The Claim Part 7

It took a while before Duo's harsh sobs turned into hiccups, and finally into soft, tired panting. They were still sitting on the floor, curled around each other in a tight embrace. The dark, plaguing emotions had been released and only a bone deep exhaustion stayed behind.

A strong gust of wind tore through the half open door, throwing it open fully. The door hit the wall and remained wide open, allowing cold, autumn wind to take residence in the hut. Duo shivered as the cool air touched his naked skin. He hunched his shoulders and pressed himself even closer into Heero's chest, loath to leave his safe sanctuary.

"Cold?" Heero asked, looking down at the small bundle in his arms. Duo nodded, not looking up. "Let's get you back into bed," the Enforcer said, swiftly moving from his kneeling position into a crouch. Placing his arms around Duo, Heero lifted the lifebearer up and settled him back onto the bed.

Duo sat down carefully and tried not to wince; it still hurt. Heero tucked the blankets around him and Duo snuggled into them. They couldn't replace the wonderful feeling of a human touch, but at least they made him feel warm on the outside. He was convinced that he would never again get warm on the inside, where it counted the most.

"Better?" Heero asked.

The lifebearer nodded. "Yes, thank you," he answered.

The Enforcer straightened and started to turn around to close the door, when he felt Duo's cold fingers on his wrist. He looked down to see Duo watching the slowly drying blood on his injured hand with sad eyes.

"I didn't want to," Duo whispered and turned the Enforcer's hand palm up. Gently, he traced the gaping wound with the tip of his finger.

"It's okay," Heero assured him. "I've been hurt worse." He wanted to make Duo feel better with his answer, but obviously it didn't work, because Duo's face twisted in a grimace of pain.

"Can I... can I help you bandage it?" the lifebearer asked, his eyes still fixed on the sluggishly bleeding cut.

"No, it's okay. I can take care of it myself," Heero tried to assure him again. Seeing Duo's shoulders slump dejectedly, he figured he had said the wrong thing again.

Duo sighed and let the hand go carefully. It would be just perfect if he hurt Heero even more. He brought the blankets tightly around him. He didn't look up when he heard Heero move away and close the door. Duo sighed again. Shinigami paddled slowly towards him, then sat down by the bed and laid his head on his blanket covered knee. The dog's ears twitched and he whined in a low tone, his eyes sad. Duo lifted his hand and laid it on the dog's head, scratching gently. Shini nuzzled his hand, then licked it. Duo looked at him, then smiled sadly.

"I'm more trouble than I'm worth, Shini," Duo whispered to the dog.

The lifebearer straightened in surprise when something fell into his lap. He looked at it... Gauze?

Duo raised his eyes in time to see Heero drag a chair closer to the bed. The Enforcer laid a bowl with warm water and a piece of cloth in it, and the jar with ointment Trowa left behind, on the wooden chair. Duo blinked in confusion at him again as Heero sat on the edge of the bed next to him. The Enforcer rested his injured hand on Duo's other knee, the one that wasn't occupied with the black dog's head.

Seeing Duo's confused look, Heero glared a little. "You wanted to bandage it, right?" he asked harshly.

The lifebearer watched him for a minute, then smiled a little. "Yeah," he answered and reached over to wring out the wet piece of cloth.

The next couple of minutes were spent in silence. Carefully, Duo cleaned the wound. It hadn't been as deep as he feared. All the blood made it look bad but once cleaned, the wound didn't look that bad. It wasn't deep, and from what Duo could tell, it didn't require stitches. He felt relieved.

"It's not bad," the lifebearer said to break the silence that settled upon them.

"Told you so," Heero answered.

Throwing the cloth back into the bowl, Duo looked at Heero quickly before lowering his eyes again. He then took the jar in his hand and opened it. Taking a little of the ointment on the fingers of his right hand, he laid the jar aside. Gently he took Heero's injured hand in his left and started to apply the ointment on the wound. It felt good to help someone, but... He let the thought trail off, uncertain.

"You know that you could... that you could get rid of me now, Heero?" Duo asked quietly, not looking up. He felt Heero's eyes on him. "You could just... go to the chieftain and say that you're taking the claim back," Duo continued, his fingers gently rubbing the cut. "It's not a common custom but..."

