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"When Love Bites Back "Written By: Hemlock Inyx Disclaimer: This chick does not own any of the
Gundam Wing characters because they belong to Bandai and Sunrise.
I am borrowing them for this fict and will return them in good (if
somewhat sticky) condition.This fict is written out of love and not
for profit, don't sue. Thanks and enjoy! Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi, lemon, alternate universe, vampires,
violence, suicide, mild-ooc Pairings: 2x5, past: 1x5, 2xH, 2x3 Summary: He wanted one taste of passion…
Duo Maxwell’s sexy voice seduced him every night
with his late-night radio talk show. So Chang Wufei couldn’t
pass up the chance to be his personal assistant—despite Duo’s
insistence that he was a vampire. Vampires didn’t
wear faded jeans. And they were dark and brooding, not vibrant and
fun. Yet…with one glance of his silver violet eyes, Duo could
hypnotize him. With one nibble of his passionate lips, he could bend
him to his will. Duo insisted Wufei had nothing to fear from him.
But why then was Wufei so conscious of his exposed neck? " When Love Bites Back "
Chapter 2 "Would you care for brandy?" Duo asked his guest. "An after-dinner drink?" An expression of amusement mingled with distaste flickered across Zechs Merquise's handsome face. He flicked his fingertips as if shaking off something unpleasant. "I find it incomprehensible that so many of us cling to mortal habits. What's the point of eating or drinking?" "We don't require lights or heat, either," Duo commented, willing his voice to a conversational tone. "Yet most of us pay our electric bills and occasionally enjoy the cheer and comfort of a fire." He turned from the French doors and gazed at the flames leaping in his living room hearth, taking pleasure in the sight. "Would you prefer that we forgo all civilities, Zechs? Live in an underground vault with none of the amenities that make life worth living?'' He studied the man sitting in the shadows. Zechs Merquise leaned forward, blue eyes glittering in the firelight. "I would prefer that we remember who and what we are. It's ludicrous to emulate mortals. One might as well adopt the habits of cattle. Our kind have no interest in mortals except to feed." "Ah," Duo said softly. "We finally come to it. Will you convince me or will I convince you, I wonder?" "If you're referring to International Vampires, you'll never persuade me that we require this grand alliance of yours," Merquise snapped. His elegant hand made another flicking gesture of dismissal. "International Vampires indeed! Vampires are solitary creatures." "You see IV as a threat to the Council of Six, but it doesn't need to be that way. There is no reason why the elder vampires can't join us." Duo tipped a finger of brandy into a crystal glass and moved the rim beneath his nose. If he sipped the brandy it would slip down his throat the same as water or coffee or any other mortal beverage--absolutely tasteless. But he could enjoy the pungent fumes. The amber scent wafted near his nostrils, as dark and rich as a Wagner opera. "You ignited a power struggle between International Vampires and the Council of Six when you established IV's financial base in the United States and encouraged your membership to move their finances here," Merquise said angrily. "For centuries the Council of Six has dealt exclusively with the Blanc et Cie in Paris." "And we want you to join us," Duo replied. "As president of International Vampires, I want to see IV succeed. And we will, Zechs. We'll succeed with or without the support of the Council of Six. But we'd prefer your guidance and assistance." Serving on the board of an international organization was a giant pain in the behind and Duo rued the day he had ever agreed to such insanity. Worse, he had to serve another twenty years since the term of office was a quarter of a century. Occasionally there were rewarding moments, but talking to Zechs Merquise was not one of them. He chose a chair facing his guest. "IV's programs have made it safer and--less distasteful--for our kind. For instance, you came to Denver knowing if you left a message at the Coffee Mug, I'd receive it and you would have a safe lair to spend the day." "I've managed to protect myself from every sunrise for three centuries. What I most abhor are IV's blood banks," Merquise stated flatly. He walked to the window and gazed outside, his eyes following the snowy tracks left by a neighbourhood cat. "You want to dispense with the hunt, which many of us enjoy." "We want to dispense with feeding off of mortals," Duo corrected sharply. "Or killing them." "As you well know, few