God on high Hear my prayer
In my need You have always been there
He is young He's afraid
Let him rest Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
-Lyrics from 'Bring Him Home' of the musical 'Les Miserables'
Crimson Ties Part 22
Duo sang along with the song playing over his car radio as he drove for the trio of estates belonging to his Vampire friends. It was nearing a week since his weekend-long stay and he was anxious to be back in their presence again. Were it not for the upcoming finals starting up in a few days, he would have taken off to be with them again sooner.
Now that his schedule was freed up for a little while, the first thing he did was pack up his things to spend the day or two that he had with the Infected... not only to be around them, but to be closer to Heero in some way. The irritation he would normally feel towards such an admission had dulled considerably.
Anytime now Yuy was going to return home. And Maxwell wanted to be there when he did.
Still smiling to himself and singing with the next song that came on, the braided teenager pulled into the half-circle street of houses that he'd sought out. Parking the car in Heero's driveway, he tried to not pay attention to his disappointment in finding the Vampire's home without a single light on inside to ward off the darkening night. As he stepped out of his vehicle, he did notice the first floor windows of Wufei and Anna's home were glowing.
Throwing his duffle bag over his shoulder, Duo made his way up the steps to the top of their front porch. Just as he reached the front door and raised his hand to knock, the sound of a low moan stopped him. Taken aback, he blinked when the sound of a higher-pitched whimper quickly followed.
What he'd heard were not the sounds of distress by any means. His throat going dry, his mind insisted that he quietly leave to find Midi in her house. But, his curiosity always did get the better of him. Slowly and quietly, he crept to the large bay window to look inside. Though the curtains were drawn, they were practically sheer from the glow of the lamps of the living room within.
A pair of silhouettes could be plainly made out where they were in the middle of the floor. Naked and joined in their lovemaking were two of the most beautiful creatures that ever walked the earth.
Lying on his back and his scales practically glowing in the light, Wufei's back arched as Anna straddled his hips to lift and lower herself onto him, her long, curly locks cascading around them like a fiery waterfall. Occasionally, one of her hands would bury itself into her husband's loose hair as he returned the favor.
Their lips joined in a deep and needy kiss as their thrusts picked up speed and strength. Chang reached a hand up to grasp tightly onto a breast and a sharp cry of rapture broke from the redhead. Panting, moaning, whimpering, teasing and kissing, the pair's joining intensified. Every inch of their bodies was revered, honored with a deep adoration.
Duo swallowed roughly as he continued to watch, heart hammering in his chest. Never before had he known that Vampires could... couple like this. It was perhaps foolish to think them incapable and that they simply took a spouse to enjoy their company. But this... this was a thing of desire and passion the likes of which he'd never seen.
Then, yelling her husband's name, Anna's back arched and her flawless body shook with the orgasm that ran through her. Wufei was right behind, grabbing her hips as he cried out and raising his own hips, he followed her into rapture.
Not a moment into her recovery, the redhead's fangs grew in and she lowered herself quickly to claim the other Infected's neck. A sharp yell of bliss rose up from Chang and he returned the favor, sinking his own sharpened teeth into the side of her exposed neck. Eyes closed, it was as if they were riding an entirely different wave of euphoria through their drinking from one another as well as giving their essence to their soul mate.
Finally, Duo tore himself away to face out beyond the porch to the street. Gulping air, he reached up wipe the sweat that had formed on his brow as his free, shaking hand was shoved into his jacket pocket to remove a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Once he had a stick lit up, he descended the porch to pace the street while enjoying his smoke.
His mind reeled over what he'd seen... overwhelmed by both the beauty of it all as well as the intensity.
So, Infected mated like any human would aside from their drinking from each other. It was a surprise, to say the least. And it affected him in wondering how that might be between a Vampire and their Companion... what it might be like between him and Heero.
The moment that musing entered his thoughts, images of Yuy beneath him, naked and crying in rapture had Maxwell almost shaking with an unexpected want. Shaking his head vehemently when he nearly tripped over his feet at that vision, Maxwell willed it away as quickly as it came on.
He had no idea how long he'd paced the sidewalk, but it had grown quite dark and cold on him. The brighter glow of the streetlamps was the only thing that brought him back to the present. Blinking widely, he noticed that he was presently smoking his last cigarette in the pack when he checked.
