This pairing has been at the back of my mind for a while now, and when I got the inspiration, I went for it. So, yes, Valentine/Billy means slash. Don't like, don't read. Also, if you like the Maxwell siblings, I encourage you to read my chapter fic, "Dawn and Dusk."

Please review!

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Billy Madison's room was dark save for the ghostly blue glow radiating from his television and computer. The blinds on his window were closed, but from the reading on his bedside clock Billy could guess that the sun was just beginning to set.

"We slept all day," Billy muttered in disbelief. His throat felt like cotton. "Spent all Friday night playin' video games, and slept all today. Geez."

"Hm?" Valentine Maxwell sat perched on the edge of Billy's bed, luminescent green eyes a million miles away. Rousing himself, the boy stood and muttered, "yup, guess we did."

Billy watched, fascinated, as Valentine glided across the room to pick up his chunky black skate shoes. Every bone and muscle in Valentine's body, from his high cheek bones to his sinuous bare feet, was pronounced and delicate as those of a baby bird. When he walked, it seemed as though he might crumble into pieces, like spun glass, at any moment. He made it back to the bed without incident, though, and began methodically redressing his feet.

"You don't have to go, y'know," Billy said quickly, "we could play s'more games tonight, on the computer or something."

Finished with his laces, Valentine stood, stretched, and giggled. He turned to where Billy was sitting up in bed and tapped his friend on the lips.

"Don't be silly," the pale boy twirled away, then lifted his white shoulders in a shrug that ruffled his stark black tank top, "I told you, I gotta go look for my family."

"Do you think you'll find them tonight?" Billy asked reluctantly. It was selfish, but Billy was worried that his new-found friend would find his siblings and leave Billy all alone again.

"Don't know," Valentine murmured thoughtfully, "But once I do, we'll all go back home, and I'll bring you with me, and we'll be brothers forever. Okay?"

"Alright," Billy said, smiling tentatively. He thought once again that his friend was maybe a little insane, but he didn't really mind.

"Good," Valentine beamed and hitched his lacquered black skateboard up under his arm. "I'll be back soon. Promise. Now rest. I don't want you to be tired when we meet again."

"'Kay," Billy yawned. Suddenly, he felt very, very sleepy. He burrowed under the covers and didn't even notice that Valentine hopped out the window, rather than using the door.

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It was an unexpected (though not unwelcome) surprise when Billy opened the door to his room Monday afternoon to find Valentine curled up on his bed like a drowsing kitten. The silver-haired boy was wearing an oversized Slayer t-shirt that Billy recognized as one of his sister's pajama tops, as well as black and white striped knee-high socks that also appeared to have come from Raven's closet. Billy paused to marvel once again at how skinny Valentine was; how frail-looking after nights with Billy tearing pizza slices apart with his sharp little teeth, crunching handfuls of popcorn, and contentedly licking the last drops of cake batter ice cream off the spoons.

To get a better look at this peculiar specter in his room, Billy pulled the blinds, sending stripes of honey colored light sliding across the floor. Immediately, Valentine stirred. He looked up at Billy through slitted jade eyes, the pupils retracted to pinpoints.

"Billy, make the sun go away," Valentine mumbled blearily. He rolled over in bed, and Billy could see pale strips of slender thigh between the socks and shirt.

"You're wearing my sister's clothes," Billy said bluntly after closing the blinds.

"Don't suppose she'll mind, do you?" Valentine replied with a catlike grin.

"Guess not," Billy muttered, and Valentine nuzzled happily into the pillows.

"Good boy," Valentine sighed back happily, "always such a good boy..."

Billy rolled his eyes, not knowing what to make of his bizarre friend, and went downstairs to do his homework. After dinner, he returned to his room and was very disappointed to see that Valentine had gone. That night, Raven raised a fuss about missing clothes, and Billy plead ignorance with as straight a face as possible.

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A few nights later, and Valentine hadn't returned. Billy turned out the lamp in his room and wished he could see his enigmatic friend again. Billy soon got his wish.

Billy woke up in the middle of the night to see Valentine hovering over him, a silver pocket knife poised in his long-fingered hand. Billy wanted to squirm away from the blade, but he was paralyzed; his body seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and his brain felt full of fog. He could only watch in hazy confusion as Valentine made a shallow cut on Billy's inner wrist. His eyes remained fixed on Billy's the whole time, fierce and bright as an owl's.

"Wha—" Billy gasped, and it seemed to take all his strength to get the syllable out.

"Shh, it's okay," Valentine soothed, tucking a lock of dark hair behind Billy's ear, "I just need you to do this for me okay? It will be real quick, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

Billy lay back, resigned, and Valentine bent down over the cut. Billy barely felt any pain from the wound, but he registered the strange sensation of Valentine's slick little tongue, lapping up the oozing blood like fresh cream. Billy must have fallen asleep like that, because he woke up the next morning with a fresh scar on his wrist, but no Valentine.

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The following evening when Valentine appeared in Billy's room, Billy didn't get the chance to ask any questions. With astonishing speed, Valentine leaped forward and flung his arms around Billy's neck, smashing their lips together in a clumsy but passionate kiss. Billy had spent many an hour daydreaming about what his first kiss would be like; this was very different from the scenarios he'd imagined, and far superior.

After their lips parted, Valentine clung to Billy, burying his pointed face in the other boys neck. "Mine, mine, mine," the green-eyed child murmured in a fervent cadence, "you're all mine."

Billy's arms were soon wrapped across Valentine's waist. With their bodies so close, Billy noticed first that Valentine's skin was cold as ice, and second that he seemed to lack a pulse. Well, that was okay, because Billy's body was burning hot, and his heart was thrumming hard enough for both of them.

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It was horrendously unfair when Valentine got taken away by Alexander's weird butler. Billy had never felt so cheated in his life. Here he was, the weirdo loner science geek, while Valentine was off God-knows-where. Billy's heart felt sick every night that he carefully unlatched his window only to sleep, uninterrupted, till morning. He wouldn't stop, though; Valentine had promised to always come back. Even as the days ticked by and Valentine Maxwell started to seem more and more like a fading dream, Billy kept unlocking his window.

Billy's faith (or desperation) was finally rewarded one night several months later when he awoke to the sound of tappin on the glass pane beside his bed. Billy moved like a sleepwalker to the window and opened it up. Valentine was sitting in a precarious balance on the ledge, but he didn't move when Billy ushered him in.

"I need to go again, soon," Valentine explained, "gotta go with Brother and Sister."

"What? Why?" Billy demanded. Valentine couldn't leave when Billy had just gotten him back.

"Don't worry," Valentine looked distractedly up at the full moon above, "I'll be back soon. Brother promised. Once Brother and Sister get what they want, we can all go home. You won't even have to leave Raven—Brother wants her to come with us."

"I don't understand," Billy admitted.

"I know. It's okay," Valentine smiled an almost-sad smile, "but you will. Just a little more time, lovely one."

"Okay," Billy whispered, "but not too long."

"A teensy bit longer," Valentine assured him, "a short little wait, and then we'll have eternity."

Billy nodded, and just like that, Valentine was gone. Billy was left with so many questions, so many things to tell Valentine, but that was okay; Billy could wait.