Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Touched ❯ Chapter 1

Touched

(1 / 7)

Pairing : 2x5x2

Rating : R overall

Warnings : Yaoi, lime, mild angst/sap/violence

Disclaimer : GW belongs to Sunrise, Sotsu and Bandai. I wish I owned it though.

Summary : A mission finished at the expense of one pilot getting hurt. Two boys find themselves sharing space in the same safehouse, and finding a connection while learning to live with each other.

+++++ : Change of scene

~~~~~ : Scene break

< > : Recalled speech

// // : Thoughts

A/N : This doesn't follow the canon storyline. ^_^ Feedback appreciated!

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The weather was chilly. Not anywhere enough to truly bother him, but chilly enough to nip. He wasn't even sure if the heating system was still working. Wrapping the sheet tighter around his body, Duo tossed more wood-chips into the fireplace, stoking the fire, building it up to reasonable warmth. There…he sighed as the comfortable warmth diffused into him...much better.

He stood up and looked out of the windows that adorned one wall. The skies were overcast, clouds hanging like a dense, grey backdrop. Duo sighed. He did wish the weather would clear soon and open up some nice blue skies to his eyes. It might help his mood too.

Frowning thoughtfully, Duo reached back and tugged his braid around his shoulder. He twisted it in his hands - a nervous habit he had never managed to break. It was also a habit he had begun to indulge in almost compulsively these days. He had yet to contact the others. All he knew was that they were stationed in the safehouse along north, the opposite direction of the safehouse he and Wufei were now staying in. There was no helping it. He and Wufei had double-teamed for the mission. The mission had been a success, if not for Wufei getting shot and Duo insisting on falling back to lug *both* of their asses to safety.

Wufei had yet to awaken. That was the main reason for Duo's thoroughly rotten mood. The Shenlong pilot still remained in a deep slumber. Of course, with all that blood loss and exhaustion, it was understandable, but right now, all Duo wanted to see was the Chinese youth with his chin lifted and sloe eyes glaring down his nose.

Duo chewed on his bottom lip and stared up at the darkening sky again. Maybe when it wasn't so cold he'd risk another visit to the nearest town. He had done that yesterday. The trip had lasted only an hour as he got basic amenities like food and medical supplies. He hadn't dared to linger too long for fear of OZ soldiers on the search. He also didn't want Wufei waking up all alone in the safehouse.

He turned away from the window and headed to the couch - something which had masqueraded as a bed the nights before. He collapsed onto it, groaning, every ache and cramp in his body making itself known. Sheesh...even his eyelids ached.

++++++++++

Something woke Duo up. Violet eyes snapped open, the sleepy haze clouding the depths quickly disappearing. Limbs still half-asleep, he clambered as fast as he could out of the couch. He wasn't sure what had roused him but that mattered little. His heart hammering in time with his rapid thud of his footsteps, Duo bounded down the hallway and burst through the door.

His eyes quickly focused on the figure on the bed.

A dazed Shenlong pilot stared back at Duo. With his hair fanned out in ruffled locks on the pillow and obsidian eyes still heavy-lidded with sleep, Wufei looked painfully vulnerable. But he was awake.

"Wufei!" a grin of sheer delight lit up Duo's face as he rushed to the bed. He swiftly switched to nurse mode. He laid a hand on Wufei's forehead. No fever. No infection, then, hopefully. Sighing with relief, he began absently picking stray strands of raven hair away from Wufei's eyes. "You've slept for...a long time, you know! Welcome back."

Clouded onyx eyes rolled drowsily back and forth, resting first Duo's fingers, then on Duo's face, and back to the fingers again. If anything, Wufei's gaze grew even blanker. He tilted his head to one side and stared up at Duo.

The American youth removed his fingers, chuckling awkwardly. "Water?" he suggested. Taking Wufei's almost imperceptible nod of head to be an enthusiastic 'yes', Duo poured a cup of water and gingerly sat himself by the bed. Slipping one hand beneath Wufei's head and lifting it a little, he touched the rim to Wufei's lips. "Here," he said softly as he tipped the cup, relieved to see that Wufei was taking in the liquid slowly, but surely.

It felt surreal, the entire process. Duo felt like he was mothering a small child of sorts, especially when Wufei's eyes were fixed on him unblinkingly and almost...trustingly? Duo grinned back quickly, before busying himself with the important task of putting the cup away. He hoped his cheeks weren't red, though they felt like it. Quite embarrassed, and *quite* unsure of what to do with himself, he decided to fill in the Chinese pilot on the activities that had taken place while he was unconscious.

"So! Awake now, huh? Uh, I've not reached the rest. I'm still trying! We can't really go anywhere now, you know. Kinda stuck here. But! I don't think we'd be stuck for too long! Hmm......maybe a week. Is that long? Deathscythe'd better be okay, " he was about to go into detail of his attempts in trying to contact the others, when he felt a soft tug on his sleeve. He glanced down, startled.

A copper hand was clenched tightly around the hem of his sleeve. Wufei's eyes were closed, apparently having fallen into slumber again.

Eh? So now he was the blanket too, huh? Duo moved his arm a little, not at all surprised to find that Wufei's grip was like steel even in sleep. There was no way out of it, then. He'd have to stay put.

He pulled both legs up so they stretched out on the bed, and crossed his ankles. Making sure there was enough space for both of them, especially his patient, he leaned back against the headboard, and rested the back of his head against one hand . This was the most comfortable he could get, but maybe it was a little better than the couch. Problem was, it was going to take quite a bit of effort to get back to sleep now.

