Captured

Trieze watches quietly as the prisoner is led away, Trowa bowing slightly before following them out. He was not surprised his brother had responded the way he had to the boy’s invasion of his personal space. Heero had never been an overly affectionate person and regarded strangers as a threat. No, it was his body language that Trieze was picking apart. When Heero had first entered the room his brother had been shocked, not noticeably, but the pausing of his breath and upward twitch of his eyebrows told the King all he needed to know. Then his rapt attention to the Fay creature he’d pulled from behind him and then whilst watching him dance also piqued the King’s interest. Not many things could invoke such reaction in his brother. But it was when Duo had stepped up to the Prince had Trieze gotten a gauge on his brother‘s reactions. Before the slap came Heero had actually leaned toward Duo! Not away in annoyance, but almost as if he were trying to get closer. And instead of trying to cause as much damage as possible, his brother had check his blow, merely tying to get the other away from him, not show him a lesson or discipline him as he’d said.
Suddenly Trieze grins, the pieces clicking into place. This was something he’d never talked with Heero about, never thought he would have to. He laughs a little before sighing, how on earth were they going to get an heir now? Moving to the bedroom door he raps on the wood lightly before letting himself in without waiting for an answer. Heero is standing by the fireplace deep in thought, not noticing his brother’s entry. Walking up behind the form bathed in flickering firelight Trieze lets his hand rest lightly on the rigid shoulder. Heero almost immediately deflates, a raged sigh piercing the air.
“ I am sorry Trieze, I do not know what came over me. I do not want you to think I do not appreciate…”
“ Heero, come, sit, lets talk.” Nodding silently Heero moves to a worn armchair, obvious in the indents that it saw much use, while King Kushrenada splays himself in a fit of comfort across an ornate couch, still in arms length of his brother.
“ Now, Heero. I’ve never seen you so lost in such a trifle thing.” With Heero, it never helped to mince words. The dark haired boy leans forward, resting his elbows against his knees as his fingers steeple in thought.
“ I treated your gift quite harshly…”
“ Duo.” Blue eyes snap to green, an eyebrow lifting. “ He may be my gift, but he will soon be yours, his name is Duo.” Heero nods, his eyes shifting to stare into the fire.
“ Duo…” For the second time he’s entranced by the name, so simple for such a complex creature, not to mention beautiful….
Trieze almost grins as he sees the exact moment his brother’s thoughts turn to less-than-polite; his breath catches, hips shift, eyes lid to half mast, fingers clenching a little tighter. The minutes pass as Trieze allows the other time to wallow in his own thoughts, before he decides to take pity on the younger man.
“ What do you think of him?” Heero’s breath exhales forcefully, his head shaking in annoyance and…denial?
“ He is crass, impudent, dangerously treacherous…” Trieze laughs and reaches out to swat at his brother’s shoulder.
“ That’s J talking through you. Forget the teachings Heero, what do you think of Duo as a person?” He’d often had to do this, remind his brother that every thought he had did not need to be preconceived. It happened much less often than it use to, which spoke volumes itself since J’s teaching usually came out when Heero was at a loss or uncomfortable with a situation. If Treize was betting on a guess, he’d say Heero was feeling both and much more.
“ I suppose…he has skills if he has killed as many courtiers as you boast…” Trieze moves his hand in a “go on” motion. Heero’s eyes squint in thought, trying to put into words his feelings, something he still struggled with.
“ He has valor, for risking himself to take care of orphans. I admire his dedication.” Eyes look to the King for approval, which is given with a satisfied nod. But Trieze had more he wanted his brother to admit.
“ When I caught him I was so completely taken aback by him I laughed.” Heeo grins, finding this not so hard to imagine. His brother had once cried whilst laughing when Heero had been cornered by an overzealous girl in pink, the resulting incident causing Heero to blush for the first time in his life.
