January 3rd
"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... ten lords a'leapin'," Duo sang softly. Outside his office, he could hear the last word echoed by at least half a dozen people. He smiled slightly. He had always thought the Christmas season ended on the twenty-fifth of December, but it seemed the festivities were going on until the "Twelve Days of Christmas" were well and truly over. Only two days away, and he was already insatiably curious about what the last gift would be. Quatre had kept it to himself with only the hint that it would be something suitable for the occasion.
Meanwhile, Duo had been forced back to work, since Wufei was undoubtedly better. Sally had actually agreed to let Wufei come back to work the next day, as well. Duo had thought Heero's immune system was something, but it seemed Wufei was competing with him for who could stay sick the shortest time. Heero had also managed to come down sick that week, though Duo hadn't seem him since Relena's party to ask him how that had happened. When Duo had seen him, it had been from a distance as Quatre had been urging him out the door at Sally's request. He had looked terribly tired and drawn, and Duo was glad Quatre had managed to get him to accept time off.
His attention turned to the two boxes on his desk. He still had the rings for Heero and Trowa, as well as the two with "02" and "05" on them. He had been waiting to give them to his friends. Quatre was wearing his, since Duo had given it to him on the twenty-ninth. his main concern had been Wufei seeing the rings he would give to the other two and wondering where his and Duo's were. Quatre had kept his out of sight when he was in the office and around Wufei, but Duo wouldn't be able to explain it to the other two without giving away more than he wanted.
It was no matter, though. There were only two more days and Wufei wasn't likely to notice. He would be too busy getting back into the grind of work and catching up on all of the paperwork he'd missed.
"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"We are going where?" Wufei asked as Duo drove them away from the apartment building. He'd been convinced to dress nicely for the evening with the promise of good food. Wufei assumed it was the tenth gift. He wasn't quite sure how dinner fit in to ten lords a'leapin', but if anyone could figure it out, it would be the person giving Duo gifts.
Or Duo himself. Wufei discarded that thought quickly. From the beginning, Duo had been clueless about the person sending him gifts. There was no reason for Wufei to give in to his hopeful thinking and conjure elaborate, Duo-created plots. Duo hadn't a clue on the first day who had given him the pear. And his reaction to the hens had been too real, his concern tangible when he had worried about a bomb being in the cooler. The rings...
Actually, the fifth day had seen a change in Duo's attitude. He hadn't been against the gifts, had seemed rather pleased by them, at first. It was after the fifth day Duo had seemed excited by the prospect again, as if he knew who it was. Wufei thought about that for a moment, recalling how Duo had stopped by only briefly, asked him to try on a ring, and then gone again, nearly bouncing away in his excitement. The ring... it had had an emerald and the numbers '05' on it.
Nataku. A ring meant for Wufei? Or, he thought suddenly, eyes widening as he stared out through the windshield, a ring Duo thought was meant for Duo from Wufei. Duo's apparent happiness at receiving that would- but no. If Duo had thought it was Wufei, he wouldn't have disappeared so quickly after making the discovery. There had to have been something else.
It was possible the ring had nothing to do with it. Duo had never shared what he had received on the fifth day of Christmas. All Wufei knew was it had been on that day things had changed. Duo had changed. He had been happy about finding the six geese at the party. The tickets on the door hadn't seemed like much of a surprise, either. The dance recital... the one they had missed, the one Duo had shrugged off as if it was unimportant. It seemed too disconnected. His attitude, from Wufei's point of view, was inconsistent with that of a man receiving gifts from someone he might possibly want date.
Which brought Wufei back to the odd, suspicious feeling Duo knew more than he was letting on. As Duo gave him a secretive smile in answer to Wufei's question of their destination, Wufei tried to recount all the things Duo had said about the gifts. Only one time had Duo made a claim about not knowing the person who had sent the gifts. Wufei frowned, trying to recall them as accurately as he could, but failed. The words were elusive. He had barely listened to them at the time, other than to ascertain Duo had yet to figure out who was sending him gifts. Now Wufei wished he'd paid better attention.
He allowed that train of thought to play out anyway. To think Duo was possibly the person behind the gifts. The recipient, then, would have to be Wufei. He smiled to think he'd been Duo's unwitting receiver the entire time.
The car slowed down, alerting Wufei they were near to where they were going. The building was rather large, with a high, domed ceiling. They pulled up to a valet and both stepped out of the car. Duo turned the keys over to the uniformed man, and then moved to Wufei's side. "Ready for a great dinner?"
Wufei raised an eyebrow at him. "In what way is dinner connected to the tenth day of Christmas?"
Duo looked blank for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess we're about to find out." He winked at Wufei and stepped towards the door. Wufei followed, eyes resting thoughtfully on Duo's back.
The surprise on Wufei's face was when he made the connection to their dinner arrangements and ten leaping lords would live forever in Duo's mind.
