Death is no dream, for in
death
I am caressing you
With the last breath of my
soul
I’ll be blessing you…
- Riverdance
Ten:
Heero made his way through the
lush foliage as he walked towards Duo’s house. It was a ‘secret’ short cut that
he found useful, as having to make his way through the main route was bound to
get some tongues wagging. Even though Duo had spent some time talking with the
three of them after Relena’s departure, the heir still had the faint feeling
that the teacher hadn’t been telling them the complete story.
Preparing a surprise.
Heero
gave a small snort of derision as he unconsciously began to run fingers through
his already mussed hair. Keiko had already done enough damage for one day by
showing her face to him this evening and God knew he didn’t need any more
problems in his life right now. How his mother had failed to tell them about
his cousin’s visit was beyond him. It was not like Hikari to be so forgetful
about such things. Usually, when one came by to visit, the house was always
bustling with activity and preparations weeks
before said guests were to arrive – but not this time. It was as if Hikari had
been so preoccupied with other things that she had failed to mention such a
simple but yet important occasion to her family.
However,
Heero wasn’t really surprised at his father’s reaction. Odin had always made it
known that he didn’t think too kindly of the Asawa family. The head of the
household – Dr. Miko Asawa, was a handsome man who was close to Odin’s age.
Rumor had claimed that Miko had been dating Hikari for some time before
settling for Akiko – Hikari’s older sister by a year. According to the
tabloids, Hikari had been crushed by the event and it had taken her some time
to recover from being dumped in such a manner. Odin had come into her life and
from the get-go, it was clear that both men would not be able to stand each
other’s presence. But for the sake of the sisters - who had reconciled their
differences - both men would have to put up the pretense of actually enjoying
each other’s company.
I have a weird family, Heero concluded as he
stepped into Duo’s backyard. Crossing the poolside area quickly, idly noticing
that several lights were on in the main living room, he made his way towards
the door that led to the kitchen. He was just about to open it when his gaze
caught sight of something that sent his pulse running wild.
Duo
had just stepped into the kitchen….naked!
Heero’s small yelp of surprise was silenced by slapping a hand over his mouth as he gawked at the figure of the older man, who was now running a towel through his damp, flowing locks. From the broad and powerful looking shoulders that tapered down to rippled muscles of the strong back, to the curve of his smooth, but taut buttocks, Heero was left gripping the doorknob with every fiber of his being. He was not sure he could stand on his own much longer. And like a man drunk or high on some kind of drug, he feasted upon the sight of his naked teacher for as long as he was allowed to.
Has
he no shame?! How could he…how could he just walk…?
Just
to make sure again, Heero stole furtive glances around just in case his
eccentric cousin was to pop out of the bushes again to frighten him. Keiko had
been known to do that on more than one occasion. But this time, it wasn’t just
the fear of getting spooked that had Heero so worried, he was sure that if
Keiko got a wind of Duo, there was no telling what she could do to him. If
anyone thought that Relena was bad, they were yet to see what his cousin was
capable of.
And
another thing – he was now as hard as a rock.
Wincing,
he released his death grip on the doorknob and lumbered down the small flight of
stairs to sit down upon it. He buried his face in his hands and tried to still
his thudding heart. What exactly had he come here for again? It sure hadn’t
been to see his teacher naked – not
that the sight was a bad thing.
To
tell him about Keiko…that’s it.
He
took another deep breath and got to his feet, forcing images of naked old women
in skimpy lingerie to kill his erection. Taking another peek into the kitchen,
he gave a sigh of relief as he noticed that Duo was no longer in there. He
pushed open the door gently and stepped into the cozy room, the smell of
something burnt assailing his senses as his gaze went directly to the pot on
the stove. Walking closer to it, he opened it and immediately reeled back as
the force of the stench hit him squarely. Burnt pasta. What had happened to the
wonderful cook of the other day? With a light shake of his head, he made his
way towards the hallway, aware that he had failed to knock or even let Duo know
of his presence.
But
that wasn’t important now. What was important was that he had to speak to Duo
about his cousin. He didn’t know why, but he just felt he had to. His steps led
him into the teacher’s bedroom and he noticed with a small smile breaking out
on his features, that the coast was clear. Making himself comfortable in one of
the leather chairs that graced the room, Heero closed his eyes and waited
patiently for his presence to be noticed.
