- Chimera of Life -

Story Four: Uneasy Alliances

Chapter Nine

by Heartfire

***

Funny how content he feels, just lying on their bed, made of the parachute's cloth, naked, with her in his arms. They made love- er… Wufei shook his head. He won't use that term… Sex? No… that's too shallow, and what they did was more than that…

It.

That's all he could name what they did. They did it until they fell asleep in exhaustion just as the first rays of the sun kissed the wonderful dark sky. Now, it hung overhead, and if it weren't for the trees' shade, he'd be squinting.

Wufei felt her move, stretch, and breathe in deeply. Signs of waking up, and he looked down on his chest to watch her eyes flutter, open then look up at him.

A smile lighted her face in response to that soft look in Wufei's eyes. "Good morning."

Her voice was husky, sleepy, and Wufei couldn't help but give a half grin. "It's afternoon."

She gave him a one-eyed dubious squint before she tilted her head to the sky and then looked back at him. A bare shoulder shrugged then she snuggled in deeper in his embrace. "So it is…"

Wufei gave a silent laugh. "Aren't you going to get up?" But even as the words left his mouth, his hands were already circling her shoulders.

"No… unless…" Uncertainty hinted at her voice and the sudden stiffening of her shoulders made Wufei want to take back those words. "You want me to get up…"

He shook his head. "No… I don't want you to," and he tightened his embrace around her body to accentuate that he truly meant it.

She stifled a sigh of relief as she rubbed her cheek over his nipple. "Good…  I'm not going to lie. I like it here…"

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, but he heard it, and the tightening of his arms around her shoulders was only a part of his answer. "So do I…" He couldn't believe it, but the moment he said those words, he knew it was true.

The soft rustling of leaves as a light breeze blew by was the only sounds while they lay in each other's embrace.

"What are we going to do after they find us?" Ping asked while her hands created patterns on Wufei's chest.

"I…" Wufei tried to think, but the way she was touching him so gently was making him lightheaded! He gave up. "I don't know." They're going to have a damn riot on their hands if their troops-

"We can't do this again, can we?" She didn't give him time to answer. "If they see us like this, they'd take matters into their own hands… not that they can't take care of themselves… but, it's going to be messy."

Wufei could almost imagine it. If his men were sexually active with those women, they'd forget their duties… "I know what you mean."

"So, after they find us, we'll probably never…" She left her sentence hanging. She didn't want to finish it because… was she beginning to be a nymphomaniac?! She doesn't want to release him from her embrace and she wants people to know… 'Oh dear Lord, what's happening to me?'

Wufei smothered a sigh of regret. He doesn't want to, but there was no other choice. "You're right."

They didn't speak until Ping moved to look at the sun. "What time do you think it is?"

"Around two." Wufei quickly answered while he propped a hand behind his head. "If they left yesterday, right after our call, I'm guessing they'd get here tonight or tomorrow morning."

"So fast? Funny… I don't want them to find us, yet."

Wufei smiled softly. "I know what you mean."

"Oh damn…" Ping moved away then sat up with her back to him while she gathered a portion of the chute to cover her body.

"What is it?" Wufei quickly sat up, surprised, confused, and plain missing her weight against his chest.

She glanced over her shoulder and gave a quick, embarrassed grin just as a loud grumble reached Wufei's ears. "I'm hungry. Care to help me look for food?"

The sudden panic attack that assailed him, disappeared and Wufei rolled his eyes instead. "That's it? Onnas!"

She just grinned her response, quickly jumped up then pulled the covers away from his body while she twisted the cloth around her own.

Wufei, taken by surprise, could only stare at her in bewilderment before he noticed that he was naked for her to see.

"Mmm… You do look scrumptious, Wufei." Ping whispered as her eyes traveled from his chest down to his…

Wufei quickly grabbed the last trailing cloth to tug it over his suddenly erect manhood and Ping just laughed cheerfully as they did a mini tug-o-war. Then Wufei suddenly fell on his buttocks when she let go and the next thing he knew, she was running into the trees with her clothes in her arms, waving to him.

"See you in fifteen, Wufei!!! Look for yummy foods!"

Then she was gone. He could only stare where she had disappeared to, then he looked up at the sky and gave a groan. "Confusing… All of them!" Yet, why was it that he was smiling up at the bright sun?

…

Ping hummed as she glanced for fruits. Her hum slowly became words and then she was singing. Fully dressed, she opened her arms to the sun's rays and grinned.  She felt wonderful! But, God! Was she hungry!

