I gain energy from reviews. Feed me.

It took another six hours to get Duo's hair completely cleaned. Once my hair was finished, Master and Trowa began to take turns combing Duo's hair. After a little while I realized that his hair was long enough for two people to brush without getting in each other's way, and I too began combing Duo out. It was exhausting, both for us and for him, because we were forced to comb out what amounted to a yard of silk thread, and because Duo was forced to sit perfectly still in an upright position while having his head jerked around for nearly eight hours. One would think, being that tired, Duo would not be able to find the strength to bicker with master, but one would be wrong.

"You all sleep in the same bed? Ew! That's gross!" Duo said, crinkling his nose in disgust.

"I would prefer you keep your opinions of my private life to yourself," Master said in a tiredly annoyed manner as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink.

"Keep me the hell out of your private life and I'll keep my opinions to myself! I'm not gonna sleep where you fuck-...!"

"Then don't!" Master snapped, drying his hands as he entered the den. "Sleep in the slaves quarters, sleep on the floor, sleep in the refrigerator for all I care!" Master shouted, tossing down the towel before lifting a sleepy Quatre from the couch. "The rest of us will be sleeping together in the master bedroom, there's plenty of room, and nothing weird is going to happen. But do whatever the hell you want. It's not like you're going to believe me anyway," he growled, then stormed into the bedroom, carrying Quatre with him. Once inside, I could just barely hear Quatre's soft voice calming Master as he changed for bed. Trowa was quick to follow them, after washing his hands, and Wufei, though still reluctant, also followed the implied command and disappeared into the master bedroom.

Which left only Duo and myself standing in the livingroom.

"Just go," Duo sighed, collapsing onto the floor, "I know how eager you are to be with your master."

"Will you be alright?"

"Heh," he laughed, but it was lacking any energy or real mirth. "Stuck in a huge apartment with a stocked refrigerator and 149 channels? I think I'll survive."

"You should go to bed," I told him, letting my eyes take stock of his haggard and exhausted appearance. "Do you know where the slave's quarters are?"

"First door in the kitchen, right? There aren't that many rooms in this place, Heero. I won't get lost."

"Alright," I said, then, not knowing what else to do, turned toward the master bedroom.

"Hey, Heero?" Duo called.

"Yes?" I said, turning back.

"I'm sorry about being such a pain."

"Hn. You would be less of a pain if you were more civil to Master."

"Eh... yeah. But... for that, I would have to not hate him. And I do... well... don't... uh... I mean, I do hate him. Not just him, but, you know, all masters. Every single one of them."

"Hn," I replied, looking at those dark violet eyes. "Sometimes there are exceptions to the rules."

"Huh? Jeeze, never thought I'd hear you say that. Maybe you're right, but it doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, I'll be dead in two days anyway, so I might as well do whatever I want, right?"

On some level, I knew that Duo would die after the auction was over. So why did his admission of impending death suddenly cause such pain to flare inside me? I mean, the man was obviously insane, jaded, and violent. Wouldn't death be a release?

I couldn't think of a reply to that and, hesitant to allow Duo to see my internal turmoil, I turned on my heel and marched into the bedroom. I was trying to stuff my wayward emotions back into their box, like a good little soldier, but it was proving more difficult than I had anticipated. What was it about the Shinigami that turned my life on its side?

I had more problems than just Shinigami that night. I suddenly found myself returned to that strange coldness that I had felt when Trowa had first arrived, and when Quatre and Trowa had gotten together. It was the same feeling I had when Master had slept with Wufei on the couch, and I had spent the night beside Trowa and Quatre. Only, this time, the evidence of my predicament was directly in front of me. As Trowa and Quatre curled together in their sleep, so did Master and Wufei. Though Dragon was standoffish and uptight while awake, he sought the comfort and warmth of Master in his sleep, and curled up on master's chest as I had done. His head was carefully tucked beneath Master's chin, his loose hair spilling down Master's shoulders to mix with the golden locks that tumbled from Master's head. There was a look of contentment on both faces that I had rarely seen, and never wore.

But, strangest of all, was my own lack on animosity toward Wufei. I puzzled over it for a time, while laying on my side and watching the slumbering pair. I thought for a while that it could be because Wufei was the Owner's slave, and thus was not a threat, but it didn't seem to make sense. He was taking my Master away, none the less, and there was less need for me. But, somehow, I had finally come to accept that Master would not sell me for something as simple as another slave making an appearance, and that perhaps I was needed after all. But that still could not explain why I was not at Wufei's throat, trying to regain my place with Master.

Sleep eluded me, and after a while I sighed and got up. The warmth that usually held me in bed was not there, and something was tickling the edge of my consciousness. Silently, I slipped from the bed and into the hallway.

I had some notion of going to the kitchen and getting a drink, but quickly forgot this as I approached. There were strange noises coming from the slave's quarters and, fearing a repeat of Wufei's first night with Duo, I rushed silently into the room, hoping to surprise and disarm the attacker.

But there was no one in the room with Duo. Instead, Duo himself was making the noises of distress, fighting his bedsheets as he thrashed in the hold of a nightmare.

It was instinct more than anything that made me move. Instinct told me to move closer, while logic pointed out that moving close to someone who is thrashing in their sleep can only lead to pain. The were both right; Duo's arm smacked me down to the bed where I had crawled beside him, but his kicking stopped instantly when he came in contact with me. His breathing was still deep and even, so I had no worries that I had woken him.

It puzzled me that his nightmares had stopped so suddenly when I touched him, for there was no way he could have known it was me. For all he knew, I could be a thief or assassin, but he had all the same relaxed as soon as he touched me. It didn't make any logical sense. But, then again, my nightmares fled upon another person being in the room in much the same way. Perhaps Duo needed human contact to keep his at bay?

I looked down at the slim, heart-shaped face before me and sighed. There were terrible bags under his eyes and, though he had been asleep for hours, it didn't seem like he had gotten any rest at all. I scooted closer to him, pulling the blanket out from under me as I went, and resigned myself to sleeping in the slaves' quarters tonight. As reckless and obnoxious as he was, Duo was still my charge, and I could not allow anything to harm him, even figments of his own imagination. I missed having Master's arms around me and feeling his warmth at my back, but, feeling Duo's arms come up to wrap around my neck as he snuggled into my embrace, I felt almost like I belonged there. Duo was not Master, or anyone else that I trusted, but there was something warm and inviting about him all the same. He had a need for me, I think, which I felt I needed to answer. Be it because of Master's orders or because of my own need to serve, it was impossible for me to tell, but it didn't really matter.

As I pulled the covers over myself and the demon in my arms, nothing really seemed to matter anymore.