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"Custos"Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing nor any of
its characters. I only own the original characters. And nobody's paying
me to write this. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, OC, Yaoi, Lemon, Language, Violence Pairings: 5x4, 1x3x1, 2x6x2 Summary: Just as things begin looking up for the
Gundam boys, Wufei disappears. " Custos" Chapter 9 Wufei paced the common room of their hotel, eyes periodically turning to Duo's sleeping form on the sofa. Zechs sat next to the brunette, running his fingertips over his pale, still face. “He looks dead,” he whispered. Quatre moved into the room, running a towel through his wet hair. He draped it over his shoulder and leaned his hands on the back of the sofa to look down at Duo. “Are we going to stay here until he wakes up?” Wufei shook his head. “It wouldn't be a good idea. We're going to need months in a safe location, and once Vincent's underlings realize he's dead, this place will be crawling with activity.” “Do you have any ideas on where to go?” He glanced to Heero and shook his head. “No, and we can't use any of Quatre's estates because if Vincent found the one in New York, there's a possibility they know of his other homes.” “Jason,” Trowa said softly. Heero began shaking his head. “No.” He sighed. “Heero, his place is untouchable.” He snorted. “The man's infuriating.” Trowa put his hands on his lover's shoulders. “Put your pride aside, Heero. We have to think about what's important here, and that's keeping all of us alive as long as possible. Jason's island is warded and safe. It's the best place for Duo.” He pursed his lips and crossed to the vid-phone. “All right, but I want it noted that I'm against this.” Trowa smirked. “You're just afraid he's going to out you.” He punched in the number and spared a glance to his lover. “Bite me, Trowa.” He grinned. “I did. Last night, remember?” He winked. Jason's face appeared on the screen. “Glad to see you've still got your head on your shoulders. To what-” His smile fell and words trailed off as he saw Wufei in the background. “Is this the vampire friend of yours.” Wufei tipped his head. “I am.” Piercing sapphire eyes studied him for a long moment before he nodded. “I'll be frank with you. I don't like vampires. I've never met one that had any redeeming quality. But my grandson trusts you, and I trust his judgment. If you're intent on fighting others of your kind, I'll support you. If you step out of line, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you.” “Jason,” Heero warned. “Don't threaten my friends.” He huffed and looked back to Heero. “I'm not threatening. I'm just telling him how it is. Now, have you found out anything about this Custos thing yet?” Heero nodded. “Some. Apparently it isn't a thing but a person. A vampire to be exact. One who is strong enough to take on ancient vampires.” He groaned. “So now you're on a search to find a blood sucker that likes to play nice with humans? Good luck with that.” Wufei raised an eyebrow. “Sir, I haven't been disrespectful to you, I'd appreciate the same in return.” His eyes narrowed. “A vampire murdered my daughter and son-in-law. Not to feed, of course. Merely to murder mystics who they thought were a nuisance.” Wufei tipped his head. “I'm terribly sorry for your loss, but I am not the one who killed them.” Jason pressed his lips to a fine line and sat back in his chair. He released a breath and nodded. “Quite right. Forgive my rudeness.” He looked back to Heero. “What can I do for you?” “One of our companions was injured. We need a place to stay that's safe until he's... recuperated.” “You're more than welcome to come here. How bad is your friend?” Heero glanced to Duo. “He had several organs damaged and a severed spine. There was no choice but for Wufei to turn him.” Jason obviously didn't like that news. “Why didn't you heal him?” “I was busy trying to put my skull back together.” He shook his head. “If you will have a problem with vampires under your roof let me know now so we can think of something else.” They gazed levelly at each other for a long minute before Jason shook his head. “No, my boy. I'll help. I hope he doesn't mind feeding off animals while he's here.” “That won't be a problem,” Heero said quickly. “Thank you.” “When can I expect you?” “We'll be there later tonight.” Jason nodded. “See you soon.” The link disconnected and Heero turned to face Wufei. “He normally isn't rude. He's still torn up about my mother and father.” “I wasn't aware you knew your parents.” He shook his head. “They died when I was too young to remember. Jason didn't find me until halfway through the war. And he was very unhappy I was a part of it.” “What did he mean when he said that they didn't feed off of his daughter 'of course'?” Zechs asked. Wufei shook his head. “Mystic blood isn't very appealing.” He cleared his throat. “But we are presented with a problem. We're going to need to be very careful once he wakes up. Until he's strong enough, you can't be alone with him.” Zechs nodded his understanding and Wufei clasped his hands. “All right then. Let's get packed up and to the jet.” He looked to Heero. “Where does your grandfather live?” “An island in the Caribbean.” Wufei didn't really like that. “Would he mind boarding up windows?” Heero shook his head. “I'll call him on the way.” ****** He moved soundlessly across the hardwood floors, mild