Chapter 3

"You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals."- George Mikes

Duo curled up on Wufei's constantly made bed, looking over at the other boy across the room. His friend was once again sitting in that damn chair of his. Duo would never admit it, but just looking at that yellow velvet was making him nauseous. He really hated that color.

He focused on Wufei instead. He had found it very calming to be around Wufei since the other boy for some reason had stopped being so angry with him all the time. Before, all he had to do to upset Wufei was to look at him. But now Wufei hadn't raised his voice at him once.

But on the other hand, Duo wasn't trying so hard to get his attention anymore. It took too much energy, energy that he didn't feel like wasting at the moment. Especially since his attempts never really worked all that well anyway. Of all the pilots, Wufei had been the most difficult one to befriend. Duo had used every trick he had to get closer to the Shenlong pilot, but it seemed that the more he tried, the angrier Wufei would get. He had almost thought that Wufei was going to kill him that time when he had tried to get him to join him in the pool at one of Quatre's houses. So his arm had been a bit wet when he threw it over his shoulders and maybe it wasn't nice to pull someone close and drag them along, but really, that was no reason to act like Duo had tried to kill him. Wufei had been so angry that his face had been a permanent red for days when ever Duo got even close to him.

Things were different now. Wufei had obviously forgiven him while he had been 'dead' and had even said that he had missed him. Duo had almost thought that he was hallucinating when that happened.

It also appeared that the less he tried, the easier it was to be around Wufei.

Duo yawned and stretched his arms out over his head, wiggling his fingers inside the sleeves of his sweater. Spending the night under the bed might feel safe and didn't give him any nightmares, but it was damn uncomfortable and he never managed to sleep for any longer periods of time. He had tried to sleep in the bed once but when it felt like the walls were turning yellow and started to close in on him so he gave up.

There was a pretty comfortable couch in the sitting room next to the kitchen but it smelled heavily of mold and when he put his head down on it he could hear the insects eating the wood inside of it. The only reason he slept on it was because Wufei used it. It was a lot easier to sleep calmly when he knew that he wasn't alone. That it was Wufei made it better because he didn't make a lot of noise; he didn't feel the need to talk and when he started reading he could sit for hours. Duo never had to worry that he would wake up alone because Wufei was always there. He didn't even have to open his eyes because he could smell his presence. Jasmine, gasoline, steel and Wufei; that's what he smelled like and Duo would recognize it anywhere. It was comforting and Duo loved falling asleep to that smell.

Then Wufei had found that damned chair. Duo couldn't help but glare at the chair of horror. Not only was it yellow, it was also standing too far away for Duo to fall asleep comfortably. Wufei's bed was a lot better than the floor or the termite infected couch. It was soft, it was quiet and it smelled a lot better. But Wufei was too far away.

Duo curled up on his side, pulling his knees up against his chest. He wondered if Wufei could come over to him and give him another massage. His back did hurt, but not as much as before. If he had to be honest about it, he had to confess that he kind of just wanted Wufei closer to him and that he wanted to be touched. A massage would be the perfect excuse for that, but at the same time, he didn't want to ask for one.

He made a big show of rubbing his back and a second later, Wufei looked up from his book.

"Is your back hurting again?" He asked with worried eyes.

Duo shrugged, not giving him an answer since it would have been a bit too close to a lie for his taste.

Wufei took of his glasses, placing them on the table together with his book.

"Lay down."Wufei said before he did that calm breathing thing he had done before he started the massage the last time. Duo assumed that it was another one of those honorable traditions that Wufei seemed to collect.

A couple of seconds later, Wufei was done and Duo happily scooted over, making room for his friend on the bed as he lay down.

Wufei's hands landed on his back and Duo felt his brain short-circuit.

Damn, this was so nice, so unbelievably nice. Wufei was rubbing and stroking his back and Duo melted under his touch. Those hands had to be magical; there were no other explanation to why this felt so unbelievably nice. It was like they made a hum start up in his head, a hypnotic hum that was rising and falling like waves on the ocean.