Where there was a carpet under their feet, the area in the middle of the dining room was uncovered wood, waxed until it shone. They both glanced at it as they were seated next to it, Duo close enough he could reach out and touch his foot to the wood.
Their waiter spoke with an accent that was oddly familiar. It was as he was pouring their drinks, two glasses of sparking, non-alcoholic cider, that Wufei placed it as Russian. As they ordered dinner, Duo looked around and realized everyone seemed to have arrived at similar times. All the people at the tables he can see were either having the initial course set before them, or a waiter was taking the order of the table's occupants. He wondered at that, looking around with narrow eyes before Wufei tapped him under the table and gave him a questioning look.
It brought Duo's mind back to where they were and why they were there. Quatre wouldn't have made the reservation for them if there had been any danger involved. They were as safe as they could be, Duo reminded himself. It was his duty to make sure they both relaxed and had a good time. He let his body relax and his expression cleared into a smile. "Nice place, isn't it?"
Wufei smiled in return and nodded. "It is. How did you hear about this place?"
"I didn't. The reservation was made by the same person who gave me a pear over a week ago, and the same person who sent two doves, three Cornish hens, four birds on an antique clock, five rings, arranged for six geese at a party, gave me tickets to Swan Lake and to a dance recital."
Duo looked at Wufei smugly as he waited for a response to that. It surprised him when Wufei leaned closer to answer. "The ice cream you served to me. You just painted the container, then? It wasn't the original gift, was it?" Duo tried not to look guilty at being caught, but he could see Wufei's eyes narrow. "And instead of going to the recital with someone else, you just wasted two tickets to stay in with me while I was sick?"
"Ah," Duo grinned nervously. "Yes?"
"Duo, do you know who sent you the gifts?"
Duo bit his lip. He didn't want to give away Quatre's involvement, because that would force him to clarify why Quatre was sending Duo the presents. At the same time, he couldn't lie and say he didn't know, and Wufei would press for a more elaborate answer than just 'yes.' "I know who sent them," he finally answered. "But I can't tell you who it is without embarrassing him, Wu." Wufei wouldn't be able to press without invading the giver's right to privacy.
Wufei drew back for a moment, eyes narrowed, and finally asked, "Did you buy them, Duo?"
Surprised by the question, not quite sure how Wufei could think he would be able to afford such a thing, Duo shook his head. "No."
Wufei seemed to hesitate, then he nodded. Anything he was likely to say was interrupted by the untimely arrival of the waiter. Their drinks and appetizers were placed in front of them, and then he left again. After the waiter was gone, a silence settled between them. Duo kept smiling, just a small tilting of his lips as he ate his appetizer plate slowly. He wasn't quite sure what he'd ordered, but it tasted good. A little salty and saucy, but good. He'd have to remember to ask the waiter before they left.
Across the table, Wufei was also picking at the salad he had ordered. He seemed comfortable, rather relaxed, but the quiet was unnerving to Duo. They could normally find something to talk about, even if it was a generalized rundown of their day.
Wufei tried to relax as they ate their dinner. He'd been disappointed to know Duo hadn't purchased the items and now he felt stupid and sick. Duo knew who was sending the gifts, knew the person responsible for them. If he'd wanted to reject his suitor, he would have turned down the gifts. The fact he had accepted them was a slap in the face to Wufei, who saw that acceptance as something deeper. Duo was accepting the courting, was going along with it. It meant he returned the other man's feelings in some way.
He wasn't entirely sure where that made him stand, but Wufei knew he was most likely going to be standing by in two days as witness to Duo's acceptance of the final gift. He would have to watch his friend walk into the arms of another man. Unless he did something about it.
Wufei's contemplation was cut short as the lights suddenly dimmed around the exterior of the room, leaving only the floor in the center well-lit. A man's voice came over speakers set into the ceiling, the tone excited but contained as he announced that the evening's entertainment was about to begin.
Duo sat straighter in his seat, turning a little so he could see better. Wufei watched his expression as six men dressed in a Russian costume came out and lined up in the middle of the floor. He startled a little as the music started, coming from around them through the speakers. When the dancing started, his focus was taken up by the dancers and he was only partially aware of Duo's excited reaction.
"That was great!" Duo's excitement could not be contained. He grabbed Wufei's arm and squeezed it as he laughed. "That was even better than the ballet. I've never seen anyone kick his legs up that high!" He laughed and let go of Wufei only long enough to do an imitation of one of the dancers. Around them, other attendees of the dinner were exciting the restaurant and giving them odd looks, but Duo was too lost in his recollection and Wufei was only too happy to listen to him extol the virtues of the Russian dance. "And they were all so big! In the war, if the big guys had been able to move like that, we would have gotten our asses kicked."
