Chapter Warnings:

A Grand Affair

Chapter Eleven: Reverse to the End

Heero simply nodded and continued to gaze around. His eyes appeared calm and casual. He just looked like he was taking in his surroundings. But if eyes are the windows to the soul and the mind, then Heero had black shades over his.

He was searching for someone.

As Relena continued to elaborate on their recent trip to Spain to meet with the royal family there, Heero continued to scan the ballroom. He was somewhere nearby.

Dark blue eyes narrowed slightly as he caught sight of someone standing in the darkness of the windowsill high up on the second floor. The small flash of a braid in the moonlight was the only clue as to his location for a brief second. But Heero could feel the man looking back down at him.

"If you would excuse me," he said gruffly.

"Of course, dear," Relena murmured. When she looked up at him she caught the faintest hint of purpose in his eyes. "You go right ahead."

Heero excused himself once more with a nod and then began to wind his way up the staircase the hugged the rounded walls. As he made it to the second floor which was merely another bar and catwalk in which to observe the festivities below, Heero grabbed a glass of wine and then made his way casually, glancing down at the crowd, towards the occupied windowsill.

Heero stepped towards the windowsill and stared out into the night, holding the glass in a relaxed hand.

"Hey there," a husky voice spoke. Heero glanced to his left to see Duo from his scenic view. "He's here."

Heero easily slipped his arm around Duo's waist as he continued to gaze out onto the night sky. This would be the last time he would ever look out of this window. "I saw him. He's by the bar."

"Best to make your move now," Duo advised.

"Give me a moment," Heero murmured firmly. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life. Heero Yuy was standing in public with his arm wrapped around Duo's waist and Relena Peacecraft standing only yards away. This was the epitome of his dream. This very moment. Heero took a deep breath in through his nose and then exhaled fully.

"Stay here," he commanded as he released Duo and turned back towards the bar.

The Heero Yuy look-alike sat at the bar, dejected and unfortunately for him, very sober.

Heero took the seat next to him and set his wine glass down. "I heard they let you go."

"Thanks to you."

"Certainly you had some idea of the consequences if you failed."

"I hadn't counted on your sexual orientation," the man replied with remorse.

"A good lesson to learn, don't you think?" the ex-pilot responded with no emotion. "Either way, you're young, you're smart and despite the fact that you're gullible when it comes to money, you've got what we want."

"Define we."

"The Preventers."

"Ha!" the heavily accented man scoffed. "Now I know you are just here to taunt me."

"I never joke about work. I'm quitting and so is Duo. Millardo is taking my place but no one will step up into Duo's position."

"And how am I the man for the job?"

"Like I said, you're young and in good shape, you're cunning and anyone who has grown up in a sheltered environment is not qualified for Duo's position."

"Which is?" the man replied, turning his head in interest.

"Criminal Mentality Consultant. We go to Duo anytime we have a new problem on our hands. He picks apart their motives and their weaknesses. He was one once."

This caused the young Italian to glance to his right and take a good look at Duo who was conversing lightly with a portly, older man. Duo's hand sat easily in his pocket but Antonio could tell Duo was holding something of value to the former Deathscythe pilot.

"Granted, you're constantly watched to make sure you don't jump the fence on us but we don't see why we'd ever give you reason to. You get paid extremely well, you are given comfortable lodging, a nice vehicle, safety, and especially for you, Relena is nearby and within legal and comfortable reach."

Antonio stiffened. "You are more frightening to speak to than to look at."

Heero smirked. "It's a gift. But that's beside the point. Do you want the job or not?"

"Do I have to decide now?"

"Yes, there's a man downstairs wearing a navy blue suit and a striped tie who has all the intention in the world to slip past the ballroom doors and find his way to a safe filled with valuable information. Duo's out of the job as of thirty minutes ago so that leaves either you or that young man sitting over there next to the woman in the red dress."

Antonio looked over at the well groomed, domesticated man who laughed with too much of an aristocratic air. "You have to be joking. That man is incompetent."

"Next to you," Heero pointed out in a low voice. It was a gentler tone than he had ever used on anyone beside Duo and it worked effectively to encourage Antonio to stand.

"He'll be walking out with adequate information I think."