trepidation slowing his movements. The death itself would only be a small frustration to the man he served, but the events surrounding them were sure to infuriate him. He took a breath at the door leading to the veranda and stepped out, dropping to one knee. “My lord.” Cold black eyes appraised him. “What is it?” “Vincent and his mate are dead.” He sneered. “What'd the fool do now?” “My lord, he attempted to kill Chang in a manner that greatly underestimated him.” His faced darkened. “What did that idiot do?” He looked up. “Chang has formed an alliance of some sort, one of them is Quatre Winner. We don't know who the others are, or how many he is traveling with. The estate they were at was burned to the ground and they went to Alaska and killed Vincent. They've left from there now and we do not know yet their destination.” He ground his teeth, turning to looked over the balcony. He'd told Vincent to leave Chang. There were more important things to focus on. He rubbed his mouth. “Did he ever find the one he was looking for?” He cleared his throat and stood. “That I do not know.” He nodded. “Find Chang. Put patrols on every Winner building and estate.” His eyes narrowed. Just what was Chang's connection to the business man? It was a strong alliance. Winner could easily protect and provide for the rogue vampire that was determined to upset his balance of power. If only Damien had seen things from their point of view. Instead he had to go and find himself an apprentice that was becoming far more irritating than he had a right to be. “Damn you, Damien.” ****** Normally there was a space between sleep and awake that Duo resided in for a good thirty minutes. He would lie in bed, unsure if he was quite awake or still dreaming. It was a lazy custom, but one he enjoyed. Somehow, though, he'd managed to bypass that occurrence and went from dead sleep to wide awake. His eyes shot open but he didn't move. He was curled to his side in a bed he didn't recognize. His hair was loose and he was completely undressed. He stared at the wall, content to lie there until he could place the strange feeling that hummed through his body. He ran his fingertips over the satin sheets as if he'd never felt the fabric before. The sensation was somewhat odd. His mind ran over the last few days, trying to remember what had happened, but he couldn't quite capture the memories he was searching for. He pushed up slowly. He felt weak, like, he mused, a toddler must feel when trying to learn to walk and his legs wouldn't hold him yet. He raked a hand through his hair and dropped his feet to the floor. They shook slightly but he managed to remain upright. He wrapped the sheet around himself and slid his hand down the wall as he moved to the door, as much to take in the texture as to hold himself upright. He crept down the unfamiliar hall, lit by several sconces with flashing bulbs that gave the impression of candles. He paused at the top of a staircase as he heard voices below. He gripped the banister tightly and moved down the stairs, pausing halfway down as the area opened up into a living room. Heero, Trowa, and Wufei were talking quietly with a man he didn't recognize. The Chinese man stood and crossed to him. He pulled the sheet tighter. “What happened?” “Vincent captured you, remember?” His brows drew together and he lowered to sit on the steps. “No.” He pressed a fist to his burning stomach. “What did he do to me?” “He almost killed you.” Duo licked his lips and looked up to Wufei. He felt his teeth shift slightly and covered his mouth. He choked as the truth set in. “You turned me?” “I didn't have a choice. You were dying.” He hunched forward as the ache in his stomach grew. “What's wrong with me?” “Hold on.” He disappeared and returned in what seemed less than a second with a thermos. He brought the thermos to his lips, draining half before he even had time to think about what it was. The scent, although he'd never really smelled it before, was instantly recognizable. He closed his eyes. “It's all right,” Wufei said quietly. “Drink it. You need to build your strength.” “This isn't normal,” he whispered. “It is now,” Wufei countered. “You'll get used to it.” He finished the thermos, a little disgusted with himself for wanting more. But he couldn't help it. He looked to Wufei and bit his lip. He nodded and took the cup. Almost a second later it was back in his hand and full. He drank a bit before clutching it to his chest. “Why do I feel so weak?” “Partly because I'm in control of your power.” Duo nodded slowly, recalling Wufei's mention of a 'training period'. “And the other part?” Wufei leaned down and gripped his elbow, supporting most of his weight as he pulled him into the living room. “Because your body has gone through a tremendous change.” “Oh.” He sipped the thermos as he was settled on the sofa. “How long have I been out of it?” “Five days.” He looked around the strange room, eyes landing on the man he didn't know who was watching him warily. “Where are we?” he asked, looking back to Wufei. But it was the man who answered him. “My home. I'm Jason, Heero's grandfather.” Duo's eyes widened as he looked back to the man. “Grandfather?” Heero snorted. “He looks young and acts like a child, but he's over five hundred years old.” Jason pursed his lips. “Only by eighteen years.” Duo looked away from the man, not sure what to make of him. “Hm.” Duo stared at the now empty thermos, running his tongue