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"SHADOWS AND LIGHT: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND" Written By: Stone Angel
Please see Prologue for disclaimer, ratings and explanations. ^_^ AN:
SHADOWS AND LIGHT: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND: "Ok. Get closer, mina-san. Wufei, you're not even showing up. Get to the center more. No, the center." Quatre waved the Chinese vampire to the left, trying to get him close enough to the others that he would actually be in the picture. Wufei grumbled but took a few steps to his side. "More." He took a few more. Quatre sighed. "Ok, that's good enough I suppose. Yosha, I'm setting it. Ten second intervals." He clicked a button and ran back to the group, leaning against Trowa who held an arm around him. Heero smiled to Duo who was standing at his side and he smiled back at him, taking his hand in his. Heero squeezed the hand and looked back to the camera. * * * Heero looked about the room of vampires, seeing them all unguarded. And more or less intoxicated. Trowa and Quatre were giggling like idiots on the couch, their cheeks flushed by their drinks as they spoke softly, every so often laughing pleasantly about something. Wufei was leaned against a wall of the room, glaring at them all. The nearly expressionless yet threatening glare was countered by his flushed cheeks and the occasional, childlike hiccup. The effect, rather than gruff looking, was almost endearing, and very comical. Duo was grinning at Heero, sitting next to him on the couch aside the one with Quatre and Trowa on it, his cheeks flushed as well. "Good party, ne?" Heero smiled. "Ah. There were a few uncomfortable points, but I am glad that I came here. Your friends are...strange, but nice. All in their own way. I like them." Duo nodded. "Ah. I'm glad you came as well. Ai shite ieru, Hee-kun." Heero smiled wider and put an arm about his shoulders. "Ai shite ieru." Quatre stood and looked to the clock on the wall. "Mina, before you go, may I show you all something?" Duo stood as well, pulling Heero to his feet and turning to the blonde. "Certainly." Quatre smiled at him and then Wufei as he left his place at the wall. "Excellent. Follow me." He led everyone to a different room with a large bookshelf. He pulled a book and the shelf groaned open. "Woah! What's this, Q? Secret room?" Duo asked excitedly. Quatre nodded. "Ah." He pulled the bookshelf open the rest of the way and gestured for everyone to follow him. Heero looked in and saw a long staircase going downward. He shrugged and walked down it with Duo holding his hand tightly. A look back and he saw Duo watching everything warily as if the walls themselves would jump out at him. `Weird.' The group came upon a steel door and Quatre hit a large button and it opened with a hiss to reveal that it was bomb shelter thick. He stepped through and led them all inside, telling of its purpose. "I built this incase of emergencies above. I can stand sunlight, however Trowa would die. This is a safe house." It was a pleasant looking room. A TV, a couch, a stereo and a large bed all in the good-sized room. "You are all welcome to use this if it is necessary in the future." Wufei, the last one of the group, began to pull the thick steel door closed. "NO!-WUFEI-DON'T_" Quatre shouted with alarm in his eyes. It was too late. The door was closed. Everyone listened as it clicked and motorized sounds came from the locks. A little red light came on by the side of it on the wall. Everyone looked to Quatre who was pale and shaking. "Quatre?! What the hell just happened?!" Duo demanded, his hand tightening on Heero's. Quatre looked like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing but no sound coming from him. "WINNER!!!" Wufei bellowed almost too loud for Heero's ears to stand. "IF YOU SAY WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SAY I AM GOING TO BEAT YOU TO DEATH!!!" Quatre turned stunned and guilty eyes on all of them. "That door won't open for two nights." Heero saw Duo pale. 'Oh....shit.....' Duo put up a brave front, eyes pleading, a small nervous smile on his lips. "Ne... Quatre... You....you have a reserve....right?" Quatre sighed. "I....I...." Wufei was in a rage by now. "YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EMERGENCY BLOOD?!?!?!" Wufei formed a very large Ki ball in one hand and made to throw it at the door but Duo stopped him. "CHANG! It's a foot and a half of steel and even presence can't penetrate that! What do you think you are going to do?! It's going to bounce off and then hit one of us and Heero wouldn't live if it hit him! And if that happened, you'd be joining him!" Wufei glared at him and then regarded Heero before letting the ball disperse, much to Heero's gratitude. "So let me get this straight, Winner. You have no reserve." Quatre looked down. "It's about two months old." All the vampires, despite their obvious attempts not to, glanced to Heero. Before Heero could do anything, Duo was standing between
him and the others, growling in a way Heero had never thought he could.