Sheesh,
where the hell did I put it?
He
tightened the towel he had now draped around his waist and fell to his knees,
hands reaching into the large cardboard box that he had kept a few knickknacks
in to search for the elusive book.
Wrenches,
some tennis balls, baseballs, old magazines, a few articles of clothing that
looked like they belonged in a dumpster, were flung out of the box and onto the
floor. The musty smell of the basement filled his nostrils and Duo was left
coughing for several minutes. It wasn’t really a big room. And it only
contained a few boxes he had been too lazy to unpack - not that he knew where
he was going to keep them anyway.
About
to dive back into the box to search for the elusive item, he froze as he heard
the creak above him.
Hmm…probably
just imagining things.
He
stuck his hands back into the box and pulled out a…leather whip? Where
had this come from? Glancing around him quickly, as if hoping that no one had
come in to see him with such an item, he buried it back into the box and
continued his search, only to sit upright again as the creaks became a bit
louder.
There was no doubt about it now. Someone had entered his house.
He
got to his feet, hands reaching for his trusty old baseball bat. He idly
entertained the idea of it being Heero, but he wasn’t sure about that. In fact,
he was sure that the boy would probably be too busy with his private affairs
and Relena to take notice of him anymore.
Shit.
He
tightened his hands around the bat as he walked up the stairs as quietly as
possible. His body was tense and ready to spring into action in case his
attacker decided to get physical. He opened the basement door and peered around
it carefully, amethyst depths narrowing as the silence that greeted him caused
him to swallow tightly. He wiped his now damp palms against his towel and
stepped out into the hallway.
There
was no mistaking that light, but distinct fragrance that belonged to the heir.
And feeling his heart rate quicken again for reasons that he was yet to
acknowledge to himself, Duo followed it with steps that felt heavy. He pushed
open the door to his bedroom and sure enough, the dark-haired boy had made
himself comfortable in his leather chair – looking as if he owned the entire
house.
For
a moment, they could only stare at each other as if unable to believe that the
other was finally before him. Spots of color filled Heero’s cheeks as he
noticed – thankfully – that Duo had covered himself with the towel, but that
still didn’t take away the breathtaking picture the older man made. His hair,
which was dry in some places, still clung to his body like a second skin. Long
and thick, Heero had to grip the edge of the chair he was on as the incredible
urge to run his fingers through the chestnut-colored waves overwhelmed him.
Finally
finding his voice, his gaze fell to the bat and he whispered thickly. “Are you
planning to hit me with that?”
“Huh?
Oh….this!” Duo had the grace to blush as his gaze fell to the object in his
hand as well. Dropping it to the floor as if he had been handling hot coals, he
placed his hands on his hips and then ran them through his hair with a soft
sigh of exasperation. He had to shift backwards and away from Heero or he was
sure that the boy would notice his current state of discomfort.
“I
really wish you would take the time to ring my doorbell or knock, or at least
give me a phone call to let me know you are coming, Heero,” he mumbled as he
reached for a t-shirt to slip over his head. “The next time this happens, I
might not be so lenient with you.”
He
was surprised to hear the soft ‘sorry’ that came from the heir and for the
first time that evening, Duo glanced back to notice the distant and almost
miserable expression on his student’s face. He felt something hard tug in his
chest and cursing softly, he picked up his jeans and stepped into the bathroom
to quickly slip into them. He was about to reach for his hair dryer to get his
hair under some semblance of control, but decided to give up on that as it was
clear that the young man in his bedroom needed some help. The blush on his cheeks
rose again as he eyed his reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t that he hated
having his hair down, he just didn’t like leaving it in such a manner before
any one else.
He
reached for a black hair band and tied his hair in a loose ponytail. Taking a
deep breath, he stepped into the bedroom, only to squeak out breathlessly as he
bumped into Heero. Reaching out quickly to steady himself, his hands fell upon
the strong shoulders, his lips already parting to ask in concern. “Are you alright,
Heero? I’m so sorry. I didn’t notice you were standing…why the hell are you
standing here anyway?”
The
heir blushed furiously at the close proximity, before shaking his head slowly.
