Part Eighteen
Betrayl
Yay! Chapter 18! Lots of confrontation in this chapter. It was pretty fun to write.
Sorry it took a while to get this one out, but I'm still writing this story one word to the next -- meaning I have no idea what happens next. ;
But hey, that's half the fun, right? he he... --;
Much thanks to those who have reviewed -- your comments mean everything to me.
Also, RedLion2, in answer to your question -- I decided to write 5xR fandom from the getgo.
I love 1xR stories, but at the time it seemed like everyone was doing them, and I just had to be different.
(Once I get around to tidying up the fics stored on my hard drive, you'll see just how different...)
Anyway, enjoy the chapter everyone! And don't forget to review!
All the usual disclaimers apply.
Wufei froze, glaring at the gun's owner.
Slate grey eyes flickered between confusion and rage for only a moment, falling into their usual state of cool indifference as Nathan Gale registered at whom his gun was pointed. Backing off, he replaced the gun into his shoulder holster. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't realize it was you."
Wufei's glare remained deadly. "What are you doing here? And who were you talking to?"
Nathan's jaw flexed. "Routine security check, sir. I was speaking with a UES officer regarding Miss Darlian's security, sir."
He rattled off the details as though being interrogated by an army drill sergeant. Wufei's scowl deepened, his eyes darting up the stairs. "Where is he now?"
Nathan hesitated only a moment. "We thought we heard someone above us, sir. He went to check it out."
The fire in the pit of Wufei's stomach screamed that he was lying, but as of yet, he had nothing to base it on. "Tell me his name," Wufei seethed, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the iron railing.
Nathan remained calm. "Ferdinand Santiago, First Security Officer of Section 4."
Wufei grunted. "Very well. I'll have a talk with him later." Wufei said nothing more, turning to exit onto the seventh floor.
What the hell was that? Why can't they keep a Preventer on Relena's security team? At least they should look more closely into these people's backgrounds. Who the hell is Nathan Gale, anyway? He'd never heard of him before, and he sure as hell didn't think he got his position through protocol.
Wufei blazed down the hallway, blind to all but his destination. With these questions careening through his mind, it was all he could do to keep from breaking down the door instead of knocking.
Roger opened the portal almost immediately. The man could sense Wufei's fury, and wasted no time on a greeting. "Mr. Chang, what happened?"
Wufei stepped past him into the living room/work area, eyes intent. Steve was not there. "Do you know where your partners are?" he fumed.
Roger took a breath. "Nathan's making his rounds, doing a security check. Steve went out with Relena a minute ago. You just missed—"
"I need a list of all the UES employees who either work here or have access to the building. Can you get that for me?"
"Y-yes, sir. It'll just take a minute."
Wufei paced while Roger sat at his computer, typing in the necessary information for his search. True to his word, it was only a few minutes before Wufei had a printout of the list in his hand. "I don't see him on here."
Roger gave a puzzled look, swiveling around in his chair. "Who?"
"Ferdinand Santiago…" Wufei finished scanning the first page, flipped to the second, scanned, flipped to the third, scanned – "Found him." Just as Nathan had said, Ferdinand Santiago was listed as being First Security Officer of Section 4, responsible mainly for video surveillance throughout the building. "Pull up this guy's ID," Wufei growled.
Roger complied immediately, fingers at the ready. He couldn't help but smile a little. As nice as it was when things were calm, he had been getting rather bored with nothing important enough to get his adrenaline going.
A moment later, Wufei was looking at the stats and photo of an average looking man; 5'10", tan skin, dusky reddish brown hair, brown eyes, 165 lbs. "Is he on duty right now?"
Roger tapped a few keys. "Yes, sir. His office is in the basement."
"Get him on the phone."
Roger pulled up the videophone on his computer, already networked with the building's security system. In seconds, Wufei was looking at the man in question. He hunched over the table, too aggravated to sit.
"You're Ferdinand Santiago?" Wufei snapped, ignoring all formalities.
The man looked confused. "Yes, sir. First Security Off—"
"Have you left your office at all during the last half hour?"
The man seemed wary now, eyeing Wufei like a timid man might watch a caged beast. "What are your credentials?"
Wufei huffed, reaching to show the badge he kept on him at all times. "Preventer Agent Chang, head of diplomat security; now have you left your office in the last half hour?"
The man took a moment, seemingly processing his thoughts before answering. "Yes, sir. I just returned from a routine security check up through the north stairwell."