Oh, oh that was nice, really nice. Duo gasped, his claws made soft popping sounds as they extracted without conscious thought into the sweater, making small holes in the fabric. Wufei had moved down beyond the edge of his sweatpants and were rubbing his aching tailbone. He couldn't remember hitting it but it had felt almost bruised lately. Wufei's magical hands moved on, leaving what felt like a trail of liquid muscles and glowing skin.

Duo had never gotten a massage before but they were now his favorite thing in the world. He had believed that massages was all about covering someone with oil and making their spine snap as the person was bent in different positions. If he had known that massages were really all about being touched, he would have bullied someone into doing it years ago.

Duo knew that he was a very touchy feely guy, he always had been. He liked to stand close to people, to touch them and to be touched. That need had been far from fulfilled since he became a gundam pilot.

It was just so damn hard to get a hug out of these people.

Quatre was pretty easy most of the time. You just opened your arms and he would roll his eyes and hug you. Unfortunately, there were only so many times that you could hug a guy before it started to become weird. Heero pulled a gun at him every time he tried (not that it stopped him) and Trowa stood stiffly and waited until he was done. Duo had never managed to get close enough to Wufei to even try to give him a hug.

If Duo had known that all he had to do to get this kind of attention was to have back problems, well, let's just say that he would have complained a hell of a lot more than he had.

He wondered if this was what people described as a Zen mood. His head was just filled with calming waves that washed away all disturbing thoughts.

Especially when Wufei had gotten rid of all the tension in his back and he was just stroking him. Over and over and over again. It made the hum in his head grow in strength and the whole thing was just so niiice. He barely registered that he was curling up around Wufei, far too focused on the feeling of Wufei's hands on his back. It was so nice, so nice, so nice.

If it was up to him, he would have stayed there forever.

"Pull back!" Quatre shouted over the gun shots. The sound made Duo's sensitive ears ring and he was grateful for the metal door they could close behind them, separating them from the pissed off night guards. A well placed bullet destroyed the keypad, effectively locking the door behind them. OZ had been changing their approach lately. They weren't trying to capture them anymore; they were shooting to kill. That much was obvious as the bullets rained against the door. He glanced over at Quatre, making sure that his friend wasn't hurt in any way before the both of them started running through the long corridor in front of them. They were still far from safe and they would have to be quick if they wanted to escape alive out of the military laboratory.

Duo had been really pissed where he had found out that someone from Oz had managed to get their hands on some of the data that he himself had been sent out to destroy that faithful night when he got captured. He had been so sure that he had destroyed it all. That had been his one and only joy when he had been a prisoner. Having to live through that hell, only to have the reason for it to come back was just too much and Duo saw this as a personal insult.

There was no way that he would let them start using that weapon. He was going to level the whole compound to the ground if he had to. He had made sure that he had more than enough explosives with him and he had placed several of them all over the lower floors before they had been spotted. Then their part of the mission had then suddenly gone from placing bombs to distract the night guard while Wufei installed a couple of Heero's costume made viruses into the main computer.

He could hear the sharp sound of gunfire from further down the corridor, followed by a crash as the door was destroyed. Shit, these guys were good.

They were long past the schedule and Wufei was probably ranting up a storm back at their meeting spot. But how was they supposed to know that the guards never made the same rounds twice?

They had attacked during the night so they wouldn't have to worry about the personal that worked in the lab, but it appeared that the night guards were a gang of hard trained motherfuckers who just would not stop.

The two pilots had been spotted while planting bombs on the lower floors. From there, the hunt had been on. Unfortunately for them, the laboratory was built like a fort, all doors were locked and all windows had bars in front of them. There were only one way out and that was through the fire exit on the third floor. That was where they had gotten in and that was their only hope to get out. It was just too bad that it was across the building.

They ran past small, thankfully empty, padded cells, surgery rooms and endless yellow corridors that were far too familiar for him. The whole place gave Duo the creeps and it was with great pleasure that he had placed his bombs in everything from the underground laboratories to the file rooms.

