Silencing the Hunger........

 

The cool evening breeze blew causing the blonde boy to shiver as he woke. He smiles, eyes closed as he felt the breeze for the open window. He opened his eyes and turned his head to see the soft purple curtains blowing with it. He smiled again knowing his master was hidden in their the shadows.

A cloaked figure leaned on the wall near the window. A leg was lifted with its foot pressed against the wall, the other, on the ground supporting his weight as the figure stood. His arms were crossed head bowed eyes closed.

"Master?" Quatre asked, turning his face back to the darkness of the room.

"You sense me too well Quatre."

Quatre's smile faded as he sensed a lack of strength in his master's voice. "It was obvious master. You always leave the window open.

"I prefer the night time breeze," his master stated as he left the wall to be near his angel. Quatre was the only thing that reminded him of being human and made him forget about the eternal coldness that enveloped him.

"Master your weak." Quatre said with a worried tone as his master approached him. He crouched on the window side of Quatre's bed gently pulling back a lock of hair from Quatre's face.

"I'm hungry Quatre."

"Why?" Quatre asked wondering why his master would hunger himself to the point where he began to loose strength, let alone, have it so noticeable that a human could see it.

"My resistance to symbols is not as strong as it used to be. With the hunger pounding at me it has lost all its strength. I have no resistance and am being driven away." Quatre's master rose from his position to lay behind Quatre. "And I am being hunted wherever I go. This may be the last time I can be with you, Quatre."

Quatre's heart plummeted, he suddenly found it heard to breathe. "Master don't leave me." A tear fell down Quatre's cheek as he pleaded his master, staring at the wall.

"I have no choice Quatre. If I do not satisfy my hunger soon I will fade into nothingness as if I never were." He nuzzled the nape of Quatre's neck as he brought his arms around Quatre in a tight embrace. "And I will be forgotten."

Quatre shuddered uncontrollably "So cold" he whispered.

"I am sorry Quatre. The warmth that usually fills my veins has not been revived. Forgive me.

Quatre smiled as he nuzzled the cold embrace. "There is nothing to forgive master."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Heero had been so cold for so long. Quatre's warmth was comforting and the smell of blood, so near, was intoxicating. He lifted Quatre's wrist to his lips and kissed the vein under the soft flesh. The hunger consumed him in a large painful wave, tempting him to dig his fangs into the porcelain skin of his angel.

Quatre felt the lips against his wrist, holding back a giggle as the soft touch tickled him. Heero groaned as he resisted his hunger and became faint.

Quatre perked a little as he felt his masters grip slip then tighten again. "Master... when you're hungry... dose it hurt? "

"Like hell Quatre." Heero whispered as he nuzzled Quatre once again.

A long pause for what seemed like hours. Quatre let a slight groan escape as he pondered an idea.

"What are you thinking Quatre?" Heero asked, knowing he was up to something.

"Master, take me." Quatre said as he hugged the arms that surrounded his shoulders.

"No, Quatre."

"Master, please."

"NO!"

Quatre cringed as his master shouted. He had never risen his voice to him. He knew he had made a mistake.

"Quatre. You do not deserve the pain and suffering that comes with being an eternal. You are too kind and have given so much."

"I don't want you to hurt anymore, Master."

"Quatre...-"

"Will it change anything if I am willing?"

"You will not have to fear many of the things we do. Things like the sun, you will have immediate immunity."

"So why worry?"

"Quatre, being human is so much better than this life."

Quatre sobbed into his master's arms. "I don't care. I want you to be with me."

"These are my last days. I will take you to the mansion where Duo and the others will protect you."

"I don't want to be with master Duo." Quatre sobbed. "Without you there, there is no point. The one I love will be gone."

Heero turned Quatre over who closed his eyes. He had not been permitted to see his master yet. "Look at me Quatre." Quatre obeyed. The look in his eyes didn't help Heero at all. Heero had hoped to spare this one, but Quatre gave him the look of a pleading puppy. "Are you sure you want me to do this Quatre?"

Quatre smiled. "Yes master, please. I want to be with you always."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Quatre opened his eyes and shivered with the cold breeze over him. To his surprise, he felt rather warm.

