*...* denotes thought or psychic speech
~~~ indicates scene breaks or flashbacks
[1, 2, 3,...] indicates author's notes at end

Author's note: it's been a long time, ne? Oh well, once again, wildly OOC (especially on Heero's part)

Embrace The Night Part 10d

Earth, Sank Kingdom, AC 86 [about a month after Interlude C]

Triton Bloom watched his fellow pilots with narrow eyes, the green gaze sharp and assessing. Casually lounging against a stationary communications console, he took in every detail of the bustle of activity around him, part of the scenery and yet strangely above all of the organized chaos.

As it had been wont to do lately, he found his attention being drawn to the youngest member of his flight team. He calmly watched the young pilot moving energetically around his craft, his youthful energy apparent in every unconsciously graceful gesture.

Heero Lowe had been the name on everyone's lips a few years ago when he had enrolled in the Earth Sphere Aeronautical Academy. Rumors had spread that the young boy had once been a cripple, but had made a miraculous recovery and then preceded to outshine all of his fellow students at ESAA. Watching the nimble pilot now, one would never have been able to guess his handicapped past, never thought that this young man had ever been unable to walk freely.

An orphan from the space colony L1 with no previous training or flight experience, the youth had quickly risen to the top of his class. He carried with him a refreshing outlook on life, free of any taint of spoiling or snobbery that marred many of his classmates' personalities. After all, ESAA was a very prestigious academy, most of whose students came from wealthy families. A few rumors had flown around about Heero's mysterious benefactor, but the boy's guilelessness and apparent adoration of said guardian had dispelled most of the nastier whispers.

Triton and some of the older pilots in the Specials had been watching Heero fly through the academy, passing course after course with flying colors. His agility and speed, not to mention reflexes and judgment, were at the top of his class, his piloting skills nearly unmatched by his fellow classmates. Accordingly, upon graduation, the Specials had made him a preemptive offer that had been eagerly accepted.

It was a decision that they did not regret in the least.

Triton had liked the young pilot upon their first meeting, although something about the young man had teased his senses. Something in Heero had whispered to Triton's hidden nature, one he concealed from all the mortals he mingled with. However, after a few months of observing the youth, it was clear to Triton that Heero was nothing more than a very gifted human and their friendship had grown by leaps and bounds.

However, something had changed in the past month or so, ever since Heero's 21st birthday. The young man was spending less time with his fellow pilots, rushing off somewhere every evening after practice or the shows. He wasn't going off to his apartment, of that Triton was sure, since he had stopped by Heero's place a few times before, only to find it empty. He had managed to drag it out of Heero a few days ago that the young Asian had been meeting with his benefactor, the one who had refused to contact him for five years.

Triton knew the story, Heero having told him one night spent in a quiet coffee house. He had seen and heard with his own ears and eyes the adoration the young pilot felt for his absent guardian, but he had thought Heero had outgrown his infatuation as the years had passed with nary a word. Now however, it seemed that the absent mentor had once again re-entered Heero's life, and Triton, as a concerned and caring friend, was determined to ensure that he didn't take advantage of Heero's generous heart.

But, as an immortal, Triton wanted to make sure the mysterious 'Duo' wasn't going to harm the young mortal who had befriended him.

Triton was a vampire, an old one since he could walk out in the sunlight without fear of destruction, but far from an Original. However, he was definitely powerful enough to be able to sense the lingering threads of Power that had suddenly insinuated themselves in Heero's aura. Someone, perhaps another immortal, had been hanging around the young pilot and Triton was determined to ensure he or she didn't mean his friend any harm.

So deeply engrossed in his darkening thoughts about Heero's mysterious benefactor, Triton completely missed the more insidious presence that had suddenly appeared in the area.

~~~

Duo was waiting for Heero outside of the hanger, clad in his usual attire of black, elegant clothing. As Heero said goodbye to his fellow pilots for the evening, he realized just how handsome Duo was. Elegant and sensual, he cut a dashing and enticing figure even though he was simply standing there, waiting for Heero.