Duo ripped the door to the stairway open, the sound of Quatre's feet following him closely behind.

He almost flew up the four stairs until they reached the door to freedom and Duo almost shouted in relief when it opened effortlessly.

They were out. The cool night air hit his face and he happily sucked it in as they took the fire escape down and ran towards the far side of the area. Behind them he could hear the muted boom of an underground explosion as the first of his toys went off. Quatre easily jumped the fence and half a second later he was gone in the surrounding forest. Duo paused at the edge of the fence when he noticed a certain lack of swordsmen waiting for them. He looked back at the intimidating building just as another boom went off, making flames rush out through a couple of windows on the first floor. "Shit, where is Wufei?" He whispered desperately.

It all had gone according to plan. Wufei should have been there before them, waiting to tell them if he had been successful or if they would have to stick around to make sure that the whole compound went down into flames.

But Wufei wasn't there.

Duo turned and ran back. He couldn't lose Wufei. He just couldn't. Wufei was like the cool, older brother who didn't always want to play with you and thought you were annoying but loved and helped you anyway. Wufei was his friend and there was no way he was leaving him behind.

The fire exit was still unlocked and he ripped it open and started running up the stair. Wufei must still be in the computer central on the fourth floor with the main computer. Duo made a note to slap Heero over the head for making such complex but slow viruses.

As he opened the door to the fourth floor, the sound of gunfire told him that he was on the right track. He hurried towards it as silently as he could, hoping that no one would spot him before he spotted them. Another one of his timed bombs went off making the whole building tremble.

Shit, this was not good. They had to get out of there before bomb number seven went off since it would most likely take the whole building down...

The sound of gunfire was really close now and Duo stopped to peek around a corner. The narrow corridor in front of him was swimming with guards. They were all heavily armed and it would most likely not take long before they decided to charge right in through the open doorway at the end of the hall. Or at least what was left of it.

Duo bit back a curse, tightening his fingers around his gun. There were no room to maneuver and no place to take cover. If he went in, guns blazing, then it probably wouldn't take long before A: He gets shot in the chest or B: some of the guards that had hunted him before would find their way here and shot him in the back. Neither of the alternatives seemed very tempting.

Duo tried to think. There had to be another way into that room. He had studied the drawings of this place very carefully incase of situations like this. Picturing the blueprint in front of him, he suddenly remembered something.

He turned back, hurrying towards one of the corridors that he had just past. Behind him the gunfire stopped and he could hear the guards arguing loudly over what they should do. Duo hoped that wouldn't reach an agreement too soon, because even if his plan worked, he was going to need some time. He reached the thankfully empty corridor, running through it until he found a large, steel hatch in the middle of the floor

He dropped down on his knees, taking a hold of its handle before pulling upwards. The heavy hatch protested with a broken whine as he forced it open. It had clearly been a while since anyone had been there.

Holding the hatch up, Duo looked down at the shallow tunnel under it. Thick wires and colorful cables were stretched out before him. He realized quickly that he was standing in a crossway as the cables all ran in different directions.

The dark tunnel stretched out in four directions underneath him, each filled with plastic cables. He set his eyes on the thick, orange cable in the middle; the one that he knew was connected to the main computer.

Duo stepped down into the shallow hole, his feet sinking down between the many cables. He held the hatch open above him as he hunched down to peer into one of the dark tunnels. There was not a lot of space between the roof and the cables since it wasn't made for crawling around in, but there should be enough for a teenage boy.

He lowered his arm, letting the hatch slam closed above him, leaving him in total darkness. For a second, total panic struck him as something like claustrophobia rushed over him. In his mind he was once again back in that hospital bed, tied down, alone one the dark as people walked back and forth past the locked door, ignoring his shouts. He swallowed harshly, forcing his mind back to the present. There was no time for insecurities, not when Wufei was in danger.

Realizing that he would never be able to crawl through the cables, he laid down on his back, throwing his braid over his shoulder and tucking it into the edge of his pants. Sometimes he really understood Heero's argument about his hair being a danger to himself and that he really should cut it off for his own safety.