‘Am I still alive?’ Quarter thought as he felt for the two bite marks on his neck. He felt a sore spot, but no bite wounds. Quatre could feel his heart beat in his chest. Yes he was very much alive.

‘Thank you master,’ he thought through the many tears in his eyes. ‘I hope you are alright.’

 

Quatre wiped his tears and went over to the balcony doors to close them. The oversized tunic he was wearing flew open to expose his bare skin. He stood in front of the window a moment, lost in the starlit night, before realizing that the only thing covering him had shown him to the cold air. He gripped the knee long garment in his fist as he closed the doors.

Quatre ran his hand down the side of one of the doors. ‘Master must have brought me back to the mansion.’ He thought turning to the hall door. ‘I must try to find him.’

 

He walked down the dark halls dragging his fingertips along the wall for guidance. He kept the tunic gripped closed in the other had as he came to a slightly lit room with the door slightly cracked open. He heard he heard someone laugh behind it.

 

“What dream does he think he’s coming out of?”

 

Quatre giggled. ‘Well, you’ve found Master Duo.’

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Duo turned to the mirror to make some sense out of his mop of a head. “Ha!”

“He is rich.” Trowa said finishing the last chapter in his book.

“What dream does he think he’s coming out of?” Duo said running the brush his hair.

“Perhaps he thinks he has a chance.” Trowa put down his book and looked at his koi.

“That’s a joke. Heero never liked the guy. Never did, never will.”

“He may be sick of being Treize’s little puppet.” Trowa said, running his hands through Duo's hair to prepare it for braiding.

“Trowa,” Duo said looking at him trough the mirror. “It’s been over three-hundred years and he still hates Millardo.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trowa finished Duo's braid and tied it with a gold ribbon. He slipped his arms around Duo's waist and turned him around.

“Its really none of our business,”

Duo placed his hands on Trowa's chest and shook his head.

“You’re no fun, Trowa.”

“That’s not what you said last night,” Trowa said pulling Duo in close.

“Yeah, but-” Duo was cut off by Trowa’s lips in a passionate kiss.

The kiss ended when Duo stopped responding. Trowa pulled back in a look of wonder. Duo's eyes moved around the room as if he were seeking something.

“Duo? What is it?”

“I smell something.”

“What?”

“Not sure. Can you tell?”

Trowa sniffed the air lightly. “Human. Can’t tell who.”

“Did Heero or Wufei tell you if they left anyone here?”

“No. They would have.”

“Hungry?”

“No.” Trowa said letting Duo go. “You want to go?”

“Sure”

“Get out of here.”

Duo threw on his cloak and went into the hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Quatre stopped to look down a hall.

‘I don’t remember which way…’ he thought examining each hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A hand came around his throat and pushed him against the wall. Quatre gripped the hand and tried to pull away.

“I understand that this mansion is breathtaking,” His attacker said. “But, ya soon learn that anyone carelessly approaching dies.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 ‘Master Duo’ Quatre mouthed trying to squeeze air through his throat. Duo held a hand in front of Quatre's face as if taking something from it. Quatre could feel his body go limp. He couldn’t move. Quatre was slowly lowered to the floor as Duo leaned in for the kill.  Quatre took in a breath of air and tried to squirm away, but failed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duo allowed a little bit of will to stay in his victims, just to have the pleasure of hearing their last helpless moans. He leaned in to test the tender flesh of the human’s neck, trying to find the right spot to bite. He smiled finding it.

“Your time is up.”

‘Master Duo!’ A tear came to Quatre's eye as he felt Duo's fangs dig into his neck. He squirmed helplessly under Duo, but it was no use. Quatre began to feel faint as the life was sucked from him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duo's senses were starting to come back to him. Suddenly the smell of his victim’s blood was becoming terrifyingly familiar. Duo quickly pulled back and tried to make out the features on the human’s face. But, his night vision just wasn’t strong enough. He picked the little one off ground and took him back to the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Trowa!” Duo yelled as he put the little one on the bed.

“What’s wrong, Duo?” Trowa asked hearing the tone in his lover’s voice.

“Well, Heero’s gonna have a spear with my name on it,” Duo said.

