Any minute now my ship is coming in
I'll keep checking the horizon
And I'll stand on the bow
And feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down, down, down on me
-Lyrics to 'Waiting For My Real Life To Begin' by Colin Ray
Crimson Ties Part 37
Quickly rising to his feet when Heero neared him, Duo whispered, "By 'them,' you mean... them? Here? Now, a day early?" Chuckling quietly, his Vampire looped their arms together and gently led the way out into the hallway.
As they headed down the stretch leading to the front door, Yuy peered from the corner of his eye at his Chosen and told him quietly, "I thought that you would like to spend more time with your adoptive parents than just a few hours at the party. So, I took the liberty of inviting them to spend the weekend with us to surprise you."
Knowing how nervous the Infected was in meeting Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, it only meant that much more to the teenager that he would do something like that. "Y-you did this for me?" he stammered in little more than a breath.
"Duo," the Vampire sighed, a warm smile on his lips as he turned to lock gazes with the braided living. "I would do anything to make you happy." The corner of his mouth curling in a smirk, he shrugged, "Even if it means coping with a little anxiety on my part for a little while."
Swallowing roughly against the lump that had formed in his throat at the sentiment, the living gave him a wide grin and replied sincerely, "Thank you, Heero." He shifted his arm to free it so that he could take the Infected's cold hand into his own with a firm squeeze of his fingers.
Reassured by that, the Infected's smile grew as they reached the front door. Drawing a deep breath, he gripped the doorknob with his free hand and pulled back on it to open their home up to their guests standing on the front porch.
Both wearing heavy coats, the pair brightened instantly at the sight of their 'son.' "Oh, Duo!" the nun cheered as she all but leapt forward to climb the small step and wrap the boy in her arms while the priest remained back to snicker in amusement.
Nearly toppling over, Maxwell wrapped his 'mom' up in his own arms, laughing, "Hey, Sister Helen." He peered on the tall man still on the porch and nodded firmly, "Father Maxwell. It's so good to see you both again."
"Same to you, my boy," the priest replied as he stepped into the mansion with their bags when the way was made for him so that the door could be closed to seal off the cold air. When the nun finally released the braided teenager, the priest moved in to give him a one-armed embrace and a firm pat to his back.
Beaming, Sister Helen turned to the Vampire watching them all. "And you must be Heero," she giggled. "Over the last week, Duo has told us so much about you since we were invited to the party." Ducking his head, Maxwell blushed a vibrant shade of red when Yuy blinked in surprise at him.
Quickly recovering from his surprise, the Infected bowed at the waist with a polite, "Well, I do hope that my Other was kind in describing me. He has only spoken highly of the two of you, so I have been looking forward to meeting you." Ever the proper host, he took care of his guests' coats as they shared impressed expressions.
Making quick work of hanging the coats in the closet, Heero took up the two bags as he announced, "I'll set these in your guest rooms while Duo introduces you to the rest of the family." He took to the stairs, stating, "I hope that you're both hungry. Breakfast is just about ready."
That was enough to snap the braided living out of his excitement. "Oh, yea," he snickered. Gesturing with a wave, he walked down the hall as he called over his shoulder, "This way." As they followed close behind, the nun and priest couldn't but help their awe as they scanned their surroundings.
Between the personal works of art by some of the most famous names throughout history and other pieces of memorabilia from days long past, there was a lot to take in. Having had been in their shoes when it came to his first visit to the estate, Duo smiled to himself and took his time in bringing them to the kitchen.
* * * * * *
Settled comfortably at the dining room table along with their hosts, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen were quickly right at home. Their stomachs full, they laughed and partook in light-hearted conversations with all of the Vampires.
Even Heero had relaxed after an hour or two, no longer feeling self-conscious and worrying about how to act while simply following Duo's advice by being himself. Once breakfast was finished and the dishes were taken away by Midi and Anna to be cleaned, Yuy and Maxwell gave their visitors a full tour of their home.
At the end of it all, the priest and nun were reeling over the things that they had seen. "You have a remarkable place," the old man complimented as they returned to the living room where the rest of the family was sitting around. His awe reached new heights when he stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the winter wonderland that had been lit up for them.
