Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, Vampire, mutant sheep...
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Fangs & Fur Christmas Drabble
Christmas with a Mutant Sheep
"They say you're the best in the business," the blond man behind the desk eyed me in a way that made my skin crawl.
"I am," I told him, settling one hand on my gun. "And I'm not cheap."
He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them, giving me the once over again. I was tempted to shoot out one of his big blue eyes, just to make the point that I didn't like the way they were wandering over me like greasy hands, but that wasn't politic. I just pulled my hat down a bit over my eyes and frowned a little. Nothing the guy could take offense at.
This guy wasn't the one to piss off unfortunately. He owned this section of the territories and if he said jump, his little minions did it without asking how high. He'd even adopted a new name- Merquise- just to make himself sound more important- or so the bartender at the saloon had told me. Too bad us Western Americans weren't impressed by fake handles.
"If you can catch the person that's stealing my cattle, you'll be worth the price. I'd even be tempted to throw in a bonus," he leered a little bit. I wanted to tell him that he could shove his bonus up his ass, but the bastard would probably think that I was flirting with him or something.
"I'll catch him. It can't be that hard."
"He's already eluded all of my men and the three other specialists I've called in."
"He won't elude me," I said and the bastard smirked.
"I hope not. Otherwise, I'll have to let everyone out here know that someone managed to best you."
Great, smear my reputation in other words. What a lovely guy.
"I'd better get started then," I snapped and turned on my heel.
"Mr. Maxwell? One more thing?"
I didn't turn back around. "Yeah?"
"Do be careful out there. One of the specialists didn't come back. Well, to be precise, most of him didn't come back. We did manage to give his head a lovely burial though."
At the time, I just shrugged and walked out of the guy's office, not intending to fall prey to his little joke.
Course, that night as I stood guard over the herd, it was hard not to wonder what was carrying off the cattle.
According to the other cowboys the cows vanished one at a time, always at night, and the only clue they had ever found was a bit of blood on the grass.
Turned out that thing about the specialist's head was true too.
Just great.
They stayed huddled around the campfire, not even attempting to keep an eye on the herd. The dogs stayed close to the fire too, leaning up against their masters.
It was enough to creep me out, just a bit.
I still kept my eye on the herd, circling the cows in the darkness. There were so many of them that it took a few hours to go all the way around. I didn't see anything suspicious, didn't hear any trouble, but in the morning they counted the herd, and sure enough, came up one short.
Not too surprising really. One man is not enough to watch a whole herd. I tried hard to convince the others to patrol with me- earn the money that they were being paid and they flat out refused.
"We don't get paid enough to risk our necks like that," one of them told me.
So for three nights in a row, I walked around the herd and cows got stolen on my watch.
It was pretty damn infuriating. If I did manage to catch the rustler, I was tempted to string him up myself, and not deliver him back to Merquise.
The fourth night I took my blanket and walked through the herd, rather than around. The blanket was the same brownish color as the cows were, so I hoped I wouldn't be too noticeable.
My little blending in trick worked too well. One moment I was walking around the sleeping cows, the next I was lifted off my feet and soaring above the ground.
Was some kind of big bird stealing the cows? Before I could work myself free of the blanket, whatever-it-was dropped me.
Thankfully, I was only a few feet from the ground, and I managed to avoid landing on a cow.
I rolled a bit and then ripped the blanket off to try and get a glimpse of what had grabbed me.
I blinked.
Hovering over me was a man, dressed all in black, with a pair of giant wings.
I blinked again. Maybe one of the cowboys had slipped me something in my coffee?
"You aren't a cow," he said with a frown, his dark blue eyes glaring accusingly at me.
"You got that right- I'm not. What the hell are you?"
The man smiled. "The cowboys think I'm that goat-eating beast from Mexico."
"The chupa-thingie?" I shook my head. "He doesn't look like you."
He nodded. "I know. It scares the hell out of them to think so though." He tilted his head to the side. "You one of the specialists Merquise hired?"
"Yeah."
"Too bad," the man sighed. "I guess this means I have to kill you."
"Damn," I struggled to my feet, reaching for my gun. "And I thought we were getting along so well too. You usually behead people on the first date?"
The guy made a face. "No. That one just made me mad. I promise I won't get that messy this time."
"Gee, that makes me feel so much better."