Heero stood and allowed Antonio past. He watched the young man continue down the stairs and smirked as the man skillfully avoided the culprit and made his way to the ballroom doors. He was going to lead the man to a dead end. Heero knew Antonio was the one for the job.

Duo walked up and finished the last of what was in his wine glass.

"Shall we?" he asked merrily.

"Yes. We've waited far too long."

"At last, we finally get to disappear," Duo sighed happily as they descended the stairs, ignoring the people that watched and murmured behind gloved hands.

"Forever," Heero assured.

Heero approached Relena and bid his farewell in a low voice so that no one would hear. Tears glistened in her eyes and she nodded with a shaky smile. Thank you was all she could reply as he gave her a stiff hug. Duo simply nodded at the young leader before they walked towards the doors that opened into the night air.

Heero took one last look over his shoulder before he blindly took Duo's hand in his and stepped out into the night.

"So, where to?"

"Siena."

"Italy?"

"I didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Duo replied.

"I own a villa there."

Duo just shook his head and laughed. "Of course you do! We leaving now?"

"Quatre will be expecting us by midnight."

"W-what?" Duo stuttered as they got into Heero's SUV. Heero smiled as Duo just sat in the passenger's seat, agape.

"It's a momentous occasion," Heero said plainly.

"Y-yes…but…"

Heero leaned over the control panel and placed a gentle but promising kiss upon his lover. "Buckle up. We're running late."

Duo was slow to obey, too shocked to quite respond.

(O)(O)(O)

The plane ride had been short and uneventful as the personal jet dropped them off right next to another black vehicle similar to the one they had been in a few hours ago. Heero got in the driver's seat and rushed off towards the Tuscan hills and maneuvered the car skillfully up past small, slanted houses, little vineyards, then larger homes and larger vineyards and then at last to the top of the hill where a mile of driveway loosely swerved between a expansive vineyard. Duo was helpless to just stare in wonder and disbelief.

The Tuscan style villa had a main house, a servant's building, an old spa building and a view that was impossible to ever bore of. Duo was practically dumfounded as Heero led him to the backyard where a patio overlooked dense Italian forest. They held hands for a few moments before Heero looked over at Duo.

"Would you be happy here?"

"God, Heero, I'd be happy anywhere with you but this is certainly thick icing on the cake."

"Good because I had hoped we'd stay here for a while, establish it as a home. Not necessarily a white-picket fence setting…"

"It's better than that," Duo cut in breathlessly.

"There are plenty of bedrooms in the main house and in the servant's quarters for when the kids get older."

"K-kids? Heero we're not even married and we're in a primarily Catholic country."

"About the legality of the matter, the Italian ambassador was persuaded by Relena a few months ago to legalize gay marriages and thousands have already. And yes, I agree we should be married before we adopt. Perhaps not for a while, but it's a start that needs to be established."

Duo nearly passed out when Heero suddenly dropped down onto one knee.

"N-no. No way, Heero," Duo objected in a stuttering voice.

"I've waited for more years than I want to count. And I've put you through too much for a man like me. This is the least I can do."

"Jesus, Heero, you're not that bad."

"Duo Maxwell, marry me," Heero said in a steady voice, pulling a ring box out of his pocket.

"If you don't stand up right now like a man then I'm going to knock you into next week," Duo laughed shakily.

Heero stood and smiled when Duo accepted the ring box without a word.

"You need to say the answer first."

Duo looked up at Heero with a wobbly smile and glistening eyes. "Yes," he whispered.

He laughed as a simple white-gold band with a three encrusted diamonds was slipped onto his finger. He shook his head.

"After all, who better for the Perfect Soldier than the Angel of Death?" Duo continued in a precarious laugh.

"It's over, Duo," Heero murmured as his fiancé fell into his embrace fiercely.

"It's over," Duo nearly sobbed back.

"We're free of that mess."

Duo nodded against Heero's shoulder and smiled softly before responding…

"But what a grand affair it was."

(O)(O)(O)

Prequel in progress: Look my Way (posted) the beginnings and development of Duo and Heero's relationship prior to A Grand Affair.

Sequel in progress: On the Path of Soldiers and Angels (not yet posted) Duo and Heero's life after A Grand Affair, adjustment to parenthood and the struggles of their son when his parents are distant legends.