Pull the Trigger and the Nightmare Stops�

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Gundam boys or their world, I just like to imagine them in my own little world (which is totally of my making). No profits (as in no money made by me) 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, so please review, it makes me so happy.

My sincere thanks to every one who has waited so patiently and continues to read.


~*~

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 34


“Hey, babe,” Heero called loudly, hoping that Duo would hear him over his splashing and singing. “Your food is here. Duo?”

“Yeah, 'Ro? What’s up?” came the answering holler a couple of minutes later.

“Your food,” reiterated Heero.

“Food? Awesome. Be right there,” Duo exclaimed. A larger amount of splashing ensued, and Heero took that to mean that Duo had left the tub. A few minutes of quiet followed before the door burst open and a naked and somewhat damp Duo entered the sitting room.

“Food?” he asked, looking around eagerly.

“Duo,” Heero snapped. “For Pete’s sake, put some clothes on.”

“Who’s Pete? Why is he here in our room?” Duo asked, finally homing in on the sandwiches. “And why should I put clothes on for his sake? He shouldn’t even be in here. He isn’t getting any of my sandwiches, I’ll tell you that for free.”

“There is no Pete, it’s just an expression and you know it. Go put some pants on or you won’t be getting any sandwiches,” said Heero, blocking the way to the food.

“Awww, you’re no fun tonight, 'Ro,” Duo pouted.

“I’m lots of fun,” replied Heero. “But you don’t need to prance around the room wet and naked. What if somebody came in here? Like that silly girl?”

“Nobody just walks in on people here,” said Duo airily. “It wouldn’t be proper. And all of the Winner employees are very proper, I’d bet money on that.”

“Whatever,” replied Heero. “No pants, no food. And did you mop up the water on the floor after you got out of the bath? And let the water out of the tub?”

“Yes, mother,” said Duo with a theatrical sigh as he headed for the bedroom. “Where did you put my clean boxers, mom?”

“I’ll mother you,” Heero warned, a touch of menace playing in his voice.

“You already are, 'Ro,” Duo quipped as he came back into the sitting room, now clad in a pair of silky boxers. “But I still love you anyways. NOW can I eat?”

Heero sighed in resignation and headed for the bathroom while Duo dug into the pile of sandwiches. The tub was draining and Duo had made an attempt at mopping up the water he had splashed on the floor tiles. By the morning it would be completely dry. Heero snagged the towel left on the floor, deposited it into the hamper, then went to see if any food had been left for him.

Heero took the remaining sandwiches and settled next to Duo to enjoy the food. He even managed to tune out Duo's incessant chattering. He felt relaxed for the first time since the whole operation had began. It had been a grueling several weeks and he was glad to see the end of it, it’s success only marred by the wounding of the love of his life. But even that was small in comparison to what could have been. All in all, it had been a successful mission.

And it would be the last. W.E.I. had bigger plans for his Duo. They might not be less stressful, in fact they would most likely add a lot more stress to their lives, but they would certainly be safer. And he would be in a better position to protect Duo from harm, standing beside him, not watching and waiting at a distance. He would learn to deal with the stress of all of the people that would be gathering around Duo, attracted like moths to a flame. At least he would be by Duo's side at all times, and his looming presence should keep most people at arm’s distance.

Heero was pulled out of his musings by the sudden cessation of Duo's voice. Looking at his lover, he smiled to see that Duo was barely keeping his eyes open. Heero took Duo's plate from his lax fingers, sitting it on the coffee table before Duo dropped it on the floor, then got to his feet.

“Come on, Sleeping Beauty,” he said, reaching for Duo's hands. “Let’s get you into bed before you fall asleep out here and I have to carry you to bed.”

Duo mumbled something incoherent and took Heero’s outstretched hand, allowing himself to be pulled upright and led into the bedroom. Heero got him to the bed, where upon he immediately flopped down across the foot, eyes closing.

“Let’s get you in bed properly, so that I can have some room, too,” said Heero as he pulled back the blankets.

He grabbed the boneless Duo under the arms and pulled him back to his feet then gently maneuvered him back into the bed. Heero was willing to bet that Duo was asleep even before his head hit the pillow. That was alright, though. Duo could use a good night’s sleep.

He looked at Duo's stitches and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to leave the dressings off for the night, and so simply pulled the covers up to Duo's chin. Duo murmured something, turned and rolled up into a ball with a contented sigh.

Heero went back to the sitting room to straighten up the dishes and shut off the lights. Then he went to join the comatose Duo in a good night’s sleep, after taking care of his personal needs in the bathroom, happy in knowing that he wasn’t going to have to drag a reluctant Duo out of bed early in the morning for another torturous day of being confined in a moving vehicle.