"See anything?"
"No, sir."
"Talk to anyone?"
"Yes, sir. I met Agent Gale around the eighth floor."
"How long ago?"
His answer was immediate: "Five minutes, sir."
Wufei's fists were tight. "What did you talk about?"
The man took a breath. "It was a matter of Ms. Darlian's security. He just wanted to ensure that everything is running smoothly, and that we are well prepared in case anything should happen. However, I was not able to finish my conversation with him, because I thought I heard someone above us and went to check things out. It was nothing of concern, so I returned here, to my office."
Wufei's jaw flexed, his every muscle wound tight. It sounded like a well rehearsed speech, yet it fit with everything Nathan had said. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right somehow. Santiago wore a smug look, as though daring him to ask more.
"That's all for now," Wufei gritted, terminating the link.
Roger shook his head. "Still don't trust him, eh?" Of course, he could intuit this whole episode somehow revolved around Nathan.
Wufei left the table to again pace about the cluttered room.
Roger followed him with his eyes. "I told you, he's a respectable guy. We've never had a problem in the years that I've worked with him."
"Yes, but who is he? Where did he come from? How did he get here?"
"You know, you could just ask him yourself. I don't think he'd mind a chat with a guy he idolizes."
Wufei paused to give him a look, rousing a laugh from Roger, then continued his pacing. "It can't be from him. I have to find out from documented sources—"
"You mean, sources you trust?
Wufei stopped his pacing, giving a nod.
"Well," Roger sighed, leaning back in his plush, ergonomic chair, "why don't you patch into the network and see what you can find? There should be plenty of files on him if he's served in the military all these years."
"They could be falsified."
"So you'll dig deeper. You know what they say," Roger drawled, his eyes sparkling with conspiracy, "there's more than one way to skin a cat."
"Not if the cat stays one step ahead of you." Wufei considered, giving Roger a pointed look. "You seem awfully calm about all this. Do you trust him?"
Roger thought for a moment, then gave a shrug. "I'll admit, the guy's a little weird sometimes. But he's still a good guy."
"But would you trust him with your life?" Wufei pressed.
Roger didn't respond immediately, mulling over the possibilities. Finally, a smile overtook him as he replied, "Yes, I would."
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Relena felt sick with worry. Standing outside Sally's apartment, she cast an apprehensive glance at the door behind her before raising her hand to knock. The portal flew open with unexpected quickness, momentarily banishing her fear the way a lightning bolt can momentarily banish the night.
"Didn't mean to scare you," Sally chimed, greeting her with a warm smile. The smile did nothing to ease her worries, however; her hands felt icy and damp. She gave a short bow as she entered, discreetly wiping her palms against her dress.
"So what's with the urgency?" Sally asked, motioning for Relena to take a seat on the couch. "It's nothing bad, I hope?"
"No no, I… uh…" Relena took a seat, trying to ignore the agitated rhythms of her heart. Her mouth was uncomfortably dry, and her tongue kept sticking to the roof of her mouth. She swallowed, trying to mentally calm herself and focus. Why was it so much easier speaking to a crowd of strangers than one on one with a friend?
Just speak from the heart, and your passion will give your voice strength. That had been one of Dorothy's drops of wisdom to her several years ago. Funny how she was always able to recall it in situations like these.
"Actually, Sally, there's something I must ask you."
There was something in her voice that caught Sally's attention, something that had captured millions in the past. "Go ahead, I'm listening."
"Well, I… What if I…" Relena sighed. Her eyes fell away again as she struggled to find the words.
Sally could tell how distraught she was, watching the girl fold and unfold her hands in her lap, tugging at the hem of the knee-length sundress she wore.
Focusing her thoughts, Relena finally met Sally's eyes, her voice even and firm when she spoke. "What if I told you that I was" – her fingers tightened – "in love with Wufei, and I wanted to keep seeing him beyond the scope of our bet?" The words came out in a sudden rush. Relena's cheeks were hot with embarrassment. That was the first time she had spoken those words out loud. In love with Wufei…
Sally was more than surprised by the girl's confession – even though she and Heero had all but guessed it the day before – but even more so by the torment she saw behind her sapphire eyes. This must have been something she'd been struggling with for quite some time.
Sally leaned forward, taking Relena's hands in her own. Her smile was warm and genuine. "I would say congratulations, I'm happy for you – and I wish you the best of luck."