That caused Wufei to smile. "Duo, some of them did move like that, if you failed to notice. Just that most of the time, they were on the ground shooting at our gundams, or running from them."
"There's that, too," Duo agreed. He stepped back to Wufei's side and pressed against his arm. "It was great, wasn't it? That's by far the best present so far. Did you have fun, Wu?"
His face was upturned to the Chinese teen. Wufei had to look down to look into Duo's face because of the way he was turned against him. "Yes, I had fun, Duo. Thank you for including me."
Duo grinned and rested his head on Wufei's shoulder for a moment, still pressed close to his side. It was the closest they'd ever been to any kind of embrace, and Wufei was surprised for a moment, his stupification only added to further when Duo said quietly, "There's no one else I'd rather drag with me." Though teasing, the words held a serious message Wufei couldn't ignore.
"Duo," he started, shifting to look at Duo and dislodging him at the same time. He was interrupted by the sudden sound of his cell phone. As he bit back a growl of frustration, he heard Duo's phone begin to ring as well. Their eyes met, mutual looks of annoyance in their gazes as they each moved to answer them. "Chang."
"Maxwell." Duo took a few steps away to give them each privacy. They finished the call at almost the same time and looked at each other grimly. "Time for work again." Gone was the happy look on his face. Wufei couldn't even find a trace of it in his gaze, and he wondered at that as they moved to Duo's car. He spent the car ride to the Preventors' building watching the side of Duo's face and hoping to see some return of the mirth they'd been sharing, but Duo remained closed off.
January 4th
"Eleventh day of Christmas." Duo sat glumly at his disk, feet on the floor and his hands in his lap. He was tired, exceptionally so, not only in body but also in his mind. It had been a long, grim night. He and Wufei, along with a special unit, had been detached to a school to locate and disable a bomb. School wouldn't resume for another week, so they hadn't had to worry about getting done in time for class the following day, but it was grim either way. The bomb, at least the first one, had only been found on accident. If not for a janitor's clumsiness, it might never have been found and simply would have exploded a week later. While school was in session.
Despite the fact Duo had enjoyed the dancing even more than he had the ballet, the night would be forever ruined in his mind. His twelve days of Christmas were turning out far different than he had hoped after his talk to Quatre on the 'fifth day.'
The closer they seemed to get, the second he thought Wufei might return his interest, something seemed to go wrong. Or as in the case of last night, Wufei pulled away.
Things weren't going as he had planned, not by any measure. Two gifts left to give.
He startled when a mug appeared on the surface in front of him. His eyes flashed quickly up to look into Wufei's face. The Chinese teen wasn't smiling, but neither did he look anything other than tired. "You look like you could use that."
"Thanks." Duo reached out and picked up the hot piece of ceramic. He had picked it up before he realized it was Wufei's mug. He smiled and looked at Wufei again, but his friend was looking at a file on Duo's desk, his pose purposely casual. Instead of making a comment, Duo took a sip. He couldn't contain his laugh as he realized there was not coffee or tea in the mug, but hot cocoa. He set the mug down and put his elbows on the desk. "You okay?"
Dark eyes glanced his way, met his gaze, and held. "Are you?"
Duo smiled tiredly. "We got the bomb, which is the important thing. There are teams looking over the rest of the building and all the other schools. Then they'll find the sick bastard behind it all and it will be over. Back to life as normal."
"Normal, as in bomb threats in office buildings instead and rampant lunatics bent on taking down the major politics in the world? That is most definitely something to which we can look forward."
Sarcasm wasn't usually Wufei's style. Duo put his hand on Wufei's arm. "Any chance Une's going to let us out of here early?" They were both tired and could do with a rest.
A sound in the doorway drew their attention. Une looked at them, eyes narrowed as she studied them. "Chang, Maxwell. You look like hell. Relieve yourselves from duty and report again on the sixth. I don't want to see either of you until then." She turned and left without dismissing them. Duo started to smile as he looked at Wufei. He had to grin at the sight of Wufei standing at half-attention, ready to salute their departed commanding officer. Sometimes, training went deeper than the uniform.
"At ease," Duo commanded.
Wufei looked at him for a moment, then broke into an answering smile. "Yes, sir." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, to waver in his stance by the desk. Then he slowly leaned against Duo's desk. Normally, he didn't linger at all in any office other than his own, and Duo took it as a good sign that Wufei wasn't in any hurry to leave. Curiosity lighted in Wufei's eyes. "Did you receive a gift yet this morning?"
In answer, Duo put his left hand up by his shoulder and wielded an imaginary bow in his right hand. "How does a symphony sound to you?"
Wufei considered for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds like a fine evening's entertainment."
Duo grinned and reached into the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out an elaborately decorated envelope. "The only condition is that you have to take me with you."
