Curiosity

Thanks for all the comments, and for all the comments that got deleated in the 'glich'... luckily i did get to read them! heres chapter 4 again.. and please, let me know if I'm keeping people in character enough for ya... my biggest fear is going way too OOC... (it is an AU though.. so some things are diff.. but oh well you get it. )

ENJOY!

(a real new chapter is in the works.. and GASP! i found a beta!!!)



Ch. 4


Duo woke up completely disoriented. Again. The demons just seemed to have that effect on him. The room seemed vaguely familiar, all luxury and comfort, but for some reason he just felt... different. Rubbing his neck absentmindedly, he tried to remember what had happened, only to find a large fuzzy blotch in his memory. He remembered waking up in a tub with the demon now known as Wufei, then waking again in this very bed. Whatever happened in between waking then and now however, was gone.

The loud gurgle of his stomach snapped him out of his thoughts. Whatever had happened to him, it seemed dinner had not been one of the options. With a soft groan he scooted himself to an upright position, his arms aching in testament to how weak he was. Apparently they’d forgotten breakfast and lunch as well. Absently Duo wondered if this was how they were planning on getting rid of him; starving him to death. Tossing the silken blankets off his lap, Duo swung his feet over the edge of the bed and decided to go in search of breakfast. It took more than a house full of demons to keep him from food.

Padding across the plush carpeted floor, Duo reached the large double doors of the bedroom. He stood before them, hesitant thoughts running through his mind. Should he stay and wait for Wufei? Would the other demons in the house kill him on the spot? Would he possibly find the exit and make a quick escape? Or would the doors be locked an he remain stuck? Another loud gurgle urged him forward. Consequences be damned, he was starved. With a quick turn of the handle, he almost heard his stomach cry out in despair. The door was locked, and judging by the lack of a key hole, it was done so with some demon power he didn’t even want to think about.

Half heartedly he pounded the side of his fist against the fine oak paneling, turning to lean against it as he slid to the floor. He was well and truly stuck, too hungry and weak to even make a proper escape attempt. He wrapped his arms around his knee and let his head fall to his chest as he complained to himself. “Damn demons.. talk about cruel and ususual punishment... here I thought they’d kill me with some dark parlor trick, and instead they stoop to starvation...”

“A tray can be brought to you on the floor if this is where you prefer to rest.”

Duo practically jumped out of his skin, lifting his head to see the demon that had literally appeared out of thin air. His fear doubled when he realized it wasn’t Wufei. “Who the hell are you and where the hell did you come from?!”

The demon simply looked down at him from below a crop of messy chocolate hair, his sharp blue eyes unreadable. “I’m Master Heero. And I didn’t use the door if that's what you mean.”

Duo stared in silence for a moment, tensed and ready for an attack that didn’t come. “So... you're not hear to kill me I take it?”

“No.” Heero just stood in front of Duo, looking down at him like a soldier waiting for orders.

Duo was hesitant, not trusting the blue eyed devil in the least. “Well then what do you want with me?”

“You tried the door. I assume you wanted something.” There was no nonsense to the guard, Heero’s voice was flat and gave no hint of anything. He volunteered only the information that was directly necessary, a fact that seemed to prod at Duo’s composure. It seemed Heero wouldn’t be offering any explanations to what was going on without a little provocation.

“You my butler now?” Duo watched the unreadable blue eyes flash with dark emotion. Defiantly no sense of humor. Pushing his luck, he continued. “Am I a prisoner then?”

“No.” Heero’s answers were brisk at best, obviously not interested in answering any of the humans questions,

“So I can leave?”

“Negative.”

“You some robot or do you only use one word answer's?”

“....” The demon narrowed his now cold blue eyes even further, giving Duo a look that could only be described as the perfect death glare.

Duo could only mutter under his breath. “Sheesh.. what a sense of humor...”

“My orders are to see to your safety and comfort while you adjust. If you require food, simply say so and I will have a tray brought in.”

Another loud gurgle piped up at the mention of a food tray. “Food would be good...”

“Hn.”

With that Heero seemed to dissolve into a dark, shimmery shadow, melding into the floor and leaving Duo alone once more. Staring at the spot where he faded away, Duo continued to mutter to himself. “Well I guess that's how he got in...”

A few moments later Heero reappeared in a similar fashion, motioning Duo to sit at the small desk near the bed. When Duo tried to stand his legs gave way, and he was quite shocked to find himself caught by strong arms. The demon had covered the distance between them in a blink of an eye, a fact that scared and fascinated Duo at the same time.

“Th.. thanks..”

“If you are still this weak you should continue to rest in the bed.” Duo barely with held his squawk of suprise as Heero scooped him up, carrying him effortlessly back to the large four post bed.

“What if I like the floor?” Duo's shaky nerves made it impossible for him to bite his tongue.

“Master Wufei would not approve.”