With a contented sigh of his own, Heero switched off the light, wrapped himself around Duo's warm body and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

~*~

Heero awoke the next morning feeling relaxed and refreshed. A glance at the clock on the bedside table told him that it was just past 7:30. It was usually a given that, left to his own devices, Duo would not roll out of bed before 10:30 at the very earliest. Duo loved to sleep in when ever he could. So Heero would have some time alone to make a few necessary phone calls, without interruption.

Heero rolled out of the bed and grabbed his last set of clean clothes from the dresser, making a note to himself that he would need to take Duo on a full blown shopping spree in the next day or so. They had nothing in the way of clothes except for what they had purchased yesterday and the clothes that they had left the safe-house in and most of those were in dire need of washing after the car trip. Maybe he could get some idea of the best places to go shopping from Berta. He would have to ask her about that later. And also about transportation while they were living here. Heero had no idea of what had happened to Duo's car, but was pretty sure it was gone and untraceable. They would have to look into getting a new car as well, at some future date, but at this point in time, clothing was the necessity.

Heading into the bathroom, he took care of his morning ablutions, forgoing a shower for the moment, because he knew that Duo would be wanting to wash his hair later on, and the best way to accomplish that particular task was in the shower, so he would get his shower then.

Exiting the bathroom, he stopped and picked up the tray of dishes from last night. Right now he could use a cup of coffee, and what better place to head than the kitchen? So it only made sense to take the tray with him instead of making Berta make a trip upstairs. And after getting his coffee, he could find a quiet place to make his phone calls. He knew that Simon and Quatre would be anxiously awaiting calls from him, wanting to make sure that they had arrived at their destination safely, and he also needed to update Sally on Duo's condition. She would most likely want to make a visit to their new residence to check on Duo herself.

Heero left the sleeping Duo behind and walked down the staircase with the tray in hand. At the bottom, he recalled the direction that the housekeeper had gone when she left them last night, and so headed in that direction. He was rewarded by finding the door to the large kitchen almost immediately.

“Good morning, Berta,” Heero greeted the housekeeper as he entered. “Where would you like me to put this tray?”

“Heavens, Mr Yuy,” replied the housekeeper, hurrying over to take the tray from him. “There was no need for you to bring it down. I would have fetched it when I went up to straighten your room later on.”

“It was no problem,” Heero smiled. “I was heading down here anyway. Besides, Duo is still sleeping and I didn’t want him bothered. And as to straightening our room, don’t worry about it. If you will just leave clean sheets and towels, we will take care of the room ourselves.”

“But sir, that’s part of the job,” Berta protested. “At least let the girl change the sheets. She’s here twice a week, after all, and I need something to keep the lass occupied.”

“I understand,” Heero replied, “but Duo and I really like our privacy. No offence to the girl, as I don’t know her, but we prefer that no one is in our room when we are not around. It makes Duo uncomfortable to have someone he doesn’t know having access to his personal belongings, not that we have many belongings at the moment.”

“I understand, sir,” said Berta. “I will keep the girl out of your rooms if that is what you wish, and will drop off the sheets and towels myself. Now then, is there anything I can do for you at the moment?”

“Perhaps a cup of that wonderful coffee, and a quiet place where I can make a couple of phone calls?” Heero asked.

“Of course,” the housekeeper beamed. “It is a lovely morning, not too cool. Would you be liking to sit out on the patio while I bring you a tray? And perhaps a bite to eat as well?”

“The patio sounds fine,” Heero assured her. “And maybe just some toast? I’ll eat when Duo wakes up and comes down, but I could use a little something right now.”

“Fine, then,” she replied. “Just you head on out through that back door there, and I’ll be out in two shakes.”

Heero headed for the indicated door and let himself out onto a wide, flagstone patio. He took a seat in one of the comfortable deck chairs and had a look around himself. He noted that the balcony to his and Duo’s suite had a staircase leading down to the patio. They would be able to go outside without wandering through the kitchen every time. He also saw some other sets of doors further on that he presumed led into a living room or someplace like that. He would have to go exploring once Duo was up and about. For now, he needed to make his phone calls.

Berta came out at that moment and sat down the promised tray on the table beside him. Heero paused to sip the coffee she poured him and to eat a couple of slices of the toast before he pushed the call button on his phone.

The call was answered almost immediately.

“Simon. Heero here,” he said. “Yes, we arrived in one piece, sanity intact.”