The answering look he got was warm and teasing. "I guess if I am to accept the prize I must also accept the punishment. I will bear your company tonight." He paused and shifted closer, his hand on the edge of the desk giving him balance as he leaned over Duo. "On one condition."
Taking the bait, Duo also moved, until his face was close enough to Wufei's he could feel the other teen's breath fanning across the bridge of his nose. "And what is that?"
"The condition stipulates that you will treat me to your company on the fifth at breakfast. Everything else shall be provided."
Duo couldn't help the elated grin that broke out. "Deal!" Their proximity and the request for his presence almost went to his head and he caught himself pushing up out of his chair, his head tilted to the side... his lips dangerously close to Wufei's mouth. However, he did realize quick enough to stop himself. A trembling breath flew past his lips and his eyes stared into black irises. Duo licked his lips and his eyes half-closed as he imagined Wufei being close enough he could flick his tongue against Wufei's mouth with the same movement. "Breakfast, tomorrow."
Wufei was as still as Duo, neither moving for several moments either apart or to bridge the gap between them. Finally, with something like disappointment flashing in his eyes, Wufei pulled back. "I'll see you later. After we both have a chance to clean up and rest."
"Right." Duo forced a grin as he slumped back in his chair as casually as he could. "I'll see you tonight."
They had balcony seats for the symphony. For Duo, that fact alone would have spelled out Quatre's involvement. He wasn't entirely certain Wufei hadn't figured it out yet. Duo was curious to know what the alternative would be in Wufei's mind if he'd reached the incorrect answer. He didn't dare ask, however, or Wufei might get suspicious. Duo wasn't sure yet if he wanted Wufei to guess before the end of the twelfth day, or if he wanted a chance to make his declaration first.
Duo settled back against the padded chair, trying to get a little more comfortable. He appreciated the effort Quatre had obviously put into the gifts, but the symphony would not rank high among Duo's favorites. The Russian dancers had been exciting, and the ballet had been fascinating in its novelty, but Duo wasn't really the kind to enjoy sitting still for long periods of time. It reminded him too much of forced detainment, even despite the lavish surroundings and the company. There were things he'd rather be doing, moving being one of them.
He shifted again, trying to be inconspicuous about it. Wufei seemed absorbed in the music, dark eyes scanning the musicians slowly through the theatre binoculars provided in the balcony. Duo had a set of his own, but he could only look at people so long through them before it reminded him of spying, and his mind began to create fictitious stories behind the violinist with the red hair (a rich man's mistress, with an eye for his wallet and a death wish for his wife,) or the cellist (a diamond thief using the symphony as a cover to get in and out of countries unnoticed.)
It helped his mood a little and kept him amused, but over-all, the music wasn't to his taste and there really wasn't anything to see. He uncrossed his legs, but stilled before putting both feet on the floor. Wufei had turned his head and was regarding him steadily.
"Would you like to leave?" Wufei asked, voice lowered in consideration of the people ten feet over, ensconced in their own balcony.
"You're having fun," Duo avoided answering the question directly. "I'm entertained." A half-truth, since most of Duo's amusement came from his own imagination.
Wufei raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying the act. Duo thought about looking away, but Wufei tilted his head and gave Duo a half-smile. "I would be more entertained myself by listening to such music in the privacy of my apartment. I am not one for crowds, however distant, and I find myself with a dislike for sharing the things I like with strangers."
Duo grinned back, feeling relieved. "You wanna ditch this, then?" He couldn't help the hopeful tone in his voice.
"I think that would be a grand plan," Wufei answered, moving to stand up. Duo bounced up out of his own chair and preceded Wufei to the door of the balcony. His hand was on the knob to open the door for Wufei, but slender fingers curled over his own and he froze in surprise at the contact long enough for Wufei to open the door for him. There was a hint of smugness as Wufei waved Duo through, and a hint of amusement as well.
They ended up at a late-night café several miles from Preventor barracks. Duo had shed most of his tuxedo, keeping only the pants and shirt he needed to stay 'decently' dressed. Wufei was still wearing most of his, minus the bow tie. They both sat comfortably on opposite sides of a small table, Duo's stretched out legs running on either side of Wufei's right foot. Wufei's left foot was resting on his right knee, his left knee bent and jutting out to the side. The rest of the small café was empty, except for the server who had filled their mugs -- hot cocoa for both -- and a young couple who seemed to think sharing a mug meant sitting close together and giggling often.
The topic of conversation between Duo and Wufei had been introduced by the former. Duo was recounting a brief conversation he'd had with Quatre, leaving out important bits, during which Quatre had seemed almost lonely. "He said he wanted us, his friends," Duo waved a hand as if to make that a general statement, "To be happy. I think he's kind of lonely. He works more than any of us. I mean, can you imagine Quatre taking time off? He'd have to tell someone 'no' and he just doesn't do that."
