Maybe Angels

Title: Maybe Angels Part 16/?? - Crashed
Author: Makoto Sagara
Archives: the usual suspects; anywhere else, just ask
Category: Supernatural, Angst, Romance
Pairing(s): 2+5, 1+2, 3+1, 4+3, 4+2, H+4, 6+9, S+C, R+OC, 5+R (friendship), 13x5, eventual 2x5x2
Rating: T +(15+ )
Warnings: Shonen ai, OOC, AU, language, skewed views of a few different religions
Disclaimers: (sigh) No part of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, or its characters, belongs to me. Any references to Dogma are just made because I adore the movie and Kevin Smith, and are meant only out of love and affection for both. Not a single cent was made off of this piece of fanfiction. Suing would be inevitably pointless, seeing as how I have no money. Flames -will- be used to entertain my rabid muses... All three of them... They live for the things.
A/N: This chapter was written in about 3 different bursts of inspiration. Scarily, I wrote the last half in about 4 hours. Everyone thank the psycho cat-girl muse, Neko, for the angst. I keep waiting for the sap to show up, but this chapter should be fun with the little tidbit that's included in here....
Symbols: -- change in scene, POV, or time
-- Minor change in scene or flashback
- Blah - in mind communication
-Blah- emphasized words

------------------
From your face, your eyes
Are burning to me.
You saved me, you gave me
Just what I need.
Oh, just what I need.
And then I crashed into you,
And I went up in flames.
Could've been the death of me,
But then you breathed your breath in me.
And I crashed into you,
Like a runaway train.
You will consume me,
But I can't walk away.
And then I crashed into you,
And then I crashed into you,
And then I crashed into you,
And then I crashed into you,
And I crashed into you,
Like a runaway train.
You will consume me,
But I can't walk away.
~ Crashed, by Daughtry
-----------------------------


He was in love already. He was already lost to me. I could feel his elation and excitement and nervousness. I couldn't escape it. And with that revelation, my fate was sealed. I felt like a man sentenced to death row.

Forgive me my melodrama a moment. Now, after all that is in the past, it seems ridiculous; but, at the time, it was exactly how I felt. As anyone who has the pleasure of knowing the angel Dionyzial can attest to, having a charge link to hers in any way, shape or form can ruin an assignment. Possibly one's sanity as well.

Maybe I should explain, since I feel so compelled. At one very distant time, she was a sane and relatively sweet being, but when she and Une lost one too many charges for a multitude of reasons to the Fallen, something inside them snapped. After a while, Dorothy's spite and anger and Une's blatant insanity made it impossible for the rest of us to interact with them. The only angel that could stomach being around the two nut cases was a quiet, sweet Natal Angel who called herself Iria. I believe that's because Iria is actually the soul-companion of Jehovah.

There's the one time Dorothy disagreed with something Quatre did with a mutual charge, and so she tried to rip his wings off, forcing him to nearly transform into a human. Une once tried to stab Heero with the quill she writes with because he was too close to her. The list of their offenses is numerous, and it also explains why God had them on review for over twenty Heaven years (roughly eighty Earth years). Raguiel is nothing if not meticulous.

Well, that was the kind of situation that I was stuck in. Forced to watch my charge fall in love/lust with someone who wasn't even worthy to breathe the same air as him, and lumped together with a violent psychopath indefinitely. Beautiful prospect, wasn't it?

So, Wufei and Treize began to see each other more and more often - at least three times a week - from then on. Each time they got together, Dorothy and I exchanged glares and snippy barbs, while the humans exchanged lust-filled gazes. Against the older man's playboy reputation, he hadn't made any advances until the two men had been seeing one another for a few weeks exclusively – at least on Wufei's part. Even then, Treize only dared to place an almost chaste kiss on the other's cheek.

From that point on, Wufei's normal five minute showers extended suspiciously to fifteen and twenty minutes, at the earliest. Normally, I give all of my charges their privacy during things like showers and sexual intercourse, but, with 'Fei, I had to be sure that Solo hadn't attacked. At least, that's the lie I told myself to justify breaking that rule, that I needed to protect him.

