Author: Gypsie1201
Pairings: 1x2, 5+2, ref. to Rx3/RxAll
Warnings: AU, Angst, Language, Lemons/Limes, mention of NCS (past, non-graphic), OOC-ness, Sap, Supernatural, Vampires, Violence
Rating: NC-17
Archive: My livejournal, Debs-Dragon - GW Diaries, Akira_1x2.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, nor will I make any money from the creation of this story.
Feedback: All is welcome and much appreciated.
Beta work by darkmisstical.
Author's Note: First in "The Eternity Trilogy".
Summary: On a college trip to Europe, freshman student Duo Maxwell meets a very mysterious stranger who seems to know him and may want more than the young man can give.
'...' thoughts
/.../ telepathy
By Silver Twilight Part 1
Unsuccessfully stifling a huge yawn as he stretched languidly in his bed, Duo Maxwell tried to fight down the growing excitement that had overcome him the moment he had awoken nearly fifteen minutes ago. Just the thought of the two-month-long, summer expedition that his Classical History class was beginning that day, had the giddy feeling returning to his stomach with a vengeance though. After all, this would be his first trip outside the United States and today they would be flying to Europe, Austria to be exact, where they would begin the expedition, visiting several ancient cities there and studying the history of each before moving on to Romania. Visions of old castles as well as inns, taverns, and seeing real cultural displays kept him firmly ensconced under his comforter for another ten minutes before he finally rolled over and glancing at the clock on the table beside his twin-sized dorm bed. He nearly rolled the rest of the way when he realized if he did not start moving now, he would miss the shuttle to the airport with the rest of his class.
Quickly jumping from the bed, he hurried to the bathroom for a speedy shower before returning to his single room where he started throwing the remaining items he had left out the night before into the two bags he would be taking with him. The one, a good-sized luggage bag, carried the majority of his clothing and toiletries while the old duffle bag sitting beside it would have those things he would need for the initial jaunt across the Atlantic Ocean. The first flight would land them in Paris, France where they would spend the night before catching another early morning flight to Vienna. From there, they would be using tour buses and trains to tour the country for the next three weeks. Following their time in Austria, they would board the train one more time, this time bound for Romania where they would spend the next four weeks exploring ancient castles.
Stuffing the last of his things into the duffle bag, he grabbed the airline ticket and trip itinerary from his desk before slinging the bag over his shoulder and hefting the larger bag into his left hand. Then hurrying out the door and through the mostly empty dorm, he jogged across the campus, intent on reaching the parking lot in front of the administration building on time.
"About time Maxwell, we thought you'd decided to sleep through the trip." one of the other students yelled when he arrived, earning him several snickers and some outright laughter from the other students gathered around. Duo merely scowled at them though as he made his way over to Professor Mann who was checking their names off as they arrived.
"Don't let them bother you Duo." the professor said kindly as he crossed the braided young man's name off his list. Professor Mann was one of the older educators at Murrey College, which was located in the foothills of Eastern Tennessee, and as such, he still believed in treating his students in a friendly manner and while he liked all of his students, Duo happened to be his favorite of all his classes. Not only was the young man incredibly bright and intelligent but his easy attitude toward life made him a welcomed break from the other students whose only thought was achieving a passing grade. Also, the fact that Duo actually loved to learn made the old professor's heart soar with pride, even though he had been caught napping during one or two of his lectures.
"Ok everyone." he called across to the gathered students, nearly twenty in all, who immediately dropped their conversations and turned their attention toward him. "That's everyone, so let's go."
At the Professor's words, the students immediately headed for the three, grey vans waiting in the middle of the parking lot. They were the property of the college and seated twelve passengers, although with the luggage to contend with, they were lucky to fit seven in each and still leave a little breathing room. Turning back to Duo, the Professor smiled before motioning for the violet-eyed student to follow him, "Come along Duo, let's get your luggage taken care shall we?"
"Yes, Professor." Duo agreed, giving him a smile of his own, and followed the grey-haired man toward the first of the vans where his large luggage bag was placed in the back with several others. Then walking around to the side, he slipped into the only seat left before pulling the sliding door closing.