“What do you mean, Duo?”

 “I don’t think this is any intruder.” Duo put his hand up to the boy’s temple and released his mental hold on him. “Can you tell who he is?”

Trowa looked over the boy. He searched the boy’s chest and found his pendant.

“You’re right Duo.” He said flipping the pendant. Quatre's name was engraved in cursive. “This is our Quatre.”

“DAMN IT!!” Duo yelled. He took Quatre into his arms. “Quatre.”

Quatre opened his eyes to see his master. His voice could not make it over a whisper, “Master Duo?… What did I do?”

“Quatre I’m sorry for what’s happened. I didn’t know it was you. Heero didn’t tell us that he had brought you here.”

Quatre seemed to take it all in and smiled with forgiveness. “Where is he?”

“He took off somewhere. Should be back soon.” Duo said with a grin ‘God, do I hope it’s soon’

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Heero entered the mansion and shut the large oak door with force. He threw his cloak on the large chair in the living room and went for a glass of wine. He came back, and with a wave of his hand there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. He leaned on the chair and watched the flames dance as he sipped his wine. He was obsessed with fire. He wasn’t exactly sure why.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trowa covered Quatre with a blanket. Quatre seemed to get weaker every minute.

“How is he, Trowa?” Duo asked from the doorway.

“ He’s dying. Is Heero here yet?”

“Fuck… Yeah he just walked in.”

“Master Duo…” Quatre whispered weakly.

“What is it Quatre?” Duo asked gently moving to Quatre's bedside.

“I’m… sorry.”

“For what?”

“I can’t… hold-”

“Don’t you die on me, Quatre!!” Duo shouted. A tear fell down Quatre’s cheek. Duo pushed a lock of hair aside and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“You mean so much to us all.” Duo pressed his forehead against Quatre's. “I won’t let you die.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Hey, Heero!” Duo shouted from the stairway.

“What do you want, Duo?” Heero growled.

“You need to come upstairs and you need to come now.”

“Why?”

“Quatre's dying. If you don’t get up here soon-”

Heero threw his glass into the fire, turned violently to Duo, then stormed up the stairs.

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!?!?!?” he shouted as he ran up the stairs. They could hear the last of Quatre's heartbeats before they got to the door.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Aishiteru… Heero…” Quatre whispered with his last breath. Heero burst through the door and looked sadly to Quatre. He walked over to him and ran his fingers through his glowing hair. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Quatre’s forehead. Then his fingers came to find the two marks on his loves neck. Heero's expression twisted in anger.

“Who did this?” he growled through clinched teeth.

 

“I did Heero.” Duo said from the doorway behind him. Heero stood up and glared at him with murder in his eyes

“I was weak. I didn’t know it was Quatre until it was too late. You didn’t tell us he was here.”

Heero ripped a sword off of the wall, grabbed Duo around the neck, and threw him against the wall. 

“Damn it, Heero,” Duo choked.

Heero went to drive the sword into Duo's heart, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

 

“Heero, please.” Trowa begged. “Quatre has forgiven him… why cant you?”

Heero growled and let go of Duo, then walked back over to Quatre. Duo rubbed his neck and laid his head on his koi’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Trowa,” he whispered. Trowa placed am arm around Duo's waist and pulled him close.

 

Heero placed another kiss on Quatre's forehead as a tear ran down his cheek. Quatre's eyes shot open as he gasped for air and Heero took the boy into his arms to comfort him. A shock ran through his body and Heero was forced to let go.

 

Quatre blinked tiredly and gazed to Heero.

“Master Heero,” Quatre whispered weakly.

“No, Quatre,” Heero whispered back. “You be long to Duo now.”

“I don’t understand.” Quatre said glancing at Duo.

“He has taken your blood.”

“Why would that affect anything?” Duo asked.

“Other eternals can’t touch him, dimwit,” Heero growled to Duo. “Until you die.”

“Oh,” Duo said scratching his head “Oops.”

 

Heero got off of Quatre's bedside and began to leave the room.

“Stay away from me,” he said to Duo as he passed. “I will kill you if you get too close. You would have already been dead if it weren’t for Trowa.”