Heero and Simon talked for several minutes, Simon apprising him of the plans and arrangements that he had made for Duo in the way of a voice coach and a choreographer. Heero was relieved to hear that those people would be staying in apartments that the company would be providing in the town, rather than on the premises with Duo and himself. Heero had not been looking forward to strangers invading their sanctuary on a full time basis. Simon also told him that he would be sending some material for the two of them to look over in the next few days. Heero agreed that they would wait to make any final decisions about the songs until Duo had a meeting with the voice coach, who would be able to advise them on the material best suited to Duo's voice and range.

After assuring Simon that he would keep him apprised of Duo's progress, Heero said good-bye and hung up.

One call down, two to go. Heero poured another cup of coffee and gazed out over the vast grounds that spread out behind the spacious house while eating the rest of his toast.

Straight back was what appeared to be an English style garden, with lots of paths to wander along and a variety of strategically placed benches for sitting and relaxing among the flowering splendor. There was also a small gazebo for those not wishing to partake of the sun. To the left of it was what seemed to be a Japanese water garden, complete with koi ponds, dwarf cherry trees and a myriad of other beautifully flowering bushes. To the right was a pool house that serviced the Olympic size heated pool and the natural looking hot-spring style hot tub. Beyond all of that stretched a small forest of different types of trees.

Workers swarmed about busily, almost looking as if someone had stirred up an ants nest as they went about their daily chores. The grounds keepers and gardeners certainly worked hard to keep the estate neat and tidy, Heero noted. From everything he’d seen so far, he felt sure that he and Duo would be comfortable and safe here.

Done with his coffee and toast, Heero dialed the next person on his list.

“Sally? Heero here,” he said, settling back to talk with the woman.

This conversation lasted a bit longer, as she wanted to know the details of the drive, how Duo had held up to the strain of confinement, how much of the drugs that he had taken and if Heero felt that he still needed them for pain control, something Heero assured her that he would not as they were now settling into their new environment. She also questioned Heero about the condition of Duo's shoulder, how much he was using it, and the way his stitches were holding up.

Warning Heero to try to keep Duo from over exerting the healing muscles and flesh, she also cautioned him about not letting Duo soak the stitches in water for too long. Then she arranged with Heero for herself and WuFei to come down on the weekend so that she could check on Duo in person. Heero agreed to try and keep Duo as inactive as possible for the next few days, thanking Sally for taking the time to come and check on her patient, to which she had laughed, saying to was a great excuse for her to get away and have some quality time with WuFei, of whom she had grown quite fond.

Heero hung up, then geared himself up for the last call. Quatre. He knew that the energetic blond was going to want to come and stay with them, but he was hoping to convince him to wait at least week or maybe two, until they had gotten settled, and then to limit his stay, as Heero was hoping to get Duo into a routine of working with his voice coach and choreographer as soon as Sally gave the okay.

Sure enough, as soon as the phone rang, Quatre answered. Heero would have been willing to bet that the blonde had been sitting and holding the phone, waiting for him to call.

“Quatre. Yes, yes, it’s great to talk to you too… Yes, the trip was good… Yes, Duo is fine… No, it wasn’t your fault… Quatre, there is nothing to forgive you for… No, you did everything you were told to do… No, you couldn’t have done anything else… Yes, I’m sure…” Heero finally just let the blonde babble on until he ran out of breath. Honestly, sometimes Heero could swear that Duo and Quatre had been made from the same mold.

After a few minutes, Quatre calmed down and finally got around to asking what Heero knew that he had been dying to ask about. A visit. Just to make sure that his idol, Shinigami, was indeed aright and being well cared for by both Heero and the staff of the house, something, he assured Heero, he needed to do in person. Heero finally convinced him to wait until after Sally had made her visit, and the blonde reluctantly allowed himself to be persuaded.

That finally agreed upon, Heero asked about Trowa, and got a twenty minute plus diatribe on the horrendously awful trip the two of them had made, the stops and inadequate hotels along the way, the place they were currently staying in, with all of its shortcomings, and how much Quatre missed the two of them and couldn’t wait to see them again and how he wished they could all live together again, wouldn’t it be wonderful? When he finally ran out of steam, Heero managed to say good-bye, again reassuring the blonde that, yes, he and Trowa could indeed come for a visit soon, but no, it probably wouldn’t be wise for all of them to live together in the same house at the present and that they would be seeing them soon.

With a sigh, Heero finally hung up and settled back for some peace and quiet, and another cup of coffee.

That lasted for all of about five minutes before he heard Duo's voice calling to him from the balcony above. So much for Duo's sleeping until 10:30 and Heero's peace and quiet in the sun.

~*~

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