Authors’ Notes:
Tsuno: Hiii~iiii! Just the disclaimer before we start. We don’t own
Gundam Wing. If we did, there’d be a lot less clothes and a lot more
yaoi!
Tori: A LOT more yaoi... *Smirks* And a lot less Relena...
Tsuno: WAAAAAAYYYYY less Relena.... or lots more Relena deaths...
*cackles evilly*
Tori: We aren’t doing this for money. If we were, I wouldn’t have gone
out and gotten a job.
Tsuno: So please don’t sue us! We are poor! We’ve already sold our souls
to the devil! (for a box of pencil crayons! ^_^)
Tori: Gundam Wing belongs to Sunrise, Bandai, and lots of other people....
Tsuno: ...People who aren’t us!
Tori: Pairings are: 2x5, implied 1x3
Tsuno: *heartmark* Waaaaaaay 2x5! *does happy 2x5 dance*
Tori: *shakes head* Anyway, warnings. Yaoi Lime. If this turns you off,
read no further.
Tsuno: Lots of sap, too! ‘nummy, ‘nummy sap!!! Some swearing, mind games,
and my crappy attempts at dialogue... -_-’
Tori: Any and all flames will be fed to Nataku.
Tsuno: Who will chew them up and spit them out and send you flying
to the fiery gates of hell and back!!! MWA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!!
Tori: Otherwise, on with the story!
Tsuno: Rock on!!! Woo wooo!!!

Vanilla Caramel
By Tori Chiisai and Tsuno Pikash


	Clank-clank-thud
	Clank-clank-thud

	He wanted to kill someone. As his mind toyed with the idea his
fingers slowly convulsed into fists. Both actions were useless given
the circumstances, but he found some sort of comfort in digging his
nails into his palms while he turned over the thoughts of horrifying,
gruesome deaths.

	Clank-clank-thud
	Clank-clank-thud

	Narrowing his almond-shaped eyes to onyx slits Chang Wufei
stared down at his hands. They were relatively free, bur from wrist
to elbow his arms were sheathed in metal, linked together by a
surprisingly resilient chains. When he was sure the goons guiding him
were not watching he gave said chains a sharp tug. Nothing. Well, he
would have been surprised if something had happened.

	Clank-clank-thud
	Clank-clank-thud

	He glanced surreptitiously at the so-called guards. Somehow, he
was glad to see that the higher-ups in OZ  were continuing the tradition
of hiring from the shallow end of the gene pool. The stone-faced men
with their rifles didn’t look like they had two thought to rub together
between all of them.

	They weren’t paying all that much attention to the captives. After
all, this was an OZ base; virtually impenetrable, and what could two
fifteen-year-old boys do against a platoon of soldiers anyway?

	Clank-clank-thud

	Well, they could have done more if...

	Clank-clank-thud

	....Someone hadn’t screwed up...

	Clank-clank-thud

	....And gotten them captured...

	Clank-clank...

	“Would you stop that?!” Wufei snarled at the boy beside him.

	Duo Maxwell cocked an eyebrow, the one above the amethyst eye
that was not swollen half-shut. “Stop what?”

	The guards ignored the two prisoners. Wufei blew a strand of
silky back hair from his face, a piece that had obviously escaped
from his usual strict ponytail. “If you must walk, at least walk in
step!”

	For an instant an scowl shot across Duo’s face. “Yes, Your
Highness,” he growled.

	Clank-thud-clank

	“Maxwell!” Wufei would have belted the American pilot, had a
guard not caught his arm.

	“Hey, hey,” The older man used what pitiful strength he had
and pulled Wufei away from Duo. “None of that, you hear?” Giving the
Chinese boy a rough shake, he released him.

	They took another couple of steps, all boots striking the metal
at precisely the same time. It still brought a frown to Wufei’s face.

	Suddenly, a puff of warm air brushed against Wufei’s cheek.
“What the hell was that about, Chang?”

	Wufei turned his head a fraction of an inch, nearly colliding
with the braided boy. Duo pulled back, straightening to his regular
height, a good half-a-head taller than the Chinese boy. He was bound
the same as Wufei, compact, muscular arms shackled with the thick cuffs.
It seemed ridiculous, yet astute. It may have been overkill for a pair
of boys, but they were more than ordinary boys. They were Gundam Pilots.

	And  as such, they should not have screwed up.

	They? His lip curled. No, it had not been both of them who had screwed
up.

	Duo opened his mouth to shoot back an appropriately scathing reply,
but he was abruptly cut off. The guards shoved the against the wall. Wufei
barely restrained a shout of pain as the back of his head bounced off the
slate grey metal.

	If there was one thing OZ was consistent about, it was the layout of
their bases. They must have mass manufactured them somewhere, and shipped
them to the places they were needed. Wufei could find his way from the cell
block to the hanger blind-folded. But, that would be impossible from inside
the cell.

	The guard seized Wufei’s restraints, producing a key chip. Two quick
movement, and the cuffs hit the floor with a metallic clang. He then moved
to Duo, another pair of guards capturing Wufei’s arms and holding him steady.

	“Wow, you guys sure are getting cocky.” Duo plastered a huge grin on
his lips. “Don’t’cha know there hasn’t been a cell built yet that can hold
a Gundam Pilot?”

	“Oh, really?” The guard returned Duo’s smile, a feral expression if
Wufei had ever seen one. He drew back his arm, cooling his hand into a fist...

	And at the last second, turned and buried it in Wufei’s belly.

	The air rushed from Wufei’s lungs in an undignified woosh. If it hadn’t
been for the guards holding him, he would have fallen.

	Sneering at Duo the guard took a step towards the braided pilot. “If I
were you, I’d learn to shut up. We don’t really care which one of you is
running off at the mouth.” Before Duo could comment, the guard grabbed a
handful of his long, chestnut hair. Wufei noted with grim satisfaction the
grimace of pain that flashed across Duo’s face. With his other hand the guard
flung open the door to the cell. “Get in.”

	Wufei was perfectly willing to walk into the cell - as willing as he
could be given the circumstances - but within two steps he found himself
airborne. His shin struck one of the metal steps leading down into the cell,
driving a white-hot knife of pain up his leg. He reached for the injury, coming
to a rest against a solid object.

	Said object groaned and shoved at Wufei’s shoulder. “Get off of me.”

	Duo’s voice galvanized him, making Wufei completely forget the pain he
was in. A battle cry tore from his throat as he launched himself at the other boy.
	Unfortunately, he was close enough that when Duo straight-armed him, it
worked. Wufei sat back down on his rear, hard.

	Fortunately for Duo, Wufei was still too sore and out of breath from the
guard’s attack to try again. The fact that his jaw now stung almost as much as
his shin helped. He glared at Duo from his undignified position on the steps,
wiping away the trail of blood that began to trickle down the corner of his
mouth. “What the hell was that for?!” he snarled, spitting the blood that had
begun to fill his mouth on the floor at Duo’s feet.

	“I should ask you the same question!” Duo snapped back. He rubbed
grumpily at his eyes, wincing when his palm pressed against his swollen eyelid.

	Wufei’s lip curled up in a vicious snarl. “You know damn well what it was
for!” he barked.

	Duo put on a dry look. “Enlighten me,” he growled in monotone.

	Instead of answering, Wufei began to struggle to his feet, biting back a
cry of pain when streaks of agony began shooting up his left leg; he must have
hit it harder than he had first realized. Using the wall for support he tentivly
put the tiniest of pressure on his foot. Instantly his knee gave out and he
crumpled to the floor, this time unable to stop the sharp cry that escaped his
throat as his knee banged against the floor. As his vision greyed for a split
second he was dimly aware of two arms wrapping around his waist and a strong body
pressed against his back as somebody struggled to keep him from falling further.
In that second he was grateful for those hands, but when the fog cleared and
instant later his paled face flushed with rage. “Get your hands off me, Maxwell!”
he shrieked, giving Duo a violent shove. His savior reeled back and, without
support, he collapsed in a heap on the steps.

	A look of angry hurt flashed across Duo’s bruised face. “I was just trying
to help!” he sputtered.

	Glaring at the braided pilot of Deathscythe Hell through a shock of ebony
bangs that had come loose from his now disheveled ponytail Wufei snorted. “I don’t
need your help!” he growled. He tried once again to stand, and once again he
failed. “I don’t need anyone’s help!”

	Duo gave a snort of humorless laughter. “If you ask me, I’d say you were
in need of a little help right now!”

	“I didn’t ask you! And I don’t need help! I never need help!” Another try.
Another cry of pain. Shaking his head at his companion’s stubbornness, Duo sighed.
“How about getting outa’ here?! How do you plan on doing that on your own?”

	“I will succeed without aid! I will continue by myself! I don’t. Need. Help!”
Try. Fail. Try again.

	“Wufei...” it sounded desperate now. “Wufei, stop it! Duo rushed forward,
grasping at the younger boy’s arm. “Please, Wufei! You’re going to hurt yourself!”

	But Wufei refused to listen. He pulled himself to his feet, managing to
stand with the aid of the wall. He leaned against it lightly, his injured leg
curled limply beneath him, before hobbling his way towards one of the cots
nestled in the corners of the cell. He had not even taken four shaky steps
before his leg gave out again and he found the concrete floor rushing to meet
his face. He managed to shoot out a hand to catch himself, the impact in his
palms reverberating through the entire length of his arms and inside his skull.
Forcing the air through his teeth with his tongue in a hiss of pain he pressed
his forehead against the cool floor. “Kuso...!” he swore, rolling onto his back.

	With a long-suffering sigh Duo knelt beside his fellow Gundam pilot. “Are
you quite finished?”

	A soft moan was his only answer. “Get away, Maxwell...” Wufei began.

	“I know, I know. You don’t need any help.” Duo gave Wufei a sad smile.
“Don’t think of it as helping. Think of it as voluntary assistance..” With
gentle fingers he cupped Wufei’s knees in his hands, feeling the massive
swelling beneath the thin, silky pants. HE bit his lip. “this look real bad, Fei.
Bet it feels even worse, ne?”

	Wufei let out a snort of laughter that quickly dissolved into a sharp
intake of breath. “H-hai,” he gasped.

