dang! this chapter took forever! i'm so sorry, guys :/ but i guess it was worth the wait... its like 7k words XD

enjoy!

Bloodstained Devotion

Chapter 10

Recovery

When I came back to myself, I found that a fragment of a thought had taken hold in my mind. It was something that I had wondered about, but never found the answer to. Something that, as time went by, my curiosity towards it only seemed to grow. Why was Duo so strong, even though he was such a young fledgling? Even vampires that had been changed despite the fact that they loathed vampires with every fiber of their being, were not that powerful at his age. I wanted to know why. I wanted to know how. And most importantly, I wanted to make sure Duo had the opportunity to fully exploit his potential.

I was alone in the bed, in the room, when I finally opened my eyes, and I couldn't help but wonder, where had Duo gone? I pushed myself up on my elbows, finding that the effects of the silver had worn off, and it simply felt like I had been locked in that cell without a drop of blood for several months on end. I might as well have been, considering I would've ended up in this moment's physical state, whether or not I had met Duo and gone through that whole ordeal, or not.

With some difficulty, I managed to sit up all the way, and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I looked down to see that I had been given a fresh shirt; and when I pulled up the soft fabric, I found that my torso was covered in a layer of bandages. I wasn't sure if that was because I was still hurt, or if it was simply one more covering to hide my gruesome scars. If the former truly was the case, then I was simply numb to any and all pain that my body was experiencing right now—which was something I had deemed an aftereffect of that medicine; it would explain why I had felt a bit better, as I indeed had, after taking that small bit earlier.

I let myself gaze around the empty room, then. It was dark, and the windows were completely paneled over, as if they didn't exist. I didn't have the slightest clue if it was night or day. I pushed myself up, swaying slightly as I tried to stand up straight. But I staggered and fell back, into the bed. I did not try to rise again.

I managed to lie somewhat comfortably again, but the action exhausted me even more so. It was around then, that the door opened and Wufei stepped in, closely followed by Sally. She hurried over to my side, and asked me how I was feeling. Wufei stood with his arms crossed, by the foot of the bed.

"I'm alright..." I murmured, but I didn't make any effort to try and sit up again. My voice was still low and strained; it was clear that I was still incredibly weak.

Sally frowned, and she turned to gaze at Wufei. He nodded and stepped over, next to Sally; he slipped is arm under my shoulders and helped me sit up. After that, he helped me to my feet and together we staggered out of the room. I was vaguely reminded of the time that I had been captured during the war, when the others had had to carry me in our escape.

He led me down to the end of a dim hall, which then expanded out into a large sitting room; the first thing to catch my vision was Duo. He was sitting in one of the large chairs, facing away from me. I still had my arm up over Wufei's shoulder as I tried to stagger forward on my own. "Duo..." my voice was rough.

He turned to face me then, and as soon as his violet eyes registered the sight of me, he rose and hurried to my side. He helped me stand, and let Wufei step away. "So you finally woke up? How're you feeling, Heero?"

I leaned in to kiss him before I answered, whispering, "A bit better, I guess..." I could faintly taste human blood on his lips. It made me shiver.

Duo gave a small nod, seeming satisfied with my reply. "Well," he said after a moment, "your buddies, Trowa and Quatre, went and got some humans for us to feed off of. I already had my fill, and I feel a hell of a lot better. There's plenty left for you," he ended with a grin.

I just nodded, again taking notice of the ever growing need for blood. I hadn't really looked around me until then, and when I did, I saw that there were four unconscious humans slouched together on one of the sofas on the far side of the room. Without a word, Duo helped me over to a chair, then selected one of the four for me to feed off of.