The trip to the airport took nearly a half an hour but the sense of excitement and anticipation that filled the van made it feel much shorter. Upon arrival at the terminal, Professor Mann and his two advisors found themselves dealing with the arduous task of passing a group of students through check-in, security, and boarding. All in all, the process took the full two hours, recommended allowance time but they finally were aboard the international flight on their way to Europe. Letting himself stare out the window beside his seat, Duo once again allowed his mind to wonder as he tried to imagine the next two months. However, a late night packing session not to mention his restless sleep caused by the anticipation of the trip soon lulled him toward sleep and before the plane had completely climbed above the clouds, Duo was fast asleep.
********************
The first month of their trip passed in a windowed blur as they traveled from one city to the next, rarely staying more than a day in each before heading for the next. The most exciting part of the trip though was coming up with the start of the second month. Having reached Romania, the plans for their first week there, were to stay at an actual castle where they would study the history of the area as well as visiting several more ruined castles in the vicinity.
They arrived at the castle late in the afternoon and the student's, along with their professor, found themselves gawking at the structure before them. The castle was three stories tall and made of rough-cut stone blocks that had to be at least three feet long by two feet high. It was built in a square design with high towers on each corner and walkways that ran the length of the outer roof, connecting the towers. The road led up to a set of double doors nearly fifteen feet tall and they were shocked to find that they actually led directly into the structure, meaning the outside façade they had seen was not a defensive wall as they had thought, but the actual outer wall of the castle itself.
Inside, the grand scale continued as they found themselves walking down fifteen-foot high and twenty-foot wide hallways, lined with large chandeliers that lent a twinkling quality to the light. Suits of armor also lined the halls along with woven tapestries depicting past battles and heroic deed as well as aged paintings of aristocratic looking men and beautiful women. The staff of the castle, having met them at the doors upon their arrival, showed the students and their chaperones to the rooms they would be utilizing for their stay. They were all pleasantly surprised to learn that they would each be given a room of their own since they were the only guests staying at the time. They were even more surprised when they were shown to their rooms where they each found a separate, modern bathroom just off the bedroom; the fixtures and plumbing speaking of major renovations.
Once everyone was unpacked and settled, they were given the opportunity to explore their temporary home with the servants acting as guides if they so desired. Then, once the sun had set and the lights had been brought up, they were all called to the largest of the dining rooms where an extravagant dinner had been layout for them. As always, Duo enjoyed the chance to sample the ethnic dishes, finding some he like and some he did not, but he refused to turn one down. By the time he was finished, he was beyond full and decided that a little more exploring would be prudent in order to work off some of the food before retiring for the night. However, just as he was starting down the hallway outside the dining room, he was accosted by two of the other students. While Duo was a fairly outgoing and friendly person, he did not have that many people he would consider friends. Those that he would place in that category though were now several thousand miles away and while he always tried to get along with his other classmates; he was not considered a true part of their group. This being said, he was surprise when the two other students told him they were planning to sneak out of the castle and down to the small town situated about a mile away and wanted him to go with them.
"Professor Mann told us to stay in the castle until we left in the morning." Duo reminded them.
"Do you always have to be such a goody two shoes, Duo?" one of the other boys sneered in answer to the braided teen's statement.
The taunt, something Duo had heard on more than one occasion since he was more prone to following the rules than most, caused him to scowl. He knew that the two were from fairly rich families who paid to keep their sons in college. Duo on the other hand had to work hard for the scholarships that paid for his own and therefore did everything in his power to make sure he did not lose them. The words, which he was usually able to slide off his back like a duck shedding water, hit their mark this time and before he could stop himself, he was agreeing to go. He should have noticed the bright smiles that lit both their faces and the knowing looks they exchanged before they turned and led him through the castle to a side door they had found during their exploring earlier. He was too caught up in his own battle over the decision to see them though and followed blindly as they made their way from the castle and along the road headed toward the town.
After that, the night quickly went down hill. Upon their arrival at the town, the other two immediately found an open inn and proceeded to drink themselves into a numb state while trying to tempt Duo into doing the same. As it was, he did manage to put away quite a few and was feeling a bit tipsy when his companions decided that they wanted to explore the old cemetery they had passed on their way into town. For his part, Duo protested venomously since he only wanted to return to the castle and sleep off the alcohol. However, in their current state, they would not be dissuaded and a few minutes later found the two of them staggering down the street with a reluctant Duo being dragged behind them.
