askerian: Serious Karkat in a red long-sleeved shirt (OT5)
askerian ([personal profile] askerian) wrote2004-06-20 03:19 am

more Two Knights

just a tidbit to make zanzan happy ^^ (though I think maybe I posted this before... ah well.)

previous part here
http://www.livejournal.com/users/askerian/78449.html



Late evening after dinner she left her hosts to their own devices and went to read by the chimney. The plan was to relax before bed.

For about an hour, it worked.

"Do you wish you could fuck him?" Duo asked suddenly, appearing at her elbow. She was getting used to his way to materialize out of thin air, though. She barely jumped.

"No," she answered, with the calm determination that had made her political success. "I do not."

She felt angry with him, angry at the callous words he was throwing, insulting her and his own lover both. She looked away, staring ahead, her book abandoned on the table beside her armchair.

He was watching her intently, like a hawk, as if trying to read her eyes. She had never seen him more indecipherable.

"Do you wish you could make love with him?"

So that was it, eh? The warning off of his territory. She had grown so tired of waiting for it. "Yes," she whispered, her eyes suddenly full of hot tears, of rage and regret, of rage at Duo's surprisingly casual cruelty, and of regret for what would never be.

"Good."

And with that, he grinned.

"That wasn't exactly the reaction I had expected," she managed to answer, glad that her years as a politician had given her such good schooling as for hiding her emotions; she sounded perfectly neutral.

Duo's laughing eyes told her that he wasn't fooled a second, but that he'd act as if he was anyway, for her sake. "What, you thought I would berate you for having good taste? Hell no, princess."

There really was only Duo Maxwell to reason that way, she reflected, bemused.

"So... Why--"

He dropped casually in the armchair on the other side of the chimney, throwing a long leg over the armrest. "I wouldn't want to be insulting, princess, but you're slow. Or did you already forget what I told you on the beach?"

How could she forget? she thought, bemused. "No, of course not--"

"Did you dismiss it, then?" he asked, his eyes turning hard and cold.

She gulped and shook her head. She had watched Heero's expressions. She still remembered that moment in the garden. No, she hadn't dismissed it. She didn't know how she could ever dismiss it, now.

"But why--"

"He loves you," he told her patiently, adding little finger motions to underline his meaning. "You love him. Do the math."

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders; Duo's delusion that this love was more than platonic was too deeply engrained for her to dispel it, and there were other questions that needed asking. "Are you playing matchmaker with your boyfriend, Maxwell?"

"Yep." The bastard was grinning.

"Why?!"

"Why not? He loves you."

She jumped to her feet ; the book fell, knocked off, and lay on the floor forgotten. "God helps me Duo Maxwell, if you tell me that he isn't really in love with you, pacifist or not I am so going to deck you..."

"Did I say that?" he asked, amused. "I know that Heero loves me."

She paused, confused. "So why the ...heck are you telling me..."

For once he didn't laugh at her for not even being able to swear. " 'Cause it's true, princess. It's true and not telling something is the same as lying, and I don't lie." He eyed her. "And I think you have a right to know."

They were silent for a few seconds, listening to the cracklings of the wood in the chimney.

"Aren't you afraid of losing his love?" she asked softly, still unable to understand fully Duo's thought process.

He shrugged and gave her his best disarming grin. "If he was meant to love you more than me... If you and him fit better than you and me... Then whatever I do, he will love you. I can only delay it, prevent him from finding a better-suited partner. That isn't love. That's selfishness."

"Meant to be... You're a romantic," she smiled, but she felt sad. "But love... can be nurtured. It can grow. Or die."

"If his love is weak enough that it can perish from being exposed to another love interest -- then maybe I don't want it."

And he had the gall to grin at her. She would have hit him for that-- except she knew he had never been so serious.

"He..." She didn't know what she wanted to say; she fell silent. Duo took it as an occasion to drive his message home.

"Loves you. Like a knight loves his princess. With an adoration and a devotion I've never seen him give to anyone else. You're not that high-profile now and there are others to take the job, but he still makes sure to keep an eye on you. And I don't know of any bodyguards that give presents to their employers--yes, I know about the bloody teddy-bear. He spent hours trying to choose one. Not that you're his employer anyway; how've you paid him so far? With no more than a smile and a few words, I'd guess."

"But..."

"What," he cut her, "you didn't think he went so far protecting you and taking care of you just 'cause you're the Only Hope For Peace or something and without you everything would crumble, do you?"

She flushed. It was exactly what she had thought.

But the way Duo said it, it sounded so self-important. She didn't really think still that the whole weight of the peace rested on her shoulders. Maybe it had at first, but now she had helped to put a solid government in place and she really didn't think that her death would be enough to destroy it utterly.

"And like a fucking bloody knight, he watches you from afar, putting his life on the line for you and sighing after you when no one's looking, never daring to reach out and try to climb your pedestal. That's so friggin infuriating."

He laughed at her gaping fish impression, shaking off the fond annoyance tinged with worry there had been in his voice.

For a few seconds, she couldn't accept Duo's words. They just didn't fit in with her vision of the world. Then it wend 'click', and suddenly, they fitted indeed. But in a way that made her cold inside.

"He loves me. Like an ideal."

He didn't see her, Relena. Maybe being the princess to his knight wasn't so good after all.

