A Love For His Art

By DragonMage

Chapter 8

For about a whole month I almost never went out. I stayed at home and I painted and painted. It was the only way I could release the pain that was cut so deep inside of me. My loss of Wufei had affected me badly and I just couldn't shake it. I dreamt of him every single night, I longed for him ever single day. I wanted to hold him, kiss him, love him. We only had a little time together, it wasn't fair that he suddenly be forced to leave like that.

Everything around the house reminded me of Wufei. The couch where we watched a movie that infamous night we made love for the first time. The phone and the kitchen had always fascinated him. I would remember everything he said about everything around the house. His presence echoed around the dark house. But he wasn't there anymore. His warmth, his love, his innocence that filled this house and made it wonderful to live in...It wasn't there any more. It was back to being the soundless house of a painter.

Quatre and Zechs tried to get me out of my depression but nothing they did helped. I was in depression, yes, but I couldn't pull myself out of it. And I was sure as well not gonna go to no shrink or get some kind of weird depression medication. My Wufei was gone forever, how was I suppose to feel? Didn't I deserve this time of selfishness and just indulge myself in my misery? Why couldn't they just leave me alone? Heero and Trowa tried just a bit but they had understood where Wufei came from and were a bit more understanding. Although, there was that time when Heero threw me up against a wall and demanded that I stop moping. Of course, I just looked at him and shook my head while Trowa tried to convince him to let me go.

They're good friends. I care for them deeply but I just wished they would leave me alone. I didn't want to see anyone by Wufei. And he wasn't there anymore. He was gone, returned back to his own time when that Dorothy girl poured that strange liquid over the painting and destroyed it. And in doing so ripped my Wufei from me.

It was late spring when my manager called me. I had been seated in front of the TV watching some stupid soap opera when the phone rang. I had thought about just letting it ring to death but something made me get up and pick up that damned phone.

"Hello?" My voice came out flat and dry. Did I drink enough water today? Probably not.

"Duo?"

"Pat?"

"Duo, you've got to stop doing this! Buyers want your stuff but you're not bringing anything in. What's wrong?" Pat demanded.

"I'm just not feeling so good, Pat. Leave me alone." I was almost hung up on him but, again, something stopped me.

"Duo, I know a lot of hell has been going on in your life and I sympathize but I think you should get out and live life again. It's not healthy that you just sit around and mope. Paint and just learn to live again," Pat said seriously.

"I do paint," I said defensively. Although, I wasn't going to tell him that I painted only Wufei in hopes of bringing him back. Of course, all my attempts were futile and he was forever locked in the past from where he came from.

"I just thought you should try something new," Pat suggested.

"New?" I interrupted.

"Yes. All you've done so far is paint from your imagination. I mean, it's great stuff but what about having a model?" Pat asked.

"A model? I don't think so..." I began.

"Come on, Duo. Just give it a shot. I got this model here for ya and I think you'll really find it new and relaxing to paint from real life. Do it, Duo. Stop moping and just live life again," Pat urged.

I thought about it for a moment. I did need to pull myself out of my depression...And the thought of having a model was very appealing. I had never done such a thing before. It would be very new and fun... "Fine. I'll do it. Send the model over. "

"Great! He'll come over tomorrow," Pat said before he hung up.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the receiver. Damnit, that man had already expected me to agree! Anger flashed quickly before dissolving into laughter as I hung up and went to clean up my house for my guest and set up a spot in the studio where I can paint her. Oh yes, maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as I thought.

~*~

Later that night I had the strangest dream. Wufei was there and he was standing a field full of flowers. He was dressed in those old clothes that I see Chinese people wear from the past. His long hair was done up elegantly and he looked happy. The sun was just setting and the soft gold, pink and orange lights spilled over his beautiful features. Half of his face was shadowed, giving it all a mysterious look.

The wind blew and tugged at his clothing as he stood there. Then he turned around and faced me. He was smiling that sweet and innocent that I had fallen completely in love with. He walked over to me to my utmost excitement and happiness and took my hands in his own. I wanted to pull him into my arms and hold him forever but something kept me from doing that. I could only stand and watch him as he took my hands and press them to his lips.

"Duo, I love you," he whispered as he stood there.