With a shiver, the braided teenager felt the chill creeping into his bones. Turning back to Wufei and Anna's house, he climbed the front steps again when he noticed a bit of movement beyond the curtain when someone peeked out.
Before he had a chance to see which one of his 'siblings' it was, the front door flew open and a fully-clothed Anna was bounding for him when he reached the top of the porch with a cheered, "Duo!"
Nearly falling back when she latched onto him, the living quickly recovered and held her back. Pulling apart, the redhead scrunched her nose at the sight of the lit cigarette. She took it in a cold hand and crumbled it as she commented, "Nasty habit. You should take better care of your lungs."
Snorting, Maxwell kissed her forehead and teased, "You sound like Midi." He was rewarded with a giggle and a light punch to the shoulder.
For his part, he was quite proud of how easily he was able to shrug off what he'd spied on enough to act as though nothing had happened. That was a private moment he'd witnessed, something that would not have happened had he announced his arrival.
And it was a very profound, eye opening thing for the braided youth to observe... another glimpse into the real lives of Vampires. That alone was something that he was grateful for.
From here on out, he'd just make sure to give a heads up whenever he made plans to stop by.
Wufei was standing just inside the doorway when Duo entered. The deep green sweater that he wore brought the contrast of his scales down so that they were almost unnoticeable until one was up close. Reaching out a hand, he greeted, "Nice of you to pay us a visit like this."
Chuckling, Maxwell shrugged, "Well, I have a couple of days to relax before finals so I thought that I'd crash here until then since the campus is going to be hopping with parties that'll keep me from wanting to study." He winced, "That is, of course, if it's alright with you that I stay here."
Anna was already in the process of removing the duffle bag that he'd forgotten he had on his back along with his jacket, grinning, "You know that you don't need to ask. Our home is your home, too. Relena came over this morning to steal Midi away for a shopping excursion when our dear cousin ran out of places to clean. They should be on their way back by now."
Biting his lip at that, Duo's heart broke for the poor brunette Infected. She must have been going out of her mind with worry over Trowa now that she was running out of things to keep her busy. He was lucky enough that he had his classes to occupy his mind from thinking about how Heero was somewhere out in the world hunting monsters.
"Still no word, then?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer since the only time anything would he heard was when the small pack of Preventers returned. Still, there was a chance that maybe there was some clue to how they were.
That hope was crushed when Wufei and Anna shook their heads. Damn.
Patting the teenager's back, Wufei smirked, "Heero will be fine. Along with being one of the strongest of our kind, remember that he has Trowa and Zechs with him. Neither one of them are slouches when it comes to holding their own and then some. They'll be home before you can spend much more time worrying."
Happy to accept that confident sentiment, Duo nodded firmly and followed the Infected into the living room. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, his eyes evaded the section of carpet where the couple had been in the throes of passion.
"You didn't want to partake in a shopping outing, Anna?" he asked a sudden need to drum up conversation before he thought of himself and a certain unruly-haired Vampire engaged in such an act. Already, he could feel his body beginning to react.
Shaking her head of long, red hair, his 'sister' smirked, "Nah. I'm not exactly a girly-girl. If I go shopping, it's with the intent of getting a few specific things and getting out."
That wasn't exactly a surprise to Maxwell, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. Everything about Anna screamed 'tomboy,' including the jeans with torn holes here-and-there and the short-sleeved violet turtleneck she wore. Feminine, but with the air of one ready to get dirty in a game of full contact football at any moment.
"Besides," the redhead added as she took a seat on one of the couches, "Midi and Relena are as close as sisters that two Infected that are not of the same clan can be. They don't usually get the chance to have a girl's day like this, so I didn't want to interrupt."
In hearing the blonde's name, one of those many questions floating around in Duo's head returned. Sitting across for the two-person couch, he stated, "That reminds me... there was a mention of an Infected named Karl who was with Relena the night of the Harvest- her husband, I think? Any chance I might get to meet him?"
Instantly, the mood hanging in the air changed in such a way that he regretted the inquiry.
Their shoulders tensing and eyes widening, his 'siblings' exchanged deep frowns when they looked to each other. Biting his lip, Wufei turned his head back to meet the violet eyes watching them and informed quietly, "Yes, Karl was Relena's husband."