"Winner is more than capable of dealing with the details of his own life, whether they be of a personal nature or business-related. If lonely, he would need only to find an appropriate companion. Of his many acquaintances, there must be at least one who has caught his eye. It would seem likely his affection would be returned, as he is well-liked and honorable."
Duo rolled his eyes. "Finding a companion's a lot harder than that. Not everyone's lucky enough to end up living three doors down from their best friend, right?"
Wufei couldn't stop the instinctual grinding of his teeth at Duo's example. "Best friends" had once upon a time been an admirable goal, a goal Duo had set on his own and managed to achieve. Duo was indeed the best friend Wufei had. However, the loneliness Duo talked of couldn't be assuaged with simple friendship. Wufei knew the longing Quatre might well have been experiencing.
Duo said something else and laughed, moving on. Wufei's attention was diverted as his brain began to finally make sense of the clues before him. He and Duo each knew a person who had the wealth to give extravagant gifts and the giving nature to offer them. He was one of the few people who knew Duo well enough to attempt to court him and also one of the few by which Duo might consider being courted. If Duo were attempting to let Wufei in on the secret, without stating it so plainly as to cause any sort of embarrassment to fall on Quatre should he find out the way in which Duo told, then a round-about conversation would make sense. To bring up Quatre's loneliness in relation to his own gifts-
"But I really think Trowa is the one," Duo continued as he turned in his chair to flag the waitress. Wufei's mind finally caught up with the conversation. "He and Quatre are about the closest you can get, and it wasn't until Trowa started getting friendly with Ms. Dotty Catalonia that Quatre got all withdrawn and edgy about relationships. Now he avoids Relena when she's stalking Heero, and I think it's because he's envious... not of her and Heero, but that there is such a depth of affection there, you know?"
Duo paused, waiting for an answer. Wufei frowned and tried to call to mind the words Duo had spoken while he was thinking of something else. He hesitated too long, however, and Duo straightened in his chair.
"You weren't listening to a single word I said, were you? What's going on in your brain that you actually managed to ignore me?" He wasn't offended by Wufei's obvious lack of attention, however. Wufei relaxed minutely while Duo continued teasing him. "I mean, any other day of the week and you listen long enough to tell me I thought too long about something other than work, but here you are, completely phasing out on me..."
Wufei couldn't help the affectionate smile that curved his lips, wasn't even aware of it until Duo trailed off.
"Hey, 'Fei?" Duo's voice softened as he leaned across the table. Wufei also leaned forward to show he was listening, lips curving purposely in a guilty smile so Duo would know he was trying to make up for his lack of attentiveness. "What do you think about the gifts?"
The smile dimmed and Wufei had to force his lips to still before they could tip downwards completely. The sudden loss of his good mood wasn't lost on Duo, however, as the braided teen frowned at him. He didn't move back, though, simply waited for Wufei's response. "I believe they are the gifts of someone with a great deal of affection for you."
Duo bit his lip and nodded slightly, moving slowly backwards to resettle himself on his chair. "Hm."
"Why?" Wufei asked his own question in turn, confused by the sudden turn in Duo's manner. A moment before, he'd been teasing and happy, then a few moments later, he was suddenly withdrawn and contemplative, neither of which were anything approaching 'normal' for Duo's personality.
"I think I'm tired," Duo said suddenly, looking exactly that. Wufei considered pushing the issue, but there was an edge of exhaustion in Duo's voice he only heard after particularly bad missions. He bowed under his own guilt for somehow managing to destroy the jovial mood they'd started with and let the subject drop for the moment.
"Let's go home, then. We can talk tomorrow, as we both seem to have the day off." He said it pointedly to let Duo know they would discuss it later, but he wouldn't it push it then. Duo nodded and stood up, shrugging into the tuxedo jacket he'd discarded when they first sat down. Wufei stood up as well, checked to make sure his bow was still in his pocket, and followed Duo to the door after leaving payment for their drinks on the table.
January 5th
Duo stumbled out of his bed sometime around six in the morning, threw on a pair of shorts, and made his way to the door. His hands fumbled with the lock for a moment before he managed to undo it, and then he threw open the door and glared at his visitor. "It's not even dawn yet," the angry growl he'd been trying for ended in a pitiful whine, and he sniffled in frustration.
Wufei looked at him for a moment, took in his bedraggled form and the Kleenex clutched in one hand, and pushed Duo back inside the apartment. "I never specified a time," he answered shortly, putting the back of his hand to Duo's forehead to take a rough measurement of his temperature. "You're not feverish yet."
Duo snorted, or made an attempt to. Something went wrong with the way he wrinkled his nose; his face froze for a moment, and then he was holding the ragged Kleenex to his nose as he sneezed. Once the tickling in his nose stopped, he glared at Wufei with bleary eyes. "This is all your fault."