"You brought this on yourself," he took a step towards me and I backed up, running into a cow in the process. Great- I had managed to trap myself. Maybe I should just duck under the cow and run like hell. "Working for a bastard like Merquise."
"Well, a guy's gotta eat," I said defensively and he smiled revealing some sharp looking canines.
"Very true." He stepped closer. This was not good.
I pulled out my gun but before I could fire it, the guy had plucked it from my hand. "Hey!"
"Look, it can't hurt me anyway, and I really don't want another hole in this shirt. Just relax- it will make it easier." He leaned against me, pinning me in place. I tried to struggle but he was too strong.
"Look, I can quit. I don't like the bastard anyway..."
"Really? You look to be just his type." The guy's tongue lapped at my throat and I shivered. I should've been disgusted, but... my body reacted a different way.
Wait a minute- wings, sharp teeth, supernatural strength, speed and now this... crap, I knew what this guy was.
"You're a vampire!"
"Very good, I can see you were classically educated," he laughed against my throat. "So I don't have to tell you what happens next?"
"Why are you going after me?" I protested. "Why not Merquise if you hate him so much?"
The vampire leaned away for a moment and I felt a sliver of hope.
"Because," he sighed. "While your writers get a lot of details wrong, the one about being invited into a home is true- and Merquise knows it. So he stays inside his house where I can't reach him. So all I can do is steal his cows- one a night."
"You eat a whole cow every night?"
The vampire frowned. "No. I drink a little blood and then return them to their rightful owners. The ones Merquise took them from in the first place if I can tell who they belong to, a poor family who could use a cow if I can't."
Well, what do you know- a vampire Robin Hood.
"Look, then wouldn't it make more sense to get me to help you? And I could you know. I can walk into Merquise's offices. I can make him think I drove you off. He'd get careless and then you could grab him."
The vampire frowned, considering. "And what if you double-crossed me?"
He would think of that.
"I wouldn't do that." I wouldn't either. Crossing something that could rip my throat out without half trying was not a safe thing to do.
"You're double-crossing Merquise."
"He only threatened my reputation. You have my life in your hands. One is more important to me."
He nodded. "I see your point. Very well. I'll leave the cows alone for a bit, you convince Merquise that you got rid of his cattle rustler and then you either invite me onto Merquise's property or see to it that he's careless. In return, I won't kill you. Is that our deal?" He smiled, revealing his fangs again.
It sounded a bit one-sided to me, but again, I wasn't going to argue with someone who had teeth like that.
"Yes."
"Very well. I am Heero Yuy." He let me go and I lifted a hand.
"Duo Maxwell, at your service." A moment later and I was flattened on the ground, Heero's mouth on my throat again. "Wait! What are you doing?"
"I'm not an idiot. You might decide that betraying me is the better option. I'm going to make sure you stick to our deal." His mouth touched my jugular. "Besides, you offered. 'At my service' you said. And I'm hungry."
"That's not what that means!"
"Yes, it is." He chuckled. "Relax, it won't kill you." His voice deepened. "In fact, I think you will really enjoy this... come to crave it in fact."
His teeth sank into my throat and I reflected that I was in deep trouble.
Even more so when after a moment, he moved his mouth away from my throat and started licking his way down my chest, pulling my shirt open.
"What are you doing?" I protested- but it came out as a whimper rather than the demand I had wanted it to be- his bite was affecting me already.
"I told you- I'm hungry- and you can give me a satisfaction the cows can't...."
"No... I didn't..."
"But you want it, I know you do... you can't hide your desire from me..."
He was right, damn him. I desired him... I wanted him... and so I gave in...
............
hated the dark.
At one time I had enjoyed it, looked forward to evening, loved the way the moonlight softened the Western plains.
Until I had a run-in with a vampire over some cows and a slimy cattle baron. The cattle baron was as dead as a person could get, and the vampire had decided that he'd liked the taste of me.
I hadn't been pleased with the idea of serving as his walking snack, so I had run as far and as fast as I could.
Stupid. No one can outrun a vampire, especially when they already have the taste of you on their tongue.
Night after night I woke up in a cold sweat from dreams of those fangs sinking into my neck, draining me to a husk... but they were better than the other dreams- the ones I had of his lips and hands caressing me in the dark... Those ones I woke up from longing to find him, ready to do anything if he'd only use me as he had before...
