Days went by, with no significant change. Wufei asked Duo to talk repeatedly, tried to start a conversation countless times, each time failing. Duo refused to speak to Wufei, though he'd mutter to himself now and then. Wufei scolded himself mentally; true Duo enjoyed talking, but equally true he wouldn't lose a challenge and he was stubborn as a mule.
The fifth day of silence passed before Wufei decided he could take no more. "Duo..." He entered the room where Duo lay on the couch, listening to music. Duo scowled and stood: about to leave. "Wait! Just listen to me, Duo," Wufei pleaded. Duo huffed but fell back on the couch with a grunt.
Wufei sat on the couch also, keeping a little distance from Duo. Not that he wanted to be away. He turned to face Duo and tugged his legs up onto the couch at his side. "Look, please Duo, I'm sorry I told you to shut-up like that. It was rude, and unnecessary, and probably hurtful. I understand why you're mad, and I want you to forgive me. Please. I don't care what you talk about, but I can't stand you not talking. Say SOMETHING, anything, Duo!" Wufei's tone was clearly pleading.
Through all of what he'd said, Wufei had stared down at his hands on the couch. Now he looked up hopefully at Duo. Duo still scowled. He glared at Wufei, who seemed to cringe, and then shook his head, his long braid swishing gently. Wufei sighed. "Please... The reason I was upset was... I was thinking about this war."
The first words Duo said to Wufei for over five days were, "You're lying." Wufei did cringe now, he knew Duo would see through his lie, but he'd hoped...
"Duo, don't make me tell you! It doesn't concern you!" Wufei said, his voice raising an octave, and cracking slightly.
"You're lying again. I'm you're friend, you can tell me anything. If you're just going to lie to me I'm leaving." Duo said, shifting to stand again.
"NO! Fine!" Duo slowly sat back down and looked at Wufei, who was taking a deep breath. "I understand you're my friend. That's why I DON'T want to tell you. But I guess I have to. I'm not straight, Ok? And I have a bit of a crush I guess... That's why I was upset," Wufei had been looking down again; Duo put his hand under Wufei's chin and raised his face to look in his eyes. Duo held his gaze for several moments, searching the depths of Wufei's tear-glistening, onyx eyes. He saw sadness and desperation, but not lies. Not this time. He removed his hands and nodded, closing his eyes and opening them slowly.
"Yeah. I believe you. Lemme take a guess? It's me, isn't it?" Duo asked quietly. Wufei shifted uncomfortably before nodding reluctantly. He trembled very slightly from repressing his tears.
"Yes. I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want me, I understand if you don't want to be around me anymore now. At least I'll know I've done all I could. At least I know I went ahead and told you now." Wufei laughed uneasily.
"Might even be easier that way. At least I would stop wondering if maybe you actually liked me, and I wouldn't have to see you and regret it anymore. Maybe it would be easier if you hated me now and just ignored me." Wufei's body shook with silent sobs, and the words were difficult to get passed his choked throat.
"So, fine, Duo. Thanks so much for asking. At least now... I won't have to wonder anymore." Wufei stood up and walked away. "I've done all I could short of asking you; I was afraid to. So now I know and I can leave with absolution. I should have just left, instead of telling you like this. Good-bye, God of Death. Good-bye, Duo Maxwell." Wufei's voice shook as he stepped to the door, about to leave.
The fifth day of silence passed before Wufei decided he could take no more. "Duo..." He entered the room where Duo lay on the couch, listening to music. Duo scowled and stood: about to leave. "Wait! Just listen to me, Duo," Wufei pleaded. Duo huffed but fell back on the couch with a grunt.
Wufei sat on the couch also, keeping a little distance from Duo. Not that he wanted to be away. He turned to face Duo and tugged his legs up onto the couch at his side. "Look, please Duo, I'm sorry I told you to shut-up like that. It was rude, and unnecessary, and probably hurtful. I understand why you're mad, and I want you to forgive me. Please. I don't care what you talk about, but I can't stand you not talking. Say SOMETHING, anything, Duo!" Wufei's tone was clearly pleading.
Through all of what he'd said, Wufei had stared down at his hands on the couch. Now he looked up hopefully at Duo. Duo still scowled. He glared at Wufei, who seemed to cringe, and then shook his head, his long braid swishing gently. Wufei sighed. "Please... The reason I was upset was... I was thinking about this war."
The first words Duo said to Wufei for over five days were, "You're lying." Wufei did cringe now, he knew Duo would see through his lie, but he'd hoped...
"Duo, don't make me tell you! It doesn't concern you!" Wufei said, his voice raising an octave, and cracking slightly.
"You're lying again. I'm you're friend, you can tell me anything. If you're just going to lie to me I'm leaving." Duo said, shifting to stand again.
"NO! Fine!" Duo slowly sat back down and looked at Wufei, who was taking a deep breath. "I understand you're my friend. That's why I DON'T want to tell you. But I guess I have to. I'm not straight, Ok? And I have a bit of a crush I guess... That's why I was upset," Wufei had been looking down again; Duo put his hand under Wufei's chin and raised his face to look in his eyes. Duo held his gaze for several moments, searching the depths of Wufei's tear-glistening, onyx eyes. He saw sadness and desperation, but not lies. Not this time. He removed his hands and nodded, closing his eyes and opening them slowly.
"Yeah. I believe you. Lemme take a guess? It's me, isn't it?" Duo asked quietly. Wufei shifted uncomfortably before nodding reluctantly. He trembled very slightly from repressing his tears.
"Yes. I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want me, I understand if you don't want to be around me anymore now. At least I'll know I've done all I could. At least I know I went ahead and told you now." Wufei laughed uneasily.
"Might even be easier that way. At least I would stop wondering if maybe you actually liked me, and I wouldn't have to see you and regret it anymore. Maybe it would be easier if you hated me now and just ignored me." Wufei's body shook with silent sobs, and the words were difficult to get passed his choked throat.
"So, fine, Duo. Thanks so much for asking. At least now... I won't have to wonder anymore." Wufei stood up and walked away. "I've done all I could short of asking you; I was afraid to. So now I know and I can leave with absolution. I should have just left, instead of telling you like this. Good-bye, God of Death. Good-bye, Duo Maxwell." Wufei's voice shook as he stepped to the door, about to leave.