Crimson Ties Part 9
"He's coming here?!" four voices shouted in chorus.
Smirking, Heero nodded firmly to his family. From the moment that he'd returned home from work moments before, they could tell that something was up. Maybe it was the fact that he was smiling especially wide when he entered the living room. "Tomorrow night, at the end of my shift," he announced.
Her jaw falling open, Midi sputtered, "T-tomorrow?"
Trowa grinned and reached over to squeeze her hands folded in her lap. "More than enough time to get ready, love," he reassured. "You already have our mansions cleaned top to bottom from your worrying over Wufei and Anna's return from their hunt."
Folding her arms, his wife huffed at him, "I wasn't worrying, as I've told you time and time again, my hands are just happier when they're busy." Barton chuckled and shook his head in amusement, knowing better than to argue with her after all these years he knew his beloved's defensiveness.
Anna, however, snickered, "Midi, there would be a rift in the universe if a day went by without you fretting over something." When the brunette opened her mouth to protest, the Irish Vampire smiled warmly and walked over to squeeze her shoulder as she said, "But it's one of the things that we love about you." She was rewarded with appreciative smiles from both of her cousins for that.
Returning to the matter at hand, the redhead bounced to her brother and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so excited and relieved for you," she giggled. "We've been waiting for this meeting for centuries now."
Yuy wrapped her in a tight embrace, he rubbed the back of her purple scrubs and kissed her cheek. "We shouldn't go getting our hopes up yet, sister," he warned quietly by her ear. "Keep in mind that he still doesn't remember about my role in his parents' deaths."
"Is that something that you plan on bringing up to him yourself?" Wufei asked as he walked towards them. Placing a hand on the small of his wife's back when she pulled away from Heero, he frowned, "Something this big would only be worse on him the longer it's kept from him." He took a deep breath and sighed, "However, I understand how difficult broaching the subject is going to be."
Swallowing roughly, Heero ran a hand through his hair and replied, "I know that he should be told soon. There's been progress between us... I feel that. But, if there is going to be any real trust and even a chance that he would consider becoming my Companion, he does need to know." Chang nodded in agreement.
Trowa stood and vowed, "And we'll all be here to help you and Duo through that. Whether he's aware of it or not, he's already family to us as well. And we look after all of our own." Midi rose beside him, linking their arms together as she gave their cousin a kind smile.
Feeling the love and support from the four that had been with him through so much, the Yuy clan leader couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. For the first time in years, his gold-flecked cobalt eyes misted with the slightest hint of tears as he whispered, "Thank you." Reaching out, he reached for his sister's hand as she held it out to him and squeezed it tightly.
Slowly scanning the faces around, he nodded, "All of you."
* * * * * *
Duo had a time trying to sleep leading into Friday morning. Wide awake long before his alarm was going to sound, he flipped the switch to off on his clock. Secured under his blankets, he stared up at the ceiling with his arms folded under his head.
The light snoring from the bed on the other half of the room had him looking over at Quatre who was well lost to the world of blissful slumber. Hours before, when Maxwell returned from the library wet and cold, the blonde had kicked into his mother henning mode, reminding the braided teenager of how the cold snap of fall was setting in and he needed to be more careful to keep from getting sick as if he didn't already know.
All of that chiding ended immediately when Duo told his roommate of his plans to meet Heero's family. Thrilled by the news, the scientist threw a blanket around his shivering friend and went on in a rush to promise him just how much he was going to love Wufei, Anna, Trowa and Midi. Having spent several visits at the mansion clusters, Winner had taken quite the liking to the band of Vampires.
Whether the same was going to be the case for the leery teenager remained to be seen.
Through the drawn blinds, the light of day leaked through to brighten the room. At least it seemed, judging by the dampened reds and oranges that filtered in, that the rain had finally moved on. Rather than wait for Quatre to stir and begin his morning prayers, Duo decided to get up early to wash up and give his friend some privacy for his occasional practice.
Shower bucket in hand and rode draped around himself, the braided scholar padded his way tiredly down the hall for the bathroom. Far too fatigued to act on thought, he worked by instinct to remove his hair tie and free his long strands as he headed into one of the many available shower stalls.
Doing his best to not think of his evening plans, Maxwell worked shampoo and conditioner into his hair. To his amazement, he thought mostly of those cobalt eyes that had captivated him so from the first time he'd looked into them. Even in knowing the reason behind the gold flecks in those haunting orbs, he still felt safe in feeling them on him... just imagining them put him at ease.
This whole meeting was going to be fine. Heero was going to be there and Duo trusted him. How that was the case when he'd only known the Infected a few short weeks didn't matter. The fact remained that the faith was there.
