See all warnings and disclaimers in the first chapter.
A/N: WOW . . . You guys found me FAST. You're my inspiration to keep writing, I LOVE YOU ALL!
Getting To Know You
"This is a big house," Heero commented, trying to assimilate and categorize every smell that assaulted his sensitive nose. He grinned. "Don't you ever get lost?"
The beautiful boy he guided through the halls smiled. "No. I usually have a servant with me. Father doesn't want me to fall and hurt myself or something. I don't know why he worries so much—I'm perfectly capable of screaming."
Chuckling, Heero peered into a room of desks and tall shelves of books. "A library, hmm? It's big enough to be a public library."
"When I was younger, I used to love to read," Duo said with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
"Then you weren't born blind?"
"No. My mother and I got a terrible sickness. It took her life and left me blind. Doctors told my father I would be crippled for life, too, but I refused to be both blind and lame." He let out a small laugh.
"There are books for the blind, are there not?" Heero inquired as they moved on.
"Yes," Duo confirmed. "Father buys any and all he finds—it's called brail. Sometimes he reads to me."
"What do you like to read?" Heero asked.
"Anything, really," Duo replied. "If it's worth knowing I want to know it. If it's not worth knowing I still want to know it . . . makes for interesting conversation." He giggled.
Heero smiled at the sweet sound. "You don't need anyone at all to guide you, do you?" he noticed presently.
"No," Duo said. "I remember what the house looked like from when I was a child, and I've memorized the exact distances I must walk before I reach walls or stairs or anything like that. But my father is a worrier."
"He's a good father," Heero mused.
Duo paused outside a door on the second floor. "This is my room," he said, and Heero could smell his sudden shyness. "I don't know if you . . . want your own room? There are plenty of unused rooms in the east wing—"
"No," Heero cut him off. Though Duo couldn't see it, he knew the boy would hear the smile in his voice. "I can't protect you very well if I'm rooms and rooms away from you. Besides, for the most part I take the form of a wolf. This is my secondary form. You are the only one for whom I will transform once we are Bonded-unless circumstances dictate otherwise."
Duo pushed the door open and led Heero inside. "What will the Bond entail?" he asked, curiosity flashing through his scent.
"Very little on your part," Heero replied, glancing around, nearly overwhelmed by the smell of Duo. In here, it was everywhere. Soft, warm, sweet. "I don't know how to describe it. Since I've never actually Bonded anyone before."
"Oh," Duo said, and though his voice was somewhat disappointed, Heero could smell his pleasure.
He smiled and changed the subject. "I'm glad you at least remember what colors look like," he murmured, sinking down onto the enormous bed—it was big enough for ten of Duo. The boy was very slight.
Duo sank down beside him. "I wish I could remember more clearly. Tell me what you look like in your wolf form."
Heero found himself leaning forward the slightest bit, breathing deeply of Duo's scent. It was warm like cinnamon, but sweet like honey. It was fresh like a young breeze after a rainstorm, and it reminded him of something wild like the bite of lightning.
"I'm big," he said with a faint grin. "Your father wasn't wrong about that. The Telmaran are always bigger than their animal counterparts. My fur is silver with a lot of black. My eyes stay the same color." He looked Duo up and down. "I will probably go up to your waist."
"And if I put a saddle on your back, I could ride you around," Duo said, grinning sweetly.
Heero snorted. "Yeah. So have you seen any exciting things as the son of a Prime Chancellor?"
"Oh," Duo said, sighing, "not really. Before I went blind I was too young to care about that sort of thing. Now my father worries about me too much to let me out a whole lot. He . . . well, he's really protective."
A mix of bitterness and love flashed through Duo's scent. The boy didn't like being locked up for his protection, obviously. Unable to help himself, Heero reached out and touched Duo's face.
"That will change now. No one will harm you so long as I'm with you."
Duo smiled, lowering his head. "I haven't been outside this house with an armed guard in years. I would just like the chance . . ." he trailed off.
"To taste freedom?" Heero suggested dryly.
