Crimson Ties Part 12
Duo wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting in the kitchen by himself, lost to his thoughts that crashed and fought through his mind after hearing of Trowa and Midi's story... after hearing her logic of loving and hating.
He was so engulfed in those musings that he almost jumped when a certain redhead literally fell into his lap. Smiling brightly up at him, the Vampire tilted her head and greeted cheerfully, "Hello."
Sputtering, the braided teenager blinked his enlarged violet eyes. Chuckling when he calmed himself, he sputtered, "H-Hi, Anna."
Gently running her cold fingers through his long bangs, the Infected urged quietly, "No more serious thoughts for now. Whatever's bothering you, it'll be fine." Gesturing to the outline of the cross pendant in fabric of his tight red shirt, she winked, "As our faith teaches, this too shall pass, right?"
Taken aback by that, Maxwell blinked and felt himself smiling at her infectious cheeriness. Nodding firmly, he snickered, "Right."
Anna beamed, "Ah, there you are. You seem more you when you smile." Hopping off his lap, she moved for the cabinets as her long, curly hair swung against her back and hips. Opening one of the raised doors, she took up a single plate of the fine china inside.
"Let me give you a hand there," Duo offered as he got to his feet and moved to the redheaded Infected's side to take up the glasses that she was reaching for. He wasn't sure how he knew that the six of them were going to need something to drink from, but he grabbed enough for all just the same.
Rewarding the teenager with another brilliant grin, the immortal winked, "And they say chivalry is dead." The scholar snickered and gave her a wink before they headed out into the dining room.
As Anna went to the ornate closet at the other half of the room to remove a folded deep blue cloth that she used to cover the table with, Duo stood back to watch her. There was something about her that put him at ease and kept him on his toes to see what she was up to at the same time.
Maybe it was because she was Heero's sister. After all, it seemed everything surrounding the librarian captured his interest... and it was his essence flowing through the redhead's veins.
Recalling how he'd envied her from a distance, Duo thought of how beautiful Anna was back then. But being this close to her, he couldn't help but note how even more exquisite she was. Where Midi was slight and natural in her lovely appearance, the redhead was toned with muscle and sprightly which only added to her appeal.
When she rounded the table across from him, the Infected bent at the waist to brush her hands over the cloth to smooth it down and her wedding band caught the light from the chandelier overhead to sparkle brightly. It was only then that Maxwell noticed the engagement diamond to be in the shape of a rosebud.
Suddenly realizing that he was staring, Duo shook his braided head to snap back to the present before he was caught. "So, Heero mentioned that you're from Ireland," he began, "That must have been a been a beautiful place to grow up."
Anna straightened herself with a wistful smile and nodded, "Oh, that it was. I was born and raised in the city now known as Shannon, Ireland. It's just off the edge of the river of the same name that runs through the good 'ol isle." Those last words came out with the turn of her tongue that allowed her accent to come out.
Lowering the bowl and plate that she'd put aside before a chair to the right of the head of the table, the redhead's smile saddened as she shared, "I'd lost both of my parents to illnesses by the time I turned sixteen in the late-1600's and had no other family to rely on. So, I lied about my age to get by as a singer at the local pubs. What difference I needed to make ends meet was earned by my swindling the regular patrons by cheating in card games, taking their coin instead of offered drinks and such."
She peered into the violet eyes that stayed on her and shrugged, "Not the most honest of livings, but it kept me alive and sheltered in a small flat by the marshlands for a couple of years."
Blinking his widened eyes as he began to set the glasses in his hands at the six settings, Duo breathed, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Don't be," Anna chuckled in reassurance. "It helped toughen me up and built character. Honestly, I wouldn't have my existence any other way, before and after my change."
Finished with his part of setting the table, the braided youth replied, "Yea, about that, how did you and Heero cross paths? What made him turn you?"
The corner of her mouth curling up, the lively Vampire answered, "To be honest, there is not enough that I remember leading up to his meeting me to give a good enough understanding to it. Trowa was there, so he would be the best person so ask since it's hard on my dear brother to recall that night... with good reason."
More mysteries to unveil, Duo thought to himself. He wasn't sure when he'd taken such an interest in learning about these Infected, but he was very curious.
Content with their work when she eyed the table, Anna placed her hands on her hips and grinned, "How 'bout a game of cards with me and Wufei while we wait for that stew to finish up?"
Duo raised an eyebrow as he snickered, "So long as you're not planning on cheating with all of your experience at that."
The Vampire laughed, her head falling back as the pleasant sound filled the air. Raising a hand, she giggled, "I promise to play fair." Practically skipping around the table to join him, she looped an arm through his as they headed from the room and smiled, "I like you, Duo. And I have the feeling you and I are going to get along beautifully."
