"SHADOWS AND LIGHT: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND"

Written By: Stone Angel

 

Please see Prologue for disclaimer, ratings and explanations. ^_^

AN:

 

SHADOWS AND LIGHT: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND:

CHAPTER 33: GOOD FRIENDS

Heero walked into the kitchen to make himself some dinner. And get a drink of water. He had not left Duo's side for the entire day and he needed to drink SOMETHING. 'Too bad he didn't buy any beer. That would be great right now. Oh well. I'll buy some next time I'm out. Which will be tomorrow if Duo has anything to do with it.' He thought with a smirk. He opened the fridge to take out some bread and other things to make sandwiches and caught himself smiling at the noticeably larger number of bags of blood that were in his lover's refrigerator. He looked at the dates and saw that they were not even two days old. 'Money. As long as one has money, they can get anything. I guess it's the same for vampires. I'm glad Quatre cares that much.' He took the package of roast beef and the mustard out with the bread. He closed the door and startled when Quatre was right behind it.

"It's hard not to, you know?"

Heero blinked at him. "Nani?"

Quatre smiled brightly. "It's hard not to care about Duo. Once you meet him, he just kind of gets into your heart and you can't ignore him. And even if you could, he'd make sure you couldn't because he never stops talking."

Heero laughed. "So he does." He looked down. "Um, Quatre, I don't know about you guys, but ningens appreciate their privacy. Um, privacy of mind."

"So stop broadcasting then. Gomen, ne? But you were casting them out. It was hard to ignore."

‘I was so relaxed.’ Heero realized and looked down for a moment before walking to the table and beginning to make a sandwich. "Yosha. I mean it though. Thank you for giving him that. He needs it. Even I know it and he doesn't talk about it with me."

Quatre sighed behind him. "I know. He was only comfortable with such things alone or in my presence. I think it may be because he had no choice when he was new. He had to hunt and, just the same, I had to teach him. He is no longer so shy around me. In time, the same will be so for you."

Heero nodded. "I hope so." He turned to Quatre who smiled at him.

"And you are welcome."

He smiled as well. "Still. Arigato." He walked to the cupboard and took out a paper cup, filling it with tap water and slamming it down before doing it again. "Can I make you some tea?" He offered.

Quatre smiled. "No, thank you. I'm more interested in you."

Heero felt his blood run cold and he turned slowly to the blonde. "Excuse me?"

Quatre smiled wryly. "How are you?"

'Baka.' Heero smiled brightly before it became wry and then it just faded to nothing. "I'm... I'll live. I'm just happy that Duo will, too. You know?"

Quatre nodded. "I know it's hard, killing marks. The first time is always weird. Did Duo ever tell you about Hunters?"

Heero nodded.

"Yeah, well lots of them are in therapy. It's a big stress to the human psyche. It's perfectly normal to feel weird about it." Quatre said with big, sincere eyes that wouldn't look out of place on a malamute.

He nodded. "I know. Duo told me that it was Ok. He also said that he was both proud and angry with me."

Quatre scowled slightly. "Why?"

Sighing, Heero walked back to the table and sat down to eat his dinner. Before he took a large bite, he spoke. "I attacked the one that staked him." He took a bite and looked up to Quatre who had suddenly paled.

"Oh. In that case, you are first: lucky that the mark did not kill you, and you are second: lucky that Duo didn't." He finished with a wry smile. "That's dangerous and he's very protective of his near and dear."

Heero nodded and put the sandwich down. "I know. He gave me a big talking to. But he said he was really proud of how I handled the one that was about to kill me. He said that, someday, I will be, too. I just.... I can't be proud yet. I WANT to. But..." He shrugged slightly and stared at his dinner.

"I understand. It is a strange world, the one to which Duo has brought you. It takes time to get used to it. You really impressed me with the ease you had about you when I first met you. It didn't at the time but then, later, Duo told me that he had only met you a few days prior."

"Why would that impress you?" He asked, scowling slightly the way he always did when something confused him.

Quatre sighed and took a seat on the other side of the table. "Ningens fear what is strange to them. The fact that you two were so close after only a few days... I was blown away. Many ningens run from us if we ever do reveal ourselves, even if we've known them for years. They fail to see the people we are and focus on the legends that are our grievances. You really love him. And he you. The both of you are very lucky." He smiled brightly.