"Yes," Wufei agreed amiably, taking the fight out of Duo with his quiet acceptance of blame. "And for that, I'll take a chance to repay the debt I owe you. Go back to bed and let me fetch-"
"I didn't do it so you'd owe me something." Duo's objection overrode Wufei's words easily.
The chinese teen simply smiled. "Very well. Then as your best friend, I'll take care of you. Is that acceptable?"
Duo thought for a moment and then shook his head, much to Wufei's surprise. The dark eyes widened and Wufei simply stared at him for a moment. Duo sniffled again, swallowed what pride and reservations he had, and embraced Wufei, wrapping his arms around his friend and leaning against him just a tad more heavily than he'd originally meant to. "I'd like it a lot more if you'd do it as a boyfriend."
He really hadn't meant to sound so pathetic about it, and the childish quality to his tone was overdone, but Wufei didn't pull away or say anything for a long moment, and Duo had a few hopeful seconds to think, 'No reaction is better than a negative one.'
Then Wufei's arms came up and embraced him in return, and Wufei's voice was chiding him in his ear, "How much medication have you taken for this?"
"Not enough to impair me or remove all my inhibitions," Duo answered smartly, resting his cheek on Wufei's shoulder and sighing softly. "I didn't buy the gifts, but the person who did buy them didn't mean them for me. I was supposed to give them to my true love... but I didn't realize it until halfway through and then I didn't know how to tell you without sounding stupid."
"Quatre purchased them," Wufei stated, arms tightening around Duo. Duo nodded, his cheek rubbing against the soft material of Wufei's shirt. "I had guessed as much, but- my assumption was not correct, given the actual recipient of the gifts."
"You'll translate that later, right?" Duo asked, closing his eyes as he sagged in Wufei's arms. "After you put me to bed and make me soup?"
Duo felt more than heard Wufei's sigh. "This is not exactly how I imagined wooing you from your suitor," Wufei informed him stoically, bracing his legs as he accepted the burden of Duo's weight. Duo giggled. It was supposed to be a chuckle, but he could always later blame the unsophisticated sound on being sick.
"You thought of wooing me?" The giggling stopped abruptly as he realized what exactly that meant. He pushed himself out of Wufei's arms, at least enough to brace his forearms on Wufei's shoulders and look Wufei in the eyes. "You do love me."
Wufei nodded, as if that should have been apparent beforehand. "You have said so often enough-"
"Oh, don't even," Duo said, shaking his head. "You can't use my words against me like that. It's not fair. I'm sick and defenseless." He held up a hand suddenly, warding off whatever Wufei would have said in reply. "I have to go throw up. You wanna hold my hair or cook me food?" The words were said in a single breath, and then Duo was gone, running to the bathroom with his hand over his mouth.
Quatre's image on the vid screen smiled. "I'd be more than happy to arrange it, Wufei," the blond said cheerfully.
"Thank you," Wufei said gratefully. He looked over his shoulder to ensure the door to Duo's bedroom was still shut, affording him minimal privacy in the small apartment. He had almost gone back to his own apartment to make the call, but he hadn't been able to convince himself to leave Duo for the span of even a single phone call, not when he kept thinking of Duo calling for him and receiving no answer.
"I'll send everything along in a few hours," Quatre said, shifting slightly. Wufei could see him lean forward, arm extended to end the call.
"Quatre," he said suddenly. The blond paused and looked at him through the screen patiently. "Thank you. For all you have done already."
Quatre paused, then leaned back and smiled wider. "I could have done nothing less than offer my assistance. He- he had once upon a time chosen a gift which demonstrated his affection for you better than the words I can offer you now, a gift which meant more than any birds or shows I could give the two of you to share together. What I could give was little in comparison, but if it has helped, if my efforts have somehow aided you both in finding each other this way, then please let them be a token of my esteem for the both of you."
"It is an honor to accept your friendship and to give you mine in return," Wufei said solemnly, offering Quatre a small bow.
"Good day, Wufei," Quatre said, reaching out and severing the connection without further ado. Wufei straightened, then pressed the power button on the vid screen, watching the light die on the two-dimensional screen.
Wufei gingerly untied the bow on the box Duo had given him. He had asked only moments before about the gift Quatre had mentioned, curiosity getting the better of him. Duo had answered him by leaning over the side of the bed and drawing out the box he now held, offering no explanation as he had handed it to Wufei.
Duo shifted closer, until he was right against Wufei's side and leaning partially over him to look at the statue pieces better. "It was 'Maat.'" At Wufei's blank look, he smiled slightly. "She was an Egyptian goddess. She sat in Osiris and judged the dead, but she was also in charge of justice and truth." He reached in and gently drew out one of the larger pieces. "I meant to give her to you last year."
"Why didn't you?" Wufei questioned softly, turning his head to look at Duo. They were side by side on the bed, Duo's lap covered by the bedcovers.