And there was the interest in getting to know the Vampires that had been described to him by the librarian. Having always wanted siblings of his own, the long-haired teenager was definitely curious to see for himself how the creatures coexisted as a family.
Maybe Duo didn't count on his acceptance of the other race to come on as quickly as it seemed to be, he had to admit that he felt better by it. Father Maxwell and Sister Helen would definitely be pleased to learn that he was making a real effort to release his anger and hate to be more Christian-like in not judging any of God's creatures.
Knowing that he and Heero had a bit in common, being abandoned by their parents in different ways at young ages in their lives... leaving them to fend for themselves was a special thing that few people, or Vampires he imagined, shared. It was something solid that they had in common that they could relate to.
So, yes, he could take comfort in those beautiful eyes and that strong presence. Closing his own eyes, Maxwell recalled the feel of Heero's cold hands in his own and took even more courage from that sensation. It even brought a smile to his face as he finished his shower.
Refreshed, he dried himself and returned to the room just as Quatre was rolling up his prayer rug. Blinking in surprise at seeing his roommate actually grinning when he stepped inside, he grinned, "Well, you're starting the day in a better mood than I thought you would, considering your plans for tonight."
Duo put his shower bucket away as he snorted, "You almost make it sound like a date." Just making the suggestion of that being what was going on made him blush. Thanking his timing that he was hidden behind the open door of his closet, he stated, "I'm just hanging out with the family of a new friend of mine."
Friend. Yea, he could consider Heero a friend. They'd spent enough time together and were acquainted enough that the title suited.
He half expected Winner to tease him for outright saying as much. But, once again, his roommate displayed his 'getting him' when he never mentioned it and dropped the subject all together by asking, "Are you up for breakfast this morning, or do you need time to cram in more studying for your test in Algebra?"
Satisfied that his cheeks had lost their redness, Maxwell closed his closet door and shrugged, "The rundown we had last night was more than enough to prepare me. I feel up for it without having to go over it again." On his way past the blonde, he gave him a friendly slap on the back, smiling, "Thanks for that again, man."
"No problem," Quatre beamed as he followed his braided roommate out of their space. Keys and backpacks in hand, they closed the door behind them and headed out into the world to officially start their day.
* * * * * *
Heero was glad that his body did not require sleep. If it did, he would have had a time trying to get through the day since his mind was so preoccupied the night before. However, that didn't mean that he was without the need of what 'recharging' he could get.
Turning his head, he smiled down at the fall of red hair against his shoulder as he lay in his sister's bed. Running a finger along the cold skin of her arm wrapped around his waist, he sighed in the relief of feeling those jolts that the contact sent coursing through his body.
While the feel of her may not have been as strong as what Heero felt when he made contact with Duo, her being his blood tie still produced enough to sustain him. Shivering at the same rush of energy running through her, Anna smirked against the fabrics of his T-shirt, "Still got it."
Yuy chuckled and placed a kiss at the top of her head. "Thank you for offering this," he told her as he ran a finger along the two small puncture marks in the inside of her wrist left from his bite. He shifted to rise from the mattress and smiled to the Vampire spooning his sister from behind as he nodded, "Both of you. I hate cutting in on what should be private time for you two."
"No thanks needed," Wufei shrugged, releasing his hold on Anna so that the pair could adjust their disheveled clothing before they rose to their own feet. "We know how important today is, so you needed all the energy you could get. Being so close to your Other without being able to indulge in him would be almost impossible to bear if you didn't have some help."
The raven-haired Infected grinned to his wife and pecked her lips, sending intense ticks of power through them by that single touch. Pulling back, he chuckled, "I do hope that there are no serious cases at the hospital. Knowing you, all that you'll be thinking about is Duo's visit here."
Snorting, the redhead brushed down the front of her lilac-colored scrubs to smooth away the new wrinkles and retorted, "Please. I'll stay the ever-responsible nurse that I always am." Her mouth curled in a smirk as she giggled, "Even if I might be a little distracted, since this is a very important night."
Heero half-heartedly glared at her, frowning, "Thanks for the added pressure, sister. As if I didn't have enough to worry about without being reminded how much relies on Duo's taking me into his heart the same way he is in mine."
Blinking her goldened blue eyes, Anna spun to face him. "You really are nervous, aren't you?" she asked, her expression a mix of sadness and worry.
Quickly closing the distance between herself and her brother, she threw her arms around his neck and sighed, "I am so not used to seeing you like this over anything, and I am sorry that I never considered how much you have been keeping to yourself." Stepping back, she smiled and cupped his face with a hand as she reassured, "Everything will be fine. How could anyone not love you?"
His tension melting at that, Yuy grinned and leaned in to peck her cheek with a sincere, "Thank you, Anna. I needed that." Being an extension of himself, she always did know the right thing to say to him. It was something that he would forever be grateful for.