vampires are so foolish as to drain a victim to the point of death. Such indulgent episodes attract dangerous attention. One can feed satisfactorily without killing the source who, if the proper precaution is taken, will have no memory of the attack." "Who is to say that some memory doesn't remain in the victim's subconscious where it may cause damage?" "Frankly, my dear Duo, I don't give a damn." "The point I'm trying to make," Duo continued stubbornly, "is that attacking mortals is outdated and no longer necessary. With IV-owned blood banks available in every major city, we can sustain ourselves without endangering the mortal population. With that impediment removed, there is no reason why vampires and mortals cannot peacefully coexist." Merquise whirled, the tails of his old-fashioned tuxedo flaring behind him. "Mortals and vampires will never peacefully coexist!" he hissed. "Mortals loathe us! They have built an entire mythology to justify their hatred. The mythology may be erroneous, but their fear and hatred is justified. To us, they are, and will always be, merely food. They are the life-sustaining force. They are short-lived inconsequential receptacles to be used and discarded as whim, amusement or need dictates!" Duo set aside his brandy and stood, silently cautioning himself not to lose his temper or patience. If he could persuade Zechs Merquise to accept IV's views, it would be a tremendous coup and would go a long way towards bringing the other members of the Council of Six into the organization. "Forgive my bluntness, Zechs, but that view is antiquated and a danger to us all. Preying on humanity exposes us to justifiable loathing and the risk of discovery. It's no longer necessary." "Your naiveté is utterly breathtaking." Merquise folded his arms across his chest. "You ask the impossible when you ask an animal to alter its nature. Can you really believe that someday all vampires will be content to sip blood through a straw attached to a plastic bag?" Duo frowned. "There is some resistance. There are vile elements in the vampire population as in any society. But yes, I believe this is a goal we can achieve. Those who accept membership in the IV pledge not to attack mortals." "And how many actually honour that pledge?" Merquise's blue eyes turned liquid with smoky sensuality. "You will never persuade me that a chill plastic container is preferable to the warm pulse of fresh hot blood direct from a mortal's throat. Have you forgotten the thrill of selecting your prey, then stalking him and then--ah, then!--the moment when he is yours, when he bares his throat to you?" The image excited him and his lips pulled back, revealing long glistening canines. "Mortals have the right to live without fear just as we do. Once we had no choice. Now we do." Unfortunately there would always be some who revelled in debauchery, who had abandoned decency along with morality. Their excesses sickened Duo. "Tonight I dined from one of your disgusting plastic bags. There was no thrill of the hunt, no challenge however small, no ecstasy or rapture in the feeding. I had no sense of the life essence of the person whose blood I drank. It was as bland and tasteless as mortal food, as that brandy you cherish so fondly." Before Duo could frame a rebuttal, he heard the crunch of car tires turning into the snow-packed cul-de-sac. Concentrating his attention, he listened to a bland instrumental piece playing on the car radio, heard Wufei Chang murmuring his house address as he searched for the entrance to his driveway. Merquise lifted an eyebrow and smiled. "How thoughtful. You've provided dessert." "If he agrees to take the job, he'll be my new assistant. You will not frighten him or snack on him, if you please." Duo shot his cuffs and touched the bow tie at his collar. In the street, a car door slammed, followed by the sound of heels tapping gingerly around the ice patches slicking the sidewalk. Merquise's smile tightened. "May I remind you that I am not accustomed to following orders?" "And may I remind you that mortal assistants are traditionally off-limits? If tradition does not deter you, perhaps it will be of interest to know that IV employs a vigourous disciplinary arm. Even you, Merquise, are not beyond its reach." Zechs Merquise's face widened slightly in an elegant sneer. "You dare threaten a member of the Council of Six? And what, pray tell, could the upstart IV do to one who ignores their presumptuous rules?" He laughed. Duo's eyes narrowed and hardened to the color of ice. "Both the council and the IV guarantee a Renfield's safety. It's dangerous to think the rules don't apply to you, Zechs." "What is dangerous