Duo gulped loudly as Heero left. He removed himself from Trowa’s arms and sat near Quatre. Quatre cried in pain again as he felt a strong force shoving him away.

“Shit,” Duo growled. He took off his bracelet and tossed it to Trowa. It was a beaded rope with a cross on the end of it. “Sorry, Q. it helps build resistance.”

 

Quatre shivered. “…So cold,” he whispered.

“It’s going to be Quatre. The blood will bring warmth, but only for a short time then you will be subject to the eternal cold once more,” Trowa said.

“We’ll need to teach you how to hunt. It will be one of the only things that you will do now,” Duo said. “We’ll take you into town where we can watch you and give ya a few tips.” 

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Heero had agreed to help Quatre. As planned, he took Quatre into town where he would teach him what it took to be a vampire.

 

Quatre walked through the town, watching the people go by, seeing and hearing things that his human senses had denied him before. Heero stood on the other side of town. He was outside the gates, hidden in the shadows, mentally keeping track of Quatre as he walked through the streets.

‘How are you doing, Quatre?’ Quatre heard him say through his mind.

‘I don’t know what I’m looking for,” Quatre replied.

‘That all depends on what you want. You need to find something that will satisfy your hunger.’

‘How do I know?’

‘Pay attention to your senses, Quatre. They will tell you,’ Heero said.

Quatre continued walking. The smell of blood began to overload his senses. But none of them seemed particularly appetizing to him. They were all drenched in the smell of alcohol. Quatre's face twisted in disgust.

‘Liquor. I’ve always hated it.’

‘Perhaps if you went into one of those parties, you would find something of interest.’ Heero suggested.

‘Must I?’

‘It might be a good idea.’

‘I’d rather not. I would like to find something out here.’ Quatre said.

‘As you wish’ Heero sighed.

 

Quatre's ears perked as he heard a sound behind him. He turned to find a man that had been following him. Then, he heard more men approach him from the sides.

“Hey, little guy.” The first one said.

“Whacha doing walking all alone out here?” another man asked.

Quatre remained silent as he pondered his move.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

‘What is going on Quatre?’ Heero asked.

‘I’m not sure.’

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“This is our territory. Get lost.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

‘Stand your ground. They are humans. You can not let them intimidate you.’

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Quatre stood in his place looking the man over. He gently sniffed the air. Maybe this would be a good one.

‘No,’ he thought. ‘There are too many others’

 

“We said get lost!” another said.

“Why should I” Quatre asked gently.

“So, you’re one of those weak ones that’s forgotten his place,” the first man said.

“I’m not as weak as I once was.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

‘Be careful, Quatre. You’re not as strong as you can be yet. You need your first blood before you can gain all of your strength. Your fangs need to be drawn before your vampiric strength will be at full potential for it’s time.’

‘Oh dear…’

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The men on either side of Quatre grabbed him by the arms and dragged him into the ally.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Shit,” Heero growled and left the shadows.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Quatre struggled to escape his restraint, but was held firm. He tried to draw his fangs and had no success.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

‘Draw your fangs, Quatre. Your strength will come,’ Heero said.

‘I cant,’

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The men laughed as they closed in on Quatre, ready to go in for the kill. Quatre continued to struggle, but his newfound strengths refused to help him.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

‘Draw them, Quatre!’

‘I don’t know how!’

‘I cant tell you Quatre. It’s different in us all.’

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Quatre was hit to the ground.

 

A loud hissing was heard and two of the men were sent into the walls killing them instantly. The third man was grabbed by the neck and lifted into the air.

 

“What the hell are you?” the man said to his attacker.

“Your death.” Heero replied. “No one harms Quatre.”

 

A cry of pain was heard as the crack of bones echoed over the walls. The man fell, still alive, but limp, on the cold dirt ground.

 

“Thank you Heero,” Quatre whispered as he stood. Heero gave him a cold look as he approached him. A sudden feeling of rejection and failure ran through Quatre at Heero's cold eyes. Quatre let out a sob as a sharp pain came to his shoulder and he was forced to the ground again. As he lay there in the dirt he felt himself become stronger. He touched his lips to feel two long fangs gently poking between his lips. He looked back to Heero who slightly smiled to him and knelt down in front of him. He took Quatre's chin in his hand and ignored the unbearable pain that passed through his body as he kissed the boy lovingly.

