06-Mar-2000
All too often now he had seen Duo Maxwell sit silently and stare at nothing. Naturally, the braided pilot never acted that way in the presence of others, but when he thought he was alone, then the true picture emerged... It was as if something in Duo had been broken, perhaps past mending.
He told himself that he was doing it simply out of professional concern. Duo Maxwell, for all his maniacal antics and airheaded chatter, was a valuable member of their team and an excellent pilot. They needed his help in winning this war that seemed so impossible. His heart was not so easily deceived however. Deep down, he knew he was doing it because Maxwell mattered to him...
He stalked Duo that evening, following him to a distant corner of Quatre's large estate, then watched him from afar as the American settled down on a small hillock and once again gazed silently out at... nothing. Nevertheless, Duo wasn't genetically configured to remain still for any length of time, and even as the pilot stared out at the steadily darkening sky, those slender, graceful hands moved restlessly over the lush grass, plucking them up by their roots.
At this rate, Wufei mused, Quatre's going to have to do some major work on replanting the grass next season.
Making up his mind, he walked forward, his footsteps making no sound at all on the lush grass. Normally, perhaps, Duo might have heard him - but this was Quatre's estate and Duo felt safe here. Either that, or Duo was so far gone in his own thoughts that he did not notice; his usually acute and sensitive awareness of his surroundings dampened by his misery. He debated internally with himself. It wasn't too late to walk away. Stay out of the mess. Joining in would only complicate things further. He could walk away.
But he couldn't turn his back on Duo. He couldn't leave Duo alone and in obvious pain. "Maxwell."
The American jumped visibly, spinning around in a fluid, startled motion. "Wufei! Don't! I have delicate nerves and a fragile heart."
A broken heart, Wufei amended silently, gazing at his friend as Duo scrambled to recover his aplomb and composure. Were those lovely violet eyes slightly red-rimmed, or was that just a trick of the light?
"Something the matter, Maxwell?"
"Er, no. Of course not, what makes you think so? I mean do I look like something's the matter? I mean what do you look for - there's gotta be something that triggers the 'uh oh, there's something wrong with *him*' warning - you know the one that sets all those red lights going off in your head. Or do I only warrant a yellow alert?"
"You're babbling, Maxwell."
"I resent that," Duo told him with mock solemnity. "Babbling indicates a lack of purpose and direction. I always talk for a reason. It may be an excellent reason or a terrible one, or... I may not have figured out the reason yet, but there's always a reason," the braided young man concluded with a smug grin and a dramatic flourish, his slender, graceful hands dancing even he spoke - as eloquently expressive as the rest of his body language.
"You've called me nothing but Wufei for the past week."
Duo blinked, the indigo eyes huge with surprise, and Wufei felt sudden heat creep into his cheeks. He himself had not even fully realized how much attention he paid to Maxwell's careless and unending chatter. Surprising how much he remembered of random pieces of conversation, how many images and memories of Duo he could summon at will.
"Hmmm... Must have been an oversight on my part, Wuffie. I promise I'll make it up to you, Wu-chan," the irresistible grin curved Duo's sweet lips, and Wufei inhaled sharply, amazed once again at how beautiful Duo was when he smiled so unselfconsciously, when the genuine good humour of the smile caused the violet eyes to sparkle in enticing reflection. Heero, you have *a lot* to answer for when you drove that smile from his heart, Wufei thought grimly.
"Is it about Heero?" the question came almost involuntarily. Almost. He did not want to hurt Maxwell, but he needed to know...
The gleaming sparkle shattered like fragile glass...
The Chinese man had to curl his hands into fists, had to grip his arms tightly by his side to keep from reaching out and enfolding the young man in his embrace.
"You know?" Duo whispered, his voice soft with misery, all sparkle and light drained from his previously vivacious demeanor.
"I suspected."