Duo bit his lip and looked up at Wufei, not drawing back at all. "I thought I did. It wasn't until I found her in my desk a week before Christmas that I realized I'd messed up." He took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, 'Fei. I really thought you just didn't care last year. And that really hurt because I cared." He dropped any effort he'd been making to hide his emotions and the candid words that followed only served to illustrate how deeply he felt them. "I cared a lot and for a couple of months, I thought you'd broken my heart on purpose. It took me until almost March to remind myself that you're not that kind of guy. I kind of had to wait until the hurt faded, though."
Wufei looked at the broken pieces and felt oddly disappointed. Quatre had made it sound more important than an idolic statue, misplaced and broken.
"Your justice," Duo murmured, picking up an unidentifiable shard. "My truth," he added, voice lowering a notch. He coughed slightly and sniffled. He dropped the piece back in the box and leaned towards the nightstand to snag a couple of tissues before blowing his nose and making a sound of disgust as he dropped the used tissues in the waste basket beside the box. "I hate being sick."
Wufei smiled slightly and leaned in to press a kiss against his cheek. "It'll only last a few days at most." He moved to stand up, but Duo gripped his arm and pressed close, wrapping himself around Wufei's back.
"Say you love me," Duo entreated, giving Wufei a wide-eyed, pleading look.
"I love you," Wufei said in compliance, brushing Duo's bangs back gently. "Now rest. I'll bring you lunch in a moment."
Duo let Wufei go and wiggled on the bed until the blanket was up to his chin. "You're not just humoring me, are you 'Fei?"
The Chinese teen frowned as he tried to find words which would clear up any doubts Duo might have about his emotions. "I would be lacking in honor to lie to you about my affections, Duo." He took a step back and paused. "That, you should have known already."
"Sorry." There was more than sheepishness in Duo's gaze; there was a hint of shame. "I've only got one value I actually keep to, you know, and no moral code to speak of. You've got the best part of me in your hands."
Wufei looked at the box he was holding, with the goddess of Truth and Justice inside, then back up at Duo. "I do not love your honesty, Duo. I love you, and each part that makes the whole of you. Your honesty is but a piece. A shard does not make a statue." He turned and left the room, leaving Duo to reflect on that as he would while Wufei prepared lunch.
"Come on, Wu, what's the surprise?" Duo's impatience had him bouncing on the couch. He was cocooned in blankets, his legs resting on the coffee table as Wufei played with something, Duo wasn't quite sure. "Can I look yet?"
"No," Wufei answered calmly, voice coming from behind Duo now. The brunet hadn't heard him move.
Duo turned his head to the sound of Wufei's voice, but kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut. "What are you doing?"
"Stay still," Wufei said, patience wearing thin if the tightness of his voice could be believed. Duo grinned and shifted so his back was against the cushions and he was seated facing the far wall.
"Yes, Wufei. Whatever you want, Wufei."
A warm breath wafted over Duo's ear a second before Wufei's voice whispered, "Why is it you only agree with me when you think you've gotten your way?"
Duo reached up and hooked his arm around Wufei's neck, holding him in place for a moment. "Because I love to torment you almost as much as I love you."
"I have noticed that," Wufei said dryly. He made no move to pull away, and instead rested his head on Duo's shoulder. "You may open your eyes now."
Duo did just that, violet orbs quickly scanning the room for changes. All he saw was the monitor for the vidscreen had been moved to the coffee table. He frowned as he realized it wasn't off. The coloring was odd and shimmery, as if- Just as the thought crossed his mind, the shimmering cover was dropped to reveal Quatre's smiling face. "I'm assuming that´s the cue, hm?"
"Yes," Wufei answered shortly. He brought his arms around Duo and held him loosely. "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
Quatre grinned and moved back from the camera, until Duo could see him from the waist up. He held a potted tree against his chest, the trunk going out over his right shoulder and pears visibly tied to the branches with gold ribbons.
"A partridge in a pear tree," Quatre finished the line when Wufei trailed off. Duo giggled. He wasn't expecting the scene to change suddenly, as Trowa came into view holding a familiar gilded cage.
"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei's voice was melodic, hypnotic, but Duo was enraptured by the screen as Trowa opened the cage and the doves flew out.
"Two turtle doves..." Trowa's quiet voice could be heard from the speaker on the vid screen.
"And a partridge in a pear tree," Quatre finished from off-screen.
"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
Une stepped into view on the screen and Duo burst out laughing as she held up a familiar cooler. Duo hadn't even realized it was gone from his apartment. "Three Cornish hens..."
"Two turtle doves..."
"And a partridge in a pear tree."
Duo covered his face with his hands as Wufei began the fourth line. "On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"Four calling birds..." Sally stepped into view with the antique clock.
