Alone

DISCLAIMER: *Sings* I'm poor and make no money, I own nothing, honey...* geez, that was BAD!!! *snicker*


~thinking~
‘actual thoughts’
*emphasis*

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CHAPTER FIVE


Wufei reached the river as dawn was breaking over the treetops. He climbed to his perch slowly, every part of his body trembling with the bone-deep ache of complete and utter exhaustion. It was letdown, he knew, from completing his mission, finally finding Boss Man and getting a good enough look to identify him. He’d hoped the thin adrenaline he’d been operating on would keep him going until he could take the Plan B option of getting out of the jungle to a town about twenty miles away. He seemed to be out of luck - he wasn’t going anywhere without a rest.

He settled in the welcoming crook of a huge branch, bracing his back against the tree trunk. It was a space nearly as wide as a futon, and he’d learned over the last month to sleep without nearly falling out and killing himself.

~What a ridiculously dishonorable way to die that would be.~

His lips quirked in a small amount of amusement. He wrapped his arms around himself, glad the sun was coming up, eager to have the cold chased from his skin, wishing he could chase it from his soul. He sighed, squirming a little as he tried to get comfortable. He’d visited each of his other hideaways after Boss Man’s meeting was over, eliminating every trace of his presence that he could find. After he rested he’d do the same here - it would be no more than packing up the tiny amount of food he’d foraged into his pack as rations for the trip, followed by the shredded remains of his spare shirt. He had them reasonably well hidden right now, and couldn’t force himself to care much if anyone found them. No matter the satisfaction at mission complete, or the knowledge that if he died now, someone else would have to start all over - he wanted rest, he’d *have* rest, and the world could explode for all he cared. He allowed his aching eyes to slide shut.


*


Heero found the shirt first - a shredded thing that was little more than sleeves and a neckband, carefully folded and tucked away under a bush. He held it out to Duo, knowing they both recognized it. It was a plain grey t-shirt that had once had some Chinese characters on the front. They’d both hated it, it washed out Wufei’s bronze skin and made him look yellow and ill. Duo made a face at Heero that said he was glad the shirt was dead, and Heero grinned back. They were suddenly very happy - that shirt hadn’t been laying there for two weeks. Maybe two days, but no longer. So ‘Fei was at least alive that recently.

Duo found the food stash next. Carefully secreted in the bole of a tree, with a sign they recognized as one they had made up during the war, a casual twisting of twigs to mark where it lay. It looked no different from the foliage around it unless you knew what you were seeing. They stared at the meager bits of withered fruit and the roots they knew were barely edible. If this was what Wufei was existing on... Blue eyes met, and their search became more thorough still.

They were still hunting when they heard the voices of the two mercs from earlier, laughing and boasting to each other of what they’d do if they found their prey. It seemed unlikely, as loud as they were. Duo and Heero were forced to separate and hunt for cover, their eyes wordlessly warning the other to be careful.

Duo crouched against a sheltering tree, watching to see if either man came into view. He was completely unprepared for the hand that wrapped around his braid, giving it a sharp, angry tug. He jerked his eyes up to meet a pair of onyx eyes staring down, narrowed in anger. A second later and they were wide with surprise at the look of complete and utter joy they met, the relieved smile that nearly split Duo’s face in half. Another laugh from the invisible mercs made Wufei shove the surprise away.

“Get up here.” He hissed, jerking the braid again.

Duo was more than happy to obey. He scrambled up the tree until he was on the wide branch Wufei had retreated to, and took the smaller boy completely by surprise when he yanked him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Don’t you ever *dare* do this to us again.” Duo whispered against his ear, his breath hot on Wufei’s skin, causing the boy to tremble slightly.

“Do *what* again?” He whispered back, but didn’t wait for an answer. The two mercenaries crashed into view, and he pulled Duo with him tight against the tree trunk, ignoring the fact that the other boy still had his arms firmly around him, showing no signs of letting go. They watched and listened until the two men, who never once thought to look up, vanished from sight. Wufei was inclined to wait longer, making sure they didn’t come back, but Duo was not. Slim fingers wrapped around Wufei’s chin, tugging the other boy’s face back to his. Then, to Wufei’s complete and utter astonishment, soft lips pressed against his in a desperate, needy kiss.

Duo didn’t give him a chance to respond - he was too afraid he wouldn’t. He pulled away almost as soon as he touched, although his heart and libido screamed at him in anger. “Don’t ever - don’t *ever* make us worry about you again. Understand?” He still didn’t wait for a response. “You stay here. I *mean* it, ‘Fei.” He slid down the tree and went in search of Heero.

Wufei stared after him for a moment, his mind blank with shock. ‘Did Duo just... kiss me?’ He shook his head in disbelief. ‘No. Well, yes, but he was worried. Why were they worried about me? Just worried, that’s all. It’s like Duo to do something that... weird... wonderful... when he’s upset.’ He forced away a tiny feeling of delight, rubbing his chest against a sudden inexplicable pain. ‘Baka.’ He ignored Duo’s command, sliding down noiselessly from the tree and standing very still for a moment. His equilibrium threatened to abandon him, and his legs were disturbingly weak. ‘Didn’t get enough rest.’ He wasn’t truly sure he’d gotten any at all. One moment he’d closed his eyes, the next they’d jerked open to the crude sound of men discussing how they’d rape some victim they were looking for. He felt unutterably sorry for whoever it was, and hoped they were far away from here. What they’d been describing sounded incredibly unpleasant - some of it sounded impossible.

He shook his head - he needed to get what little supplies he had left, get out of this place. If Duo and Heero were here on some mission of their own, they were more than capable of finishing it without him. If they wanted help he’d give them what information he had about the area, but he didn’t fool himself into thinking he’d be able to help them in any physical way. He was about at the end of his resources. He took a shaky, careful step. ‘Yes, definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel.’ The next step was easier, and the next easier still. He took a dozen more of them silently into the sheltering undergrowth before two sets of familiar arms wrapped around him, pulling him tight against his friends.

“You don’t listen well, do you, ‘Fei?” Duo’s voice was soft against his temple.

“Doesn’t listen at all.” Heero’s voice was a growl against the top of his head, his strong arms oddly welcome around his shoulders. Wufei was suddenly uncertain of how he was remaining on his feet - knowing he was safe made the past months just seem to come crashing down on him. His knees turned to water, the ground seemed to disappear. The other two felt him give way, and their arms tightened gently around him.

“S’okay, ‘Fei. We’ve got you.” Those were the last words he remembered for awhile - soft darkness wrapped itself around him and pulled him in.