It was a near blur from when I sank my fangs into the warm flesh of the first human, to when I was pulling away from the fourth, having drained all of them completely dry. I had been ravenous. The blood had not bothered me in the least... it had been effortless to take and take and then to finally kill. I wiped my mouth as I leaned back in the chair, feeling my strength gradually returning as the new blood was absorbed into my veins. I hadn't completely sated the need, but I was more than fine now—it was going to take more than just refilling my body for me to get back to proper health. And yet, my mind was clearer than it had been in much too long... I could think straight again. I let my eyes close, my hands resting limp in my lap. I could almost feel a glimpse of myself, of my sheer power and stamina, of everything that had made me myself before I had met Duo.

I cracked open one eye when I felt two familiar hands pick up and move my own. Duo sat down gently on my lap, curling into me as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He let out a content sigh, nuzzling his nose in my neck. I turned slightly to gaze at him, his bright violet eyes smiling back.

"Your eyes..." he pointed out, some sort of relief clear in his voice, "They're really intense again, like they were when we first met." He paused for a moment, as if making a decision, "It's all gonna be okay now, Heero. I'm sure of it. I know that we're not finished, and that that Treize bastard is still prowling around out there, but I know that this is something we can handle now, you know? We're in it together."

"Duo..." I replied, almost reticently, almost reserved. It worried me that we were in this together, because what he said was the exact truth. Treize was still out there; he wanted me dead, and he wanted Duo as his brand new plaything. It was only a matter of time before he found us here, or we found him... and I was sure that I would be strong enough to fight him this time around, but on the same token, I was just as unsure that I could guarantee Duo's safety. I loved him so much, and I never wanted him to leave my sight... and yet it was nearly unbearable to keep him with me in the face of danger. "Duo please, I can't let—"

He cut me off though, before I could finish my sentence, "No, Heero. You're not going to shut me out. Not now, not ever. I love you, and dammit I'm gonna kill Treize for beating you up like he did! I'm gonna personally put an end to him for that! I—"

This time, it was my turn to interrupt. I grabbed his shoulders, fear tightening my features as I forced him to lock eyes with me; Duo was kneeling in my lap now, his knees on either side of my legs. "Duo, you can't! Treize will kill you, don't you understand? Not the other way around! I... I don't know how in hell you managed to be so strong for such a young fledgling, but it's only that! Treize is even older than I am, and if anything, he has experience! I know you want revenge, but... but you just can't... I don't know if you were listening when he told me that he wanted you as his perfect subordinate, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep him from you, even if it means forcing you to stay out of the fight." My own words hurt me, but they had to be said. I'd never be able to live with myself if something happened to Duo. If... if Treize managed to do something irreversible to my dear Duo, I'd have to do something drastic, like turning myself over to that sick bastard and letting him kill me slowly and painfully, just to try to make up for the guilt.

Duo's voice was quiet, serious, "I know, Heero. I heard it all. I saw that place through your eyes, saw what they did to you. Heero, I am begging you, please let me fight alongside you. I'll keep my wits about me, and I won't let either of us get caught... I'm stronger than you think, and I can defend myself without any problems." He paused again, his shoulders rising and falling as if he had attempted to draw a long breath, "Every time I tell you I want to do something for you that involves danger, you never hesitate to try to dissuade me of it. I'm not human anymore, Heero. I don't know how many times I have to tell you, but I am far from vulnerable now that I'm not human anymore... I think that maybe, I'm so strong... so that I can protect you when you need me. So that you're not alone in the world anymore. I love you Heero... I always will."

I just hugged him to me then, feeling the sting of tears beginning to form in my eyes. My voice was shaky, "Duo..." And my next words were bittersweet, hurting, as well as calming my tortured heart, "I love you too, and I trust you... I want to be able to stay with you forever—"

"—Please, never leave me," Duo whispered, finishing my sentence somewhat.

"I won't, Duo. I swear it on everything that binds me to this world."

Duo and I just sat in silence together for a little while after that. He had curled back into the chair, his arms up over my shoulders again in a loose embrace. His lips brushed mine, and I kissed him, fiercely, deeply, passionately, lovingly. Even though I had kissed Duo earlier, and even back when we were still in that room at the Vampire Court, it felt like this had been the first time in much too long. I hadn't really been lucid then, hadn't been able to really kiss Duo like I had wanted to. But I could now, and I hugged him tightly, my arms wrapped around his lithe waist like so many times before.