Waiting for him... Heero felt a warmth rushing into his heart, a sense of giddiness pervading his very soul. His mind was flying on a lofty euphoria, a dizzying elation that was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. He was afraid to embrace the feelings flooding into his heart, but at the same time he was afraid to let the chance at happiness slip through his fingers. Although he was still young and new to these feelings, something in his mind whispered that he would never find anything this intense ever again, even if he searched for 100 years.

Heero had sensed there had been a change in Duo's attitude toward him, a change that had almost been apparent ever since their first meeting in five years more than a month ago. During the brief stint of time that Heero had been living with Duo, right after the fire and the orphanage, Heero had sensed that his benefactor had been reticent with him, almost keeping him at arm's length. It was almost as if Duo had been afraid of Heero, or what Heero might be making him feel.

Upon his recent return into Heero's life, it seemed that Duo had wrestled with his inner demons and had come to some kind of consensus. Happily, it was one that appeared to be working in Heero's favor as Duo's heart started to open itself up to the young pilot. Heero had felt the re-awakening of his childhood adoration, of his innocent feelings for the enigmatic man who had become his closest friend, the closest thing to family he could remember. Over the past few weeks Heero had also begun to realize that his adoration was quickly deepening and becoming something else. Something stronger and more permanent.

It had scared Heero, in the beginning, to feel this way. To feel such an urge to be by Duo's side, to share his nights and days with the other man, to want to be the source of his laughter and his...

Love...

Yes, love.

Maybe their beginnings had been somewhat unusual, a more of an older brother, younger brother type of relationship. Heero knew that Duo was older than him, though how much older he couldn't guess since Duo physically appeared to be only a little older than he, himself, now was. Duo had certainly never offered the information of his true age, rather he skirted around that issue more than once and Heero had never pried. And yet, despite that, despite the knowledge that he probably shouldn't be feeling what he did for his mentor, Heero's emotions had spiraled out of his control until he no longer could imagine a life without Duo in it.

Heero wanted a lifetime with Duo. A lifetime of kisses and hugs, of mutual comfort and companionship. He wanted to be there for Duo, to ensure that the older man never had a reason for sorrow to abide in his eyes again. He wasn't sure what Duo wanted yet, but even if the other man wanted nothing more than a fling, Heero would accommodate him. He would take the precious memories they would make together and savor them in his mind for the rest of his life, never regretting any of it.

Heero quickly made his way to Duo's side, not caring who saw or what they might think of it. His mind was too focused on the waiting man and the evening ahead. All month long, ever since his birthday, Duo had been doing small things with Heero. Taking him out, getting to know the young pilot, and learning the changes that five years had wrought in the young boy he had been watching since childhood. Of course, Heero didn't know that since he believed Duo had only entered his life for the first time some six years ago.

Duo smiled his lazy, mesmerizing grin, slow and sensuous as Heero reached his side, stretching on his toes to give the taller man a quick peck on the cheek. Duo waited until Heero had settled back down before winding his arm around the other's shoulders and bending his head to claim Heero's lips in a swift, soul-searing kiss. After a breathless minute, he released Heero's mouth, whispering in his ears, "Now that is a proper greeting."

Duo warmly chuckled as he noticed Heero merely staring up at him, his eyes somewhat glazed with a dazed smile on his face, a faint blush flushing his cheeks. Wrapping his arm more securely around the youth's shoulders, Duo led him away from the hanger towards his waiting car.