Sighing, he shot a look at his sleeping comrade. Wufei must have been awake for only - what - fifteen minutes? But Duo supposed it was better than nothing. At least now, he knew they were both okay.

Closing his eyes, he began to talk. He liked to do this sometimes, just letting his thoughts and his mouth run at the same time. His listener was asleep, which helped, but even if Wufei could hear every word, Duo figured he'd worry about that later. He talked about the nasty weather, his brief trip to the town, every single little item he managed to lay his hands on while in town, and not exactly with money in exchange but it couldn't be helped. He griped about trying to contact the others without much success. He reassured Wufei again that their Gundams would definitely be okay.

Voice dropping to a whisper, Duo finally admitted that he had been worried to death about Wufei, and that was totally not his style at all.

*And* it was all Wufei's fault.

++++++++++

Something woke Duo up *again*. Uh-huh, again. It was like everyone and everything was conspiring to make sure his days forth would be sleep-deprived and kept going only by reserved energy, except Duo was running low on that too. He could feel his body waking up in pieces, with his brain coming in last.

The movements were coming from beside him.

Turning his head, Duo found himself witnessing a heavily-bandaged Wufei trying to get out of the bed. That woke Duo up instantly. He threw out an arm and captured a copper wrist.

"Wufei! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The Chinese pilot gasped as he was tugged back into the bed. "Maxwell!"

"Yeah, that's me," Duo confirmed as he planted his palms on the bed and leaned over Wufei. The youth's obsidian eyes were wide open and much clearer now than they had been when he had awoken earlier. Apparently, his mind was also distinctly clearer as well, if he thought enough to try and sneak out of bed while Duo was asleep. Duo frowned when he noticed the perspiration beading his temples.

"You know you're supposed to stay in bed!" he couldn't help scolding. "How long were you awake?"

Duo felt like he was watching an emotional display screen as he glared down at Wufei. Who would have known the sullen Shenlong pilot could be so expressive with his face? The corners of Wufei's lips turned down as he tried to match Duo's glare.

"How long?" Duo pressed. He had spent too much effort in patching up Wufei to have him trying to undo everything with his wilfulness.

"Not long," the usually raspy tenor was even hoarser than usual with lack of use.

Ha. So, Wufei could argue now. This was good. It must mean recovery was well on the way. Duo carefully kept his smile off his face. "So, you've woken up not long ago and you're trying to run around? A little ambitious, are we?"

"I..." Wufei said, pale cheeks taking on the faintest pink tinge. "I need to use the bathroom."

Oh.

"Oh!" now Duo was the one who felt embarrassed. "You coulda' just told me, you know."

"I did."

Duo decided to let that slide. He clambered off his side of the bed and reappeared by Wufei. Steeling himself, Duo bent and just managed to one arm under his patient's head and another under the legs when Wufei clutched his collar suddenly.

"What are you doing?" Wufei's expression was one of such utter mortification it was almost comical.

He just knew Wufei'd react like this. He just *knew* it. "You think you can walk all the way from here to the bathroom?" he challenged the Shenlong pilot.

"I can."

"Fine! Show me," Duo removed his arm from Wufei's legs. Instead, he carefully wrapped his arms around the youth's upper torso and manoeuvred him into a sitting position. The movement left the Chinese youth gasping from the disorientation, but not for long.

"Help me."

Wordlessly, Duo nodded and pulled Wufei's uninjured right arm around his shoulder, and secured his own hand around Wufei's waist. Once on his feet, the dizziness surged in unrelenting waves. It took considerable willpower on Duo's part in keeping his concern unvoiced as he felt Wufei sagging against him, breathing in ragged gasps. At the back of his mind, Duo knew that for them as Gundam pilots who worked mostly alone and without help, it was imperative they all learnt to survive on their own. With needing Duo's help like this, Wufei must be feeling painfully useless. So, Duo kept quiet.

In this way, both panting with the effort, Wufei practically gnawing through his bottom lip in exertion and Duo struggling to support a weight that resisted him, they made it to the door.

Duo stared at the corridor that lead to the bathroom. Great.

"Let me."

Duo let go. His eyes followed the bandaged figure as it shuffled ahead slowly, awkwardly and devoid of any usual energy, one hand trailing the wall to steady himself, the other arm hanging impotently by his side.

Duo suddenly felt like he was seeing the Shenlong pilot for the first time, in all painful clarity. Wufei's resilience, his stubbornness, his unyielding spirit. The Solitary Dragon. Duo had never thought much of that tag, but he couldn't help feeling how it fitted the youth now. Duo recalled the child-like trust and vulnerability Wufei had let slip at his weakest. Enigmatic, perplexing, difficult - all these words suited Wufei too

In other words - a challenge.

And now Duo could actually smile. He was aware of his own attributes and one of them was thick-headed persistence. There was one safehouse and two of them, whether Wufei liked it or not. Besides, Duo had already appointed himself as Wufei's nurse and by hell or heaven, he would personally make sure Wufei was well taken care of.

"Okay!" Duo threw up his arms and locked his hands behind his head. He grinned to himself. "Let's see what if you've got."

~*~ end Chapter 1 ~*~