We sat together in comfortable silence after that. I ran my hand over his hair, taking his braid and pressing the end of it to my lips—Duo smiled. When the time to get up and go find the others finally came, I kept my fingers laced with Duo's as we walked. I vaguely remembered the layout of Quatre's estate, and by the looks of it, we were on the fourth and top floor. They were probably all downstairs a level or two. We took the stairs slowly, even though I was well enough by now to not have any trouble, and Duo's hand slid slowly down the railing as we went. And sure enough, as we approached the foyer on the second floor Duo and I came into earshot of the others' hushed conversation. We walked in nonchalantly, as if we weren't interrupting, and nothing was wrong. I sat down on one of the small sofas, and Duo plopped down beside me. He stayed very close to me, but clearly not out of fear.

It took the others a moment or two to notice us, since we had kept to the edge of the group and hadn't verbally made our presences known. Quatre gasped and quickly rose to his feet when he saw me, "Heero! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine now." Not a lie.

He stepped over to me, and looked me over, as if he didn't quite believe my statement. "Well, you definitely do look better," he commented. I nodded in reply, and I felt Duo's hand tighten in my own. "I'm glad though; you really had us worried... especially when Duo first brought you back," his tone was somewhat grave, and I felt Duo lean against me a little more.

A half-thought murmur echoed through my mind, Duo's voice. I'm not even sure he was aware that he had thought these words to me, "I was so worried..."

. . .

A handful of days passed, and I spent my time resting and feeding, gaining back my lost energy. Duo rarely left my side, something I was grateful for... Even though I hadn't been locked up in that cell for long, it seemed as if I had lost touch with him, lost touch with reality. It felt as if I was locked solely in the now, in just a tiny pocket of existence, with nothing but the few people around me and the vast expanse of Quatre's estate.

Right now, I was readying myself for a brief training session. I had been here with Quatre and Trowa for nearly a week, and my energy was just about completely recovered. In my hand, I held my silver knife—Duo had kept it with him since I had been captured. It seemed like forever had passed since I had held the familiar weapon in my calloused palm.

It wasn't easy, considering the memory was over two hundred years old, but I called back on the hazy recollection of when I was first learning how to fight, when I was still human. I did this periodically, tried to remember, as if there had been something hidden in my original training... some secret move I never really picked up on. But there wasn't one, and what I really needed now were the basics. I was going to start back at square one, and quickly re-teach myself everything I knew over the course of the next several days. I could also pass on some rather effective techniques to Duo, so that he could make use of them as well.

With a heave of my shoulders, I tightened the grip on my knife, and slowly began to ease towards Trowa—my current sparring partner—and therefore begin the training session. He matched my every step, as I knew he would, before quickening his pace and leaping into the air. He spun at some point, turning so that he'd land on his feet behind me, while still facing me. But I knew that attack pattern very well, and I took a basic sidestep to avoid the blade of his knife. By pure chance, Trowa landed awkwardly, and I rushed towards him before he could regain his balance. The metallic clang of our silver knifes clashing resounded within the arena.

I did my best to keep to the extreme basics, drawing out the 'fight' for as long as possible. It was insane how much my stamina had dwindled over the past few months... and even more so over the past few weeks. I could already feel the minimal exertion beginning to take its toll. And to think, I used to be so strong... it really was disgraceful, how weak I had become.

Long days passed, with the entire nocturne hours spent vigorously sparring, while the sunlit time was consumed by exhausted sleep. I hugged Duo to me in our bed every time we slept, as if trying to protect him from everything and anything. It vaguely reminded me of when he was still human, still seeming so frail and defenseless. I hated how I clung to those memories, but it couldn't be helped. Duo was my world, and I loved, adored, cared about him with every fiber of my being. I reveled every moment I spent with him.