His arm clasping around her snugly, the living knew that he was defenseless against her charm. She was a calming, reassuring presence already. Her confidence and bluntness were refreshing.
More than that, being as close and touching her as he was, he felt comfortable.
On their way through the door, he smirked back, "I think we will, too, Anna."
* * * * * *
"This is more difficult than I'd thought it would be," Heero sighed as he ran a hand through his unruly hair. Pacing the sidewalk before his home as the sun began to descend from the heavens, his pale skin took on the deep reds, oranges and violets overhead.
Shaking his head, he frowned deeply, "I drank from Anna this morning to prepare myself for being this close to him this long but his scent is slowly driving me mad and undoing all the distraction that her blood was able to give me."
His head nodding in understanding, Trowa shifted on the front step that he was sitting on while he kept an eye on his cousin. The only one to catch Yuy in his rush to leave the house, he'd followed close behind in seeing that something was wrong. "It's the bond you have with Duo," he explained. "Nothing is more satisfying or intoxicating than his scent and essence. I had a feeling that not even your sister's help would be enough to sway that."
With a groan, Heero paused in his hasty steps to face the other Infected. "You held Midi in your arms for hours before you were able to hide with her to tell her what had happened to you," he stated. "How were you able to stand being that close to her for so long without acting out on your need?"
A sad smile tugging his lips, Barton shrugged, "Back then, I was certain that I could destroy her if I bit her... if I did the wrong thing to turn her. It was easy to keep my hunger at bay since there was the potential of her dying. But you know how to turn a human as well as how they can become your Companion, so you do not have that reasoning to hold you back. I am afraid that there is little I can do that could be considered good advice."
Pushing himself to stand up, Trowa approached his cousin and rested his hands on his shoulders as their eyes met. ""Besides, there is more than your desires that are troubling you," he commented without a hint of doubt in his tone. "You're worried about telling him about the Harvest that took his parents."
"I took his parents," Heero corrected in a deep growl, brushing away the hands on him so that he could step back. Cobalt-and-gold eyes narrowed, he asked, "How in the hell is that something he'll ever be able to forgive me for? At this point, I'm completely willing to allow him to walk away from me, but to think that he would be out there with nothing but ire for me..." It surprised him as much as it shocked his wide-eyed cousin when his voice cracked.
Unable to continue along that train of thought, he swallowed roughly and looked away. "I don't know how Anna was able to do it," he whispered. "I'm not nearly as strong as she is to have been able to live with that."
Nodding, the tall Latin admitted, "Were it Midi who walked away from me out of rage, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And I wish that I could say that what tie you and Duo have between you would be strong enough to survive this, but none of us know that for certain. The whole point of the pact that keeps us Vampires alive and at peace with the humans is that the Companions keep their free will to choose whether or not to take on the change."
Inwardly trembling at the thought of that unknown, Heero muttered, "I don't think I'm ready to tell him. Not yet. I need more time... he needs more time to know us and maybe even care for us. He needs to see that I'm-" Cutting himself off in knowing that his cousin would not be happy with his choice of words in taking all the blame, he shook his head and tried again, "that we're not monsters."
"Then you take all the time you need," Barton reassured. "None of us are pushing you into coming forth with the information until you're ready and we'll follow your lead. Of course, there is always the concern of too much time passing and making it all the more difficult for the both of you, but we also know that you'll not keep this to yourself for long. It's been eating away at you over the last ten years as it is."
Relieved, Yuy's shoulders sagged heavily with a sigh. Looking back up into the emerald eyes watching him, he smiled sincerely, "Thank you."
Midi stepped out onto the front porch of the mansion and smiled when she spotted the last of her family that she'd been looking for. Cupping the side of her mouth, she called to them, "Trowa. Heero. Dinner's just about ready."
"Lead the way, love," her husband smirked. Patting his cousin on the back, he waited for the other Vampire to lead the way back inside.
Little did either of them know that their conversation had been picked up by someone hidden around the bend.
...And that creature was beside herself with rage.
* * * * * *
For this night being the first time Midi had tried the recipe that she'd cooked up, Duo was impressed. He wasn't sure if he was just extra famished, or whether the meal really was that delicious or a combination of the two, but he had two large helpings of the beef stew much to the brunette's delight.
It was a little odd to the living that he was the only one eating... well, at least actually eating food. His hosts around the table drank from their glasses that were filled with blood that had been colored to resemble white wine. It was a trick that Trowa had established, finding ways of dyeing blood to keep from scaring any human guests that they might have.