Relena felt relief wash over her. "Really? But, I thought—"
"That I would be jealous?" Sally shook her head. "No. Well, maybe just a little bit. I can't say I never dreamt of being the first Mrs. Chang Wufei." Relena nearly choked at the implication. "But, Relena, I have my own confession to make." Relena listened, intent. "Heero and I… We're dating."
It was the strangest feeling – hearing that someone you had loved for so long was at last finding happiness in the arms of another, and yet somehow be able to genuinely share in the happiness they felt. "So that's it. I knew it was something, and truthfully, what else could it have been but you?"
"I don't—" Relena took Sally's hand in hers, giving her fingers a squeeze.
"You've changed him, Sally. Heero's not the same man he was a week ago. I noticed it when I spoke with him the other day. He was smiling, laughing. And he was more direct and open than I've ever known him to be."
Sally had no idea how to respond. She tried to laugh it off, but it sounded jittery in her ears. "I'm sure it's the same with Wufei. I bet he's crazy about you."
Relena sighed, letting Sally's fingers slip from her own as she once again pulled at the hem of her skirt. "I wish I knew."
Sally was taken aback. "You mean you're not sure?"
Relena shook her head, a pathetic gesture. "I haven't even told him how I feel. But that's why I wanted to talk with you – to make sure it would be okay."
"Oh, Relena. Even if I did have feelings for Wufei, you wouldn't need my permission to date him." Although Sally did know how she felt, thinking back to those first moments with Heero.
"I appreciate that, Sally. But really, today is the first day I've really wanted to tell him." She thought a moment. "It's the first day my mind has really been clear."
Sally was happy to see that the anxiety had vanished from her eyes, but thinking about the events of the morning, she began to feel uneasy herself. Knowing Wufei, he would be upset for quite a while – not the best circumstances to tell a person you're in love with them.
Sally reached forward, grasping Relena's hand. "I'm happy for you, I really am, Relena."
Relena laid her other hand on top of Sally's, sandwiching it in comfort. "What is it, Sally? Did something happen between you and Wufei?"
Sally gave a rueful grin. She should have known Relena could easily read her apprehension. "Before you do anything, let me have a talk with him first. I… need to set some things straight between us." Sally felt Relena's fingers tighten around hers, as though willing her to be strong. She gave a smile that she hoped was steady, along with a playful wink. "Don't worry, Relena. I'll put in a good word for you, as a way to break the ice between you two."
Relena flushed with embarrassment and excitement. She could hardly believe it. If things went well, her evening should be something to look forward to.
Sally was about to ask her if she wanted some tea when she suddenly stood up, grinning ear to ear.
"Come on, Sally. Let's go out."
"Out?" Sally panicked, checking the time. "But, I'm expecting Heero for lunch in about an hour—"
"That's perfect!" Relena exclaimed. "It'll only take a few minutes. I want to show you a little pastry shop down the street. You may not know it yet, but Heero has an insatiable sweet tooth."
"Believe me, I know," Sally muttered, getting to her feet.
"It's Heero's favorite place, but I've never told him where it is."
Sally shrugged on her jacket. "Why not?"
Relena turned, giving Sally a sly look. "Leverage. It was the surest way to get him to visit me."
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Roger's answer hadn't surprised him, only distressed him. It would be nice if he could believe that Nathan was a "good guy" and everything beneath the surface was fine. But Wufei could not shake the nagging feeling that something was out of place, and it seemed he was the only one willing to look for it.
Roger tried to assuage his fears, volunteering his services to help Wufei find his answers, but Wufei knew this was more a gesture of boredom than actual concern that something might truly be amiss.
"You were supposed to meet Relena, right? Isn't that why you're here?" The comment caught Wufei off guard, the mentioning of her name snapping him from his thoughts as though breaking him from a hypnotist's spell.
Relena…
"Where is she?" he heard himself ask, feeling the quickening of his pulse.
Roger couldn't entirely hide his smile. "Like I said, she left with Steve just a couple minutes before you got here. They went over to your building. I thought she was going to see you."
Wufei glanced out the windows, turned and shot toward the door, throwing a "Thanks" over his shoulder.
He was across the street in no time, parking his Jeep in the lot behind his building and using the back entrance rather than the main door facing Walnut Avenue. He passed the rows of mailboxes that lined the back hallway without a care, wondering if she might still be near. He hadn't been talking with Roger very long; it was possible she might still be in the building, perhaps in the lobby…
He heard the elevators chime open, spilling feminine laughter into the lobby ahead. "To be honest, I only agreed to the bet because I thought for sure I would win."