It was enough to drive a man to drink... but I didn't dare. Any lessening of my willpower was a Bad Thing. All I could do was run, and so I did, cursing the man that fathered me with every breath...
It was his blood that had made me such a tempting morsel for that bloodsucker. Mama had been human- but the old man had been something else... Something I never liked remembering... something I had forgotten when I let the vampire taste me in return for sparing my life...
It was my own fault. My old man had vanished after I was born, but his brother visited occasionally, made sure Mama and I were doing okay. He was the one who warned me about letting other critters get a taste of me- any kind of taste. I'd blown it off at the time. I hadn't thought I inherited anything of the old man...
I was wrong- as I learned later. Very wrong.
By the time I met up with the vamp, I knew that I'd inherited some things- but I'd forgotten about the taste thing...
Even if I had- I might have let him drink from me anyway- it was a tight spot and at the time I didn't want to die.
Now I'm wondering if it would be better than running all the time, afraid to sleep, too exhausted to do my job... my money is running out and tonight all I can afford is the seediest of hotels. The mattress is lumpy, the walls are thin, and I killed two rats just on my way to bed.
I didn't have the money for a light, so I'm lying here in the dark, trying to keep my eyes open... and I'm so tired...
It can't hurt to sleep for a little bit? Can it....?
"Tired of running yet?" The voice is right beside my ear. I struggle to open my eyes, to banish this dream- and I can't. Something is pressing down on my lids, holding them closed. I try to reach up and pull off what ever is holding them down, but my arms don't move... my body won't obey me...
"No... Leave me alone..." At least my voice works.
A soft touch on my throat. I shiver... wanting more....
No!
"You can't be happy living like this. You're a mess."
"I'd be fine if you'd leave me alone!"
"I can't..." He sounds almost regretful. "You're in my blood now. I told you it was futile."
"Please..." I'm not above begging.
"I would if I could." Another soft touch. "Do you know nothing of your people? Once tasted- you're bound... don't you know that?"
"He never said... I'm only half! I don't want this!"
"That's not true."
Damn it. He was right. I wanted to move, to curve my body against his, to seek the relief of his touch...
No. No... I needed to run. To get away from him... I didn't want to be his food source!
A soft sigh. "Stubborn. It won't be as bad as you think- I'm not going to treat you like a cow you know." His lips touched my cheek, slid down my neck and I shivered.
"No... don't..." Came out of my lips, even as I arched into his touch.
"I see we might have to negotiate." Another sigh. "Will you let me at least... spend a few hours with you occasionally? It will lessen your needs- and mine..."
"How many?" I asked cautiously.
"One night in five?"
Oh no. "One night in ten."
"Six?"
"Seven."
"All right. Seven. Starting tonight."
"Yes." The pressure on my eyes and limbs vanished. I opened my eyes to find him leaning over me, smirking.
"I see you will be quite a challenge to win over Duo Maxwell..."
____________________________________
I woke up the next morning, my back stiff from sleeping on the rocks and dirt. I sat up and groaned as every muscle in my body protested.
I was lucky it was early and that the cowboys hadn't decided to come looking for me now that the sun was on the horizon. I got to my feet and scrabbled for my clothes. Damn vampire had been hungry for more than my blood... funny how he hadn't mentioned that as part of the feeding... he'd spent more time on that than on drinking my blood...
Still, a deal was a deal, and Yuy had made sure that I couldn't renege on it.
Not that I wanted to- Merquise was a bastard, and I was highly tempted to blame him for my present predicament.
Not fair? Think I gave a damn?
I went back to the cowboys' camp and spun a story about some large beast that came up from the South. I told them how I chased it around the cows and finally scared it off.
They weren't too inclined to believe me until the next morning when they counted the herd and discovered that no cows had vanished. I stayed with them for three more days until one of them was willing to go back with me as 'proof' of my story.
Not that any of them had gone with me on my nightly rounds- good thing too since it would have been hard to explain the guy with the bat wings who stopped in every night for a meal- and more.
That might have been awkward.
I wasn't really sure which plan Heero favored- having me invite him into Zechs' house or trying to get Zechs to do something stupid. Since he wasn't hanging around the doorway when I got to Zechs' spread I figured I'd have to convince Zechs to do something stupid. How hard could that be?