His answering laugh was a little rueful. "Yeah. Not have to worry, you know? I can't be myself around guards, because they're just people my father hired. They only see me as a job, a way to make money. Not a person. Not really."
Heero considered his own relationship with Duo. It wasn't all that different, really. Maxwell had paid the Telmaran people an obscene amount of money for Heero's services, and he'd signed a rather extensive contract. Few knew the contents of that contract—it was kept strictly secret.
But the man had agreed never to interfere with Heero's judgment, never to try imprisoning Heero in any way, never to abuse Heero in any way, and never to speak of the terms of the contract. The penalty for failing to meet any of these terms was severe. The Telmaran would take back Heero, of course, and they would bring Duo with them. Denan Maxwell would never see his son again, and very probably he would wind up beaten, dead, or both for his efforts.
Out loud all Heero said was, "Though your father came to us looking for a protector, rest assured you are not a meaningless job to me, Duo."
Duo gave him a painfully sweet smile, his beautiful eyes landing just shy of Heero's face. "So tell me about the Bond."
"If you're ready, we should let your father know," Heero said. "There are a few things I need to prepare, first—namely a hot meal ready and waiting when we're done. It will drain us both considerably, and we'll need to . . . refuel." He grinned.
Duo mimicked the expression. "Easy enough. Anything else?"
"Yes. Some kind of sharp object. A knife or dagger. And a goblet. Also, some kind of oil."
Curiosity flashed brightly through Duo's scent. "There's a call-button on the wall by the door. It will bring a house servant. Push it twice for my father."
Heero rose and tapped the button twice. His keen ears heard a bell-like tone drift through the hall. It didn't take Denan Maxwell long to come. Nodding to Heero, he went to his son's side.
"You two need something, my boy?"
"Yes, Father," Duo said. He gave the man Heero's list. "We'll begin right away, I guess."
"Yes," Heero spoke up. "As I said before, we need to be alone. Please make sure no one disturbs us until the Bonding ritual is complete . . . I will press this button again."
"I'll see to it," Maxwell said, nodding. "Are you sure it won't hurt my son?"
Trying not to be irritated, Heero shook his head. "No, it won't hurt him. It will be tiring for us both, but nothing more." His voice poorly concealed his ire.
And Maxwell took the hint. Though his face remained outwardly calm, nervousness flickered through his scent. "Of course. I'll see to your needs, then you'll be left alone." He leaned down and kissed his son's forehead and left.
"Heero," Duo said, holding out a hand, "tell me what to expect."
Heero slid his hand under the palm, sitting next to Duo. "I'm going to enter your subconscious mind," he said. "You'll be able to feel and share my thoughts. When we get used to each other, I will . . . Bond us. Create a link that only the two of us can share. We'll be able to communicate mind-to-mind, since for the most part, no one but you will see me in this form from now on."
Now that curiosity turned to excitement. He could hear the sudden slight rise in Duo's heartbeat, smell the rise of adrenaline. It made his own pulse speed up. He would truly enjoy being Bonded to this boy. He could tell.
o8o o8o
When his father returned, Duo was thrumming with anxious energy. He was so eager to start he could barely contain himself. "Thank you, Father," he said, bouncing up to kiss his father's cheek as the man set down a tray laden with food and the other things Heero had requested. He all but pushed the man out the door, closing it and securing the seldom-used lock.
"There," he said, reaching out once more for Heero. "I'm ready if you are, Heero."
The Telmaran's warm, strong hand took his, and he allowed himself to be pulled toward the bed once more. Heero wordlessly sat him down, urging him toward the center of the mattress. He sat cross-legged, waiting for further instruction. He heard Heero sit opposite him, felt hands take both his own.
"Close your eyes," Heero said. "I'm going to try putting you in a trance. It will allow me to enter your thoughts more quickly with less chance of entry being rough. Sometimes the conscious mind gets in the way."
Duo could hear his grin. He smiled a little too, settling himself comfortably. "Okay."
"All you have to do is listen to me," came the soothing words. The tone was low and calm. "Don't listen to my words as much as the sounds. Try not to think of anything but my voice. Focus on it as much as you can. Try to imagine the color of my voice. Is it blue, like my eyes? Bring that color into your mind, think about it as clearly as you can. Paint your whole mind blue. There's nothing else in the world now, just blue. And the sound of my voice. Blue is my voice."
