Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Touched ❯ Chapter 5

Touched

(5 / 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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It must have been some time he was this pissed over something - something personal. Duo glared at himself in the mirror, something he had been doing for the whole of yesterday and this morning. This must be an accomplishment of sorts. He could add this to the list of compulsive habits he had already had.

In torturous, tragicomic fashion, the whole series of events repeated for the umpteenth time in his head. There he was, crouched over Wufei, both of them flushed and tired, but ecstatic in the aftermath of a bout of mad horseplay. There *they* were, when he felt that weird feeling. It felt exactly like a connection had just suddenly sparked after days of short-circuiting and miscues. And he *knew* from the expression on the other boy's face that he felt it too.

Sighing explosively, he clutched his head, creating an even bigger mess out of his chestnut curls. He was *the* Duo Maxwell of stealth and speed fame! To think he was let down by his own supposed attributes. Had he been just a second faster, he would have known exactly what a fiery dragon tasted like.

But no…he *had* to hesitate. And in that second he did, Murphy's Law went gleefully into action.

That moment when laptop had beeped, it was all Duo could do not to storm into the safehouse and blow that thing to smithereens. Not that he didn't feel like doing it *now*. Duo stared down at his whitened knuckles. Without his knowing, his hands had left his hair to latch onto the edge of the sink in a death grip.

From his left came a sharp rapping on the door.

"I'm coming in," a familiarly crisp voice spoke from the other side of the door.

He relaxed his fists with a sigh as expectedly, the door opened and emitted a white-clad figure.

"Yes, you may," Duo said dryly as he shifted to make room for the Chinese boy who had breezed into the toilet.

A fine black eyebrow rose. "Are you offended?" Wufei said casually as he turned on the tap.

"Hardly," Duo rolled his eyes. He leaned sideways into the wall that bordered the sink on one end, and just studied his stony-faced comrade.

"I apologise," Wufei said flatly, his attention focused on washing his hands rather than on Duo. "On your part however, perhaps you should make an attempt to stop staring at yourself in the mirror every chance you get." He commented as he cupped his hands to catch the water.

Duo eyeballed the right temple of Wufei's head. Maybe if he stared hard enough, a hole would appear there. Except it would probably do little good. Wufei would just go about his business, hole in head or not.

So, Duo kept his mouth shut and just watched - he was getting really good at this silent observation thing, incidentally. He noticed the little kink between raven brows as Wufei peeled off the left shoulder of his tunic. The kink deepened in exact degrees as to the seconds Wufei took to examine his previously injured arm, and finally disappeared as the mental diagnostic was completed. Quite apparently, Wufei was satisfied with his the progress of his recuperation, for he gave a tiny, unconscious nod before pulling the tunic back over his shoulder, and re-clasping the buttons.

Feeling rather out-of-place, Duo tried to look nonchalant as possible, as though watching Wufei running a self-diagnostic test was something he did every day. Truth was, he knew the Chinese boy had never allowed any spectator even for something as innocuous as this. It was trivial to Duo, but an act that would been deemed as a spectacle of weakness for Wufei.

It *must* mean Wufei was getting more and more comfortable with Duo, no? Duo was just going to feel gleeful about it, when he again remembered that the closeness they shared now was nothing compared to yesterday. He could still see the expression of both wonder and acceptance on Wufei's face yesterday, when they were just about to actually -

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"What?" Duo said blankly.

"Nothing," Wufei shook his head. "You just had this strange look on your face. I thought you might be sick."

"Oh."

"Well," the Chinese boy turned away from the sink and Duo. "I shall leave you to your business. I am going to contact the others. We've been stranded here for too long." He said over his shoulder as he left.

"Okay," Duo said belatedly, and to thin air. He didn't really hear what Wufei was rambling about. All he could think of now was that one statement about being sick. How right Wufei had been. Duo Maxwell was sick.

He was obsessing about a kiss that never happened.

++++++++++

The rest of the morning was spent in such utter non-activity, it was unnerving. Even the safehouse seemed strangely silent, as if waiting for something to happen.

The violet-eyed youth stared down at the various parts and wires in his arms. This had been a last resort on his part at doing something constructive, and *not* incurring his companion's wrath in the process. Wufei had been rather touchy. Logically, Duo could attribute Wufei's mood plunge to the fact that they had been stuck at the safehouse for more than a week now, while the war still raged on out there. But Duo was not always logical. He'd be lying if he said he didn't secretly hope that Wufei could be suffering from teenage hormones too.

