A/N: I am SO SORRY this is so beyond late. I recently got a job and that pulled me out of the rut I was in before hand. Anyway! This is for Siberianwolf. She requested 2x5 and thunderstorms. So, I hope you love it, darling! I'm not all that confident in my writing skills, but this story helped me calm down after a bad day at work because it was so fluffy and cute. So, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for waiting this patiently for this story.

Raining August

It had been a long, hot August day. If anyone said otherwise, Wufei was going to wring their necks. He'd been stuck in a vehicle for over 36 hours with Duo because his boyfriend had wanted to go to the beach. Of course the braided haired idiot forgot to mention it was two days away.

For the millionth time, Wufei tugged down his severe ponytail and rubbed at his scalp. He glared against the setting sun they happened to be driving into. Even with the visor down in front of him, it didn't help much. "How much longer, Maxwell?" He nearly snapped. The Chinese man had learned the hard way not to snap at Duo while he was driving. The last time he did, Wufei's nose met the dashboard. Glancing over after running his hands through his hair, he saw Duo's knuckles tighten on the steering wheel. Oops..

"Not much longer, Fei-babe. Gotta take this next exit and drive for twelve miles, then we'll be at the beach cabin. We can unpack and things tomorrow, right?" He sounded tired. Duo hadn't accepted Wufei's offers to drive. In fact, he was pretty damn insistent on driving the whole time himself.

"Let me take the wheel, Duo. You've been driving for fourteen hours now. Surly you're tired." Wufei tried to get his boyfriend to take a break.

Duo just shook his head and gave Wufei a flash of a grin, which was loosing its charm because of how tired he really was. "I'll just pull into a motel and get some rest there. Some sleep. We won't make it today, anyway."

Wufei's brow twitched at that and he narrowed his eyes. He had this... thing about sleeping in hotel or motel rooms, and Duo knew it. It was probably payback for nearly snapping. Or calling him Maxwell. Suppressing a frown, Wufei threw his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. "Fine. You can't say I didn't ask."

"I'd never think that, Fee-Fei."

Stupid nicknames.

The motel room they had stayed at was completely filthy. There was blood stains on his sheets and pillows, the comforters stunk to high heaven, and he was pretty sure there was dog shit somewhere in the room. He could smell it. Not to mention Duo didn't let him get much sleep because of his constant moving around. Back at the apartment they shared, Wufei specifically asked for one of those matresses that wouldn't transfer so much motion from your partner. Well, he wished he could have brought it with him this time about.

They left early, thank whatever gods were watching over them, and that's how he wound up where he was now.

Wufei woke up to gentle shaking and his name whispered on the wind. His nose was filled with the thick, salty air of the beach, and quickly followed the stench of fish and seaweed. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking at Duo, who was giving him a happy sort of smile. The one he was used to waking up too in the mornings. He smiled as he felt Duo's lips brush his own and stretched when his lover moved from his sight to let him do so.

"Here we are! The Maxwell beach hut!" Duo said, voice full of excitement and laced with wariness. He knew how picky Wufei was.

Those liquid dark eyes looked toward the 'hut' and was surprised to find a very sturdy looking wooden cabin. Like, with real logs and everything. "It's so ...homey. In a good way." He said quickly to fill the silence that was drifting between the two. "I think I'll like it."

The two left their things in the car and headed up the little steps onto the front porch. Duo dug the keys out and in they went. There wasn't any electricity hooked up to the place, so with flashlights found in an already prepared drawer, the two lit a fire and removed dust covers from the couch and other furniture. Cleaning would have to wait for the morning light.

Too exhausted to do much, the pair sat down on the couch and talked a little about their plans for tomorrow.

Naturally, Duo wanted to get up early and look for shells. Something about 'before the midgets get them'. Wufei guessed he meant the children. It was summer after all. Wufei had decided that after shell hunting, the two would do some sprucing up and go shopping for their five day stay.

They talked about things for an hour or so before they put out the fire and felt their way to the bedroom, where the bed was already prepared for them a head of time. Apparently Duo had thought before deciding he wanted to do this. And assumed Wufei would be in the mood to go. A thought struck him then.

"Duo. Why did you want to go to the beach?" Of all the time Wufei could have asked, it never occurred to him until he was actually here. Duo had a way of making him agree first, then ask questions later. Very dangerous, indeed.

He'd already settled down into the bed in his sleeping pants, blue plaid, which Wufei somehow found charming. Or, he would, if he could actually see Duo. Either way, Duo wrestled in bed for a moment, and then answered. "I needed a break." He sounded sleepy. So, for today, Wufei left it at that. After he finished changing, he joined Duo in bed and spooned up behind him, one arm thrown over the other's waist, his other arm tucked under his own head and that's how he drifted to sleep. Somewhere in the back of his head, it nagged at him to get the information out of Duo. He'd worry about that in the morning, however.

In the wee hours of the morning, unknown to the two sleeping men, a storm had blown in at the beach. The wind pitched the cabin a bit, but it was built to withstand it. Neither of them heard the thunder or lightening. In fact, what woke Duo up was the fact that he had to pee. Only when he was in the bathroom with a flashlight did he hear a loud crash of thunder and a flash of lightening blinded him. He yelped, dropped the flashlight in the toilet and slipped on a puddle of water on the floor that he didn't know was there. He fell against the wall; thank goodness for small bathrooms, but he'd gotten Wufei's attention.

He was blinded once again, but by a flashlight pointed at his face as his lover found him. "What happened, Maxwell?"

"...I was pissin' and thunder.. Then water and I slipped. Hit my head. 's cool, 'Fei. Go to bed." Now, Duo wasn't full awake yet either, but he had a feeling he would be up for a while. Which meant Wufei would be, too. Neither was comfortable without the other beside them when they slept. Still, it made Duo feel a bit better that he'd at least told him too. Putting himself back in order, Duo picked himself up and fished his flashlight ouf of the toilet, rinsed it off and washed his own hands after carefully balancing the flashlight on the ledge of the sink. "What time is it?"

Wufei had gone into the kitchen at this point, but he could hear. "Five. Almost time for the sun to come up, actually," he called back, in the process of making some coffee in an ancient coffee pot he put on the gas burner of the stove. Luckily he knew how to use it. Once it started percolating, Wufei fished two mugs from the cabinet and set it next to the oil lamp that was illuminating the kitchen. Before he knew it, he felt damp, warm hands sliding around him and he leaned back into Duo with a sigh.

"Why thank you, Fee-Fei." Wufei could hear the smirk in Duo's voice as he called him that. "I knew there was a reason I loved you. You make the best coffee."

"Well it's a good thing you love me for my coffee, Duo. Otherwise you'd be screwed this morning, hm?" He turned around and arched a brow at Duo's shadowed face. Duo just leaned in and pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss before leaving Wufei alone. He poured two mugs and slid Duo his when he took a seat at the island bar. "Why did we get a cabin on the beach?"

Duo's face fell, his whole head did, actually, as he bowed his head. Wufei could hear him licking his lips before taking a sip of coffee. "...Someone... died. Someone I knew well. I had to get away from the city. Remember Solo?" His voice went tight with emotion and Wufei saw him blink back tears. "...He... died. Wufei, he died! He was as old as me... My brother... My street brother. Got mixed up with the wrong gang, did something they didn't like, and they fuckin' wrote him off. Didn't..." The tears slipped and he continued to look down. Even Duo had his pride. He hated crying in front of Wufei. He felt weak and stupid for doing it in front of him.

The braided haired boy heard foot steps and felt those strong arms slip around him as Wufei drew him close. Duo turned and pressed his face into Wufei's chest, sobbing for the first time since he found out. It had happened a week ago. Duo didn't even go to the funeral. He hadn't visited the grave. If he did, Duo knew he would just lose it. "Why... Why didn't he come to live with us? Stupid bastard.." He hiccuped and started coughing into Wufei's chest. All Wufei did was hold him tighter and rocked him from side to side.

In the past, when Wufei and Duo first got together, they had offered Solo a place to stay. With them, for as long as he wanted. Wufei didn't mind if Duo's brother lived with them. After all, he was used to a big family staying under one roof. But Solo had too much pride and didn't need charity, so he'd stayed on the streets.

When Duo was finished crying, he was tired, and the sun was slowly spilling through the windows of the whole house. Lighting it up brightly enough to cause Wufei to look down at Duo. He tilted Duo's head up and pressed their lips together in a salty, but slow kiss. "Come to bed."

Two cups of coffee sat untouched as Wufei drew Duo to bed.

The rest of their time at the cabin was filled with Duo's stories of Solo, cursing, crying, making love and soft words. Even if the storm did last until the last day they stayed there.

The day they rolled back into the city, Duo went to the cemetery. He came home that night looking better than he had in a week.