SquidgeWorld Archive

Armistice Wedding
by Sephiroth
Sephiroth@map.com

Blindfolded, bound and gagged, Duo trembled with barely controlled rage. He would make them pay. Oh yes, indeed. They would pay dearly for daring to tie him up like this. He worked the knots out of the ropes and began to fiddle with the locking mechanism of the trunk. No go. It was too dark and the car was bouncing too much. His hands closed around a gun. It was somehow familiar, but he didn't have time to speculate on its make and model. He'd used up too much of his oxygen trying to pick the lock. He had to get out now.

As the fire from the flamethrower curved back and engulfed him, Duo realized that he had just made one very big mistake.

"Shit!" the Oz soldier swore as he saw the smoke rising from the trunk about ten minutes later.. He pulled the car over. The trunk was too hot to touch and he had to force it open with a crowbar. The entire trunk was a bed of flame at this point. Duo lie in the middle of it. "Son of a bitch!" the soldier swore as he pulled Duo from the flames and extinguished the fire on Duo's badly burned body. "Zechs is gonna kill me if he finds out." He found a pulse. "Thank god."

First he called the hospital, then he called the base.

Zechs waited for the car with Duo Maxwell to arrive. They would be joined in wedlock soon. The war was coming to an end at last, and the arranged marriage of Zechs and Duo would seal the peace accord.

At first Zechs had been strongly opposed, but as he began to observe Duo more closely, he couldn't help be endeared by the young pilot's skill and determination. Not to mention his uncanny ability to talk for long periods of time without stopping to draw breath.

"Sir," his personal aide sounded troubled, that did not bode well. Personal aides usually sounded troubled when there was bad news they didn't want to deliver.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Sir, there is a problem."

-PART TWO-

Zechs paced the waiting area of his private hospital. He paused and glared at the doors leading into the surgical area. Beyond them, Duo was undergoing intense surgery as the doctors attempted to save his life.

He'd suffered second and third degree burns over most of his body. By some strange miracle his hair had remained undamaged. It was as if the braid loved Duo as much as Duo loved the braid. Zechs couldn't blame it. Even though this was an arranged marriage, he wanted Duo as his spouse.

//But does he want you?// he wondered. //We want peace and a wedding between our groups would be the perfect way to seal it, but does Duo want this?//

He resumed pacing.

//You're afraid.// he told himself.

"Ridiculous." he argued back. "I'm Zechs. I fear nothing."

//You're afraid he'll die. You're afraid of losing Duo.// he admonished himself. //You're trying to convince yourself he wouldn't want you anyhow so that if he dies it won't hurt as much.//

"Nonsense."

//A perfectly normal reaction to death.// He told himself.

"Duo is *not* going to die." He concluded, refusing to listen to that nagging voice anymore.

The door leading to the exterior hallway opened and Zechs turned to see Heero and Trowa being shoved in, both blindfolded. He went over and unblindfolded them.

"I'm sorry about the blindfolds." he said. "But until this war is officially over, the location of this base must remain a secret."

Heero gave the simple nod one would give a respected enemy. "I heard Duo was hurt. Where is he?"

"He's in surgery." Zechs replied. "It was bad. I won't lie to you."

"What happened?" Trowa asked.

"He was badly burned." Zechs informed them. His voice grew dark and despondent as he told them about the terrible injuries Duo had sustained.

"But he'll live." he said in a rather unconvincing tone.

"If he dies, I'll kill you." Heero growled.

"You'll lose him even if he lives." Zechs pointed out.

Heero nodded. "I don't like that wedding idea one bit." he confided. "I know it was only set up to separate me from Duo. Still, this peace treaty is important, so I'll put up with it for the sake of peace."

Zechs sighed. "I love him, Heero." he admitted. "One cannot have the type of respect I had for Duo for very long without falling in love with him."

Heero had to admit this was very true. It was, after all, the same way he'd fallen in love with the braided pilot.

The door to the surgical area opened and one of the doctors who'd been operating on Duo stepped into the room.

-PART THRE-

"How is the patient?" Zechs asked as the group gathered around the surgeon.

"He's going to be fine." the surgeon replied "I'm frankly amazed. He should've died, but he pulled through. Pardon my saying so, but that's one amazing fiance you have there, sir."

Zechs nodded. "Yes. He is. When can I see him?"

"I want to see him, too, Zechs." Heero cut in.

"When can *we* see him?" Zechs amended.

"You can see him now, though he's going to be under for a while."

Zechs nodded in understanding, then walked into the recovery room with Heero and Trowa in tow.