"Now, if I don't go and change into something that doesn't actually look like I just rolled out of bed, I'm going to be late for work for the first time in over a decade," he announced. Kissing his sister's forehead and nodding to his brother-in-law, Heero headed for the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you both in a few hours."
Waving him off, Anna smiled, "Have fun." The moment the door was closed after her clan leader, she turned towards her husband with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
Her fangs growing in, she smirked, "Now, I still have plenty of time before I need to report to Doctor Po. And I am far too thirsty to be taken away from you without having a romp with you in bed and your fangs in my neck."
Already tearing off his black tank top, Wufei's scales shone even in the dim lighting as he chuckled, "Always more than happy to oblige, love."
* * * * * *
"I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten all about us," Sister Helen grinned on the vid-phone monitor. Shaking her head, she stated, "It's been more than a week since your last call, when you couldn't seem to go without reaching us every other night."
Ducking his head, Duo smiled sheepishly, "Yea, sorry about that. I've been pretty busy here." More like preoccupied in just about every way with a certain Vampire. If he wasn't focusing on his studies, nearly every other thought was centered around the mysterious librarian.
The kind nun waved her hand, laughing, "Oh, I'm not complaining or hurt. To be honest, I'm relieved that you're settling into your new home away from home. It's only healthy for you to enjoy your time on your own." Tilting her habit-covered head, she asked, "You are enjoying yourself?"
Nodding, the braided teenager put on a wide grin and answered, "Yea. Actually, I am. My classes are already getting along fine and I'm making friends here." He cleared his throat, adding, "One of them being pretty unexpected."
"Oh?" Sister Helen blinked. "How so?"
Maxwell reached back to run his hand along the gold chain of his cross necklace, mumbling, "Well, he's a Vampire."
Gasping, the young woman sputtered, "Really?! Well, that's- I never thought-" Her hands clapping together, she laughed, "Oh, Duo, that's wonderful to hear! I knew that you would eventually come around to appreciating them! I'm pleasantly shocked that you're doing so this quickly!"
Dear Sister Helen. Always so happy to know that God's creatures were getting along. Somehow, knowing that she was pleased was enough for Duo to know that he was doing the right thing. It was the reason behind his call in the first place- to have his 'mother' voice her approval.
"So, you're playing nice, then," the nun giggled. "Father Maxwell will be thrilled when I tell him once he returns from afternoon Mass. I know he'd be very proud of you, just as I am."
The corner of his mouth curling up, the braided student replied, "Thanks, Sister Helen." Checking his watch, his eyes widened as he gasped, "Shit." Instantly cringing at the curse, he snickered to the glaring woman on the screen, "Sorry. I have to run or I'm going to be late for my Literature class."
Nodding, his guardian smiled, "Off with you, then. Have a good rest of the day and a pleasant weekend, Duo."
With a grin, he told her, "You, too. Send Father my best." Reaching up, he flipped the power button to disconnect the call. As the monitor went black, he scrambled for his backpack and moved for the door where he froze at the wipe board hanging on the back of it.
In black marker, the message on it read, 'Have a good time tonight! Tell Heero and the family I said 'Hello.' Your Favorite Roommate, Quatre.' Snorting, Duo shook his head in amusement. Seemed a bit of his sense of humor was already rubbing off on the blonde.
Part of him wished that Winner was able to join him, but the scientist bowed out gracefully from his offer saying that he had a lot on his plate to work on. So, that looming sense of being on his own began to settle into the braided teenager's bones.
Turning to the wall mirror, Maxwell gave himself a quick appraisal. Black jeans, brown boots, and a body-hugging, sleeveless red shirt with a high collar that wrapped around his neck.
He wondered silently if the top was a good call, not wanting to offend his hosts by wearing a turtleneck. It was a subconscious choice, being one of his best shirts as well as perhaps a security blanket protecting his nape that was a well-known favorite place for bites.
Shaking his head, Duo mumbled to himself, "When the hell did you start caring about what a family of Vampires might think of your appearance?" Whilst he pondered that strange notion, he couldn't help giving himself a full look over to make sure he was presentable.
Finally contenting himself with his appearance, he grabbed a leather jacket as the dressier of his options and threw it on. Mindful of the time he had to make up, he took up his backpack and rushed from the room.
Hurrying up the hill at a near sprint, Maxwell arrived at the library with a few minutes to spare. In his attempt to catch his breath when he hunched forward at the top of the steps, he panted and wheezed, muttering, "Shit, I need to quit smoking."
As the doors opened to him, he righted himself and stepped inside. Looking to the librarian's station, he spotted Heero checking out a couple of books for a student waiting on the other side of the desk. "There you are," the Vampire grinned to the swooning girl as he handed the stack over to her.