What I found the first time I actually violated my personal policy was branded into my mind permanently. Wufei was in the middle of one of his newly extended showers. Soap clung to the hard lines of his muscles. His legs were spread apart to distribute his weight evenly as one hand braced against the wall. Water pounded on his perfect, tight ass as his other hand stroked his surprisingly sized cock. His gorgeous eyes were closed, and he was panting heavily.

I couldn't move or blink as I watched him masturbate. Again that pesky desire to touch him surfaced, but I was so transfixed by the sight in front of me that I couldn't move. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, Wufei came with such force that he slunk to his knees among the soap bubbles and water. The only sound was one word that he was whispering over and over. "Duo.... Duo..... Duo...."

--------------------------------------

What in the world was I going to do with that information? While I'm tying not to drive myself crazy with my thoughts of my charge, he was calling out my familiar name while he was in the throes of passion. Did that mean he was thinking about me while he was pleasuring himself? Or did he sense that I was there, watching him as he did so? Or something else?

--------------------------------------

Despite the scene I witnessed, Wufei still saw Treize frequently. In fact, they began seeing one another many times in a given day, kissing and embracing as comfortable lovers. In the school's library, after classes, while walking across campus, in the locker room showers, nowhere was too inappropriate for the two to begin making out.

As their relationship progressed, I withdrew further and further from my charge. I spent a lot of time in a haze, not really paying attention to much of anything. I followed Wufei from place to place automatically, my soul feeling as if a huge hole was in its place. I can't really tell you what happened in the first two months of their relationship. It wasn't until sometime in August that I was shaken out of my funk.

---------------------------------------

Hilde was staring at me for some reason, her hands on her hips. A scowl marred her normally cheerful face. It was the look of someone who was pissed because they'd said something very important and had been ignored. It was a look that promised pain if ignored again. It was something that actually terrified me.

"Um, heh, what, Hildariel?" I was -hoping- that using my friend's name would keep her from hurting me.

"You... are... impossible," she sighed. "You're aware that while you're being incredibly selfish that Treize is cheating on Wufei, right?"

"WHAT?!" I was in a blind rage. "WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT?"

"Because not everyone can save themselves like Wufei. That's why," she said, her wings fluttering in frustration. "You've been in this obnoxious funk ever since Wufei chose Treize over you, but you're missing what's really going on around you." She began to shake me violently. "Wake up, stop being a brat, and do your job! By Michael's Flaming Sword, Diachriel, if you want him to notice your feelings, you gotta stop hiding." She dropped her hands from my shoulders. "Rejoice that he still seeks you out. Not all of us are so lucky."

I blinked and took a really long, hard look at the other angel. Underneath the glamour that we are all forced to wear, she looked tired and miserable. Her wings were drooping slightly, her eyes were sad and weary, and even her hair seemed limp. I forgot that the first few centuries with a new companion were so tiring. Add to that the stress of an extremely spirited charge like Meiran, and it was no big surprise that Hilde was looking less and less like her old self. "Hill, did you break your bond with Olga yet?"

She actually blushed at that. "Karemiel and I -have- discussed things, and I'm planning on breaking the bond with the Fallen Angel Olga soon. I just don't have a definite date yet." The soft smile that had crept across her face quickly turned into a scowl as she focused on me again. She leaned in close to me, determined to get my attention. "Are you going to sit here and mope, or are you going to fight for your man?"

----------------------------------------

And that was the Golden Question: was I, as Wufei's Personal Angel, ready to give up Paradise for him, or would I continue to sulk and shirk my duties? Would I be ready for the possibility of rejection that could accompany any declaration? I was, truthfully, too scared of his rejection than actually leaving Heaven at that point in time. I'd invested too much emotionally, mentally, and even metaphysically to be pushed away just then. Perhaps I should have allowed God to reassign me, but the thought of that brought me unbearable pain.