Duo was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. There were machines hooked up to him, monitoring his vital signs. At present, he was unconscious, but at least he was alive.

Zechs sat in a chair by the bed, his eyes never leaving Duo's bandaged form. "My poor darling." he said. "My exquisite Duo." he kissed Duo's bandaged lips, then sat back.

Heero was glaring at him. "Can't you wait until your wedding day to take him away from me?" he asked.

Zechs nodded. "Its in three days." he replied. "I can be patient until then."

He stood up and let Heero take his place.

"Duo, my love." Heero told him. "I'll always love you. I promise."

-PART FOUR-

Duo woke early the following afternoon. He'd had the best burn specialists and plastic surgeons working on him, but until the bandages were removed, no one would know how successful they had been.

"Heero," he whispered. "Heero, I'm sorry."

"I know, Duo." Heero reassured him. Zechs had permitted he and Trowa to remain as his guests until Duo recovered and they'd had a chance to talk. "I am, too. I suspected Relena was up to something, but to force you to marry like this..."

"Its all right, Heero." Duo replied. "Other people have made greater sacrifices for peace. I'd rather do this than let the war continue."

Heero nodded. "I'm very proud of you, Duo." he said, meaning it. "I know you're unhappy about the wedding. I wish I could talk you out of it."

"If I leave or don't marry, the treaty will be voided. We'll be back at war, and God knows how long it will be before we get another shot at peace. I want to run away with you, Hee-chan. I want it so badly I can taste it. But my fate is sealed. I must do this, Heero. I have no choice."

Heero nodded and kissed Duo's bandaged lips.

Zechs watched from the door for a few minutes, then spoke up.

"Heero, its time to go."

Heero stood up. "I'm sorry, Duo." he told him. He stood up and went to the door. "I'll miss you, Duo." he told the braided pilot. He looked eyes with Zechs and a dangerous moment passed between them. "If you ever hurt Duo," Heero whispered, "I'll kill you."

"Then its a good thing I don't intend to hurt him." Zechs whispered back.

-PART FIVE-

Duo's heart raced as they removed the bandages from his face. Soon he'd see it. He'd see his own face as burned and as singed as those he'd beheld at the Maxwell Church massacre. He wanted to scream and run, but pure horrified anticipation held him in place.

At last, they were off. Duo stared at the mirror. "My god." he whispered.

There was no sign of burn or damage at all. The surgeons had performed a miracle.

"My sweet Duo." Zechs told him. "You're as lovely as you were the first day I beheld you. Such savage beauty. And soon you will be my promised one."

"I'm only doing this for the sake of peace, Zechs." Duo told him. "My heart will always belong to Heero."

Zechs nodded and left the room. "I'll see you at the signing ceremony." he said as he departed.

****************

All those concerned signed the peace treaty and the heads of state gave a standard "at last the war is over" speech. As always no one listened.

At last, it was time for the wedding of Zechs and Duo. There was no priest, no wedding clothes or romantic vows. A purely political ceremony, it was completed with the signing of their names.

Heero shook his head. "Duo deserved better than that." he grumbled.

The other pilots nodded in agreement.

There was a short reception afterward, for the sake of the press. Then, Zechs led Duo to his private transport and the two departed.

-PART SIX-

Duo tossed a blanket over the video camera that was monitoring his and Zech's bedroom. A man who was a member of the peace delegation walked in and removed the obstruction.

"We must make sure the marriage is consumated." he explained to Duo. "Until then, the peace treaty is not fully in effect."

"I can't make love with people watching." Duo protested.

"Just close your eyes and pretend the camera's not even there." the delegate suggested as he left the room.

"I'd like to pretend I'm not here." Duo sighed as he got undressed and climbed into bed.

A short while later, Duo felt Zechs join him in their marriage bed. He wanted to move away, but the delegate's words, that the consumation of their marriage was required or the treaty would not take full effect, rang in his ears and he lie stil.

"Don't be afraid, dearest Duo." Zechs whispered in Duo's ear. "I will be gentle. I promise." he kissed Duo's neck and shoulder, then kissed his lips as he dipped two fingers into a jar of lubricant and carefully eased them into Duo.

Duo tensed for a moment, and Zechs felt a twnge of guilt. Zechs could tell Duo didn't want this, but both of them knew they had no choice.

Zechs pulls his fingers out of Duo and slowly climbed on top of him, guiding his manhood in, slowly and carefully. He moved within Duo in short, slow movements that became longer and longer until he was moving in long, deep thrusts that seemed to go on for hours to the braided ex-pilot until Zechs at last out a triumphant cry of passion and collapsed, exhausted, on top of Duo.