The sound caused him to shiver mentally. It sounded like a lion's
roar. Furious All the others looked away from the enraged Duo but still he spoke low and threateningly. "Mine." Heero shivered at his lover's tone. "Touch him and die so horribly that the very thought of it in Hell will you make you grateful that you are there." He reached back a hand and placed it on Heero's chest over his heart possessively. The others looked ashamed, none meeting eyes with anyone. "Winner." Wufei spoke quietly, though his voice was angry. "Why the hell do you have it set for so long? For that matter, why don't you have a reserve? You said this was a safe-house. How in the hell is this safe?" Quatre looked down and Trowa put an arm about his shoulder for support. "My dealer hasn't delivered in a while. I didn't pay it much mind as I hunted instead. And I've been so caught up in my work that this scenario just never occurred to me. As for the locks, they are to ensure that, should the house be set aflame, Trowa and I would not be able to exit due to hunger and he be burned by the day light. After two days, at midnight when they open, I have connections that come to our aid automatically." Everyone thought about that. Duo smiled nervously. "So then they can come now and open the door, ne, Q?" Quatre shook his head. "Iye. They won't know of this until the time before the door opens." Duo processed that. "It's going to be Ok, right? You all fed tonight. What's two nights? Ne?" No one looked his way. "You.....didn't..... YOU DIDN'T HUNT TONIGHT?!" Trowa looked slightly angry. "We were busy. None of us thought this would happen. Did you?" Duo shook his head. "...Iye..." Heero felt his knees begin to shake and he collapsed to have Duo catch him and lower him to the couch away from the others. "Heero?" Heero nodded at him, though he was shaking. "I'm Ok." Duo looked into his eyes and Heero could tell he wasn't buying it. "Anou... What's wrong with two-month-old blood? Maybe it will not be so bad...?" Duo looked sad and afraid. "Old blood doesn't do anything for us. All the sustaining qualities are gone. It slowly fades from blood reserves as time goes on until it is not there at all. That's why I hate drinking it so much. It doesn't do as much as fresh. We need the life in the blood. Once that is gone, it is useless." Heero thought about that to himself. 'I suppose... If they... Not too much....' Duo shook his head. '"Iye. Heero, no way."' Heero looked up to him in understanding. '"There are four of us. And this is quite different than when we make love. This is feeding."' Heero shuddered. 'But if they only took enough that they wouldn't go crazy...' Duo shook his head again. '"Iye. I won't let them touch you. They will have to get through me first."' Heero realized that Duo was saying that the others didn't have so much control as he. He could end up dead. "Ok." * * * "There is still nothing on TV." Complained Wufei from the couch. "I can't believe this bullshit. How can there be absolutely nothing on? It doesn't make sense!" Duo mocked him good-naturedly. "Let me guess, Wu-man;" He cleared his voice. "'This is an injustice!'." Wufei turned and glared at him for a moment before flipping through more channels. "Damare, baka yaro." Duo grinned. Quatre was digging through some shelves in a cabinet for something. He pulled out a box and blew some dust off of it. "Hey! I found a game. Anyone want to play Twister?" Wufei grumbled and Duo bemoaned the idea. "What?" Asked Quatre, confused. Duo smirked. "Do you by any chance remember what ended up happening the last time you and Trowa played Twister? I had to leave for the whole night. Poor Wu was M.I.A. for a week." Quatre blushed as did Trowa while Wufei shuddered. Heero chuckled. He knew they were all trying to lighten the mood. Acting like they were not trapped in a locked room and he their only source of blood. He appreciated it, but he was still terrified. 'I'm not scared of being bitten. I'm just worried that they would take it too far. What if they got carried away out of hunger?' He looked to his side where Duo sat next to him on the floor in the corner of the room, an arm protectively placed about his waist, looking from one of his friends to the other and then back again. 'He's worried that they might try something. I guess vampires have hunger far worse than humans. Should I be worried as well?' He put an arm around Duo's waist as well and Duo smiled up at him. It was a warm gesture but Heero could see the discomfort and fear behind the violet eyes he so loved. He kissed Duo's cheek. 'I'm Ok, Duo. Really.' Duo smiled wryly. '"Thanks. I know you're scared witless. I can smell and feel it. They can, too. But thanks for trying to put me at ease." 'Heero tightened his arm about his waist and Duo did the same, sending him a mental caress. He leaned against Duo, resting his head on his shoulder. 'I'm sooo tired.' Duo looked to the others before looking back to him. '"Sleep. I will watch over you."' Heero smiled and snuggled against him to get more comfortable. He soon drifted off to sleep. * Duo smiled down at Heero. 'He's so cute.' He grinned as Wufei continued to grumble about the crap on the TV and Quatre and Trowa discussed ideas for the magazine. 