“Please forgive me, Quatre.” Heero whispered. “Many times they come with a pure emotion. Had I warned you, you might not have found them. Whenever you need them, remember what you’ve felt on this day.” He said and kissed Quatre again. “Unfortunately, memories are almost all you have to live off of now.” Heero looked over to the man on the ground. “He is still alive. Take him if you wish.”

 

Quatre smiled and obeyed. He sat at the man’s side and gazed in to his eyes. They were filled with pain and rage.

“You poor soul,” Quatre said and sunk his fangs into the man’s flesh.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

"Quatre," Heero said softly as he entered his room in the mansion. "I want to show you something."

 

Quatre followed him downstairs into the hall and out the back of the big mansion. Quatre stood at the doorway as he looked upon the beautiful sea of color before him. Flowers grew everywhere and just beyond them was an endless field where more could be planted. A huge, old, tree stood in the center of it all. It's branches of leaves gave shade to the plants below. Paths and fountains had been placed in thoughtful places throughout the garden.

 

"It's beautiful Heero," Quatre said, quite breath taken.

"Beautiful…," Heero said in a daze as his eyes ran over the many flowers. "Memories, over three-thousand years old, live in this garden. Every flower… a different one that cries out its own time…"

Quatre turned to his love with query in his eyes. "I… I don’t understand, Heero."

"Quatre, I started this garden thinking that it would help ease the pain that came with being a killer. But… I found much more meaning in it and it forced me to keep planting."

"What was it?"

"Someone once told me that every time you take a life you must give another." Heero's eyes moved to the giant tree. "I planted that tree after my first taste of human blood in hopes that it would comfort me. But every day I look at it, it reminds me of her and the savage way I killed her."

 

Quatre turned to look over the garden again and a sad feeling hit him. "So every one of these… is for a human you have killed…."

 

A tear ran down Quatre's cheek and he turned back to Heero.

 

~~~*"If you know that it causes you such pain, then, why do you keep tormenting yourself with it?*~~~

 

 "What you start you must finish, Quatre," Heero said still lost in the ocean of flowers. "This garden has taught me things I did not wish to learn……… I believe it… It reminds me of how much I wish I could die… but I'm far beyond the point of being able to kill myself………………..I do every thing I can… to hold onto what I've worked hard to attain…" Heero turned to Quatre with a tearstained face and raised a hand to him. He moved his fingers to brush the boys cheek, but did not make contact with his skin. "But somehow… it's always ripped from my grasp…"

 

Quatre sobbed and fell into Heero's arms. Heero fell back with the sudden shock that flowed through his body and Quatre watched in terror as his love fell to the ground in pain.

 

After the shock dulled, Heero winced and sat up.

 

"Heero," Quatre whispered and slowly sat down beside him "Do I hurt you?"

"It happens when you come too close to a vampire that has a master," Heero replied as he regained himself.

Quatre dropped his head into his hands and cried. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Heero took Quatre into his arms and ignored the pain it caused. His heart hurt more than anything. 

 

 

"Quatre, it's my fault you're a vampire."

Quatre tried to push himself from Heero's arms. He didn’t want to hurt him, but Heero held him tight. "What are you saying? Duo bit me," Quatre said through a sob.

"I brought you to this mansion against your wishes and without telling anyone. I thought you would be safe here," Heero replied.

"How could you have known that this would happen?"

"You would think that after living for thirty-five hundred years I would have some wisdom…"

Quatre looked up to Heero with pleading yet knowing eyes. Heero looked deep into them.

 

 

"……………………I have no right to love you anymore, Quatre…………………….."

 

 

Quatre dropped his head onto Heero's chest. "Please don’t say that, Heero"

 

 

 

 

 

~* The two lovers wept together as they saw the foundations of their love… crumble……*~

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

TBC………………………………

 

what the hell have I done >.<  ……. *sniff sniff*

 

I get way to emotionally involved with my work… don’t you think?????

 

~~~~~*The Keeper of Heero's Secrets*~~~~