Alone

DISCLAIMER: I disclaim them. But it makes me cry...

AN: Here's the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews, again. Yes, Komikitty, I LUV cliffhangers! I adore cliffhangers! Beware my EVIL cliffhangers! This chapter has the best one I ever... uh, I mean, this chapter is innocent of them! Yeah, that's what I meant.... *snickers evilly...*

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:


The ten-minute, three-block walk turned into a three-quarter hour half walk, half wait. He stopped at a small Chinese restaurant, where the elderly lady behind the counter beamed at him, then frowned and tripled his order. When he protested, she pointed out that they were closing, and the food would just go to waste. He had his suspicions, but let it go. He was hungry enough to eat it all, anyway. Any leftovers would make an easy breakfast - he knew there wasn’t any actual food in his kitchen.

He was slowly climbing the stairs to his third-floor apartment when he met an angry whirlwind on its way down. “Maxwell?”

“‘Fei!” The anger turned to delight, and two strong arms were thrown around him, nearly picking him up and carrying him up the last flight.

“What are you doing?!”

“Where have you been?” Duo didn’t bother to answer his question. He set the smaller boy down outside his apartment door and waited while Wufei slid his key card through the lock. “I’ve been waiting *way* too long for you. Everyone else is out looking for you, except Trowa. He’s getting pizza. Which reminds me...” Duo pulled out his communicator and murmured into it. Wufei ignored him, going straight to his kitchen and setting the bag of food on the counter. He stared over into his living room - the couch was folded out into a bed, and from the blankets spread neatly over it, had been slept on already.

“We stayed here the night before we went to find you. Didn’t think you’d mind.” Duo was chattering in his ear as he helped Wufei unpack the food. “Man, did you get enough?”

“The onna... lady that owns the restaurant says I remind her of her grandson.”

Duo laughed. “Poor guy. So, gonna share?”

“You want Chinese instead of *pizza*? Who are you and where’s Duo Maxwell?”

“Aw, c’mon, ‘Fei, I’m *hungry.*” Duo whined, putting on his best imitation of puppy dog eyes. Wufei turned a laugh into a snort.

“Fine.” He thrust a warm container of fried rice into one of Duo’s hands, another of beef and broccoli into the other. He grabbed the tall container of egg drop soup for himself, and dropped into one of the two chairs at the table. Duo eyed him suspiciously.

“Just soup?”

“Shut up. I’ve been dreaming of egg drop soup.”

Duo laughed, and sat down across from him. “Man, we’ve missed you, ‘Fei. Why’d you come back alone after Sally asked you not to? She told us about the pin. How’s your arm, can you use it now? Do you... mmmph!” Wufei demonstrated his control of his arm by clapping his hand over Duo’s mouth.

“Take a deep breath. Arm is fine. Saw some people I didn’t want to talk to, so I left. I never told Sally for sure I would ask anyone here, anyway.”

“Uh huh.” Duo dodged away from the hand, hoping he wasn’t blushing. Even that casual touch of Wufei’s skin against his lips set him on fire. He was glad he was sitting at a table. “Let’s hear you tell Sally that. She wasn’t happy.” He snickered when Wufei groaned. “Your own fault. You should know better.”

Wufei scowled at him. It was a mild scowl, as his scowls went. He was too happy to be here, with warm soup inside him, away from Major Hernbeck with one of the people he... with one of his best friends across the table. Could life get better?

It could.

Heero suddenly shoved the door open, stalking into the room and glaring at Wufei, then Duo. As soon as he saw no injuries on either, he plopped down on the table beside Duo and stole his fried rice. “Hey!”

“Hn.” Heero ignored him, watching Wufei sip at his soup while he devoured the rice. He spent a moment admiring the way the dark lashes feathered across bronze cheekbones before turning to Duo, a silent question in his eyes. Wide purple eyes studied him in return before the chestnut head shook. ‘Wait until Quatre and Trowa won’t be bursting in on us.’ Heero could almost hear him saying it, and sighed. He’d prefer to just come out with it - the suspense was killing him. He was absolutely shocked that Duo hadn’t already cracked.

Duo’s silent advise turned out to be wise - two minutes later Trowa stalked in carrying three pizza boxes, followed closely by Quatre with several bags of groceries.

“Hello, guys. We got some stuff for breakfast, Wufei. Une said to tell you to pack up tomorrow. She wants us all back on Earth by Friday.” That was three days away. Wufei narrowed his eyes at him.

“Why?”

“I didn’t ask.” Wufei wasn’t the only one to use strict truth and still evade a question. Quatre knew perfectly well why Une wanted them back.

“Is the furniture yours?” Trowa asked quietly, setting down the pizza boxes and opening the top one.

“No. It goes with the apartment.” Wufei eyed the fully loaded pizza and was more that happy to turn back to his soup. He was feeling full, which surprised him. He’d been ravenous. He set the half-empty container aside and opened a carton of sweet and sour chicken. After a few bites of it, he put both containers in the ‘fridge and turned to his friends.

“You didn’t all sleep on the couch bed?”

“No.” Heero chose to reply. “Duo and I slept in your room. We have sleeping bags for tonight, though.” Wufei frowned.

“There’s a cot in the back room. I’ll use that. No need for sleeping bags when there’s a bed.” Truthfully, he didn’t think he *could* sleep in that bed now... he wondered if the pillows had caught the scent of their hair, and forced that thought firmly from his head. Heero glared at him for a moment, then stalked down the hall, a slice of pizza in his hand. Wufei watched him go, bemused, then turned puzzled onyx eyes on Duo, who shrugged and turned his attention back to the pizza.