	Despite their earlier argument, Duo’s eyes dusted over with worry. As
delicately as humanly possible he began pushing the cuff of Wufei’s pant leg
up, ignoring the low-pitched squeak the forced itself from the other teen’s
throat. The once-white folds of silk slid upward, causing Duo to cringe in
sympathy as it reveled purpling bruises and swelling muscles. The entire length
of Wufei’s shin was dotted with massively spreading contusions where the steps
had connected several times with the delicate flesh. At least, Duo noted with
no small amount of relief, the skin remained intact and there was no signs of
bleeding. “Man, Fei,” he whistled, trying to maintain a casual air, “you really
banged yourself up!” I told you to stop, his mind added smugly but he remained
wisely silent. The last thing he needed was to have the exotic bishounen even
more angry with him.

	A bronzed arm draped over kohl eyes and pearly lips sank into plush,
kissable lips as Duo gently squeezed along Wufei’s lower leg, trying to
determine whether or not anything was broken. “I am not at fault!” Wufei
snapped, the pain making him more irritable than usual. “Those bastasrds
shoved me in here.” It was said merely out of habit. Both were aware he knew
perfectly well it was his own fault, and neither cared. If Wufei wanted to
bitch it was his own problem.

	“Well, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. It feels like you’ve
wretched it a little,” Duo continued, eyes skimming around the room in
search of something he could use. They met with nothing useful. “We need
to wrap it....”

	Without a word Wufei suddenly began undoing the complicated clasps
on his long, traditional tunic, sliding his arms out with ease and arching
his back to slip it over his head. “Use this,” he stated. Millions of
goosebumps rose along his bare arms as they made flush contact with the
cold, cement floor.

	“Won’t you get cold?” the taller boy asked, hesitantly taking the
bundle of fabric in his hands. Wufei shot him a chilly look that clearly
said; ‘keep your stupid opinions to yourself, Maxwell’ and then lay back,
closing his eyes. It was his signal for Duo to proceed.

	Shrugging, Duo set to work. Finding a small tear in the hem of the
tunic he rent the fabric into long strips which he then transferred to Wufei’s
knee. As he worked he took the opportunity the observe his friends in a rare
moment of defenselessness. His eyes skimmed along the sweeping bones of Wufei’s
collar and up a swanlike neck, stopping upon the pulse point there. The vein
throbbed wildly, despite Wufei’s outward expression and icy attitude, his heart
beating hard and fast. Briefly Duo wondered if it was fear or something else
that caused such a powerful heart to flutter, and such well trained lungs to
pant so heavily in the Chinese boy’s chest.

	Moving along, Duo’s eyes danced over a well-build chest that heaved up
and down. The dark blue fabric that covered that chest rippled like ocean waves
with the movement, calling attention to twin points. Wufei’s nipples, hardened
and pert from the cold, pressed against the Asian’s tank-top, creating tiny
little tents in the material. At the sight of them Duo felt his mouth go dry
and a spark of heat flash through him, causing the tiniest of aches to make
itself known in his stomach and between his legs. Looking down he was horrified
to see there had been a noticeable shift in the fabric of his pants. It was
small, but it was there. The question was: ‘Why!?’

	Distractedly his fingers stilled, playing along the slim caramel leg
that rested against his lap as he pondered that question. He’d always known
there was some sort of tension between himself and the attractive pilot of
Altron. Whether it was sexual or not he couldn’t say, but, like his
semi-erection, it was there. He knew Wufei felt the tension, too, or he wouldn’t
try to distance himself so much from the other pilots. Did he prefer men,
as they did? Probably not. Wufei was far to much of a prude to even consider
being gay.

	Glancing up Duo tried to stifle a surprised gasp when he suddenly
realized the feeling of tension wasn’t the only thing the two of them shared
at the moment. He blushed tried to look anywhere but at the tiny erection Wufei
was sporting. Even then his mind continued to work at breakneck speed. Could it
be, perhaps, they were attracted to one another? Duo shook that thought away
almost as quickly as it had appeared. Wufei was a stubborn jackass with a stick
up his ass the size of a Gundam and in bad need of a serious attitude adjustment.
He may be drop-dead sexy and have one of the nicest asses Duo had ever seen,
but it didn’t mean the attractive Chinese was on the Deathscythe pilot’s
‘People To Screw’ list. It just wouldn’t happen.

	All his brain activity was beginning to make Duo’s head hurt. He decided
he need a distraction, even if it meant talking to Mr. Chang “Holier-Than-Thou”
Wufei.

	“So....” he trailed off, realizing he had no idea what to talk about.
Hey, hear the one about the duck and the grapes? Yeah, right! Like Wufei would
even get it.

	He had no idea he was being watched. Even though his kohl lashes were
resting against caramel cheeks, Wufei had opened them marginally, just enough
to watch the braided pilot. Something was going on with him, thoughts flashing
behind violet eyes. Amazing. His head actually did something besides hold that
ridiculous ball cap of his.

	“So...” Duo repeated, still concentrating the white silk bindings. “How
about those Dodgers?”

	Wufei crinkled his brow. “Dodgers?” Was it some sort of new mobile suit
that - heaven forbid - Duo had found out about and Wufei hadn’t?

	“Yeah, the Dodgers. You know, the Major League, World Series....” He
babbled on. “Ya know.... Baseball.”

	Wufei’s eyes snapped open the rest of the way and he struggled to sit
up. “Baseball?”

	Duo misunderstood his reaction. Or else he was completely ignoring the
rage that was simmering just below the surface. “Well, you’re right, the
play-offs ended in October. It’s football season now, but I don’t really
have a favorite team. It wall went to hell when the CFL and the NFL combined
into the NAFL...”

	“We’re sitting in an OZ prison... And you want to talk sports?!”

	“Well I don’t see you coming up with anything!” Duo stoop up, dropping
Wufei’s leg in the abrupt action. The pain was enough to make the smaller pilot
go cross-eyed. “All you ever talk about is justice, and honor, and to tell
you the truth, I’m not really up to it right now!”

	Swallowing convulsively, Wufei reached down to hold his knee. It did nothing
for the pain, but it alleviated his feelings of impotence. “Fine,” he ground out,
“Talk about your Dodgers and NB-whatever...”

	“N*A*FL, and no thank you.” Duo glared down at him for a handful of
heartbeats. Wufei returned the expression full force. It wasn’t like he had
been the one to get them captured. “I’ll just shut-up, ‘cause I’m obviously
not appreciated.”

	“You? Shut-up?” A laugh burst from Wufei’s throat. “Oh, that would be
the day, wouldn’t it? I don’t think you’ve stopped talking since the day you
learned to string syllables together. Syllables, mind you, because I have yet
to hear a coherent sentence - AH!” He’d gotten so involved in his spiel that
he had moved his knee again. Damn, but it hurt!

	“Don’t do that.” Duo was at his side again, elevating the knee. His lean
fingers gripped the leg through a double layer of silk, but for the sparks of
awareness that shot through Wufei’s body, it might as well have been naked.

	His blood heated at that thought. Naked? Obviously some primal instinct
he would have to learn to control. Fast.

	It wasn’t attraction. it couldn’t be. Neither were the jolts that went
through him as Duo helped him over to the cot.

	Gently Duo helped him swivel his hips so the injury rested on the thin
mattress. He even dragged the pillow around to prop under Wufei’s heel. “Now,
don’t move.”

	Wufei glowered at him. “I don’t take orders from-”

	“From a braided American baka with no sense of honor or justice? Or
are you going to surprise me with something original?” Duo cocked an eyebrow.
“in case you haven’t noticed, Fei, you’re not the only one in this cell. We’re
going to have to get along.”

	“Through no fault of mine!” Wufei hissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

	“Oh, oh, so I want to be here?!” Duo held out his arms in an all
encompassing gesture, taking in the cell and all within. “Newsflash, Fei,
the war may be my life, but I’ve got better things to do. Have you checked
the calendar? Do you know what today is?”

	“December twenty-third” Wufei rattled off, searching for the significance
of the date.

	“Do you know what tomorrow is?” Duo started pacing, a motion that
could quickly become annoying.

	Or intriguing as those pants clung too.... NO! “Hazarding a guess,
I’d say the twenty-fourth.”

	“Precisely!”

	Wufei rolled his eyes. “And what’s so special about December twenty-fourth?”

	Duo looked at him as if he’d just sprouted a second head. “Duh! It’s
Christmas Eve!”

	“So?”

	“So, the day after that is Christmas. Only one of the most important
holidays.” Duo shook his head at the blank look Wufei was giving him.
“Forget it.” He sat down on the steps, bracing his elbows on his knees.
“Just forget it.”
	“Fine,” Wufei muttered, laying back on the cot. He couldn’t turn his
body away from Maxwell thank to his knee, but he could glare at the ceiling.
Christmas. As if he gave a damn what holiday came after tomorrow. If Maxwell
put that much stock into a single day it was his problem. Not Wufei’s.

	Silence rose, engulfing the cell. He didn’t know what it was, but
something compelled him to tear his gaze away from the hard metal surface.
It was like the focus of nature, unstoppable, and usually undesirable.

	Duo was sitting on the steps. The cell was lower than the walkway for
reasons Wufei fully understood but had no desire to explore. There were
three steps that led from the door to the grimy cement floor. The American’s
lean body was perched on the middle steps, his booted feet flat on the floor.
His chestnut bangs, unruly at the best of times, fell across his violet eyes.
Combined with the shadows of the it obscured the upper half of his face. His
lips were compressed into a thin line, trembling just noticeably with restrained.....

	Emotion? What sort? Rage? Sadness?

	Better question; why would Wufei care?

	He had the end of his braid captured between his fingers, weaving the
thick plait through them. He had never been one to sit still, a work of
perpetual motion. Wufei couldn’t decide if it was endearing or annoying, or
it there was even a line between the two. Again, what did it matter?

	Drawing in a deep breath, Wufei turned his gaze again to the ceiling.
There was only a handful of lights in the cell, dim bulbs embedded in the hard
grey ceiling. Even with those lights it was darker than the inside of a pocket,
except for the faint circles that stood on the floor, and cast their arms towards
the corners. That didn’t mean the fingers reached them, specifically where the
cots were situated. For that, Wufei was the tiniest bit grateful. It made it easier
to sleep, and to watch Maxwell unawares.