"Oh," Sister Helen gasped sharply, a hand pressing against her heart. Shaking her head, she breathed, "This is amazing. I've never seen anything this beautiful."
Lounging on one of the couches beside her husband, Anna gestured to her cousins on the recliner beside them and smirked, "That would be Midi's doing. She and our friend, Relena, were the ones who came up with all of this. We've always marveled at their talents." The brunette ducked her head shyly at the praise.
Slowly walking around to take in the dangling decorations above, the nun said softly, "I would love to know how you were able to make those snowflakes so perfect and that false snow on the holly look so real. Crafts are one of my favorite things to do."
Hopping to her feet from her perch on the recliner's armrest, Midi smiled widely, "I've never met a fellow crafter that I did not like. And I'd love to show you some of my tricks."
Their eyes widening behind her, Trowa and Wufei shared relieved smiles and exchanged a high-five at being relieved from the task of completing the last of the decorations. Anna snorted softly and shook her head in amusement.
"Well, I wouldn't mind settling into my room for a bit of a rest," Father Maxwell stated with a half-yawn. "It may not have been a terribly long commute, but I was up quite early to oversee the arrangements for morning mass before we left." He waved to his hosts and turned to leave the room while his friend and Midi headed out in the opposite direction to return to the kitchen.
Relieved that the start to the unexpected visit was going along smoothly, Duo breathed a deep sigh of relief when his mentors were gone. Sagging heavily onto the large couch to sit beside Heero, he instinctually rested his braided head on the Infected's shoulder. With a quiet chuckle, Yuy wrapped an arm around his Other and hugged him close against his side.
Her smile warming as she watched the two, Anna rose to her feet and cleared her throat as she turned towards her husband and cousin. Lightly tapping her snow-booted foot against Wufei's she suggested, "We ought to check on Quatre and Relena at your house, Trowa. I'm sure they could use a hand with some of the appetizers that they're making."
Frowning, the tall Vampire almost pouted, "But we just got out of decoration duty-" He cut himself off when his redheaded cousin shot him a warning glare and gestured to Heero and Duo behind her.
At his quick glance showing how close the star-crossed pair was Trowa sputtered, "O-oh, yea. They probably could use a few extra hands." With a wide grin of satisfaction, the Irish Vampire nodded firmly. Practically springing to his feet along with Chang, Barton led the way from the living room.
The last to follow them out, Anna peered over her shoulder and winked to her brothers before she disappeared out in the hallway. Hearing the sound of the front door opening and closing, Duo's lips curled into a mischievous smile as he decided to make good on the time alone that his sister had provided.
Quickly turning himself so that he was facing his Vampire as he straddled his waist, the braided living closed his eyes and leaned in to press their lips together. Gasping, Yuy stiffened in surprise, wide-eyed. Just as he registered enough thought to close his own eyelids and return the chaste kiss, it was over when his Chosen pulled back.
His own mind reeling from their exchange, Maxwell willed his racing heart to calm as he breathed, "I know that I thanked you earlier, but I wanted you to really know much I appreciate your inviting Father Maxwell and Sister Helen here. It means a lot to me."
Resting his hands on the teenager's thighs, Heero's face threatened to split with the wide smile that broke across it. "It was my pleasure," he purred, his deep voice sending a chill down Duo's spine that caused him to physically shiver.
Before things became too intense and he lost control of his willpower, the human moved to return to his place beside the Infected. To even more of his credit, there was not even the slightest protest from his bonded... there was only acceptance and happiness in receiving whatever was offered, as always.
"I can see why you love them so much," Yuy commented, the fingers of their hands linking together on their laps. "They're both very kind and nonjudgmental people- two qualities that are hard to come by when it comes to living amongst my kind. We tend to either be more tolerated or revered to an unhealthy level by most mortals as opposed to us simply being treated like normal people."
Snorting, he shook his head, "We Vampires tend to have our work cut out in our existences. If it's not Rogues that we're dealing with, it's the government that comes down on us." He turned his head away to stare forward as he hissed under his breath, "And if neither of those are affecting us, it's Hunters."