Two days passed, and Duo was my sparring partner now; we were currently attempting to teach each other new fighting techniques. I had been showing him how to break a vampire's neck with one move: a basic and easy way to immobilize an enemy for at least a few minutes. Duo was now explaining a technique that he had come up with on his own—he had yet to use it in battle—it was a trick that utilized a vampire's teleportation abilities.

"Okay, you ready, Heero? I'm just gonna demonstrate the teleportation part," Duo said, holstering his knife, and easing himself into a standard fighting stance.

"I'm ready," I nodded, slipping my own knife into the holster at my hip. I blinked, watching Duo from where I stood about ten feet in front of him. His mouth creased into a smirk, and not a split moment later, he carried out the move—minus a weapon—that he had just described to me a few moments ago. I felt the side of his fist lightly hit my lower back, pressing into my shirt and moving up, as if he was slicing a deep, diagonal gash into my backside. Had it been someone other than Duo demonstrating this to me, I surely would've tensed against the mock attack.

Before I even had a chance to react, however, Duo was in front of me, the heel of his hand landing on my chest, right over my heart. "And just like that, you'd be dead!" he laughed, taking a step back.

"I can certainly see why," I let myself smirk, "It's a very effective attack, without a doubt."

Duo grinned at the praise, and I briefly closed the space between us. I pressed my lips to his for a moment. "My turn?"

He laughed, "You bet. Oh, and by the way, I call that 'Shinigami's Strike'."

"I can see why." With a small grin, I stepped back several steps, until I was about ten feet away from Duo. "It makes a perfect death blow... Are you ready for me?" Duo nodded. I eased into that low stance, like Duo had, and diverted my focus to executing the attack. I hadn't been doing much teleporting lately, having been focusing mainly on blatant fighting, but I wasn't worried about not being able to go through with this attack.

My next thought, and I was behind Duo, the side of my fist running up his back just like he had done to me. I was in front of him then, my hand flat over his heart. He placed his gentler palms over mine, lifting my hand to kiss at the calloused skin. "Great job," he snickered, his voice muffled by my hand. "You were a little slow, but still great." I smiled at him.

I pulled Duo to me then, hugging him. A sudden sense of... relief had just overcome me, as if I had just realized that my strength was actually going to return, and I would be able to defend Duo next time Treize came around... I couldn't help but smile as I pressed my lips to his.

. . .

That morning, Duo and I lay in bed together. Neither of us were close to sleep just yet, and I let my mind wander to our training earlier that night. Duo had executed that attack perfectly, even if he hadn't used a weapon, and it brought my mind back to wondering about how he was so strong. As I speculated, a hazy thread of a thought came to be in my mind. It was a brief hint of something I once knew, had once looked into, many years ago.

"Hey, Duo," I started, opening my eyes and gazing at the dim shadow that was Duo beside me.

He shifted slightly before responding, "Yeah Heero?"

"Do you remember what happened when I changed you into a vampire?"

"Vaguely..." he paused, no doubt trying to remember, "...I know we were attacked, and you fought. Everything's clear till that vampire started coming after me. I remember that I got hurt though... and that I thought I was dieing... I told you I loved you, and then I think I passed out after that. Right after I woke up is hazy too..."

"I see..." I frowned slightly, thinking. "I think I have an explanation for why you're so strong... and it has to do with how you were so close to death when I changed you." I stared up at the darkness above us.

Duo was silent for a moment, before he spoke. I could hear the recollection in his voice, "Oh, I know what you're talking about! I saw it in one of the books in your study... like if you change a human at the exact moment of their death, they get double the strength as fledglings. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but you're right. It makes so much sense."

"Exactly," I paused for a moment, finding the memories of that time painful, "And you were so close to death... I'm sure that's exactly what happened. The force that was killing you bound itself to the magic of my blood, and took hold at the exact same moment, hence doubling your initial strength."