There was not enough room for him to put his knees up as the roof almost scraped against his chest and he had the tip his head to the side to prevent his nose from hitting some kind of sharp metal that was bolted to the roof. Placing his hands against the walls and his feet up against the edge of the metal edge surrounding the hatch, Duo pushed, making himself slide over the cables. He raised his feet again, pushing away. He was sliding pretty far with each push, but it still felt far too slow.

Another explosion went off somewhere far below him.

He did a mental calculation on how far away Wufei was trying to keep track on how far he had gone. The orange cable was a comforting pressure against his spine, despite the metal straps that was holding it down every five meters and scrapped harshly against his back as he pushed his way over it.

The thunder of running feet and the unmistakable sound of bullets told him that him that he was on the right way. He kept pushing, ignoring the way sharp metal edges sliced up his hands and the cold that was working its way through his clothes despite the work out he was putting himself though.

A small slip of light suddenly appeared above him, making him grin. Finally, this was it. He put his hands up, praying that he made the right calculations. Then he pushed hard and that hatch above him opened. Getting up on his knees, Duo peeked around the room.

His eyes instantly landed on his friend. Wufei was sitting behind the huge monster that was the main computer. It was obvious that the guards cared more about killing the intruders then making sure that the computer was unharmed since the metal shell around it was covered with bullet holes.

Wufei had a blank but intense look on his face as he stared down at his gun. It was a look that didn't betray any fear, just steel hard determination and an acceptance of sacrifice.

"Hey Wu." Duo said casually as he put his elbow up on the floor, leaning his head against it. "You want to get out of here or something?" The surprise on Wufei's face was priceless, making Duo grin like a loon.

"Yes, that would be most appreciated." Wufei choked out as he stumbled to his feet and hurried over to him.

Duo held the hatch open so that his friend could climb down. "There is not a lot of room; you need to slide on your back." He said looking down as Wufei maneuvered himself down on top of the cables. Duo felt his breath catch as he noticed the way a dark stain on Wufei's blue shirt was making it stick to his chest and the red smear over his neck. He chose not to mention it. They didn't have time to worry about non-life-threatening injuries anyway.

Wufei was a bit bigger then he was but he managed to push himself forward and Duo quickly closed the hatch and followed him. Together they were sliding through the dark towards safety.

"Are you okay?" Duo asked quietly after a few minutes.

"A bullet graced my neck, nothing more." Wufei released a shaky breath. "I was very lucky." The sound of soles against metal was loud in the tunnel.

"Lucky…yeah." Duo shivered unhappily because luck was not something he trusted. Especially since his luck had been next to non-existing lately.

Losing friends was something Duo took very serious and knowing how close he had been to losing another one made him uneasy.

Wufei had cleaned up and bandaged the cut on his throat. The sight of that white bandage made Duo feel nauseous. If that flying metal had just been a bit further to the right, Wufei might not have been sitting next to him on the couch; he would have been dead.

Feeling scared, Duo moved a little closer until he was almost sitting on top of Wufei. He just wanted to be close, as if to make sure that his friend wasn't going anywhere.

Wufei blinked tiredly and Duo froze, staring at the other boy, waiting to see what he would do.

"You alright?" Wufei mumbled, his eyes falling closed.

Duo didn't respond he just put his head down on the back of the couch, eyes never leaving Wufei's face. He didn't know for how long he had been doing it, but his fingers were gripping the edge of Wufei's blue tank top as if the other boy would disappear if he let go.

"That was close today." Wufei remarked quietly.

Duo nodded, his face rubbing against the couch as he did so.

"Thank you for getting me out."

Duo hummed softly, unconsciously pulling on Wufei's top. He was painfully aware of just how close he had been to losing another friend. He kept losing the people he cared about. It was not fair! Duo wanted this stupid war to be over so that everyone could just be happy and not have to worry about biological weapons and bullet wounds.

A hand worked its way around him, landing on the back of his neck.

