A Glint in the Snow
By: Abby Ebon
For Firehedgehog, Happy Birthday: p
Five ragged and battle wary young men made their way though the dense forest, to the small clearing which was where the safe house was. Calling it a safe house was really unjust, as a house implied more rooms; it was more of a safe-room because that was all it was- a room, which served as both a sleeping place and a kitchen.
Heero pushed open the unlocked door; there really was nothing valuable inside. They had just accomplished the mission and been given directions to this new 'safe house'. The Gundam's were about half a mile away- well hidden in the dense mountain forest. Duo didn't even bother taking off his shoes or changing clothes, dropping unceremoniously onto the farthest corner of the room, his back to the wall. Heero shook his head as he sat at the wall nearest to the door.
Heero was prepared to sleep there incase they were attacked- so he could surprised the invaders. Wufei scowled at him -as that left him to sleep next to Duo. Quatre and Trowa had laid down somewhere between the invisible lines that separated the room into the two halves of kitchen and sleeping room. Heero listened till the rest of the pilot's breathing evened out and he sighed- resigning to stay up and watch out for his companions. He heard Duo shift and sit up- staring at the door, frowning.
"Get some sleep Heero, I'll keep watch." Heero shook his head eyes blurry but stubborn.
"Negative, you were hit the worst by Leo's." Heero heard Duo exhale sharply.
"Damn it Heero, I can't sleep, and whither you like it or not you need sleep more then me. Go. To. Sleep." Growled out Duo. Heero had to admit that for once the braided baka had a point, Heero inwardly grumbled. Not bothering to reply he closed his eyes. Sleeping while sitting up wasn't comfortable, but there wasn't much room. Heero would manage it.
0.o.0.o.0.o.0
Mirror travel, is most unpleasant. Kuwabara musedAfter Yuusuke had pushed him into the mirror he had felt horrible, his body seemed to tumble rapidly though the mirror portal and his stomach had twisted unpleasantly making him feel sick- but landing had been worse. Kuwabara had landed roughly on the ground, as the portal was a directly above the ground about twice as high as Kuwabara. Yuusuke had landed on his back.
It had to be early morning even if when they had left the shrine it had been afternoon. Up a head Kuwabara heard Yuusuke sigh and mutter something that sounded a lot like "Finally." Yuusuke turned to him with a faint smile and relived expression on his face.
"It looks like there is shelter just ahead." Kuwabara looked in the direction Urameshi was pointing. He has to be kidding…Kuwabara hoped so anyway, the place looked like a shed.
"Urameshi." Kuwabara grumbled as Yuusuke turned to glance at his friend.
"We are supposed to sleep in a shack?" Yuusuke rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, calling out as he strode away.
"Suit yourself Kuwabara- personally I'd like a place to sleep where I don't have to worry about wild animals." Kuwabara hesitated weighing the benefits of being alone in the woods or settling for the pathetic shelter before sighing and going after Urameshi. Urameshi's cocky smirk told Kuwabara that he'd been manipulated somewhat by his friend.
Oh well, Kuwabara grumbled silently, then as Yuusuke was reaching to pull the shelters measly door open he felt something in the back of his mind pickle and flare up. He tensed assessing the situation quickly, someone was inside and Urameshi was in danger.
Acting on adrenaline he grabbed Yuusuke and pushed him down just as a gun shot rang out and he felt intense pain flare in his right arm, he cried out realizing with a shrill alarm and not a little shock that he had been shot. Shot with a gun of all things. The blackness at the edges of his vision suddenly consumed him and he fell into unconsciousness.
Yuusuke had been angry when Kuwabara had caused him to lose his balance, and shocked when out of the corner of his eye he had seen a messy brown haired with blue eyes shoot at him, but hit Kuwabara.
Now he was frightened and scared as he felt the limp weight of his friend. Yuusuke, eyes wide, sat up to look over at Kuwabara's condition, turning him over Yuusuke saw that his side and arm were bleeding. Someone yelled something and there was a murmur of voices behind him in that stupid shed.