'I love you guys. But you're not touching what's mine.' He held Heero tighter to himself and nuzzled his hair. * * * Heero awoke out of hunger and thirst. He opened bleary eyes to see Duo sitting next to him, cradling him in an arm against himself. "Ohaiyo." He yawned. "Wait, what time is it?" "It's noon." Duo looked down to him nervously. "How are you feeling?" Heero shook his head to clear it. "I'm hungry. And thirsty." Duo looked sad. "I know. There's no food or water here, though." "Actually." Quatre's voice from across the room. "There is a shower. The water is unfiltered but it is drinkable." Heero stood up and stretched his cramped legs, uncaring about why Quatre would have a shower. Duo stood as well and looked to Quatre for directions. The blonde pointed to a small doorway and Duo took Heero's hand, leading him to the bathroom. A flick of the light switch revealed a small room with a shower stall and nothing else. He turned on the water to cold and Heero immediately dove in and began to drink it as it fell from the spray. 'It tastes like crap, but it's water.' Once done he shut off the water and turned to Duo who seemed sad. 'He's thirsty too.' He closed the door and faced him. "Duo-kun." Duo looked back to him with wide eyes. He managed a weak smile. "Yes?" Heero saw the fangs and Duo dropped the expression. "Duo." He whispered. "Are you Ok? I mean... Just you... You can..." Duo shook his head. "They would know. We can smell even a little blood." Heero frowned. "So? I'm yours. You're allowed to. They understand that." Duo paled. "What? Heero." He took his shoulders in his hands. "Heero. I have no right to do this. Don't think that I do. Ever. Please." Heero thought back on his choice of words. 'That did sound a little slave-like, didn't it.' "What I meant was that it's Ok for you to do it. I don't mind. I'm just worried that the others would get carried away. I know you won't." Duo shook his head. "Duo. I don't like seeing you suffer. If it just means that I am tired for a little, I will freely give you what you need." Duo shook his head again. "Hee-kun. I'll live for two nights. It's Ok. Really." Heero said one word. One word that held so much meaning for the vampire standing before him. One word that he felt guilty just saying aloud, knowing the pain it caused the other when used in such a way. "Shinigami." Duo looked as though he had been slapped, staggering back a few steps until he was pressed against the wall. His eyes welled with tears that refused to spill upon his cheeks. Heero moved forward and cupped a cheek tenderly. "Duo. Just take what you need. I know you hunted the night before last, but you're not going to last another two days. I know you don't want to make that mistake you made with the boy again. And I need you to be strong to protect me. Even from yourself. Please, Duo-kun. For your sake and mine." He reached up and wiped away a tear that traced a path down Duo's cheek. "Onegai." Duo looked up to him from beneath his bangs for a moment
before moving forward and embracing Heero tightly. "Hee-kun."
He nuzzled his neck over the pulse and Heero bent his head back for
him. He felt Duo Duo caught him and lowered them both to the floor of the small bathroom, tenderly cradling Heero in his lap. Heero felt himself grab a hold of Duo, not allowing him to leave as he drank from him. Pleasure spiraled through his being and he moaned before he felt Duo cover his mouth gently. '"Sshhh."' Duo shushed him gently in his mind. Heero gave a mental nod and did his best not to make any more noise though a few whimpers escaped him. He felt Duo release him and gently begin to lick the wounds closed. Heero shuddered as a few more shocks ran through him like electric currents at Duo's ministrations. When Duo was done healing him, he just lay there, eyes closed, still holding tightly to his lover as if afraid he would suddenly leave. "Hee-kun?" "Ah?" Heero nodded but didn't open his eyes. "Dai ja bu?" Heero nodded again. "I'll be fine." He tightened his hold on Duo. "I don't wanna move." "Kuso. Heero, you have to stand up. I'll help you. Ok?" Heero felt Duo take his hand and opened his eyes when he felt a light pull. He pulled back and allowed himself to be brought to his feet. Duo placed two hands on his shoulders and steadied him when he swayed none too slightly. "Am I supposed to be this dizzy? How much...?" "Not much. You were never standing before. We were always in bed." Heero noticed that Duo's fangs were still present. 'He said that they can take a while to go away.' Duo straightened Heero's clothes and looked deeply into his eyes for a moment. "You gonna be Ok?" Heero nodded. "I think that was just the aftermath. I feel much better now." Duo looked down for a moment before looking to the door and plastering a grin to his face. Heero shuddered at the ease with which Duo could hide himself from others, but followed him out the door. "Miss me?" Duo stepped into the room and sniffed the air. "It smells like sex in here." He joked. Wufei growled as he glared at him, one eye twitching slightly, Trowa rolled his eyes skyward as if asking for strength from above and Quatre blushed. His task of lightening the mood completed, Duo chuckled and led Heero to the couch to watch TV, strategically sitting between him and Wufei. Wufei sniffed the air before becoming pale, but said not a word. * * * Heero looked at the other occupants of the room. It was now late in the second night. Wufei was meditating in a corner, a deep scowl furrowing his brow. Quatre and Trowa were on the floor by the steel door.