"I'm not so saintly." Heero said quietly as he gazed at the table. "I was really suspicious at first. Of him. I knew what he told me, but I didn’t know what to do with the knowledge. I even wondered if I could just pretend that I hadn't heard any of it. I wanted nothing to do with the whole thing. But... I just... It seemed even worse not to be with him. I was scared of him at first, but, like you said before, he gets into your heart. He got into mine really fast. And then I was hopeless. I still am." He looked up to Quatre to see a knowing spark in his eyes. "Is that how it was for you and Trowa?"

Quatre sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Not quite. We had known each other for almost a year. When I finally did decide to tell him and did so, it changed a lot between us. He wouldn't see me for almost a month. I considered just taking the knowledge from him for his sake but I let him work things out on his own. Eventually, he came to see me and we talked things through and realized that it didn't change as much as we thought it did."

Heero smiled slightly at the happy ending. "That's good. You two are a good couple." He looked to the counter and saw a new appliance that looked like a microwave. He began to laugh hysterically. He looked back to Quatre who seemed more than a little confused, one blonde eyebrow raised. "Chotto matte. Lemme get this straight. The famed, aforementioned 'heater' is a freaking MICROWAVE?" He laughed even harder.

Quatre chuckled as well. "For the most part. It has a few alterations that are tells. The radiation they give off burns us much like sunlight so we cannot use them to heat our blood if they have not been altered. Out of precaution, we do not even keep them around for the risk of a malfunction that may make them start. These have been modified to keep the radiation at a safe level and are shielded on the outside to keep it from burning us. If a ningen found it and took a good look at it, they would notice the differences and then the owner of the tool would be... How can I put this?... Screwed."

Heero laughed.

"Yes, but now that Duo's landlords know of him_which I am not sure is a good idea but they were very unthreatening so I will leave the situation as it is for now_he no longer has to hide such a thing. Though, no doubt, he still will. I couldn't believe it when Wufei said he was using a pot." He grimaced.

Heero shrugged. "Well. Now he doesn't have to anymore. How is that thing different? I mean, Wufei bitches about using the pot. What's so bad about it?"

Quatre wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste. "It kind of...burns it."

Heero's eyes widened. "Doesn't that make it less..."

"Useful?"

He nodded.

"Yes. It has that effect. Microwaving helps it a lot. And then the modified ones also keep it fresher. That should help him a lot."

Heero took another bite of his dinner and swallowed quickly before speaking. "Thanks again."

Quatre smiled brightly. "My pleasure."

After a moment of silence, Heero looked down. "Um. I didn't tell Duo about the money you put in my account. And I don't intend to. Not yet, anyway. Maybe later." He said quietly.

Quatre nodded. "I understand. It would just bring it up again."

"Yeah." Heero nodded as he gazed at the half a sandwich. "You really didn't have to do that."

Quatre spoke softly. "Neither did you."

"Yes. I did." Heero argued. "I was NOT going to watch him kill his friends. There just was no way. I had to do that."

A long silence threatened to deafen him as he continued to gaze at the bread and beef. Heero hated silence. It had plagued him as a child in the orphanage. His young years were filled with the cries of the other small children. When at last he was moved to the older children’s' 'residence' there was so little noise. Many of the children were either adopted out or were doing something that was not talking. Many of the other children would play outside. Heero did not want to play with any of them. He kept himself distanced from others, not knowing how to interact properly and not willing to learn. He had had many a scolding that he was to be nicer to others but he did not understand how to do so. So he stayed away from the other children to keep from getting scolded.

He had hated silence as it merely served to remind him that he was there. That no one had adopted him, first due to his precarious health, then his scars, and then his age. Adoptive parents wanted a younger child. One they could teach to think the way they did. Not one who already knew his ABC's. Knew how to play baseball. Knew how people worked. He was...unmoldable. He hated silence then, and he hated it now. It was why he loved that Duo never shut up. The chatter was comforting. It was noise.

At last, Quatre spoke. "How are you? Were you alright? ...Afterwards?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I was fine." He glanced up to Quatre who was looking at his tightly clasped hands.

"I'm sorry that happened, Heero. I know it must have been awful."

Heero shook his head, putting up a brave front. "It wasn't so bad. It could have been worse."