Giggling, the brunette flashed him a brilliant smile and bowed her head in appreciation, her face flushed. With a half-purred 'thank you,' she accepted the books and practically floated away as light as her steps were when she walked off.
Duo smirked and shook his head as he rounded the circular station to face the Infected. Clicking his tongue, he chuckled, "You really have no clue what you're doing to these poor girls, do you?"
'Or guys for that matter,' he thought to himself when he almost stopped short once he got a good look at the librarian. Really, there was nothing to Heero's 'uniform' that was any different from the usual- tight blue jeans and a plain, form fitting T-shirt. One thing that was different was a gold coin of a medallion that hung from a black cord of a necklace to fall just below the collar of his deep green shirt.
Still a very simple outfit, but the Vampire remained ever striking.
Cobalt eyes blinking, Heero turned to find his favorite pair of violet eyes and smiled. With a sigh, he shrugged, "Comes with the territory of my kind, I guess."
Lowering his voice, he leaned over the counter and lowered his voice to confide, "Trust me, I'm not a fan of having that kind of attention. At least here I don't encounter too many students that often."
The Infected straightened himself, and took a moment to eye the teenager from head-to-toe with a lingering and almost longing gaze. Then, as if realizing what he was doing, his head snapped back up and he asked with a warm grin, "And how are you today, Duo?"
Fighting the shiver that ran down his back at his name, not to mention the feel of having the Vampire drinking him in with his cobalt eyes, Duo swallowed roughly and willed his racing heart to calm. "Just fine, thanks" he smirked, doing his damnedest to not seem anything but sure and steady... unaffected.
"So, we never did make any plans on how I'm going to get to your place after class," the braided youth commented. "You're always biking here, and it's not like we'd be able to share the seat-" His words halted, his voice nearly choking when that mental image came into his mind... their bodies pressed closely together. No, he couldn't allow his mind to go any further than that.
Against his best efforts, his cheeks burned.
Heero was kind enough to let him off the hook by smirking, "Actually, I have that covered. I'll be waiting by the doors when you're our of Literature."
From the corner of his eye, Duo noticed a few of his classmates walking into the library with hurried steps as they headed for the stairwell doors. Sylvia was one of them. And her head was turning in their direction.
"Okay," he nodded, already moving away from the station so that the blonde didn't see them talking or else he knew that he'd never hear the end of it from her. "I better get going, so I'll see you soon."
Turning, Maxwell all but ran to intercept Noventa's gaze when it fell on him. A grin on his face, he waved and acted as though he was just returning from the shelves, waiting for her. "Hey, Syl," he greeted, falling into line with her and the rest of their class through the doors as they fell into a casual conversation.
From his post, Heero looked on. Shaking his head in amusement, he chuckled quietly. And from his vantage point, he was more than happy to watch his Other retreating. Sighing to himself, he muttered, "Damn, but he has no clue what he's doing to me."
* * * * * *
Duo took his time packing up his notebook and texts so that he was the last person to leave the basement classroom. Giving his classmates more than enough time to have made their way out of the library, he walked slowly out into the hall and up the stairs so that there wouldn't be too many eyes around when he reached the entrance.
Just as Heero had promised, he waited patiently against the front doors, leaning leisurely against the wall beside them as he smirked when the braided teenager approached. "Ready to go?" he asked as he stood upright.
His hand clutching the layered straps of his backpack that hung from his shoulder, Maxwell nodded and grinned, "Yep." At that, the Vampire turned and led them out of the library.
And the moment that they set foot outside, Duo groaned inwardly at the faces spread about that stopped to turn and watch in shock when they emerged together... nearly shoulder-to-shoulder at that.
Only a few feet down the hill, Sylvia and her girlfriends were slack-jawed as their wide eyes followed the pair in their descent down the steps and the whole of their walk to the parked cars along the street.
Noticing the stares that they were receiving, Heero leaned his head towards the living and smirked, "Are you every bit as uncomfortable as I am right now?"
Instantly put at ease in knowing that he wasn't alone, Duo laughed as he was guided to a sleek, red SUV. Thankful that the Infected didn't open the already unlocked passenger door for him, opting instead to go right for the driver's side, he slipped inside to harness himself into the seatbelt and closed himself off from the rest of the world.
Gracefully sliding behind the wheel, Heero shut his door and smiled over to his passenger as he started the ignition. "Hang on," was all the smirked warning that he gave before he peeled from the parking spot, speeding them away down the road.
Duo gripped the handle of his door at the jolt and laughed in relief of having those watching eyes on them. Oh, he was going to have a lot to answer to when he returned, he was sure of that much.
But now that there was no turning back from this meeting, he finally decided that he would try to make the best of it.
TBC...
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