She checked her shockproof watch and found that she had six minutes left. She must turn back soon… Her thoughts trailed off as she stared at a banana tree with delicious looking yellow produce for the picking.

Laughter left her as she remembered a little conversation she had with Lauren. "This is ironic…" Then again, there's nothing else around, so either survive or die- and she'd rather survive. With that thought in mind, she started singing once again.

…

Wufei muttered angrily as he threw the brown, dirty, hard vegetable he found by pure luck in the air, and then caught it. Other than that, he didn't find anything. Around their camp area, there had been lots of vegetation, why was it that around this area, there wasn't any?

Wufei frowned as he neared the camp. His feet slowed, until he completely stopped, a couple of trees away from the lake. Branches and leaves obstructed his view, but other than that what truly froze him were the howling sounds. Screaming, massacring whatever song it was that whoever was singing!

Slowly, he walked out of his hiding place, forcing his hands not to cover his ears and then found Ping, with her back to him.

'It couldn't be…' Wufei thought as he neared the screeching frenzy. Each step he took was torture for his eardrums, but his disbelief was blown away when he saw her hips sway, and her fingers snap just as she patted the last crease on the chute. 'Oh God it's her!'

A fleeting thought that a banshee would probably be better if put in a contest with Ping came to mind before he quickly walked to her. Without any other ideas as to how to stop her, he reached for her shoulder, had her turned around, and was kissing her before she could let out another ear jarring note she called singing.

Her hands slowly traveled up to his hair, and he mentally forgave her horrible singing as he enjoyed himself with her taste and touch. Slowly they drew away and Wufei felt a smile against his lips before he saw it on her face.

"Mmmm… what was that for?"

'To stop your singing.' Wufei shrugged lightly. "Just felt like it." The sudden gleam in her eyes should have warned him.

"Well, I feel like doing this."

Wufei was suddenly pushed on his back then she was on top of him, her hands framed his face and he couldn't help the grin that lighted his face before her lips crushed his, then suggestively grinded her hips against his.  He wanted to put his hands around her buttocks and make them stay put, but before he could even do that, she had rolled away from him.

He watched with glazed eyes as she patted the dust away from her arms, then turned around and gave Wufei a wink that conveyed of more mischief to come. They were taught ways on how to seduce a man… she's going to have fun using all the techniques on Wufei and to see where his endurance would take him… maybe even drive him near the brink of insanity…?

'Oh yeah…' She flipped her curly blonde hair over one shoulder, eyed the small section of fruit she brought back, then glanced back at him. "Wufei, did you find anything?"

From his pocket, he brought out the scrawny looking-

"Potato?" Ping nearly fell on her behind.  Instead, she gawked at Wufei, who was starting to feel sweaty.

"I do not know what is wrong with the vegetation around this area but it seems that most of the trees do not bear fruit around here."

Still with a bewildered look on her face, Ping nodded. "Yes. I noticed that, too."

"Stop looking at me like that!" Wufei muttered as he glared at her.

Ping quickly blushed then looked away. "Er… Sorry. I was just wondering how we're going to cook that thing. I mean, you picked a pretty good food group, and it fills people up quickly."

Still a bit angry that this was all he found, he crossed his arms over his chest in a cocky pose. "Well… I want to see what you found."

Ping's blush deepened as she glanced at the fruit. "Ah… I think I brought a lot with me, so…" A remembered conversation with her friend made her want to laugh. "So, you're free to help yourself."

Curious, Wufei walked towards her then eyed… the bananas. He stared at them like they were from another planet, his veins nearly popping out of his forehead, then without even looking at Ping, he spoke. "I will not eat that for your enjoyment."

"Say, what?" Ping turned with a frown just as Wufei gave a very deadly glare.

Not wanting to stay in the dark any longer, Wufei told her. "I overheard your conversation with your… friend."

Ping's right eyebrow shot up. So, he knows. "Well! Your fault for being such an eavesdropper! If you want to starve, go ahead. I'm going to eat." That said, she plunked next to the fruit and grabbed one long, yellow, firm banana. Embarrassment flooded her. It was a pretty disturbing conversation, then again… he really shouldn't have been listening!

Wufei watched as she glared at the bananas. Suddenly, mischief shone in those once blazing green eyes and he nearly cringed. Why does he have the sudden feeling that he should high tail it out of there? "What are you thinking?"

"Me? I am not thinking about anything at all."

The too innocent look she gave made his skin crawl, and that cattish smile on her lips... "You are, too, so just say it."

