Notes: This chapter is mainly about two things: Duo's hair, and Duo and Wufei's first kiss. It's a bit short, but I still like it, and I hope you do, too.
This is dedicated to cyberdistroyer, though you've already had one dedication but what do I care? I think all your wonderful reviews and your support deserve two dedications. Enjoy and review!
Wufei usually slept naked, but that didn't seem like such a good idea that night as he would be sleeping with Duo.
He really should have realised that Duo wouldn't want to sleep alone but he hadn't, and when Duo tugged him towards the bed he shared with Heero, all he could do was blink at the American.
After a moment, he gathered his wits and stripped down to his boxers, climbing into the bed. He watched as Duo sat on the edge, still wearing his jeans. He as fiddling with his braid and looked very nervous.
Just when Wufei was about to ask if something was wrong, Duo pulled on the hairband and slipped it around his wrist. Wufei shut up and watched as Duo began to unbraid his hair. It fell around him in thick, silky waves, spilling over his shoulders and tumbling down his back.
Biting his lip, Duo picked ups his brush and turned to face Wufei, a thick tendril of hair sliding against his bare shoulder to trail down his chest.
"Will you brush it for me?" he asked in a hushed voice, and Wufei's heart skipped a beat. Slowly, he reached out and accepted the hairbrush, his fingers brushing Duo's as he did so.
Moving to sit behind Duo, he began to brush Duo's long hair, gently working at the few tangles he found. It was soothing for them both, and Wufei continued brushing long after he needed to, dragging the brush through the waterfall of hair, amazed that his hair wasn't all one colour, it was a fusion of varying shades of brown, all shifting and bleeding together as the light hit it.
"Heero should be in the building now," Duo whispered, and Wufei nodded, though Duo couldn't see it. The American sighed and leaned back, putting his back to Wufei's chest and resting his head on Wufei's shoulder.
"I hope he's alright," he murmured, and Wufei finally discarded the brush to wrap his arms around the other boy.
"He will be. It's an easy mission, very low-risk. The security is so small any of us could sneak in, but their computer security is another matter. He'll be fine, Duo."
Duo took a deep breath and let it out in a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know. I'm just worried. Come on, let's get some sleep."
Quickly braiding his hair, Duo pulled off his jeans and slipped under the thick quilt. Wufei laid down beside him and felt a thrill of pleasure run through his body when Duo immediately settled against his side, resting his head on Wufei's shoulder, one arm across his abdomen.
"G'nigh, Fei," he mumbled sleepily, his eyes drifting shut.
"Goodnight, Duo."
They slept relatively peacefully, given the circumstances. Wufei had vague recollections of comforting Duo several times during the night, but nothing serious enough to fully wake him. Duo seemed surprised and very pleased of that. He didn't speak of his nightmares to anyone, but Wufei knew that they were always there, waiting just beneath the surface for one moment of weakness so that they could pounce and throw his mind into darkness.
They woke just after five and dressed quietly. After only a moment's hesitation, Duo put on a gun, his Browning Hi-Power, wearing it in a holster at the small of his back, like Wufei did.
Walking as quietly as possible, they went downstairs and into the kitchen, Duo flopping immediately into one of the chairs.
"What would you like?" Wufei asked, smiling softly at the boneless way Duo was sprawled in the chair.
"I'm not really hungry. A cup of coffee will be fine."
"Duo, you have to eat something."
"But-"
"Duo."
Duo sighed, realising that Duo was going to be just as stubborn about his eating habits as Heero was. "Fine. Cereal would be nice, please."
Wufei smiled and made them both some Cornflakes. They ate in silence, partly so as not to wake Quatre and Trowa, and partly because they were both thinking about Heero.
"Fei?" Duo asked, stirring his Cornflakes with his spook.
"Yes?"
"Did I ever thank you for everything you did yesterday?"
Wufei smiled and got up to dump his bowl in the sink. "It's not like it was a chore."
"But you didn't have to do it." There was an odd tone in Duo's voice that Wufei didn't understand, and when he turned around he found Duo watching him with intense violet eyes.
"Yes, I did," he said simply, and Duo smiled.