“ I thought he would make a good assassin and a wonderful present, but I did not think he would be so beautiful.” Heero nods in agreement before he can stop himself, Suddenly realizing what he’s admitted, he flies to his feet he begins to pace the room, Trieze’s chuckles doing nothing for his dark mood. Seeing his brother in distress the ginger haired man pulls the reins of his amusement sharply back, standing to take his brother’s shoulders in hand.
“ Heero stop.” Cobalt eyes pierce into him, but he doesn’t back down. He wasn’t a king for nothing. “ Heero, its alright to be attracted to a man. To be attracted to Duo.” Those eyes widen and Heero’s head shakes in denial.
“ No, I am not like that! I have a duty and honor to uphold…” The sharp sting to his face has his hand retreating to his weapon, but he checks the movement, realizing it was his brother that had hit him. The merriment had melted from his brother’s eyes and he remembers this is the man that had killed more than his own share of men, led an entire country and stood strong in the face of wars, plagues and many attempts on his life.
“ Heeo, I grow tired of hearing my father’s words coming from your mouth. You do our mother a great disservice by it! She did not want her sons…!” But his throat is too choked to continue. Heero softens, his anger melting away. Anger would not help the situation, it was not always the answer, but a way to hide from the truth.
“ I am sorry brother, you are right. Its-its just I’m so confused by the way I feel.” Trieze grins, his amusement back ten-fold.
“ Your mind may be confused, but your body knows what it wants to feel; soft, pale skin under its fingers and lips, long soft hair caressing its skin, a tight warm…”
“ Trieze!” Heero explodes, his body responding to the picture conjured by those words. Backing away once more Heero flops into his chair, an ungraceful move forced by shock.
“ Tell me I’m wrong Heero.” He opens his mouth to do just that, but finds the words catching just behind his teeth. Growling low in his throat Heero hangs his head into his upturned palms.
“ God Trieze what am I going to do!” Trieze smiles kindly, taking a more sedated seat on the couch. He’s seen Duo staring at his brother, and if it was his guess once again he’d bet that it was a hungry look he’d seen in his eyes. Perhaps this attraction went more than one way.
“ Seduce him.” Heeo looks up sharply, his wide eyes astonished.
“ How…” Is breathed so quietly, Trieze knows his brother did not mean to say it.
“ Why my dear brother, do not tell me you have not yet mastered the art of seduction. You‘ve already one princess wrapped around your finger.” Heero flushes hotly and Trieze almost feels sorry for the jibe, but his brother was so cute when he blushed.
“ I have no idea why that girl has fixated on me, save to do things which I would not mention in a brothel.” Trieze laughs wholeheartedly at this, causing Heero to give a weak smile. Calming down, Trieze actually gives Heero’s question some thought. How had he seduced Wufei? Then he winces, bad example. He’d been turned into every exotic animal known to man for his troubles, so he suppose they may not work so well.
“ Try to get to know him Heero, find things he likes and do them for him. Do not treat him as a servant, instead try to be his friend, care about him.” Heero boggled. He hadn’t needed to do those kinds of things for anyone outside of his brother. Accept for Quatre and Trowa perhaps, but they had each other to fill in the gaps Heero left gaping in their friendships.
“ But how…” Trieze waved an impatient hand.
“ Just do whatever comes natural, if its meant to be then may the gods smile upon you. Right now, you have an assassin that needs to have a guise put on.”

Duo was sitting on the edge of the bed, nursing a wet cloth to the bruise throbbing along his cheek and jaw. Quatre had given him a cream, but he’d yet to put it on. In some sick sort of way he enjoyed having a reminder of who he was and who Heero was. Heero was his master, allowed to discipline him however he wanted. No matter how beautiful or sexy, or mouthwatering those skin tight pants clung to his…
“ Duo?” The slightly accented voice has Duo’s head turning towards the door. Why was Heero here? To add a black eye on top of everything?
“ Yeah, come in.” He didn’t exactly know the protocol of being a slave. He’d never allowed himself to consider the situation, let alone how to act in it. Then Heero was in his room, still breathtakingly handsome and Duo almost hated him for it. Staring at the floor he heard Heero come to stand in front of him. Duo grit his teeth as the minutes pass in silence, he’d be damn if he’d be the one.