is to threaten your own kind, Maxwell. Especially one who was old before you were born..., and especially one who is aware that you seek the Crystals of Change." Duo whirled. "What do you know about the crystals?'' Merquise's smile taunted him. "I know your precious IV will never find them." His smile widened and his voice sank to a purring sound. "They don't exists, you know." "Now, why don't I believe you?" The doorbell rang and frustration tightened Duo's body. He and Merquise had been sparring and circling almost from the moment Duo had received the old vampire's message in the coffee shop last night. Finally, when Merquise at last showed himself willing to confront the issues head-on, that was the moment Renfield arrived. The timing could not have been worse. "We'll discuss this later," he said to Merquise, struggling to control his impatience. Cursing beneath his breath, Duo moved swiftly through the house, snapping on lights as he went. Before he opened the door, he paused a moment to push aside the tension of the last minutes and let his natural optimism rise to the surface. He was smiling when he pulled open the heavy front door. "Hi. I wasn't sure if you'd come or not." "I was beginning to think no one was home." "Sorry, I forgot to turn on the porch light." He had, in fact forgotten that Wufei was coming. Now that he saw him again, he wondered how that had been possible. Wufei raised thick-lashed black eyes that were as lovely as he remembered even though he wore tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses. "I haven't decided yet about the job," he said quickly, trying not to stare at Duo's tuxedo. "Before I make a final decision, I'd like to see where I'd be working and find out more about what I'm expected to do." "Fair enough," he said, inviting him inside. Deep within the house, he heard Merquise move into the library and stroll along the wall of shelves. Frowning, trying to see Renfield as Merquise would, he gazed into his face, still pink and bright with cold. For one heady instant Duo's supersensitive hearing picked up the sound of blood rushing through his veins, heard the rhythmic excitement of his pulse. When he bent his head to remove his gloves, Duo gazed at a patch of smooth skin as softly glowing, as inviting as warm creamy satin. "He's off-limits," he said, speaking in a whisper inaudible to Renfield, but perfectly clear to Merquise. He heard Merquise's purring reply as clearly as if Zechs stood beside him. "I bow to the wishes of my esteemed host." "Let me take your coat." Tonight, his new Renfield wore a clone of the boxy business suit he had worn last night. Yesterday's version had been brown wool and a white shirt. Tonight was navy wool and a cream turtleneck. His figure was so well hidden that Duo couldn't guess if he had one. And his dark hair was pulled back even tighter than before. Everything about him, even the stiffly erect way he carried himself, warned Duo not to touch. Despite his armour and defensive posture, or perhaps because of it, Wufei impressed him as a fragile little thing in danger of shattering like a glass rose if his armour were ever breached. Maybe this was what piqued his interest, the innocence of a vulnerability he no longer possessed. Or perhaps it was merely curiosity, a desire to discover if a real rose lay imprisoned behind the glass thorns. Whatever it was, something about Wufei Chang intrigued him enough that he had surprised himself by dreaming of those magnificent black eyes and that full-lipped smile. "Did you do the restoration on this house? It's beautiful,'' he said, running an appreciative hand along the smooth wood of the staircase banister. He gazed up at Victorian cornices near the ceiling. "Me?" Duo laughed. "Lord, no. I'd rather slide down a banister than refinish one. Are you interested in old houses?" "Heero is," he said, not looking at him. "I usually prefer something more modem. But your house is lovely." "I'll give you the tour," he said, touching Wufei's arm, feeling the disturbing warmth of him, and a slight tremble of nervousness. "This house is huge," he said forty minutes later. "I couldn't find the front door again if you pointed me towards it." "There's also a full basement," Duo mentioned, opening the sitting room doors to an outside patio. "That's where my quarters are and the guest apartments. The basement door is always kept locked. Under no circumstance are you ever to allow anyone, including yourself to enter the basement." "Suppose there's an emergency." Wufei stepped outside as Duo flipped on the pool lights, creating a glow beneath the blue plastic winter cover. Soft diffused light radiated