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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 "
Wufei stood in front of the sink, peering at his white face in the mirror. The nausea had passed, leaving him shaky inside, confused and completely disoriented. And why not? In the short span of three days, he had completely stepped out of character, not once but several times. He had accepted a time-consuming job working for a nut case, had broken up with his fiancé, had ridden a motorcycle and was scaring himself badly by beginning to seriously wonder if Duo could actually be a vampire. Duo was playing games with his mind, and he didn't like it. "Are you all right?" Wufei gasped as Duo sauntered into the bathroom and leaned against the sink counter. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied his face. "Is that a man?" a woman called from one of the stalls. "If you won't come to me, then I'll come to you," Duo said, his violet eyes steady on his face. "I didn't want another male Renfield, but now that I've got you, I've sort of taken a liking to you. So we need to solve whatever problem we're having." "That is a man! You get out of here this minute, you pervert, or I'm going to scream down the walls." Wufei grabbed his jacket and shoved Duo out the door. "You are absolutely impossible!" he accused, his dark eyes flashing with anger. "Don't you have any inhibitions at all?" "Hey, you're the one who went into the ladies' room," he said amiably. "Here's your helmet. Come on, we're going to walk and talk." Wufei turned a bright shade of red as he was dragged outside, then Duo took his arm and marched him around the parking lot circling the restaurant. "I know a lot of this is hard for you to accept, Renfield, and I'm not going to dump everything on you tonight. But I want you to start thinking in the right direction, and that is, I am what I pretend to be." Wufei pulled his arm away from him and thrust his hands deep in his coat pockets. "Nobody actually believes in vampires. Vampires don't exist." "Most of us are happy to discourage a belief in vampires for our own safety and protection. Vampire hunting used to be a respectable profession. No one wants to see the return of that era. But disbelief makes it tough when you hire a new Renfield." "Must you call me Renfield?" Wufei snapped. "Yes." He stopped and faced him beneath the hazy light of a tall pole. "I want to forget that you have a real name. And I don't want to know anything more about you than I know this minute." Wufei drew back, stung. "Because someday I'm going to lose you. I don't think you're going to marry Heero--you aren't wearing his engagement ring anymore--but you might leave me for some other reason. Or you might stay, in which case I will outlive you. The better I know you, the harder it will be to bear your loss. I don't want to go through that pain again." Wufei stared at the pain in Duo's eyes. "And you think that assigning me a name will prevent you from becoming fond of me?" "That's my hope. The thing is, most of us call our assistants Renfield. It started as something of a joke after the Bram Stoker book was published." He shrugged, embarrassed by the admission. "In my case, the fans of my radio show expect my assistant to be called Renfield." "This is just a job to me," Wufei said after a long minute, "not a lifelong calling. Right now I don't know how long I'll work for you. Maybe a day. Maybe a week. Maybe a year or two. But you don't have to worry about outliving me." They walked past the Harley and on around the bright lights streaming from the windows of the Sizzler. The snow had stopped, and a few icy stars appeared above the black silhouettes of the Rocky Mountains. "I saw the photographs in the Renfield apartment," Wufei said abruptly. "I can't get them out of my mind because they seem genuine. But I can't figure how that could be possible." "Yes, you can." This time it was Wufei who stopped and examined his face. "You have me half believing this vampire stuff. And that scares me." "If we're going to work together successfully, you have to know and accept the truth. You also need to know and understand that I will never harm you. I guarantee that." "It scares me that I'm buying into a crazy delusion. And that you've half convinced me that vampires might actually exist." He looked dazed. "I don't believe I'm even saying this!" "Would a flashy demonstration settle the debate between crazy or genuine?" Wufei focused on Duo's gold earring and frowned. "Don't go biting someone's neck on my account." "I meant something like this," he said from twenty feet behind Wufei. Wufei whirled, his mouth dropping open. Duo was sitting cross-legged on the roof of someone's green Buick. He stared at him and felt his heart skip a beat, then flip over in his chest. "How did you do that?" "I think I told you that physical activities are enhanced. I can move faster than you can follow with your eyes." When Duo spoke again, he was standing on his head beside the Harley, grinning up at Wufei. "Convinced?" Suddenly Wufei couldn't breathe. His heart slammed against his rib cage. "I think so," he whispered. "Very impressive." Then he dropped to the snowy ground in a dead faint.