Suddenly, Quatre placed a hand on his and he reflexively retrieved it, jerking it back quickly, without conscious thought and looked up to him with wide eyes. Quatre gave him a knowing look and nodded his head ever so slightly.

Heero felt his anger rise at the blonde, at his obvious fear and having it so blatantly laid out on the table but silenced it harshly.

"It's Ok, Heero. I understand and it is Ok for you to be scared. Just know that none of us would ever hurt you. Alright?" Quatre said with sad eyes.

Heero looked down and nodded. "I know."

Quatre smiled grimly. "So long as you do..." He looked up to the ceiling. "He's really hurt right now." He said, speaking of Duo and changing the subject. "He hides it well. Even from me. But I have yet to meet someone who can hide anything from me completely. He has been in pain for about a week. It was strong enough to reach me in North Paso. And now he's hurting for a whole new reason. I don't mean to pry into your affairs, but why?"

Heero looked down. "I can't say anything about the last week. But last night, we ran into his sire. He was the leader of the coven." He glanced back up to Quatre who was pale and stunned looking.

"Shinji nai. I thought he was dead." He explained at Heero's odd look. "To live so long as we have is not so common a thing. Many kill themselves out of weariness. Or they die by accident or the hands of a mark or hunter. Marks die by our hands. I had thought it was the same for him. Allah, and Duo saw him. He only saw him once, and that was by chance. He never saw him again after he was made but he spent much time looking for him in Virginia after I met him. He apparently had been looking for some time. He said he wanted answers. Who could blame him? He couldn't remember his mother, hardly spoke of his father and when he did, I didn't like the picture it painted. He was reaching out for a parent in this. Only to be abandoned. Again."

Heero felt his anger rise dangerously at the mention of Duo's father.

Quatre paid him a confused look.

Heero quelled his rage and looked down. "I'm gonna watch TV. I need to veg out. What about you?"

Quatre left the subject and smiled slightly. "Yosha."

* * *

Heero was surfing through the channels on the TV, Quatre sitting against the wall next to his place on the couch, when he heard a thump from Duo's room. At least, he thought it was Duo's room. His lover had fallen asleep shortly after...helping him... So tired was he from the simple task, that he had not even stayed awake when Heero began to copy a few more CD's for Duo to see.

He rose from the couch to see the bedroom door open and Duo walk out of the room. Slowly and with aid of the wall. "Duo. Get back in bed." Heero said in a tone that betrayed his lack of patience for bullshit as he walked to him.

Duo shook his head. "I can do it. I feel a lot better now."

Heero shook his head as well and moved to lift his lover and carry him to his bed before he hurt himself further.

"Goddamnit, Heero. Can't I go a few hours without someone treating me like a child?" His words were angry but his voice sounded broken and lost. He didn't meet Heero's eyes, merely looked to him from the corners of his eyes, his face angled to the floor.

The tone stopped Heero in his tracks. "Yosha. But I'm staying right by you. Just incase."

Duo nodded reluctantly and continued to walk down the hall, leaning on his good arm, his hand sliding against the wall.

Astoundingly enough, he made it to the living room and managed to more or less throw himself onto the now dry couch, breathing heavily.

Breathing labored, his eyes cast to his side and he grinned at Quatre.

Heero smiled when he saw the pride and blatant "Look what I can do" air his lover had about him. It was obvious to him that Duo was quite proud of himself and didn't mind rubbing it in.

Quatre, on the other hand, looked worried and concerned. "Duo, I have to change that bandage. Where are the supplies?"

Duo nodded his head, still breathing a little heavily from his exertions. "They were in the bedroom, but I think Wufei took them cause they're not there anymore."

Quatre smiled wryly. "Leave it to you and Wufei to BOTH get staked at the same time. You're like a couple of four-year-olds with dangerous toys. What am I going to do with you two?"

Duo grinned, an echo of his usual manic one. "Aw. You love us, Q. What else CAN you do? Just don't let Wufei in on the big secret cause he'll smack you. And the man can hit." He grinned wider. "He's the other bedroom."

"I know." Quatre started down the hall.

Once Quatre was gone, Duo looked up to Heero. "The sun's going to set soon. Q's gonna drag me out. I imagine Trowa will take Wufei out. We'll be back soon though. Heero... You can sleep here. But don't miss school tomorrow, Ok? Not because of me."