around globes affixed to replicas of Victorian street lamps. "That's why I hired you, Renfield, to handle emergencies "But what if the house catches fire? Or suppose a water main breaks and a repairman has to get into the basement to fix it?" "If you can't put out the fire, you save yourself and you let the house burn. If the basement floods, it floods." He shrugged. "But no one goes into the basement. Not a fireman, not a repairman, no one." "I see." "I hope you do, Renfield, because staying out of the basement is the one inviolate rule. It's a safety issue for myself and my guests." "This area must be beautiful in summer," he said, gazing over the snow-enshrouded flower beds. Wufei tilted his head to inspect the bare-limbed trees that surrounded the pool, then cast him a sidelong look. "What am I supposed to call you?" He smiled. "Despite my present attire--" he smoothed a hand over his cummerbund "--I prefer informality. Call me Duo. I'm wearing this rig, by the way, because my guest is a tad on the old-fashioned side." "Your guest maintains standards," Merquise whispered in his ear. "You know, Duo, I haven't decided yet about all of this. I'll admit the money's tempting..." "But?" When he looked into his eyes, it was like gazing into the black heart of space. "Are the hours negotiable?" "Sorry." Wufei smoothed his hair, his fingers absently searching for non-existent loose ends. Duo could barely recall the last time he had run his fingers through a man's silky hair. Trowa… God, how I miss you… "Tonight you seem, well, almost normal." He fluttered his hands in an apologetic gesture. "But this vampire stuff..." Duo overheard Merquise's nasty little chuckle and frowned. "For the moment, let's just say I'm somewhat eccentric and that I'm hiring you to humour me, okay?" "I know you make your living pretending to be a vampire," he continued, biting his lip and gazing at the pool cover. "I just don't understand why you carry the pretence into your personal life." "Eventually you'll understand everything." It always began this way. The Renfields started with disbelief and accepted reality only by slow wary degrees. "Why do you wear glasses? Do you have an eye disease?" "No." Startled, Wufei's eyebrows rose and he turned a curious look on him. "Why would you assume that?" "I used to have trouble with my eyes." The problem had been solved nearly two hundred years ago, but the memory still had the power to paralyze him. For an instant he had the panicky illusion that his peripheral vision was narrowing. "I need glasses to read." He wrapped his arms around his body. "If you don't mind, could we go back inside? It's freezing out here." "Of course. I'll show you your office." As Duo's body readily adjusted to temperature extremes, he tended to forget how acutely mortals reacted to cold and heat. He led Wufei down the south hallway, then opened double doors leading into a large rectangular room, flanked on one side by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked a silvery moonlit garden. "Oh," he said softly, stepping past him onto an Oriental rug that had faded over the years to rich tones of muted maroon, navy and ivory. Wufei wasn't wearing cologne, but Duo inhaled the scent of his bath soap and shampoo as he passed him. He closed his eyes for a second, then followed him into the room. "That is your desk," he said, nodding to the left, "and the other is mine. We'll seldom work at the same time, of course." "This room will have sunlight all day. How lovely!" Eventually he turned from the windows and approached his desk, nodding appreciatively at the antique cherry-wood finish. "What programs are on my computer?" Interest sparkled in his eyes. "None that you aren't familiar with or can't quickly learn. Your resume says you're a whiz with financial programs." When he wasn't aware of himself, the don't-touch demeanour dropped away and he reminded Duo of a young man--in his father's business, clothing. Hands on hips, he studied the falling stacks of paper that littered the surface of the desk, then shifted his gaze to a plastic sack overflowing with mail that the station had sent over. "This is the worst mess I've ever seen!" The shock and disapproval that stiffened his slender body made Duo laugh out loud. Especially when he noticed a hint of eagerness in his black eyes and a thrust of chin that told him he was itching to dive into the clutter and organize it, "How long has it been since you've had an assistant?" His smile faded instantly. "Six weeks." He'd loved Trowa once, and had become very fond of the old man he had become. Duo still found it painful to think about him. Outliving those one loved was an