"Three Cornish hens..."
"Two turtle doves..."
"And a partridge in a pear tree..."
"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei reached into the cushions beside Duo and pulled out a white box. "Five golden rings." Duo took the top off quickly. An emerald winked up at him and he put the familiar ring on quickly, noticing only then Wufei had the ring with the black opal on his hand already. At nearly the same moment, three hands, three signets wrapping their ring fingers, flashed onto the screen, and Duo shook his head wonderingly as they worked their way back to the partridge in the pear tree.
"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei seemed determined to go on, and Duo was having too much fun to put up any sort of resistance to the plan set before him.
"Six geese a'laying..." Whatever they were using as a camera was spun suddenly, to show Relena standing with six live geese.
Wufei pressed a quick kiss to Duo's temple as Quatre finished his line again, before starting on the second half of the carol. "On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"Seven swans a'swimming... " Another pan of the camera, this one stopping on an image of Dorothy in the center of a circle of six ballerinas. She was wearing a tutu and tights.
Duo's side was hurting from the laughter, and he sat helplessly as Wufei sang on. "On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"Eight maids a'milking," Hilde sang, stepping in in a gingham dress and leading a cow.
"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"Nine ladies dancing..." A man in a Nutcracker suit stepped into view, and only the long platinum hair made him distinguishable as Milliardo Peacecraft. He was followed by nine ballerinas who spun around him before spinning out of view.
Wufei's voice had gained confidence as the song went on, and now Duo was sure everyone on the other side of the screen could hear him properly. "On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"Ten lords a'leaping..." Heero stepped into view in a Russian costume, and dropped almost immediately to a low position as he kicked his legs up. Duo didn't even have a chance to wonder where he had learned to dance before he could hear each of his friends singing their individual lines.
"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
"Eleven pipers piping." Noin stepped into view, kicked her heels together, and brought a flute to her lips in a fluid motion. She provided the chorus music as they worked their way back down to the pear and the partridge.
"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei drew the last word out as he pulled one arm away. His hand reappeared a moment later with a pair of drumsticks.
Duo laughed. "Twelve drummers drumming..."
"Eleven piper's piping..." The view stayed with Noin as she backed towards the wall.
Heero high-kicked backwards until Milliardo appeared and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Ten lords a'leaping..."
"Nine ladies dancing..."
"Eight maids a'milking..." Hilde had left the cow behind to make her appearance, but Duo couldn't help but chuckle at her costume.
"Seven swans a'swimming..." Dorothy was without her dancing escort as she took the spot next to Hilde, making her stand close to Heero.
"Six geese a'laying..." Relena moved to Dorothy's other side, putting her on the end of that row. Duo guffawed when he saw her trying to shoo away a goose that had followed.
Wufei simply hugged him tighter as he sang his line. "Five golden rings..."
"Four calling birds..." Sally had put the clock down, but had managed to find a shirt with a picture of four birds on the front.
Une had also put her birds down before moving to stand next to Sally. They had moved to stand behind the younger woman. "Three Cornish hens..."
"Two turtle doves..." Trowa took the spot in the back, between Heero and Milliardo, where Duo could still see him clearly.
"And a partridge in a pear tree." Quatre stepped in front of them all and smiled. "What are you sharing with your true love on the twelfth day of Christmas, Duo?"
Duo grinned at them all as he laced his fingers through Wufei's. "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you." There was laughter at that. "You guys are the absolute best, you know that? I will so repay you for this!"
There were a couple of remarks to that, most of which consisted of wondering how Duo could possibly top that. After a few minutes, Quatre forced everyone to say goodbye and disconnected the call. Duo turned on the couch until he was laying on his back, looking up at Wufei.
"I thought I was the joker?"
"Apparently you've managed to corrupt me."
Duo grinned wickedly and tugged on Wufei's hand. "Why don't you come around to this side of the couch and we'll see if I can't corrupt you a little more."
"Duo..." Wufei let Duo pull him around, but he held back. "You're sick."
Duo pouted. "Come on, Wu. Wouldn't you like to spend a couple of days sick in bed with me?"
Wufei shook his head. "Can you imagine the both of us coming down with this? We'd starve in bed and spend our last days yelling at each other for being stubborn idiots."
"But that's just how I want to spend the last days of my life!" Duo's protests succeeded only in getting Wufei to lay down with him, Wufei pinned between the cushions on the back of the couch and Duo's back, Duo laying dangerously close to the edge, with only Wufei's arms around him to keep him from falling onto the floor.
They lay that way for a while, quiet settling over the apartment. Duo listened to the sound of Wufei's breathing for a long while before he started humming without thinking. It wasn't until Wufei asked him what tune he was humming that Duo realized what he was doing.
Duo smirked and sang the words out loud. "Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me. I've been an awful good girl. Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight."