Heero stepped out of the house and onto the porch of the safe house they were staying in, to watch the sunrise. It was always dark at around 5 o'clock in this area, it bothered Heero a little, no matter how hard he tried to adjust; the natural light just didn't feel right to him. He found himself almost missing the claustrophobic, and florescent-lit white halls of L1. The colony was all he had known since he was born and it bothered him to not feel the comforting confinement of the slightly curved walls. He lifted a slightly bent cigarette to his mouth and held it gently between his lips, trying not to wet the paper butt with saliva.

"Ah damn it!" he tried not to shout as he fumbled with his lighter in the waning dark. He had carried it in his pocket on his last mission, when his harness gave to his right shoulder the head got slightly bent, just enough to prevent the cylinder from turning. His hands trembled with anger as gave up and threw the offending object as far into the waxing light as he could, and grunted discontentedly taking his cigarette out of his mouth.

"He's really getting under your skin isn't he?" A very self satisfied voice mocked him from behind, "look, he's even gotten you into his filthy habits." there was a long silence that passed, Heero refused to acknowledge the offending voice and continued to grind his teeth thinking of the cigarette he was missing because of that stupid lighter, and involuntarily shuddered at the thought of facing Wufei without at least some chemical protection. Finally he grunted at the figure behind him and in a noncommittal acknowledgment of Wufei's presence. Wufei took that as an invitation to move out on the porch next to Heero.

He handed Heero a rough brown mug filled almost to the brim with steaming black liquid. Heero snatched it from him; spilling several splashes over the back of his hand, and placed the cup on the railing he was leaning over between his arms, letting the spilled coffee that still hung to the mug's side drip off into the lawn on the other side of the railing.

"Well if you insist on putting that into your lungs I'll oblige..." Wufei then took a small matchbook out of his pocket careful to show Heero the label on the matchbook before opening the small box and gingerly plucking one of the paper objects out. Heero normally would have rejected Wufei's offer but he felt the nicotine hunger clawing at his chest, so he lifted the small object to his mouth and turned it to the youth next to him. If Wufei still resented Heero, he didn't show it as he struck a flame atop of one of the matches that Heero remembered too well.

The morning was still, but Wufei cupped the small flame as if he was protecting it from a gale, as he put the flame to the end of Heero's cigarette. Heero puffed at the flame trying to light the tightly packed tobacco, and enjoying the first few whiffs of creamy smoke. The end finally began to glow, signaling to them, that the uncomfortable confrontation was finally drawing to it's conclusion, and Heero turned away from Wufei and back to the pinkish light of the sun creeping up over the horizon.

They let several moments pass before either of them said anything; with each passing moment the tension became more electric, like static flowing in the air between them. Wufei sighed lightly at the color splashing over the horizon as then sun finally emerged changing the pale blue of the morning to a deeper daylight color.

The cigarette was gone before Heero really had a chance to relish its silky taste. Against his will, he kind of resented how quickly the thing had burned away. He became even surlier at the thought of asking Wufei for another light; he picked up his coffee and toyed with the thought of asking Wufei to spot him just one more light. He knew it would not go over well especially because the matches he had been using to light Heero's cigarette had been the ones he taken from the restaurant the night Heero had proposed to him. Heero lifted the mug to his lips and sipped the coffee tentatively, steeling himself for the assault that he could feel was coming.

Heero reached into his back pocket and pulled out a beat up pack of 'Lucky Strikes' and slid another cigarette out. Heero shifted his weight and turned his head just enough to watch Wufei out of the corner of his eye to try and gauge the state of his ex lover before asking for another one of his precious matches. He took another sip of his rather strong coffee, Wufei hadn't forgotten, black, no sugar or cream. He looked down at the dark liquid and realized he had already taken down half of the cup. Wufei stirred uncomfortably in the dewy cold of the morning, bringing Heero back from his self-deprecating brooding.

"Can I bum another light?" Heero's voice was a little tight and he almost didn't recognize it's sound. Wufei stiffened a little at the request, but soon obliged, he moved slightly closer to Heero and lit another match offering the small flame like a sacrificial lamb. Heero again leaned into Heero again leaned into Wufei's cupped hands, lighting the packed paper tube, straightening back up to lean on the railing, and away from Wufei.

"Beautiful sunrise." Wufei's voice surprised Heero; it surprised him, at how tired he sounded. His voice reminded Heero of his own restless night. His sleep had been fractured at best, memories of a scorched teddy bear half buried in ashes drifted through Heero's mind, causing an involuntary shudder.