Both wore the same scowl as the Chinese vampire, both clutching at
their abdomens. Quatre's eyes were closed and every so often a whimper
would escape Duo was still going strong, staying by Heero's side and watching everyone, ready to defend him with his life. Heero was nervous. And yet he felt...guilty? 'Why the hell would I feel guilty? ...Because, baka, you are the only thing here that can help them but you're not. ...But they'll live. It won't be too much longer. Less than twenty-four hours now.' He looked to Duo. Duo looked back to him briefly, not even bothering to smile. Heero took a hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly. Duo did the same. "Heero. How are you feeling?" Heero nodded. "I'm Ok. We'll be out of here in less than twenty-four hours. When we get out of here, I need to find something to eat. I'm starving." Duo nodded. "Ah." He looked to him from where his gaze was resting on Wufei. "Why don't you get some sleep." Heero nodded again and lay his head against Duo's shoulder. "Hai. Arigato, Shugotenshi." * * * Heero awoke at the sound of a deep growl. He startled and looked around in alarm. Duo was standing between him and Wufei. The Chinese vampire's fangs glinted in the light and his pupils were dilated. "Maxwell." "Chang. Back off." Duo growled. Heero was immediately on his feet, leaning against the wall as if to put as much distance between himself and the maddened vampire. "I won't kill him. Just let me_" "NO! Back the FUCK OFF!!!" Heero felt himself begin to shake again. 'This isn't happening. It's not.' "Duo-kun?" Duo held a hand behind himself to silence him. "Don't move, Heero." "What's the matter, Maxwell?" Wufei grinned feraly. The expression was not pleasant at all. It was insane and terrifying. "Afraid he'll like it?" Duo had him pinned to the floor faster than Heero could see and was striking Wufei across the face repeatedly, sitting on his chest, his legs holding Wufei's arms pinned to his sides. His blows were hard, the sound loud in the room as Wufei's head snapped to either side with the force of them. "DON'T!!! YOU!!! LISTEN!!! TO!!! THE!!! THINGS!!! YOU!!! SAY!!! ?!?!?!?!?!?" "Kisama! Maxwell! Hanase! That hurts dammit!" Duo growled. "Good, then I must be doing it right." He punched Wufei once more as if to knock some sense into the stunned vampire. Pressing his crown against Wufei's, Duo growled his next words, his tone threatening. "Wufei. Listen to me. That was the thirst talking, so, because I am kind, I will forgive you. But if you do anything to my Heero, I will kill you slowly and painfully. You are dancing along the fine line of living and dying by my hand. I mean it. Understand?" A dazed Wufei licked at the blood on his lip. "Whatever, Maxwell." Duo got off of him and walked back to Heero to stand again between him and the others. Heero couldn't help it. He stepped forward and embraced Duo from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. "Duo?" Duo reached back and placed a hand on the back of his head. '"It's Ok, Hee-kun. He won't try anything."' Heero couldn't stop the tears from falling onto his lover's shoulder. 'I feel so horrible. I want to help. But I don't want to die. And Duo knows best about this sort of thing.' Duo turned to him and held him tightly, for the first time in a long time, turning his back on the rest of the group. "Heero. Please don't cry. This will be over soon. And then I'll kick Quatre's ass for not keeping a stock of blood here and Wufei's ass for closing the door and saying those things. Ok? Please don't cry, Hee-kun." He whispered in his ear. Heero nodded and held him tightly. "Thank you, Duo. But it's not their fault. It wouldn't be fair." Duo smiled wryly. "Yosha. I'll just maim them, then. Rather than kill them." Heero smiled to try to put Duo at ease, but the tears didn't cease. Duo looked sad and held him tighter. He pushed them back into the corner and sat Heero down, joining him on the floor and putting and arm around his waist. "Don't worry so much. I'll handle this." * * * Quatre groaned loudly, his fangs prominent as he held his abdomen with one hand, doubled over in pain as his other held his lover. Trowa's head was in his lap, his breathing hard and fast, a scowl on his usually stoic features, coughing, every so often a quiet, pained moan escaping him despite his obvious attempts to quell them. Wufei was sitting near them, cursing under his breath in Chinese. All the vampires were shaking lightly, evidence of their weakness. Duo was falling asleep despite his efforts to remain conscious and Heero realized that he had remained awake, keeping vigil the entire time they had been locked in the room. Heero shook him, fearful of his only protection leaving him for the land of nod. "Duo? Duo." Duo shook his head to clear it. "Hai hai. I'm awake. How long to go?" "About sixteen hours." Duo groaned as tears seeped from his closed eyes. "I'm so sorry, Heero." Heero shook his head. "What for?" Duo's tears continued to fall onto his cheeks. He sobbed slightly, a small sound that choked in his