over the longer canines that had extended. “This is weird.” Wufei nodded. “It takes time to get used to it.” Quatre came into the room with a bright smile. “You're awake. How are you feeling?” He shrugged, pulling his knees to his chest. “Weird.” He pulled a strand of hair over his shoulder and fiddled with it. “Fei, can I have some more?” He nodded and took the thermos. “I'll be right back.” Quatre sat next to Trowa on the sofa across from Duo and studied the American. The change was just as striking as Wufei's. His pale skin seemed to have been carved from flawless ivory. Violet eyes appeared even brighter and larger. Chestnut hair shinier. “What happened exactly?” “What do you remember?” He shook his head. “The last thing I remember was getting frustrated and sneaking out of the hotel room. I got lost.” He looked up as Wufei returned to the room. “I shouldn't have left.” He took the thermos. He tilted his head to the side, watching the strand of hair he was sliding through his fingers. He became distracted by the sensation of the soft hair moving across his skin. There was almost something hypnotic about the rich color contrasting with his skin. Wufei smiled. “It's going to take some time before he'll be able to focus.” Heero raised an eyebrow as he glanced to Wufei. “What do you mean?” “Everything is heightened at the change. Touch, smell, sight, taste, and hearing. The first few weeks it's easy to become distracted by something small.” He tilted his head towards Duo who had apparently forgotten anyone else was in the room. “Like running your fingers through your hair.” After several moments, Duo's brow drew together and he looked to Wufei. “Where's Zechs?” He nodded to Quatre who left the room again. “Zechs has been staying on the other side of the house. I didn't want a mistake to happen. We'll see how well you can stand to be around him.” Duo bit his lip. “You sure it's safe?” “I won't let you hurt him.” Quatre returned with Zechs and the tall blond smiled but made no move to cross to Duo. The brunette gazed at him for a long moment. He'd expected the burn in his stomach that had been appeased by the thermos to grow worse when he saw Zechs, or, more precisely, smell him. He frowned. It didn't. He set the thermos on the table and pushed slowly to his feet. Wufei watched warily as Duo crossed to the blond and stopped several feet in front of him. Duo shook his head. “I thought...” He looked to Wufei. “When you're... hungry, or whatever, you said it was almost impossible to stop.” Wufei nodded. “That's right.” He licked his lips. “Wufei, I don't have the slightest desire to...” He waved his hand. The Chinese man started. “What? You can't smell his blood?” “Yeah. It smells sweet like a flower.” The blond blushed slightly and Duo cleared his throat. “It doesn't smell like an appetizer.” Wufei frowned. “That's... bizarre. Does anyone here effect you?” Duo closed his eyes and took stock of what he was feeling. He shook his head slowly. “What kind of blood is that?” he asked, pointing to the thermos. Wufei shrugged. “It's mine.” Heero started. “What the hell does that mean?” He shook his head. “The first few days after one is turned, they live off the blood of their master. I'm not surprised it's somewhat appealing to him. But once the scent of a human enters the scene, it should detract from that.” He moved to stand in front of Duo. The brunette's eyes widened. There wasn't a compulsion to jump out and suck Wufei's blood, but the scent was enough to make the burn in his stomach return slightly. He clamped it down, not sure what it meant. “No, no one here effects me.” Wufei nodded slowly. “All right, but just to be on the safe side, I suggest not being alone with Zechs until you know for sure you can control yourself.” He cleared his throat and nodded. “Um, are there any clothes lying around I could wear?” He lifted the sheet. “I'd rather not walk around in this all day if I don't have to.” Jason nodded and stood. “I'll get you something.” “Thank you.” He looked around the room, uncomfortable with all the eyes on him, and his gaze landed on a portrait above the sofa. He crossed to it and studied the face of the woman. “Was this your mother, Heero?” “Yes.” Violet eyes followed the contours of the flawless face. Long chocolate curls cascaded over her shoulders. Duo frowned and leaned closer to study the background. In faint lines, almost impossible to detect in the swirls of the paint behind the figure, was the perfect outline of wings. They almost seemed an afterthought, as if trying to make her into something she wasn't. Or, a hidden aspect of her true nature that was teasingly there for all to see. Hidden in open sight. He turned slowly and a smirk raised his lips. “Ah. I get it.” Heero's eyes narrowed. “Get what?” “Legend has it all wrong, huh, Heero? That's why we couldn't figure it out.” Trowa covered his mouth while Wufei, Quatre, and Zechs all grew quite curious. Heero pursed his lips. “I don't think we need to continue this discussion.” “What discussion?” Jason asked as he came into the room with clothes for Duo. He took them gratefully. “Heero has been adamant that we not know what he is.” He looked back to his friend. “Isn't that right, Tinker bell?” Jason howled with laughter, doubling over to hold his stomach, while Heero fumed. “I am NOT Tinker bell.” Violet eyes sparkled. “But you are a faerie.” TBC....
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