	Not that he would, mind you, for any purpose other than surveillance.

	The rasp of fabric against metal caught his attention. Duo unfolded himself
from his seat on the steps, jamming his hands into the pockets of his pants. His
boots scuffed the floor as he dragged his feet towards the other cot. The makeshift
bed winced and moaned as he flopped down on it, promptly slinging one arm over
his eyes. “Night, Fei.”

	Wufei tore his gaze off Maxwell again, wondering if he’d actually been
caught staring, or f the other pilot was merely being cordial. “Good night,
Maxwell.”

	Within a matter of moments, Duo’s breaths were deep and even, a pattern
produced only by sleep. For an instant, Wufei resented that. Maxwell could fall
asleep anywhere, anytime, without hesitation. He, on the other hand, was prepared
to stare at the ceiling, and watch the never-shifting shadows for hours.

	“Damn you, Maxwell,” he muttered, and buried his face in his arms, admitedly
unsure of how he could possibly blame this on the sleeping pilot. Somehow, he had
to order his scattered thoughts.

	Like so many times before, his harsh words came back to haunt him. The cruel,
cruel things he had uttered, his brashness, they all sang their regrets in his
ears. It was a talent he had, of replaying every nuance of a confrontation, and
analyze it from every angle. Starting off from the worst case scenario: Duo would
be furious. He’d get a chance to think about it, and take everything Wufei had
said in the most terrible way possible. He had never admitted this tendency
outloud, never needed to voice an apology. It would eat at his belly during the
night, but come morning, his fears were allayed. The person accepted it as part
of his ‘Gundam-up-his-ass’ attitude and let it go.

	But Duo hadn’t really deserved it. Yes, he had screwed up, and Wufei would
never let him forget it, but he was trying to make amends. How gentle had he been
binding Wufei’s knee? Gentle enough that it had stirred something deep inside the
Chinese pilot.

	He hoped Duo had missed the beginnings of his arousal. How humiliating it
would have been! His body had reacted to the tenderness he had been so sorely
missing.

	Bah! Wufei rolled over as best he could without jarring his knee. Gentle?
Tender? They were the foolish hopes of weak onnas. That he should even entertain
such thoughts was ridiculous.

	“Absolutely ridiculous...” he muttered as he drifted into sleep’s embrace.

***

	When Duo opened his eyes again it was to the sound of the heavy metal
door swinging open, bright light streaming in to burn through his eyes and
embed itself in the back of his brain in the form of twitching after-images.
Never-the-less, he forced his eyelids to stay open, glaring at the
silhouetted figure that stepped into the doorway, hands clamped behind its
back. A quick glance at Wufei reveled the smaller boy to be already awake
and alert: big surprise. The oriental pilot was one of the lightest sleepers
Duo had ever known. Even Heero slept like a log compared to Wufei. It was
frustrating.

	“On your feet!” a voice barked as the figure in the doorway stepped
into the gloom of the cell, light falling away to reveal a sour, menacing
face and muscles that could put some of Quatre’s Maguanacs to shame. Duo
swallowed hard, trying to hide the flutter of anxiety that flared to life
in his stomach. Shit, he thought, doing as he was told even while pasting
a cocky smirk on his face, We’re screwed.

	the man walked into the room with agonizingly slow steps, his uniform
boots clacking noisily on the cement floor like knives. Stone grey eyes
flickered back and forth with cool confidence as he examined first Duo’s
face, than Wufei’s. A light of amusement sparked in those eyes, suggesting
this man had just made the same mistake everyone else did; They’re just
kids, what can they do?

	“So,” the man drawled, stepping forward so he could sneer down into
Duo’s face. “These are the famous Gundam pilots. Pathetic.” He gave a snort
of mocking laughter.

	Duo sneered right back. “Tell that to the base we just leveled,
pal!” he snorted, only to be cut off as a beefy fist sunk itself into his
stomach. There was a shift of light as if Wufei had tensed as Duo crashed
to the ground, but nothing happened. Perhaps he had imagined it.

	“Watch your tongue, boy,” the man snarled, moving on in his inspection
of the prisoners. Or trust me, you’ll lose it.” He was now paused before
Wufei, eyeing the much shorter man with something like contempt and mocking;
much like the way a predator eyed its prey. He took in the way Wufei leaned
heavily against the wall, his left leg trembling with the strain of holding
his weight. A wide, sadistic grin spread over the squarish face and Duo felt
an impending sense of dread settle itself in his stomach like dead weight..
Without warning  the OZ soldier backhanded Wufei across the face, delighting
as the Chinese boy dropped to the floor without a sound.

	Had he known Wufei better e would have been on his guard. But he didn’t,
so when the nimble Chinese caught himself with his hands and, without
breaking the flow of his momentum, swept the man’s feet out from under him,
the soldiar was completely unprepared. Before the man had even hit the floor
Wufei was once again on his feet, angling a spinning kick that could have
taken his head off. And all this was done on an injured leg. The guy was
amazing.

	Silently cheering his companion on, Duo watched the graceful arch of
Wufei’s foot as it sailed through the air... only to be stopped short as a
gunshot rang through cell. His momentum no longer able to support him,
Wufei’s bad knee collapsed and he crashed to the ground with a sharp cry
of pain.

	“Wufei!” Duo wheezed, reaching for his friend, “Are you all right?! He
scrambled forward, a bullet biting into the concrete at his feet drawing him
short.

	“Don’t move!” a new voice shouted. Another soldier stood in the doorway,
gun trained on the two pilots as his colleague scrambled to his feet. “You
hurt, John?”

	Wounded pride burning over every inch of his face, John drew himself
up to his full height. “You little prick!” he hissed, marching over to Wufei
and hauling the wounded Chinese to his feet by his collar. “I think you need
to learn a little respect for your betters! Bloody chink!” That being said
he drew back his fist and slammed it into Wufei’s jaw; hard. The petite
pilot of Altron reeled back, just barely catching himself before the fist
was buried in his stomach and an elbow slammed down on his back. Once he
was down John began to savagely kick him, the dull sounds of boot meeting
flesh echoing off the metal walls.

	“Hey!” Duo cried, protective rage flaring to life. “Hey! Leave him
alone, you bastards!!” Ignoring the gun aimed at his heart he flung himself
at the mountain of a man, managing to get in a few solid hits before he was
shaken off and held back by the second guard.

	For a moment, John forgot about Wufei laying on the floor, turning
his attention instead to Duo who struggled against the arms holding him back,
wishing for the life of him he could beat that infuriating grin from the
man’s face. He didn’t know why Wufei’s cries had awakened something inside
him, something primal and angry, but he did know he wanted revenge.

	“What’s the matter, tough guy?” John sneered, pushing his face right
into Duo’s. “You got something against me roughin’ up your little buddy
here?” When Duo refused to answer the man smirked and sauntered back to
Wufei, jerking the wounded pilot to his feet. He studied the soft lines
of Wufei’s painstreaked face, appearing satisfied with his handiwork.
A rough, callused hand reached out and cupped a smooth, caramel cheek in
its work heavy palm, patting gently then swinging down in a hard slap that
snapped Wufei’s head to the side. “I can tell you won’t hand over any
information of importance, my friend,” he murmured to Wufei, voice dripping
with false concern.

	“I will not give you any information, important or not!” Wufei
snapped, jerking his face away when the hand traced its lines again,
“I would rather die!” With that he spat, hitting the man directly in
the eye. If there was one thing Duo could say about the Chinese pilot,
he had guts. Even if he was a bit to impulsive for his own good.

	Steel grey eyes hardened to ashen slits as the man wiped the trail
of saliva away, but he didn’t strike out, not yet at any rate. A predatory
smile flitted across his thin lips as he patted Wufei’s head like one
would a child, much to the petite teen’s fury. “Exactly,” he cooed,
pulling free his handgun from his holster with the sound of metal against
leather. “But I do believe your friend may be of some assistance....
given the proper motivation, of course.” He turned a scornful glance on
Duo who swallowed convulsively and forced himself to glare back. He had
a bad feeling about this....

	“Now,” John purred, sidling in behind Wufei and draping one trunk
of an arm over the teen’s shoulder while the other pressed the steel
barrel of the gun to a caramel temple. “Tell me where the other Gundams
and their pilots are or your friend’s brains’ll find themselves decorating
the wall.” He put on a concerned look that wasn’t convincing in the least.
“It’s your choice.”

	Duo felt sick to the pit of his stomach. He was torn. Any anger
he had felt towards the delicate looking Asian instantly disappeared,
replaced with nothing but concern. “I....” His voice broke and he didn’t
even bother to clear it. Wufei.... his mind whispered, causing a
distressing ache to begin burning deep within his chest, You can’t die...
The sudden taste of copper filled his mouth and he only just realized
he had been biting his lip. Everyone I care about dies....

	“Uuhhh...I...” He stumbled over the words again. God, what was wrong
with him? When he agreed to pilot Deathscythe he had understood the risks
and dangers involved, had known it could mean his life one day. Wufei had
made the same promises, he understood the importance of the Gundams, was
perfectly willing to die for their cause.... So why was Duo so concerned?

	Velvet eyes suddenly turned on him with an intensity that nearly made
him stumble back a step. Those eyes.... there had never been so much
emotion swirling untamed in their endless depths. Without even trying,
Duo could see regret, love, pride, innocence and pain, such pain in them.
In that moment Duo saw every bit of the gentle scholar Wufei had been before
the war, and for once those eyes didn’t look quite so old.

	“if you tell him anything, 02, I swear upon my ancestors I will come
back from the grave and make your life a living hell!” Wufei suddenly hissed,
the familiar spark of resistance flaring to life inside him. His chin
tilted in quiet pride. “Let me die with honor, not as a tool for OZ.”

	Blinking back tears he knew shouldn’t be there Duo nodded and
straightened to his full height, glaring down his nose at the OZ soldier.
Swallowing the lump in his throat he forced himself to look directly into
Wufei’s eyes and say the hardest words he’d ever spoken. “Then this... this
is our goodbye.”