By the time they arrived at the cemetery, the cool night air had managed to clear most of the fog from Duo's brain and for once, he cursed his avid curiosity as he found himself walking almost excitedly among the ancient looking headstones. The uneven ground made walking treacherous though and he had to watch his step to keep from falling where as his two drunken companions seemed to doing just fine in navigating the earth and that caused Duo to pause. Fortunately for him, the pause kept him from joining the two when, suddenly, they both seemed to disappear into the ground only a few feet in front of him. The braided teen only stood still for a moment after they vanished before hurrying forward, finding them both lying in a tangle of limbs at the bottom of a freshly dug grave.
"Fuck!" Alex exclaimed as he tried unsuccessfully to crawl out from under the other teen. "Get off me Muller and move your hand before I break it off."
"I'm trying." the other young man growled and after a few more minutes of struggling, they managed to untangle themselves. Unfortunately, now they found themselves staring at the six-foot-tall sides of the grave with no handholds or footholds to help them crawl out.
"Shit, give us a hand up, Duo." Alex called and the braided teen gave a frustrated sigh before kneeling down at the edge of the grave. Then bracing himself as best he could, he reached down a hand and proceeded to pull Alex while Muller pushed from below. Once the one was once again safely on unturned earth, they both combined their efforts to pull the last one to the surface. Collapsing against the ground once they were finished, Duo waited for his vision to stop spinning; the little exertion had caused his earlier buzz to return.
"Ow, shit." Muller suddenly exclaimed, holding his hand so the pale moonlight illuminate it.
"What now?" Alex sighed in exasperation.
"I cut my damn hand is what." the teen snapped as he pressed the wound to his shirt, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Oh quit crying you baby, it's not going to kill you." Alex sneered before moving to stand. At that moment though, the ground they were sitting on rose up beneath them before settling once again, causing him to fall back down.
"What the...?!" he exclaimed.
"Earthquake maybe?" Duo offered in a hopeful tone, although he did sit up and prepared himself to move quickly should the ground give way.
"Uh huh, in just this one spot?" Muller mumbled derisively but before Duo could say anything in return, the ground heaved again, only it was much more pronounced. This time, the ground's movement sent the three students scrambling away and Duo soon found himself several yards from the other two. Not liking the sense of vulnerability being alone gave him; he started around the cemetery, giving the area they had just been sitting in a wide berth. Before he had gone very far and while he was still several feet away from Alex and Muller, he stopped dead in his tracks as he watched in horror as a hand suddenly shot up out of the ground right where Muller had been sitting not a minute before. It did not stop there though, as the hand was followed by an arm and then the rest of the person's body as the creature slowly fought its way clear of the ground.
Standing about six feet tall with a head of shaggy, dark brown hair, the person was dressing in what appeared to be a suit, albeit one covered in dirt and other things Duo did not want to examine close enough to name. He, for the thing was definitely male, was turned away from the braided teen so Duo could not see his face, but the two hands that were visible were ghostly white with long, tapered fingers. It was the man's movement as he headed toward Alex and Muller that finally snapped the violet-eyed young man out of his shock and sent him stumbling backwards. Unfortunately, there was a headstone only a foot behind him and, with a sharp exclamation, he fell over backwards, grabbing at the protruding stone on the way down and cutting his hand in the process.
"Ow, fuck." he moaned both from the jar of landing flat on his back and the sharp bit of the cut before rolling himself onto his side and managing to pull himself to his knees. During the fall, he had forgotten about the creature as well as both his companions until the sharp snap of a twig breaking brought his attention back to them. His head immediately turned toward the sound and he found himself staring into the red, glowing eyes of the man who had just climbed from the grave. Stumbling quickly to his feet, he once again stepped backwards when the man moved in his direction. The man's movements though were far too fast for anything Duo had ever seen and he knew he would not be able to escape, causing a frantic scream to lodge in his throat even as he turned his head and clenched his eyes shut in horrific anticipation. When after a few seconds, nothing further happened, he turned his head back and dared to peek one eye open. Instead of the ghastly countenance of this attacker, he found himself looking at yet another person's back.