"Oh God," Duo slumped further, a small wounded creature in pain. "Does *everybody* know? Is this what the kitchen staff talk about - why else would they whisper among themselves whenever I happen to walk into the kitchen?!"
Because they think you're the funniest, most desirable creature to grace this house, Wufei thought, but did not say so aloud. Duo was unpredictable in his acceptance of compliments. Most of the time, he turned it into a huge joke and used it as an opening line in flirtatious verbal sparring. Less often, he accepted it with sweetly innocent surprise and was so demonstratively grateful that it usually embarrassed the giver of the compliment.
Personally, Wufei wasn't emotionally prepared to deal with either... to have his sincere observation shot down as a joke or accepted with excessively affectionate gratitude... it was like choosing between hot dogs and pizza. Maxwell was a firm believer in unhealthy, tasty oil-laden food, but Wufei would have rather starved.
"You keep up appearances very well," Wufei told him simply, for whatever comfort it would provide. Duo shook his head in disgust, long braid swaying, then slouched back into his previous position. The Chinese pilot gazed steadily at Duo's back for a moment, then sat down, without invitation beside him. The American ignored him, staring steadily ahead, but Wufei caught a glimpse of tears pooling in the violet eyes. No wonder Duo was trying so hard to be nonchalant.
What could he say? He did not know what had happened, and it seemed to much an invasion of privacy to ask. He would have liked to assume that Heero was responsible, but his sense of justice prevented him from jumping to that conclusion without due evidence.
So, all he could do was wait until Duo saw fit to take him into his confidence. It seemed that he did not have long to wait either, for the braided pilot began to speak.
"We used to come here a lot," Duo said softly, his voice scarcely a whisper. "Sneak away from the house just to be alone together. Watch the sun set. He probably came just to shut me up. It was good anyway," the American pilot murmured. "It was the only time I didn't have to compete with the damned laptop for his attention."
"What happened?"
"Doesn't really matter," Duo shrugged lightly, an undercurrent of raw bitterness and pain in his voice. "There's not much point in discussing what is in the past." He pulled vindictively at the hapless blades of grass, then tossed it playfully at Wufei, a grin curving his lips. "What about you, Wu-man? Found somebody yet?" He chuckled softly to himself, then turned back to watching the setting sun as it streaked the darkening sky in shades of brilliant copper and gold.
Wufei brushed the grass from his white shirt, then raised dark, solemn eyes to Duo. Yes, but what would you have me say about the one who has found his way into my heart, Duo? He has huge blue-violet eyes, the most winning smile and a ridiculously long and completely impractical braid.
Oh yes, and he is completely in love with a baka who has no idea what a treasure has been offered to him. 'He doesn't deserve you.'
"Maybe not. Heero no baka," Duo snorted. Then only did Wufei realize he had spoken his thoughts out loud. The instinctive flush of embarrassment was curtailed when Duo leaned towards him, attracted by the warmth of his body, then proceeded to snuggle close, unmoved and undeterred by the fact that Wufei seemed about as responsive as DeathScythe.
Wufei had stiffened when Duo wrapped his arms around his body, curling up close like a cat attracted to the fireplace. He should have expected it - Duo was the terminally snuggling type - but it had taken him quite by surprise and he wasn't quite sure what to do. Now *he* was the one with the treasure, and *he* hadn't the faintest idea what to do with it.
The Chinese pilot gritted his teeth, then - through a deliberate act of the will - reciprocated in a similar manner, gently stroking the length of Duo's back until the young man began to purr like a contented kitten. "You're cold, Maxwell," he noted Duo's surprisingly low body heat. No wonder Duo was always attracted to heat sources like a moth to a flame.
"I know; I'm always cold. All the energy goes to talking and moving around - there's hardly anything left to keep my body warm," Duo chuckled, soft and low in his throat, a strangely seductive sound.
"Then you better stop talking."