I wanted to say 'I love you' back but I couldn't seem to get my lips to move. I just continued to stand there and stare at him. Memorizing each and every sweet detail as I imprinted them forever in my mind. My Wufei, always my Wufei. My heart overflowed from the love I had for him. It was insane yet I felt it right there. My heart wanted to burst from the happiness and love that filled it to the very brim.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep tears from spilling from my eyes. Gods, my Wufei was right there and I couldn't touch him. Couldn't pull him into my arms and hold him forever just like I always wanted to. I've had dreams of holding him but it was always in my own time. Having one in his time was something very new and strange to me yet it felt so right.

Wufei reached out and wiped the tears sliding from the corners of my eyes. "Don't cry, beloved. I love you, always; I'll love you. But I have to go now. I'm sorry." He bent down and kissed my gently on the lips before turning and walking off.

No! I wanted to scream and shout and hold on to him forever but I could only stand there and watch, motionless, as he disappeared from my life for a second time.

~*~

I was gasping and crying when I woke up early that morning. I sat up and buried my head in my arms against my knees and cried. It seemed a long time before I could finally stop. When I did, I remembered that my model was coming over and I didn't want to scare her by looking like I usually do after I cry. I quickly wiped away my tears and walked into my bathroom where I took a long hot shower, brushed my teeth and combed out my hair. I braided it quickly back into that usual braid and changed into a black T-shirt and black jeans with some boots. I was surprised to find that my jeans were just a bit too loose. I haven't been eating properly.

I had no idea what my dream meant. It was driving me crazy. Was it just another dream made up by my subconscious or did Wufei truly visit me from the past and said his last good bye? My heart broke over the idea of Wufei saying good-bye forever. We didn't say good-bye when he disappeared, there was still that hope that he would come back and good-byes weren't needed. But now, after this dream, I had this feeling that good-bye was forever. I was never going to see my Wufei ever again, was I?

Trying very hard not to break down again, I made myself some breakfast and ate it before going into my studio and cleaning everything up. I had put away all my paintings of Wufei since I didn't want the model to freak out if she sees all these paintings of one man all over the place. She might think I was some psychotic stalker of some sort. The paintings were all packed away up in the attic with the rest of the stuff Wufei had helped put away last time.

When everything was neat and the setting was set up for the model, I glanced down at my watch. Only a few more minutes before the model appeared. I rushed back to my kitchen and grabbed a couple of drinks and tried to find something non-fat. Didn't girls have this obsession with being thin? But, damnit, I wasn't so there wasn't a single diet food in the house. Finally, I just settled with some cheese nips and left it at that. If she didn't want to eat then we can get down to business right away.

Nervously, I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. I never had a model before and this was kind of exciting. My heart was racing and I felt almost high. I guess, no matter what happened, I was still an artist. I just wished I had my Wufei as well. Plus, I haven't seen a living person in a long time except to go shopping for food and on TV.

Then the doorbell rang.

I was ran to the door and slowed down a bit when I reached it. I wasn't going to appear all breathless and pathetic. I was going to appear cool, calm, as if I've done this before. Taking a deep breath and practicing my 'Hello' in my head, I turned the knob and pulled the door open.

"He--" I gasped and stared at the model standing there on my doorstep. There he was. MY Wufei. He was standing right there dressed in a white muscle shirt with a white shirt over it and black pants. His long hair was pulled back except for a few strands that fell out of the ponytail and fell into his eyes.

Then everything went black.

~*~

"Mr. Maxwell? Mr. Maxwell, wake up," a distant yet so painfully familiar voice called to me.

I slowly opened my eyes, praying that everything I had just seen wasn't a dream. And praise the gods it wasn't! There he was kneeling down beside me, his expression full of concern on his beautiful face.

"Wufei," I breathed in amazement.

"Yes? Is there something wrong, Mr. Maxwell? Do I need to call an ambulance?" Wufei asked, frowning slightly. He helped me to my feet and I steadied myself against him. It felt so good to touch him. But why did he keep calling me 'Mr. Maxwell'?

"Mr. Maxwell? Why aren't you calling me 'Duo'?" I asked in confusion. What was wrong with Wufei? Or was there something wrong with me?

Wufei looked at my strangely. "Sir, I barely know you. It's only polite that I call you by 'Mr. Maxwell.' Your manager sent me to model for one of your paintings."