-PART SEVEN-

Zechs was the first one awake the next morning. He kissed Duo, softly until Duo opened his eyes.

"Good morning, beloved." Zechs said, hoping that Duo would not be angry with him for that previous night.

Duo averted his eyes. "I want to go home." he whispered.

"You're my spouse now, Duo." Zechs reminded him. "This is your home."

"Why? I love Heero."

Zechs nodded. "And Heero loves you. But our wedding was arranged and if you leave me, they'll declare it an act of war. I wish I could help you."

"This is where you tell me you hate it as much as I do, right?" Duo asked, his tone a bit sarcastic.

Zechs shook his head. "I don't hate it at all." he admitted. "Duo, I know you don't care for me, but I really do love you."

"Then help me." Duo pleaded. "Set me free. Let me go back to the man I love."

"I can't." Zechs shook his head. "Not without restarting the war."

Duo slumped resignedly back against his pillow.

Zechs lie down beside Duo and gently kissed away his tears. "Please don't cry." he whispered.

-PART EIGHT-

Duo gazed, listlessly, at the plate of food on the nightstand by the bed. It had been nearly two months since his marriage to Zechs and in that time he'd grown more and more despondent.

Zechs had made love to Duo every night. They had to. Every moment of their marriage was being monitored and they were obligated to fullfill their marital duties as per the peace treaty. And every night, Duo cried himself to sleep, missing Hero while Zechs stroked his hair and whispered loving reassurances to him until he was sound asleep.

"Please, eat something." Zechs begged. "You've barely touched your food in over three weeks." he kissed Duo's hair and offered him a forkful of his presently untouched supper.

Duo showed no interest in eating it, however, so Zechs returned the untouched portion to Duo's plate.

"I'll leave it here and you eat it when you're ready." Zechs told him. He went into the bathroom to take a shower and have a good think.

When he came back out, Duo had still not touched his dinner.

"Is there any way we can bring his appetite back up to normal." Zechs asked a doctor he'd summoned about Duo. Not only had Duo stopped eating, but other than lying in bed, he had stopped doing just about everything.

"How serious is it?"

"He's pining, I'm afraid." the doctor replied. "He's unhappy and its affecting his health. His condition makes this even more serious."

"What condition?" Zechs asked.

"He's pregnant."

"How?" Zechs asked.

"He had an artificial womb implanted. Its a new procedure for gay couples who want to have a child. He had it put in shortly before the treaty was signed. "

"But he doesn't love me." Zechs sounded uncharacteristically confused. "Why would he have the surgery if he doesn't love me?"

"Perhaps he intended to marry someone else until the treaty." The doctor suggested.

"Heero." Zechs mused. "He wanted to have Heero's baby and now he's having mine instead. Poor Duo. How far along is he?"

"About five weeks." the doctor said, effectively confiming Zechs as the father.

-PART NINE-

Heero was sitting dejectedly on the sofa, watching the news, when the report about Duo came on.

"...Merquise, spouse of Zechs Merquise, is in stable condition at Zechs's private hospital following a fainting spell during a recent conference. Doctors claim that the young newlywed is doing just fine and blame the episode on his recent pregnancy. Also, in today's news, several..."

"What?!" Heero blurted out as he leapt off the sofa and ran to get his coat. He picked up the phone and called Zechs's house. He hadn't spoken with Duo since the wedding. The thought of seeing Duo and knowing that he couldn't hold him or touch him was too painful. But now, he had to see him. Duo had been in a hospital and for Heero, his best friend if nothing else, not to visit would've been wrong. "Would you mind if I came to visit Duo?" he asked when Zechs picked up the phone. He half-expected Zechs to say "No." and that Duo was to have nothing to do with Heero or any other Gundam pilots.

"Of course." Zechs replied. "Duo would be so happy if you stopped by. I think it would speed up his recovery. Will you be staying late? You're welcome to stay for supper if you like."

Heero nodded, then remembered he was on the phone. "Sure. Thank you. We'll see you in half an hour."

Duo looked up as Heero walked in followed by the other four pilots. Heero had a hand behind his back.

"Heero!" he gasped in delight, though he sounded sleepy. "Its good to see you again. What are you hiding, Heero? You didn't buy me a skyscraper did you?"

Heero smiled. "No." he said, pulling the arm forward and revealing a small teddybear. "For the baby."

Duo smiled, weakly. "You heard."

"It was on the news." Heero replied. "Congratulations, by the way."

Duo sat up and beckoned Heero to him.