They were nearly sixteen for God's sake. It might help their sanity if they could be allowed to behave their age a little more often.

Duo realised he was practically glaring down at the innocent paraphernalia still in his arms. The juvenile part of him wanted to just ditch that stuff somewhere and not look at them again. But of course, that would earn him quite an earful from said touchy companion. Exhaling explosively, he stepped out of the safehouse.

They would have to return to their work very soon, Duo knew. It was becoming something of a dread that Duo had to face every time he set eyes on the laptop, and any other form of communication they had with the rest of the world. The next time there was a beep again, it'd be time for them to go heed whatever calling each of them was subject to.

In a sudden fit of reminiscence, he turned his head to settle his gaze on the safehouse. It was decrepit, a sorry excuse for a structure, the atmosphere was often more painful than anything else for Duo, but fuck, he suspected he would miss it when he would have to leave.

"Maxwell?"

"Yeah?" Duo said as he looked up. He immediately wished he hadn't. Staring right at the solemn, copper face, Duo's gaze inevitably travelled from deep velvet eyes to lips the colour of caramel, and down to quickly sweep over the muscled form that was obvious even through the white tunic.

Thankfully then, Wufei was too preoccupied with examining the pile of electrical components in Duo's arms to notice anything out of ordinary.

"I've sent reminders," Wufei said as a matter-of-factly. "We should be contacted soon. Over the next two days, mostly likely."

"Two days…" Duo murmured, trying to remember the state of their amenities in the safehouse. "I don't think we have even enough food to last us that long."

Wufei snorted. "That is exactly my point about us overstaying in this place. We should have returned once I had woken up."

"You were still injured, then."

The Chinese boy waved a hand as if to dismiss that fact. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. But I do apologise for dragging both of us down because of my injury."

Duo bit back the retort on his tongue. Instead, he countered with a forcibly mild tone. "You don't usually apologise for everything, so don't start now."

"You don't usually start analysing everything either." Wufei said sharply.

"Uh-huh," Duo replied, his grin slipping mechanically into place. "Things can change, huh."

He fell quiet after that, the only sounds reaching his ears were the irregular thumps of his heartbeat, and the soft swish of white sleeve against his own black-clad arm as Wufei move past him into the safehouse.

Duo stayed for a beat longer, just trying to feel. The problem was, he couldn't *feel* it anymore. That camaraderie, that connection that might have existed between them...it seemed to have just disappeared. He turned his head, and saw the Chinese youth disappearing deeper into the safehouse. Resigned, Duo headed for the battered car that had taken them here.

++++++++++

Wufei read through his own email, his eyes automatically checking over his wording, but his brain taking time-off elsewhere. It was at his tenth re-reading that he finally snapped himself out of it. In a fit of self-directed frustration, he hit the `send' button. He stared at the screen for a while more, watching the processes in action as his email was sent and confirmed. For his own sanity, he hoped he'd get a reply soon, or better still, something to come and pick them up. He'd settle for *any* shuttle if it could transport him away from this godforsaken place.

A series of flashbacks from the past week or so began a playback in his mind.

Well, maybe not everything was godforsaken. Truly he had not felt as huge a range of emotions as he did for those days, and most of them were courtesy of the other pilot stuck in the same situation as him. It all exhausted him, feeling so much. In a way, he almost missed the emptiness that he could surround himself with before. Even he tried now, it was no use. Any wall he could come up with would crumble with just a laugh or *sound* from his fellow, bright-eyed pilot. Not that he didn't try!

He felt a pinch of regret for his attitude for these two days. All he remembered of himself was either displaying an amazing lack of emotion, or shooting down every word Duo said.

Yet, he also knew there was no other way to allow him to regain control of his life, and direction. Scowling, he glared up around him. The longer he stayed here, the more he would lose himself to the forgetfulness that pervaded the empty spaces.

A shrill yelp from outside made him jump so badly his fingers tripped, sending a line of digital gibberish across the laptop screen.

Wufei found himself standing up from the chair, whole body tensed. His mind was already picturing the hundred and one deaths that could have afflicted Duo. Hesitating for just another moment, he gave in and hastened towards the source of the cry.