"That almost sounded like a threat, Wu-chan," Duo rubbed his soft cheek against the delicate hollow where neck met shoulder bone, then settled down against the Chinese pilot. "I like it out here," he murmured, quietly now, his voice sounding sleepy.
Wufei held Duo as the braided young man dozed in his arms, stolen warmth beginning to creep into Duo's body. The Chinese pilot's expression was of one torn between friendship and the affection that could very well be love... of fear over ruining the more-than-friends, less-than-lovers relationship he now had with Duo. His expression was also strangely tender as he watched Death sleep in his embrace... how unsuspectingly innocent Duo appeared in his sleep - the animated expression settled in peaceful slumber.
It was late when he finally woke Duo. "We should probably go in now, Maxwell," he stated flatly, voice and expression hiding his true feelings from the braided baka, his dark gaze on Duo as the American pilot stretched with lazy grace. "The others will be wondering where we are."
"I cannot believe you let me sleep past dinner," Duo complained as he bounced alongside Wufei who was walking back to Quatre's manor. "Now I'm going to have to eat cold leftovers. I hate cold food. They turn my stomach. Wonder if I can coax the kitchen staff into heating it up for me. Or maybe we can order in some pizza. Mushrooms and ham. You like pineapples on your pizza? Garlic dip and extra cheese, definitely. You want to share the pizza, Wuffie? It'll be nice and hot."
Wufei shuddered at the thought of all that cheese. "Save your energy, Maxwell," he said shortly.
Duo laughed, a sweet sound, then slipped his cold hands into Wufei's warm one, slender graceful fingers entwining.
How well their hands fit together, Wufei mused thoughtfully. Just as well as Duo himself had fit against his body, almost as if they were made for each other...
His mind jerked his heart sharply back in line. Duo Maxwell had all the easy, boneless grace of a cat. He would fit well against almost anyone.
Wufei scowled, angry with himself, then tugged his hand free. Duo blinked in surprise, hurt flaring briefly in the violet eyes, then he shrugged with studied, deliberate nonchalance and rushed on ahead of Wufei, bursting into the dining room with all his usual exuberance.
"What's for dinner?!"
"Roast beef, mashed potatoes and coleslaw. Apple pie for dessert," Quatre smiled up at the whirlwind of energy that exploded into the room. "I'll have the kitchen staff heat up your dinner for you. And Wufei," he added as the Chinese pilot stepped in silently behind Duo.
Heero's head snapped up from the ever-present laptop. Brilliant cobalt blue eyes passed dismissively over Duo, then locked on Wufei - burning into the Chinese pilot, demanding answers to questions he would not voice. Those condemning eyes missed nothing. It saw the blades of grass caught in the ever-present braid... saw the broken blades of grass still clinging to Wufei's white shirt...
Wufei returned the glare with one nearly as dark and deadly as Heero's, then in an action born entirely from a defiant impulse, pressed his hand gently to the small of Duo's back, ostensibly propelling him forward and out of the way.
Heero froze. Trowa's watchful gaze turned instantly wary. Quatre's mouth dropped open and wide blue eyes blinked in surprise.
Almost everyone partook of the tension that permeated the room at Wufei's casually intimate, possessive gesture. The only one who seemed entirely oblivious was Duo as he sat down and voraciously attacked the extremely generous helpings of roast beef set before him, eating ravenously as was his wont.
The slender blond turned to look at Duo, blue eyes questioning, but the American pilot merely blinked in unfeigned, totally innocent confusion. "What?" he asked, mumbling through a mouth full of mashed potatoes.
Quatre shook his head. "Nothing." He briefly considered removing himself from the room - he really did *not* need all the extra stress - but no... not with Heero angry with *both* Trowa and Wufei now... Bloodshed had to be avoided at all and any cost. He really couldn't afford to have Heero take out his frustrations over Duo on Trowa and Wufei. 'Damn it, Duo. We all love you dearly, but you really have a knack for creating trouble without even trying... '
End Part 6
(:./danyale/tangled6)