"It's a little cold out, maybe you should have put a sweater on, Yuy," obviously misinterpreting Heero's reaction. Wufei turned a critical eye to Heero's green tank top and long, tightly fitting blue jeans. Heero, however, refused to look up from his coffee to acknowledge his companion. Heero took a long drag on his half spent cigarette and looked into his discolored reflection, I'm a coward, ran through his mind; he tried to take his mind off the dark thought by swirling the mug and distorting his reflection. A few more moments of silence passed between the two, and the light around them slowly deepened and soon the sun was poking over the horizon.

"When do you think they'll be back?" the sentence shocked Heero out of his brooding, and caused Heero to look over at Wufei for the first time since he came out to join him. Heero just stayed silent, evaluating. Wufei trying not to let his face betray the conflicting emotions that were running through his head. Wufei shifted uncomfortably, the protracted silence obviously bothered him.

"Well, Chang," Heero replied, "the note said 15 days." Heero chanced another glance at Wufei catch in the Chinese youth's eye. Heero turned back to his cup and swallowed the half-cup of black liquid in one gulp.

"I know what the note said, Yuy!" Wufei snapped at Heero and turned from the now fully viable sun, to his companion, "I wanted your opinion, they are going into Barge, for Christ's sake!"

Heero looked back to his empty cup, "I don't care when they get back, alright Wufei," Heero snapped without looking up. Wufei fell silent after Heero's exclamation and stepped away from the railing, seeking out one of the white washed wicker chairs, that Quatre had brought home weeks ago. He fell heavily into it; he refused to speak to Heero, and allowed the creak issuing from the chair to settle around them with out a word.

Heero was screaming inside to ask the question that was eating at the inside of his chest, but he feared Wufei's reaction, so he bit it back, and whispered, "Why do you care, when they come back, Wufei?" He instantly regretted it, knowing how the Chinese youth would react. He could feel the heat of Wufei's glare. Heero opted to ignore Wufei's reaction and turned his attention back to the question that was burning him up and clawing it's way to his tongue, it took most of his self control to hold it back.

Wufei finally caved and replied, "I really don't give a damn Yuy; I thought you would. So I asked out of consideration for you." Again, Wufei startled Heero with, where the conversation turned.

"Why should I give a damn about them!"? Heero retorted a little too hotly.

"I thought you and that long haired idiot had something..." Wufei started to trail off his voice weighed with emotion. Heero tried to calm himself before responding.

"What makes you think I could stand to even talk that fool?" his voice sounded a little harsh even to himself.

Wufei waited a few moments formulating a his answer, "Then why did you start smoking?" Heero's mind reeled from the blow that Wufei had thrown and tried to think of a response, but found nothing. So he let the conversation drop, and without an answer to his last question Wufei seemed happy to let it go. The silence dragged on uncomfortably long before anything happened. Heero looked to face Wufei, and leaned forward off of the railing. He stepped toward the door, purposefully, but his question stopped him as he reached out for the handle and he let his hand rest on it. He looked down at Wufei trying to figure out how to ask the hot-tempered Chinese youth, why he had kept that souvenir.

The Chinese youth looked up at Heero expectantly, "Well are you going to answer or retreat into the house, like a coward." Heero gave Wufei a scathing look and turned the knob. He jerked open the door angrily, and slammed it behind him, and stomped through the mudroom into the kitchen. The aroma of coffee filled the small area and drew him toward the counter to see if there was any left.

"Love is just a distraction," he whispered to himself as he took hold of the half empty pot of black liquid.

***

Wufei cringed a little at the sound of the front door slamming and Heero's stomping. He hadn't anticipated Heero's anger to be quite so hot, and he figured that he should probably stay out of the house for a bit, and got up to walk through the small woods that encircled the house, Quatre had gone out of his way to make sure that they had absolute privacy, and the small cottage in the Santa Cruz mountains was perfect.

He stepped off of the porch and onto the small cobblestone trail that lead to the mobile suit hanger that they had made out of a large barn, and stepped away from the house into the clearing that surrounded them. He meandered off of the path and into the muddy grass, heading toward his favorite spot; He loved to go there when he needed time alone.

"Wow it's chilly this morning," Wufei griped to himself as he stepped out of the clearing and into the redwoods. The morning mist hung low to the ground, and swirled out of his way as he stepped through it. Wufei loved the morning around here, they were like something out of a fairy tale sometimes he would find himself looking for an dragon or something equally nonsensical, but some how when ever he was in these woods he found himself half expecting to see one. He laughed at his own foolishness, it echoed through the trees, and replied back sounding as hollow as he felt.