“I…I was just wondering what was taking you so long…”
I
haven’t kissed him in a while, Heero thought wildly as his breathing quickened. He
darted out a tongue to wet his suddenly parched lips, unconsciously moving
closer to the older man. I want to…need to…
“Heero…”
Please, Duo. Kiss me again…
“Duo…”
The
teacher tried. Oh god, how he tried to ignore the feeling of euphoria that was
beginning to wash over him. It was all too easy to give in to this heat that
filled his being at the very thought of taking this boy before him. The grip on
Heero’s shoulders tightened as he leaned closer still. He could feel Heero’s
warm breath against his, could see the tiny flecks of gold within the startling
blue of his eyes.
This
isn’t going to be a dream. This time…this time, I am doing it because I want
to.
He
closed his eyes and pulled the boy within his arms, enveloping him in a
crushing hug as he settled for a chaste and soft kiss on Heero’s forehead.
He
could feel the surprise ripple through the younger man’s body and fully
expected Heero to push him away, but that awkward task was taken care of by the
shrill ring of the telephone. The heir stiffened at the sound, and fazed by the
motion, Duo willingly stepped back. The younger man spun away and in a voice
that was as cold as ice, he asked, “Don’t you think you should get that?”
Without
waiting for a response, he stalked towards the kitchen, leaving Duo to groan in
dismay at the sudden turn of events. Sighing softly, while calling himself as
many names as he could possibly manage, Duo reached for the white object and
all but barked into it.
“What?”
The
small squeak of shock at the other end, had Duo wincing. Relena.
“Uuumm…is
everything alright, Duo?” she asked warily. Duo was sure she was holding the
phone away from her ear, just in case he decided to bite her head off through
the device. With another inward groan, he forced himself to sound cheerful.
“Sorry
about that, Relena. Just…eh…going through some things right now. So, how are
you?”
“Do
you have the book?”
“I’m
still looking for it, Relena. I was sure I had it in the basement, but I
haven’t had the time to really check through…”
The
girl gave an impatient snort. “You told me that you were sure you had it with
you. What was all that talk about you being an expert at dishing out advice
about sex?”
Duo
wasn’t sure of what had happened to the shy girl he had met during the first
few months of his stay there. This Relena was certainly beginning to act like a
spoiled little rich girl, who always had to have what she wanted. When he told
Relena that he had something important to tell her, his mind had been set on
explaining his sexual orientation. But seeing the desperate look in her eyes
had had his mouth going off in the opposite direction. Instead, he fed her a
story of an incredible book with enough things to make Heero never want to let
her go. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing that a decent teacher would suggest
to his students, but in this case, the girl needed a different kind of lesson –
one that could make or break her relationship with her husband-to-be.
The
sound of something falling to the floor in his kitchen jerked him out of his
reverie and clearing his throat, he spoke softly into the phone again. “Listen,
Relena…”
“No,
you listen, Duo. You promised me that you would give me the book. I am sending
Pagan, my driver, to come pick it up. And please have it wrapped up as tightly
as you can. I do not want the entire neighborhood wondering why an old man like
himself is carrying such a book.”
Unaware
that he had been gripping the edge of his dresser tightly, Duo managed a tight
‘Sure’.
“You
have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this for me, Duo,” she continued
to chirp, her voice now filled with excitement. “You are such a darling for
helping me out like this. Hey, that’s why you are a teacher. You always help
out others, right?”
“That’s
my job,” Duo replied with that same false grin on his face even though he felt
like kicking something right about now.
She
laughed softly and with a quick ‘bye’, she ended the phone call, leaving Duo
still holding onto the phone as if wishing it would disappear from his life
forever. Finally, hanging it up, he shuffled his way out of his room and stole
a quick glance into his kitchen. He could see Heero making himself a sandwich
and happy that the boy was mad enough to keep himself busy, Duo decided to go
back to the basement to check for the book.
He
would deal with Heero and his emotions later.
Wufei
Chang was an astute man. At least, he hoped he was. No, he knew he was
or he would have never gotten this far in life. He had always taken pride in
being able to know who his real friends were and now that he thought of it, he
could only boast of actually being close to three people in his life. Meiran,
his uncle, and of course, his wild American friend, Duo Maxwell. Not that there
was anything wild about the teacher lately.
He
sighed and placed his hands behind his head, staring blindly at the ceiling
above him. He was stuck in this hot and rather stuffy hotel room and knowing
that he would not be able to see his girlfriend and bride-to-be for some time,
caused a dull ache in his chest. With a grunt, he rose abruptly to his feet and
made his way towards the window to stare down into the twinkling lights that
lit up the darkened city.