++++++++++

Duo's hand was already at his head, gingerly feeling around. His fingers found the nasty bump, and he groaned. Damn, it was sore! And dammit, it would surely leave a horrid bruise. He rolled his eyes. To think he could even hit his head like that while on a task as simple as this. Thank goodness no one was here to see how clumsy a Gundam pilot could get.

"That's all?"

The mirth disappeared. Startled, Duo looked up to see two sloe eyes glaring sternly down at him. "Hi!" Duo said without thinking.

If anything, Wufei looked even more disgusted. "By the sounds of that scream just now," he said in such clipped tones he sounded like he was biting the head off each syllable. "I was imagining you being surrounded by mobile dolls and getting shot to pieces."

"Gee, I had no idea you'd be so worried for me." Duo continued recklessly.

"I never said I was."

That was one significant remark. Duo bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. Finally he had found out what was wrong with everything. The situation now was exactly like as though they were back to square one - before the never-kiss, before their mad stick fight, before Wufei's arms around him that night, before the soup fiasco, before Wufei's injury, and before the mission.

He had also found out *why* this was happening - because someone was trying to rewind and erase all that had happened, and that someone was definitely not Duo. Now, all he wanted to was -

"Why?"

Wufei raised an eyebrow at that question. "Because I was not worried."

"Not that," Duo said quietly. "Let's try again. Why?" even he was aware of the smile that pulled at his own lips, and the bitterness in that smile.

The realisation on Wufei's face was almost comical to watch. His cheeks paling, eyes widening at the implications of that monosyllabic question, lower lip trembling just that bit.

"Consequences, Maxwell," Wufei said so flatly he sounded almost mechanical. He turned his head to gaze at something beyond Duo. "Consequences we can hardly afford. Look at the sky. Look at the people. And look at us. The war is not over. It wouldn't be over if we do not finish it."

It made far more sense that Duo liked. Inhaling deeply, Duo made a show of standing up and dusting himself off. He spoke without looking at Wufei. "Ever wondered `why us', Wufei?"

Wufei's deep, obsidian eyes turned slowly to rivet on him and Duo froze, all motions pinned by that haunted gaze. "Ever wondered `why not us', Duo?"

Duo laughed at that one, and he didn't give a damn if nobody else was laughing along. "I'm selfish, remember?" he said carelessly, his words coming out in hiccups as he chuckled. "You don't think I'd ever be thankful for this job, do you?" he shrugged, that movement threatening to release the stinging ache in his eyes. "This is it, huh?"

He didn't wait for Wufei's reply, not that he thought he'd get any either. And even if he did get one, he knew he wouldn't like it. He remembered they still lacked supplies to last them until backup arrived. Like Wufei said, the war wasn't over and the responsibility would follow them no matter where they were.

"I'm going to town," he said casually, busying himself with clearing up the remnants of his earlier work on the battered vehicle. "Anything you need?"

"No. Maxwell," Wufei began, hesitated, then tried again. "I don't have a good…feeling about this. Our last email - it said the OZ soldiers had intensified their search around these territories. Don't risk it. We have enough to survive until the others get here."

Heedlessly, Duo tossed the useless electronic leftovers to the ground and rested his hands on his hips. "I'll just look around and get the basic stuff we'd need. You go back to the safehouse. In case we get further instructions, you know. I'll back in a jiffy." He finished, the finality in his tone painfully obvious.

Silence from the other youth could only mean grudging acquiescence.

Duo wove his fingers deep into his hair, making sure the tiny, compact explosive was there. The gun he left with Wufei in an earlier agreed arrangement, figuring the Chinese boy would need it more than him if the OZ soldiers chanced upon the safehouse.

He got into the car, and stared at the wheel for a moment. The memory of himself screaming at a nearly unconscious Wufei assaulted him like a relentless echo. A quick shake of head was enough to banish it for the moment.

It was just a short trip away from the safehouse, but it felt like goodbye. Duo wondered if this was what it would feel like when they really went back to their separate ways. Well…he smiled bitterly, at least he got to rehearse it once through.

He started the car, grateful for the cacophony of rattles and clanks that shook the whole run-down vehicle.

And just before the car eased into the thick forest that flanked the safehouse, despite his determination, he gave in anyway and glanced at the rear-view mirror.

The white-clad figure still stood in front of the safehouse, completely unmoving, growing tinier and tinier until it was obscured by both branch and distance.

~*~ end Chapter 5 ~*~