"GOOD EVE-N-ING, fellow creatures of the IV. I have good news to report." Duo adjusted his earphones and leaned into the microphone, his fingers calibrating the row of dials in front of him. He glanced toward the window, waiting for Steve, his producer, to give him the thumbs-up sign. "Once again your Renfield can phone my Renfield during the daylight hours when all good little vampires are asleep in their lairs." Wufei had been too dazed and groggy for Duo to risk taking him back to his car on the Harley. He'd sent him home in a taxi, wondering if he would see him again. This was a critical moment. He had told Wufei enough, had shown him enough to test his fortitude. At this point he could still walk away and convince himself that Duo was crazy, that vampires didn't exist. Wufei wouldn't be a threat to his security. Or he could accept his reality and his assurances that no harm would come to him. Assurances Duo hoped to hell he could back up. If Wufei returned to work tomorrow, he would remain for the long haul. Duo thought about his onyx eyes and the fragrance of his skin, remembered the courage it had required for him to climb behind him on the Harley. It disturbed him to realise how much he hoped Wufei would return to him. "I have a few messages to pass along, night creatures, before we jump into tonight's topic, which is cannibalism." He checked the pink slips the producer had given him. "Melissa wants Brian to know that she's forgiven him and wants him to call her." He read the stack of the messages, slipping one of his own into the middle. "Dorothy C., leave a contact note at the Coffee Mug." He leaned back in his chair and flipped a yo-yo over the back of his hand. "Renfield? Are you listening? Don't go weenie on me, babe. I need you." After the commercial, Duo got down to business. "The question is, Can a cannibal tell if his victim was a smoker? Or a vegetarian? Let's hear your opinions, night creatures." He jabbed a phone button when Steve pointed. "Hi, this is the God of Death speaking. You're on the air." The challenge was to embed IV messages into the flow of talk, messages that could be heard only by others like himself, by vampires who might be passing through Denver. It was part of his pain-in-the-butt job as president of International Vampires to support the membership committee and bring as many vampires into the fold as he could. He'd also committed to providing a safe daylight lair for those passing through or until they got settled into new quarters if they planned to remain in the region. Occasionally Duo spent the rest of the night after his shift picking up vampires who needed a place to stay for a while. His house had turned into a crash pad, and he sometimes thought that IV was overwhelming his entire life. He would be very glad when his term of office ended. "Renfield?" He let his voice flow out to him in a pleading whisper. "I'm buried in paperwork, personal and organizational. I know you like paperwork. You're the only thing standing between me and an avalanche of busy work. Don't fail me, Renfield." He aimed the yo-yo at a ceiling fixture and jabbed another button. "This is Shinigami. Talk to me, sweet thing." He listened and made a face at Steve. Some of these callers were just plain crazy.