The newcomer stood nearly six-foot tall their self, being only an inch or two shorter than the creature but still at least five inches taller that Duo. The person was dressed in a long, black coat that hung to well past his or her knees and with their back turned to the braided teen; Duo was unable to know that else they were wearing. The head though that stood out the top of that coat, was covered with short yet unruly, dark hair that seemed to absorb the light from the moon.
With the beginnings of shock starting to set in, it took a moment for the violet-eyed young man's brain to focus correctly but when it did, he noticed two things. One was that the person had actually placed his or herself between him and the creature in an attempt to protect him. And two, that the person now had the thing by the neck in a one-handed grip while it squirmed and twisted in an attempt to free itself.
"You have broken the first rule." a deep voice rumbled from the person, answering the question of his savior's gender. He did not have much time to give it any thought though as the man pulled a very wicked looking and extremely sharp, silver object from inside his overcoat. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he plunged the spike into the creature's chest, piercing the things heart with one stroke.
Duo watched in shocked and horrified fascination as the creature's struggles increased and an ungodly scream left the thing's throat to echo across the still night. Within seconds of the stabbing, a black smoke began issuing from the thing's mouth as well as the site of the wound. A few seconds after that, the creature's struggles stilled and the braided teen saw it seem to simply dissolve into dust that the slight breeze picked up and quickly wisped away. With the creature's disappearance, Duo's final reserve gave out and he found himself falling to the ground once again as his knees buckled. Instead of hitting the hard earth though, he found himself pulled into a strong embrace and he tilted his head back to look up into the piercing blue eyes of the man who had just saved his life.
"Are you alright?" the man asked softly, his arms that were wrapped around the violet-eyed young man's waist tightening ever so slightly even as his voice seemed to vibrate in Duo's very bones.
"Y... yeah." Duo stammered, his own voice sounding very shaky. "I... I think so."
The smile that lit the stranger's face at his admission caused Duo's breath to catch in his throat. Then the man was standing him back on his feet, although he did keep one hand under the teen's elbow just in case. In the next instant though and with lightning quick reflexes that Duo did not even see, the man's hand shot out and grabbed the teen's injured one, bringing it into the moonlight to have a better look.
"You're hurt." he said simply, staring at the long gash in the teen's palm, with something akin to hunger in his eyes.
"Just a scratch from the headstone." Duo said uneasily, pulling slightly on his hand to test the man's grip; he did not like the way he was looking at his hand especially after what had just happened. "It's nothing."
"It needs cleaned before infection sets in." the man stated, reluctantly releasing him and once again meeting the teen's eyes.
"Yeah, I'll take care of it when I get back to my room." the longhaired student agreed before taking a cautionary step back. Unfortunately, his knees still did not want to support his weight and immediately folded under him once gain.
"You're in shock." the stranger said as he once again pulled Duo against his chest. "I'll take you back to the castle."
"Huh? How--"
"You are an American are you not?" the man smiled once again, causing Duo's heart to beat a bit faster. It was then that he noticed the slight accent the man had even though he spoke perfect English. "Everyone in town knows about the American students staying at Valstry's castle."
"Oh." Duo said, knowing it made sense yet not completely buying it. The need to understand what had just happened out weighted his mistrust though and he asked, "What exactly happened--"
"This is not the time or place for explanations." the man cut him off before easily sweeping him up into his arms and cradling him against his chest, causing Duo to yelp in surprise.
"What?"
"You obviously can't make the trip back on you own." the man said as he started out across the cemetery at a fast pace. "You can barely stand."
"But--"
"No buts, you've just had a fright and need to rest."
Realizing he would not be winning the argument and knowing that the man was correct about him not being able to make it back on his own, he allowed himself to settle into the strong arms that were wrapped securely around him before resting his head of the man's shoulder. The shock of the evening quickly caught up to him and in another moment he felt his eyes begin to grow heavy. Before he slipped into unconsciousness though, he remembered Alex and Muller and the fact that he had not seen the two since falling over the headstone. "Wait, my friends--" he started.