	Despite both their brave words Duo couldn’t help but strain against
the hands holding him back, wishing with every nuance of his being he could
stop this without jeopardizing everything they stood for. John pressed the
barrel tighter against Wufei’s temple, looking slightly disappointed the
Chinese wasn’t simpering and begging for his life by now.

	“Last chance, kid,” he growled, tightening his finger on the trigger.
When Duo simple clamped his lips together with stubborn indignation he
shrugged. “All right.” His lips danced against Wufei’s ear for a brief moment,
failing to bring a reaction to the stony expression. “See you in hell, 05.”

	Wufei’s lashes fluttered closed, blurring into charcoal smudges on his
golden cheeks as he bowed his head in preparation, a small contented smile
of acceptance on his plush lips. He was ready.
	With taunting slowness John’s finger tightened further, millimeter by
millimeter, until Duo couldn’t take it anymore and squeezed his eyes shut.
He wanted to howl in agony and grief, wanted to scream, cry, do something.
Damn these bastards and Damn the way they were making him feel.

	A lone shot rang out, followed by the dull sound of a body hitting the
floor. Duo jerked at the sound, two tears escaping his lashes and trailing,
ignored, down his cheeks. They were the first tears he had cried in a long,
long time. And they were for Wufei.

	As the hands holding him back relaxed Duo dared to force his eyes open,
moisture blurring the white and black shape of Wufei laying on the ground. Oh
God.... no.... This wasn’t supposed to happen.... Warriors like Wufei were
supposed to go out in a blaze of glory, not slumped on the floor of an Oz
prison, bleeding to death from a hole in their heads....

	That’s when he realized there were no swirls of crimson mixing with the
smudges of ebony and ivory haze. His eyes snapped open and he stared in
disbelief at a very pissed, very alive Wufei.

	“Next time,” John suddenly snarled, breaking into the startled silence,
“I won’t miss. Remember that.” He beckoned to the other guard, placing a hand
on the latch of the door. A cruel smirk stretched across his lips. “After all,
I’d hate to waste such a touching speech.”

	Duo didn’t even bother to look up as the door slammed shut with a metallic
clang. The two pilots stared at each other, a general sense of relief flooding
the room. “Oh, Lord.....!” Duo finally managed to gasp out, clasping at his heart
and sinking bonelessly to the floor. “I have never been so goddamn scared in
my life. Are you okay?”

	“As well as can be expected,” Wufei growled, tenderly stroking the small
gash in his forehead where the bullet had grazed his skin. He winced when the
action jarred his most likely bruised ribs. “I’m still alive...”

	A laugh bordering on hysterical broke from Duo’s throat as he fell back
to lay on the floor, heart pounding in relief. “Only you,” he giggled, his
laughter blending into almost-sobs. He couldn’t help it; he was so relieved.
He hoped Wufei wouldn’t notice the tears that threatened to spill. The last
thing he needed right now was to be called a weak baka by one of the people
he admired so much.

	Wufei studied his hand. The fingers were covered with his blood. He held
them up, letting the crimson liquid drip down his arm, and somewhere in his
mind, he seemed to recall being told that head wounds bled. A lot. And while
it usually wasn’t much to worry about, this cell was hardly the best of
circumstances. It was unsanitary, dirty, and disgusting.

	“Maxwell,” he hissed, “Get my jacket.”

	“Huh?” Duo squinted at the injury. “Oh. Oh! Jacket... sure...” He
disappeared from Wufei’s side, which nearly brought a strangled cry from
the smaller boys throat. He needed, craved, some sort of proximity.

	“I’m still alive,” he repeated. No matter how many times he said it,
aloud or otherwise, he couldn’t quite make himself believe it. He should
be dead. He had resigned himself to death.

	And now...

	Another length of cloth was rent from his tunic, though he was only
aware of it because of the tearing sound that filled the air. Duo wrapped
the length loosely around his fingers, the slid it off to hand to Wufei.
“Think you can do it?”

	Wufei blinked at him, the blood that trickled from the gash stinging
his eyes. “Of course.” He tried for arrogant, but it came out as a whisper.
	Duo shredded the jacket some more, an action that Wufei found engrossing.
Duo glanced at him, face pinched in concern. “Hey, Fei, you awake?”

	Wufei jerked as if the words had struck him. Without bothering to
answer, he lifted the pad to his face.

	“No, no. You’re missing.” Duo laid his hand over Wufei’s, and
adjusted the positioning of the wad of silk. “There. There you go.” Gently
he wound the strips around Wufei’s head to secure it in place. The tips of
his fingers brushed against Wufei’s brow and the Chinese youth let his eyes
fall shut, just for an instant.

	If there was one thing Duo was not expecting, it was an attack.
Wufei’s fist exploded across his jaw, throwing him back. “What the...!?”

	“You hesitated!” Wufei growled. “We’re expendable, Maxwell! Get that
through your head!”

	“They were going to kill you!” Duo recovered his senses as best he
could. “They put that on my shoulders. What was I supposed to do?!”

	“Shut up and let it happen!” Wufei shook his head. “Did Doctor G teach
you nothing?”

	“Yeah, well, maybe some of my better lessons came from someone else.”
Duo dabbed at his lip, but he hadn’t been hit hard enough to do any sort of
real damage. Translation: No blood.

	Wufei wasn’t sure if he was happy about that, or annoyed.

	The silence was short-lived. Duo sighed and picked himself up off the
floor. “Hate to say this, but I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. They
wouldn’t end there.” He reached up and massaged the back of his neck. “That’s
a great starting point, but they’ve got to have some spectacular follow up.”

	Even as the words left his mouth, the lights of the cell went out.

	Wufei let out an exasperated sigh. The adrenaline was starting to wear off,
leaving his arms and legs feelings like water. “Has anyone ever told you that
you have a big mouth?”
	A loud snort was the only part of the response that Wufei heard. A
high-pitched screech filled the air, just low enough for the human ear to pick
it up. At the same time, four massive lights, one in each wall, started flashing,
so bright they could be seen beneath the eyelids.

	“What the hell’s going on?” Duo shouted, clamping his hands over his ears.

	Wufei mimicked the action. “It’s your spectacular follow-up, you half-wit!”

	Duo frowned, kneeling down beside him. “What?”

	“It’s... never mind!” Wufei rolled his eyes bur quickly squeezed them shut
against the flashing lights. It was so loud, so bright, so there, that it hurt.
Wufei curled into a ball, wincing as he bent his knee, His legs hurt. His
head hurt. He wanted it to stop.

	As abruptly as it had started, it ended. The sirens dies away, the
lights dimmed. Wufei opened one eye, unsure if it was real or a figment
of his imagination.

	Duo blew out a huge sigh, dropping back to lean on his elbows, tipping
his chin up so that his hair cascaded down his back, pooling on the floor.
“God, they don’t change a bit.”

	“W-what?” Wufei managed shakily.

	“This is their ‘softening up’ period. No food, limited sleep...” he
shrugged his shoulders. “Damn, Fei. They’re serious.”

	Touching the bandage on his head, Wufei gave a sardonic, “Really?”
His latest injury throbbed in time to his pounding heart.

	“Do you think...?” Duo trailed off. “Nah, forget it. We’d better
get some more sleep before they turn that crap back on.”

	“It’s not even night,” Wufei scoffed.

	Duo turned to him, his face deadly serious. “Prove to me it’s day.
We’re not going to get much opportunity later.”

	Wufei cast a wary glance at the cot. “I don’t think I could make it.”

	“:I don’t think I can, either...” Duo trailed off as the lights died
completely, throwing them into the most complete dark. “Shit.”

	Wufei heartily agreed. It was stupid. It was only the dark, for crying
out loud, the absence of light. It was something that wasn’t there.

	He was fifteen, far too old to be afraid... Afraid? He wasn’t afraid!
Certainly not of the dark.

	So why did he panic when Duo shifted beside him? “Where are you going?”
he demanded, grasping a handful of fabric.

	Duo’s shirt was clenched tight in Wufei’s fist. through the material
he could feel something like a chain, a necklace of some sort. He didn’t care.

	The fingers that closed around his were warm, while the Chinese boy’s
felt like ice. “Fei? You okay?”

	“I’m fine, Maxwell.” he grated. I’m trapped in the dark, bleeding as the
result of a near-death experience. I’m ecstatic, okay? “Just keep talking.”

	Duo let a heartbeat of silence pass between them. “What? What about?”

	Wufei made an impatient sound in his throat. “I don’t care. Tell me about
... those better lessons.”
	A chuckle rose through the darkness. “You want to hear about Sister Helen
and Father Maxwell?”
	“H-hai.”

	Duo drew a deep breath. “They were good folks. You had to be to run an
orphanage on L@. Or a little bit crazy, but we never said that to them.” He
paused. “Are you sure you want to hear this? I’ve got some dirty jokes that’ll
knock your socks off.”

	Wufei shook his head. “Talk.” He would get over it, he just needed
some time to get used to the idea.

	“Okay, okay.” Duo tightened his hand around Wufei’s. “We didn’t have
much, ya know. We got by on what donations were made at the church. But it
kept a roof over out heads, and sometimes, it put food in our bellies.”

	“For the most part, we got by. But then, every year, we’d have one day.
One day when everything seemed perfect.”

	Christmas? Wufei wondered to himself.

	“Christmas. Have you ever been to a Christmas Mass at a Catholic church?
Check that, stupid question. It sure is beautiful, though. The whole church
needed a paint job, but when we lit the candles - and there were candles -
the light would shine through the stained glass windows. It was like the
whole place was glowing. We’d all get to stay up really late, ‘cause Mass
started at midnight. Sister Helen would play the big pipe organ. We - the
kids, that is - would spend all day polishing that organ.”

	Wufei tried to imagine Duo Maxwell on his hands and knees cleaning
something. His mind rebelled.