He stopped for a moment, and instantly regretted it, the anger and self pity flooded back over him, melting his face into a deep frown He looked up at the sky, wondering when his colleagues would come back and end the awkward solitude that he shared only with Heero. It was getting unbearable. The last few days they had tried to avoid each other, but this morning, he couldn't take the loneliness.

"I guess picking a fight wasn't my best idea..." he mused to himself, "Now I'm starting to sound like Duo!" He almost shouted, appalled with him. The light started to strengthen as he moved toward the stream down near the edge of their property. As he moved toward it the light began to strengthen, and the sunlight was beginning to show in small patches through the leaves; casting a dreamy light into the fog that hung close to the ground. He climbed through a thicket, he felt his sleeve catch on something, but didn't care, he knew he was close to where he wanted to be. He pushed through, a little too eager to see the small tree house suspended above a small stream.

Two almost identical redwoods that stood across the water from each other held the small structure above the wet earth that he was standing on. He reached out for the old rope that hung from the floor of the doorway, to the small house. He thought back to the first time he had climbed up the rope, he had been surprised that it could hold his weight he had been expecting it to give way and throw him into the stream bellow, He had to suppress a laugh at the mental image of himself falling into the stream and cursing his own stupidity as he sat chest deep in the numbing water.

He found himself a little too glad when he reached the floor of the small house. He looked around the inside, and wasn't surprised to find that no one had been there since he left. He sat down in the doorway hanging his feet over the edge; he put his hands behind his head, and lay back onto the dusty floor not caring how dirty his gray turtle neck got. He stared at the well-constructed roof and wondered, not for the first time how old the structure was, and who built it. Wufei knew that the light around the tree house was growing but the ceiling betrayed nothing about the sky, and Wufei didn't care. All he cared about was the sound of the breeze rustling through the trees that surrounded him, and the burbling of the small stream beneath him. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be pulled back into his memories of looking into Heero's midnight blue eyes in the throws of pleasure.

Wufei snapped awake, and was sitting upright before he knew where he was. The rich light surrounding him told him that he had been here for hours, and it was well into the late afternoon. He felt a pain come from his right arm and he turned to investigate, and found a tear in the sleeve of his turtle neck, and a scabbed tear in his skin. The gray of his cotton sweater was stained black from the blood that had been seeping into it for a while. He took off the article pulling it off of his arm where it was sticking to the dried blood. He felt the cool air wash over his skin and realized, that the heat of the afternoon sun baking on the roof of the structure had awakened him.

He groaned, and crumpled his ruined sweater into a makeshift pillow and lay back onto it, and tried to summon up the dream he had been indulging in. He sighed closed his eyes to the light that filtered into small house through the small, filthy window. Images of a tanned youth that he thought he recognized, but he didn't care the olive tinted skin was just too appealing, he wished he could reach out and touch him, before he realized it his manhood was reacting, but it wasn't until it throbbed uncomfortably against his pant leg did he turn his mind to it.

"What was that?" he whispered to himself referring not to the strange images of his fellow pilot, but to his reaction. He was glad that he was alone, he liked to fool himself that he was over the Japanese youth, and would not have enjoyed suffering a loss of face so egregious. He sat up realizing that he was thirsty. He got up and looked over the small area. There was nothing there but a small cabinet and an old rocking chair.

"I thought I left something up here," he whispered to himself as he opened the ancient door to the cabinet, with a loud creak. He looked in on a six-pack of cola and a box of granola bars. His stomach growled loudly and he smiled, feeling his hunger for the first time. He grabbed one of each and walked the short distance to the door, where he sat back down and looked out at the woods, fingering the plastic wrapping around his granola bar.

Before he knew it, he had finished his food, and his thirst consumed him as he reached out for the can of soda. He couldn't help but smile at the sound of the can snapping as he lifted the small tab. The soda tickled his throat pleasantly as he swallowed half of it in one go. Wufei sucked the last of the soda out of the can and dropped it next to the empty wrapper of his meal, and leaned back trying not to think of going home to Heero.

"That self centered prick," he whispered to himself as Heero's face floated through his mind. He felt tears well up in his eyes, and didn't try to fight them; He took out his book of matches that he stole from a restaurant that Heero had taken him to. He had wanted something to remind him of the night Heero proposed.

"Why do I still love him," he whispered, just before his quiet sobs overtook him.