SALLY, WHO FELT compelled to rate any man or woman Duo met in her shop, nodded discreetly toward the back tables, then wiggled her hand and whispered, "Wow. The dark-eyed guy was classy and great looking, but this one is..." "Bitchy?" Duo suggested. Dorothy had chosen to wait for him rather than leave a message. She sat at a back table in front of an untouched cappuccino, her long legs crossed, one high heel swinging with impatience. He eyed her long, waving, blond hair and ankle-length sable coat. There was nothing subtle about Dorothy Catalonia. "When you're that gorgeous, you can be as bitchy as you want. I'd give the earth to look like that!" "No, you wouldn't. Besides, you don't have to take a back seat to anyone." He winked at her. "Honey, if only I were ten years younger " Sally sighed and leaned on the counter. "You want the usual?" "Not tonight. I'll drink Her Majesty's Cappuccino." Frowning, he crossed the shop, deserted as it usually was at this hour. Dorothy looked up and raised an eyebrow, watching his hips move. She really was stunning. Her face was a heart-shaped valentine of flawless milk-white skin, her hair a lacy frame. Long pale lashes curled above blue eyes that made one think of summer skies or fields of flowers. As for her mouth--many a man had willingly bared his throat to those soft red lips. This, Duo knew from firsthand experience. "Long time no see," he said softly, pulling out a chair and straddling it. "Where have you been?" "Here and there." She let the fur slip off one bare shoulder, revealing a flash of sequins and milky skin. One crimson-tipped finger drew a line from her throat to her cleavage. "I've missed you, Duo." "Don't," he said after a minute. "We settled this a long time ago. You know I don't believe our kind can have lasting relationships." He spun his baseball cap backward and folded his arms on the top rail of the chair. "Unlike you, I'm looking for pleasure, not a bonding of souls." For some reason, Wufei popped into Duo's mind. His onyx eyes filled his vision. He recalled him standing in the restaurant's parking lot, an endearing contrast of inner strength and aching vulnerability. He surprised himself by wondering where he lived and what he was doing now. Was he asleep? Was he dreaming about him? "So how do you handle physical urges?" Dorothy inquired in a nasty voice. "Seduce mortals?" "I doubt you sought me out merely to ask about my sex life." "Hilde has been dead for almost two centuries. Don't tell me you're still grieving. Hilde hated you. If the law had allowed, she would have divorced you." "And who's fault was that?" It astonished him how Dorothy always managed to stir a flood of ancient emotions. The pain he had caused Hilde. The pain she had caused him. "You begged me to make you one of us," Dorothy whispered, leaning forward. "And I'm grateful that you did," Duo said truthfully. "My only regret is that by saving myself I caused Hilde so much sorrow and pain." "You used me, Duo. You made me think you cared about me, but all you wanted were eyes to see in the dark. You wanted forever then! You were desperate and hungry for it!" "I do care about you." Reaching, he caught her hand and held it, thinking how cool her flesh was, not warm like Wufei's. "But I don't love you. I'm sorry, Dorothy. I don't want to love anyone again." "As you said, forever is a long lonely time." But she didn't pull her hand away. She stared at him; then she laughed and the anger vanished from her summer sky eyes. "You're a stubborn, arrogant man, Duo Maxwell. I hope someday you fall passionately in love with a person who will destroy you. I'd like that person to be me, but I'll settle for anyone who'll bring you to your knees." "It will never happen," he said, grinning. "Believe it or not, I'm glad to see you. Do you need a place to stay tonight?" When she shook her head, light glowed in her hair like remembered flashes of sunlight. "I'm staying with Relena.'' "Good. Relena's terrific. She's traced all references to the Crystals of Change. Thanks to her work, I'm convinced the crystals exit." "That's why I wanted to see you. IV business. Something is going on at the Paris bank. Khushrenada has surfaced. He was seen entering Blanc et Cie-after hours, of course-several times in recent weeks." Duo stared. "Treize Khushrenada? Are you absolutely certain about this?" "I spoke to him myself." She frowned and tossed back a wave of hair. "He was sputtering and almost incoherent. He said Blanc et Cie is extremely upset that so many of us have transferred our funds to other institutions. So is Khushrenada, by the way. He had some very nasty things to say about IV. Threatening, actually." "Good God... Treize Khushrenada. If we could bring Khushrenada into the organization…" Treize Khushrenada was one of the oldest vampires known. It was said Khushrenada could place himself in a dormant state and sleep for decades without a drop of nourishment, but Duo didn't believe it. Regardless of the old vampire's abilities, if Khushrenada would accept membership in IV, virtually every vampire in the world would follow. Further, if Khushrenada would confirm the existence of the Crystals of Change and tell them where to find the crystals... vampirism would never again be the same. Duo's mind whirled. "Treize Khushrenada will never support IV," Dorothy said. "Although..." Standing, she gathered the sable around her body. "Rumour has it that Khushrenada and Zechs Merquise are at each other's throats." She smiled. "Figuratively speaking, of course. I think their falling-out has more to do with a widening difference of philosophy than with anything at the Paris bank." "Interesting. If Khushrenada would just talk to us." Dorothy shook her head. "If he wanted to talk philosophy with someone from IV, you'd have heard from him before now. Patience, Duo. The Council of Six may not come around to our way of thinking for another century or two." "We have to keep trying," he said, studying her. "Oh, before I leave..., my committee is still working on the Policy and Procedure Manual for IV. I figure we'll have it ready for board approval by this time next year." Duo's groan came from deep in his chest. "Does IV really need a Policy and Procedure Manual?" Dorothy looked shocked. "We're an international organization, not some coffee klatch meeting in someone's private lair. Of course we need a manual. Some of the members are talking about a newsmagazine and a convention, too. Las Vegas has been suggested as a site where we wouldn't attract too much attention. We're depending on you to move the organization into modern times!" Leaning, she placed a cool kiss on his lips, then swept out of the coffee shop, trailing a musky perfume behind her. Duo cupped his chin in his palm and watched through the window as she entered a waiting limousine. Newsmagazines. Conventions. Next, the membership would want a lobby to petition the U.S. Congress for equal rights . "Ah, Wufei, be there tomorrow." An unhappy sigh shifted his shoulders. "I need help."