Then again, it was about a half-hour til sunset- and I hadn't found out if that stuff about sunlight was true or not.
What- you think we spent all that time talking? Heero didn't seem inclined to talk much- I guess it was difficult to think about conversing with your meals. I'd never had a heart-to-heart with one of my steaks, or even greeted a piece of cornbread, after all.
Course, I'd also only used them to assuage my stomach's hunger- not the other parts...
Zechs was waiting for me up in his office, but being the big boss he was, he made me cool my heels in his hallway for twenty minutes or so- jerk. He deserved whatever Heero was going to do to him.
Eventually I was back in his office and he was running that greasy gaze over me again.
"Well, my man says that no cows have been stolen the past three nights. What happened?"
Again I told the story about seeing some giant beast- chasing it out of the cows and seeing it head South. Zechs listened to me, nodding.
"It seems you have done your job well. There is just one more thing I would like to ask you." He got to his feet and stalked towards me. I backpedaled since I didn't like the possibilities that came up at the thought of his last question.
I hit the door and had to stop. Zechs reached out a hand to me and traced my cheek.
"Don't touch me," I spat at him.
He smiled and then yanked at my collar, popping the buttons open. He gasped and backed away.
"You've been contaminated! He got to you!" He yelled and reached for his gun.
Damn it.
I stepped forward and slugged him, sending him sprawling across the desk. Casting a quick look outside and noting the night sky, I yelled.
"Heero, you're invited! Get your ass in here!"
Zechs pulled himself to his feet, his gun now clutched in his hand. His finger squeezed down on the trigger even as I ducked.
He didn't have a chance to fire a second shot. Heero burst through the window and pounced on him like a bat on a very fat rat.
I covered my eyes after the first minute. There are some things I just don't want to remember.
"It's over." I opened my eyes. Heero was standing in front of me. Over his shoulder I could see a bloody lump on the desk, and I quickly adverted my eyes.
"You are surprisingly squeamish," he said and raised his wings to block my view. "Considering what you are."
My head snapped up. "What do you mean?"
He smiled. "You don't think I could taste it in your blood? And on the first night you said that I didn't look like the chupacabra- and no one mortal sees one of those and lives."
"I'm mortal!" I protested. "Somewhat..."
He slid his arms around me and I tried to escape his grasp. "Why so shy now?" He asked, nuzzling at my neck.
"Hey- our bargain is over," I pointed out, even as my knees weakened a bit. "You got Zechs. You don't need me anymore..."
"Yes I do," he said and I felt the nip of his teeth. "I can feed from you forever and you'll never turn. That's more valuable than you know... I have no plans to let you go."
He sucked lightly at my neck, making me dizzy. "Besides... you enjoy this. You want it..."
I pushed at him, catching him by surprise. "That doesn't mean I'm just going to roll over for you!" I snapped and leapt towards the hole he had created in the wall. A moment later I was off and running.
"Run all you like," I heard his voice whisper in my ear. "I'll catch you eventually. You'll need my help and crave my company and you'll call for me. In the meantime- enjoy your freedom..."
I wanted to snarl back that I'd never call for him, but something stopped me. I don't know what- his mark on me, or the fact that my body craved his, or something else all together- the ancient bond of his blood and mine. I knew I'd cave eventually.
But in the meantime, I'd run.
_________________________________________________
Another night, another sucky job. I sighed and leaned back against the wall, happy that at least this job came with a bed and a fireplace. The flames were cheerful, warming the room and making me forget why I was there in the first place.
"I'm amazed," a familiar voice said from the doorway. "Is this a bed I see before me?"
Ah hell. "What are you doing here?" I glared over my shoulder at my unwelcome guest.
"It's my night. Surely you haven't forgotten."
I hadn't, not really. "I'm working."
"And I can help."
"You always want payment for your help."
"You never seem to mind giving it." The vampire smiled, his fangs glinting in the light.
"Thanks to whatever trick you pulled on me."
He shook his head. "Please. It's in your blood. You crave it as much as I do."
"Don't remind me," I snapped and he smiled wider.
"Invite me in?"
"You don't need an invite from me," I turned back to the fireplace.
"True," he said and his voice was right in my ear. "Your blood is my key-"
"Then why ask?"