Duo felt himself drifting in a place that was just a warm, endless blue. It blanketed him in peace and comfort, demanding nothing and not restraining him as it gently held him. It rippled with every word Heero spoke, but the ripples were soothing. They belonged there, they felt right. Deeper and deeper into living blue he sank, lulled by the monotonous, hypnotic tone of Heero's voice.
He felt a gentle pressure when Heero first tried to sink into his subconscious mind. He couldn't help it and resisted. It felt strange and completely foreign. The pressure didn't persist, and Heero's voice rained down on his mind again.
"It's all right, Duo," he murmured. "That's just me. It won't hurt."
Nodding, Duo willed himself to sink back down into blue. Again he felt that pressure, but even lighter than before. Rather than just pushing—however gently—for entry, it stroked across his senses like a caressing hand. It felt nice, relaxing him to the point that the next push slid into him with no difficulty.
There was no way to describe what it felt like when Heero poured into his mind. It was like hearing an echo of himself, and of Heero, too. His awareness suddenly expanded tenfold, and he could feel everything Heero felt. Could feel Heero feeling everything he himself felt. It was overwhelming. His heart did its best impression of a jackhammer, trying to pound out of his chest while his breathing sped up until he thought he might hyperventilate.
What happened next left him breathless for an entirely different reason. Heero's mind formed a cocoon around him, wrapping around him and buffering him from everything. Just like that he calmed down, able to control his emotions and thoughts now.
"Heero . . ." he whispered, "this is incredible . . ."
"Speak to me in your mind, Duo," came the crystal-clear thought.
How do I do that? Duo wondered.
"Not quite like that. I can only feel your confusion like that. Project toward me. Don't direct it inward."
Duo tried to do as the Telmaran youth instructed. He had no realistic idea how to do so, but he tried.
"That was closer. Try thinking really loud at me." That was colored with amusement.
Grinning, Duo obeyed. "If you can't hear this, you're a deaf wolf."
He heard no physical sound. But laughter rippled across his mind nonetheless. "That's better. Loud and clear. The more we talk like the this, the easier it will get until we don't even have to try anymore. That will come after the Bond is complete, and probably several weeks later. But for now, let's just talk like this to get used to it and not shout at each other."
Duo giggled, absently noticing Heero's hands had released his. He wondered why. "So tell me about Tel'Mar."
"Would you like to know about the landscape? The politics? The people? The places?" Heero inquired.
"How about all of the above."
"Well. The landscape then. It's extremely varied. Mountains, valleys, meadows, jungles, forests. There are no deserts. Three oceans, plenty of rivers, lakes, and streams. My personal favorites are the mountains and forests, but that might be the wolf in me."
Abruptly Heero's arms were around him, holding him. It didn't startle him—somehow, he'd known the Telmaran youth would embrace him. Just a vague feeling in the back of his mind that that was Heero's intent. Because Heero was thinking it would be easier for their energies to merge and mesh if they were touching as much as possible. So he simply leaned back against Heero, letting the taller youth arrange him however was most comfortable for him.
"My family is huge," Heero continued, and an image of six females popped into Duo's mind. "I'm the only male, but I have several sisters, and my mother has a lot of brothers and sisters. My aunts have a lot of daughters who have spent the majority of my life making me miserable."
Duo giggled again. "Are female Telmaran always so much smaller than males?" he asked.
"To some extent. I'm big, even for a male. I take after my father. He's one of the largest males Tel'Mar has ever seen. He's one of the three leaders of the Telmaran people, the Clan O'Daija. That is just a fancy word for leader."
"And there are only three O'Daija?"
"Yes. There are three Clans. A Clan can have as many as twenty different species in its collective, and mine has thirty-three. Oddly enough, the predominant species is hawk rather than wolf."
"What are the Telmaran like as a people? Are there wars or anything?"