"It's okay, we're safe now." Wufei whispered, softly stroking his neck and shoulders.

Duo hadn't realized just how tensed he was until his muscled melted under Wufei's touch. He slumped forward, forehead landing on Wufei's shoulder.

God, this was nice. So nice. There was that humming in his head again, the one that rose and fell like waves. In seconds he was so relaxed, so comfortable that he couldn't even begin to put words to how good it felt. The only word he could find was 'nice' because it was. It was really, really nice; especially when Wufei didn't protest when he shuffled even closer. That was very nice.

Duo's chest leaned against Wufei's arm with his knees tucked up against Wufei's hip. Wufei stroked and stroked and stroked, making Duo want to sit there forever. The hum almost seemed to vibrate through his body, rolling over his tired body. He was so warm and comfortable that he found it to be a miracle that he wasn't already asleep.

It was like if he was lying on a beach and listening to the ocean; a beach that vibrated and smelled like steel, gasoline, lavender and Wufei, a beach that came with free petting, like all good beaches should.

A sudden gasp of pain and the smell of blood woke Duo up from his ocean dream.

He looked at his friend, trying to find the reason for the stained look on his face.

Wufei was looking down and when Duo followed his line of sight, he found his explanation.

His claws were out and they were covered in blood. Wufei's normally white pants were drenched in it, showing off four rips in the texture where Duo had cut straight through it and sliced Wufei's skin open.

Duo stared in panic at his own hands. No-no-no. This was not happening. He didn't dare to look at the other boy, his eyes getting stuck on the damage he had done.

The blood was running down on the couch pillows, creating a dark red stain.

Duo throw himself away from the other boy, horrified over what he had done. The blood was warm and sticky on his fingers, making his hands look like something out of a horror movie. Without a seconds thought, Duo bolted out of the room. He ran as fast as he could, almost flying down the stairs. Hs panicked mind didn't know where to lead his feet. Nowhere was safe.

He just knew that he had to get away, he couldn't stay there, he had to go, go far away. 'Hide!' His instincts screamed, urging him on. He had to hide. Somewhere he couldn't be found.

He ended up in the forest, running through the bushes, jumping over rocks and small springs. His socked feet were sliding through mud and wet leaves but that didn't slow him down. He ran until a large oak came in his way. Instincts rose and his blood stained claws dug into the bark as he started climbing. He climbed and climbed, until he reached a large branch high up in the tree. There he curled up against the trunk, leaning his forehead against it.

Why, god why, did shit like this always happen to him?! Wasn't it enough that he had suffered at the hands of those BASTARDS, that they had turned him into this freak of nature! Did his curse really have to go on and hurt the people around him who were just trying to help?!

His claws dug into the rough bark, leaving deep scratches, just like the ones he had left on Wufei's flesh. Duo closed his eyes and cried bitter tears.

The sun rose over the trees, bringing light and warmth to the world. Duo didn't move from his spot. Hour after hour he sat there, ignoring the way his tired body protested.

The day came to its end and the dark started to fall. Duo still did not move. Shadows, wide and deep took over the forest, closing around it like a fist. The full moon that peered down at him, gave him all the light he needed to see. Not that he spent his time watching the scenery as much as just staring blindly ahead.

Duo didn't know what to do. Intelligently he knew that he couldn't stay there forever, but at the same time, he couldn't make himself leave. He couldn't even think about facing Wufei again. Every time his thoughts came close to his friend, the pained look on Wufei's face flashed before his eyes, making the shame grow.

Somewhere in the distance, something took flight, its wings making a soft but powerful sound as it set out to reach the sky. Duo envied it. He wanted to get away, to fly away from all his problems and mistakes. He bit back a hysterical laugh. Yeah, that was just what he needed to become an even bigger freak, wings.

A sharp gush of wind made the leaves rustle and Duo shiver. He ignored it. He deserved all the discomfort he got.

Then something caught his attention. A sound that didn't fit into the surrounding forest. Duo tensed up as he recognized the sound as footsteps. It was coming closer and closer.