All the time completely unaware of the two pairs of eyes watching their every move.

~~~

She hated the sunlight.

Loathed it, detested it, abhorred it, cursed it... no matter which word was used to convey her strong aversion to light, one fact remained clear. Hilde hated the sun's warm rays.

Hated, but never feared it.

Nature's light held no threat to her existence, as it did to so many fledglings out there. After all, she was an Original, one of the few true nobles of her kind that were able to walk freely without hindrance or fear of the burning sun. A hunter amongst the mindless flock of her prey that she only resembled in physical humanoid form.

Having never been a mortal, much to her gratitude, she had to confess that she didn't understand why many fledglings went through a mourning period for their lost mortality. So few of them that were turned were suited for the darkness their new, everlasting life embraced. It was bad enough that more than half of the Originals left were pale shadows in the night, content with pursuing more menial desires and leaving the mortals to their own devices, with the exception of taking what they needed and only what they needed. Rarely did she come across a turned vampire that held the degree of ruthlessness and fire in their soul necessary to entice her to reveal herself to them for any length of time.

Perhaps that was a good thing, since it meant she went rather unhindered in her superiority of her kind. Most fledglings avoided an Original vampire if they could afford it without affronting the more powerful immortal. Generally if it came down to a battle between the two, the Original would more than likely win, nine times out of ten. Hilde, herself, had destroyed many fledglings, some of which she herself had made. Usually she took it upon herself to destroy her mistakes, vampires that no longer fit her ideal model of a proper immortal or ones who grew too strong in their power and became a possible threat.

However, despite her rather cruel outlook of 'species maintenance', Hilde did grow lonely from time to time. After all, even if she wasn't human, she was still a woman. She had desires and needs that yearned to be fulfilled, want of companionship and allies even if it was only one a temporary basis.

Perhaps it was a combination of the above factors, tempered with the possible cruelty and darkness she saw lurking beneath his mask that attracted her to Duo Maxwell in the first place. The potential lay in Duo's psyche that he would grow and become her absolute match in every way possible. It hadn't hurt that he was incredibly handsome either, and she was lonely.

However, much to her disappointment, Duo had turned out to have a weakness in him. He clung to his lost mortality with a tenacious grip that warned Hilde to destroy him from the beginning. But, she had let a moment of weakness pass her by and she had left him to his own devices, to either survive and embrace his new existence or be destroyed by the sun and his own foolishness.

Amazingly, he had not only survived, but he had grown. He had grown into his immortality, perhaps even learned to embrace it for the most part. And yet he had refused to give up his foolish pursuit of his lost mortality much to her disbelief. And despite it all, Hilde still felt desire for him coursing through her veins. She knew Duo had inner strength, combined with a tenderness he rarely displayed to her and the possible cruelty that lay dormant. Perhaps the cruelty would be tempered into possessiveness and a need to protect, but it seemed that she would never know for he had replaced her. Hilde felt her temper rising as she remember the scene roughly a month ago, standing outside of that pathetic mortal hovel her fledgling called home.

Bile rose in her gorge, throwing a nasty aftertaste into her mouth, which was curled up in a grimace. To be replaced in both heart and mind by a human was intolerable, but a human man-child a direct insult. Hilde could feel the ache in her canine fangs, an insistent pulse that demanded to be answered. She could practically feel the pleasure that would come of sinking her fangs into the mortal boy's tanned neck, feel his life force ebb and flow into her as it left his weak body. Such satisfaction would come to her as she sensed and reveled in the pain the mortal's death would surely cause Duo. And perhaps such a loss would fuel the rage that would awaken the darkness lingering in Duo's soul.

Hilde's rage was suddenly calmed as she recalled the white-hot pain that had laced through her mind but a month ago. The mysterious voice had not deigned to contact her again until last night, but the memory of the Power behind the voice had stayed in the back of her mind since that night. A warning it had been and it was one even Hilde was wise enough to somewhat obey. The voice had commanded Hilde to bring the mortal boy, whose name was Heero Lowe, to an old, abandoned warehouse near the docks of the Sank Kingdom.

Hilde had agreed to do the voice's bidding, but she would do it her own way. She would snatch up the mortal boy, but she would give Duo a chance to save the mortal's life. Once she had Duo cornered, she would offer the braided vampire one last chance to join her, attempt to seduce him to her side with promises of power and strength. And if that didn't work, she would promise to let the boy go unharmed if Duo would remain by her side until the boy's natural life ended.

She did not fear the bodiless voice that had visited her mind twice. If Duo joined her side, she was confident that the two of them could root out the threat and dispose of it with little trouble. But if Duo didn't willingly rejoin her side, then she would deliver the mortal into her tenuous ally's hands and then await the fulfillment of her bargain.

Either way, Duo would be hers again.

A movement before her brought Hilde's mind out of its musings. Her target had left the small apartment that he called his own and was making his way to his mundane, mortal job. As much as she detested sunlight, Hilde had decided to capture the boy during the day when her fledgling would be helpless under the heavy, lethargic sleep of the undead. It had occurred to her during a mindless musing that if this was occurring but 100 years later, she wouldn't even have that to rely on since Duo would then be able to walk in the daylight. For a brief moment, she fantasized what his chestnut locks would look like with golden light highlighting his silken strands. Would he look as ravishing in the daylight as he did in the moon's cold caress?

Hilde shook her lustful thoughts from her mind as she attempted to concentrate on the task at hand. There was little street activity during this early morning hour, so this opportunity was as good of a time as any. Settling her jacket around her slender frame more securely, Hilde straightened her shoulders and stepped out to approach the mortal pilot.

