Wo Ai Ni, Yong Yuan

By DragonMage

Chapter 4

"Hey, Duo!" Hilde said cheerfully as Duo walked into the office the next day. She handed him a folder and frowned when she saw the shadows underneath his eyes and the sadness etched in his handsome features. "What happened?"

Duo took the folder from Hilde and flashed her a small smile. "Nothing."

"I don't believe you. What happened?" Hilde demanded. "Duo, I'm your friend. Tell me!"

Duo sighed and walked into his office with Hilde trailing behind him. She closed the door and sat down on one of the chairs as he plopped down on his own.

"It's nothing, Hilde. Just getting over some old pains, that's all," Duo said with a bitter expression as he flipped open the folder and stared blankly at it's contents. He couldn't even find the energy to read it. <I can't believe he's engaged...And he never told me!> He almost threw the folder down in his anger at Wufei's betrayal. <I thought you loved me, Fei. Guess not, huh? 'Cause you're gonna be married to some girl back in China.> Closing his eyes and rubbing his temples to ward off a head ache, Duo forgot all about Hilde for a moment as he tried not to wallow in self pity. He could move on, right? Of course! He had been living without Wufei for six years. Another lifetime wouldn't kill him...Right?

"Duo? Duo!"

"What?" Duo asked irritably as he shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Phone," Hilde said pointing to the shrieking piece of technology.

Duo quickly picked up the phone. "Duo Maxwell, here."

~*~

Wufei sighed as he lay in bed for the whole morning. He usually was able to get up and going but...Gods, he was just so tired from dealing with Duo and feeling guilty about Meiren. <What am I going to do? What am I going to do?>

He still loved Duo but he couldn't betray and dishonor Meiren. It's not right! But, oh, he still wanted Duo. He wanted to be in Duo's arms again, he wanted to kiss Duo, love Duo. But he couldn't. He had other obligations to take care of and he couldn't turn his back on it.

Turning around, Wufei stared at the phone beside his bed. <Should I? Or should I not?> His hands itched to pick up the phone and call Duo, just to hear that sweet voice. Then, without thinking, he picked up the phone and began to dial the number to Duo's office. A number he had memorized the first moment he got it.

It rung a couple of times before it finally picked up.

"Duo Maxwell, here."

<Well, it's too late to stop now...>

~*~

"Duo," a soft tenor said through the other line.

Duo almost dropped the phone. He glanced over to Hilde who had raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. She had seen his reaction. He just shook his head at her and held his hand over the speaker.

"Hilde? Um, this is kinda important..." Duo trailed off in embarrassment.

Hilde just shook her head and stood up. "It's all right, Duo. Anything to get you out of your bad mood." Then she turned and left the office, closing the door firmly behind herself.

Duo smiled slightly before he turned his attention back to the person on the other line. "Wufei?"

"Hello, Duo," Wufei's soft voice said. "We need to talk."

Duo stiffened a bit and gripped the phone tighter. "There's nothing to talk about, Wufei."

"Yes, there is, Duo," Wufei said firmly. "Please, just come out to the cafe we met at last time. I really need to explain something’s that can only be explained in person."

"What is there to explain, Wufei?" Duo asked tightly. "There's nothing. You're happy with a girl and I'm totally okay with that. End of story."

"No! Not end of story!" Wufei took a deep breath. "Please, Duo, you're a very, very good friend of mine. I don't want to lose you over this."

<Just a good friend, Wufei? Gods, you didn't really say that, did you?> Duo thought sadly. "Fine. I'll show up."

"Thank you, Duo," Wufei said gratefully. "I...I hope everything works out. Good bye, I'll see you at the cafe."

Duo slowly placed the receiver down and stared at it for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. <Please, tell me I'm doing something right.>

~*~

Wufei placed the receiver down and fell back down on his bed with a heavy sigh. <I love you, Duo.> Those words had threatened to spill out so easily, but he had quickly covered it up by hoping that everything would work out. It was still sincere but not exactly what he truly meant.

Sitting up from his bed, Wufei walked over to the closet and began to look through it as he tried to find something to wear for the lunch he was going to have with Duo. Everything had to be perfect. He needed to pull this off without hurting Duo anymore.

~*~

Duo walked into the cafe and immediately looked for Wufei. He spotted the Chinese man immediately, sitting beside the window with a cup of tea in front of him that looked untouched. He was dressed in a white dress shirt with comfortable slacks and shiny black shoes, looking all like polite, refined Chinese man that Duo knew. He also looked absolutely gorgeous.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Duo approached Wufei.

The Chinese man looked up when he felt Duo's presence and smiled slightly as he gestured to the seat across from him. Duo sat down and tried not to stare at Wufei. The long silky hair was left down and framed Wufei's handsome face. His usually stern and harsh face was softened so wonderfully but the effect of having his hair down. Gods, Duo was so tempted to reach out and brush away that lock of hair that always fell into Wufei's obsidian eyes.

"Duo, I'm very grateful you decided to come," Wufei began slowly as he tried to think of what to say without screwing everything up. He looked at Duo, taking in the beautiful yet sad face, the passionate violet eyes and that impossible rope of dark chestnut hair. Duo was dressed up in black, as usual. He looked wonderful. Too wonderful. It took all of Wufei's self-control not to throw himself into Duo's arms and begged to be forgiven and to be taken back. Gods, he had done this to himself ironically. He just had to be honorable and swallow everything that the Fates and life gave him without complaint. Even though he wanted to scream and cry like a child.

"Yeah, well, we're friends, right?" Duo said, shrugging slightly.

Wufei nodded. "Yes, we are." He truly didn't know where to begin. When he left for China? When he met Meiren while in a bout of depression? Where could he start to explain all his mistakes.

"So?" Duo pressed. He was getting pretty nervous and almost wanted to bolt for the door. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea coming. There were so many things that could go wrong. "What do you want to tell me?"

Wufei was silent for a moment. Then he slowly began. "When I first arrived in China I hated it all. My mother was so excited she never noticed how much I hated being in China...Being so far away from you. It hurt so much. It was like the distance actually caused physical pain for me.

"Of course my mother really didn't notice. She was too excited about starting all over and living life like she had wanted before she trapped herself in a marriage with my father. We moved in with some relatives and Mother quickly started a restaurant since she loves to cook and already knew how to manage one easily. I helped out like any other good son and everything was running smoothly. Or at least it seemed.

"I couldn't forget you, Duo. I just couldn't. It was horrible. As much as I wanted to leave everything behind and start a new life, I couldn't. I was sent to the local high school and I threw myself into my school work. It was probably the only thing that kept me going aside from helping my mother out. I worked harder and harder and I made the grades and soon became top of my class. All that mattered was my school work and not dwelling on the pain.

"Then I met Meiren.

"She had these ridiculous pigtails and had the haughtiest expression. She was the top of the girl's basketball, football, softball and soccer teams at the school. A complete tomboy. She wore the boy's uniform and no one could stop her. She was perfect in the art of kung-fu, karate and tae kwon do. In short, she could probably kick my ass any day." Wufei smiled wistfully at the memory of first meeting Meiren. It had been so strange.

"What happened?" Duo asked with great difficulty. He hated this. What was Wufei trying to do to him? Why was he telling him about how he met Meiren? Was he trying to tell Duo that the love they had once was doomed? Duo was almost tempted to stand up and leave but he couldn't. A perverse part of him wanted to hear this story out. He wanted to hear how this girl stole his Wufei away from him.

"She saw me practicing my own arts one day and decided to challenge me. We fought on school campus. The teachers tried to stop us but we wouldn't. We used anything within reach as a weapon. A ball, a jump-rope, books, bags, everything! It was horrible! But we had fun. We just kept on fighting and fighting. Then the bell rang for everyone to get into class and we still couldn't take the other down.

" 'Scholar! It looks like it's a tie,' she had said. I just nodded and picked up my things. I didn't want to be late for class.

"After that we started talking and became good friends. It felt so good to finally tell someone everything that had happened in my life. Amazingly she had been very supportive and helped me through my depression. Something I didn't realize I had till she pointed it. She helped me in so many ways Duo...Then one day we were both sparring when she tried to land a fist in my face only to have me dodge. She tripped and fell into my arms...." Wufei trailed off thoughtfully. "I didn't love her right away. But when I did...We dated for about four years before I finally proposed to her."

"What's the point of you telling me this?" Duo asked painfully as he stood up to leave. He had heard enough! He didn't need to take this kind of crap with Wufei. No, he could live without Wufei. Or at least that's what he was telling himself. Gods, his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Didn't Wufei care?

Wufei quickly stood up and caught Duo's wrist. "Duo, I loved you, but I love Meiren as well."

Duo almost laughed out loud at the pure pain of Wufei using past tense with him and present tense with Meiren. <I've truly lost him. Forever. I've lost him...>

"I don't want to lose you as a friend because of this, Duo. I care too much about our friendship, whatever it was for as long as it lasted, to give all of this up. I didn't know what happened to you after I left...," Wufei said softly.

"Why didn't you write, Wufei? Why didn't you call?" Duo demanded.

"Because I couldn't," Wufei whispered, his eyes growing wide. "I couldn't! My mother wouldn't allow it! She had such a fantasy of starting all over she never allowed me to call my old friends from America or write to them. When I finally saved up enough money to send at least one letter--she never gave me enough money to buy stamps or phone cards--it was returned to me. You had moved."

Duo stared at Wufei. "You wanted to call? You wanted to write?"

"Of course," Wufei said, tightening his hold on Duo's wrist. He loved the feel of Duo's smooth skin against his own. Gods, he had missed it.

Duo looked down at the hold Wufei had around his wrist. The darker side of him wanted to grab Wufei and never left him go. But the other side said that Wufei belonged to someone else and he couldn't do that.

"I thought you just wanted it all to end. Everything. I hated you, Wufei, for that time. I hated you for not writing, for not calling. I never knew..."

"How could you? I'm so sorry, Duo. I never meant to hurt you in any way," Wufei said sincerely.

Duo smiled crookedly. "Hey. You're forgiven."

Wufei smiled and shook his head. "Good." He finally, very reluctantly, released Duo's hand.

"Well, now that everything's okay, why don't I walk you to your hotel? It's starting to get late and I have to get back to work," Duo said, shrugging.

Wufei nodded. "I'm sorry if I took up too much of your time..."

"Naw, anything for a friend, Wufei." Duo had been so tempted to say 'friend' with all the bitterness he was feeling inside but he didn't. He couldn't do that to Wufei.

They stepped out of the cafe and walked down the street to the hotel that was only a couple of blocks away. Thank goodness LA seemed to be all crammed together and everyone are neighbors with each other. It sure made getting around easier.

They were silent as they walked into the hotel and into the elevator. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence since each were so deep in their own thoughts.

When they finally reached Wufei's hotel door, Duo had had enough of thinking.

"So, I guess I'll see ya later some time. We still have that deal to finish," he said casually.

Wufei nodded and smiled. He was very relieved. "Yeah. It was wonderful to finally sit down and talk, Duo. I missed that." He turned and slid his key card through the slot and pushed open the door before turning around to give Duo another smile. "Thanks. I'll see ya later then."

Duo nodded. Then, the dark side took over suddenly and he reached out, grabbed Wufei by the arm and jerked the smaller man to him. Duo kissed Wufei full on the lips. He almost moaned at the perfect memory of how soft and delicious Wufei's lips were. He hadn't kissed Wufei in six years and this was almost too much. He almost died when he felt Wufei immediately respond to his kiss.

Wufei closed his eyes as his mind screamed at him. What was he doing?! Kissing Duo! But he had Meiren...He couldn't do this to her...

All thoughts melted away as he lost himself completely into Duo's embrace. Oh gods, he hadn't been in these arms and being kissed like this for the longest time. It immediately awoken a deep hunger that had been buried for so very long.

Gently, Duo pulled away as he slowly released Wufei, his violet eyes smoldering as he looked down at his former boyfriend. Wufei was breathing hard as he stared up at Duo in a dazed wonder. His moist lips were parted so invitingly it was all Duo had not to kiss him again.

Then Duo turned and walked off quickly before Wufei could say another word.

Wufei stood there, leaning against the doorframe of his room as he tried to catch his breath and try to understand what had just happened. He turned and stumbled into his room, closing the door firmly behind him. He fell on to bed and closed his eyes as he remembered the warmth and love and passion he had found in Duo's hold and kiss. He had forgotten how wonderful it was. He hadn't felt like this in such a long time, not even when he was kissing and holding Meiren.

<Oh gods, what's going to happen now?> He wondered ruefully as he turned on to his back and stared at the phone. <I should check my messages. That'll give me something to do.> He reached over and dialed a couple of numbers down to the front desk.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Do I have any messages..."

~*~

Wufei stared down at the note that had been left at the front desk.

Scholar,

Where are you? I come to America! I'll be at your hotel in two days!

--Meiren

<Oh, Meiren. I told you to practice your English...> Wufei thought ruefully as he read the note over again. Then he sighed and fell down on the floor and laid there for a very long time. <Meiren's coming to America. Oh gods, Duo! So many things can go wrong...So many things! What am I going to do?>

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

Oy! I finally finished this! *wipes sweat off forehead* Tell me what you all think!

Wufei: How could you? Why do you do this to me, onna?

D-chan: Dunno...I have a rep to keep up?

Wufei: What rep?!

D-chan: *sweatdrop*