"Wow... Though I also remember that book said something about, like, even though my power as a fledgling is insane, my capacity for improvement isn't doubled. So I'll still get stronger, but I won't be insanely powerful like you are," he chuckled.

I gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "Do you know how lucky we are? Had I changed you even a moment sooner, you would be half as strong as you are now. And a moment later... and you would've died." His hand closed a bit tighter around mine.

"Well, that definitely has to mean something. I'm sure it wasn't just a coincidence..."

"No, I don't think it was a coincidence either," I smiled, turning my head to gaze at him. His lips were only a few inches from my own, "I think it's proof that our love for each other is something very real..."

. . .

I had forgotten what it felt like to be strong. It was a feeling that I had taken for granted, always expected to be there when I needed it. Now though, I could feel it gradually returning. I could feel myself becoming the invincible... monster that I used to be—that I used to be before love struck me down from my place above the world. Nonetheless, days passed, and I continued to train relentlessly until the others forced me to stop. I would not fail in protecting Duo, not again.

Before I knew it, Duo and I had been here at Quatre's estate for nearly a month. Time had gone so fast. I had disappeared into the darkness of night, right before dawn, bringing myself to some faraway city in order to feed. It may seem like something impossible, had I been human, but my strength was already back to what it had been. In fact, as I drained dry my third victim that night, I wouldn't be fantasizing if I said that I felt stronger than I had even before I met Duo. I had completely mastered that technique he had showed me, as well as polished up my old fighting style. I was in my prime again, like I had been more than one hundred years ago. And even better yet: this time around, I had someone at my side who—despite the reasons that brought us together—loved me more than anything; I had Duo now.

When I came back to Quatre's estate, Duo had already returned from wherever he had gone to feed. He was lying in our bed, tucked comfortably under the blankets; his violet eyes were closed. But vampiric sleep hadn't taken him yet; Duo opened his eyes when he heard me begin to undress. I smiled, pulling on a softer set of clothes, before slipping into the bed beside him. "Hi Heero," he murmured, turning slightly so that he could lean in and kiss my nose.

I pulled him closer, meshing my lips to his in a possessive kiss. He returned it in a way that he would have never dared to when we first met—his arms laced around my shoulders, pulling me on top of him as he bit at my lips and pushed his tongue against my own. His cheeks were flushed when I pulled back, and the rest of his skin was of a pale, healthy color; like it had been when he was still human—Duo had fed well.

When I lay down comfortably beside him, Duo asked, "Do you think Treize will come after us again?"

The answer was obvious, "Without a doubt... I'm sure he's been searching for us this whole time."

"Yeah, you're right. It's only a matter of time till he finds us."

I placed my hand on the top of his head, stroking his soft hair, "We'll be fine, Duo. Don't you worry. I'll protect you this time... I promise." I pressed my lips to Duo's cheek, and he sighed contently, turning to curl into me. We both fell asleep soon after.

. . .

Another day of training passed before the storm hit. By storm, I mean that Quatre's entire estate was ambushed. Duo and I were surrounded in the training arena, and I didn't have the slightest idea where Quatre and Trowa were... but I wasn't worried about them; they were just as capable as Duo and I were.

It seemed as if an entire company of Treize's soldiers stood before us, all wielding silver weapons that were surely just as lethal as they appeared. I tightened my grip on my knife; about ten seconds passed, and Quatre and Trowa appeared beside us, in the small space surrounded by at least a hundred of Treize's vampires. That was when the first of them struck.

The clear crack of a gunshot echoed through the training arena, and I instinctively dodged. I felt the small gust of wind as the silver bullet shot through where I had just been standing. Duo and I both raced ahead at that, slashing and cutting anything our knives could make contact with; Quatre and Trowa did the same. To say the least, I didn't expect it when a solid fist came at me and connected with my jaw. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it could've, and I retaliated before I had even recovered from the shock of the blow. Beside me, I could hear Duo grunting and shouting as he continued to slice down as many vampires as he could. We were lost in the middle of an all-out brawl.