throat. "I should never have come down here with you. I'm so stupid." He leaned his head back quickly, hitting the back of his skull against the wall. Heero put his hand behind his lover's head as he tried to do it again, stopping him from doing so. "No, Duo. Please don't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault." Duo nodded. "Yes. It is. I should have known." Heero held him close to himself, shivering at how cold he was. "Duo, stop. You couldn't have known about this any more than I could have. Stop punishing yourself for things that aren't your fault." He pleaded. Duo hugged him tightly and Heero felt his shoulders shaking with his silent sobs. Heero heard a particularly loud groan from the other side of the room. He looked over to see that Quatre was nearly laying on the floor as well, a grimace on his angelic features. The cupid-like effect he had about him was countered by the sharp, gleaming fangs that were all too plain in his grimace. Duo looked back to them, sympathy and compassion in his gleaming eyes. "Guys. This is almost over. Just sixteen more hours. Then we can all hunt, or I can drive you to my place. I have a large stock." "Shut up, Maxwell!" Wufei glared daggers at him. Duo looked offended. "I'm just trying to help." "Just shut up." "Wufei, don't let this control you. You're stronger than that. You all are. I know you are." All the others more or less glared at him and Wufei spoke again. "We are not as accustomed to this as you. You're too much of a fucking coward to hunt every night the way you should. Your body has learned to deal with the hunger. Ours have not. Now just shut up!" Duo looked genuinely hurt as he hung his head and said not a word. Heero hugged him tighter to himself and heard Quatre groan as he stood on shaking legs. Duo was standing as well, a defensive stance between Heero and the blonde. Quatre smiled weakly. "Ne, Duo? I'm about to go insane. Trowa already is but I've sealed him in his mind. And we already know where Wufei stands. Out of safety, perhaps Heero_" Duo's voice was low and sad. "Q. You're my oldest and best friend. Don't make me hurt you." Quatre looked down. "I know, Duo. I don't want to do this either." Heero was shaking worse than he ever had in his life by this point and Quatre looked up to him with sorrow in his eyes. Duo growled, earning Quatre's attention as he spoke to Heero. "Heero. Don't move. Don't make any noise. Try to breath lightly." Heero knew that was impossible. His breaths were heavy and fast with panic. "Quatre." Duo grasped his friend's shoulder. "Go sit down." Quatre shook his head. "Duo. You know what happens when we lose it. You won't be able to defeat all three of us at once." "So I'll die trying." Quatre shook his head, his mental voice echoing through Heero's head. '"Is that what Heero would want?"' Duo growled. "Shut up." Quatre looked deeply into his eyes. "I think, in Heero's best interest, that the best ideas here would to be for you to either kill us all, or allow us to slake the thirst enough to last until midnight. Those are your only options." Duo sobbed brokenly. "No." Heero couldn't stand it any longer. He stood despite the weakness he felt in his knees from both hunger and fear. "Duo. It's Ok." He turned to Quatre. "I don't want to die." Quatre nodded. "I know. We will only take enough to stave off the insanity. If we did go over the edge, we would attack without thought and you would surely die." Steeling his nerves with a skill long ago acquired in the orphanage, Heero nodded. "Then, considering the alternative, this is the better option." Quatre looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Heero." Duo let the tears fall freely then, his eyes squeezed closed, his hands fists at his sides as his shoulders shook. Heero wiped the tears away and kissed him. "Duo. It's Ok. Just stay with me. I'll be fine as long as you are with me. I trust you all." Quatre's eyes welled at his words. "Arigato, Heero. You are the bravest person I have ever met." Heero nodded slightly. "What do I do?" Duo held him and drew him back against the wall, sitting down and drawing Heero into his lap. Heero sat down and looked into Duo's terrified eyes. "Duo. I don't want to die. This is the only option. I won't watch you kill your friends. You understand, ne?" Duo nodded. He looked to Quatre and then looked to the floor in resignation. Quatre walked to his lover, lifting him gently and seeming to communicate with the other two vampires. Heero felt his panic return with a vengeance as they all walked towards him. Duo held him tightly to himself, pressing his crown into Heero's shoulder as if unable to watch. Heero watched with wide eyes as the others all gathered around him. Quatre tried to comfort him with words, but Heero could not understand them, far too caught up in his fear. 