"Duo!" He heard Wufei's dull voice call out in a distance. Duo closed his mouth tightly, as if it would betray him.

The smell of steel-gasoline-lavender-Wufei reached him, making something inside of him relax. It only lasted for a second before he remembered just why he was hiding.

"Duo!" Wufei was closer, but too far to the left of him to stumble across his oak. He hoped.

Duo curled up tighter, hoping that his body would somehow become one with the tree.

He didn't want to be found, especially not by Wufei. The swordsman wouldn't kill him, but the shame just might.

The steps came closer and closer, making Duo hold his breath. He didn't dare to look over towards him, too scared that any movement might give him away.

The steps faltered and backtracked before coming closer until they stopped below the tree. Duo closed his eyes in shame, he had been found.

"Duo?" Wufei asked softly, his boots scraping against the roots of the tree.

Duo wanted to whimper and beg for forgiveness but he couldn't get the words past his throat.

There was a long pause where all that could be heard were the sound of leaves dancing in the breeze.

"Are you going to come down?"

A denying noise ripped its way passed his tightly kept lips. God this was so humiliating. He was sitting in a god damned tree like some kind of scared animal after hurting his friend with his fucking claws!

A sigh, then Wufei's boots scrapped against the tree.

Duo blinked and glanced down to where the other boy was now climbing up the tree. The branches creaked in protest under the other boy's weight, but didn't break.

With a huff, Wufei came to a stop on the branch diagonally bellow him.

Duo tensed up, waiting to hear what Wufei had to say. He could just imagine the kind of rant he was going to get for this.

But Wufei didn't say anything; he just made himself comfortable, straddling the branch to lean back against the trunk.

Duo nervously scratched a finger over the bark, looking down at the other boy. Wufei pushed his hands into the pockets of his leather motorcycle jacket, looking up at the moon. He had changed out of his destroyed white pants, instead wearing one of Oz's camouflage pants that the boy must have stolen during a mission. His black military boots were lazed tightly all the way to the top. He looked adult, competent and ready for anything.

Duo felt anything but as he shivered, realizing just how cold it had gotten. His socks were damp and covered in mud that had dried into a hard layer during the day. The wind was blowing straight through his sweater and his cotton pants… something that he had been fighting hard to ignore.

The sound of a zipper made him look down.

Wufei had taken his jacket off and was holding it up to him.

Duo hesitated but figured that he most likely was going to hurt Wufei's pride if he didn't accept it. If it was something Wufei had had more than enough of lately, it was to get hurt.

He pulled the jacket on, biting back a relived sigh when the warm leather settled around him. It was a bit big on him and he could duck his head so that his nose ended up under the edge of it.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled into the collar of the jacket.

"It's just a scratch." Wufei muttered dismissively, staring out through the leaves.

"It was not a scratch." Duo hissed. "There was too much blood for that."

Wufei shrugged. "One of them was a bit deeper than the rest but it's not like I need stitches."

Duo squirmed unhappily, breathing deeply through his nose, as it the smell of leather and Wufei was going to make everything better. "It's just so fucking insane." Duo grunted, grabbed a hold of his ears through the bandanna. "I have these fucking things on my head and my sense of smell if going insane, my hearing is all over the place and now I'm scratching people with my god damn claws!" He lashed said claws out against the tree, leaving deep marks all the way through the thick bark.

"I'm not an animal!" Duo screamed into the night.

A soft whisper from the branch bellow, "I know."

Duo felt a slip of calmness work its way through his body at those words. If Wufei, who had seen all his worst sides, didn't think that he was losing his humanity, then maybe...

His thoughts trailed off as he too stared out into the night. The moon cast a pale light all over the dark shapes of the forest, giving it an almost unearthly feeling. A sharp gush of wind rushed over them, making Duo shiver and wrap his arm around his knees. He really should have at least put on some shoes before running away.

Wufei stretched his arms up over his head with a groan. "Come on, I'm cold. Let's go back in."