"Hmmm. I dunno." Heero said, warily. "If I hug you I might start another war."

"If you don't hug me, I'll start one." Duo threatened.

Zechs smiled and Heero got the feeling that a friendly hug was okay with him. So Heero sat on the edge of the bed and hug Duo tightly. It felt good to hold Duo again, but it felt bad that he could never have Duo.

Zechs reached his decision at that point. The one he'd been fighting with all day. He knew the risk, but as he watched the tears of mixed joy and sadness fall from both Duo's and Heero's eyes, he knew what he had to do. While the pilots were all occupied with talking to Duo, he went over to the medical supply cabinet and retrieved a syringe and filled it.. Returning with it to the bedside, he quietly injected the drug into Duo's bloodstream. It was mild enough that it would not cause a miscarriage but he had to time things just right or the child within him would die.

Heero felt Duo go limp in his arms. He looked up at Zechs in horror.

"You... " he said, as he felt for a pulse. "You killed him."

Zechs nodded.

Heero sprang at Zechs and pinned him to a wall, throwing punch after punch.

"Stop!" Zechs cried out. "If we don't revive him now he'll lose the baby!"

"Revive him?" Heero asked. "How? He's dead.."

"The poison is very mild. There's an antidote. We just have to administer it and perform CPR to restart his heart." Zechs told him.

Heero glared at him. "Where is the antidote?" he demanded.

"The supply cabinet. The white vial."

Heero retrieved it and injected the antidote into Duo. "This had better work, you bastard." he told Zechs.

"I'm just trying to help." Zechs protested.

"By murdering Duo?!" Quatre demanded. "What kind of help is that?"

Trowa looked up from his protective vigil around Duo's lifeless body and glared at Zechs, his eyes demanding an explanation while. Wufei's expression was different, however. His held no malice toward Zechs. It just said "I hope this works."

Quatre and Trowa performed the CPR. They had no intention of letting any of this murderer's doctors anywhere near Duo. They kept at it for what seemed an eternity and were almost ready to give up and strangle Zechs when Duo's heart began to beat again.

Duo opened his eyes. "What happened?" he asked.

"He murdered you, Duo." Quatre said, pointing an accusing finger at Zechs.

"I died?" Duo asked, his voice full of wonder and bewilderment. "I *died*?!" there was a touch of pure joy to his voice that made most of the other former Gundam pilots think he'd just gone off the deep end.

Quatre nodded.

To their surprise, Duo sprang up, cheerfully, and hugged Zechs. "Thank you!" he cried out in a delighted tone.

The others stared at him, slackjawed, except for Wufei who watched Duo with an expression worn by those who are sharing an inside joke.

"You guys still don't get it, do you?" Zechs said to the other pilots. "Wufei understands though, don't you?"

Wufei nodded. "Yes. His death ended your marriage to him."

Zechs nodded. "By killing him, even temporarily, I freed him of his obligation to me."

As this fact sank in, Heero's anger was replaced with joy. Duo would be his now! As he was meant to be from the beginning. "Duo." he said, taking Duo in his arms. "Please? Will you marry me?"

"You bet I will." Duo said, with great enthusiasm as he hugged Heero tightly.

Heero looked over Duo's shoulder at Zechs who looked very sad at the moment. "I'm sorry I called you all those things." he said.

"I'm not." Zechs replied. "It made your love for him shine even more brightly. Separating him from you was wrong. The two of you belong together. He's absolutely beautiful, Heero. The most beautiful creature to ever grace this universe. He loves you and that makes you the luckiest man alive.

Heero nodded. "Yes." he said. "It does. And you're right. Duo is the most beautiful creature to ever grace this universe."

-PART TEN-

"Hey, guys!" Wufei called to Trowa and Heero. Quatre was in the other room, helping Duo do his hair for the wedding. "They're restarting the war. I just heard on the TV."

Heero nodded. "That was expected. Though it is unfortunate. I hope those idiots don't make Duo feel guilty about it."

"All this fuss over one braided baka." Trowa shook his head.

"That's *my* braided baka you're talking about." Heero retorted.

Trowa smiled. "We'd better get to the temple." he said. "The ceremony is in twenty minutes."

Trowa and Wufei drove Heero to the temple.

Heero waited at the altar for Duo. He was dressed in a men's wedding kimono, black with his family crest embroidered down the back and over one shoulder. Duo walked in. He was similarly dressed, though being a Maxwell in name only, he bore no family crest. Duo's hair had been styled especially for the wedding. Two narrow braids were pulled back and tied together at the back of his head, joining to become a single narrow braid. two more medium to narrow braids were woven just behind each ear and rested upon Duo's shoulders the rest of his hair hung unbound like a beautiful chestnut waterfall.