Not long after it became nothing more than a fight, and the initial shock of the ambush had faded, Quatre's voice rang out above the shouts and cries, breaking the deafening silence of battle. "Heero! Duo! Go!" a pause, "Go find Treize!" the moment his words registered in my mind, I turned back, looking around frantically for the blonde vampire. I saw him, and hurriedly retreated from my edge of the fighting. Duo caught my eye, and I pushed my way towards him, grabbing his hand.

"What about you and Trowa?" I called over the incoherent struggle.

"We can handle it!" he replied, taking a moment to glance back at Duo and I. I nodded, acknowledging his request.

Duo's hand squeezed mine, and then we were gone from the battle. I brought us to the edge of Quatre's estate, where Duo and I would be safe for at least a moment. Before even a word was said, I hurriedly checked him over for injuries. "I'm fine, Heero," he told me, insisted. He placed his hand on the side of my face, wiping my cheek with his thumb—only then, did I notice the insignificant sting of the shallow scratch.

"Are you sure?" I persisted, my worry unwavering. I couldn't help but be paranoid about Duo's safety... especially after how close I had gotten to losing him in the past.

"I am," he told me, before placing his hand flat on my chest, "Calm down, Heero. You need to stay focused, or it's going to be you who gets hurt." His words were grave, were very cold but that didn't mean they weren't true. Duo was right; I needed to stay levelheaded and protect Duo. I couldn't let him get hurt, no matter the cost.

I gave a curt nod, before muttering, "Let's find Treize."

Said vampire was not hard to find, especially with all his soldiers mashed into one small place. He was alone, simply watching, no doubt enjoying the 'show'. I felt my anger rise as I saw him just standing there, grinning at the massacre he had set into action. I felt Duo's hand go rigid in mine, "I-is that...?" he asked, undisguised anger eliciting tremors in his words.

"Yeah," I nearly hissed, briefly turning to glance at Duo. I was shocked—his violet eyes had deepened to a nearly black color. I had never seen Duo become so angry, so... vengeful.

"A-and he's t-the one w-who..." Duo forced out, too angry to even speak evenly. "h-hurt you...? Gave you a-all those new s-scars...?"

"Yeah..." I repeated, suddenly wishing I hadn't when Duo's hand disappeared from mine. Teleportation brought him to the air several feet above the ground, right beside Treize, and he slashed at the man with his knife as his feet returned to the sandy floor below. Treize seemed to barely dodge the blow, and from my hiding place I saw him lift his sword and launch into action. Duo let out a raged cry as he slashed at Treize again; his attack was easily blocked and the familiar sound of silver against silver reached my ears.

Duo's attacks were sporadic and clearly impulsive—he had lost reason in the face of his anger. I had to stop him... But there was no way I was going to go against Duo right now. He needed to fight this out, release his anger—and better yet, gain some real fighting experience. This was his fight for now, and as soon as I saw that he was about to get hurt, I'd intervene. But not yet. Duo continuously dodged around, leaping from side to side and trying to land a hit. He clearly knew what he was doing, even if Treize was better—Duo's concentration was returning as his impulsive rage began to simmer down.

Treize slashed out with his sword, each strike a calculated and practice movement. Duo avoided every blow, but that didn't mean he was landing any either. He nearly got his knife into Treize's chest, nearly was able to take advantage of a small opening, but Treize caught it and reached out to grab Duo's collar with his free hand. But Treize's hand grasped only air as Duo quickly brought himself behind the older vampire. Duo grabbed at Treize's other hand trying with all his might to wrestle the sword from his grasp. But no matter how good a fighter Duo was, or how strong he was, Treize's physical strength was clearly greater. Duo leapt back just barely in time as Treize pulled free his hand and sword, and slashed at Duo's chest. There was a slice in the front of Duo's shirt.