A DOZEN TIMES WUFEI ASKED himself why he was sitting in Duo's house, composing an un-formlike form letter to answer the sacks of fan mail sent over by the radio station. Several reasons came to mind. If Duo Maxwell really was a vampire--and his imagination was stretching toward that wild possibility--then he was doing something exciting and unique and a little frightening just by being here, doing something very few people had the opportunity to experience. And that's what he had wanted, wasn't it? Just once in his life? But it was more than that. It was Duo himself. When he was with him, Wufei felt more alive than ever before, as if he were an addiction he had to feed. Duo made the world seem like a giant playground just waiting to be explored and sampled. Wufei needed the reminder that there was more to life than work. Plus there was the money. His new salary promised safety and security. But the most compelling reason was that he felt meeting Duo and working with him was meant to be. Frowning, Wufei lifted his head and gazed out the window at a brilliantly sunny cold day. He had never thought much about destiny. Until now he had never felt himself wound in the grip of fate. But that's what meeting Duo felt like. Like he had discovered his destiny. What he couldn't grasp intellectually was perfectly understood on a cellular level. Last night, when he had climbed on the Harley and moulded his body around Duo's, it was as if something deep inside had clicked into place, like pieces of a puzzle finding their mate. Destiny had tossed him within Duo's orbit and that same helpless sense had brought him back to his house today. "You're as crazy as he is," he whispered.
A WEEK LATER, Duo bounded into Wufei's office at seven o'clock, went through his wake-up routine with the air guitar and a selection from Pearl Jam, then he danced to the front of his desk with a huge relieved grin. "Let me look at you!" "I keep telling you, I'm here to stay. At least for a while." Wufei put down the sandwich he had made for his supper and studied Duo as he went to his desk and peered into the microscope there. Tonight he wore his hair loosely pulled back into a ponytail. Tight faded jeans moulded to his buttocks. He wore a striped Western-style shirt with pearl buttons and a pair of snakeskin cowboy boots. A large silver buckle flashed at his waist. "We need some rules," Wufei said, swallowing hard. It was almost criminal that one man could be endowed with so much raw sex appeal. When he gazed into his violet, violet eyes, he felt as if he were falling into an exotic electric sea. He could have sworn that Duo's nearness raised flashes of heat lightning along the surface of his skin. "Name it and you've got it," he promised in that deep smoky voice that sent tiny thrills of pleasure up his spine. "I've been thinking about this a lot. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do that disappearing and reappearing act when I'm around." Duo laughed and looked up from the microscope. "I don't really disappear. I just move faster than you can follow.'' Wufei clasped his hands and looked down at them. "And I've thought about the... the blood thing." He drew a long steadying breath, then watched him cross the room to sit on the edge of his desk. "Do you absolutely swear on your mother's grave that you aren't hurting anyone?" "I swear. I guess it's time I told you about IV. I'm the president of an international organization whose guiding principle is that vampires and mortals can live in harmony. At present, IV has over twelve hundred members, all of whom have taken a vow never again to feed on mortals. All swear to avail themselves of the IV blood banks." Wufei's brows rose in a startled expression. "There's an organization solely for vampires?" "Absolutely. Now that you know about it, I'd like you to take over the paperwork. Some member is always complaining about something!" He shook his head, his hair swinging over his shoulders. "We'll transfer the IV files to your computer tonight. You can start familiarizing yourself with the organization." "Good heavens. It never occurred to me that vampires belonged to organizations." He rubbed his forehead. "What am I saying? Until I met you, I never thought about vampires at all." "There's safety and comfort in unity, Renfield." "Vampire power?" He looked dazed. "Well, why not? We've got power groups for everyone