Duo's back went rigid at those last words. Blinking in shock, he stammered, "H-Hunters? You mean that there are really humans who go out to kill your kind?" Shaking his head, he frowned deeply, "I'd heard stories that there were such groups amongst my species, but... I've been like everyone else who hears that and thinks they're nothing than just that... stories."
Meeting his gaze, Yuy grinned sadly, "No, they exists. And they do an excellent job of keeping themselves hidden. Like the Rogues, they are very methodical and well-organized in taking out their targets in ways that there would never be attention drawn to them. The laws protecting Infected are as strict as those protecting humans from their own. Still, we'll lose one or two Infected nearly every year because of them."
"Have you ever had any encounters with them?" Maxwell inquired, shifting so that he was fully facing his Vampire while keeping their joined hands together. "I wouldn't even begin to know how a mortal would be able to take out one of you."
With his free hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck, Heero shifted out of obvious discomfort in bringing the discussion up. "Like I said, they're well organized," he shrugged. "Over the years of my kind being out in the open, weapons have been developed that even up the score for them. That doesn't mean that they have a complete upper hand when they face us, but they're definitely able to hold their own."
Duo knew why the Infected was not exactly thrilled in bringing the topic up. And he had reason to worry, being the overprotective creature that he was.
This meant that Maxwell had a chance in defending himself against a Vampire. Of course, the Rogues would be formidable threats being mutated with all kinds of deadly abilities... but there were ways that he would be able to have shot at besting them.
It took a lot of work on the living's part not to let onto his intrigue and excitement over this new discovery.
Quick to shift the conversation, Heero smirked, "And to answer your other question, no. Not I, nor anyone in our family, have ever encountered a Hunter in all of our existences, much to their luck. No human would ever last long if they ever tried to attack us. Though we do not wish to ever harm a mortal, we wouldn't hesitate if we had to defend ourselves."
Drawing a deep breath, he sighed, "The most harm they do manage to pull off is spreading hate towards us. Not every human is thrilled to share this world with Vampires and so they find a kinship amongst those who would rather see us wiped out. The larger the group they can make and the better the weapons made to destroy us, the more we have to worry about."
That sunk deeply into Duo. Knowing how profoundly he had hated Vampires and anything related to them, he was well aware that he wasn't the only one in that position.
To think that there were potentially countless humans out in the world that were determined to hurt and kill Infected like his family... it was every bit as horrifying a concept as the Rogues.
Whether they were of his own species or not, Maxwell knew that he wouldn't think twice about doing whatever it took to keep a Hunter from hurting Heero, or any of the other Infected for that matter.
"Anyway, enough of the dark thoughts for the rest of the weekend," Heero smiled. Snickering, he added, "Midi and the others would be more than upset with me if I had you worrying over anything after all of the work that they put into making this the best weekend you could possibly have."
Fully aware of the truth behind that, Maxwell smirked and nodded, "No problem. I won't give it another thought these next few days." That was only the truth. Seeing all of the effort that his family had gone through for his sake, he could only repay them by enjoying the whole experience.
Relieved by that, his Vampire smiled and leaned in to press a cool kiss against the teenager's forehead.
Sighing quietly, Duo leaned into the touch. And his lips still tingled from the kiss that he'd initiated moments before... a sensation he knew would stay with him for the remainder of the day.
* * * * * *
Nothing was ever easy, Trent reasoned with himself. Lying in his bed back in his home, the teenager's arms were folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling and weighed his options of how to act next.
While he could very well simply give the directions to the Vampire's lair to Doctor J and his band of Hunters, there were risks involved. They would need to maintain their secrecy from the rest of the world whist going into enemy territory without knowing what they were up against.
Hilde was practically chomping at the bit, calling him every day to try to get anything out of him that might disclose the location of Yuy's clan. But Trent had remained tight-lipped, saying only that he needed more information before sharing what little he knew.
The fact that Duo was still a human was also a challenge. So long as the braided living remained unchanged blood, flesh and bone, he was not a target as far as the Hunters were concerned. For them to go back on their pact to preserve all mankind in its truest form now, they would be shattering the foundation that the organization was founded on.