***

Heero started awake. He took in his surroundings. The blue light of the television washed over him in the darkness of the empty den. The strange glow emitted from the TV made the furniture look alive, and shifting. His groggy senses couldn't make out what he was looking for; for quite a while the newscaster was droning on about the latest scandal in show business,

"Wufei?" he whispered pathetically into the empty room, suddenly remembering where he was and why. He sat up from his recliner, he had tucked into the corner. He scanned the large plush furniture, for any sign of his only company since the other three left. Wufei had left hours ago, and he had come down to the den to wait for him. A deep scowl spread across his face as he realized he was still alone.

Something cold was running down his cheek and, Heero reached up to wipe it off. His fingers came back wet, and he was shocked to find he had been crying. He grumbled and stood up, for the first time, he realized how cold the den was, even through his sweater. He shivered violently. Unsure of where to go, he stepped toward the few stairs that led to the living room, to try to find comfort somewhere other than the chilled den. The house was dark and lonely. Heero had decided he had hated this safe house the moment he entered it; but now, as it reflected all to clearly what he felt in his heart, he couldn't help the loathing that started to grow heavily in his chest, he scowled darkly at the thought of be there alone.

"Damn, I'm hungry," He voiced thoughtlessly, before realizing there was no one there to hear it. He almost laughed aloud at how stupid he must have sounded talking to the house that he hated. He walked purposefully through the living room careful to avoid the glass coffee table, which sat between the two opposing suede couches. He had forgotten about the piano though and stubbed his toe painfully on its left leg.

"Fuck me!" He shouted and he could hear the reverberations off of the baby grand's sound board, as if it were mocking him, "Yeah well fuck you too." he replied, without thinking. He limped heavily toward the kitchen at the head of the house, and found himself questioning if Wufei was right. What if Duo is rubbing off on me? He thought a little apprehensively to himself.

The kitchen was always the coldest part of the house, and Heero found himself hating the room this evening. He didn't want to repeat the mistake he had made in the living room, and hobbled over to the light switch, and flicked it up almost angrily. Ha! He thought to himself, fuck you, furniture! He was disturbed by the internal dialog he was having this evening, realizing, that Wufei was more right then Heero really wanted to believe was no less than disconcerting.

"I'll just have to prove him wrong," he whispered to himself conspiratorially, as though he was fearful Wufei would over hear. Heero stepped over to the refrigerator, and tore it open. He growled in annoyance at the half-spent six-pack of cola, and scattered condiments.

"Damn," he grumbled at the nearly empty refrigerator obviously some one, had forgotten to go into town for supplies, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was his turn. He tore open the crisper hoping he had missed something. He, threw the meat drawer open, knowing there was nothing, but looking anyway. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and snagged a can of soda. When he finally got all of the drawers back into place, he slammed the door with a certain finality. He allowed his mind to race over the possibility of something being in the pantry, but knew it would yield nothing more than the refrigerator did. He let an angry growl slip, as he thought of the possibilities. Then a thought stuck him and he glanced up at the ancient analogue clock over the stovetop.

He was not thrilled about ordering a pizza and really didn't like the idea of giving out the location of the first stable safe house they had, had in months, but there was no other alternative. He pulled himself to his feet using the 'fridge door as leverage, all the while cursing himself for being lax in his duties. He found the phone some time later in between the cushions of the large dark brown couch, and scowled at the battery life, hoping it had enough to call in his order. He grabbed a phone book out of the cabinet in the mudroom where they kept all of the reference volumes such as this. He stepped into the kitchen and dropped down into the one of chairs there, and pulled up to the table, to look through the yellow pages for the closest pizza place. The Pizzeria he chose was called "Marla's Pizzeria," He chose it specifically, because of the "We Deliver printed in red ink. The number wasn't hard, and Heero had it memorized be fore he dialed it. He said a silent prayer that they stayed open past 9:00.

***

Wufei was exhausted when he finally made it back to the safe house. He had been crying for hours and had had to wash his face in the stream before heading back through the dark wood, lest Heero find out and question why. He really didn't want to deal with his ex-fiancé. He tried the go in through the sliding glass door that opened to the den. The door was less than cooperative, and it took him several seconds to loosen it up enough to crack it open. He silently cursed himself for ignoring the door when the first took up residence here. After several more seconds of wrestling with the door he could squeeze his arm through, he smiled a silent congratulations to himself for this before trying to squeeze his torso through. The door turned from uncompetitive to positively rebellious once he started to squeeze the rest of his body into the den, and it shrieked loudly just as it cleared his torso.