The vigor of the fight seemed to slow for a moment, and Treize spoke, "You must be Heero's pet. I am absolutely honored to finally meet you in person." His tone was mocking, lacking any sort of sincerity. I couldn't see his face from here, but I could hear the sickening smirk.

Duo was clearly angry, his brow creased and his eyes an intense glare. His stance was low, guarded, ready to spring into either attack or evasion. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it; I could tell what he wanted to say by his expression—I didn't even need to tap into his mind for that. Duo had wanted to deny that he was my 'pet'. It made me sick to think of it that way, but in a sense he had been... and Duo knew it. He would not deny the truth.

Seeing that Duo was not going to reply, Treize continued to speak. He stepped back with one foot, lowering his sword enough to imply that he would not attack, while still not lowering his guard. His tone of voice made me sick, "Why don't you join me instead? I hear that you are the strongest fledgling around—I need someone with skills like yours. Someone trustworthy."

Duo's disgust was obvious, "Fuck no! Do you honestly think I'd join the guy who kidnapped and beat the man I love? Who is leading this entire world into chaos?" Duo took an angry step forward, and I silently willed him to stay put. Treize was provoking him, trying to distract him enough to lower his guard enough that he could...

"I apologize for that," his voice kept that sweet, persuasive tone, "But I'm sure you know that those who break the rules must be punished. It is the same in the human world, is it not? I was only doing what was necessary."

Duo growled. "Bastard," he spat.

"Why don't you join me?" he repeated, just the same. "I can guarantee you'll be much happier with me. I will arrange for my best fighters to train you, to make the best of your potential. You will become my right-hand man—how does that sound?"

"Two words," Duo hissed, "Fuck. No."

I watched as Treize discretely readjusted his grip on his sword, "It's not wise to be so quick to disagree, you know. If it's any consolation, you definitely will not be anyone's pet if you join me. You will not be used, like you have been; nor will you be forced to submit to anyone without reason."

I felt the vaguely familiar sting of tears in my eyes as I watched Duo's rigid stance soften slightly. It was hardly even noticeable, but more than enough to tell me that Treize's words were growing closer and closer to sending cracks through Duo's resolve. Something within my chest throbbed at the thought of that. As if by a force unknown to me, the sudden feeling that Duo was mine, that he belonged to me, returned, and I was overcome with a possessive sense of loathing towards Treize. I wanted nothing more than to leap out and stab my blade into my enemy's heart this very moment.

I resisted that want, however, waiting and watching the scene before me play out. Any moment now, I knew, Treize would attack Duo. My entire body went tense with hate when Treize's voice reached my ears again, "Why don't you join me? You'll have a much better life if you leave this place and come with me."

Duo's rigid stance seemed to falter, though his expression remained cold. From a glance into his mind, I knew he would not break, would not give in, but even the idea that Treize could do no wrong was enough of a distraction. And that was all it took. Duo was not completely on his guard, and Treize had centuries of experience... the difference in capability was obvious.

With speed that I hadn't seen since the days of the war, since I had tried to fight him when I was nothing but a fledgling, Treize lifted his sword and attacked. There was a good ten feet of space in between him and Duo, but I knew he was taking this fight seriously now—no more playing around. No matter how fast Duo was normally, his guard was lowered somewhat right now, and he'd never be able to get out of the way in time. It was my turn to intervene, and I had to act fast... or there wouldn't be anything worth fighting for anymore...

Duo appeared almost frozen, almost too afraid to move. With speed comparable to Treize, I brought myself to stand mere inches in front of Duo, my knife at the ready. The moments passed by slower than any time in my life, and I lowered myself into a fighting stance, my left arm back to keep Duo behind me, to protect him. I brought up my right arm, my grip on its hilt unwavering as I prepared to use it as a shield against the oncoming strike. When Treize's blade hit mine, the shrill screech of pure silver colliding against purer silver echoed through the sluggish moments, filling every inch of empty space with sound. The force of Treize's heavy sword against my intricate knife was hard to match, but I hadn't been training so hard for nothing.

