26-May-2002
Warnings: ooc, sap, slight language,
Author's Note: contains a hint of 5+2 and 1+2.
"Forgive me... forgive me... forgive me... "
"Wufei! Please, man! There's nothing to forgive!"
Duo was yelling. He could hear him in his ear. Very close to his ear. He tried to open his eyes but found it almost impossible to do so, so he decided to just moan instead to get Duo to stop yelling. Besides, the heartbreaking sobs were grating on his nerves. He refused to allow Duo to carry on this way. He hadn't died after all. It was almost laughable. But not quite.
"Wufei? Holy shit man, don't you ever... EVER... do that to me again!" Duo slapped him hard on the shoulder making him wince with the newly discovered pain that came with his return from the dream realm.
"Do not hit me again, Maxwell or I will throttle you. And stop yelling in my ear." He found himself grumbling before he could stop it. He was rewarded with Duo's near hysterical laughter.
When he felt Duo move from hovering over him to a seat on the floor, he opened his eyes he found he was on some kind of transport. An IV bag was swinging back and forth from its hook and he had been stripped down to his trousers and was lying quite uncomfortably on his stomach with his arms dangling off the edge of a cot. He felt Duo's hand press gently down on his right shoulder as he tried to turn himself around enough to see where he was.
"No way, Wu-man. You need to lay still. Trowa and Quatre have us almost clear of the country and we're heading for some camping grounds to hide out while we recover. We almost didn't make it out of that one, but I think a few of those branches you hit on your way down combined with the netting wrapped around you, broke your fall. Kind-a."
Duo situated himself on the floor in front of his face. He looked to be in quite a state himself. His head was wrapped with gauze that still had a small trace of red soaking through it where he had hit his head during the first crash and his shoulder was bound tightly and in some kind of make shift sling. On further observation he realized it was from the material of Heero's shirt. He flicked his eyes over the rest of Duo's form and grunted his approval at the job Heero had done looking after Duo's other bruises and smaller cuts and abrasions. He would expect no less.
His mind suddenly was flooded with thoughts of Meiran. Time was fleeting, and if he could survive all he had, and not been caught by Oz in the process, than he was willing to believe that perhaps he was being given the chance to profess his feelings.
Maybe Unicorns did exist after all. Who was he to say that they didn't?
"Duo... "
"Yeah 'Fei?"
He couldn't help quirk a smile at the pet name or from the edge of panic in Duo's voice. "There is no need for you to worry for me. I am quite alive."
Duo shifted closer and brushed a few strands of hair away from Wufei's face. When he finally met Wufei's eyes they were red-rimmed and watery. " 'Fei... we thought... I thought you were... "
Wufei lifted a hand to touch Duo's cheek ignoring the lacing pain he felt through his body at the movement. "Hush now and listen to me. A long time ago I failed to tell someone that I cared for them. I let things happen and didn't try to prevent Fate from taking that person away from me. I do not want to do that with you. Fate has given me the chance, and Time has learned patience with the matters of my heart." Duo took Wufei's hand in his own and held it to his cheek as his indigo eyes slid shut and he frowned fiercely. "I also understand that you and Heero have something special, something pure, but I want you to know I will always care for you, and protect you... both."
"Wufei... " Duo sighed as he rested his head against the side of the cot. "We love you too."
Wufei smiled at that and let his eyes slowly close. He was tired. He had battled helicopters, and giant pine trees, falling and falling some more, his past, and faced his future. He had faced the pain of losing Meiran, but would never forget that pain. He was bruised, battered, bleeding and soul weary, but had lessened the roar of self-loathing inside him to a quieter rumble. He had found his heart in Duo's eyes and in Heero's constant strength. He closed his eyes knowing when he woke he would be in a better place. The gods were not so cruel as to deny him that.
"Are you two all right?"
Heero knelt in front of Duo, brushing away the errant tears that escaped his tightly closed eyes. He was bare-chested with his ribs tightly wrapped as well as a patch of gauze over the gash in his head, but other than that, seemed unfazed by the crash they had all survived.
Duo watched Wufei's breathing even out to the quiet pace of sleep before turning to Heero. "I almost lost him, Heero." Duo murmured still holding Wufei's hand against his cheek.
"We almost lost him, Duo." Heero's voice was soothing and quiet as he cupped Duo's other cheek with his palm. "But we didn't."
"I don't think he understands how much I respect and care for him, Heero. I tried to tell him, but... " Duo took Heero's hand in his free one and tightened the grip he had on Wufei's with his other. "Brothers 'til the end?"
"Until the end and forever after that." He breathed as he kissed the hand that was laced together with Wufei's.
fini
(:./ebony/bough6)
