him, smiling as Duo yawned sleepily again. He knew Duo always slept badly when Heero was away. He was sure he’d feel the same way if Trowa was gone.

Duo smiled, stood up stretching, then followed Quatre out to the back porch where a small mound of sandwiches and some cold drinks awaited them. They joined Trowa and wasted no time in digging. Soon there was nothing left but a few crusts. Duo sat back with a contented sigh. As he relaxed in the sun, his phone vibrated in his pocket, causing him to jump slightly. He pulled it out, looked at the caller ID and his face lit up. Heero. Duo moved away from the table and sat on the steps of the garden while he texted Heero back.

How are you, babe? [Heero]

Good. Missing you. [Duo]

I won’t be too long. My flight is due back in early Wednesday morning. [Heero]

I was lonely last night. I couldn’t sleep without you. [Duo]

I know. Soon, babe. It’ll all be over soon. [Heero]

I hate the waiting. [Duo]

Me, too. But this will be the last time. [Heero]

Promise? [Duo]

Promise. [Heero]

I’m holding you to that. [Duo]

I never break a promise. [Heero]

I know. That’s why I love you. [Duo]

So that’s the reason. I thought it was because I loved you. [Heero]

Bastard. [Duo]

Aw, sweetheart, you say the nicest things. [Heero]

I’ll nice you. [Duo]

Promise? [Heero]

Yeah. And I always keep my promises, too. [Duo]

I know. I can’t wait. [Heero]

You just don’t know what I have in store for you. [Duo]

Something sweet, I hope. [Heero]

Oh, it’s sweet alright. [Duo]

I’m counting on that. [Heero]

Count the minutes until you come home. [Duo]

I am, baby, I am. I have to go now. [Heero]

So soon? [Duo]

I’m sorry. I’ll call you tonight. [Heero]

I’ll be right here waiting. [Duo]

I know. I love you. [Heero]

Love you, too. Miss you. [Duo]

Miss you, too, babe. [Heero]

Duo left it at that, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He turned back to where Quatre and Trowa sat talking quietly about wedding plans. A smile crossed his face, seeing how happy the two looked together. He never wanted their happiness to be shattered as his and Heero's had been. That had been devastating and they were still trying to put the pieces back together. He truly hoped that what they were doing would protect that contentment that the two had found with each other. To that end, he would do everything he could to preserve what they had achieved between them.

He walked back to join the two and sat quietly, enjoying the warm sunshine that was bathing his tired body. Soon his mind started to drift and he felt himself dozing off, so he excused himself and went to his room to nap before dinner.

~*~

He awoke refreshed and alert. Dinner was a quiet affair, and Duo was feeling unsocial at the moment, so he excused himself from the invitation to watch a movie, opting instead to listen to music in his room.

He put in his CD, one he very seldom ever listened to, and sang along to the songs, each and every one a cry for his Heero to come and rescue him from his loneliness and solitude. Playing his favorite songs once more, he prepared himself for another sleepless night alone.

He practically pounced when his phone rang.

“Heero?” he said breathlessly.

“Hey, babe,” Heero answered. “How are you doing?”

“Okay, I guess,” he replied. “I really miss you.”

“I know baby. I miss you, too,” Heero said. “What are you doing?’

“Listening to my CD,” Duo told him.

“You’ll have to play it for me when I get home,” said Heero. “Maybe I can even get you to sing for me.”

“Maybe…” said Duo, coyly. “Shinigami’s performances don’t come cheap, though.”

“I’ll pay any price,” Heero told him.

“Any price?” Duo asked archly, knowing that Heero liked to qualify his bargains.

“Any price,” replied Heero, surprising Duo.

“In that case, I’ll take a kiss,” Duo told him.

“I’m sure it will be worth a lot more than just a kiss, but if that’s what you want, then you got it, babe,” Heero promised.

“A kiss from you is worth more than anything from anyone else,” Duo vowed.

“You’re sweet,” said Heero. “I must have done something right to end up with someone as sweet and wonderful as you.”

“Ah, you’re making me blush,” replied Duo.

“You’re sexy when you blush,” said Heero seductively. “I want to see that blush on your face when you sing for me.”

“You got it, 'Ro. Anything that you want from me,” Duo promised.

“I hate to change such a delightful subject, but I don’t have too much time left,” Heero told him. “Is everything going alright?”

“Like clockwork,” Duo responded. “I’m just counting the minutes.”

“Are you ready for your big début?” asked Heero, not wanting to give too much away.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. It should be a great show. And it’ll be even better because I know that you’ll be there for it,” said Duo.