'Can I do this? I don't have a choice. I want to live, and Duo to be happy. I can.' He became all the more terrified, even as he felt his body relax as Quatre nuzzled his throat, sending familiar chills through him. He gasped as Quatre broke the skin. He felt the others do the same, each to a wrist. Even as the pleasure coursed through him, he was filled with mind numbing terror. Duo's voice filled his mind, taking him away from what was happening. '"Ne, Hee-kun. Remember when we met?"' Heero felt his mind drawn back to that night. He watched as Duo revealed himself to him, made him aware of his feelings, and as the two of them danced. He chuckled mentally as he recalled the look upon the man's face in the bathroom when he had walked in on the two. He remembered their first kiss at the club, their first embrace in the car. The admissions of shared love. 'Duo-kun.' '"I'm here, Heero. I'm not going anywhere. Never."' Heero smiled as a feeling of absolute safety and warmth surrounded his senses, feeling protected and loved. He knew it was Duo manipulating his mind, but he didn't care, appreciating the gesture for what it was. He opened his eyes after a moment of feeling bereft to see four pairs of eyes peering down at him worriedly. He smiled as brightly as he could. "Was that it? That's what we were all so worried about? I'll be fine." Quatre smiled warmly as Trowa's eyes twinkled with respect and Wufei nodded. Duo just looked plain strung out and tired. But also very relived. Quatre spoke softly. "I am glad, Heero." He helped his lover to his feet and they walked with Wufei to the other side of the room, regaining their seats by the door. Heero knew it was to make him more comfortable and silently thanked them as he looked up to his stressed lover. He cupped Duo's cheek in his hand. "Hey." Duo smiled a small but genuine smile. "Hey." * * * The others in the room, though better than they had been, were not doing well. Gritted teeth and scowls adorned them all. Heero knew that if they all fed from him again he would
die. He was frightened but he knew that Duo would not allow them to
do such a thing. He just hoped that it had been enough to keep the
madness at "So what classes do I have to help you do make up work for?" Asked Duo, absently stroking Heero's hair as he lay in his lap. Heero smiled. "History,_" "That's an easy one." Heero chuckled. "And math." Duo winced, his fangs obvious. "Ooh, and the moment of confidence is gone just like that." Heero laughed. "It's pretty complicated stuff. I'm lucky to get a C on most my assignments." Duo thought about that for a moment. "I will look at the text book. I may be able to decipher things. If so, would you let me tutor you? Try to bring your grade up?" Heero smiled. "I'd like that." Duo smiled down at him and checked his watch. "Ne, Heero? After this, remind me to get a bloody cell phone." Heero giggled. "Yosha. What time is it?" "It's eight." Duo sighed. "We still have four hours. I gotta get out of here. I'm starting to feel claustrophobic." Heero nodded. "Ah. Me too." Duo was about to say something when they all heard a loud noise from the door and saw light pierce it. Quatre was up and carrying Trowa to the other side of the room the moment the sound began. All looked away, the light too bright for their eyes. After a moment there was a loud metallic thud and everyone turned to the doorway. The door had a large rectangular shape cut from its center, the cut out piece lying upon the floor. Noin stood with a smirk on her beautiful features, flicking a piece of dark violet hair out of her eyes before resting the hand on her cocked hip. She held a high power welder's torch in the other hand, a welder's mask in the idle position on her head. She looked about the room. "Men. You always get yourself into such...embarrassing...situations." Her smirk grew. "Miss me?" Wufei ran to her and kissed her passionately before pulling back and fixing her with a glare. "What the hell took you so long?!" Noin smiled sweetly and laughed. "Shut up and count your blessings, baka. I could have just not come at all." She turned to everyone else in the room. "I brought blood. And for...Heero?...a combo meal from a fast-food joint." Heero felt his stomach stir at the words. Duo's stomach growled noisily and he smiled sheepishly as everyone turned to him. He placed a hand behind his head as he blushed. "What? Oh, like you're any better?" * * * Heero quickly ate the fries and hamburger that were placed before him at the table. He looked up after a moment of silence to see that he was alone in the room. 'I guess they're all just as shy as Duo is about drinking blood. Che. That didn't stop them before. Dameo, I'm not being fair.' He drank the soda faster than he had ever drunk anything in his life. He quickly stuffed the burger into his mouth, ketchup or no, and was finished with his meal after a mere five minutes. 