The two blades screeched once more and seemed to spark, igniting the fire of time yet again. Sounds filled my ears then, and the world came to life around me. With a near strangled shout, I pushed against Treize's sword with all my might, sending it back and away. He lowered his blade slightly, but I kept my knife up, my stance low. I kept my arm back, protecting Duo from this monster before us.

"H-Heero!" Duo stammered from behind me, but I said nothing. I glared daggers at Treize, glared at him so hard he should've just dropped dead. I wanted nothing more than to brutally kill him, to end him then and there... but I couldn't. Because if I did that, then all my research these past years would go to waist... I had to be patient; I had to remain in control.

"Treize," I said, my voice a cold monotone.

"Heero," he replied, his tone just as serious.

"Call back your soldiers. They have no business here."

He kept quiet at that.

"Do it!" I demanded, and I felt Duo shiver behind me because of the tone and volume of my voice.

That got him to speak, "You are in no position to order me around, you disgrace of a vampire! The last direct fledgling of the vampire that fell to my unmatched strength—you expect me to take orders from you?"

"I am the rightful heir to Aoiro's throne, not you! So yes! Did you not tell me that a subject must always listen to his king? You will do as I say!" my tone grew angrier by the moment, and not a second after my words ended Treize attacked me.

His sword slashed down, but I deflected it in the same fashion as before. His blade came from the left, the right, above once again; I blocked each one. "Let's settle this with a duel. A formal duel," I said. It wasn't a suggestion, as the wording implied. It was a command. We would fight this out once and for all. The end was very near for one of us, and I would not lose.

Treize attacked again, and I blocked it, yelling over the sounds of his attempted attacks, "A fight to the death! If you can kill me, then you deserve your power! If I kill you, then I gain what is truly mine!"

Treize leapt back, and his voice was resentful. "Fine. We will do this your way. The duel will be tomorrow at midnight. You know where." And with that, he signaled to his soldiers, and they all disappeared, vanished, retreated.

I relaxed my taut muscles and sheathed my knife. I turned to see that Duo had yet to react. I took him into my arms and just kissed him, kissed him fiercely and he returned it in a way that he never had before. Distantly, I registered the soft thud as he simply dropped his knife... and then he was lacing his fingers through my short, thick hair, pulling my lips harder against his. I held him tight around the waist, all the energy from the fight being channeled into our kiss. Several minutes passed before we finally broke apart.

His hand held mine and I asked him if he was alright. "I'm fine," he told me, "not a scratch." I bent to pick up his knife, and he holstered it, before simply hugging me tightly. "Thank you," he murmured, "For saving me again."

"You're welcome... my dear Duo," my voice was a whisper, nearly wavering. "I love you so much..." It felt as if I could not speak any louder without it breaking. I kissed his cheek before pulling away. "Let's go find the others."

When we found Trowa and Quatre, I wasn't quite sure if I should've expected anything different. It looked like they had killed about half of Treize's force—I had known those two were fine on their own. "You guys okay?" asked Duo when we came up to them.

"All good here," smiled Quatre, "Just a few scratches for the both of us."

"Good," he smiled, "Heero had to save me, but we both got out unscathed."

After that, as the high of battle was replaced with the still calm of the aftermath, Duo and I went off to go feed. When we returned, I informed Quatre and Trowa of my duel with Treize tomorrow at midnight. I had about twenty hours to prepare... to get in a little more training, and rest up before the battle that could very well be the last of my life, the last of Treize's life.

the end! nah jk XD one more chapter, then its over :D i'll try to get the last chappy out to you guys soon.

oh! and i'm commissioning the amazing Sapphiregamgee over on dA to illustrate a scene from this fic for me! hopefully it'll be done by ch11, so i can give you guys the link :D

so, until then. dont forget me! -now to go cram for my psych test :/