“Nothing could keep me away,” replied Heero. “I’m you biggest fan. I’m going to be front row, center for it.”

“In that case, I’ll make sure that it’s a show that you’ll never forget,” vowed Duo.

“I’m counting on that, babe,” Heero told him. “I’ve got to go, Duo. I’ll be in touch with you sometime tomorrow, alright?”

“You got it, 'Ro,” replied Duo. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

“Try to get some sleep, okay?” Heero asked him.

“It’s so hard, with you away,” Duo sighed.

“I know, but you need to rest,” said Heero. “I’ll be back with you soon, and I want you awake and ready for me.”

“I’ll try. I miss you,” replied Duo, a plaintive note in his voice.

“I miss you, too, sweetheart,” Heero told him. “I love you more than you could ever imagine.”

“I can imagine a whole lot, so it must be a tremendous amount,” said Duo, trying to be playful and end their call on a positive note. “I love you that much and more.”

“I guess we’re just going to drown each other in a sea of love, then,” laughed Heero. “I have to go now. I love you. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Love you, too, 'Ro,” replied Duo. “Call as soon as you can.”

“I will,” Heero told him, then hung up on the one person in the world that he was willing to die for.

Duo closed his phone and threw himself on the bed with a heavy sigh. He tried to relax, knowing he had to sleep. Soon he felt himself dozing, and then there was nothing but blackness as he slipped into a deep slumber.

~*~

He awoke early the next morning and slipped into the kitchen to get something to eat before the rest of the household began to stir.

He felt himself slipping into that place in his mind that he would escape to whenever he had a job to do. He felt himself becoming detached and feeling impersonal, divorcing himself from anything that could distract him from what he needed to do. He knew how he was at times like these, and without Heero there to act as a buffer, he knew it was going to be rough being around the other members of the household, especially Quatre. Duo was pretty sure that Heero had talked to Trowa about him, but Trowa knew he couldn’t let on anything to Quatre that might give away their home field advantage.

And so he tried to stay away from everyone that day, answering questions with monosyllables and looking at them as if they were strangers.

Had Heero been there, he would have recognized Duo's ‘working mode’ and given him the space he required to prepare himself for the pending situation, but Heero was far away. Knowing that they wouldn’t understand, Duo tried to insulated the others from his cold impersonalness, but he couldn’t explain things to them. Quatre had no idea of his past, and now wasn’t the time to educate him on it, so Quatre was at first puzzled, then hurt by Duo's lack of reaction to anything he said.

When Duo refused to respond to him as he normally would, Quatre started to badger him until Duo all but exploded at him, then Quatre ran crying to Trowa, unable to comprehend what was happening.

“Trowa, I don’t know what’s wrong with Duo,” Quatre sniffed as Trowa cuddled him, “but he’s really mean today. Do you think it’s because Heero isn’t here? Do you think he’s going to be alright? That he won’t try to do something? Something bad?”

“He’ll be fine,” Trowa soothed the distraught blonde. “Just give him some space, okay?”

“But I’m scared,” Quatre responded. “I’ve never seen him like this before. Maybe we should call Simon. Maybe he could get Heero home sooner.”

“No. I don’t think we need to bother Simon with this.,” disagreed Trowa, knowing it was most likely Duo's reaction to the impending situation. “Heero has a job to do and we have to let him do it. We really don’t know Duo all that well, and he really doesn’t know us, either. It’s got to be a hard situation for him after all he’s been through. He’s just a little moody, that’s all. Just stay away from him for now.”

“But… but he feels empty,” said Quatre. “I don’t like what I’m feeling. He’s cold and empty. It’s almost like he’s dead inside.”

“He’ll be fine. Heero's due home tomorrow,” replied Trowa., knowing that they should do nothing to upset the delicate balance that Duo had achieved, but was unable to tell Quatre why he was the way he was. “Just leave him alone.”

“Okay, but if he gets any worse, I’m going to call Simon tonight,” Quatre told him.

~*~

The rest of the morning was quiet, Quatre wisely giving Duo a wide berth, but there was a subtle feeling of impending doom settling over the house. Trowa decided to call in WuFei, hoping that the silent boy would offer a little bit of a buffer between the worried Quatre and the stoic Duo.

Duo felt bad about snapping at Quatre and did his best to stay out of the blonde’s sight, knowing that he should apologize, and knowing that he wouldn’t. He was glad when WuFei showed up a while later and invited him outside to spar.