“ I’m sorry.” Duo looks up in astonishment. Heero’s eyes were adverted, but Duo watched as the Prince forced them to look back at Duo, waiting. Waiting for what? Oh!
“ No, I-I’m sorry. This whole slave thing is sort of taking me some time to get use to, I may…have over stepped my boundaries.” Heero seems to relax at this, his hand reaching out. Duo couldn’t control the automatic wince and his heart aches as a flash of hurt crosses Heero’s eyes.
“ Duo, you should never have to shy away from me. That quick burst of anger is most…unusual for me.” His hand moves the final distance to remove the cold rag from the bruise, and Heero feels a fresh wave of guilt seeing the angry purple and red. Duo watches as the Prince fumbles around in his pockets before pulling out a jar of familiar looking lotion, but before he can explain he already has some, Heero has unscrewed the top to dip two fingers into the salve.
“ Here, tilt your head back.” Duo moves to the command, gasping when cool fingers trace along his jaw.
“ Does that hurt?” Heero’s voice sounds husky and Duo closes his eyes to the instant arousal he feels. Shaking his hand, the fingers retreat before coming back with even more lotion, smoothing over his cheek, rubbing in soothing circles. Duo lets out deep sigh as the pain eases, the caressing letting tension to seep out of him. All too soon the fingers retreat for a final time. Opening his heavy eyelids, Duo watches as Heero pulls some strips of cotton from his pocket, fluent black writing adorning the surface, much as Wufei’s had.
“ What are those?” Heero looks up, his throat clenching seeing Duo’s eyes half-lidded, almost-ecstasy written in his face.
He clears his throat. “ It is the command guise Quatre has prepared for me, hold out your hands.” Lifting them from the bed Duo belatedly realizes Heero is tying one of them to his wrists
“ Wait, stop!” Heeo looks up sharply, not understanding the distress. Duo calms himself and tries to find words to explain his unease.
“ Its just-do you have to put them there?” Heero frowns, his eyes growing dark.
“ You must have a command guise…” But Duo is shaking his head.
“ I understand, just does it have to be on my wrists. Its just…” Heero is confused by the fear his slave is feeling…then it dawns on him “don’t treat him like a slave” Trieze had said. Heero’s eyes soften.
“ Roll up your sleeves.” Still a little frightened, but not willing to disobey Heero, Duo does as he’s told to his right arm, almost sighing in relief when Heero ties one of the cotton pieces around his upper arm, then the other. He smiles gratefully at Heero who returns it with a warm smile of his own. Duo is taken-aback by how much younger Heero looks with a smile, even a small one.
“ What is it?” Heero whispers, not understanding the emotions passing in Duo’s beautiful eyes, but wanting to know them all the same.
“ You should smile more.” Heero blinks and Duo wants to smother himself with a pillow. Since when did his mouth talk without permission?
“ I mean! Its just…you look nicer, uh-more approachable, not that you look ugly, at all, I mean…” Heero covers the boy’s mouth with his hand, another smile gracing his lips.
“ Thank you. Now sit still and when I prompt you for answer, go ahead and answer in any fashion you wish.” Duo nods in long, languid movements, the calluses of Heero’s well-worked hand feeling rough against his lips
Heero had a hard time wrenching his mind from where else he’d love to feel those soft lips and tries to remember the words to activate the guise.
“ Duo, do you promise to honor and obey my commands, to serve in my best interest, to be a trusted companion and trust that I will do you no harm?” Heero blinks, the last part wasn’t part of the original incantation, but it was important to him that Duo knew he was meant no further harm by Heero.
“ Yes, Heero, I trust you and I promise.” Heero’s heart swells hearing those words, they seemed so heartfelt and true. Duo did not know where that answer had come from, but as soon as he’d said it, he realized it was true. He trusted Heero, saw the good in him, saw his contrite and above all he saw the loneliness. He felt sure he could find a way to ease Heero’s pain.