Another moment, and Heero came back down the hall, pizza gone, rolling the folding cot into the bedroom. Wufei followed him, and watched while he unfolded it and tested it with one hand. “Seems comfortable.”

“It is. I replaced the mattress.” Wufei grinned suddenly. “Believe me, it would be heaven even if I hadn’t.” Heero was forced to smile in return, and Wufei had to fight to keep breathing.

~Stop smiling like that! Are you trying to kill me?~

~And why - oh WHY did you bring the cot in here? I won’t sleep at all if you two are in the bed
right across from me!~

“Sally said to keep an eye on you tonight, since she had to give you so many different shots.” Duo spoke from behind him, answering his unspoken question. He had some sheets and blankets in his arms, and Wufei wondered where he’d found them. He only had a few extras, and he’d already seen them on the couch bed. He didn’t ask, only got some night clothes and headed for the bathroom, ignoring the fact that Duo was making up the cot. He didn’t feel like complaining over their care right now. They’d be gone soon enough, anyway, why ruin the moment?

He brushed his hair thoroughly, then went against his usual sleeping habits and put it back into a ponytail. He didn’t feel like leaving it down - it made him look vulnerable. He felt desperate need to stay as strong possible tonight. He noticed his hands trembling slightly and scowled, clenching them into fists. “Get a grip on yourself, Chang.” He whispered, and reached for his toothbrush. It wasn’t until he was changing that he realized habit had made him take no more than his usual pajama bottoms.

Wide-legged, dark red with a simple drawstring. ‘Oh, well.’ He pulled them on, not knowing how gorgeous they made his bronze skin look. He wondered if he should put on the t shirt again, but decided against it. ‘Can’t let them being in my bedroom make me change my habits - I’ll stay stronger for being normal.’ With that thought he reach up, pulled out the hair tie, and shook his black silk hair down loose against his shoulders. ‘There. Ready for a normal night’s sleep. I’m surprised I remember what that’s like.’

He had expected Duo and Heero to be back in the living room, devouring pizza. Instead they were sitting cross legged on the bedroom floor, an open pizza box between them, dressed similarly in cloth shorts, Duo in a tank top and Heero bare chested. Wufei stared at them, trying to memorize them quickly. It took him a moment to realize they were staring back. “What?”

Duo swallowed hard and answered. “N-never seen your hair d-down, ‘Fei.”

“Oh.” Wufei headed for the cot and sat on it, folding his legs and preparing for a few moments of meditation before he slept. He was going to need all the self control he could get.

Duo and Heero could have used some meditation. Heero was ready to jump the small boy right then, and Duo was only a heartbeat behind him. He kept a hand on Heero’s arm by pure strength of will. They’d often wondered aloud what Wufei looked like with his hair down, but they now knew they’d never even come close. It was like a waterfall of jet black satin, flowing smoothly over his shoulders, hanging past his collarbones in the front. It softened the harsh angles of Wufei’s face, making him look softer, gentle. Vulnerable, like he’d thought a moment ago, but it strongly appealed to the two boys on his floor. It made them feel closer to the real Wufei.

They’d never seen him *completely* shirtless before, either, and the jutting bones of his shoulders and ribs didn’t take away from his attractiveness. The drawstring pants rode low on narrow hips, showing the tiny dent of his bellybutton, the bruises almost healed after Sally’s ministrations. The tattoo glowed against his bronzed skin now, done in gorgeous shades of blue and green. Not a snake - it had feet, gnarled, clawed feet. A dragon. They should have known. It was the tail that circled the small bellybutton, then the body snaked around his right side. When he’d had his back to them walking to the cot, they’d seen that it circled his back, the bottom half almost hidden by the red pants, and sensually hugged his left hip, its head completely under the waistband, hidden somewhere on his front.

They’d never wanted to see a dragon’s face so much in their lives.

Duo suddenly grinned an evil grin, and Heero arched an eyebrow at him. He winked, and turned his attention back to the cot. “Hey, ‘Fei?”

“Yes, Maxwell?” Wufei didn’t open his eyes.

“When’d you get the tattoo?”

“It’s traditional. I’ve had it for years.”

“Can we see the rest?” Heero’s face suddenly matched Duo’s wicked grin. Wufei cracked open one sable eye and peered at them suspiciously.

“C’mon, ‘Fei. It looks cool.” Wufei sighed, opened both eyes, and slid to his feet. The other two were on theirs so fast he blinked, and his eyebrows drew together.

~They are up to something...~

“Well?” Duo didn’t have the capacity for patience anymore. Wufei heaved another sigh, and hooked his thumb under the waistband on his left side, sliding the thin material down far enough to show them the snarling Dragon etched on the delicate skin just above the soft dent where his torso met his thigh. Heero swallowed so hard he almost choked - Duo nearly grew wolf ears. He put out a bold hand and traced the Dragon’s eye ridge, delighted when Wufei’s skin quivered a little under his fingertips.

“Nice. Traditional, huh?”

“Uh... y-yes. I - can get a s-shoulder tattoo when I t-turn twenty.”

“Another dragon?” Duo kept his voice casual, even though his fingers were exploring the dragon’s teeth now, sliding dangerously lower.

“Y-yes. Maxwell...” Wufei was horrified to hear himself sounding breathless. Heero grinned, and reach out. Wufei was relieved for a second - he thought he was going to pull Duo’s hand away. Instead, his blunter fingers slid around the curve of the dragon’s jaw, then back along the long neck that cuddled against Wufei’s hip.

“Um...”

“Wufei.” The sudden serious tone of Duo’s voice jerked Wufei’s eyes to his, especially since his fingers were still stroking skin incredibly close to the most intimate area of Wufei’s body - one he was trying hard to ignore. He gulped, opened his mouth to answer.

The doorbell rang.