Duo hesitated as Wufei slowly climbing down feeling stubborn for some reason. He didn't want to come down just because Wufei said so. Squirming restlessly, he watching as Wufei started walking away, becoming one with the shadows.

The forest was cold, dark and lonely around him. Duo' ears twitched under the bandana. He really didn't want to stay there. With a low whining noise he scrambled down the oak, landing in a hunch before he sprinted to catch up to his friend.

Wufei's lips stretched up on one side in something like a smile. Duo smiled back and walked a bit closer to his friend so that their arms brushed against each other. Everything suddenly felt a lot better than it had just a few minutes ago. Wufei wasn't angry and he couldn't smell any blood so it probably hadn't been more than a scratch.

He smiled brighter and skipped a few steps ahead… only to flinch as he stepped on a sharp stone. Of course, things just couldn't go his way for longer than two minutes.

"Allah! Duo! Where are you shoes?!" Wufei exclaimed as he stared in horror down at his feet.

Duo blinked, looking down at the mess that was his once white socks. "In the house."

"Oh for the love of- come on, I'm, carrying you back." Wufei made an impatient motion with his hand as if ordering Duo to climb up on his back.

Duo startled, pulling away. "What? No!"

"You are not walking back in your socks." Wufei stated, catching his wrist in a tight grip.

Duo hissed in protest, trying to pull himself free. He was not a child and he wasn't going to be carried anywhere unless he was dying.

"Get up on my back- and don't hiss at me," Wufei growled

Duo glared, feeling his claws pushing out of the tips of his fingers. Wufei glared right back.

"You owe me," Wufei bit off, eyes demanding surrender.

Duo slumped. "Fine," he muttered, not at all happy that he was going to be carried around like a bag of potatoes.

He climbed up on Wufei's back without protest, making sure that his hands were safely trapped in the sleeves of his sweater. He put his head down on Wufei's shoulder as the other boy started walking. The lavender smell was stronger in his hair and Duo decided that while he didn't particularly like the smell, it fit his friend.

Duo closed his eyes with a smile. "Allah? I think you have been spending too much time with Quatre."

Wufei chuckled, and Duo grinned as the sound echoed up into his ear that was pressed against his friend's shoulder. "Perhaps, but just yesterday I heard him muttering about the injustice of not having any milk for his cereals."

Duo laughed, imagining the blond ranting wildly about the lack of milk with one of Wufei's swords in his hand.

The forest soon gave way for a large, grass covered hill. They had reached the garden. The trees and the bushes all looked like strange creatures in the dark. It felt like they had entered an unknown kingdom of a world long forgotten. Wufei didn't seem to be in a hurry as he calmly walked through the wild garden. The moon was shinning over the pound, reflecting into the water. It made their surrounding seem even more magical and foreign.

"Pretty." Duo mumbled as he looked at the dark mirror of water.

"That it is." Wufei agreed softly. "Remind me to ask Quatre about the history of this house."

"It's kind of a strange place."

"Mmmhm."

Duo lazily looked down at Wufei's marching boots. He wondered what had happened to Wufei's sandals. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen them. It was strange, especially since they used to be such an everyday thing. But he supposed that it was just another one of those things that had to adapt to the war. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the ride, taking deep breath through his nose. The hum in his head was starting up again and didn't stop until he opened his eyes at the sound of wood under Wufei's boots. They had reached the steps up to the front door.

The house was dark and quiet as they entered it, but Duo knew that the rest of the pilots were there as well. He had been carried far enough now, he decided. It was one thing if it was just the two of them; it was something completely different when others could see him. Duo squirmed and protested until Wufei put him down.

He pretended not to see the amused look he was given as he waited for Wufei to started walking. He followed closely behind, walking close enough that they brushed against each other. Duo didn't know why it felt so important to make sure that he was touching Wufei, it just was. They went up into the kitchen and over to the corner where the old, very old washing machine were standing. Over it, they had hung several clothing lines that at the moment were holding up what he recognized to be Wufei's laundry.