"You know why." He curled against me, pulling me into his embrace. "So- why are we here?"
I sighed. "Exorcism."
"Ghost?"
"Supposedly." I shrugged. "Not that I've seen one."
As if waiting for the cue, the flames in the fireplace turned green.
"Pretty," said Heero and let go of me, leaning against the wall. I could feel the tense set of his body and knew that he was ready to fight if needed.
What? The bastard could be useful. I can admit that at least.
A misty shape formed in front of the fireplace and the back of my ears itched as it wailed. It took a few moments as the shape settled itself into that of a young woman, her mouth wide open in a scream.
"Repent!" She shrieked. "Repent of your sins! Or..."
She stopped and blinked at us.
"Or-" Heero said encouragingly. "You were doing really well. Or what?"
"A vampire?" She snorted in a very unspiritual way and then glared at me. "And a were. Great. Just great. How am I supposed to scare you two? Turn into a silver stake?"
"That doesn't actually work," Heero said regretfully. "I'm very sorry. I suppose you have a quota?"
A quota? What the hell?
"You know about that?" She gave him a pleading look. "I really want to make it so I can get to the next level, but I'm stuck here."
"Where's your focus?"
She pointed. "There. I'm buried under the hearthstone."
"What?"
She made a face and shrugged. "Yeah, not my first choice, but- it's a long story."
"What if we move your focus for a bit?"
She brightened. "You'd do that for me?"
Heero looked at me.
"What would that do?" I asked.
"She'd be able to haunt a different place for a bit- until she hit her quota."
The ghost looked at me pleadingly. I never could say no to a lady. "I suppose we can do that. Smith only hired me to make sure this place wasn't haunted."
The air in the cabin grew cold. "Robert Smith?" The ghost asked and I nodded.
"You know the gentleman?" Heero asked and the air grew colder still.
"He's the one who put me under the hearthstone."
Ah. "Well in that case, I say I rebury you next to his cabin." I offered and the air warmed a little.
"Promise me?" She asked. "Tomorrow morning?"
"I swear it."
The chill left the air and the ghost actually winked at me. "Then I'll leave you two gentlemen to enjoy your evening."
She vanished and the flames returned to their normal color.
"Well, that was unexpected." I looked at Heero. "Do all ghosts have a quota?"
He nodded. "Well, all the ones I've met."
"Why?"
"What will you give me if I tell you?" He smiled and I groaned.
"Come on, I was already going to agree to the... you know... for the ghost help."
He reached out and flipped me onto my back, leaning over me, teeth grazing my neck. I couldn't help my reaction. I tilted my head back, enjoyed the feeling of his teeth on my throat.
"You've already agreed to the you know," he pointed out. "Once every seven days, remember? If you want answers to questions like that, you'll have to agree to once every five."
"You'd have to have some damn good answers."
His laughter made the skin of my neck tingle. "Oh, I do. Let me prove it to you."
__________________________________________________
Snow was falling in a sparkling, dancing display of flakes that no doubt would've sent some holidaymaker into raptures.
I was less than thrilled. It was cold and wet and if I didn't see the creature the clients swore was out here in the next half hour, then I was going back to my nice warm hotel room.
Well, okay, to my not so nice hotel room that at least had a blanket on the bed.
Wrapping my arms around myself I peered through the falling snow and wondered if I was far enough away to risk a change. At least I'd be warmer... though the thought of having to stand naked in the snow even for a few minutes was enough to keep me in human form at the moment.
Casting a glance back towards town, the twinkling lights of the inn caught my attention. Despite the trouble the beast had brought to their town, the people were still celebrating. Course, it may have just been an excuse to forget the trouble for a bit.
I didn't really want to go back there and tell them I failed.
Wrapping my scarf tighter, I trudged through the snow banks. What a way to spend Christmas Eve. Not that there was anyone I wanted to spend it with, I told myself, hastily shoving down the image that popped up in my head right after.
I didn't want to spend tonight with him. Really. Even though the bastard could fly and find this darn thing faster than I could- and he did have a really good way of keeping me warm...
No. It wasn't his night, and so what if he had missed his last one? Maybe someone had finally staked the damn bastard.
He'd better be okay...