That the Vampires would actually take the time to make people like himself more comfortable was yet another pleasant surprise to Maxwell. There was so much to appreciate of their thoughtfulness and compassion... two qualities that he never thought their kind to have before meeting them.
Looking over at Heero at the head of the table as he, Trowa and Wufei got into a friendly debate over which ruler of a country was the best throughout the course of their lives, Duo smiled. Surrounded by his family like this, there was a sense of peace in the librarian the likes of which was not commonly seen in him. He smiled and laughed more freely, even getting in a few jokes here and there at Anna's lead.
It was... good to see that the Vampire was so happy. Not long ago, the braided teenager didn't think it possible for Heero to be any more attractive, but he was in this place of familiarity with people that he clearly cared deeply for.
And yet, there was a bit of sadness for the librarian on Maxwell's part. Being the only one not tied to someone while he lived around two perfect couples had to make life feel especially lonely on anybody, even if they never let it show.
Giving his cousin and brother-in-law a chance to hash out the arguments in favor of either King Charles I or President Franklin Roosevelt being the greatest leaders, Heero chuckled quietly to himself and turned his head to lock eyes with Duo.
Like so many other times when their gazes met, the braided teenager felt his heart skip a beat. Only this time, he didn't try to ignore it and returned the warm smile that he was given. For just a moment, the rest of the family was completely forgotten.
Beyond the window, a shadow moved through the bushes to peer inside just in time to catch the sparkle of those locked eyes and those captivated smiles.
Growling deeply to herself, Meiran backed away from the house, fuming as she had seen more than enough. Her heeled black shoes in hand, her bare feet padded over the lush, night-cooled grass as the fury over everything she'd learned and witnessed rose in her. Without another glance back at the mansion, she stormed back towards her own home by taking the path through the wood to avoid being seen.
A human. Heero chose a human to be his Other!
The Infected's free hand clenched and unclenched at her side. Were her skin able to react as it had before her change, her face surely could have been as red as she dress she wore.
Of all the ridiculous choices for Heero to make, why in the world would he prefer that... boy over her?! He was an Original, and so he should be with her, another Vampire of status! It was not as if she hadn't made her intentions known for decades now!
But there was no question of his decision. The evidence was in the love that his cobalt eyes held when he looked at that braided teenager. Maybe the human didn't pick up on the depths of Yuy's passion yet, but it was only a matter of time before he did and their tie would be sealed.
That human, Duo, needed to disappear.
If there was any chance for Meiran to get what she wanted, he could not be in the picture. And she would need to act soon to see that happen.
Making her way through the trees to reach the back of her house, the Infected smiled darkly to herself with a deep chuckle. Oh, Heero, a fool in love. Little did he know that he'd given her exactly what she needed to carry out her plan to get rid of that mortal.
The plot was simple, the mere planting of a seed that would grow and fester on its own. Not even that bastard sister of Yuy's, nor the rest of his family, would be able to undo the effects once the deed was done.
Of course, there was the risk of her involvement coming out. Treize and the rest of her family would be furious for her meddling. These acts always came with a price, and the disappointment of her cousins was one that would just have to be endured.
It would all be worth it in the end as there would be little that Heero could do if he wished to survive. He would have to choose a mate, or die a long and painful death. If she had to, Meiran was committed to getting rid of every other potential candidate for the role until he chose her.
Infected had been linking themselves with mates out of necessity before. She would make him love her in time, when Yuy realized that there was no other that was more suited for him. What with her status and beauty, he could never deny her forever.
Yes, Duo Maxwell was not going to be around much longer. Of that Meiran was certain.
* * * * * *
"Closing down the lab again, Quatre?" Catherine smirked as she looked to the table behind her to find the blonde scientist glued to the same station of equipment that he had been working at for hours.
His head snapping up from looking through the microscope before him, Winner blinked at the redhead and checked the clock. Mentally reeling that it was already after ten o'clock, he laughed at his classmate, "Uh, yea. I should be finishing up pretty soon here. Have a good night, Catherine."
Biting his lip, he worked up the nerve to make a new friend on his own and asked, "Meet you for breakfast tomorrow around nine?"
With a pleasant smile and a bow of her head, Catherine replied, "Sure. That'd be nice." Turning on her heels and heading for the door, she waved over her shoulder as she said, "I'll see you in the cafeteria then. Good night."
"Good night," Quatre smiled back. Once he was alone, the blonde spun in his chair and fisted the air with a quiet, "Yeeessss!" More progress on his part in socializing with others! Duo was going to be so proud of him when he found out about this!