~~~

Heero smiled gently to himself as he closed and locked the door to his apartment. Warm memories, along with a slight discomforting soreness he was experiencing, let him know that what had occurred the previous night had been real. True, he had awoken alone this morning, but he had understood that it would be like this and he had accepted it. It was a quirk of Duo's nature that he avoided daylight and could not be found during the day. He had asked Heero to ask no questions of this particular quirk, and although he was curious, Heero respected the older man's wishes. So be it, Heero would spend his days and afternoons with the Specials and his nights would be devoted solely to Duo.

Last night Duo had been so gentle and careful as he had initiated Heero into the world of carnal pleasure. Heero had been an innocent before and Duo had taken this into consideration, allowing the younger man to experience every sensation to its fullest degree, to savor and catalog it in his memory as Duo turned his young ward into his lover. Although Heero would have liked their love making to last all night long, Duo had known Heero was not yet ready for that level of pleasure and had not overly prolonged their union. When they had finally come down from their peaks of ecstasy, Duo had tenderly cradled Heero in his embrace and the two had surrendered to their exhaustion.

Waking up alone had been somewhat of a disappointment, but Heero found himself eagerly awaiting the coming night and Duo's return. A single red rose had lain on his kitchen table, waiting for his notice when he had gotten up this morning, causing Heero's heart to burst forth with a torrent of tender feelings. He had experienced a slight discomfort in his lower extremities and the side of his neck was sore even though there was only a hickey marring his skin. However, the pleasure Duo had given him was worth the soreness and the hickey could just barely be covered by the collar of his uniform jacket.

It had been so much better then his dreams.

As Heero neared the parking lot of his apartment building, key to his old but trusty car in hand, he shivered as a feeling of foreboding passed through his mind. He had the sudden urge to rush back into his apartment, lock the doors and windows, and wait for the evening and Duo.

Shaking his head to free it of his thoughts, Heero scanned the empty parking lot once before heading over to his car. As he was fumbling with the key to get it into the lock, someone tapped his shoulder from behind.

Startled, the key fell from his hand and its tenuous perch in its matching lock to the black asphalt pavement. Whirling around, Heero came face to face with the woman who had been at Duo's house that evening and had left in a quiet fury. Heero's blue eyes widened a little in surprise and a bit of fear before he recovered himself.

Hilde's cold, dark eyes bore into his as she read the bit of fear that had seeped into the blue depths, much pleased by his reaction. Curling her lips into a smile that was meant to intimidate, she murmured, "Hello again."

Against his will, Heero found himself backing up against his car door, something in his mind screaming at him to get away from this woman before him. However, the manners that the good sisters at the orphanage had instilled in him decided to try and salvage this sudden situation and he stammered out, "Um, h-hello."

Hilde chuckled under her breath, a sound that unnerved Heero rather than soothed him. His eyes growing wider, he tried to shrink away from the woman before him, but was trapped by her slight body and his car. It was almost hilarious, that he should fear this slightly shorter woman before him, but something about her threw his senses into turmoil with mortal fear.

With a sultry purr, Hilde said, "You don't need to be afraid. I mean you no harm. After all, you're Duo's friend, right?"