The snow was falling harder. I knew I should just give in and switch forms. I was far enough from the town, and yeah, I'd be cold, but I'd be warmer a few minutes later.
Unwinding my scarf, I hunched down next to a nearby tree and started clearing a small space between the roots. Bad enough to switch back and freeze- worse to do it and then put on wet clothes after.
I was halfway out of my shirt when something chuckled above my head.
"Kind of an odd place to take your clothes off. Not that I don't love watching you get undressed- but you're turning an interesting shade of blue."
Yanking my shirt closed I glared upward. Heero was sitting on a branch right above my head.
"It's not your night."
"I missed my night, so I decided to come tonight instead."
"If you can't tell, I'm kind of busy." I glared up at him. "There's some kind of demon cow roaming around-"
"Sheep."
"What?"
"It was a sheep." Heero wrinkled his nose. "It's dead now."
"They said cow. How could you mistake a sheep for a cow?"
"It was a really big sheep." There was a faint squelching noise and a sack dropped at my feet. "The head, which I think you were supposed to bring back?"
Peeking inside I realized the thing did match the description- and it was a really big head for a sheep.
"It looks right..."
Heero dropped softly into the snow beside me and picked up my coat. "Good. So put your coat on and let's get back to town."
"You must be hungry," I observed wryly as I pulled my coat back on. He rolled his eyes.
"I got you a Christmas present and you don't want to give me one in return?"
"The head of a demon sheep? Yeah, just what I wanted." No need to tell the bastard I was feeling pretty grateful.
He rolled his eyes again. "Not the sheep head. Your present is in your hotel room." The smile on his face set off every 'run now!' instinct I had.
"I'm not going to like this present am I?"
He moved close, catching the end of my scarf and wrapping it carefully around my neck. "On the contrary, it's one of the ones you'll love very much- and then deny fiercely the next morning that you liked it at all."
I swallowed hard. One of those... maybe I should run.
Then again, it was Christmas, it was snowing, and it was almost a guarantee that whatever he had planned would be warming.
Very warming.
Hefting up the sack I gestured towards town. "Shall we then?"
He smiled at me, and though I'd never tell him, I think it warmed me 10 degrees. "Let's."
_____________________________
It's only 6 here, hours til the new year, but I do wish a happy one to all of you who are already in 2007!
I promised Raz another Fangs & Fur Christmas fic- and missed Christmas. But it's snowing in this one- does that count??
Red is so pretty on white. There’s that old fairytale about the queen
who wanted a daughter with lips as red as blood, skin as white as snow- I remember
when I heard it for the first time I thought the daughter would look like a
vampire-
Course I know differently now. Vampires have golden skin, and warm lips… or at least the bastard does. Damn. I could almost wish he were here.
Then again, all this blood of mine on the snow might be too much of a temptation for him. Not that he’s ever taken too much, but there’s always a first time.
I tug my makeshift bandage tighter and grit my teeth. Why aren’t I healing? I should’ve started by now- moon dark or not. Damn beast nearly took a chunk out of my side- if I hadn’t smacked his nose, I’d be lying here with a hole in my side instead of all these little puncture wounds that just won’t stop bleeding… and it’s so cold.
I blink the snowflakes off of my eyelashes and try not to shiver. Second time this month that I’ve been out in a snowstorm. I think after this I’m going to move on to someplace warm where it never snows. Maybe one of those beaches in the west, or even down south.
The thought of the last time warms be for a moment. He’d found me out in the snow, the smug bastard, and took me back to the inn.
I almost wish he would again. Hell, I think I’m even missing that so called Christmas gift of his- it did make me warm.
The wound is still bleeding. I don’t know why it won’t stop. I usually don’t bleed for longer than a minute. If this keeps up I’m going to bleed out before I can get back to that shed the customer gave me to sleep in…
Still, I have to try. I don’t really want to die out here. A bed would be a nicer place to die. Warmer, softer, not as cold… damn. I need to focus. The cold and the blood loss are really starting to get to me. Damn half-human side. A true were could’ve changed no matter the moon phase and gotten his ass out of here.
Which is what I need to do. For all I know that beast is out here still.
Levering myself up is easy- it’s the walking that’s hard. The drifts are deep and it’s difficult to push my way through them. Maybe the best thing would be to hole up somewhere- but then I’d still be bleeding. Not good.