“And does everything go Master Woofie’s way?” Deliberately butchering Wufei’s name, Duo shrank back at the look of pure hatred that Heero shot down at him. His internal voices whispering in his ear. ‘lesson one: don't insult Wufei.’

“Affirmative.” Heero’s answer was more of a growl than a word. Quickly folding the blankets back over Duo, Heero grabbed the tray and set it on his lap unceremoniously, a look of contempt still dancing across his eyes. “Eat.”

“Yes sir...” Duo tossed a salute to the Demon, regretting for the millionth time how annoying he could be when he was nervous. There was little doubt in his mind that this demon did not appreciate his humor, and he got the sneaking suspicion that he was quickly nearing the end of Heero's tolerance, orders or no.

Eating in silence, Duo kept his eyes on the Demon, who had taken up the position of holding the doors up. He leaned against them like some spring loaded tiger, arms ‘casually’ folded across his broad chest and eyes closed; though Duo didn’t have to wonder if he was paying attention. Something about the simple way he moved set warning bells off in Duo’s mind. This demon was particularly dangerous, and if Duo knew what was good for him, he’d stop antagonizing him and wait for Wufei to return before he started asking more questions.

Unfortunately for his self-preserving side, Duo’s mouth had a mind of it’s own, and kept on coming up with questions. “So... why am I still here anyway? Don’t demons kill humans immediately?” Getting no response, Duo kept going, finding the sound of himself speaking soothing in it’s familiarity at least. He’d never been one to shy away from talking to himself, especially when he was particularly jumpy.

“Care to tell me what's going on? Maybe what time it is..or when I get to get the hell out of here.. how about where Wufei is? Or your favorite color? You strike me as guy who’d like pink...”

“I suggest you rest. “ Heero was growling again, looking up through messy bangs with death hiding below his stare. Duo was smart enough to finally shut up.

----

(mean while)

The throne room was practically crackling with raw power, the darkness rolling off the tall Demon gripping the arms of his chair with white knuckles. King Trieze was not please in the least.

“So you’re telling me your men failed and I now have a human bound to my heir?” He spat the words more than spoke them, doing his best not to loose his dwindling composure and execute the band of worthless guards there on the spot. He stood abruptly, storming down the polished stairs to stand before the kneeling form of the Captain of his guards. “What do you have to say for your men Zechs? Is this kind of incompetence something I can expect from you?!”

All the demons of the court kept their eyes silently on the king and his captain, no one daring to make a sound. Trieze rarely lost his temper, and when he did, everyone knew to behave themselves. Zechs obediently kept his head down, murmuring his response. “No Master...”

“What were you doing that was more important than doing as I commanded? Did I not specifically say for you to get rid of the human and bring Wufei to me?” Trieze loomed over the now docile blonde, Zechs’ long locks stirring amidst the flow of power from his Master. “Well? Answer me!”

A sharp backhand whipped Zechs’ head to the side, catching the Captain off guard. He looked up in suprise, if Trieze was mad enough to strike him, then things were far worse than he had though. “I’m sorry Master..”

The ginger haired demon turned to the rest of the court, releasing a burst of power that left everyone's skin stinging. “LEAVE US!”

The demons did as they were told, quickly sliding into the shadows or making their way through the large doors as quickly as they could manage. Trieze saw the little Quatre be literally drug out of the room by his stoic mate, no doubt concerned for Zechs and wanting to come to his aid. Trowa was smart to rein in the little healer, as there was no room in his mood for any lack of respect. It was disobedience that had caused this whole mess; first his son, and then his Captain. It was not a good time no matter how good natured the young one was.

When the room was empty Trieze took a deep breath, and released it slowly letting shoulders sag. He turned back again, finding Zechs still kneeling submissively where he had left him. Suddenly he felt tired; bordering upon exhaustion. An guilty. Taking a seat on the stairs before the blonde, Trieze gently hooked a finger under the other Demons chin to look into worried blue eyes.

“Forgive me. I shouldn’t have struck you...”

Zechs let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, relieved that the Trieze’s usual control had returned. Hesitantly he maneuvered himself onto the step beside his King, resting his head on the dominant demons shoulder. “You had every right Master Trieze... I am Captain of your guard and I failed you...”

“Hm..” Tenderly he reached out to run his fingers through Zech’s long blond tresses, his rage held carefully inside as he willed it to consume itself. Controlling his temper always left him feeling numb and disappointed all at once. The only option he had left was to deal with the mess Wufei had made. “Where is the human now?”

“Resting in Wufei’s room. Quatre says at least he took the binding well, and should be fine after a little rest.”

“And Wufei?”

“He’s resting in the infirmary. Quatre thought it best not to keep an eye on him, especially given the strangeness of the bonding..Master Wufei is completely drained, and probably wont be waking up for a day or two from exhaustion alone. Apparently he didn’t follow the proper steps, and seems to have used brute force to make the binding work...”

“What kind of idiot have I raised?” Trieze muttered under his breath, his mood darkening with each passing second.

“It’s a miracle they’re both alive and well...”