'I'm still hungry. That's because I need more resources to make up the blood I lost. Oh, well. I'll live for now. I'll ask Duo to drive by someplace on our way home.' After a while, a group of tired, but definitely happy and fangless vampires entered the room, Noin telling all the others about her trials freeing them from their prison. "Yeah, so finally I got tired of Wufei's being an ass and came to remove him from here with force. You wouldn't believe my surprise when I felt that the house was utterly deserted. Then I saw the book shelf and the stair case. The door wouldn't open and all the times I pounded on it, I didn't get a reply. I knew you were in there, though. So tonight I went out and bought this from a hardware store. Do you have any idea how hard it was to track down a hardware store that had what I needed and was open after sunset?" She turned to Quatre. "I'm sorry about the door. I just didn't know how long it would remain locked." Quatre dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Don't pay it another thought. It is easy to replace it with the right funding." "Yeah well, I'm still gonna feel bad about it." She turned to Wufei. "And you. I am so going to kick your ass later when you've had some sleep." Wufei looked indignant. "Nanio, Onna?!" "Closing the door to a safe-house? A large, mechanically opened, STEEL door? Just how drunk were you?!" Noin slapped him upside the back of his head and he glared at her. "We will have words." Noin held up a finger. "Later. And you're sleeping on the couch, misiuer." Heero laughed to himself. Wufei growled and turned away from his purple-haired lover. "Whatever. This is an injustice." The woman smiled brightly and turned to everyone else, taking a hold of Wufei's slim, ebony pony tail in one hand. "Well, if you don't mind, I believe I will drag my husband home for his beating." The others smiled and thanked her again as she waltzed from the house with Wufei. All eyes turned to Heero for a moment before the blues and greens looked away in shame. The violet ones Heero loved so much, smiled weakly at him. "Ne, Heero. Let's go home." Heero nodded and stood from his seat with some difficulty, doing his best not to show his weakness and turning to his lover. Duo nodded his head once to his friends and took Heero's hand, saving his pride by not picking him up and carrying him until they were outside the closed door. "You still hungry?" Heero nodded as he noted that Duo was once again warm to the touch. "Starved." Duo smirked. "What do you want to get? Anything you want." Heero thought about it. "I don't care. Anything with meat and a salad bar." Duo looked guilty. "Heero, I'm so sorry." Heero placed a finger to his lips. "Duo. Please don't apologize. Everything worked itself out for the best. Let's leave this in the past." Duo looked stunned as he nodded and set Heero down by his car. He helped him into the front seat and closed the door, getting in his side and starting the car to drive away from the large house of his old friend. * * * Duo carefully lay Heero on his bed. He gently caressed the hair from his lover's eyes as his head lay back against the pillow. "You can sleep here tonight. I don't think it would be wise for you to go to school tomorrow. You need to build up your strength." Heero nodded up at him and yawned widely. "Stay with me?" Duo nodded hesitantly and lay aside him, holding him tightly. "Hee-kun. I'm sorry you had to do that. I understand why, but I am still sorry." Heero rubbed his back, a gesture to comfort. "It's Ok, Duo. Don't be. I wasn't going to let you kill your only friends. I know that they are the only part of your life outside of me that you treasure. Watching you kill them... Something in me would have broken along with you. And I sure as hell was not about to die and leave you. I don't regret my decision. It's a little weird, the situation, but I don't regret it. And neither should you." Duo felt the tears well in his eyes and buried his head in Heero's chest. Heero sighed and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep. Duo held him tightly and allowed his tears to come, sobbing into his lover's chest as he slept, his heart beating steadily beside his ear. His exhaustion and stress of the past few days finally caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep, still sobbing pitifully. 'Kuso. Boy's don't cry...' * * * Heero awoke the next morning and opened his eyes to see Duo standing over him with a bowl of cereal and a sandwich that deserved its own zip code. "Breakfast?" Heero sat up and graciously took the offered food from Duo who sat on the bed beside him. "Thanks." Duo smiled wryly. "So what are your plans for the day?" Heero took a large bite of the sandwich, chewing as
he thought about the question before swallowing. "I have to go
to the bank to take out some money and pay a few bills. I don't know