So, I was still stuck in limbo, caught between being an obsessive angel and being stalked by an obsessive daemon. Boy, the options open to me were so great. However, one thing was very different. Hilde's talk was enough to wake me up to my neglect. While I had been there to see the situation between Wufei and his "beau", I hadn't actually observed what was going on.

The Chinese boy had definitely fallen for the tall aristocrat, but at least he'd had the presence of mind to only introduce him to Relena. What I gathered from the girl herself and a very relieved Noin was that she trusted Treize about as far as she could throw him. The girl was also needling Wufei about his mystery lover.

Apparently, Wufei had been over her house watching movies when he'd fallen asleep on her bed. Relena had decided to let her overworked friend sleep while she continued to watch the films. She was rather surprised when he rolled over, gathered her tightly against his body, nuzzled his face in her hair and called her his "beautiful angel". Needless to say, she was shocked and got herself free as soon as possible.

I dared to hope after Noin told me that. It brought the same confusion the scene in the shower did. I was still in turmoil over things. Was I projecting my feelings to him, kind of a reverse of the way a Personal Angel feels the emotions of the charge, or were they signs that the boy cared for me as well? If God Herself had appeared and asked me what I wanted right then and there, I would have asked Her to clarify all of this for me. Not that She would have done so.

Wufei is not embarrassed and denying that the incident with Relena occurred. I know for a fact that it did, because after Noin told me about it, I raced up to Heaven and got confirmation from both Heero and Trowa that it did indeed transpire. While I understand his discomfort, a part of me will always treasure that moment, just as I treasure the times he is that sentimental with me now. If only I felt that what he's saying right now was fit for print... But I don't really think it would benefit anyone.

Anyway, back to what is really important...

----------------------------------------------

So, Relena had inadvertently joined my side in not trusting Treize, and when Wufei brought up the idea of bringing the older man to Hiroshi's eighteenth birthday party, she foolishly mentioned that it wouldn't go over well. Wufei bristled at the idea and the two began arguing.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"'Fei, all I'm saying is that..." She sighed and continued. "With your surprisingly traditional family, I don't think bringing your new -boyfriend- to a public event before you come to them privately first would be very smart."

"What makes you think I haven't done so already?"

"Because you're here, for one, instead of being at home. Besides, Meiran and Hiroshi are still convinced that you and I are dating." She sighed again, her misery at her whole situation showing for a moment. (In my own self-pity party mode, I'd forgotten about how the human girl was dealing with her case of unrequited love. It was at that moment that I decided to follow her example and be active with everyone around me, regardless of what happened between Wufei and me.) "Look, I just think you should have Treize over to meet your family before you spring him on your family, friends and about half of the city's most important people. Besides, do you really want to upstage your best friend on such a happy occasion like his eighteenth birthday?"

"No one asked you what you think, Relena."

"Fine. You know what? Don't listen to me, act like a spoiled brat, embarrass yourself, your boyfriend, your family and alienate your friends." She marched past him, made her way into the bathroom and slammed the door in his face.

"Stop being such a hysterical, drama queen, Relena," he called through the door.

"Wufei, you are, for the first time in our lives, being incredibly unreasonable and selfish! Go the fuck away until you grow up!"

"Tch, women," he muttered, stomping his way out of the girl's house and to the car his father and aunt had given him upon his high school graduation.

- She makes some very strong points, - I offered hesitantly.

- So do I, - he snapped, his meaning not lost on me for one second.

- What are you going to do? -

Instead of answering me, he gunned the accelerator of the vehicle and took a long drive with his stereo blasting out indecipherable sounds.

--------------------------

The problem between Relena and Wufei didn't immediately resolve itself, as neither was teen willing to back down. However the closer Hiroshi's huge public birthday celebration got, the more irritated Wufei became. He spent a lot of his free time in the small practice room his father had built him in the family's basement. Finally, unable to watch him dig himself further into a large pit, I spoke up.