"Well… if you really wanted to know…" She started to peel the banana ever so slowly.

Wufei's body grew tense. The way she was eyeing that fruit…

"This does look like an erected phallus."

Wufei grew hard as she pointedly looked from the banana to his crotch. Then he suddenly felt heavy as she, eyes still on his crotch, touched her tongue to the tip of the banana.

"Mmmm… This tastes good…" She grinned inwardly when she saw that distinctive rise.

The way she said her words… they definitely meant otherwise. He should just turn around and leave her alone in her insanity but he couldn't seem to look away as she seductively took another bit from the banana, but this time, she suckled it and made noises that only happens when… and with the way his thing was reacting… he could already feel a wetness…

He coughed then turned away. In a strained voice, he grumbled,  "You are one sick woman, Rossi."

Ping just grinned and took the whole thing lightly. "Why thank you, Chang. That means a lot to me."

Wufei's eyes widened, confused why she said that until that darn grin on her face and the way she looked down at his manhood again made him glance down, too. Ping's grin broadened when she saw a telltale blush on Wufei's cheeks.

"I'm going to eat my potato."

Her eyebrow rose. "How?"

Wufei's eyes glanced over to the helicopter wreckage and slowly an idea came to him. "I'll find a way." Then without saying good-bye, he started to walk away.

Ping frowned. "Wufei! I was just teasing! Are you angry?"

Wufei didn't answer, lost in his own thoughts. He was not mad at all. He was just very embarrassed. How could he not be able to control his body's reaction to her?!

"Wufei!" Ping called out once again before he disappeared into the forest, to the direction of the crash. She sighed then pursed her lips. "Well! Thanks for listening to me!" With a huff, she finished her banana in one swift bite then dropped the peel beside her. She didn't feel that hungry anymore but she still ate two more bananas, hesitated, and then jumped up from the ground. A frustrated growl left her as she stomped to where Wufei disappeared. "I hate that man! Where'd he gone off to, anyway?! He should have at least told me!"

…

Wufei felt slightly victorious when he found what he was looking for, a bowl shaped metal to boil the potato in. But as he reached for that piece of wreckage, the one beside it caught his eyes. He frowned slightly as his hand went to the one beside the concaved metal- it was a flat strip with a couple of holes…

"No…" He whispered to himself as he turned the metal that was almost his arm's length only for his suspicion to harden. He remembered those sounds he heard just before the explosion erupted, and if this was so…

Wufei dropped the metal and his feet took wings as he ran back to their makeshift camp, worried for a certain mischievous minx. Those people who shot at them might be around, might have taken her already…

The mere thought of her in danger spurned him to run faster, only for the object of his worries to suddenly appear in front of him. It was too late to stop and the last thing he saw before he collided against her was the widening of her eyes.

They tumbled to the ground and Ping took the brunt of the fall. Squashed under Wufei's weight, she almost couldn't breathe. Thankfully, Wufei quickly rolled to his side.

"Ping?" Wufei asked as he looked down at her shut eyes. With his speed, he knew he tackled her in a way football players tackle each other. But he didn't mean it! "Ping?"

Ping slowly opened her eyes to find those wonderfully worried charcoal eyes on her. "Wufei… I never knew you'd be so happy to see me."

Wufei blinked in surprise. He was! Then she groaned as she placed a hand on the back of her head.

"That hurt."

He wanted to apologize but he only jumped from the ground then leaned over to offer her a hand. "We need to get back to camp and clear it."

Ping's eyes frowned as her head snapped up to Wufei. "What?" Her hand reached out for him and she was suddenly on her feet, being pulled by him.

"There were bullet holes on the helicopter, Ping."

Wufei's information snapped her cold. They were shot down from the sky… There were enemies around… "But we need to stay around this area! Our troops will be here soon!"

"I know. We just need to clear camp and start moving. We'll wait for them a little bit more, then we'll leave."

Ping nodded. "Then let's go faster." She shook her hand from his grasp then ran alongside Wufei. He looked at her and saw the same determination he could feel and… it made him smile…

…

"Wufei."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he quickly looked up at Ping, her form shrouded by shadows, just like him. "What?"

"We never got the chance to eat yesterday, and you didn't eat today. You might be strong, but it would be better if you have something in your stomach." Ping offered a banana to him. "I promise I won't tease."

He couldn't read the expression on her face, but her voice sounded sincere enough. "Fine. If it's going to stop you from forcing that thing at me." He grabbed the banana from her hand and she, in turn, grabbed for the binoculars.