aspect of Vampirism that clawed the very soul. Each time it happened, Duo swore he would never again permit himself to become emotionally involved with a mortal. "I'll take the job" Wufei looked surprised, but he didn't withdraw the blurted statement. "Have you discussed this with Heero?" Duo asked, reminding himself that he had a fiancé and a life that didn't include Duo Maxwell. He would do them both a favour if he kept this firmly in mind. He turned toward the moonlight glistening on the snow beyond the windows. "Heero doesn't approve," he admitted finally. Bright color flooded his cheeks and he bit his lip. Duo stared at the rosy flush warming Wufei's skin and felt a wave of hungry dizziness ripple through his body. Deeply shocked, he clenched his fists and hastily stepped away from him. Furiously, Duo berated himself for not feeding before he arrived. Worse, he had deliberately delayed, wanting the cutting edge of hunger to sharpen his attention during the discussion with Merquise. Disgust tightened his lips. Merquise was right to label him naive. Regardless of what he wanted to believe, and regardless of IV's precautions, no mortal was truly safe from creatures of his kind. One oversight and the best intentions in the world vanished as swiftly as a vampire fleeing sunlight. "But Heero doesn't make my decisions," Renfield added in a voice that impressed him as uncertain on several levels. "Good." He'd forgotten what they were talking about. All he could think about was the silky whisper of the blood flowing through his veins. He resonated to the low seductive sound of Wufei's heartbeat, pulsing in his ears like the siren summons of a drum. Swallowing hard, he pressed his lips together and made himself think of the plastic bags stacked in the refrigerator in the basement. And he swore that from now on, he would nourish himself immediately upon rising and not risk a delay. Never again would he expose Renfield to this kind of danger. Wufei cast a last lingering look over the papers covering the desk, then he briskly dusted his hands together and turned toward him with a bright determined smile. "Sunrise is at 6:09 tomorrow morning. I'll arrive at six o'clock. Will the door be unlocked or do I need a key?" Duo leaned against the doorjamb and ran a hand over his face, pressing his fingers against his teeth. His canines had elongated slightly. The reaction was instinctive and one he couldn't always control. "Your efficiency is everything I hoped it would be, Renfield. I'm impressed that you checked the time of tomorrow's sunrise." There was nothing he could do about his teeth except hope he didn't notice the slight difference. It was too soon for the teeth. He didn't want to scare the hell out of Wufei just yet Pushing his hand into his pocket, Duo found the house key and placed it on a small table near the door instead of handing it to him. Until he had firmly re-established control, he didn't dare risk touching Wufei. "Are you all right?" he inquired, studying him. "You're pale tonight and you seem--" "I'm fine," he said shortly, straightening. Pushing back his cuff, he made a point of consulting a slim gold watch, one of many in his collection. "I need to think about changing for work..." he said, letting the words trail. "Of course, I've already stayed longer than I intended." Wufei moved past him into the hall, then gave him a helpless glance over his shoulder. "I'm lost. Could you direct me to the foyer?" "I'll take you there." They were halfway down the corridor before Merquise stepped out of the library door. "Surely you aren't going to let this delicious creature depart without introducing us." Merquise caught Wufei's hand and drew him into the library, bringing his fingers to his lips. Startled, Renfield watched him kiss his fingers, then lifted a questioning gaze to Duo. "This is my guest, Zechs Merquise. He'll be staying with us a few days. Zechs, this is Renfield, my new assistant." Merquise continued to hold his hand next to his snowy shirtfront, caressing his fingers. "Charmed, my dear. What beautiful eyes you have--quite lovely. But then you know that. I have yet to meet a beautiful person who was unaware of their beauty." Renfield blinked, looking at Merquise's elegant, old-fashioned tuxedo, taking in his handsome face and the flowing hair that dropped in a shining golden cascade past his shoulders. "Are you a vampire, too?" he asked in a faint voice. "You surprise me. I should think a young man of your obvious intelligence would not believe in such nonsense." "Stop it, Merquise," Duo warned sharply. Stepping forward, he took his new assistant's arm, turning him firmly toward the door and away from his guest. "Don't toy with him. He's not a plaything." "We'll meet again," Merquise called, laughing. "An interesting man," Renfield said faintly when they reached the foyer and he thought Merquise couldn't hear him. "A little frightening." The scent of his confusion and unease reeled through Duo's senses, reminding him of the long-ago days before the existence of blood banks. He noticed a slight tremble in his fingertips as he helped Wufei with his coat. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and looked up at Duo with a frown in those incredible onyx eyes. "This has been a very confusing experience. What did you mean when you told Mr. Merquise that I wasn't a plaything?" "He was teasing you." Wufei's skin was as smooth and flawless as that of a child. Duo could almost believe he had no pores. "Merquise has been a vampire longer than I have." His breath released in a long sigh. "I don't know what to make of you. Last night you were one person. Tonight you seem like a different person altogether. I can't decide if you're as nutty as a peanut cluster, merely eccentric or if you're playing some kind of delusional game." "Does it matter?" he inquired softly. "I don't know that, either," he whispered, gazing into his eyes. "I know that being around you makes me feel off balance and wobbly inside. You and your friend are both a little frightening somehow. If it wasn't for the money..." "You have no reason to fear me, Renfield, I promise you that." He considered. "Would sixty thousand a year help settle your wobbles?" Wufei stared. "Good God. Just how much does the station pay you? It must be a fortune!" He laughed. "When you get into my financial records, Renfield, you'll discover that I'm a wealthy man." He winked at him. "I spent the better part of a century amassing an enormous fortune and now, thank heaven, I don't have to waste time thinking about money. So if you're asking for a raise--" "A raise?" His mouth dropped. "I've only been working for you about twenty minutes!" "Go ahead and increase your salary to sixty thousand." He opened the door for him. "I doubt I'll see you in the morning, so good luck on your first day on the job. For the first week I think you should plan on staying late so we can go over things and I can answer any questions you might have. I'll check in with you about thirty minutes after sunset." Wufei stumbled backward onto the porch, wide-eyed and staring. "Oh, I almost forgot. There's coffee in the kitchen, but not much else. Order whatever you need for breakfast and lunch, and dinner for the next week or so. You'll find a list of accounts in the computer. I'm sure there's one for City Market or King Shoppers." He looked uncertain. "Am I supposed to cook dinner for you and your guests?" "No, Renfield. The provisions are for you. My guests and I don't eat mortal food." "Oh. Right. I forgot." Wufei stood on the porch, his arms at his sides, just looking at him. "Go home to Heero now," he said gently. He looked so dazed and bewildered that Duo felt an impulse to take him in his arms and hold him. He experienced a sudden yearning to press Wufei's body next to his and warm himself in his radiance; he wanted to assure him again that he need not fear him. Or perhaps he needed to assure himself. It had been a long time since Duo had experienced so painful an awareness of the abyss that yawned between him and mortals. A stab of loneliness pierced his heart, surprising him. It had been a long time since that had happened, too. "Good night, Renfield." "Good night," he whispered. After Duo closed the door, he stood in the foyer for a moment, continuing to smell the scent of Wufei's bath soap and the warm fragrance of his skin and hair. He was such a strange combination of standoffishness and fragility. Of mortal seriousness and determination. Duo straightened abruptly and peered down the dim hallway. The Crystals of Change! What the hell was he doing mooning around the foyer like a teenager in thrall? "Merquise?" He strode rapidly down the hall, free to move with vampire speed now that Renfield had departed. "Zechs!" But the French doors stood open to the snowy moonlight, and Zechs had gone. Duo smashed his fist on a side table, splitting the table in half and swore. He shoved a hand through his bangs and hoped to hell that Zechs hadn't been too charmed by his new Renfield. Or so offended by Duo's remarks that he felt a prideful need to flaunt tradition. "If you harm one hair on his head, you'll answer to me and to the disciplinary arm of International Vampires," he shouted, hoping Zechs was still near enough to hear. In reply, he heard a laugh. Then silence. ~ * ~ |