- Fei, you're a smart young man. Surely you can see the wisdom in what Relena said to you. -

"Look, Duo, I don't need a lecture right now."

"No, I believe that's exactly what you need. You're being extremely selfish right now."

"What would you know about being selfish?" he yelled.

"A lot more than you think," I shot back, my temper flaring at his unreasonableness. "Look, Wufei, Relena's right. If you bring Treize to Hiroshi's birthday party, your father, sister and aunt would be mortified. Especially since you haven't given them a reason to not believe that you and Relena are a couple. So, if you want my advice, you'd stop being such a brat, apologize to her, and do like she recommended. At this point, she's being the much wiser of the two of you."

"I don't believe I asked you for any advice, Angel," he said coldly, fixing me with an icy stare to go along with it.

"Then, for your sake, Chang Wufei, I hope that things go smoothly as you set yourself up for embarrassment," I retorted and fazed myself out of his field of vision.

"Fine," he snarled as he snatched up his mobile phone and hitting a speed dial number. After about two minutes, the other end picked up. "Peacecraft, I apologize. You were correct." The silence on the other end of the phone was understandable, but amusing nonetheless.

"Wufei.... Did you just acknowledge that you were wrong?" the girl asked.

"Don't push your luck, woman." That earned him a rather loud giggle from the other end of the phone.

"So, I guess this means you're going to tell them about Treize -before- Hiro's party, right?"

"Try not to ask stupid questions, Relena. You're better than that," Wufei said with a smile. That was the first genuine smile he'd had since the two of them had their argument. The two continued speaking as if they'd not spent nearly a week ignoring the other's existence.

------------------------------------------------

Wufei asked Treize to come to dinner with his family so they could meet him, but the aristocrat politely declined, saying that he had a previous engagement. When the taller man said that, I could see the twisted, sadistic smile play across Dorothy's face, and I knew that he was lying to my charge. Needless to say, my opinion of the man deteriorated even farther after that. Not only had he stolen Wufei's first love, but he'd cheated and lied to him continuously. And Dorothy held nothing back when her charge was going to be mistreating mine.

Every time I saw that sick smile I wanted to tell the boy everything I knew. It ate at me constantly to know that he was being so abused and I couldn't do anything to stop it from happening. I had to catch myself so I wouldn't even think anything dangerous in his direction. Nothing was harder than that, especially when I saw the other angel and she let me know that her charge was up to no good.

That happened twice before Hiroshi's birthday, Treize lying his way out of dinner with the Chang family. Relena did eventually manage to convince Wufei to forget about bringing him to the party. It was like the girl was channeling my thoughts. A look at Noin made me a little curious as to what the other angel was up to, but every time I tried to question her, she just avoided answering. I must admit that I didn't try to hard, considering that Relena was saying all the things that I wanted to say to Wufei myself.

The night before the part, Xu took his family out for dinner to a nice restaurant. Meiran had tried to get her father to allow her to bring Hiro, but he refused. He wouldn't say why either. Both of his children tried to get him to say what was going on, and when they realized that he was tightlipped about the situation, they tried their aunt. They were unsuccessful there too.

"They're up to something," Meiran said in the hallway between the twins' rooms.

"Of course they are, Mei. The question now is what exactly what is going on," Wufei stated.

"Well, duh, Fei, but I think this has something to do with dà niáng (1). She's been really... happy... lately," she said, almost as if she didn't believe the words she was saying.

"Hm, interesting..."

"What?" The girl was nearly in her brother's face to demand an answer.

"Nothing much. Lately, Father has been rather... happy... himself."

"Something fishy is going on. Especially with the way they're so quiet about why we're going out to dinner tonight. It's not like we aren't going to a large party tomorrow, and you know that Father doesn't really like to do public spaces more than he has to."

"I do. My suggestion is to just wait and let them tell us why. I have a feeling they will." As if Wufei was a psychic, no sooner had the family sat down at the table when Tao-Mee and Xu began trying to silently signal to one another.