"Why would I do that?" Heero asked, his voice genuinely curious.

Duo blinked furiously to push back the tears. "I lost... I lost the baby," he said as if that explained everything.

"So?"

Duo's grip on Heero's hand tightened. "Some sires take it as offense, as a breach of their right. Most sires claim lifebearers to have children and..."

"That's not the reason why I claimed you," Heero interrupted him.

Duo looked up, his eyes full of surprise. "No?"

Heero looked away, his eyes fixed somewhere on the wall above the fireplace. "No."

Duo blinked again. He didn't understand. "Then why...?"

"Your father would've killed you if I hadn't. For I know your child's sire wouldn't have spoken out, and you wouldn't have said anything," Heero answered, his voice grave.

Duo swallowed. Did Heero know who the father of his child was? How...?

Heero must have felt the livebearer's eyes on him, for he turned his head and looked Duo in the eyes.

"I saw you," he said quietly, as if sensing what Duo was thinking about. "You and Wufei. In the woods."

Duo froze, his breath catching in his throat. They had been so careful...

"It's my duty to watch over people when they venture into the woods. The forest is a dangerous place..."

"Why... why didn't you say anything?" Duo asked, his voice tight.

Heero shrugged matter of factly. "It wouldn't have changed anything, would it? Chang is a coward if he didn't speak up. Even if people would have learned the truth... If the sire doesn't claim his baby, it doesn't matter if the whole village knows. And he wouldn't have done it. It would have made the situation even worse for you. To have an unclaimed child is bad. But to have it with a sire who isn't free anymore..."

Duo swallowed and lowered his eyes. They wouldn't have just killed him. They would have stoned him to death. The same punishment that still hung over his head, should Heero withdraw his claim back and return Duo to his family. The lifebearer shuddered. To be stoned for shaming his family, either through sleeping with a sire who belonged to another, or for losing his child and thus proving himself to be unworthy of the status of a lifebearer. He shuddered again.

"If you knew... about the shame I brought onto myself... then why did you claim me?" Duo croaked out his question. He needed to know.

"It's a long time since I had sworn that I won't let anything happen to you," Heero whispered, his injured hand encircling Duo's cold fingers.

The lifebearer looked up, confused. "You swore? When? I don't remember!"

A small smile tugged on Heero's lips as he caressed the cold hand in his with his thumb. "Obviously."

"What..."

"Duo, I won't take you back to the village. I won't withdraw my claim," Heero said, his voice firm. "Trust me."

The lifebearer was looking at him, his eyes wide. Heero swore? Duo's mind was whirling.

"Trust me!" Heero repeated when the lifebearer kept silent.

Duo blinked. "I trust you, Heero," he answered finally, and was surprised that he really meant it. Something deep inside of him was telling him that he could trust his life and soul to this man, that Heero would never hurt him.

"Good," Heero nodded. "Now, I want you to promise me something."

Duo looked him in the eyes.

"Promise me that you'll never try to kill yourself again." The lifebearer swallowed and looked away. But Heero caught Duo's chin in his hand and turned it back to him. "Promise me! I know that you never lie." He didn't react to the surprised look Duo gave him. "I need to know that you'll never try to harm yourself again."

Duo didn't know what to say. Heero knew that he never lied, but how did he know? And if he promised, he would keep his promise no matter what. But... Taking a deep breath, he made a decision. It was time to make the first step. He looked Heero directly in the eyes and with a firm voice, he said: "I promise."

This time Heero really smiled. "Good." He let go of Duo's chin, and looked down at his hand where the ointment was slowly drying and starting to itch. "Can you finish the bandaging now? I have to go finish chopping the wood."

Duo nodded and returned to his task, but his mind was busy. He had promised. There wasn't an easy way out anymore. He would have to pull himself together. Heero made him promise, so there was one thing he had to live for now, one reason why he couldn't just die. He didn't kid himself. The road that lay ahead of him wouldn't be easy but maybe... just maybe this decision was the first step.

TBC...

 

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