"Kuwabara! You okay?" Yuusuke questioned timidly. There was no response from Kuwabara's still form and yet Yuusuke felt his spirit hadn't left the body. Suddenly a hand was resting on his shoulder; he shrugged it off twisting around and glaring at the boy who shot Kuwabara and the four other teenagers. Yuusuke snarled furious.
How dare they! -Kuwabara was a human; if he died there would be no saving him unless Koenma could pull a few strings, or something. He growled looking for the features of the teenage boy whose face was now burned into his mind eye, then he saw him. Before the other teenagers could react Yuusuke had ran up to the jerk and punched him, holding most of his strength back, but still enough to snap his head back and landing him on his ass.
The kid looked up at him in a combination of anger and shock. Yuusuke bared his now fanged teeth at him. He caught sight of someone moving in the corner of his eye and saw a blond staring with wide eyes at him Yuusuke felt a cold feeling come over him and looked at his hand. He had clawed nails. Shit.
Slowly he looked up and at the five teenagers faces and then to Kuwabara's still form. He closed his eyes and backed away, retreating to his friend's too still form. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Looking up at the blond he swallowed his pride and asked then for something he couldn't give - help.
"Can you help him? Please?" Quatre had been startled by the soft voice addressing him. He had expected the boy to have a harsh and unforgiving voice from what he had done to Heero, and the sudden wild and uncontrolled look about him. Looking over at Heero he noticed the other boy was glaring heatedly at the stranger who was doing a very good job of ignoring him.
Duo had a hand pressed to his mouth and he looked about ready at any second to start laughing uncontrollably. Wufei had an odd look on his face and was looking between Heero and the stranger. Trowa was beside him centering him, when the boy, who didn't look much older then themselves had thrown his had hand off. He probably would have fallen if it hadn't been for Trowa, who was silent and seemed to be measuring the other up.
"We will do everything we can. But first who are you two?" The stranger seemed to deflate as he sighed and gestured at himself and then his still friend he was hovering protectively over. Like a fighter…Quatre filed the random thought away to muse over later as the other opened his mouth.
"I'm Yuusuke Urameshi. My friend is Kuwabara Kazuma."
Quatre nodded and decided to introduce himself- and the others of course. Which if Heero glaring at him was any indication, Heero was none to pleased over this new twist.
"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner, this is Trowa Barton, and he is Chang Wufei, that over there is Duo Maxwell, and I'm afraid the one who shot your friend is Heero Yuy."
Yuusuke nodded, surprising the five when he bent and lifted his friend entering the shelter without further ado. Duo's lips quirked in a grin and he followed after the mysterious youths; the others left without anything else to do but follow after the two, did so even if Heero was still wary about them. Wufei watched in detached amazement at the other boy-Yuusuke, cleaned and dressed his friend's wounds without hesitation or complaint.
He hadn't really needed our help at all. Wufei frowned thoughtfully. Yuusuke sat back on his heels rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face, and then placing a hand on Kuwabara's chest he frowned as if puzzling over a difficult math problem. Wufei was started when Yuusuke spoke to them.
"The bullet is still in him."
Yuusuke closed his eyes and rubbed the ridge of his brow and nose then sighing, the boy got up and left the shelter pausing and looking over the scenery he muttered a curse. Wufei had followed him out.
"Do any of you know of some plant that would put him into a deeper sleep or numb him?" It was an odd request in the very least, Wufei shock his head in a negative. This Yuusuke looked to be on the verge of a mental brake down.
"Blast it where the hell is Kuruma when I need him." Growled Yuusuke, Wufei felt that he wasn't supposed to hear that information but he memorized the name all the same it might come in handy later. Wufei smirked and shock his head when the youth strode back into the shelter. Yuusuke reminded him a lot of Maxwell.
Turning back to the five others Yuusuke sealed himself for the task ahead.
"I'll have to ask you all to take a walk or something." Heero narrowed his eyes in a puzzled frown; Yuusuke obviously had annoyed Heero badly by hitting him.
"Why?" Questioned Duo asking what all of them wanted to. Yuusuke took a deep calming breath and answered.
"I have to remove it, knowing his luck he'll wake up in the middle of it and start screaming bloody murder." Quatre made an odd sound in the back of his throat. Duo's mouth opened and closed he shock his head and strode out of the shelter. Wufei sneered and crossed his arms looking Yuusuke over and then specking.