I blinked rapidly while I tried to make some kind of sense of what was going on. I stared at him for a long time; my heart going 100 mph. Wufei was right here. Wufei was back. But how? Didn't he leave? Didn't he remember anything? My mind was a jumble mess. I needed to sit down and think everything through. It just didn't make sense. Wufei left. How was he suddenly turning up on my front step and acting as if I was some stranger?

"Are you sure you don't need a doctor or something?" Wufei asked with a weird look in his eyes as he stared at me.

"No, no doctor," I said, shaking my head. I walked over to the couch and sat down hard while Wufei walked over to me and stood there. I bent my head and buried it in my hands while I thought.

Okay, this was how it was: Wufei disappeared because he didn't belong in this time. Now, he's back. What the hell is going on!? Not that I'm ungrateful for it but I seriously wanted to know what was going on. I thought Wufei had disappeared forever.

"What's your name again?" I asked hoarsely. I was probably scaring him or something with the way I was acting.

"Chang Wufei," he said. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No. I'm fine," I said.

"Did I come at a bad time? I can always came back tomorrow," Wufei said.

"No!" I shouted leaping to my feet and causing Wufei to stumble back a couple of steps. I took a deep breath and smiled shakily. "No. Let's go get this painting over with."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"All right," Wufei said, nodding. "Where do we begin?"

I looked at him, taking in every familiar detail. "Let's go into the studio and start working." Then I turned and started walking.

~*~

"You're eyes are beautiful," I remarked while I sketched out Wufei's face on the sketchpad. He was seated a few feet away from me on a bench and I sat on a stool with my sketch pad and charcoal pencil.

He smiled and blushed slightly. "Thank you."

I looked back down at my pad and continued to sketch. Of course I didn't need him to sit there to model for me. I already knew every line and curve of his face. I lightly ran my pencil back over the eyes, making them stand out a bit more before I started working on his hair. I had convinced him to leave it down and now it spilled just a little past his shoulders. I wanted so badly to run my fingers through it I almost screamed from frustration. He was right there after a month of not seeing him and thinking he was gone from my life forever and I couldn't touch him.

While I painted I thought. I didn't really believe in reincarnation but it could be possibility after all that had happened. Imagine that, reincarnation.

"How long will I be modeling for you, Duo?" Wufei asked. It had taken a little persuasion to get him to say my first name but it was worth it. I haven't heard my name from his lips for such a long time. Or, at least the other self of him if I got this reincarnation thing down right.

"Oh, I don't know. We'll just have to see," I said vaguely while my heart screamed 'Forever; you're going to be with me forever'.

Wufei nodded and continued to stare at nothing. I wonder what was going on through his head.

I painted until the old grandfather clock told us that it was time for lunch. I placed my sketch pad down and stood up and stretched. Wufei did the same and smiled slightly.

"So, I'll come back tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Hey, do you want to go out for lunch?"

Wufei looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he nodded.

~*~

That was the start of our relationship I guess you could say. We talked a lot during lunch and I saw that my Wufei hadn't really changed despite the huge time gap between his old self and this one. He never regained his memory though. I don't know whether or not that was good or bad since sometimes I wished he could remember our time together in the past.

It didn't matter though because I loved him with all my heart. We went out on a couple of dates and before I knew it we were lovers. He moved in and we lived like that for about two years before we decided it was time to tie the knot.

Of course, I told Heero, Trowa, Quatre and Zechs what had happened or they would have thought Wufei leaving me had caused some trouble up in the old noggin'. I mean, wouldn't you think it was freaky if your best friend lost his boyfriend and then a month later gets another boyfriend who was exactly like the first? Most psychiatrists would say that there are some "issues" I need to take care of.

The wedding was wonderful. We invited everyone we knew and our whole family. Thank goodness we were both pretty much rich or we would have had hell trying to fit all of the guests and their guests into the reception ballroom.

After we got married we had our honeymoon across Europe just like how I wanted it so long ago. We traveled from country to country before going to China. When we came back, we lived happily for a year before I decided that it would be nice to have some kids. Wufei was a bit shocked but he agreed and soon enough we were adopting worse than Quatre and Zechs who had gotten married two years ago.

In the end I guess you could say we lived happily ever after. Except, of course we had little hell-brats running around the place giving me a few strands of white hair but that's all right. I had a family now and I had Wufei. That was all that mattered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*grin* Like I told some people, Wufei didn't come back from ancient China. He had always been there in the modern time. Cool, huh? Well, tell me whatcha think!