“Miracle or not, I won’t have that trash stinking up my house. I want the human moved to the dungeons....” Trieze felt the form at his side stiffen, tensing in silent protest. “I refuse to have a human wandering in my house and soiling my linens.”

“Don’t you think that's a little harsh Trieze?” Zech’s voice was uncharacteristically small, with a hesitancy poorly suited for the second Master of the Dragon clan. He sounded more like a fledgling, not the Kings mate and Master of the Guard.

“I’d rather gut the waste of flesh and leave it to rot in the blasted sun.. Keeping it safe and secure in the dungeon is merciful!” Trieze stood, storming toward the exit. No matter what he tried, there was no way he would be remaining calm about the issue. “I expect a guard to keep watch and make sure no harm comes to it, and if it so much as hint at doing anything to bring harm to Wufei, I want it bound and gagged. Do I make myself clear?”

Zechs wilted under the pure loathing found in his masters eyes as Trieze shot him a glare from across the throne room. “Yes sir.”

”Good. Now have your men see to it... I can smell the beast from here...” Punctuated by the slam of the doors, Trieze left the room and went in search of something to quell his returning fury.


---


It had been a good hour since Duo last managed to get a response from his stoic guardian. Regardless of the fact that he’d have trouble defending himself from a kitten, Duo wanted nothing more than to barrel through his gate keeper and find answers to his questions from whatever demon he came across; preferably using more than one syllable at a time. The demon had managed to ignore him completely without batting an eye; a fact that only mad him more restless. It was like Heero just flipped a switch, and nothing Duo said got a response of any kind. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. When Duo made his way over t the door and started trying to remove the hinges, Heero had picked him up and tossed him back on the the bed with patented glare. Besides that however, the chocolate haired Demon could have been just another elaborate fixture to adorn the room.

He was about to start another round of one sided conversation, when he saw Heero stiffen and turn to face the door. Duo waited, hearing nothing to alert him to the approach of whichever demon was on his way, but knowing enough to trust Heero’s senses. For all Duo knew, they could be conversing telepathically at the very moment. Sure enough, seconds later the door’s swung open and a vaguely familiar, yet terrifying site walked in.

The demon was tall, perhaps a head taller than either himself or Heero, with long white blond hair and piercing blue eyes. It was deja vu, Duo knew he’d seen the stunning man before, but just couldn’t shake the fog that surrounded his memory of him. It was obvious the man was powerful, as Duo felt the tension in the air slide across is skin the moment the door opened. Briefly Duo wondered if being gorgeous was a prerequisite for being a powerful demon, or if you got prettier as you grew stronger. The train of thought was instantly derailed when the man spoke.

“The Master has ordered us to move you to a more secure location. If you will follow me please...” His voice was regal and smooth, composed yet flaring with the light of anger or irritation that would only bring trouble for Duo.

“Like hell... I’m not going anywhere without a few answers...” As soon as the words left his mouth, the tall demon turned away, keeping his eyes from meeting Duo’s. Duo’s heart stopped; this was not going to be good.

“Bring him.” Before he could react, Heero and a lanky demon with cinnamon hair latched on to either side of him, hoisting him off the bed and half led, half drug him from the room. Duo tried to fight in vain, unable to budge the powerful hands that held his arms no matter how hard he bucked. Remembering his best weapon, Duo let his tongue lash out at his captors.

“Not a prisoner my ass you lying sack of demon shit! Let me go! Where’s Wufei! WUFEI!!!” Duo bellowed as loud as he could, using anger to hid the fear that threatened to take over his voice. “Get it over with and kill me you manipulative bastards or let me go!!”

Heero and and the cinnamon hiared guard kept their eyes straight ahead as they maneuvered him through the twisting corridors of the House. Only once did Duo catch a glimpse of his captors eyes, and what he saw made him even more desperate. Looking down at him briefly from below a chunk of bangs, Duo saw green eyes full of pity. And pity was not a good thing to have in the eyes of a man dragging you literally kicking and screaming down a hall way. Redoubling his efforts, Duo lashed out again.

”WUFIE!! What the fuck LEMME’GO!! WUFEEEEI!!” He didn't’ know why he was calling out for Wufei, but for some reason it just felt right. Of everyone he’d met so far, only the raven haired demon with his obsidian eyes actually had shown interest in keeping him alive. “Where are you taking me? Tell me now you fuckin’ fairy boy!”

Zechs tossed an odd look over his shoulder, sharp blue misted with hurt and anger, and once more pity. Duo didn’t like this look either. A few more twists and one steep stairwell later, Duo was shoved into a dark cell deep below the house.
The blonde demon spoke, keeping his back turned away from the barred door. “Master Trieze has decided it best for you to be kept hidden for the time being. I offer my apologies.”

With that the heavy iron door swung closed, and Duo sat on the cold stone floor listening to the retreating footsteps echoing off the walls. It seemed he’d outstayed his welcome after all.