"I'm glad you're here, Fei," he said quietly. "I'm glad... you told me how you felt. It must've taken a lot of courage."
Wufei quirked a wry grin and sat back down again, running a hand through his unbound hair.
"I think I've been an idiot," Duo said suddenly, and Wufei frowned at him.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well... I didn't see, did I? I mean, all the signs were there and I just never saw them. There's all these little things that showed you cared about me and I just didn't see them, like that time you stayed up all night to help me fix Deathscythe's guidance system because I had a mission in the morning. Heero did the same sort of thing, though I reckon he didn't realise he was doing it, and I could see underneath his mask because I wanted to, and I thought I wanted to see under your mask but just couldn't, but... I can see through anyone. I don't think I wanted to see the real you because... I was afraid."
"Why were you afraid? Wufei asked softly, and Duo sighed, staring at his hands where they lay on the table.
"Because... if I saw the real you, I'd start to like you, love you, and I didn't want that, because you'd leave me, you'd hurt me and leave me and I'd be alone again. So I focused on Heero because I didn't think I stood a chance with him. But, being with Heero made me realise that sometimes, you have to take the risk. So I did, and... now I have you. Now I-I love you, and you love me, and I'm not alone."
He said it, Wufei thought. He said he loved me. He loves me.
Without knowing quite how he got there, Wufei found himself kneeling down beside Duo, his fingers brushing along the American's jaw. Duo looked at him, his amethyst eyes deep pools of fear and need.
Slowly, Wufei leaned forward and brushed his lips against Duo's, ready to step back at the first sign of rejection. But Duo didn't pull away, didn't say no, he just leaned forward for a longer, deeper kiss that Wufei gave gladly. One hand cupped around the back of Duo's neck, the other on the back of the chair for support, Wufei slipped his tongue into Duo's mouth and tasted the American for the first time.
They drew away slowly, reluctantly, both breathless and slightly dazed. Wufei licked his lips, savouring the taste, and Duo smiled at him.
"I love you, Wufei Chang," he whispered almost solemnly, and Wufei smiled back at him.
"I love you, too, Duo Maxwell."
This is dedicated to cyberdistroyer, though you've already had one dedication but what do I care? I think all your wonderful reviews and your support deserve two dedications. Enjoy and review!
Wufei usually slept naked, but that didn't seem like such a good idea that night as he would be sleeping with Duo.
He really should have realised that Duo wouldn't want to sleep alone but he hadn't, and when Duo tugged him towards the bed he shared with Heero, all he could do was blink at the American.
After a moment, he gathered his wits and stripped down to his boxers, climbing into the bed. He watched as Duo sat on the edge, still wearing his jeans. He as fiddling with his braid and looked very nervous.
Just when Wufei was about to ask if something was wrong, Duo pulled on the hairband and slipped it around his wrist. Wufei shut up and watched as Duo began to unbraid his hair. It fell around him in thick, silky waves, spilling over his shoulders and tumbling down his back.
Biting his lip, Duo picked ups his brush and turned to face Wufei, a thick tendril of hair sliding against his bare shoulder to trail down his chest.
"Will you brush it for me?" he asked in a hushed voice, and Wufei's heart skipped a beat. Slowly, he reached out and accepted the hairbrush, his fingers brushing Duo's as he did so.
Moving to sit behind Duo, he began to brush Duo's long hair, gently working at the few tangles he found. It was soothing for them both, and Wufei continued brushing long after he needed to, dragging the brush through the waterfall of hair, amazed that his hair wasn't all one colour, it was a fusion of varying shades of brown, all shifting and bleeding together as the light hit it.
"Heero should be in the building now," Duo whispered, and Wufei nodded, though Duo couldn't see it. The American sighed and leaned back, putting his back to Wufei's chest and resting his head on Wufei's shoulder.
"I hope he's alright," he murmured, and Wufei finally discarded the brush to wrap his arms around the other boy.
"He will be. It's an easy mission, very low-risk. The security is so small any of us could sneak in, but their computer security is another matter. He'll be fine, Duo."