And he simply was not willing to go to that extreme.
Not without talking to Maxwell and trying to bring him to reason. He had hated the Infected before. So, he could see that way again. It would take convincing, but he could be swayed to the righteous way again.
If not, at least this party would give Trent the opportunity to learn everything that there was to learn about the clan so that they could be handled in the best possible way. Knowledge was power when dealing with those treacherous Vampires.
Content in how he would conduct himself at the upcoming celebration, the teenage living smirked to himself. One way or the other, his own band of brothers and sisters would be most pleased with him... whether or not he was successful in bringing a new member onto the team.
Simply serving against their foes by going into the lion's den would be a thrill all on its own. Few were ever able to pull the act off before. And there was nothing that would be able to prevent Trent from failing in this self-appointed mission.
The Yuy family would rue the day they were ever created. And he would be their deliverer.
* * * * * *
"I can see why you love them so much," Sister Helen smiled warmly as she walked arm-in-arm with Duo down the long hallway towards her guest room late that evening.
Blinking, the braided teenager met her gaze as she said, "Midi is absolutely adorable with her motherly ways. Trowa is strong and earnest. Wufei is noble and wise. Anna is full of life and compassionate. And Heero is just-'
A wistful smile curling his mouth as he stared forward, Maxwell breathed, "Amazing." His cheeks burning instantly at that word that he'd intended to keep to himself, he smiled sheepishly at his adoptive 'mom'.
The grin on her face spreading further, the nun nodded firmly, "I couldn't have put it better, myself."
Patting his arm with her free hand, she commented, "The way he gazes on you when you're not looking... he truly adores you. Few people are ever fortunate to find someone who loves them that much. It's hit home just how profound the bond between a Vampire and their Chosen are for me."
"Yea," was all that Duo could reply softly after a rough swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat.
Frowning in worry, Sister Helen brought them to a stop before her door to face him. "What it is, dear?" she asked gently. "Does it make you uncomfortable that you're linked to an Infected?"
Without hesitating, the braided youth shook his head, "Not, that doesn't bother me anymore." Releasing her arm, he reached up to run a hand through his bangs as he sighed deeply, "I just don't want to rush into anything, you know. That's why I suggested I live here for a while before I'm turned into a Companion... test this lifestyle out before committing to it."
Biting his lip, he stared at the floor and sighed, "As for the loving part... I know that I have feelings there for Heero. But I want to make sure that they're from me and not some mystical tie that's forcing us together. The last thing that I want is to be forced into an eternity of an existence that I might not really want."
"You're afraid to love after what happened with your parents," his mentor replied, more stating a fact than making an assumption. Wrapping her arms around her thin waist, the hem of her habit shifted when she tilted her head and stated, "After what they did... abandoning you when you loved them so unconditionally, it's kept you from allowing yourself to be vulnerable like that again."
Duo snapped his head away so that she couldn't see his eyes watering as those words struck him hard. She'd more than nailed his biggest challenge in allowing his walls to fall when it came to Heero. His parents were supposed to be there for him through thick and thin... and they'd willingly left him behind.
Resting her hands on her 'son's' shoulders to force him to meet her eyes again, Sister Helen smiled sadly, "Love is one of God's greatest gifts, child. And it can also be terribly frightening. While I cannot speak for your parents in an attempt to explain their last actions, I would advise you to somehow find a way to not allow their example to keep you from trusting another."
"Heero is as good a creature as there can be in this world," she declared. "And I do hope that in time you'll finally let down the defenses that you've kept around yourself all these years. I can see a spark of that same devotion that he has for you. All that you need to do is let go and let God take care of the rest."
Whimpering, Duo whispered, "It's just... so damned hard for me to do that. I'm used to being in control of every situation and every emotion in me."
But he was close... so very close to losing that hold on himself. It was as if he were standing on the beach, staring out at the horizon and into the ocean of possibilities and sensations that he had never experienced before... that he'd been too afraid to step into. But those waves were curling in, calling to him... wanting to crash over him.
All that he had to do was take that first step of faith into the sea.