Duo snorted. "Don't push the analogy too far, Relly-baby. We're talking personality types here. I say he's a knight turned soldier because he's too fucking noble inside to act as a ruthless soldier and not get hurt later when he stops repressing, not because his feelings for you are a stereotype. Believe me, he does see the woman in you."

She snorted; it was unladylike but right now she didn't give a damn.

"You want proof?"

"Yes," she answered sternly, scowling.

He smirked deviously. "Fine. I'll give you all the proof you need."

[identity profile] yankeerose69.livejournal.com 2004-06-19 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Leave it to Duo to get straight to the point. I like his views of how Heero sees her. *mushmush* I love seeing Duo like this instead of someone who acts like they have to be the meanie on defending their rights to their loved one.

WEEE! I wanna see the proof too! ^__^

[identity profile] iniq.livejournal.com 2004-06-19 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
yes! I want the proof as well! XD *wants to seeee*
:p
damn, but there should be more... and sooner... XD
*loves*

[identity profile] iniq.livejournal.com 2004-06-20 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
>_> you could invest in one of those speech program things *cough*

:p
*loves*

[identity profile] sunhawk16.livejournal.com 2004-06-20 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
*snicker* Well, isn't Duo just the blunt little thing! Why do I suspect that Heero would not be altogether happy to have heard that conversation...

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_ri/ 2004-06-20 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
Just letting you know, you've got another reader here. :D This is really cute, I'm pleased with your characterisation here.
when are we getting to the smutty parts?

[identity profile] spotsofcolour.livejournal.com 2004-06-20 07:03 am (UTC)(link)
Yay! *bounces and applauds* I wanna see proof too! Proof proof proof!

btw - love your new icon! *glomps fivesome icon* XD

[identity profile] spotsofcolour.livejournal.com 2004-06-20 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, it's good enough quality that you can tell who it is. ^^ And that it's promoting a five-way sweaty boy-pile. :D

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_ri/ 2004-06-20 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
Woohoo! *jumps*

Offtopic: You live in France, right? How much does the average manga cost over there? Because my mum will travel over for a week and I'd like her to bring '20th Century Boys' or 'Monster' back for me~

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_ri/ 2004-06-20 09:13 am (UTC)(link)
A-ha, then that's be about the same with the German books. Excellent! ^__^ Thank you very much. *plans her order*

[identity profile] haraamis.livejournal.com 2004-06-20 09:46 am (UTC)(link)
Yay! *dances* I was waiting for more of this! ^__^

Wonderful. I love the interaction between the two. Relena is so well written, as is Duo... and yes, as everyone else, I want proof, too! *sits back and waits expectantly*
ext_94361: (zania > wicked)

[identity profile] driftingdoll.livejournal.com 2004-06-21 12:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I think this is my favorite part thus far! I adore Duo and Relena in this scene!! It's the first time Duo really starts to come clear about what he meant the first time he talked to her. I think she had a feeling, but here he's pretty blunt. I like it! I think you've got the characterizations right on mark!

"You want proof?"
"Yes," she answered sternly, scowling.
He smirked deviously. "Fine. I'll give you all the proof you need."


Thems are fightin' words! Go Duo!

[identity profile] wardove.livejournal.com 2004-06-28 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
I was just directed to this fic by [livejournal.com profile] _ri and I must say I'm really adoring this so far.

It's been such a long while since I've gotten to read a 1xRx2 that this is quite the treat.

Continue, continue. ^_^

[identity profile] shin-yuy.livejournal.com 2004-08-17 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
*glomps* More of your work I am discovering and drooling over! I usualy am not a big Relena fan, not much of a basher either but... I like this Relena! She is a little dence and swimming the wrong way up the river Da-nile *ba dum bum* and Heero isnt saying much to encourage or discourage her (typical quiet guy) and Huzah for my favorite version of Duo: Blunt and to the point.

Why beat around the bush when you can just walk through it to the lemony goodness on the other side...though the boy does need to realize that Heero loves them both, and maybe Hee-kins needs to actualy let both of them know that since both of them arnt thinking in the 3-dimentional ways the rest of us are thinking.

I seriously like this one and am adding it to my works in progress folder on my computer (which is where the clone story and several other stories reside in word files to read).

there is your feedback... make more please?*puppy eyes*

[identity profile] shin-yuy.livejournal.com 2004-08-17 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
another brake down of communication between three would be lovers..*sighs* Duo loves Heero and hates to see him hurt and pine after something he loves. Heero loves Duo and doesnt want to hurt him with his love of relena, and thinks shes over him so watches from a far longing and Relena still feels for heero and doesnt believe Duo would try and ruin his rleationship with Soldier boy...

yeay for knots in relationships*bounces off to bed*

[identity profile] kayryn666.livejournal.com 2004-08-24 04:08 pm (UTC)(link)
*grins* YAY!!! Need some more to read, but I think I can wait a little longer... alls I have to do is go through the archives, and I'm set. *plots*

I enjoy your characterization of Duo. Just... he's like... in your face, but not irritatingly so. At least not to us. Who knows what Relena's thinking about doing to him... ;)

Yes, anyway, I love love love, cant wait to read more. As ususal. That seems to be my mantra when reveiwing your works. -_-;;; Memo to self: find new mantra