	“But that wasn’t the best part. None of us expected toys for Christmas,
after all, we knew Santa was a farce. Either that, or he was bought off by
those rich snobs. But Sister Helen made sure we got something. She saved all
year, and when Christmas rolled around...” He paused, and sighed happily. “I
took two days. First, she’d go shopping. Sugar and vanilla weren’t cheap, but
they weren’t expensive either. We’d all sit at the windows and wait for her to
come home. Then, we’d make vanilla caramels. You wouldn’t believe how good the
kitchen smelled when we made them. It was so tempting to eat ourselves sick of
the mix, but if we ate anything then, we wouldn’t get nothing for Christmas.”

	That seemed a little harsh to Wufei. Poor kids. It was becoming incredibly
easy to imagine Duo as a little kid, tagging along behind a woman. The only
difference between then and now, was that he was shorter.

	“We’d each get a share of what was made. “Duo shifted beside Wufei.
“Well, there you go.” Was it Wufei’s imagination, or was Duo choked up?
“Fei? Fei, you awake?”

	There was no dishonor in silence, Wufei decided. He laid perfectly
still and controlled his breathing. Deep and even.

	“Ah, well.” There was hurt in Duo’s tone. “At least you’re sleeping.
” He leaned over and... Wufei’s heart tripped in his chest. He couldn’t...
He didn’t...

	Duo Maxwell had just kissed his face, brushing his lips against
Wufei’s temple, below the makeshift bandage.

	Before he could react, Duo disappeared into the darkness.

	For the longest time Wufei lay there, pushing down the fear that ate
at him, and thinking. He couldn’t sleep, his mind was far too busy and the
pain that ran rampant through his head, chest, and leg was too distracting.
So he just lay there, listening to the sounds of Duo’s breathing, counting
the seconds by them.

	He reached up a hand to gently pat at the spot that still tingled from
the touch of Duos lips, feelings a sort of heat rise over his cheeks. He
turned the action over in his mind for awhile, finally deciding it had
something to do with a parental concern for his well being, nothing more.
Yes, that was it. Duo was only showing concern by kissing him... So why
did that thought disappoint him?

***

	It had been a couple weeks since the gun incident and nothing spectacular
had happened. Even the maddening lights and horrible sirens had failed
to activate more than seven times; enough to be an annoyance and slightly
disconcerting, but not enough to drive them insane the way they were
supposed to. Judging from the clamoring alarms and startled shouting
the two boys could often hear coming from outside the cell, they could
attribute this calm to the other Gundam pilots who were apparently
raising so much hell their captors had forgotten about them. Of course,
they often forgot to bring food as well, remembering often enough to
keep them alive, but not nearly enough to satisfy. Duo was beginning
to wonder if it was some sort of new torture device; ignore the prisoners
until they beg to be noticed. It sure felt like it.

	Right now the two of them were, like every other day, lounging in
their cell, bored beyond anything they had ever experienced. They talked
little, and squabbled often, the tension between them having remarkably
tightened until it was near stifling.

	Wufei, whose hair tie had been lost long ago, was drawing oriental
designs in the dust on the floor with his fingers, the curving lotus
blossoms and twisting dragons having taken him most of the morning to
complete. His hair, soft and silken - thank the good Lord they were
allowed the simple amenities like bathing, even if the water was ice-cold -
persisted in falling over his eyes and tickling his nose. Irritated, he
shoved handfuls of the black silk away, his nerves almost audible fried
and jangling. If he didn’t get out of this hell hole soon he was going to
burst!

	Another fall of hair swept into his line of sight and he snarled at
it, completely unaware of the amused eyes that followed his every move.

	Duo Maxwell was lounging in a corner, eyes twinkling as he watched
his comrade fight yet another losing battle. He had been silently watching
Wufei all morning - scratch that. He’d been watching him for the past two
weeks - following the paths of those graceful fingers and briefly wondering
what those patterns would feel like trailing over his skin. Defiantly a
good thought.

	He shifted and licked his lips as he became aware of the familiar
sensation of fire beginning to build in his veins. HE had long ago
admitted to himself that, yes, he was hot for Wufei, but had decided he
would do nothing about it. He knew his feelings would never be reciprocated.
Wufei was just too stiff, too pure, too straight.

	Cursing, he scolded himself for letting his imagination run away
with him again. It was becoming an irritating reoccurrence. Desperately
he brought to mind an image, any image, that would extinguish the
flames of his desire. War casualties, he thought seriously, Shower
drain fungus, 20 year old sweat socks.... Nothing was working. Then:
  All the doctors in bikini briefs! He shuddered/ Maybe the last one
was a bit of an over kill. It certainly slaughtered any traces of a
turn-on, that was for sure!

	“I can’t take this anymore!” Wufei suddenly cried, sweeping a
hand through the dirt at his feet, The designs were instantly gone,
erased, and Duo regretted their untimely demise. The delicate Chinese
lept to his feet, stalking towards the door with the grace of a
panther and looking twice as wild. Instantly Duo’s hard won resolve
disappeared. Wufei was practically leaking sensuality, frustrated
pheromones pouring from every inch of his body as he pounded against
the heavy steel door.

	“I hate sitting here rotting in this cell when I could be out
preventing the evil in space!!” He grasped at the door jambs, wrenching
them back and forth as if he could tear them away with sheer will
alone. “But, no! Thanks to a braided idiot of a pilot who couldn’t
recognize a trap if his life depended on it - which it does, might I
add - I’m stuck inside an OZ prison with only said moron for company!”
he spat, kicking at the door with his foot now. “I swear every god above -
every one! - is taunting me for something I’ve done!”

	Heaving an explosive sigh Duo rolled his eyes, letting the insults
slide. “We’ve been through this a thousand times, Fei,” he growled,
his own patience beginning to wear thin even as the tension in the cell
rose a hundred fold. “I hate it here as much as you do, so would you
drop it already?!” He treaded his fingers through his hair in exasperation,
tugging at the knots he encountered. “Unless you have some kinda magic
wand you can wave around and get us out, we’re stuck here together! So
you’d better get used to the though of my company, ‘cause I am fresh
outa ideas.”

	Wufei huffed and moodily pressed his forehead against the cool
metal of the door. “That doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it!” he snapped,
pushing hopelessly against the door with his palms. “I hate feeling
do goddamn useless!”

	Duo was about to give a smart reply when his questing fingers
touched something small and solid deep within his braid. A tiny sound
of confusion escaped him as he rooted around for a grip on the thing.
“What the hell....?” he mumbled, more to himself.

	Looking at him as if he had gone insane, Wufei cocked an eyebrow,
still leaning his head against the door. “What?” he grumbled.

	Duo shrugged, non-plussed. “There’s something stuck in my hair,”
he explained. “Probably just a rock or a stick or-” He finally managed
to wrap the tips of his fingers around it, pulling it out for a good look.
Both boys stared at it dumbfoundly. “... or an explosive,” Duo finished
meekly.

	Wufei froze, turning to glare dangerously at him. “...What?”

	Jumping to his feet Duo rushed to explain. “I thought I’d used it
already! I must have replaced it and forgot!” He laughed weakly. “Yanno,
Fei, it’s actually kinda funny when you think about it...”

	But Wufei wasn’t laughing. “We’ve been in here for two weeks and
you have had that the entire time?!” he growled, fists clenching at his
sides. “The entire time we’ve been tortured by a man who couldn’t mind
a corner store much less a prison cell? The entire time we’ve been
pestered by lights and served food I wouldn’t give a garbage disposal....
you have had a means of escape?!” His voice was raising in anger, the
skin around his eyes tightening dangerously.

	“Well... yeah...” Duo said, trying to appear non-chalant. “But,
you see, none of that matters anymore ‘cause we can get out!” He grinned,
the past weeks of misery seemingly forgotten at the prospect of escape,
and brushed past Wufei to attach the explosive to the door.

	Wufei was not going to let the matter go. “The entire time we
were here, we could have escaped?!” he shrieked, enraged. He was nearly
hysterical now.

	A sigh of impatience. “Yes, Wufei.”

	The dark-eyed pilot’s nostrils flared and he pounced, shoving Duo
back against the wall. “You MORON!” he screamed, “You IDIOT! First you
feeble-mindedness gets us captured, then your stupidity prevents our
escape!! Chikuso!!”

	That was it. Duo had been keeping a fairly tight hold of his temper,
always managing to calm himself before he did anything he would regret.
But Wufei had gone too far this time, and Duo was perfectly willing to
let the stuck-up pilot face the wrath of Shinigami, no holds barred.

	“What the hell is your problem?!” he cried, pushing Wufei away.
“Would you get off my back!? I realize I may not measure up to your
all-mighty standards, but would you just shut up about whose goddamn
fault it is?!” Eyes flashing, he poked a finger at Wufei’s chest, backing
the smaller pilot up further. “Let me tell you something, Chang! It’s just
as much your fault we’re here! You’re not so perfect, you make mistakes,
get that through your blasted skull!”

	Wufei faltered a bit at the unexpected outburst, but, true to his
nature, he recovered quickly. “No!” he screeched, stamping his foot in a
way that, in another situation, would have made Duo laugh. “I did nothing
to lead to our capture! Idiot!! I-”

	“Stop calling me that!!” Duo screamed, losing his cool. He grabbed
Wufei by the arms, his fingers digging into caramel flesh savagely enough
to bruise as he shook the smaller boy roughly. “Stop it!! Stop calling me
that!” he repeated, voice sailing high with anger, desperation, and something
else as he looked into startled black eyes.

	For a moment they just stared at each other in disbelief and anger.
Violet eyes glared into velvet brown, catching and holding them with a
startling intensity. Standing so close to the caramel skinned pilot of Altron,
Duo was assaulted by the rich scent of sandalwood and roses, and something
else that was all Wufei. The proximity was getting to them both as they
stared, sweat beading on their brows.

	Then, without thought, without warning, Duo’s mouth was crushed
against Wufei’s, devouring the Chinese, tasting him. He was only dimly
aware of the strangled sound that wrenched from Wufei’s throat, of small,
almost feminine hands pushing at his chest. His entire focus had narrowed
to a pinprick of reality, all the sexual frustration of having such a
beautiful creature so far out of his reach pouring through it in a rush
that left his ears and heart pounding. His tongue ran along the length of
Wufei’s bottom lip, thrusting in and out the hot, sweet mouth in a parody
of something much more intimate. The fiery heat and honey-dew taste of
the tiny pilot was like a drug, drawing Duo in further and further until
he knew there was no chance of escape, no way he could stop. Strong hands
ran in rough strokes up Wufei’s back, crushing the two boy’s bodies together
with heated resistance.