Wufei reached up and got a pair of socks down and throw them over to Duo who gratefully caught them. Pulling his old off, he happily took on the new pair, enjoying the softness of them. Wufei just shook his head as he watched him, muttering something in Chinese under his breath. Duo ignored him and kept smiling as he skipped along next to his friend as they started walking up the stair.

"Good night." Wufei said softly as they reached the long corridor leading to their bedrooms.

Duo startled as he watched Wufei walk away and he realized that he couldn't go with him.

He bit back an unhappy whine. Damn, he was acting like a child. He shouldn't have to have someone there 24-7 to hold his hand. He mumbled a quiet 'good night' towards his friend before dragging his feet to his room. He reluctantly opened and closed the door, leaning back against it with his head hanging. For a moment he just looked at Wufei's white socks, as if they had some kind of magical solution for everything.

He slowly lifted his eyes, sweeping them over the dark, unfriendly room. He didn't want to be in there and he pressed himself back against the door, claws making a scratching noise against the wood. Being alone in the forest was nothing compared to being trapped between four walls.

His bed stood in the middle of the room, looking large and intimidating as if it wanted to swallow him. In the dark, the walls took on a pale yellow color and the bed had restrainers that were open and waiting to trap him.

Duo desperately gripped the door handle and wondered if Wufei would let him sleep in his room, only there was nothing to sleep on in there if he didn't want to sleep in the horror chair. He could have slept on the floor or curled up on the foot of the bed, but Wufei would most likely question his sanity even more then before if he asked.

He let out a sad, lonely whimper as he sank down on the floor. He would not be sleeping tonight.

AN

Please prove me wrong and take a second to review (pretty please?). I have this notion that the more time I put on the plot, the less people like it. So far I have had a lot of proof that I'm right ^^'

Oh! And feel free to share some of your cat stories because I would appreciate the inspiration since I don't have any cats of my own. ^^

(Now for something completely different. The poll will be open for one more day. Isn't life a kick in the crouch or Normal People? Voting in a review does unfortunately not count. Sorry.)

Milimax - Thank you! Yes, Duo makes such a lovely kitten doesn't he? ^^ Reader in the Corner – LOL! Believe me, this is the proof read version. The original is a LOT worse so I believe my beta did the best she could with the grammatical mess she was handed. :) Flight-Risk – lol, glad to hear it. I keep seeing Heero in one of those 'kiss the chef' aprons whenever I think about it.:D princess cythera – Awww, thank you :) Unfortunately for Wufei, no good deed goes unpunished ;). Cinnamon Selkie – I'm very happy that you are enjoying yourself Cinnamon and believe me, I'm going to be putting Wufei through a lot more that won't be in any how-to-be-a-good-friend books. –laughs evilly- Cristalake- No Calico, I actually had a Norwegian Forest Cat in mind. Poor Duo XD because as to quote Wikipedia "Norwegian Forest Cats have a thick fluffy double-layered coat, long tufts of fur in ears and between toes, and a long bushy tail to protect them against the cold." I feel evil ;)

I just noticed that last weeks review answers didn't show up, sorry about that ^^'

TenshiNanashi- Yay, I got favorited :D Oh yes, a lot of things are left unsaid in Normal People. So much lovely drama. Cinnamon Selkie – I'm glad you liked the safehouse because we are sure going to see a lot of it in the future. Yes, it's going to be another one of those fictions were the pilots sit around in a house all day. Ops. Kira2Maxwell – Awesome, I hope you won't be disappointed. kidishcaresh – Thank you :) Man, writers block is a pain in the ass. I'm holding my thumbs that it will let you go as soon as possible. princess cythera – Yes, Wufei is doing the best he can. And I'm going to make him pay for it! LOL Cristalake - My god, why am I not surprised that you voted for Normal People ;) anf600 – Glad to hear it. We are of course going to have some genetic modification too, because really, what would a Neko fiction be without the purring and the hissing ;) semievilfiscus – Ah, another Normal People. Happy you liked it :) shogi – Cats are pretty cool yes, they really are. And yeah, slowly but surely, Wufei is starting to get a hang of the whole friendship thing.