why, but I actually WANT Duo thought about it. "I was thinking that I will help you study to stay caught up in your classes. And then, if we had time, I would teach you to defend yourself as I had promised." Heero smiled before he took another bite of the beef and lettuce filled sandwich. "That sounds good. Thanks." Grinning, Duo stood. "I'm gonna go prepare a bath." Heero blushed, realizing that he had not showered in about three days. "A...Arigato." Duo tousled his hair and walked from the room. Wanting to take the offered bath as soon as possible, Heero quickly finished his food and stood from the bed to immediately fall over. 'They took more than I thought. Kuso.' Duo walked back into the room, having obviously heard Heero's fall. He gently lifted him and carried him into the bathroom, not saying a word. Heero blushed as he was gently stripped out of the clothes Duo had bought him and placed in the tub of warm water. He sighed and leaned his head back, looking up to Duo. The violet depths seemed distant and he knew that he was still blaming himself for Heero's temporary weakness. "Duo. This is nothing that a day of rest and a lot of iron won't help. I'm hard to kill. Remember?" Duo nodded and smirked. Though the look on his lover's face was forced, Heero smiled up at him. "I'm just gonna relax for a bit." He closed his eyes, letting himself slip further into the water. "Arigato." "Hai." Heero heard Duo's quiet footsteps leave the bathroom, leaving the door open. * * * Feeling much better and stronger, Heero walked out the door to his motor bike, getting on it and starting it, looking back to the house once more before driving slowly down the dirt road. He saw two people working in the vineyard and stopped when they waved for him to do so. He immediately recognized them as Duo's land lords. "Hello, Heero." Martha smiled sweetly. Not bothering a smile, Heero nodded, still disliking the farmer couple for making Duo suffer. "What are you up to?" "Um. I just have to go to the bank. I have to pay rent today." He said simply. "Oh, where do you live? For some reason I thought you were staying with Duo." Elmer said with a smile. "Huh?" "I guess not. You live around here?" Heero nodded. "Templeton." "Ah. Duo was gone for a few days. Your bike was there, though. Is everything Ok? His car was gone during the day." Martha asked, concern touching her voice while Elmer looked anxious. "Yeah. We went on a trip." Martha smiled. "Oh. I see." She looked to the house. "So he's alright. Are you coming back?" "I don't know." He lied. "I have a lot to do." "Hmm, I thought you'd be in school today." Heero realized why Duo was so afraid of these people. They were nosey. And smart. Two things that sat well with neither of them. "It's a flex day today. We don't have to show up." Martha smiled and looked down to the sheers she held in her hand. "Well, Elmer and I are going to get back to work. It was good seeing you again, Heero. Please come back anytime. Any friend of Duo's is a friend of mine." Heero smiled at her but inside, he was seething. 'Some friend you are. You gave my Duo a nervous breakdown. He was terrified of you. Don't you realize that you can't do that to people?! They must not have seen him as a person. Can I leave him alone with these people? I guess so. He's been living here for almost two years and they've known for a few days. I guess they're safe. He would have done something if they weren't.' He nodded to Elmer and then sped down the road, eager to get away from the two before he said something that Duo would regret. * * * Heero inserted his card into the ATM machine on the side of the bank. 'I just hope that I have enough to even make rent. I don't want to get another loan. Or borrow money from Duo.' He looked over the screen as it gave him his options and he checked 'Check Balance'. His jaw hit the pavement. "THREE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Heero shook his head. "No. This thing must be wrong. That can't be right." He removed his card and repeated the process only to get the same results. 'Ok. It's broken.' He walked into the bank and over to an open teller. The elderly blonde woman looked over to him as he approached and smiled sweetly. "May I help you?" Heero nodded. "I just checked my balance on the ATM machine outside and it said that I have over three-hundred-thousand dollars. I want to see if it is right." The woman typed a few things on the computer terminal in front of her and asked for his account number. He gave it her and she nodded. "Yes. That's right. I remember now." Heero blinked. "Remember what?" The woman smiled. "A nice young blonde man was in here this morning when we opened. He put all that money in the account. You must have a secret admirer." Heero stared at the woman in shock. 'Quatre...? No. He wouldn't have...? Would he?..." The woman's face became blank as she reached down under the counter and retrieved an envelope. "He wanted you to have this as well." She said flatly. Her voice was monotone, as if there were no thoughts behind it. Heero hesitantly took the envelope and the woman suddenly smiled. "Have a nice day." Heero stared at her in shock for a moment before smiling and walking out the door. Once on the pavement, he opened the envelope to reveal a short letter in neat cursive.
I am deeply sorry for not being prepared for the situation
last night. I am in awe of your inner strength and your will to help
others. I am sorry that things played out like they did. I hope these
This is a sincere apology. Please accept it. Quatre Rababera Winner.//
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