They
had finally reached the Betrothal stage of their marriage where gifts between families
were to be exchanged. The ceremony had been brief, but well executed and thanks
to his uncle’s connections, the problem of having suitable representatives for
his side of the family had been taken care of. Now it was only a matter of two
months before he would be allowed to see his bride again. Somehow, the days
ahead would be the longest ones in his life.
He
eyed the phone that lay on the dresser, debating whether or not to call her,
but figuring that breaking tradition now was bound to mess things up, his mind
drifted to his braided friend instead.
He
wondered what Duo was doing right now.
Although,
it would be a few days before he returned to the Mainland, he couldn’t help his
curiosity concerning the events regarding the older man.
Just
that night spent with Duo and the teens at his luau, had given the Chinese man
more than enough evidence to conclude that his frigid gay friend was finally
open to a relationship. Only problem was of course that they were student and
teacher. He had watched his friend go through a lot of trouble over the past
year or so due to misunderstandings and problems with his teaching methods. And
although he didn’t want to say that he felt sorry or pity for Duo, Wufei
couldn’t help feeling that the other man deserved to be happy for once in his
pathetic life.
Heero
Yuy, hmm? Strange kid.
Strange,
but quite the character. He had seen the determination and yet desperation in
the young man’s eyes and that was something that had tugged at his
heartstrings, to his immense surprise.
Well,
haven’t you been all this time? Another voice taunted, as he rose to his feet to
pick up the phone. A little hello couldn’t hurt. And besides…he owes me one.
He
arranged the thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese before slapping the
second half of his sandwich above it with barely restrained violence in his
actions. He was mad - furious at himself for even thinking that he would have
won Duo over by now. He had been so sure that the teacher had been willing to
kiss him without thinking twice about it, but as usual, he had been proven
wrong.
Chewing
angrily, he was about to reach for his cup of milk when the phone rang again.
He scowled and continued to chew, ignoring it as he figured that Duo must have
a lot of friends for him to be receiving so many in such a short space of time.
Feeling the jealousy rise within him again, he made his way into the bedroom,
with the intent of telling Duo that he was leaving.
“Duo…I
just wanted to let you know that…” he stopped as he noticed that he was talking
to thin air. The phone hadn’t stopped ringing and it didn’t look as if the
teacher was anywhere in sight. Feeling as if his ears were going to fall off
from the shrill sound, Heero placed his snack down and reached for the phone.
“Hello?”
Wufei,
who had been ready to hang up in irritation, found his jaw falling open at the
voice at the other end. “He…Heero? Is that you?”
The
heir felt the chill run down his spine as a million and one scenarios raced
through his mind. Who else knew he was here? How could anyone know he was here?
It clearly wasn’t Trowa or Quatre and he was not sure that there were any of
Duo’s friends who knew about him…
“Is
this Wufei?” he asked quietly even though his tight grip hadn’t eased on the
receiver.
The
Chinese man gave a short bark that was supposed to be a laugh. “Geez, Duo is a
pretty fast worker at this rate.”
Heero
felt the color flood his cheeks, not failing to notice the innuendo behind the
words. “I am not…I mean, he is not…we are not…”
“Sure,
sure, you’re not, Heero. So, if you
aren’t…what are you doing there?”
Eating
a sandwich and feeling sorry for myself. “Nothing,” he replied defensively. “Did you want to
speak to Duo?”
Wufei recognized the need for Heero to change the topic and deciding to indulge the boy’s needs for now, he gave a nod. “Yeah, I do. Is he around?”
Heero
backpedaled to glance into the bathroom, before shaking his head. “No, he’s not
here. Wait, I will call him.” Covering up the mouthpiece, he opened up his
mouth to bellow. “DUO! YOU HAVE A PHONE CALL! IT’S WUFEI!”
An
eerie silence greeted his words and the boy struggled not to give in to the
panic he was beginning to feel. Where had Duo gone? It wasn’t as if the
guesthouse was that big and he had definitely not heard the front door open. He
removed his hand and spoke into the phone again, hoping his voice didn’t give
away his worry. “Could you please hold for a minute or two? I have to go look
for him.” Without giving Wufei a chance to reply, Heero placed the phone down
and began the frantic search for the teacher.
