Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Cult Characteristic ❯ Chapter 7

SEVEN

"…ero…."

Wufei opened his eyes and leant forward in his chair. He could have sworn…There! Duo's eyes flickered under the lids, his free hand trying to lift and failing, other hand's fingers curling around Heero's. Lunging forward, Wufei shook Heero's shoulder, almost laughing as the man instantly woke, glaring at him. It didn't last long.

"Heero…" The barest whisper, but both men turned and watched as the lids twitched, turned and slid open the barest hint to reveal a touch of cobalt. Drugged, dazed, almost out of its mind cobalt, but familiar nonetheless.

"Duo…"

Wufei couldn't help but smile at the awe in Heero's voice. After eleven months of having Heero Yuy snap at him across their office desks and snarl as they drove home, it was rather cute to see him like this. Like seeing him turn into a plushie…

"Water…"

Wufei snatched the glass from the side table and passed it, wondering if Heero really knew what he was doing. He needn't have worried as memories of having to do this for Duo in the war flooded back, clear on his face as Heero slipped one hand behind Duo's head to lift it, the other pressing the glass to dry, chaffed lips.

One swallow, two, three…and that was all he could take. Heero saw it at the same moment as Wufei and passed the glass back to Wufei so he could put it back on the table.

Wufei didn't know what to say…Neither did Heero. So they all just sat there, Duo staring blankly at the roof, thinking of God only knew what. Wufei almost cried for joy when Sally walked through the door. He waved at the form on the bed and it was plain from the rough excitement on his face that Duo was awake. Sally grinned and lunged forward, staring down at the figure on the bed.

It took time for cobalt eyes to realize she was there, and a little longer for them to move, focus and actually see the doctor.

"Sal?"

"Yes Duo, its Sally. How are you feeling?"

Wufei wondered why he hadn't thought to ask that? Then he reasoned it was probably because Duo looked like shit and Wufei didn't want to hear him actually say that.

"MMmm…okay…."

Wufei gaped. Okay? Okay! He grabbed at the bed sheets, wanting to scream at the baka, but Sally's hand came down on his wrist and she smiled as nicely as she could. Somehow it calmed Wufei and he understood. No fuss, sure. No complaining, sure. Boys don't cry; fine. But on some level, in some dark primordial part of his brain, this was okay for Duo. He was clean, dry, surrounded by friends. This was perfection.

Wufei wanted to be sick.

"Well, you're recovery time has been rather spectacular so far and after a long talk with the hospital administration and Lady Une, I have managed to convince them to let us take you home. I'll take care of you there."

Duo took time to take it in. Wufei watched as he fought through the drugs and the memories to acknowledge what was said. It was painful to watch, but he did it.

"Home?" He was slightly confused. Wufei wasn't even sure Duo remembered his home, his small flat that was always a mess, and yet always seemed empty. Or maybe Wufei just thought of it as empty because the last time he had seen it Duo had left…No, he corrected himself. Duo had been taken. Stolen.

"Quatre bought us a house…" Heero said softly, and Wufei heard tears in his voice. "For all of us. You, me, Wufei, Trowa, Quatre, Sally…everyone. It's huge…It'll take you weeks to explore it all."

A miracle happened. Wufei didn't know what to do, so he just stared. Duo smiled. His eyes glittered. His eyes teared, but he smiled! Wufei grinned back, feeling incredibly stupid but unable to stop.

"Let's go…" Duo whispered softly, turning his head to looked solely at Heero. "I wanna go Hee-chan…"

Heero nodded profusely while Sally hid her giggle behind her hand. Wufei just gaped. He hadn't changed! Despite everything that had happened, he had not changed…What did that mean? Did it have to mean anything?

The door opened. Wufei waved his arm, only half aware of Quatre and Trowa hurrying into the room. Wufei watched their eyes as they discovered Duo was actually awake, talking, if rather softly, smiling…

"Hee-chan?" Duo repeated, suddenly unsure.