Wufei stopped short, instantly recognizing Sally's voice. He was in no mood to see her just now.
"I mean, Heero's quiet, sure, but compared to Wufei? Piece of cake!"
Wufei sparked to his name, edging closer to the wall so he could listen without being seen.
"I admit, I underestimated Heero."
That was Relena. What was she doing talking with Sally? And what were they talking about?
"I really thought he'd put up more of a fight."
"That just proves that I won the bet, fair and square."
"Does not!" Relena squealed.
"Though I have to give you credit for even getting through the door with Wufei. I was worried he might shut you out completely, and there would be no competition."
"He's not as bad as all that. He hasn't done half the things you said he would. I think you were just exaggerating to scare me off."
"Never!"
They laughed again as they exited the lobby to join Steve outside, neither of them noticing the shadow slumped against the wall behind them. Wufei hovered there for several moments, eyes pointed at the floor but seeing only Relena, laughing. Laughing at him.
The conversation replayed in his mind. A bet. This was all a bet? Is that why Relena…? Wufei clenched his teeth, fighting hard against the rising waves of nausea that threatened to consume him. His fists tightened at his sides, his entire body shaking as memories assaulted him, remembering the day Relena had first come to him with her basket of goodies, her insistence at coming in, the sudden invitation for ice cream… All this because of a bet? And Sally… He remembered her reply when he had asked her what Relena thought of her having dinner with Heero.
Relena's not involved…
They had set him up. And Heero, too. They were both toying with them. Like puppets. It was a game. Some sick, twisted game, and he was the fool. Oh, what a fool he had been. Anger spurred him forward, breaking his spell of disbelief. He took the elevator to the eighth floor, stepped into his apartment, and closed the door behind him. That was it. He would not play the fool any longer. He was through with Relena Dorlian.
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Sally plodded down the hall with heavy steps, shifting the box she held to fish out her key. She feared she may have gone overboard with what she bought, but the pastry shop Relena had taken her to was every bit as good as promised, and she felt she deserved the treats. It seemed Relena had enjoyed pointing out all of Heero's favorites – he was a sucker for anything with peaches – and she had given a few tips on Wufei's tastes as well.
She stopped outside her door, eyes intent on the portal facing hers. Une had been right: she and Wufei were no strangers to argument. But there was something about this one, that wild look in his eyes that she'd never seen before, that scared her, worried her more than any time in the past. "Wufei, where are you? Why must you always stray so far?"
She sighed, turning to her own apartment. She stole a look at her watch. With any luck, Heero would be there in half an hour.
Hurrying now, she put the pastries away and pulled out the ingredients for lunch. She had decided to keep it simple: lemon chicken and rice. Setting that to bake, she did what few dishes there were, cleaned up her living room (all the while telling herself she was not the perfectionist Wufei was) then refreshed herself. Satisfied, she returned to the kitchen. The chicken was coming along nicely, the aroma of simmering juices already filling the apartment.
Again, she checked her watch. She still had time. Not enough to relax, but too much to listen for his footsteps.
Going to the living room, she looked down at the table beside her couch. Next to a few framed photographs sat a stack of novels she had intended to read over her vacation. She had managed to start the first one, but the pages held no interest for her now. She turned a slow circle about the room, eyes roaming over all of the photos, books and knick knacks she had collected over the years. Each object held its own set of memories, documenting certain times in her life in a biography of paraphernalia.
She wondered absently at what kinds of things might represent Heero's memories.
Her gaze stopped at the window. It was smaller than she would have liked, but large enough to see a good portion of the city's western quarter. She went to it now, scanning the buildings in the distance. Below, cars filled the parking lot in perfect rows, rigid as any military formation. Her eyes fell to searching, roaming over each vehicle as though looking for something, though she herself was unsure of what – until she found it.
It was unmistakably his. He was the only one in the building who owned such a battered yet well kept Jeep. "Wufei!" As soon as the name left her lips, Sally was turning, running to her door. She flung it open, left it open, banged on the door across from hers. "Wufei! Wufei, open up, it's Sally! Come on, Wufei, please!"
Silence from within.