- They're rather obvious, - I said.

- I can only assume they think we're either mentally retarded, or just don't notice them, - Wufei thought back to me.

- I think it's the second one, considering your father knows that you're smarter than he is. - Except when it comes to him, I thought to myself.

- And which 'him' are you referring to? - His mental tone was as icy as the glint in his dark eyes. Guess I wasn't as careful as I was supposed to be with the connection we shared. That was a very dangerous mistake to have made...

"Well," Xu began, pushing his long hair behind his ears and adjusting his glasses in nervousness. Taking a moment to really look at the man, I realized how much his son looked just like him. The same sharp eyes, high cheekbones, perfect ears and nose, supple lips with the slightest tilt upwards, and perfectly shaped eyebrows were passed from father to son. However, Wufei's eyes had a hidden wisdom and strength that Xu seemed to lack, but I certainly wouldn't have wanted to meet either of them in a dark alley.

"I'm sure you both are wondering why we brought you out to dinner tonight," he continued.

"Well, Father, I suppose you could say that," Meiran said inquisitively.

"I have both good and bad news for the family," Tao-Mee replied. That seemed to get both of the twins' full attention, as well as that of Hilde and myself. "As you are both aware, your uncle, my husband, is currently incarcerated a good distance from here. Since his capture these past two years, I had a lot of time to think about how to continue the situation."

"I told you to just get a divorce, dà niáng. You'll still be family," Wufei said sourly. He had taken his uncle Li's betrayal personally, considering the way that it dishonored the family because it uncovered the fact that his uncle had been beating his wife regularly. One thing the Chang men, aside from Li, detested was a weak man who made himself feel better by abusing a woman.

"From the mouth of babes," Xu said, obviously amused by his son's reaction.

"Yes, Wufei, you did say that. You will be happy to know that I did follow your advice, with the help of your father pushing me as well to get myself disconnected from him as soon as possible. After some time and a very unfortunate disagreement with my family, I decided that I can no longer be Li's wife." The older woman gave a sad smile to the others at the table. "My father is very angry at my decision, and he and my mother had disowned me, but that is no matter in the grand scheme of things. I am sure that they will see why I did what I did and will forgive me." She beamed at her niece, who looked as if she was going to cry – not that Meiran would have ever admitted to such an action.

"That's probably the best news I've heard in a while," Wufei said, watching his father and aunt carefully, but with a huge smile across his face.

"That was the bad news," Xu replied.

"Are you kidding?" Meiran asked loudly. "That's terrific news, Father!"

"Well, I suppose it is. However, your father and I have decided to marry as soon as the divorce is final," Tao-Mee said, sliding a hand to grasp one of Xu's under the table. That news seemed to shock the twins into silence, a very eerie silence. The adults waited for many minutes as Meiran and Wufei exchanged looks and gestures that they'd had from the time they were small. "Children?" The near fear in the woman's voice was tangible.

It was Meiran who spoke first. "That's a bit sudden," she said carefully. "It is good news... Just a little shocking." Wufei's face was completely unreadable.

- 'Fei? - I received no answer to my question, and I knew that he would respond to me when he was ready. Just how long that was going to be was something that could have been a bit of a problem.

"So... um... when is the divorce final?" the girl asked hesitantly.

"In about two months, I believe. Since it was a contested divorce, the procedure took roughly twenty months to accomplish," Tao-Mee said, her disappointment at their reaction evident. "Your father and I wanted to wait until we were sure that everything was going according to plan before we shared it with the two of you."

"I want Li removed from the family shrine," Wufei said suddenly. "I have no uncle." That statement seemed to stun the rest of the family into complete silence.

"Wufei..." Meiran started, but her father cut her off.

"That is something that you need to discuss with your grandfather," he said calmly, sensing that his son wasn't upset by their news, really.