else." "Damned straight! But we're a long way from having an actual voice in society." He folded his arms across his chest and gazed down at him. "All right, so what's the story with you and Heero? I've been patient for well over a week, hoping you'd explain without me having to ask." Wufei stiffened. "I thought you didn't want to know anything about me." "I want to know because I'd like to ask you to work overtime tonight and I need to find out if that's a problem. I'll pay extra, of course." "You're paying me enough already." Wufei touched his bare ring finger. "Heero and I aren't seeing each other anymore." "Good. I'm glad you took my advice." "I didn't take your advice," Wufei objected sharply, squinting up at him. "I'd already decided it wasn't going to work." "Now if you'd just do something with your hair...." He laughed, his eyes sparkling like charged crystals. "Before you and I are through, I'm going to have you thinking like an attractive sex god instead of an accountant. Being alive ought to be fun, Renfield. At least that's how it appears to me." "What kind of work did you have in mind for tonight?" Wufei asked icily. Damn it, he liked his hair. When it was pulled back tight, he didn't have to worry about it. And he didn't flaunt his looks because... because he was too professional for vulgar displays. "We're having a cocktail party, which should start in--" he consulted a pocket watch tucked inside his cowboy vest "--about twenty minutes." His head tilted and he listened. "Our first guests are turning into the driveway now." "Now?" Wufei's hands flew to his hair and he stared at Duo, wondering how he looked. Not dressy enough for a cocktail party, that was for sure. Flustered, he pushed at the papers on his desk. "Am I supposed to serve something? What am I supposed to serve?" He grinned. "Calm down. Cocktail party is just a name for a pleasant gathering so you can meet a few people. Some will drink a glass of wine. Most won't eat or drink anything." He gave him a suspicious worried look. "They won't drink any..." He couldn't make himself say it. "No," he said pleasantly, smiling at him. "All you have to do is relax, talk to a few people and enjoy yourself." Wufei didn't hear his last words. He was on his way to the nearest bathroom to smooth his hair and straighten his clothing.
IN MANY WAYS, Duo's party was like every cocktail party Wufei had ever attended. People stood around chatting about inane things or gossiping about people Wufei didn't know. Everyone was polite, murmured they were glad Duo had a new Renfield. It was also one of the strangest cocktail parties Wufei had ever attended. Guests appeared to disappear and instantly reappear across the room. Most seemed to be chatting in voices inaudible to Wufei. But that wasn't the worst part. Everyone he met stared at his neck and talked to his throat as if that were the only part of him they noticed. When it occurred to Wufei that he was the sole mortal in a room full of vampires, a hot wave of panic pulsed in his cheeks. Instantly, all conversation halted and everyone present turned to stare at Wufei's pink cheeks in fascination and speculation. The look in their eyes scared him half to death. Immediately, Duo appeared at his side and placed a possessive hand on his shoulder, an expression flashing in his electric violet eyes that reminded everyone they were IV members and pledged against sipping from mortal throats. The party gradually resumed, but it was difficult for Wufei to relax. Also, he noticed the gathering appeared to be a costume party. Duo had chosen his cowboy outfit, one man wore a black cape over a tux. Dorothy Catalonia, the most beautiful woman Wufei had ever met--and whom he disliked instantly--wore low-cut sequins and looked like a movie star. A girl named Relena wore a dress from the twenties. Everyone looked almost normal, but not quite, in a way that Wufei couldn't exactly put his finger on. The best description might be that everyone looked super healthy in a pale sickly way. Duo and one or two others appeared to be enjoying themselves; everyone else seemed listless and bored as if centuries of living had sapped their energy and enthusiasm. Before the party broke up, Wufei found himself trapped in a corner with a handsome young man who appeared about eighteen but who told him that he was one hundred and ten years old tonight. "Ah, well, happy