I shove my way through a few drifts more, but my energy is fading fast. It’s easier to just lie down in the snow.
I almost don’t feel cold anymore- and the snow is soft. Almost like a bed…
“What the hell? Duo!”
Hands grab my shoulders; pull me up out of the snow.
“Ow,” I manage and open my eyes just enough. Oh, it’s him. “It’s not your night.”
“Fuck that. What the hell happened to you?”
“Can’t stop bleeding.” I pull my coat open to show him and he gasps. “See? Can’t feed you. Don’t think I have enough left. Though I guess you could just lick it off.”
He growls. My coat is jerked back into place, his arms pull me close. I hear the snap as he unfurls his wings. “Damn stubborn bastard. Don’t you dare die on me.”
This strikes me as almost funny, cause really, he’s dead. Is he prejudiced towards dead people? I want to laugh, but I don’t have the energy.
“What got you Duo?” He asks as we leave the ground. I put my head on his shoulder, trying to stop the dizziness, and feel his hand touch my hair.
“Some big green thing. Nothing I’ve seen before.”
“Two legs?”
“Four. Lots of teeth.”
“What did the teeth look like?”
“Bigger than yours. Kind of grayish.”
He curses. “Were you sent out to kill it?”
“No- they wanted me to see some lady out there. Said she was doing bad things-“
“She does do bad things- and that was one of her pets.”
“I was just going to talk to her-“
“I’m sure you were, but she doesn’t take kindly to visitors- of any kind.”
“Didn’t know that.”
A soft sigh. “Now you do. Let’s hope I can do something about that silver poisoning.”
What is he talking about? “Silver? I didn’t see any…”
“In her pet’s teeth.”
Ah. Well that explains the not healing thing. Not that it really hurts now. Can’t feel much of anything really…
“Duo!”
I want to open my eyes and glare at him, but really, my eyelids are too heavy. Besides, he’s warm, which puzzles me cause of the dead thing, but right now I’m enjoying it too much to question.
The feeling of the wind rushing past my face increases and I hear Heero curse. I wonder if something is going wrong.
Then everything is warm, the wind feeling goes away and there is something soft under me.
“This wasn’t how I wanted to do this,” I hear Heero sigh and I feel his mouth touch my neck.
If I had the energy, I’d protest- it’s not like I have a lot of blood left! Then again, if I am dying, Heero might as well have the rest- I won’t need it and he was nice enough to bring me someplace warm to die.
Something nudges against my lower lip. “Drink.”
Opening my mouth is hard, but I do it- and then heat is rushing through me, driving away the drowsy feeling, driving away the cold…
Blinking, I manage to open my eyes. Heero is leaning over me, his lips curved in a faint smile. We’re in the shack the client gave me, and a fire is glowing on the small hearth.
“Better?”
“What did you do?”
“Saved your life.” The smile vanishes. “Though you may not like the results.”
This puzzles me. “Living is better than dying.”
“Keep that in mind.” He leans closer and nuzzles my neck. “Let me clean you up. You offered to let me lick you clean earlier?”
He would remember that.
“I suppose I do owe you one.”
“Keep that in mind too.”
“Why?”
He stretches out beside me on the bed. “Well, I kind of had to do something to stop you from dying.”
“What did you have to do?” There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Well, you know we were already bound with the blood thing.”
“Right, when you drank from me. I remember.” At the time he hadn’t mentioned that before we had made our bargain. I hadn’t realized that the bond would make it so I needed him to feed from me- thus our arrangement of one night in seven.
“So, in order for me to save you, I had to bind us a little closer together.”
Oh hell. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
That curve of his lips reappears. “Oh, I promise you’ll like it. You might not admit it, but you’ll like it just fine.”
Might as well know the bad news. “How often?”
“We’ll have to see how you do. It could be every other night- or one in three, or even four. Depends.”
I’m half tempted to smack him off the bed.
He’s watching me carefully, waiting for the explosion.
He’s not going to get it. Not tonight. Maybe sometime later. Right now though, I’m warm, comfortable- and alive. Those are all good enough reasons to feel a little grateful to the bastard.
I lean back into the pillows, deciding that it’s going to be one in four nights at the very least, and let my own lips curve into a smile.
“Didn’t you say something about washing? I’m getting kind of itchy.”