Licking his suddenly dry lips, Heero found he couldn't answer beyond a shaky nod.

Hilde's face beamed at him as she said, "Of course you are. I just wanted to apologize for the scene at the house the other day. I'm afraid you just caught me in a bad mood."

Heero was still mesmerized by her dark eyes boring into his and the only reply he could force his hazy mind to utter was a repeat of a few of her last words. "B-bad mood?"

"Yes," she continued smoothly. "I had just received some bad news and I am afraid I was taking it out on Duo. He's an old friend of mine, you know."

"Friend?"

"Why yes, we go back such a very long time, Duo and I. I have so few friends that I would hate to lose any of them. Say, since your Duo's friend, would you like to be mine as well?"

Still trapped by her eyes, Heero could feel a hazy cloud descending on his thoughts, blanketing all desire to run away. All he could focus on was her eyes, could feel himself becoming lost in their bottomless depths. He never even realized that Hilde was rolling up the right sleeve of his jacket as her eyes and words cast a thrall over his senses.

"Yours?" he murmured, almost too low to hear.

With a triumphant grin, Hilde answered, "Yes." Thus said, she bent her head to the inner elbow she had exposed, her fangs making a quick prick.

As her teeth pierced the sensitive skin of his elbow, Heero felt the lifting of the fog that had suddenly settled over his mind, his senses returning to him just as Hilde hissed and tossed his arm away as if it was burning her. Terror reinserted itself in Heero's throat as Hilde turned her gaze back to him, the young pilot noticing the red haze in her eyes almost instantly, transforming Hilde from frightening to terrifying.

Hissing her displeasure, Hilde snarled, "He's actually claimed you!"

Terrified, Heero tried to shrink away from the enraged creature before him, not comprehending her words, but finally realizing she was definitely not human.

Fury welled up in Hilde as she let the knowledge she had just learned seep into her brain. As she had tasted Heero's blood, she had caught a familiar essence in the life-sustaining liquid, as well as knowledge of what had occurred last night. Duo had actually taken this boy and become his lover! Heero's most recent memories had flooded into her mind and what she had seen enraged her beyond belief. She had known that Duo was infatuated with the mortal, but she hadn't fully believed he would make Heero his lover. All thoughts of the agreement she had made with the mysterious voice flew from her mind as she became obsessed with gaining her revenge. A revenge that would began with a mortal's death and end with an immortal's suffering.

Turning her full attention to the mortal before her, Hilde gathered her Power even as she snarled, "I had thought to at least spare you from this, boy, but it seems like I have no choice. You have dared to replace me entirely and for that both you and your lover will suffer!"

Heero's instincts finally kicked in and he made to bolt away, but before he went a step, an inhumanly strong hand gripped him around his throat. Choking instantly, he barely realized he had been forced to his knees on the pavement, Hilde's slender form hovering menacingly above him as she squeezed her hands tighter. His hands clawing at Hilde's, he managed to choke out, "D-Duo!"

Hissing, Hilde bent low to his ear and uttered, "Yes, try to call your lover all you want! He will not come in the daylight, of that you can be sure."

Heero could feel himself blacking out, his vision dimming from lack of air and his mind being suppressed by a dark, smothering cloud. His eyes were locked to Hilde's, frozen with terror, helplessness, and an overwhelming feeling of impending doom. As he stared into her dark orbs, he couldn't help but sense the combination of death and evil that existed in her ancient soul. It radiated from her very core, raging in the dark depths as a cold inner fire that burned into his soul, seeking to destroy the innocence that resided within.

As his body burned for air, his mind feeling the claws of darkness scrabbling to obtain their hold, he could barely understand Hilde's hissed words.

"Your suffering will soon be at an end, mortal, and Duo's will be just beginning."

TBC...

Next time on ETN 10 Interlude E: As Duo wakes to discover that his lover's life is in mortal peril, he will find an unexpected friend in one he viewed as a potential rival. As they rush to the rescue, they will discover they share more in common than just knowing Heero, but will it be enough to save the young pilot from Hilde's jealous clutches?

 

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