Shifting in his seat, he shared, "They kept their marriage from the public to avoid any kind of publicity. With the Peacecrafts being on the Vampire council, they're always in the spotlight and so they're vulnerable to media firestorms on nearly every aspect of their lives. Since they saw the early struggles that Treize, Lady Une, Zechs and Noin had with the attention on their relationships, Karl and Relena wedded privately..."
Was. That became the only word that Duo clung onto from that dialogue. Karl was Relena's husband.
Opening and closing his mouth when he lost his voice, Chang cleared his throat and looked to his wife as if silently pleading for her help. Anna reached over to squeeze his hand between them as she fought a shimmer in her eyes when she looked to their 'brother.'
"Karl was a Preventer," she frowned deeply. "We didn't want to mention him before it's still so painful for all of us... and we didn't want you worrying yourself to death over Heero..."
His heart sinking in his chest at the realization that struck him harder than a physical blow, Maxwell breathed, "He was killed in action." Wufei and Anna nodded shallowly, the grief over their lost friend pouring from their gazes.
Chang cleared his throat of the lump that had returned and shook his head. "It's been almost nine years now and I still remember everything like it was yesterday," he said in a thick voice.
"The mission was a routine one in flushing out two Rogues that we'd cornered. I was there along with Heero when what should have been a simple take down went horribly wrong." And with those words, the Infected began to tremble. It shook Duo to his core to see his 'brother' being anything but the rock that he normally was.
Instantly, Anna shifted as close to her husband as she could, pulling him against her. With a soft whimper, he melted, resting his head against her shoulder and closing his eyes as tears rolled down his face. "Shh," the redhead whispered soothingly as she rocked him. "You did everything you could... we all did." As sure as she was about what she was saying, her own eyes shimmered.
Forcing himself to pull a breath, Duo watched silently as the pair seemed to forget that they weren't alone. Something about the moment told him that this had taken place many times since the death of their friend.
As his eyes lowered to stare at the floor, the living wrung his hands together. He thought of Relena and his heart went out to her. It was bad enough for humans to lose the one that they loved... but he couldn't fathom how devastating it had to be for an Infected who would go on existing without them.
"W-what will that mean for her?" Maxwell heard himself ask in little more than a whisper. "Now that she's lost her partner..."
Coming out of their dark memories, the couple straightened themselves and dried their tears as they composed themselves. "Well, she has options," Wufei answered, the hitch no longer in his voice. "She can still find an Other." Duo frowned in confusion.
Anna chuckled quietly, "Our term 'Chosen' is related to the person or Vampire who we are bonded to through destiny upon our first meeting. Though the word suggests that the choice is ours, it's actually God, or fate, or both who choose who we are to be with."
His head nodding, Wufei stated, "That was why Heero couldn't stand to be around you in the alley when he smelled your blood. He needed you then and there, when he would have been able to control himself with any other living. You became his 'Other' from that moment on, the one with the real choice in whether or not you accept him."
Taking a deep breath, the redhead continued, "Meiran and other Infected who have not found that connection don't understand it, how one of their own can suddenly have such an intense bond forged so instantly."
Not lost to Duo was the way his 'sister's' face scrunched in disgust when she snarled the name of the dark-haired beauty. That was something that would have to wait for another day as far as his learning more about the Infected that he came to befriend.
"So, you say that now that her Chosen is gone, Relena is free to take a human Companion or another Vampire of her wishes?" he asked, tilting his braided head.
A pleased smile spread across Wufei's face as he replied, "That's right. When I said that she has options, that's because I'm sure you're aware at how many countless living would jump at the opportunity to be picked for the role. Relena is quite lovely, and the prospect of an ageless existence is very compelling to many of your kind."
More than aware of that, the teenager nodded. "But she hasn't taken an Other yet," he frowned.
The redhead grinned, "Relena is a romantic. Once she was beyond her pain over Karl's death, she did not want to just jump to a making a selection without real love being involved. While she'll never forget Karl, she has every hope that she'll feel that way with someone else again some day. And that person is going to be a pretty remarkable guy."
Chang chuckled quietly to her, an oddly knowing look in his dark, gold-rimmed eyes. "Speaking of which, did you get a hold of him?" he questioned, patting his wife's lap.
"I texted him earlier," Anna smirked to him. "He had a few things he needed to take care of, but he should be here any moment."
Brow furrowing in confusion, Duo opened his mouth to ask what they were talking about when headlights flashed before the large bay widow. Before anyone could rise from the couch, the front door was all but thrown open to a blurred presence that materialized into Midi holding several bags in her hands.