“Duo?
Duo?!” He raced into the living room, even going as far as lifting up the
couch. He checked the laundry room, the guest room, and the den and just as he
was about to make his way back towards the bedroom, his gaze eventually fell on
a door that was slightly ajar. How had he failed to notice that one?
Opening
it quickly, he noticed that it led to the basement. “Duo?! Are you down
there?!”
For
a few moments, only the muffled sounds of something moving below caused Heero to
hold his breath in hope. Finally, the shadow of Duo’s familiar frame came into
view, quickly followed by the man himself as he lifted his head to smile at the
boy above him.
“Hey,
Heero. Did you need me for something?” he called out cheerfully, although the
boy could see that the teacher seemed to be hiding something underneath his
arm.
“You
have a phone call from Wufei,” he replied quickly, stepping backwards and away
from the door as Duo began to make his way up the stairs. Lowering his lashes,
he mumbled out quickly. “I have to go now. I was going to tell you that my
cousin was here anyway and I will introduce you to her tomorrow.”
Duo’s
eyes widened in surprise. He had thought that Heero had no real close relatives
and he quickly shook his head at the ridiculous thought. Of course families
like these had to have an extensive lineage. It would only be natural for Heero
to have millions of cousins.
“Well,
that’s nice to hear. I’m sure you are more than excited to see her, right?” He
had now stepped out to the hallway, still clutching the book as tightly as he
could. He would have to find a way to wrap this up quickly without Heero
noticing. However, as luck would have it, the heir didn’t seem to think that
his deduction was right.
“I
am not happy to see her. You don’t
know what she is like, Duo,” he muttered as he unconsciously began to follow
the taller man towards the living room and into his den. He leaned against the
doorway as he watched Duo begin to wrap up a book with sheets of newspaper.
Wondering why the teacher looked like he was doing something illegal, Heero
shrugged and continued his tirade. “She is a loud mouth who smokes and curses
at will. She is rude and likes to boss others around.”
“Charming,
isn’t she?” Duo concluded as he tied the knot around his package and stared at
the haphazardly wrapped book with a grimace. It would have to do for now. He
wasn’t sure he had the time to do anything else at the moment…
“Your
doorbell.”
“Huh?”
Heero
gave a soft sigh of exasperation. “I said your doorbell is ringing. Do you want
me to…?”
“No,
no! I’ve got it!” Duo cried out quickly as he made a beeline for his front
door, leaving Heero gaping at him in surprise.
Well,
things were certainly beginning to get exciting around here.
The
frazzled looking teacher opened the door and came face-to-face with the smiling
visage of a man who seemed to be in his late sixties. He was dressed in a black
uniform with the familiar insignia of the Peacecraft family on his breast
pocket. Pagan, apparently, tipped his hat in courtesy.
“Good
evening to you, Mr. Maxwell. I was sent here to…”
“Yeah,
I know…” Duo stepped outside and closed the door behind him quickly, hoping and
praying that Heero didn’t get too curious. Keeping his voice low, he held out
the wrapped package. “Please tell her to be careful with it, Pagan. And
that…eh…I hope she uses it well.”
The
driver gave a small nod, that polite smile never wavering from his features. “I
will be sure to do that, Mr. Maxwell. You have a good evening now.”
“Yeah…you
too,” the teacher replied softly as he watched the older man make his way down
the stairs and back into the black limousine.
Once
the car was out of sight, Duo sagged limply against the front door, unable to
believe that he was having such a chaotic evening.
Wait
a minute? Had Heero said that he had a call from…Wufei?!
Jerking
alert, he spun around and placed his hands on the doorknob to open it, only to
find to his dismay and growing irritation that it wouldn’t budge. Rattling and
turning it this way and that, the stupid door still refused to open.
“FUCK!!
Why the hell is this happening to me?” He had forgotten to remove the safety
catch that was attached to the door. And with a resigned sigh, he lifted his
finger to press the doorbell, only to have the door open up quickly and a
cordless phone shoved in his face.
Duo
caught glimpse of a scowling Heero and was about to thank him for his help,
when Wufei’s irritated voice filled his ears.
“What
the hell is going on there, Duo?! I have been waiting here for an hour!”
The
teacher winced and stepped into his house, trying to see where the young heir
had stalked off to. He was sure he could hear Heero moving around his bedroom,
but he couldn’t be sure.