"Damn it." he whispered as he heard rustling from upstairs in the kitchen. He gave in and threw the door open letting it scream loudly, his entrance to the rest of the house. He stepped inside, threw it shut and vowed to have the damn thing lubricated at the first possible opportunity. He had little energy, to do much more then throw himself onto the couch. He felt his body screaming for sleep, but he refused, and rolled over to find the television remote.

The ancient T.V flickered to life throwing the den into a ghostly, blue detail, and Wufei settled into the crease between the back rest, and seat cushions and tried to forget everything but the news program he was watching. Of course Oz had a pretty tight reign over the airwaves, but sometimes the flawed news stations had some very useful information. Not tonight, however, tonight they were covering some mock election, the alliance had long since given up its democratic roots and pursued a militaristic dictatorship. Wufei felt the familiar tug at his eyelids and he knew he was too tired to continue watching. He reached for the remote and turned down the volume and shifted as he drifted down into sleep.

The doorbell rang, causing Wufei to jump off of the couch and onto his feet. He was looking for a weapon frantically before his brain kicked back into gear and realized that a conversation was happening at the front of the house. He cursed his heart to the seven layers of hell and back, for beating so loud in his ear that he could barely hear what was being said. I didn't take long before he heard the word "Pizza," and realized that he must be hearing his dinner.

"Fuck me," he whispered, and fell tiredly back onto the dark brown couch. He closed his eyes, and slumped down into the cushions relieved, that he didn't need to flee in his fatigued state. It wasn't long before Wufei could smell the drifting aroma of the pizza. He bade his murmuring stomach to shut up with out opening his eyes. He wished he had brought more down to the small tree house, than the small stash of granola bars and soda. Again the smell of pizza assaulted his vulnerable senses, and he cursed his own weakness when he found how much he wanted some. He sat up, and blinked the confused sleep out of his vision. When his eyes finally cooperated, and started focusing he saw a plate, that had obviously been made for him.

"Damn it," he sighed heavily.

A voice from behind made Wufei jump, "You ok?" Heero asked almost amiably, as he entered the den from the living room. How he managed to juggle 2 cans of cola and another plate of pizza baffled Wufei. He purposefully avoided Heero gaze and turned around to face the TV again, refusing to acknowledge he comrade. Heero seemed contented to keep the silence as well, because he didn't speak again for several seconds. He dropped a soda into Wufei's lap and retreated back into his recliner. Wufei turned his attention, to what was obviously meant to be his food, and considered not eating it as an act of silent rebellion, but his body wouldn't allow it, and told him so with a loud growl centered in his midriff. He reached out for the plate silently cursing his treacherous stomach. The uncomfortable silence from that morning came back and settled over them, broken only by the quite murmuring of the television in the background. Before he truly realized he had started eating he found he was finished. He sat back a little more full than he was quite comfortable with. He found himself hoping for a reason to leave the den, and more importantly Heero.

"Why did you keep the matches Wufei?" The sound of Heero's voice made him visibly jump. He had to make a very conscientious effort to not turn and face Heero. He feared that turning right then would reveal everything he had worked so hard to hide, and before He could come up with a suitable lie, Heero continued. "I thought we agreed that our..." He faltered for a moment as if not knowing how to continue, "Relationship, was a distraction to our goals." Wufei could feel his face burn, and the all too familiar anger grow in his chest. He stood up and tried to regain his composure before responding, but found it at best difficult.

"You know what? Fuck off, Yuy!" He spat, before he knew what he was doing. Heero just sat in his chair with a look of utter astonishment at the sudden outburst. Wufei realized what had happened, too late, and he felt his embarrassment flush over his face. Damn it, he screamed inside his head, and dared a look at the now flamingly pissed Heero, and bolted up the stairs toward the living room, fleeing to the sanctuary of his room. The house was not large, but it seemed to take forever to reach his room; he was more than a little glad that Heero didn't come out to stop him. He slammed the door and leaned against it as if barricading himself against a siege. He surveyed his room looking for a distraction, but nothing lent it's self to his interest. and he soon gave in to the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"Damn," he whispered to himself, "this is the second time today, I've cried over that bastard."

***

TBC…?

A/n:

I have more and will post, depending on reception. So if you liked it review!

Disclaimer:

Kido Senshi Gundam, (Mobile Suit Gundam) and all of it's affiliated characters/series are copyright of sunrise/sotsu agency, and used without permission for the purposes of entertainment only, and are not intended for profit.