Sally felt her shoulders shaking from the force of her breath, fists clenched at her sides. She didn't know if she felt like screaming or sobbing. "Wufei!" she cried, again barraging his door, much as he had on hers that morning. "Wufei!"
At once, the door flew open, and she stood face to face with Wufei, the wrath in his features causing her to recoil. He said nothing, merely stared at her, as though waiting for a reason to pounce. Her heart fought madly within her chest, and she fought the urge to retreat to her doorway. "Wufei, I—"
"Enough!" His voice was like a thunderclap. "I've had enough of your lies and deceit."
Sally's eyes widened. Though she was looking at Wufei, her partner and dear friend, it felt as though she were facing some cruel and terrible stranger. Someone without an inkling of kindness. "Wufei?"
"You should tell Relena" – her name was barely a growl in his throat, his expression twisting into a contorted sneer – "I'm sorry your little game didn't work on me!"
Now Sally did take a step back, her thoughts too frantic to respond.
"Or maybe I should tell Heero what a fool he's being. That your relationship is a farce – an act!"
"Wufei… what are you saying?" Her voice seemed to evaporate in the stale hallway air, her legs threatening to dissolve beneath her.
Wufei straightened, eyes glittering like stones as he regarded her with nothing less than revulsion. "I'll be requesting a new partner when we return to work on Monday. Until then… just stay away from me." With that, he turned from her, slamming the door with such force that it echoed down the hallway.
Sally stood motionless for several seconds, not sure if she wanted to believe what had just happened. Something was wrong, something was terribly wrong, and it was more than just his seeing Heero in her apartment that morning. As the numbness of her mind slowly began to digest his words, she realized what it must be. A game, he had said, a farce, an act. What did he mean by that? It couldn't have anything to do with her bet with Relena. No one else knew. Who could have told him…?
Sally stepped forward, fists pounding on his door anew. "Wufei? Wufei, let me in! We need to talk about this! It's not—" Her voice choked, cut off by her grief. "Wufei!"
Somewhere to her right, a door opened. Sally instinctively backed up, her tear stained eyes focusing on a slight, shadowy figure peering out of a doorway two apartments down. "Are you all right down there, young lady?" The woman adjusted her spectacles, a mixture of scolding and concern embedded in the heavy lines around her mouth. "I heard you two arguing just this morning."
Sally forced a smile, fighting back her tears. "It's nothing, ma'am. I'm sorry if we disturbed you." Sally couldn't stand to give a polite goodbye, the force of her anguish spilling over. She hurried into her apartment, closing the door behind her. She barely made it to her couch before the weight of her grief consumed her.
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Heero had done his best to hurry his conversation with Lady Une, though his new boss – smirking as though she knew he was in a hurry – had insisted on running through everything twice. The security system he would soon be installing at Preventer HQ was flawless. He knew that. He and Duo both had attempted to hack it, and neither of them had fully succeeded. In his mind it was fait accompli. Une, for the most part, had agreed, stating that the major ESUN offices could benefit from a version of the program as well.
But that was all in the future. The one thing on his mind now was Sally and his getting to her.
He sped through the city, anxious to see her, heedless of stop lights and speed limits. What should have been a twenty minute ride, he did in ten, all the while imagining her smile when she would greet him, the feel of her arms when they would embrace. It was these thoughts that carried him, filling him with feelings he thought he would never be able to experience so completely.
This was why when he at last reached Sally's apartment, watched the door swing open with baited breath as tangy aromas spilled into the hallway, he could not immediately comprehend the sight of her ashen face nor the sullenness with which she greeted him.
"What happened?" he asked, feeling the blood drain from his own cheeks as he stepped across the portal.
"Come in, Heero," she ventured, giving a weak smile. "I'll try to explain."
He could tell that she'd been crying – quite violently, given the red rings around her dulled eyes. He followed her to the couch, doing his best to quell the rising anger within. Whatever the reason, he hated that something had made her cry. He hated himself for not being there to stop it.
She sighed, head bowed as though burdened with weight. "Let me tell you everything before you say anything. Okay?"
Her pale eyes flitted up to his, checking for his stiff nod of agreement.
Again she sighed. On impulse, he reached forward to take her hand. She held it, squeezing his fingers. "I spoke with Wufei."
Her voice cracked at the name. Heero felt his jaw tightening, felt the heat rising to his cheeks.