"Have already left." the man finished, causing Duo to scowl at their desertion.
"Figures." Duo grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and laying his head back down. "I should've never let them talk me into this."
"No, you shouldn'tve." the man chided gently. "The town is dangerous after dark, especially to outsiders."
"But you're not going to tell me what that thing was or what happened, are you?"
"I don't think you really want to know." the man stated in all seriousness.
"Maybe not." Duo sighed before once again raising his head and looking the man in the eye. "But will you at least tell me your name? I'd like to know what to call the man who saved my life."
"I am known by many names." the man smiled once again. "But you may call me Heero."
"Heero." Duo repeated with a smile of his own as he rolled the word over his tongue, liking the feel of it. Then laying his head down once again, he allowed the exhaustion to finally claim him and settled into a deep yet fitful sleep.
********************
Once the precious bundle Heero had cradled safely in his arms fell asleep, he had no trouble making the quick jaunt from the town to the castle. He then entered through the unlocked windows to the teen's room, reminding himself to leave a note telling Duo to remember to keep it locked in the future, before gently laying the youth on the single, king-sized bed. Finally stepping back a short ways, he reached out his hands and carefully brushed the long bangs back from the teen's angelic face, allowing himself the pleasure of simply looking at the young man for a moment.
"So, this is the one you've been waiting for?" a voice said from behind him and Heero's back stiffened in response as his blood brother, Wufei, came to stand beside him. "I must admit, your taste hasn't withered." the black-haired man said appreciatively as he raked his eyes over the figure lying on the bed. When he reached out to touch Duo's injured hand, Heero growled and moved to stand between him and the teen.
"Don't."
"You've always shared your toys in the past." Wufei smiled, but his eyes held a hint of anger at being denied the sweet treat. "Surely you don't intend to keep such a beauty to yourself? Such sweetness should not belong to one person alone."
"Duo is not a toy and neither is he a treat." Heero growled.
"Oh, then what exactly do you plan to do with him?" Wufei asked, his eyes narrowing. "Surely you don't mean to change him; I highly doubt if Relena will allow it."
"Not like the poor fool I had to put down tonight." Heero sneered. "Your handy work if I'm not mistaken."
"An accident; I had every intention to deal with it but then you showed up."
"It attacked him." Heero snarled, pointing toward Duo. "If I hadn't stopped it, he would be dead."
"True, but the look of pure terror on his face was so beautiful." Wufei breathed, once again looking past the other man to the teen on the bed.
"Enough Fei, Duo is mine. No one is to touch him and I expect you to let the others know as well." Heero stated with finality.
"So much trouble to go through for a snack." the black-haired man tisked with a shake of his head.
"That is my business." Heero answered.
"Very well, but our queen is not going to be very happy about your little obsession." Wufei said before turning and walking toward the window he had entered only a moment before. Hopping onto the ledge, he turned back briefly and gave his blood brother a pointed look. "You should speak to Quatre concerning him. He mentioned sensing something about him earlier that was not quite right."
Then without another word, he jumped from the ledge and was gone. Heero could not stop the frustrated sigh that escaped his lips as he turned back to the bed and the small figure still asleep upon it. Once again, his hand crept out and gently ran through the thick bangs before trailing down the cherubic face and lightly grazing one pale cheek. He dropped his hand back to his side though after a moment, releasing another small sigh. "I will protect you; I swear it on my life." he whispered before finally turning from the bed and walking over to the still open window as he followed Wufei into the night.
A few moments after he was gone and once Duo had assured himself that the man was not coming back, he opened his eyes and released the breath he had been holding. His body was instantly hit by tremors as everything caught up to him but still he managed to fumble his way out of the bed and over to the window. Looking out across the land lit only by the light of the full moon, he felt a chill pass the length of his spine and he quickly grasped the windowpanes, pulling them closed and twisting the lock into place. Then stumbling back across the room to the bed, he crawled into the middle before pressing his back firmly against the headboard and drawing his knees up to his chest. For the rest of the night, he sat and stared at the now closed window and when the sun rose on a new day, it found him still sitting there.
TBC...
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