Duo took a deep breath and let it out in a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know. I'm just worried. Come on, let's get some sleep."
Quickly braiding his hair, Duo pulled off his jeans and slipped under the thick quilt. Wufei laid down beside him and felt a thrill of pleasure run through his body when Duo immediately settled against his side, resting his head on Wufei's shoulder, one arm across his abdomen.
"G'nigh, Fei," he mumbled sleepily, his eyes drifting shut.
"Goodnight, Duo."
They slept relatively peacefully, given the circumstances. Wufei had vague recollections of comforting Duo several times during the night, but nothing serious enough to fully wake him. Duo seemed surprised and very pleased of that. He didn't speak of his nightmares to anyone, but Wufei knew that they were always there, waiting just beneath the surface for one moment of weakness so that they could pounce and throw his mind into darkness.
They woke just after five and dressed quietly. After only a moment's hesitation, Duo put on a gun, his Browning Hi-Power, wearing it in a holster at the small of his back, like Wufei did.
Walking as quietly as possible, they went downstairs and into the kitchen, Duo flopping immediately into one of the chairs.
"What would you like?" Wufei asked, smiling softly at the boneless way Duo was sprawled in the chair.
"I'm not really hungry. A cup of coffee will be fine."
"Duo, you have to eat something."
"But-"
"Duo."
Duo sighed, realising that Duo was going to be just as stubborn about his eating habits as Heero was. "Fine. Cereal would be nice, please."
Wufei smiled and made them both some Cornflakes. They ate in silence, partly so as not to wake Quatre and Trowa, and partly because they were both thinking about Heero.
"Fei?" Duo asked, stirring his Cornflakes with his spook.
"Yes?"
"Did I ever thank you for everything you did yesterday?"
Wufei smiled and got up to dump his bowl in the sink. "It's not like it was a chore."
"But you didn't have to do it." There was an odd tone in Duo's voice that Wufei didn't understand, and when he turned around he found Duo watching him with intense violet eyes.
"Yes, I did," he said simply, and Duo smiled.
"I'm glad you're here, Fei," he said quietly. "I'm glad... you told me how you felt. It must've taken a lot of courage."
Wufei quirked a wry grin and sat back down again, running a hand through his unbound hair.
"I think I've been an idiot," Duo said suddenly, and Wufei frowned at him.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well... I didn't see, did I? I mean, all the signs were there and I just never saw them. There's all these little things that showed you cared about me and I just didn't see them, like that time you stayed up all night to help me fix Deathscythe's guidance system because I had a mission in the morning. Heero did the same sort of thing, though I reckon he didn't realise he was doing it, and I could see underneath his mask because I wanted to, and I thought I wanted to see under your mask but just couldn't, but... I can see through anyone. I don't think I wanted to see the real you because... I was afraid."
"Why were you afraid? Wufei asked softly, and Duo sighed, staring at his hands where they lay on the table.
"Because... if I saw the real you, I'd start to like you, love you, and I didn't want that, because you'd leave me, you'd hurt me and leave me and I'd be alone again. So I focused on Heero because I didn't think I stood a chance with him. But, being with Heero made me realise that sometimes, you have to take the risk. So I did, and... now I have you. Now I-I love you, and you love me, and I'm not alone."
He said it, Wufei thought. He said he loved me. He loves me.
Without knowing quite how he got there, Wufei found himself kneeling down beside Duo, his fingers brushing along the American's jaw. Duo looked at him, his amethyst eyes deep pools of fear and need.
Slowly, Wufei leaned forward and brushed his lips against Duo's, ready to step back at the first sign of rejection. But Duo didn't pull away, didn't say no, he just leaned forward for a longer, deeper kiss that Wufei gave gladly. One hand cupped around the back of Duo's neck, the other on the back of the chair for support, Wufei slipped his tongue into Duo's mouth and tasted the American for the first time.
They drew away slowly, reluctantly, both breathless and slightly dazed. Wufei licked his lips, savouring the taste, and Duo smiled at him.
"I love you, Wufei Chang," he whispered almost solemnly, and Wufei smiled back at him.
"I love you, too, Duo Maxwell."