She swallowed, took a breath. "I don't know what's happened since this morning, but... something wasn't right. He said something about Relena playing a game with him, and…" Her face contorted with anguish for an instant, sobering before she continued. "He said he's requesting a new partner on Monday. Whatever this is… he doesn't want to see me anymore." She stared pointlessly at the couch, the emotion completely drained from her face.
"Did you tell him about the bet?" He had to struggle to force the words through clenched teeth.
Sally's questioning gaze rose to meet his. "My deal with Relena? No… Neither of us have said a word. There's no way he could know about that."
"Are you sure?"
Sally tried to think, but her mind felt too numb to process anything. "Pretty sure…"
"All right. Stay here. I'll be right back."
Heero was halfway to the door before she even realized he was off the couch. "Heero? Where are you going?"
"Just stay here." He left the apartment, shutting the door behind him.
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Heero gave a few quick knocks to Wufei's door, not bothering to pound. There were more effective ways of getting the door open.
"Wufei, open the door." He waited. Giving his voice the vocal equivalent of a death glare, Heero called again: "Open the door or I'll break it down."
A door opened, but it was not the one in front of him. Sending his gaze down the hall, he caught sight of an elderly woman adjusting her glasses at him. She said nothing, but let out a surprised "Oh!" when she caught his look, quickly ducking back into the safety of her apartment, the sound of her lock turning with a snap.
Heero's eyes returned to the door in front of him. He took a step back, focusing on the spot where his foot would land with enough force to kick the door in, when it suddenly opened for him, Wufei peering from the crack like a vigilante. "What do you want?"
Heero's fists were clenched tight at his sides. "Let me in." When he did not immediately step aside, Heero pushed his way forward, Wufei stepping back to give him a wide berth. As he shut the door, Heero noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was a blank spot on the wall, obvious because it had been filled only two days ago by a decorative bamboo scroll. Eyes flicking to the right, he saw the small panda bear that had sat on top of the bookcase was also missing. He could only surmise that whatever anger Wufei held for Sally, he held for Relena as well.
"I hope you doing believe everything she's been telling you," Wufei sneered, half grinning. "She's just been lying. They've both been lying to us!"
There was something hysterical in Wufei's voice that made Heero pause. "Who told you this? What did you hear?"
Wufei made a mocking sound. "No one told me. I heard it from their own lips." Heero's gaze fixed upon Wufei's but the Chinese man could not hold it. All at once he seemed to crumple, sagging down onto his couch.
"I heard them in the lobby. They were arguing over who had won the bet. Something to do with how well they could trick us… or manipulate us." Wufei's head fell into his hands. "Should've seen this coming…"
Heero approached Wufei with curious frustration. He couldn't believe he was so quick to believe the negative, not only about Relena, but about Sally – his partner and friend of four years. "You're wrong, Wufei. They haven't been lying. You just don't understand."
"The hell I don't! You don't know what I heard!"
"Whatever you heard, it was only a piece of the truth. If you had any respect for them, you would realize that – not jump to all these worthless conclusions about people you're supposed to trust!"
"Don't lecture me about trust, Heero," Wufei spat, his anger spurring him to rise. "You've never given a damn about anyone but yourself."
Heero shifted with lightning quickness, his fist landing with a solid impact against Wufei's jaw. Wufei caught himself against the couch, one arm raised defensively as Heero glowered over him.
"I'm not the one running away."
Wufei's eyes narrowed, hands clenching into fists. "Kisama!" Wufei sprang off the couch, catching Heero about the waist. He shoved him backward, slamming him hard against the far wall. Wufei straightened, catching Heero by the lapels of his jacket. Heero broke the hold, again swinging his fist, but Wufei easily countered, grabbing Heero's wrist in a painful hold while pressing his forearm against Heero's trachea, effectively pinning him to the wall.
Neither of them moved. Finally, it was Wufei who spoke. "I don't care what you choose to believe. Be a fool if you want to. Just stay out of my business."
"You're the one who's being a fool, Wuf—" Heero winced as Wufei increased the pressure on his windpipe, the look in his eyes all but murderous.
Heero made no further move, and Wufei relented. "Just get out." Wufei refused to look at him, directing his anger at the far wall.
Heero thinned his lips but said nothing, taking slow steps toward the door. As he opened the door, hand on the knob, he paused, glancing back at Wufei's darkened countenance. "If you don't trust her," he stated, his tone measuring out the full implications of his words, "then you don't deserve her." Heero waited for no reply, shutting the door softly behind him.