“Listen,
Wufei…this is kind of like a bad time…”
“Bad
time? Bad time?!” came the shrill and increasingly agitated voice on the other
end. “What the fuck do you think you are doing with him, Duo? You know that he
is your student and if you two get involved like that, you could get FIRED! I
didn’t waste my time creating that resume for you to go fuck up like this…”
Duo
was beginning to get a headache and as his fingers caressed his temple gently,
he could only hope that….
CRASH!!
What the hell?!
“Wufei!
I will call you right back, okay? I have something to deal with now!” And without giving the Chinese man
another chance to speak, Duo hung up the phone and practically ran into the kitchen,
where Heero could be seen on his knees picking up the pieces of the plate he
had used earlier for his sandwich.
There
were droplets of blood on the floor and Duo didn’t need a scientist to tell him
that the younger man was picking the pieces up with no regards to his welfare.
“Heero,
stop doing that!” he cried out desperately as he moved over quickly. Falling to
his knees as well, he tried to reach for Heero’s hand, but was surprised to
find it smacked away angrily. Duo noticed that the boy’s breathing was a bit
ragged and it took him only a second later to realize that Heero was…crying.
“Heero…”
he whispered thickly, unaware of what he had in mind to do to help his student.
That burning sensation deep within his heart seemed to flare anew. And like a
man being controlled purely on instincts, he reached for the trembling boy’s
hands and forced him to drop the shard of glass that had been digging an even
deeper cut within his palm.
“Let
me go, Duo. Just let me go!” Heero sobbed helplessly as he struggled against
the older man’s body. He was tired. Tired of having to deal with adults who
didn’t seem to care about him. Tired of having to pretend to be something that
he wasn’t. Tired of trying to hide his emotions from a man who was proving to be
the best thing to ever happen to his life.
But
his words of protests were muffled by the feel and taste of Duo’s lips on his.
Pairs of cobalt still shimmering with tears, widened in surprise at the kiss.
His wrists were still being kept prisoner within Duo’s hands as the sounds of
glass crunching beneath their feet filled the thick silence in the room. Heero
closed his eyes with a soft sigh, the warmth of his blood now flowing freely as
it pooled within Duo’s hands.
There
was something different about this kiss. Something that made Heero’s tears fall
even faster than before. This wasn’t his tentative shy attempt the first time
around. It was Duo’s turn. The older man had taken the initiative and all he
could do was savor the moment for as long as he could. Was that Duo’s tongue?
It tickled his lips, urging him to let go and without giving it a second
thought, he complied willingly.
Heaven…or somewhere close to
it.
It
was intense and now fevered as their tongues met and danced with a tune that
was only familiar to both of them. A moan or a groan, from either of them was
heard, but neither could care at this point. Duo’s hands slid from his hold on
Heero’s wrists to capture the hands themselves and ignoring the dull pain from
the cuts on his palm, Heero clasped the offered ones tightly.
It
seemed to be an unholy communion. Something about his blood being shed for this
man. He would do anything for Duo, he realized frantically. Anything at all…
I love you. I honestly,
truly think I do…
All
too soon, he was released for much needed air. His chest heaved with the
intensity of the kiss they had just shared. He was afraid of opening up his
eyes, not sure he wanted to deal with the harsh reality that awaited him. With
a groan, he rested his forehead upon Duo’s shoulder, never relinquishing the
tight hold on the teacher’s hands.
If
only they could remain like this forever.
“Heero…”
Duo muttered thickly, as he closed his eyes to inhale the sweet scent of the
boy’s hair against his chin. His entire body was one mass of ache and need and
he was sure that Heero was faring no better.
I want him. Dear God, I want
him. What do I do now?
“Will
you…will you take me, Duo?” Heero whispered softly against the older man’s
shoulder. “Please…make me…make me feel
again, Duo.” He squeezed the teacher’s hand gently, conveying all that his lips
could not say. The fear of rejection hung heavily in the air and Heero was sure
that if Duo denied him again…he wasn’t going to be able to take it.
But
as the clock chimed the eleventh hour, Duo Maxwell knew now that he could no
longer put up with the pretense. And brushing aside the faint warning words
from his best friend at the back of his mind, he whispered softly into the
thick dark locks of his student.
“Come
with me, Heero. Let me teach you all over again…”