When she spotted the braided visitor, she beamed and dropped the large sacks of goodies to throw her arms around his neck. "I thought that was your car parked outside," she giggled by his ear. "It's so good to see you."
Laughing as he returned the embrace, Maxwell grinned all the wider as she placed a kiss on his cheek whilst pulling away. "Good to see you too, Midi," he responded as he got to his feet.
The sound of the door closing again filled the air and Relena stepped inside with an amused smile on her face. "Good, someone else to help distract my dear friend here this weekend," she commented.
Stepping into the arms that were opened to her, the Congress figure chuckled as she hugged the living back with a warm, "Ah, Duo. Always a pleasure, dear one."
In the midst of their happy reunion, the lot looked to the window when another beam of headlights spanned the street outside. "Well, you're all quite popular," Peacecraft grinned to her friends. Maxwell caught the private smile that Wufei and Anna exchanged behind her back.
"Yes, this was unexpected," the redhead replied as she moved from the room when they heard rushed footsteps ascending the front porch. Again, the front door was opened when the Irish Vampire's voice greeted, "And here I was worried you wouldn't be able to get away from your work in time. Come on in."
For the eyes watching and waiting, the new arrival entered the room. Violet eyes widening, Duo heard a gasp when he recognized the anxious face, but it didn't come from him.
Blinking, Relena stammered, "O-oh. Hello, Quatre." An almost nervous smile on her lips, she reached up to fiddle with her shoulder-length hair without seeming to realize that she was doing so.
Their gazes remaining locked, the blonde living grinned widely, a self-conscious chuckle bubbling from him. "Hey Relena," he returned, brushing down the front of his brown sweater in his own fidgeting. Pointing with his thumb towards the window, he shrugged, "It's... uh... well, it's really n-nice to see you."
"You, too," the Infected grinned.
Stunned, Duo looked on, his already wide eyes growing further as he looked from his roommate to the Council woman. Completely unaware that they were surrounded by others, the captivation in their eyes was only for each other. It was the sigh of an early spark that could easily explode into something much more brilliant and intense.
Midi led her cousins from the living room, peering over her shoulder and waving to Duo for him to follow. Shaking his head, he slipped out quietly with them. The tiptoeing wasn't really necessary, though. Once Quatre and Relena fell into conversation, they paid no mind to anything else.
Waiting until they were all in the kitchen, well out of the earshot of even Peacecraft's heightened sense of hearing, the braided living looked to his would-be-family. "So, when were any of you going to tell me that my roommate and best friend has the hots for Relena?" he smirked.
"There never seemed like an appropriate time," Anna shrugged. "And we're also trying to not jinx it by telling too many people." Smiling, she looked to the doorway as she said quietly, "We haven't seen her this happy in a very long time. From their first meeting last year, they've been taken with each other. They're just adorable together, still working out where they stand when they already know how they feel."
Her blue eyes turning back to her 'little brother,' she smirked, "Reminds me of someone else we know." Snorting, Maxwell nudged her before he looked to the doorway along with her.
Unexpected as this discovery was for him, he was actually happy for Quatre and Relena. They both deserved it... especially the Vampire after the loss of her husband.
That thought only served to make Duo anxious in thinking once again of how Heero could be in very real danger. Karl had been killed on what should have been a 'routine' mission by Wufei's description. What they were up against now was anything but routine. And Yuy was already weakened by his not being officially tied to his Companion.
Already, he knew that he was not going to have as restful a sleep here as he'd hoped he would... but not before he spent some time praying.
* * * * * *
It was hours before the sun was due to rise. He shouldn't have been tired, as his kind never really knew exhaustion... but he was.
While the hunt had been needed to distract him, he'd pushed himself more than he should have. The return was a double-edged sword for him... on one hand he'd be back where he could be cared for the best way possible. But on the other, being back would only plague him with more thoughts of him.
Sighing deeply when he reached the opening, Heero's shoulders sagged from the weight of his gear. Trowa walked up beside him, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Isn't that a beautiful sight?" he asked softly.
"Yea," Yuy nodded, unable to deny his relief in seeing the backs of the three familiar houses at the bottom of the shallow hill that they stood on. It'd been a long few days, but they made it back where they belonged.
Home.
TBC...
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