"Seldom. We settle our disputes with talk. Or if talk doesn't work, then one-on-one fights. Usually the family leaders fight, or even more infrequently the O'Daija might. But the most common disputes are territorial, and those are resolved easily by bringing in a wolf. We have the keenest senses of smell, and all Telmaran mark their territories by scent."
"How many different species are there?" Duo wanted to know.
He felt Heero's smile. "A lot. Any animal you can think of."
Duo could think of a lot. "Are predators always O'Daija?"
"No. Typically, maybe, but not always. The three current O'Daija are wolf, tiger, and deer. She is a magnificent white doe known for her benevolence and wisdom."
Listening to him, Duo felt absolutely charmed. "Can we visit them sometime?" he asked. "I would love to meet them. Is that allowed?"
"Yes, because you are my Bonded. At least you will be soon. The Bonded are free to come and go from Tel'Mar as they please. And I would love to take you there. You would love my sisters, and they would love you."
Duo tried to imagine it. It sounded like a world so vastly different from his own it was difficult. Sighing inwardly, he changed the subject. For now it was too far away, so there was no point getting worked up.
o8o o8o
The pair talked mind-to-mind for a long time. Duo seemed to pick it up easily, and Heero was delighted to learn more of his new permanent companion. Duo was bright, curious, energetic, and sweet as honey. Innocent as a rose. Everything about him was beautiful. Blindness had not beaten him—it had simply taught him to see things from a different perspective.
"I think you're ready for the next step," Heero said, urging the boy to sit up.
Nervousness mingling with anticipation flickered through Duo's mind and scent. "What do I have to do?" he asked out loud.
"Speak to me in your mind," Heero reminded him. "We need to keep the connection strong."
Duo nodded. "Sorry. I forgot to concentrate."
"It's all right. I'm going to push deeper into you, now. I'm also going to draw your blood, but I'll be as careful as I can."
Very little fear filled Duo at that. Smiling a bit, Heero expanded his mental senses, reaching further into Duo, looking for the barriers to his subconscious mind. They would be the hardest to breach, but as long as Duo felt him coming he shouldn't resist so much they lost the link between them.
The barriers rose tall and impassive when he found them. But when he pushed, as gently as he dared, they simply melted away. And like that, he was deep into Duo's mind. The ease of entry took his breath away—Duo trusted him. The depth of his trust awed and humbled the wolf.
Taking Duo's hand in his, he drew the knife across the palm with just enough pressure to draw a thin line of blood. Duo barely flinched. Heero mimicked the action with his own opposite hand, and setting the knife aside, he aligned the two shallow cuts.
"This is going to feel really strange, Duo," he warned. And he pushed.
Duo gasped when Heero's energies flooded into him, forcing his own energies into Heero. The two aligned cuts opened, and Heero could feel his blood flowing into Duo even as Duo's blood flowed into his. His life rushed out only to be instantly replaced by Duo's life. On and on in a cycle to which nothing in his experience could compare. All the tales and stories in the galaxy could not prepare him for this feeling, this powerful rush, this incredibly intimate act of joining one life with another so completely everything blended together. He was Duo, and Duo was him.
"Heero . . ." Duo panted, his hand tightening compulsively around Heero's fingers, "Heero . . ."
When he could barely tell his distinctiveness from Duo's, Heero grabbed the little pot of oil and spilled it over their joined hands. A fiery, intense heat suffused the palm of his hand, and he could feel it brand across Duo's as well. The pair of them sucked in a labored breath as they felt the wounds close, seal, and vanish.
Every single ounce of energy he possessed simply bled out of him. He fell back onto the bed. And since he was the only thing keeping Duo upright, the smaller, slightly younger boy fell down on top of him. The pair lay like this for a long time, both trying to catch their breath and calm their racing hearts. That amazing closeness they'd shared was still there, bright and pulsing with every breath they took.
Heero wondered if every Telmaran Bonded in the same way, if it always felt the same, if it was always so strong. He knew everything about Duo, knew Duo also knew everything about him. It was incredible. It was overwhelming. It was overpowering. It was everything he'd never known he'd wanted, and nothing had ever felt so right.
He closed his eyes and simply basked in Duo.