"No, Xu, I think that this is something we should discuss with Father ourselves," Tao-Mee said softly. "Wufei has a point. You and I cannot get married unless Li is removed from the family shrine or dead."

"At least not without Mother and Father's approval." A slow smile ghosted across the older man's face. "Alright, Wufei, you win."

--------------------------------------------

"Is that really your only objection?" Meiran asked later that night as she followed her brother into his room.

"Yes, Meiran, it is. Father has mourned our mother for nearly fifteen years. I will not begrudge him happiness. Nor will I disapprove of his choice. Dà niáng has been like a wife to him for these past two years anyway, attending parties, performing household duties, dealing with us. This would just make the whole thing legal." He fixed his sister with a sharp look as she picked up the golden dragon statuette from his desk. "Put that down, Mei."

"Well, they certainly do seem to like one another," she responded, placing the dragon back where she got it from. "I don't know. It just seems so sudden. I don't remember our mother at all, but I'm sure that she was kind and gentle, like dà niáng says all the time. How can she hope to replace her?"

"I doubt that either of them is trying to replace Mother." Wufei sat down on his bed and pulled his feet under his body. "I believe they genuinely enjoy one another's company. They get along better than either did with Li."

"No one really got along with dà yé (2). He was a hard man to like."

"That is an understatement, sister dear," he scoffed. "The man tried to arrange a marriage for you at the age of thirteen, if you haven't forgotten."

"Don't be stupid. Of course I remember that. I could have killed him for even mentioning such a stupidly old fashioned thing." His sister threw herself on the floor near his bed. "He really had no idea how to treat us, did he?"

"Nor did he care to learn. We were hindrances, stones thrown in his way to beating his wife."

"I just thought that they argued a lot. I never would have guessed he was so abusive." Meiran shuddered.

"Cold?"

"No, just disgusted that we are related to such an impossible person."

"If Father speaks to Grandfather, we will no longer be kin to such a thing."

"I guess I won't have to worry about you ever doing something like that to Relena."

"How dare you insult me like that!" Wufei jumped up from his bed. "I would never do such a thing to a woman!"

"I know. I know. Relax, 'Fei." The shocked look on his sister's face showed that she hadn't expected such a violent reaction from him. "I was kidding."

"Sorry," he grumbled, sitting back down, embarrassed by the outburst.

- 'Fei, now might be a good time to tell Meiran about Treize... -

- Quiet, you. - He might have snapped that at me, but he looked at his sister and sighed.

"What's the matter, Wufei?"

"I have something to tell you... I had really hoped to tell everyone at dinner sometime this week, but our plans weren't meshing well," he rambled. "Maybe some night soon we can all get together..."

"What do you want to tell me?" Meiran's dark eyes flashed curiously as she watched her brother uncharacteristically fidget and ramble and avoid saying much.

"I am not in a relationship with Relena," he said quietly. Embarrassed, fidgety Wufei is a really cute thing to witness, but all his charm was lost on his twin sister. "I am, however, involved with someone."

"Who? Do I know this woman?" She looked like she was about to die of interest.

"It is not a woman," he whispered, but she heard him.

"A... man?"

"Yes."

"Stop. I do not want to hear this anymore," she said, standing up and striding to the door. "I will act like I did not hear you say that. You will refrain from telling our Father and dà niáng, or anyone outside of this family that is associated with us." She fixed him with a look of disgust, her pretty face twisted into an ugly mask. "Vile." The door slammed behind her.

"Tsao!" (3) He paced his floor for about ten minutes in silence after the one word. "Why did I listen to you?"

"Because I was right," I snapped back. "You know that. Your sister's reaction is surprising though."

"Not really," he sighed, giving up pacing and plopping unceremoniously onto his bed. "She sees that as a sign of weakness in a man. You should hear her go on about the lesbians at her school. Evidently, she sees that as a sign of deformity in a woman."

"That's irrational," I said, shifting into a fully physical form, minus my impressive wing span. "Humans are so wrapped up in appearances. In the millennia that I've been doing this job, I've been waiting for you all just to accept love in whatever form it appears. God could care less. After the population grew to a reasonable amount, She stopped being so... militant about homosexuality."