"Your either insane or you want you want your friend to die."
Yuusuke bristled in agitation. "I know how to remove a god damned bullet you asshole!" Growled Yuusuke, Trowa noticed that Yuusuke seemed to be trying unsuccessfully to control his anger.
"You shouldn't risk infecting it." Murmured Trowa soothingly, for some reason Yuusuke reminded him of a predatory cat. Yuusuke huffed and made a shooing motion to them before turning back to his friend. Wufei grumbled and followed Maxwell's lead in getting away from the shelter, Trowa nudged Quatre out with him and Heero looked torn between staying and leaving.
"Go ahead Heero." Heero gave Trowa a kind of relieved look before following walking out of the small shelter. Yuusuke's shoulders slumped now that it was just him and the odd tall brown haired, one banged, guy with green eyes. He turned to Trowa who nodded to him.
"You don't really know how to do this do you." Trowa spoke up quietly, Yuusuke's face twisted into a grimace but he shook his head in a negative.
"No but I do know that if it stay's in him it'll probably kill him." Yuusuke said softly, Trowa nodded.
"I've had training of a sort for this; will you let me help you?" Yuusuke's eyes seemed to light up with a little hope and the lost and helplessness seemed to fade, he nodded to himself.
"Yes, I'd appreciate it Trowa." Who'd have thought I'd ever say something like that? Yuusuke smirked, and Trowa came over to Yuusuke and Kuwabara.
Half an hour or more later they were done. Trowa had done most of it while Yuusuke had stood by ready to keep Kuwabara calm, and for the most part he had done well. Kuwabara hadn't woken up during the procedure only stirring several times, but only in the morning would they find out if that had been a good thing or not.
After they had cleaned up and re-wrapped the bandages the others were allowed in. It was decided that as Yuusuke had shone some loyalty to Kuwabara he wouldn't run off leaving the other boy with them, and blow their cover. Trowa now doubted immensely that the two even knew much about the war at all. Sense it would be rather particular into the five of them in an isolated mountain path when a Gundam attack had been so close by recently.
It was nearing dusk and still Yuusuke hadn't stirred from his 'guard post' as Duo had called it. None of them had addressed Yuusuke, not even Trowa who was silently watching the other boy now. Suddenly Kuwabara muttered something and Yuusuke went from dozing to wide awake- even Heero would have been impressed.
"Kazuma?" Asked Yuusuke hesitantly, Kuwabara's eyes opened and he said something that made Yuusuke smile. "No you Idiot it was you who got shot." Kuwabara laughed, or tied to as it broke into harsh coughs.
Waving a hand and saying something else, which made Yuusuke frown, but nod. It was near infuriating that they couldn't hear Kuwabara but Yuusuke seemed to have no problem hearing him. What disturbed the Gundam pilots was that Yuusuke didn't seem to notice they couldn't hear Kuwabara. As Yuusuke told Kuwabara a few exaggerated but detailed 'stories' about what had happened. Kuwabara seemed to respond and interact with him as well. Eventually Kuwabara drifted off to sleep, and Yuusuke was always awake as each of them woke up and took watch.
Most peculiar Thought Heero as he took the last watch for the night and Yuusuke was wide-awake, brown eyes watching him and wondering around the shelter. No one should be able to stay up all night without feeling the tinniest bit tired. Yet here was Yuusuke wild awake and wary. Heero regretted, in his own way, shooting Kuwabara, but that was how he operated. 'Complete the mission.' And 'Shoot first ask questions later.'
He had been positive Oz operatives had found them out as soon as the door had started to open. Heero had been, well shocked, when he saw two kids their age. Then Yuusuke had done something he had thought impossible, he had caught him unaware and punched him landing him flat. Most startling was how Yuusuke had looked for a few minutes there, marks on Yuusuke's body which hadn't been there had appeared. Then somehow he had calmed down and asked for their help, Quatre had been too soft hearted not to allow them to stay.
For now the two didn't seem to be in any real hurry to get out of the shelter nor did they seem to mind the others they shared the shelter with. Heero awoke Trowa and fell asleep making a mental note to ask Yuusuke about how he could stay so wide-awake