"We'll go soon Duo. Sally just has to get us the forms, and then we'll go home, to the house Quatre bought us."

As Quatre finally caught onto what they had been talking about, and saw the excitement in Duo's eyes-the longing desire to go `home'- he cried. Wufei laughed as the small blonde leapt onto the side of the small hospital bed and threw his arms over Duo, kissing his cheek and playing with loose tendrils of hair. It was the welcome all of them wanted to give, but only Quatre knew how. When Wufei looked at Duo he knew his friend understood. But then, that was what made him Duo.

Wufei looked up as Sally passed him a board.

"Sign him out."

"Yes ma'am!"

*

Fiona looked up at the massive house and wondered if she was doing the right thing. It looked…well, she wouldn't have called it a house. Maybe a damn hotel, but not a house! Still, she wanted to see them-wanted to see him again…And the only way that wish was going to come true was if she went right up to that door, knocked that little handle smack bang in the center of it and didn't leave until someone answered it.

"I'll be back this afternoon. Call if you want me to pick you up earlier than that…" Fiona only nodded at her father as she forced herself to step forward, walking along the wide path to the large porch. She went straight up to the door, grabbed the little knocker and slammed it down three times. Then she forced herself to wait.

It took almost five minutes, but the door opened and a man looked down at her. Fiona knew the man's name, knew who he was, knew a lot about him actually, but…she had never spoken to him before!

"Fiona? Hello!"

Well, he seemed nice enough…Nose twitching Fiona inclined her head and looked behind him. No sign…Hmm…

"I was wondering if I could see Wufei…and Duo!"

"Well, I'm afraid Duo is in his room and can't really have visitors yet, but Wufei is out back. Come on."

Fiona grabbed his hand as the door shut behind them and she let the man pull her into the house. She took the time to take the man in, to study him as she studied most strangers. He was tall, athletic, but skinny, like one of those people who can twist themselves into all sorts of shapes. His hair covered half his face, which made her think he was very shy, and he was quiet…He seemed to exude a sense of calm, but Fiona could feel every sinew and muscle ready to pounce the moment it needed. He was like Wufei, in many ways. He was once a killer too, but one of the nice ones. One of the ones who did it for the right reasons…if there were right reasons. Only someone who had lived on the street could really tell you there were right ones. Anyone else just wouldn't understand.

Trowa Barton led her onto a wide verandah that looked out over hide fields of green grass. She could see a stable nearby and there were several horses grazing in a closed off section of the `backyard'. Fiona wanted to ride one, but she said nothing knowing now was certainly not the time.

Besides, something better had caught her eye. In a carefully mowed, extremely flat part of the yard, stood the reason for her visit. Wufei.

Sword in each hand, she watched in fascination as the limbs moved in a strange sort of dance, the swords one with the body, as if an extended part of the lean form, gaze focused on something she could not see.

"What's he doing?"

"It's called a kata. It's a set of moves that teaches control, balance, and precision…it's a dance…"

Fiona nodded. It was all those things, this dance…dance of death. She waited until it finished, studying every move, every shift in the body as there were none in the mind. When at last the swords slipped together to form one and he turned to look up at the verandah, Fiona flung herself off its edge, paying no heed to Trowa's startled gasp.

Wufei, of course, caught her as she had known he would. He looked a little startled, and Trowa looked ready to tear his hair out, but Fiona didn't regret doing it. Hell, it had been fun!

"Fiona…what are you doing here?" Wufei asked as he gently put her back on the verandah before climbing up himself, ignoring the steps a few scant meters away.

"I wanted to see you!"

"Someone has a crush…" Trowa teased and Fiona stuck her tongue out at him. She did not have a crush! She just liked Wufei…almost more than she liked her new parents…

"And…" Fiona watched the slanted eyes narrow, focus and she grinned. "I wanted to tell you where the leaders are hiding."