Heero felt his heart racing. //He's even more beautiful.// he thought to himself.

The ceremony, which was almost as elaborate and beautiful as Duo, lasted for nearly an hour. When it was over, Heero took Duo into his arms and kissed him.

-PART ELEVEN-

"Get the hell back to the safehouse, Duo!" Heero shouted as Deathscythe Hell raced up behind him.

"Like fun!" Duo shouted. The war was in full swing now. Duo, very pregnant at this point, wasn't about to let his delicate condition stop him from joining in the battles. This is where he belonged. Fighting alongside his husband.

"Duo!" Heero argued, just as two enemy fighters buzzed him.

Duo let out a joyous war-whoop and cut down one of the fighters while Heero took out the other.

"All right! Woo hoo!" Duo cheered. "Shinigami is b..."

"Duo?" Heero asked.

"I'm fine." Duo said a moment later. "Its nothing. I've got five bandits coming in at four o'clock." he dispatched two while Heero took out the other three.

"Good shooting." Duo panted as Heero took out the fifth fighter. "Heads up. Two more at seven o'clock. Let's get 'em."

"Quatre, Wufei. Take out those last few fighters. I'm getting Duo to the hospital now."

"Now until the battle is over, Heero." Duo insisted.

"Duo, I'm getting you to the hospital if I have to break into that Gundam of yours to do it." Heero told him.

"I'm fine, Heero." Duo panted.

"The hell you are!" Heero protested. "For crying out loud, Duo! You're in labor! Now follow me down. We're getting you to the hospital right now.

As they turned to land, a fighter followed Duo. Quatre and Wufei were too far to go after it, so Trowa made a run on the fighter. Another fighter fired upon Trowa. A lucky shot (or an unlucky one depending on your point of view) disabled Trowa's gundam and he was forced to make an emergency landing.

"I'm sorry, Duo." he said as he saw the fighter head straight for its original target. "Forgive me."

The fighter drew closer and closer to Duo. Heero was too intent on getting Duo to the hospital to turn and fight it and Duo was too busy concentrating on his breathing and getting himself to the hospital to fight it himself.

Another fighter, Zech's personal fighter, came screaming into view. He could not let this person kill Duo.

//Whatever the cost,// he thought //Duo must live.//

"Sir!" the pilot protested. "What are you..."

Those were the last word ever spoken by that pilot or to Zechs Merquise. For, at that moment, Zechs rammed his fighter deliberately into that of the pilot who was pursuing Duo. There was an explosion and Deathscythe Hell was thrown into a wild spin.

Duo didn't panic. He let his training take over and quickly got his Gundam under control. He landed, then started to get out.

"Duo. Stay where you are." Heero told him. "I don't want you falling. He brought his Gundam alongside Duo's and carefully made his way to Deathscythe Hell's cockpit. "Okay, open up."

Duo opened the cockpit door. Heero put a rescue harness around Duo and secured him to Heero's back, then carried him down the ladder, piggyback until they got to the ground.

"Aw," Duo complained, playfully, as Heero undid the harness and put an arm around Duo's shoulders to support him. "that was fun. Can we do that again? Please?" he winced as another pain hit him.

A few hours later, Duo's baby was delivered. The c-section had left Duo exhausted and aching all over. But the baby was born.

"May I hold...?" Duo began to ask.

Before he could finish, someone gave him an injection and he passed out.

Duo woke some time later. Heero was sitting there with a distant look on his face. "When can I see my child?" he asked.

"You can't." Heero told him. "Duo, I'm sorry."

"Oh, God. Don't let the baby be dead. Please..." Duo felt his heart breaking. "Please?"

"The baby is alive, Duo." Heero told him. "But he's been taken into custody by Zechs's estate."

"What... what are you talking about?"

"The baby is Zechs's only living relative, so they took him or her as soon as he was born.

"And you *let* them?!"

"It was that or a custody battle. Duo, none of us can afford to appear in court. I'm sorry."

Duo cried for hours, his fragile heart broken.

A year later, Duo's grief was softened by the arrival of his second child. This one, a boy, looked very much like his father, Heero, though he had Duo's eyes.

He never got over losing his first child, but being able to play with and teach his second child made it easier for him to cope.

Shiniheishi Maxwell-Merquise Yuy, born in the midst of a war, would nonetheless grow up in a world of love, Duo would see to that.

And so would Heero.

=30=