"She?"

"Yes, She.... Sheesh, Wufei, I thought we'd gone over this before. God is a woman." I stuck my tongue out at him as I sat down next to him on the bed, careful to not touch him unless invited. Even then, with the realization of my real feelings for him, that would have been dangerous. "Well, that's not exactly true. God's about as ambiguous as us angels. She just happens to prefer the female form over that of anything else." I shrugged, watching him intently as I could feel the desire to touch him threaten to take over again.

"Hm, I see," he said quietly. "No, I really don't. I have a difficult time with religion of any kind."

"It's because you're Chinese."

"What?"

"Well, you all have your gods and goddesses and then there's Buddhism and even some Christianity, but a lot of you are Atheists. It doesn't matter. God loves everyone, regardless if you call Her Yahweh, Buddha, Allah, or just live a good life. It's what is in your heart that makes you worthy of Her divine love. It's whether or not you can forgive those who wrong you and repent when you have done wrong to others. Those are the two most important things to God. Believing in Her existence is sometimes harder for some cultures than others. That's all I was implying."

"I suppose that makes some sense," he said after a thoughtful silence, following it with a rather large sigh.

"Wufei, do you think your father and aunt would react as violently as your sister just did if you told them?"

"I do not know... My father is difficult to read sometimes and holds his cards close to him most of the time. Dà niáng... She has been like a mother to my sister and I since our own died, since she is barren, but her family is even more traditional than mine."

"So the only person you can talk to about any of this is Relena?" Not that the girl was a bad choice to have as a confidante, but that would make his a rather lonely existence.

"And you." Those two words made my hope spike dangerously, and I had to struggle to keep my hands to themselves.

"Yes, and me," I whispered. After a few calming breaths, I stood up from the bed and moved to the other side of the room. "Perhaps you should call Relena."

"I'd rather talk to you right now." There was a slight unexplainable feeling coming from him as he said those words. It wasn't a bad feeling at all. However, it left me wanting to stride back over there and kiss him roughly.

"What about Treize?" Just saying his name left me feeling sick with anger.

"He is unavailable for the next few days. His family called him for an important matter." Wufei's normally calm, smooth voice sounded as if he didn't believe the words coming out of his mouth either.

"Oh."

"You dislike him as well." That caught me more than a little off-guard.

"It's not that I dislike him." I hate him, I thought to myself. He has what I want most right now and I can't interfere, nor can I tell you that. "What I think of him doesn't matter anyway. I can tell you care deeply for him. That is what is important."

"Hm."

He wasn't hiding his feelings of confusion, desire, anger and sadness. They rolled off of him like tidal waves, crashing into me so hard that it took all the strength I possessed to stand up. The one feeling that left me the most daunted was the one of desire, which nearly blinded me. It would have taken over me if I had been a human then. The longer we stayed there in the quiet room with that emotion lingering between us, the more it multiplied in me, until it was forcing actual tears from the inner turmoil in my own soul.

"Wufei..." I gasped out.

"What is it?"

"Pick an emotion and stick with it," I managed to get out before dropping into the leather desk chair next to me. He gave me a dangerously sexy look that spelled trouble before shifting his face into his passive mask. I could feel him reining in his emotions until only a faint lingering of anger and sadness remained. "Thank you."

"I forgot about that."

Right then, all I wanted to do was take a nice little cloud nap for about ten years, but I settled for fazing back to an invisible form as my charge changed for bed. The assault that I'd just suffered confused the hell out of me. Were my own emotions being picked up by Wufei and then being magnified back at me? Or were those really his feelings? And if they were, what did they mean?

TBC

Notes:
[1] Dà niáng - (informal) father's older brother's wife; aunt
[2] Dà yé - (informal) father's older brother; elder uncle
[3] Tsao – Mandarin Chinese, "fuck, shit"