In thinking of his roommate, Winner silently wondered how his dinner with the Yuy's and Barton's was going. While he wanted to be in their dorm waiting on the braided teenager's return, the scientist couldn't leave behind his personal 'assignment' when he was on the verge of a breakthrough in his theory.
Rubbing his eyes, he peered back into the microscope to examine the magnified cells that had taken him much time and effort to breakdown. As he'd told Catherine, he was close to finishing his task.
Just a couple of turns of the wheel to enlarge the chromosomes further. Without breaking away from the glass, Quatre reached for his pen and jotted notes on the pad that he had been writing on.
Another turn for a closer look yet. More notes.
Finally, one last slow, careful turn.
Gasping sharply by what he found, the scientist's head shot up. Wide eyed in disbelief, his widened eyes stared at the innocent drop of blood on the slide in his microscope before he examined it again to be certain that he had seen correctly.
"By Allah," Quatre breathed. "This is worse than I thought."
He was going to have to contact Heero and the others. Soon.
Time was already working against them as it was.
* * * * * *
"Thank you all, again," Duo smiled as he headed for the side entrance to the garage with Heero, carrying a large container with the leftovers of his dinner. Grinning, he told them sincerely, "I appreciate your having me here."
Midi was the first to walk up to him and they shared a tight embrace. "Don't be a stranger," she requested softly before she pulled back. "I do hope that you'll be back again soon."
Winking, the braided teenager chuckled, "Oh, I think there's a pretty good chance of that." Behind him, Heero smiled widely.
In one swift bound, Anna threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Looking forward to seeing you again. We still have much to talk about," she insisted as he held her tight.
Maxwell pecked her cold cheek back, whispering by her ear, "That we do, Anna." His curiosity was definitely piqued when it came to the redhead and her scaly husband. Somehow, he was certain he was going to learn much from them and their stories.
After an exchange of handshakes and pleasantries with Trowa and Wufei, Duo waved to the family and followed Heero back out to his car.
The ride home was a quiet one, but the silence was more a companionable one than anything. Lightly running his finger over the rim of the container in his lap as his free hand played with his braid, the living stared out to the darkened world and thought of his visit... of the things that he'd come to discover about himself as much as what he leaned about the Vampires.
It was a night of revelations.
All too soon, Duo blinked when he recognized that the road they were turning on was leading back into his secluded campus. His experience was over long before he felt ready for it to end.
When Heero parked the car before the sidewalk in front of Excalibur, he turned to face his passenger and smirked, "Would you care if anyone notices me walking you to the door?"
Heart hammering in his chest, Maxwell covered up his excitement by laughing, "I don't really care what anyone thinks at this point." Unlatching his seatbelt, he reluctantly opened his door and stepped out.
Leaving the car running, the Infected waited for his Other to round the car and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans as they walked side-by-side up the concrete path leading to the dormitory. "You have a nice family," Duo complimented when he was searching for some way to fill the quiet. Turning his head to his friend, he grinned, "I can see how you love them so much."
"I'm glad that you accepted the invitation to meet them," Heero smiled. "They always appreciate meeting new people, and I can tell that they took to you pretty quickly... not that I'm surprised by that."
They climbed the short rise of stairs at Excalibur's entrance as the glow from the windows washed over them and came to a stop at the closed, glass doors. Reaching for his access card, Duo lowered his head and toed at the ground beneath him as he tried to reason the strange urges rising in him.
Clearing his throat when he peered back up at the Vampire, he drowned in those golden cobalt depths and forgot to breathe for a moment. With a shy smirk, he shrugged, "Well, thanks for tonight. I never thought that I would say it, but I had a lot of fun."
A cold breeze blew against Maxwell's back, sending a couple of loose strands of his hair that his fiddling had freed floating before him. Before he had a chance to catch them, he gasped when Heero gently snagged them from the air and ever so gently tucked them behind his ear.
His throat tightening, Duo felt the chilled fingertips of his friend's hand gently run along the side of his face when it pulled back slowly. He shivered...
...but it wasn't because of the cold.
Smiling, Heero bent forward at the waist until their lips were almost touching, sending the living's already accelerated heartbeat to race even more. "Good night, Duo. Sleep well," he breathed, lips ghostly brushing together in their movement.
Then, the Infected pulled back to have their gazes linger on each other for a moment before he walked off. Quietly gulping air, the braided teenager fought to keep his knees from giving out as he watched the librarian walk back to his car.
Hand trembling, Duo reached up with his swipe card and half-stumbled into the lobby of his dormitory. Closing the world away, he leaned heavily against the door as it closed behind him.
Shaken to the core, he whispered the only words that he could manage through the haze of his swirl of emotions. "Holy shit."
TBC...
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