Heero nodded. "Hai. I have a late morning, though. Noon. I also have work tomorrow. It starts right after school. I don't get off until Ten. And, no, I didn't miss it today. I didn't have work today." He added at Duo's "Oh shit." look.

Duo smiled. "Good."

Quatre stepped back into the room and Heero watched as he took the old bandage from his lover's wound with care.

Despite the blonde's efforts, Duo still winced and Heero saw him fighting to keep from voicing his protests.

Heero was glad to see the wound was much better looking than it had been. Not nearly so large and the bleeding had stopped. 'Good. He'll be back to full in no time.' He noted that Duo's hair had grown nearly six inches since it had been cut. 'I'd better braid that for him before he goes out.' He thought, smiling internally. He liked playing with the hair. Braiding, brushing or just combing his fingers through it; he could not get enough.

Quatre inspected the wound. "It looks like it is healing quickly."

Duo grinned. "Aw, you know me, Q. Can't keep me down for long."

Quatre smiled wryly. "That's Shinigami."

Duo grinned brighter.

Quatre quickly dressed the wound in a new bandage and put the old on the bundle of bloody clothes to be burned.

Duo put a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Hee-kun. As soon as I can, I'll take you shopping again."

Heero smiled brightly at him. "Duo. It's just clothes. I'm really not that worried about it. I have to get my wallet out of them, though." He moved to the pile and pulled the jeans out, quickly reaching into the back pocket and retrieving his wallet. He looked up to Quatre who gaped at the clothes.

"Sweet Allah, Duo. You lost a lot more blood than I thought." He picked up Heero's shirt and gaped at the amount of blood on it. He then turned it over and saw that the back was shredded. "Heero."

Heero was shocked to see the extent of the damage to his clothes. 'I can't believe I didn't notice just how badly torn it was. Then again, that was probably cause I was in shock. And my back must have looked something like that as well. Ouch. Thank you, Duo.'

Heero put the pants back down, keeping the calves beneath the rest to keep the floor from being stained with the drying blood. He watched Quatre do the same with the shirt. He turned to Duo who was watching him with sadness and concern.

Setting his wallet on the table, he walked back and put his arm around Duo's shoulders. He leaned against him, on his good side and rested his head against his. 'Duo-kun.'

Duo put a hand on his knee and kissed his hair. "So. You gonna sleep here?"

Heero nodded and unconsciously tightened his arm around Duo at the thought of being alone with his nightmares.

Duo rubbed his knee. ‘"Ok."’

* * *

Twenty minutes after the sun had set, a car pulled into the driveway.

Heero stepped outside to see that the rays of the sun still cast the sky in oranges and pinks. He looked to the driveway to see a new, green Mercedes come to a halt and Trowa step out of the driver's side door.

He quickly walked into the house, passing by Heero with barely a greeting nod.

Heero followed him in and quickly shut the door. He looked to Trowa whose eyes were narrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line, obviously in pain. He guessed it was from driving in the waning sunlight.

"Where is Quatre?"

Duo grinned. "Hello to you, too, Tro. He's in the kitchen."

Trowa nodded and left the living room to see his lover.

Duo chuckled and Heero cast confused eyes at him. "Aw, he just never changes."

Wufei walked into the room at that moment, his hair slightly disheveled and his clothing a little rumpled. He turned still sleepy eyes to Duo and glared. "You should be in bed. You're not allowed to be up and about."

Duo rolled his eyes and returned the Chinese vampire's glare of death, and Heero realized that Duo could really glare when he wanted to. "Gee. Thanks, Stalin. But this is MY house and I'm fine. Trowa is here."

Wufei glared at him for another moment before walking into the kitchen. There was a grunt and then something that, for anyone else, would have been considered a squeal, but, for the Chinese vampire, was much too dignified to be such. "A heater!"

Duo giggled a little nervously while Heero heard Quatre and Trowa snickering.

The others walked back into the living room and Duo did his best to stand.

Heero lifted him to his feet and stood directly behind him, letting him lean back against him and saving his pride by not holding him up.

"So are we going? How about in ten minutes?"

Trowa nodded and Heero saw the silent gratitude to Duo for not wanting him to go back out into the waning sunlight so soon.

Heero looked to the others and then spoke into his lover's ear. "I'll braid your hair."

Duo nodded and smiled wryly.

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Chapter 34

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