He threw himself into the exercise, using it to burn off some of the tension that had built up around himself. After a couple of hours, he felt a calm descending upon himself and Quatre visibly relaxed. Duo was ready.

His mind was sharp, his sensed alert. He saw everything moving past him in slow motion. He analyzed every move everyone made and planned his every response in relation to everything around himself.

He spent an hour or more taking apart, cleaning and oiling his guns, ensuring that they were in prefect working order and sharpening his knives to a razors edge.

Duo, the killing machine, was as ready as he ever would be. The excitement of going into action was starting to build within him and soon he was wound as tight as a coiled spring, ready to snap at a moments notice.

Calm descended upon him momentarily as his phone alerted him to a message from Heero.

Are you alright? [Heero]

Great. [Duo]

You sure? You seem a little over wound. [Heero]

I’m fine, now. [Duo]

Now? [Heero]

I just needed to hear from you. [Duo]

Alright. I’ll call soon. [Heero]

Good. [Duo]

It was brief, but it grounded the long-haired assassin. His Heero was there for him. His Heero was watching his every move, and he believed in him implicitly.

Now, he waited.

Duo looked serene as he came out of his room to get a glass of tea. He declined the offer to join Quatre and Trowa for dinner, knowing he was never able to eat before a job, but softened the refusal with a small smile.

WuFei refused dinner as well, announcing that he was on his way out to pick up Sally for a date. They were going to go to dinner than to see a movie, and most likely, he wouldn’t be back that night. As the door closed being him, Duo felt time snap back to normal.

He went out into the atrium and paced. He was as tense as a racehorse that had been loaded into the starting gate and was now waiting for the bell to ring and the gate to open. His heart was pounding and the blood was rushing in his ears. It was almost time and he felt himself drowning in the sensation.

Suddenly, everything seemed to be rushing at him in double time. Then his phone rang, and he grasped at his lifeline.

“Heero,” he breathed softly.

“Alright, then, babe?” asked Heero.

“I’m good. How about you?” replied Duo.

“Good. Missing my sweetheart, though,” said Heero, a teasing tone to his voice, trying to help Duo relax. He could hear the tension in Duo's voice and knew he was ready to snap into action. He knew he had to hold tightly to the reins and keep Duo focused, hold him in check until the right moment, which was hard to do long distance. He needed Duo to keep his edge and not lose it before the race was run. It was a thin line Duo was walking right now.

“I miss you, too. The waiting is the hardest part. I can’t wait until you’re back with me,” said Duo.

“I know, but it won’t be long,” Heero reassured him as best as he could. “Shall I bring you something back from my trip?”

“Just bring yourself. That’s all I want. To have you here with me,” answered Duo.

“You now I’m always near, even when I’m away from home,” Heero told him.

“A phone call is no substitute for really having you beside me,” replied Duo wistfully.

“I know. It’ll all be over soon and I’ll be back with you again,” answered Heero. “I’d better go, things are starting to pick up here, and I need to check out some stuff. I’ll get back with you before you go to sleep, though.”

“Promise?” asked Duo.

“Of course. You’ll be hearing from me before you know it. Relax. Try not to let things get you too wound up, okay?” Heero asked as he got ready to let Duo go back to his nervous pacing.

“You know me too well,” Duo laughed. “I’ll try to sit and relax a bit, but it’s hard.”

“I know,” Heero reassured him once more. “Just don’t let yourself get too distracted. Just keep thinking that I’ll be with you soon.”

“Not soon enough, but I’ll be alright,” said Duo. “You just make sure that you don’t get delayed by anything. I want you home when you’re supposed to be.”

“Nothing can keep me from getting back to you. I won’t let anything delay me. I’ll be there, just as I promised you a long time ago,” Heero vowed.

“I’m holding you to that,” Duo told him.

“You can count on me. I’ll talk to you soon babe. Love you,” said Heero.

“Love you, too, 'Ro,” replied Duo.

They hung up and Heero had to be satisfied that he’d taken a little of the edge off of Duo. Not much, but enough that Duo would focus on the matter at hand and not fly to pieces before things started to go down.

~*~

Duo finally quit his pacing of the atrium and went back into the lounge, where he flopped into the recliner and pretended to watch the program that Quatre and Trowa were watching. This was the calm before the storm.

Soon. It was all going to happen very soon. He could feel it in the air. The culmination of all of their plotting and planning was about to come to fruition. The phone rang, seemingly overloud to Duo, and he jumped just a bit as his phone vibrated simultaneously.

The flag was up, the gates were open and they were off. The race had begun, and Duo was in the lead.

~*~

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