birthday," Wufei offered weakly, his mind reeling. He sat hunched over, his head in his hands, and broke into quiet sobs. "I'm so tired of this. So totally, all consumingly bored. I just want to die. But I'm afraid to do it." Wildly, Wufei looked around for Duo but couldn't catch his eye. Gingerly, he patted the weeping vampire's back, not knowing what else to do. "You're just feeling a little depressed. Sometimes birthdays do that to a person. You'll feel better in the... ah, tomorrow night. Nothing's bad enough to--" "That's easy for you to say, Renfield!" He glared up at him, his teary eyes blazing. "You can step out into the sunshine! You can see and smell a flower! Do you know how many flowers snap shut at night? Virtually all of them. You can sit outside for twenty-four hours straight if you want to! But I can't. I only live half a day and then always in darkness! And you don't have to drink blood to live. God, I hate that part!" "Well, I can see how you might..." Wild with relief, he spotted Dorothy undulating toward them. Leaping to his feet, Wufei hurried forward. Dorothy swept him with a cold critical gaze as if inspecting a rival. "What do you want?" The coolness in her voice and eyes was unmistakable. Wufei drew a breath, then leaned to Dorothy's pale ear. At least he supposed there was an ear beneath the cloud of blond hair. "That young man..., he's talking about suicide!" Dorothy sighed. "Quatre should never have become a vampire. He's been carrying on like this for eighty years." She studied Wufei. "Which, of course, is none of your business. Run along, Renfield. I'll handle it from here." Wufei shivered in the chill of Dorothy's dislike. Dorothy's cold predatory eyes absolutely terrified him. He had an idea that Dorothy Catalonia would stand back smiling if the rest of the party suddenly fell on Wufei and went for his throat. As for the suicidal vampire... his name was Quatre? He hoped he would be ok, but really, why become a vampire if you didn't want to live forever? Dazed, Wufei picked up a tray and circulated, offering wine to people whom he suspected were more interested in listening to the blood pounding through his heart. "WELL, WHAT DID YOU THINK?" Duo asked after the party ended, early by mortal standards. No one had stayed longer than an hour, not wishing to waste too much of their allotted half day. "Meeting your friends will probably get easier as time goes by." Wufei sat down at his desk and gazed up at him. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm worried about Quatre. He hates being a vampire. Duo, he was talking about suicide." Duo wandered to the French doors and frowned out at the chilly night. "I know. We're all worried that Quatre is going to walk into the sun." A shudder constricted his shoulders. "We all miss the sun," he added softly, almost wistfully. "Sometimes the longing becomes overwhelming." To break a lengthy and uncomfortable silence, Wufei cleared his throat then offered, "Dorothy is... interesting." It absolutely stunned him that he was talking about vampires-vampires!-like they were ordinary people whom he had met at an ordinary party. He gave his head a helpless little shake. "I suspect you mean rude," Duo said with a smile, turning to look at him. "Dorothy considers relationships with mortals a waste. Plus she considers every beautiful person a rival." Wufei didn't know how to respond to that. It out him off balance to think Duo considered him beautiful. "I liked Relena," he said after a minute. "Relena's worked hard for IV. Well, we have work to do, that is if you don't mind staying a little longer." He walked to his desk, pushed aside the temptation of the microscope and flipped on his computer. Turning his head, he gazed at Wufei for a long moment, his eyes serious and bright with challenge. "Your resume insists you're a whiz with computers, and it seems to be true. What do you know about computer hacking?" "I know it's illegal," Wufei answered carefully. "The point is, do you know how to do it?" "I might." Dropping his head to hide a blush of discomfort, Wufei examined his fingernails. "Why do you ask?" "Because I want you to break into the private files of a bank in Paris." "You've got to be kidding!" Duo perched on the edge of his desk and grinned at him. "Nope. When do you want to get started?" ~ * ~
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