Lightly squeezing his shoulder, the nun grinned, "I know. But should you feel the urge to give up the fight, know that the benefits would outweigh the trials." Pecking his cheek, she winked, "Good night, Duo." At that, she turned on her heels and stepped into her room.
The door was already closed before Maxwell managed a soft, "Good night."
He had a lot to mull over... again. That was becoming quite the common thing ever since meeting a certain cobalt-and-gold-eyed librarian only months ago.
* * * * * *
"I see that you have the Bible along with every book of every religion here," Father Maxwell acknowledged aloud as he stared at the bookcase bearing those pieces of literature. Gently running his fingers along the thick spines, he inquired, "Do you tend to lean a certain way as far as belief?"
A fan of books himself, the priest was especially drawn to the study of all the rooms of the Yuy residence. Sharing the space with Heero, he took advantage of their time alone to get to know the Vampire better through their shared interests.
Shrugging, the Infected leaned against the door frame and replied, "I don't necessarily believe in a specific religion. But, I am a God-fearing creature and I believe in the principal laws that cross over nearly every faith- honoring Him and treating my neighbors as I would like to be treated. And I don't believe that one form of prayer and worship is better than the next as they all go to the same place."
Father Maxwell met his golden eyes, chuckling, "Well put, my boy." His smile grew when he saw the appreciation in the Vampire's expression at the word 'boy.' Clearly the immortal was not used to being addressed as anything that remotely endeared him to being a normal person.
As he headed for the doorway, he patted his host's shoulder as he said sincerely, "I thank you for opening your home to my friend and I that we can spend this time with Duo. And I'm very much looking forward to getting to know you better as well, Heero." Raising a finger, he winked, "There is a lot of good in you, so I am very happy that you are the one tied to him."
Swallowing roughly, Yuy swallowed roughly. "Thank you, Father. That means... more than you could know," he grinned. The priest patted his shoulder as he walked out to move down the hallway for his guest room. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, the Infected called, "Father Maxwell?"
The old man paused in his steps and turned to face the Vampire with a small nod for him to go on. Clearing his throat, Heero asked, "Is there any advice that you could give me in how to help Duo accept his being my Companion? Sometimes I think that he has doubts in wanting to be with me."
Father Maxwell gave him a small smile and answered quietly, "If he truly had doubts, he would never have agreed to come live with you, I can assure you that. As far as any further advice, I know that Duo's past has hindered him from allowing himself to completely be open to his feelings. They frighten him. All that I can suggest to you is continue to be patient and understanding towards him."
His lips curling in a lop-sided grin, he reassured, "I have every confidence that he'll come around. Just have faith, son." Taking a deep breath, Heero smiled back with a small nod.
There was a lot of truth in that sentiment. Duo never gave off the impression that he would ever make as drastic a change in his life as the move into a Vampire's home if there wasn't a shred of something there on the living's part. That kiss that his Chosen had initiated earlier was further proof of that.
"I'll remember that," the Infected smirked. "Thank you, Father. Have a good night." Chuckling softly, the old man turned back on his heels and moved back down the hall as his host leaned against the door way again.
Patience. Heero knew that he could continue to practice that. As he had told his Other before, he'd waited centuries for them to meet. He could wait a while longer for Maxwell to work his feelings out.
* * * * * *
Normally not one who enjoyed being the center of attention, Duo was surprisingly excited the day of his party. Helping Midi and his family wherever he could with the last preparations of food and beverages, his anticipation grew as nightfall approached.
The last of the plates were placed on the dining room table when the sound of the doorbell rang through the air. Her all-sequined, silver top sparkling in the light when she turned towards the hallway, Anna's red hair flicked in its high ponytail.
Beaming, she cheered, "I'll get it!" Quickly brushing down the front of her multi-layered, knee-length skirt of a deep purple hue, she hurried down the hall.
Dressed fresh blue jeans, burgundy shirt and brown blazer, Heero walked up to his partner and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Ready for this?" he asked with a lopsided grin.
Leaning against the Vampire, Maxwell smiled at him, "I'm more ready now." His own grin spreading further across his face, Yuy took his hand and they headed down the hallway to greet their first arrivals.
TBC...
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