"I'll be the look out." With a hand around the thin branch above her, she moved in front of Wufei who nearly gasped in surprise. She settled on top of the thick branch he was sitting on then moved back until Wufei's chest was against her back, and her buttocks was against his manhood. Then she took his free hand and wrapped it around her waist. "There… better."

Wufei's right eyebrow shot up while her curly hair teased his face. He was more than confused as to why she did this, but… he couldn't say that he didn't like it.

"Relax, Wufei. I won't be a bad guard. Eat up." She was concerned for him, but in a different way. They had been circling the entire lake only to settle in this tall, sturdy, narra tree just as the sun waved its goodbye. "I'm glad you found these infrared binoculars. I'm surprised it didn't break from the crash!"

She felt him nod and she leaned against him, content, while she eyed the wreckage for any sign of life. She smiled when the hand around her waist grew firm, and tucked her in some more. Sighed when she felt his chin on her right shoulder and she leaned her face against his.

"That was a good banana."

It was his way of saying thanks and she knew it. "I know."

"Go on and sleep. I'll wake you up when they get here." Why in the world did he say that when he didn't want her to go?!

"No. Thank you. I want to stay up with you."

He nearly jumped in surprise when her hand went around his own on her stomach, entwined their fingers, then sighed as she leaned against him.

"I'll keep you awake." The truth was, she would like to spend their last few moments together, like this…

He was sure that she would, in more ways than one. Without a word, he placed a kiss against her hair, a light one, not wanting her to know, but she still felt it. He wants to know more about her, had that deep urge. "Why is your name Chinese?"

Ping looked up at the dark sky, not a single star in sight. "People always ask me that question and I love telling it."

"Then, tell me." Wufei whispered against her ear. He half wondered how he could like to hear her voice so much when… she was so bad in singing.

"I was born up there. Colony L-7. My dad was a traveler, my mom was a novelist, and they both loved going around so much that they forgot the months, and when they landed on L-7, my mom had to be rushed to the hospital."

Wufei nodded, just to show her that he was listening while he looked through the salvaged binoculars.

"Well, that colony was having some electrical problems, and while my mom was inside the elevator with a nurse, they had a power surge and the colony lost power."

Mentally, he wondered how he was born, but then again… there was no use dwelling on something he couldn't know.

"I was born inside the elevator with the help of one wonderful nurse named… Guess what it was, Wufei."

Wufei grinned. "Ping."

She nodded. "Ping. My mom said that she was calm and collected throughout the procedure."

"Do you know what it means in Chinese?" Wufei asked, just wondering.

Ping sighed while an unknown smile played on her lips. "Yes… Ice."

Ice… but she was not ice at all… she was fire, and Wufei was quickly burning. "What about your last name?"

"Rossi? My mother used to tell me that it meant rose."

'Ice Rose.' That alone was a good enough name. 'I wonder why she chose Minx, instead. Then again…' He looked down at her. 'She is a minx…'

"What about you, Wufei? Something about your past." She suddenly felt the stiffening of his hold. The tension in his arm, and she knew that he will not speak. Why?

"There's nothing to tell."

The cold hardness in his voice… She did not want it. She wants to take it away. Without another word, she turned her upper body around, placed her hands on the frame of his face then kissed him as tenderly as she could. She felt him grow relax and she slowly drew away to settle back in her previous position. "Nothing, still?"

Wufei checked, hands a bit shaky from that distracting kiss that he didn't even notice Ping frowned.

"Noth-"

Her hand was suddenly over his lips, muffling his words while a quick 'shh!' whispered against his ear. "Listen, Wufei."

He heard it. The sudden quietness, those unnatural sounds… They looked over the thick branch they sat on then saw the shadows below. Wufei's lips quirked while Ping grinned. They looked at each other then slowly, their happy smiles faded.

"They're here."

Wufei nodded. "Yes. It's time."

Their entwined fingers gripped each other first, then, both reluctantly loosened their hold. Her hand went to grip the branch in front of her so she wouldn't hug him while she stifled a gasp as he slowly removed his hands around her waist, then they were gone.

They didn't look at each other as they swung down from branch to branch then landed in front of their surprised troops.

"What kept you girls?" Ping asked cheerfully while Wufei glowered at his men.

"Took you long enough."

"Minxie!" Her team screamed as they gathered around her while Wufei's men snapped in attention.

"Sir!"

Amidst the questions and excitement, Wufei and Ping's eyes met. She gave a slight smile while Wufei gave a nod for whatever reason he knew not, then they both looked away…