	So lost in the heat of the moment, Duo didn’t realize he had forced
Wufei back against one of the steel walls until the impact against it
jarred them apart, both breathing hard and faces flushed. “You.... you
bastard!” Wufei panted when he found his voice, his breaths ringing heavy
and fast. For a split second, Duo felt his heart jump, afraid he had done
the wrong thing, but his mind was still hazed and Wufei continued clinging
to him for support. Maybe the little pilot from L5 wasn’t as straight as
he had led everyone to believe.

	“Unhand me at once, Maxwell!” Wufei continued. His words sounded weak
and unsupported  even to himself. “I hate you!”

	“Likewise,” Duo groaned between raining biting kisses down Wufei’s
long neck. The graceful Asian gave a breathy moan and lolled his dark head
back, exposing more skin for Duo to tease. Defiantly not as straight as
he wanted everyone to think. The braided American’s eyes closed and he
cupped the firm globes of the China doll’s rear in his palms, intrigued
by the fact that it was as well muscled as the rest of him.

	Wufei arched into the touch, burying his hands into that magnificent
mane of waving chestnut locks even as pale, callused hands tore at his
tanktop, nearly renting the material in their haste. “At least we....
agree on ..... on something.... Oh!” he gasped, his mouth dropping open
as he panted frantically. He had never been touched this way before.....
He shouldn’t be enjoying this, but he was, extremely so. The fact that it
was Duo doing it only heightened the pleasure.

	A heavy sigh escaped the delicate China doll as Duo finally managed
to fumble the dark tank-top over his head, the cool air hitting his damp
skin and making his brown sugar nipples tighten even further. The moment
golden flesh was revealed a hot, experienced mouth was on his chest,
skilled tongue swirling around his left nipple while its twin was teased
to full strength by a gentle hand. Duo’s teeth lightly bit down on the
small, cocoa nub, his hand pinching the other between thumb and first
finger. It was almost too much for Wufei to handle; the heat building
between his legs was steadily becoming unbearable. “Duo, please!” he
whimpered, squirming helplessly. He needed some sort of release!

	Grinning maliciously against Wufei’s’ chest, Duo quickly moved his
writhing soon-to-be-lover to the cot, pressing the lithe body to the
mattress. It took mere seconds for him to shed the remainder of both
sets of clothing, even less to determine that Wufei wanted this as
much as he did, judging from the burning hot shaft that jabbed against
his own when he hit at that sugar-sweet neck again.

	“Hnnn....” Wufei moaned, his sweat soaked chest heaving. He
thrust his hips up to meet Duo’s, a strikingly wanton gesture, crying
out in pleasure at the heated friction it caused. “Oh! Duo! Now, please!!”
he cried.

	Duo chuckled, loving the fervent sounds that poured from the
Chinese boy’s lips. Wufei looked so beautiful laying beneath him, cheeks
flushed, ebony locks cascading over the sheets around his head. His
rosebud lips were in full bloom, bruised and swollen from the kisses they
had been sharing. Duo’s groin tightened at the sight. Gods.... if Wufei
looked this good now, he couldn’t wait to see him in the heat of passion.

	At that thought he sprung into action, wrenching Wufei’s legs apart
with his knee and putting two fingers against those plush, golden lips he
loved to taste. Immediately they were sucked inside a hot, moist cavern,
silencing the erotic cries and giving the twisting Chinese a mouthful of
fingers to play with. Grasping Duo’s wrists Wufei sucked eagerly on his
new toys, tongue flicking out to play between the sensitive junctures,
every lick reverberating through the American’s entire body. A ragged
moan was dragged from Duo’s throat. Wufei was right; they needed this now.

	Pulling his fingers from Wufei’s mouth brought a small whine of
regret that was easily quieted by a bruising kiss, Duo’s teeth coming
down on a swollen bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Wufei gave a
tiny yelp of surprise, the sound swallowed by a hot mouth devouring his
own. Pain gave way to pleasure, the coppery fluid dancing over their
tongues and tasting more erotic than they had ever imagined possible.
With a quick sweep of his arm Duo had one of Wufei’s legs resting on his
shoulder, the other bent at the knee and resting flat on the bed beside
him. His blood sang with the need to take this beautiful dragon, to take
him now.

	Breaking away for a split second he licked a trail along Wufei’s
cheek, nibbling at the lobe of one ear. He glanced down at his ravishing
dragonling laying flushed on the mattress, velvet eyes lidded, even while
one of his saliva-slicked fingers teased the hidden opening between
Wufei’s thighs. A tiny mewl of wanton surprise erupted from Wufei’s throat,
and in that moment Duo knew he had never loved someone so much as he
loved this grumpy, over zealous, sloe-eyed boy. He could only hope Wufei
felt the same way about him.

	“Are you ready for this? Are you sure?” he rasped finally, bending
to kiss along a soft jawline.

	Wufei let out a purring cry and arched his back, eyes shut and
mouth slack as he panted. “No,” he breathed, raking his fingernails down
Duo’s back as the American found a particularly sensitive spot in the
hollow of his neck. “But do it anyway.”

	Not really understanding the meaning Duo grinned, pulling back to
tease the wiggling boy. “So you want me to stop? ‘cause I can if you
want...” It was a blatant lie and they both knew it. Duo knew there was
no way in hell he could stop, even if he wanted to.

	Wufei glared at him and yanked him down by the braid from a searing
kiss that was just like the pilot of Altron; all fire and fast reflexes.
“If you don’t finish what you started, Maxwell,” he growled feraly,
“I will personally kill you!” He relesed his grips and planted a few
gentler kisses under Duo’s jaw. With a passionate ‘come-hither’ look
he spread his legs a little more, thrusting his hips to nudge at Duo’s
finger. “Now shut up and take what you want.”

	Duo had never been so glad to hear an offer before. Pressing Wufei
back against the mattress he rained kisses down the suddenly submissive
Chinese pilot, pouring as many emotions as he possibly could into them.
“Just remember who’s in charge here, babe,” he teased.

	Shooting him a sultry look Wufei purred and nuzzled against Duo’s
chest. “I wouldn’t have it any other way....”

***

	A couple hours later, Duo lay on his back, sweaty and extremely
pleased with himself while a sated Wufei lay cradled against his chest,
waves of raven hair spilling over the American’s pale skin to mingle
with the unraveled chestnut locks. The delicate Chinese was napping, spent
after their previous activities, giving Duo time to think about said
action and contemplate his relationship with the golden skinned teen.
What could have possibly gotten into him, jumping Wufei like that? In
all rights, the delicate dragonling should have decked him for it, but
he hadn’t, which led to a question all its own: Why?

	The more Duo thought about it, the worse he felt. What if he had
pressured Wufei into last night? What if it wasn’t what Wufei wanted?
Duo bit his lip, shifting his body as if to rid himself of the afterglow
he sported, feeling it wasn’t something he deserved to have. Wufei would
hate him now, he knew it. He certainly had no regrets of what they’d done
- hell, it had been the best, most meanniingful sex he’d had in ages - but
if Wufei did.... Duo didn’t know what he would do.

	Suddenly, the weight on his chest shifted and Wufei let out a sleepy
sigh, his arm coming up to wrap around Duo’s shoulders. “Morning,” he
mumbled happily, letting out an adorable yawn. He gave Duo’s chest a
quick kiss, snuggling back down into the crook of the American’s arm.

	“Hey...” Duo answered, still a bit troubled. He watched his brown-eyed
lover in concern, knowing he loved this boy but needing to know if the
feelings were mutual. “How are you feeling?”

	Wufei smiled and gave another contented sigh. “Mmmm... good.” He
paused as if running a self-diagnostic, wiggling his hips a tiny bit.
“I’m a little sore, but in a good way. ZI like it.” He nudged Duo’s neck
with hid forehead. “You?”

	Idly, Duo started tracing a pattern on Wufei’s spine with his fingertips.
It brought a delicious shiver from the smaller boy’s body and he pressed
closer to Duo. “You sure you’re okay?” the American pressed on, “I wasn’t
too rough, was I? I didn’t go too fast? You can tell me if I...”

	A pair of lean fingers rested against his lips, effectively stilling
Duo’s words. Wufei stared up at him, his velvet eyes glazed with the
contentment of exhaustion. “I asked you a question.”

	Duo closed his eyes and twisted his head away from his little lover.
He could run, he could hide, but, damn, he wished he could tell a lie.
Wouldn’t it be easy to say ‘fine’, and have that be the end of it? But,
no... His conscience wouldn’t let him, and even if it did, he couldn’t
hide it in his eyes. “Well,” he started as truthfully as he could, “I’m
feeling a lot of things right now, Fei. I think my foot’s fallen asleep
and I sure could use a...”

	Wufei hiked himself up on his elbows, the glaze gone. His cinnamon
lips were pressed into a thin, flat line, his brow wrinkled with a frown.
“There are an awful lot of words coming out of your mouth, but I haven’t
heard you say a thing.” A slender hand brushed his face, gently easing
Duo’s gaze around to his. “What are you saying, Duo? That you regret it?”

	“NO!” Duo’s impassioned denial shot from his lips, piercing the pain
that had started to cloud Wufei’s eyes. “No, god, no, Wufei. Never, ever
would I regret it. “He grasped the end of a raven tendril, looping the
silken hair through his fingers. “I’ve never made love before.”

	Wufei reared back in surprise. “You’re a...?”

	“Moot point, now, but no.” Duo shook his head. “I’ve had sex many
times before, but I’d only been going through the motions.” A blush stole
up his cheeks. Damn pale skin, he though venomously. “I’d hate to think
that’s all it was for you. Or if I’d forced you onto doing something you
weren’t ready for. I...”

	“Duo,” Wufei interrupted. “Shut-up. Shut up, and listen to me.” He
swung his leg over Duo’s, pinning him so the larger boy couldn’t slip
away. “If you’re afraid that you forced this on me, don’t be. I would
have informed you high, loud, and repeatedly if you had.”

	“You said you weren’t sure.” Duo reminded him.

	Wufei nodded, brushing a wisp of black hair behind his ear. Poised
over Duo like he was, the Chinese pilot looked like a demi-god given
flesh. No, like a god. His. Mine. Duo tried to tamp down his libido and
listen. He had to know. “I wasn’t sure, Duo.” He averted his eyes,
tentivly reaching out to touch Duo’s chest. Caramel fingertips barely
brushed Duo’s sternum before their owner drew them away.

	Duo grasped Wufei’s hand, startled at how cold it was. “Why?”
That was the million dollar question.

	Wufei shook his head, sending ebony locks cascading over his shoulders.
Duo gasped as they brushed his throat, but Wufei didn’t notice. “I didn’t
think someone as strong as you would want a weakling like me.”

	“Weak?” Duo’s eyes flew open, darkening nearly to indigo with concern.
“You’re not weak.”

	“Yes, I am,” Wufei hissed. A hot tear trickled from the corner of his
eye, landing on Duo’s creamy skin. “I’m the weakest fighter, I’m incompetent
and... and I can’t protect the ones I love.”

	Duo sat up beneath Wufei, wrapping his arms around the Altron pilot.
“Oh, come on, Fei. You’re always the one telling us we’re weak bakas...” Me
in particular...

	Wufei shook his head and pressed his face against Duo’s shoulder.
“None of you are weak. Even when the colonies turned their backs on us, you
kept fighting. You cared enough about them to lay down your lives. Mine wouldn’t
let me.” Horror filled Wufei’s voice. “They sent me into space, told me to fight.
I would have died for them. But they didn’t give me the choice. They... they...”
He swallowed a number of times. “They self-destructed... Out from under me. A
flick of a switch, and they were gone.”

	What could be said to that? Duo smoothed the boy’s hair, and held his
trembling body, but he couldn’t get to his soul. “Hell, Fei...”

	“I couldn’t save them. I didn’t save them. I let them die. Just like
Meiran...”

	“Meiran?” Duo asked softly.

	“My wife.” He pulled away, looking up into Duo’s eyes. “My late wife
. Surprise.” The self-loathing and misery that swirled in the onyx depths
ate at Duo’s heart, because he knew there was nothing he could do. “She
died. They died. The way things are going...”

	Realization hit Duo. “You’re afraid to fall in love.”

	“I’m afraid of everything.”

	Of all the confession, this was the most stunning. It must have
taken a lot for Wufei to say that. “You’re not weak,” Duo started,
cutting off the boy before he could interrupt. “No, you’re not. You’ve
had a couple of bad breaks, who hasn’t? If you had let it destroy you,
then, yes, you would have been weak.” Wufei squeezed his eyes shut. “But
you didn’t. You not only survived, but you fought back. Look were you are.”
He glanced around the cell. “Okay, not at the room, but look at you. You’re
in someone’s arms, my arms. Someone once told me that if someone loves you,
you have all the strength in the world.”

	“Who told you that?” Wufei muttered, voice heavy with exhaustion.

	“Sister Helen,” Duo’s voice rumbled in his ear, echoing through Wufei’s
chest.

	The kind, benevolent sister. Strangely, that made him feel better.
Wufei snuggled closer. It hadn’t changed his mind, but...

	A whooping alarm sliced through the air. It wasn’t the biting siren
their captures used to torment them. It was...

	“Invasion.” Duo’s face lit up with devilish delight. “Air raid,
if I’m correct. Hmmm... I wonder who that could be?”

	Wufei instantly switched to battle mode, the events of the last few
hours driven to the back of his mind. Sliding off Duo, he started to search
for his clothing. “What did you do with my shirt, Maxwell?"

	The American, in the mean time, was pulling on his pants, hopping as
he tried to get his leg through. “Uh.... I don’t think it’ll do you much good
if you found it.”

	Wufei had managed to find his pants, and was in the process of fastening
the last catch on the waistband. His hair brushed the top of still-bare
shoulders, his caramel skin on display from the sweep  of his neck to his
narrow waist. The hem of his pants brushed the tops of his bare feet. When
he glanced up, he saw desire on Duo’s face. “Why?”

	Duo blinked. “Why what?”

	Wufei rolled his eyes. “Why won’t my shirt do me...” He trailed off
when he saw a pool of navy on the floor. Stooping to pick it up, he
discovered why. “You tore it?!”

	“I might have.”

	A blistering string of Chinese left Wufei’s mouth. “When they call
humans animals, they don’t mean it literally, Maxwell.”

	The American shrugged. “Sue me.”

	“For what? Destruction of property? I’d get laughed out of court.”

	Duo grinned. This was more like it, his body-language seemed to say.
“I’ll pay you back for it.”

	Wufei rolled his eyes heavenward, yanking on his shoes sans socks.
“I’m not interested your money, Maxwell.”

	“Good.” Duo tugged the hem of his shirt down, covering his belly.
“I wasn’t offering money.”

	It took a heartbeat for Wufei to catch on. “Pervert.”

	The last thing for Duo to put on were his hard-soled shoes.
“I prefer hentai.” He went over to the door, pulling the explosive from
his pocket. With skilled had, he started to affix it to the door in a way
to do the most damage.

	“Hentai and pervert are the same thing!” Wufei protested, crossing
his arms over his chest. He knew being half-naked left hi at a disadvantage.

	“It sounds better.” Duo pressed a button. “Kay. Ten... nine...” He
counted down, backing away, and heading for the relative safety of the cots.
Wufei suddenly found himself huddled behind the cot, Duo’s larger body
protecting his. “...Two...One...”

	The explosion was pathetically tiny, but it did the job. The door
creaked miserably before gravity caught it in her embrace.

	“I worked.” Duo sounded amazed.

	Wufei didn’t give him a chance to study his handiwork. Tugging his
arm he urged the Deathscythe pilot to his feet. “Let’s go.”

	The explosion had felled the guards in the hall. Wufei retrieved a
gun from the one to the left, stripping him of holster, bullets and a
wicked-looking dagger.

	BANG!

	The report of a gunshot tore through the hall. Wufei lept to his
feet, pilfered gun in hand.

	Duo stood over on of the guards, a smoking revolver in his hands.
Blood pooled beneath the man, leaking from the wound in his chest. You
want to play games with a life, John? How about yours? If you can drag your
miserable ass to the infirmary in twenty minutes, you’ll live. If not,” He
twitched his shoulders. “Shinigami will see you in hell.” Violet eyes found
Wufei. “Let’s go.”

	They ran in silence, the only sound the klaxon echoing in the background.
Commandeering an elevator, they practically fell in, stabbing a random button.

	“You killed him,” Wufei finally managed to rasp.

	Duo shook his head. “I dececrated a corpse.”

	“He was bleeding,” Wufei pointed out..

	“I put a hole in the guy’s spine.” Aged eyes fixed on Wufei. “He was
leaking.’

	Another long moment of silence. “He was the one who tried to kill me.”
It was not a question.

	Duo nodded. “If he had been smart, he would have known his life was
forfeit from that moment.” A shuddering breath shook his body. “God...”

	Wufei aced to comfort his koibito, but they had more important things
to worry about.

	In the melee from the attack, no one really noticed the two boys slip
off the base.

	“Where are we going?” Wufei hisses as they clambered through the
woods.

	“Hang on.” Duo picked up the comm he had swiped from the guard.
“Our guy’s just announced ‘mission complete’....” Overhead, Wing Zero
screamed by, burning towards the south. “We’re going west.”

	Wufei raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure that?”

	Duo grinned. “Heero wouldn’t do something as mundane as going
the opposite direction of the safehouse. Thus, we go west.”

	Wufei shook his head. “Can that even be called logic?” Rubbing his
arms, he tried to restore some warmth to his limbs. The cold winter air
just sapped it all. “Let’s just get out of here.’

	They stumbled across a convenience store, just off the base grounds.
Wufei non-chalantly leaned against the car Duo deemed acceptable, hiding the
other boy’s actions as he used a twig to pick the lock. “How is this acceptable?”

	“Well....” Duo muttered, “For one thing, it’s worth about fifty bucks.
Secondly, the tank’s full. Third, there’s a toolbox in the trunk.”

	Wufei frowned. “Hatchbacks have trunks?”

	Duo grinned. “Whatever. Fourth, we can start it with a screwdriver. Fifth...”

	“I think I get it.”

	“...There’s a couple of coats in the back seat.” Duo stood up, studying
the little red car. “hang on.” Taking a step back, he kicked the door.

	It bounced open.

	Within moments, they were in the car, the navy blue jacket Duo had
spotted wrapped around Wufei’s shivering body. They burned out of the parking
lot.

	As the taillights vanished down the road, a pair of young women left
the convenience store, talking and laughing.

	The laughter died on the lips of the taller woman, her blue eyes
widening as she scanned the parking lot.

	Her companion continued chattering, her mismatched brown and green
eyes alight with merriment. “And so...” She trailed off, realizing the
taller girl was ignoring her. “Pam? Pam? you okay?”

	“Bi.” Pam swallowed hard, panic building up. “What happened to my car?”

***

	The lights, the trees, the festivities, they were all done. He’d missed
Christmas by two weeks. Duo shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat.
The unseasonably warm weather had ended, and the snow had started falling.
Beneath the porch light of the safe house, he tried to savor what little bit
of the holiday season he could.

	A fluffy snowflake caught the light from the three-hundred watt bulb.
Duo pulled his hand from his pocket, just in time for the flake to rest in his
palm. The heat from his skin immediately started melting the delicate crystal.

	Within seconds, it was gone. He dabbed at the tiny pool of water in the
center of his palm. How could something so perfect, so beautiful, be wiped out
like it never existed.

	Maybe he had better get inside, before he started thinking too hard.

	He reached for the doorknob, just as someone inside turned the knob. A
pair of cobalt blue eyes glared at him. “Get inside.”

	Duo shrugged. “Yes, sir, Mr. Yuy.”

	Heero stepped back, allowing him through. As soon as Duo was inside,
the Japanese boy shut the door, throwing the lock and turning off the light.
“Night, Maxwell.”

	“Say ‘sweet dreams’ to Trowa for me,” Duo muttered, stripping off the
jacket and hanging it on the peg by the door. Heero made an affirmative sound,
and disappeared into the darkened house.

	The only light on anymore was, strangely enough, the light from the
kitchen. Hopefully it was Quatre. Maybe he could convince the Arabian to
make a cup of tea.

	As he neared the kitchen, though, he discovered it was not Quatre. An
annoyed Wufei was inside muttering. “Did someone translate this using a
Greek-to-Stupid dictionary?”	Curious, Duo poked his head into the kitchen.

	The first thing he noticed was the smell, taking him back in time.
Melting sugar and the heady scent of vanilla permeated the air. Duo had to
close his eyes, and remind himself he wasn’t at the orphanage.

	“I have been stirring it!!” The enraged voice snapped Duo out of his
reverie. “Nothing’s happening! Ugh! Whoever wrote this was either high or
strung-out!”

	“Hey, Wuffei. Watcha doing?”

	Duo had the pleasure of seeing his lover jump. They’d pretty much
avoided each other, a tacit agreement that had been in effect since they’d
escaped. That didn’t mean they couldn’t exchange meaningful gazes whenever
they were they were together, but holding Wufei beat the hell out of stolen
glances.

	“Maxwell!” The Chinese teen whirled around, using his body to hide
what was simmering on the stove. As if Duo needed to see it. He didn’t
believe it, but he knew what it was. “I thought you went to bed.”

	Duo stepped into kitchen, reaching out to grasp Wufei’s hips.
Pulling the smaller boy forward, he stared down into the upturned face,
and said seriously, “It’s far too cold to go to bed.” Lifting Wufei onto
his tiptoes, Duo captured his koi’s lips in a soul-rending kiss.

	Fei wrapped his arms around Duo’s neck, balancing himself. His
lips parted for the Deathscythe pilot’s question tongue.

	All too soon, though, they had to come up for air. Duo ran his
tongue over his lips, as if tasting what part of Wufei was left there.
“You missed me.”

	“No kidding.” Wufei shook his head, the ponytail swaying this way
and that.

	Duo reached for the tie, and released the silken strands. A pink flush
heated Fei’s cheeks. “So, what are you doing?”

	The blush became more pronounced. “I think it would be silly to
deny it: I’m trying to make vanilla caramels.” He shook his head. “You
seemed so torn up about missing Christmas, I thought I’d make you the
candy. “ His tone quickly became angry. “But I can’t get it to thicken.
It’s the consistency of water, and that stupid recipe is worthless and...”
Whatever is other problem had been, Duo quickly swallowed it, kissing Wufei
so roughly that he was sure he bruised those cocoa lips.

	Wufei stumbled back, resting his hips against the counter. Duo
steadied himself by laying one palm flat on the granite, but he kept the
other on Wufei’s silk-clad hips. He didn’t know how else to thank the
younger boy for his thoughtfulness.

	Suddenly, a rather unpleasant smell filled the air.

	Wufei broke the kiss. “No!”

	Unfortunately, yes. blue smoke came off the simmering mixture,
which was quickly becoming black. Wufei darted out of Duo’s embrace,
seizing a pair of potholders. With the speed of on Olympic runner, he
removed the pot from the heat and dumped it, silver doubleboiler and all,
into the sink.

	Duo turned off the heat to the range.

	“Crap,” Wufei muttered, burying his face in his hands.

	“It’s no big deal, Fei,” Duo assured him.

	“Yes it is! I ruined the one tradition you hold dear.” A copper fist
pounded the counter. “Damn it.”

	“Fei, ever heard the expression ‘it’s the thought that counts’? Nobody’s
ever done anything like this for me before.” Taking his koi’s hands in his
own, Duo smiled. “Besides, I’ve already got some caramel.”

	Wufei eyed him suspiciously. “Really.”

	Duo lifted one of the delicate hands to his mouth, scraping his teeth
against the golden skin. “My dragon is made of caramel. Mmmm.... So smooth...”
His tongue darted between Wufei’s fingers. “So sweet...”

	“Ahem.”

	The lovers sprang apart. Quatre Raberba Winner stood in the doorway,
an empty glass in his hand. “New house rule,” he declared, “When the
straight guy is in the house, extra-carricular activities are restricted
to the bedroom.”

	Duo pretended to think. “Who’s the straight guy?”

	The blonde rolled his eyes. “Drop dead, Maxwell. I mean it.” Suddenly,
he wrinkled his nose. “What smells?”

	“Oh, I was trying to boil water, and burnt it.” Duo got in before
Wufei could say anything.

	Quatre shrugged, set the glass on the table, and walked away, muttering
about how he wasn’t thirsty anymore.

	“Grouch,” Duo muttered at his back.

	“You run, you hide...” Wufei raised a jet-black eyebrow.

	“But I’ll defend your honor with my life.” Duo kissed his cheek.
“Hows about we do like Q-ball says, and go to bed. We can make caramel in
the morning.”

	“I want to make it right now.” Wufei waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

	Duo gaped. Wufei... made an innuendo? “Well, who am I to say no to a
dragon?” Smiling broadly, he started to the door. “Come on...”

	He paused when Wufei dug in his heels. “Umm.... You didn’t, by any chance,
leave a light on?”

	Duo shook his head. “No.”

	His little lover caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “I’m...uh...that
is...”

	“You’re afraid of the dark.” Duo declared.

	Wufei frowned. “H-how did you know/”

	“From that little episode in the cell. When you asked me to keep talking.
I figured something was up when you latched on and pretended to sleep.” Duo
smiled at Wufei’s surprise. “I can smell fear, Fei, and you were right under
my nose. Nobody sleeps when they’re scared. I guess you didn’t figure out
that I never went back to my cot. I stayed there, and if I heard you, I came
closer.”

	Something akin to anger darkened Wufei’s face. “You mean all I had to
do was reach out...”

	“...And you found me reaching back.” Duo pulled him up against his chest.
“Remember that, koi. The only thing waiting for you in the dark is me.”

	“I’ll try,” Wufei promised, looking nervously over Duo’s shoulder.
“Though I think I want to test that theory.”

	Duo nodded. “I thought you might.”

	Wufei let himself be led out into the dark hallway, and up the flight of
stairs. Duo felt his lover’s fingers tighten around his, and smiled into the
dark. “Incidentally,” he said when they reached his room, “Thanks for trying to
give me Christmas.”

	“It was the least ZI could do,” Wufei told him, “After all you’ve given
me.” He pressed a kiss against Duo’s cheek. “Aishiteru.”

	Duo stared into the darkness, startles. “I... I love you, too, Wufei.”

	“But you were still the one who got us caught.”

	“Oh, would you let that go?” Duo laughed.

	“Never.” Ooh, Wufei’s voice sounded imperious.

	Duo’s smile grew wider. “Someone seems to forget it was his sorry ass
I was saving.”

	Wufei bristled. “What’s wrong with my ass?”

	Duo gave the body part in question a little squeeze. “Absolutely nothing.
Except for the fact that I always have to look out for it during a...”

	Wufei abruptly ended the argument, grabbing a hold of Duo’s shirt, and
planting a thorough kiss in him. Duo, for his part, pushed Wufei back into
the room, slamming the door shut with his heel.

	And outside, the snow continued falling.


The End
Wufei: Onnas!!!
Tori: *Innocently* Yes, Wufei?
Tsuno: Boink!!!! (it seemed to fit! ^_^)
Wufei: You made me out like some pathetic pansy-ass woman!!! INJUSTICE!!!
Tori: Whiny... Pansy-ass... I resent that!! *Giggles* But it *was* fun.
Tsuno: *drooling and twitching on the floor* Mmmm! 2x5!!!
Duo: Uh, what's with her?
Tsuno: *twitches* First.....lime..... ::twitch twitch::
Duo: And was it a doozy! Eh, Wu-man?
Wufei: *grumbles* I.... suppose so....
Tori: First time to finish a co-authored story too. Hats off to my co-writer!
Tsuno: *twitches. Bows* Thank yew, thank yew! I couldn't have done it without
Tori!!
Duo: And we did nothing?
Wufei: I seem to remember posing for several rounds of inspiration!
Tori: *grins* Thanks a lot for that Wufei.  You were absolutely adorable!
Duo: He was, wasn't he though? *pinches Fei's cheeks (not the face ones either! ^_~)
And so flexible, too!
Tsuno: 2x5!!!! *drools some more*
Tori: I think we're gonna need a mop in here.
Wufei: Eeeeww..... That's your job. She's YOUR co-writer, not mine!
Tori: Yeah, but YOU'RE the ones she's drooling over. *Snaps fingers and a mop
and bucket appear* Go for it, gents!
Duo: *too busy huggling Wufei to notice* Wu-babe.....*waggles eyebrows
suggestivly*
Wufei: Do you EVER stop?
Duo: I don't hear YOU complaining!
Tori: *Rolls eyes* And we play this scene again.
Tsuno: heh heh! *gets out the camara*
Wufei: Hentai!
Tori: Duh!
Tsuno: *pulls innocent Chibi eyes* What? *shutter clicks on the camera and
she trys to hide it behind her back*
Duo: *Grabs him* Whoa, there! *To Tsuno* Can you make copies?
Tsuno: *grins* Of course! You want them enlarged to poster size?
Tori: In full-blown technicolor! As soon as Duo gets Wufei out of his shirt!
*Pauses when she realizes everyone's staring at her* What? Go read the
'morning after' part again, with Wufei in his silk pants and nothing else.
Yummm....
Tsuno: *collapses in a heap and starts twitching again* yummmmmm......
Wufei: O great... There she goes again....
Tori: Not my fault!
Wufei: As if it's Mine!
     Tori: It's YOU she's imagining... No, we're not starting this again.
*Tries to get Tsuno up* Come on, we have to thank the nice people for
reading our story, and ask that they send any comments to us at
bishounen_obsession@hotmail.com.
Tsuno: Huuuhhhhh?
Tori: Forget it. Say goodbye, Tsuno.
Tsuno: *drooling* Buuuuhhh...bye....
Tori: *Waves Tsuno's hand* Bye...