Part 3... the sap just keeps flowing...

Title: Houseboat Haven 3/?
Author: Caroline (chibirei @ hotmail.com)
Rating: this part - PG, NC-17 overall (I can't seem to write a fic
without lemon anymore)
Pairing: eventual 5x2
Warnings: TWT, since this is my first time writing Wufei as a main
character, most likely OOC, PWPish elements, eventual lemon
Spoilers: slight Duo's past spoilers
Comments: please
Archive: if I've said yes, then yes.
Disclaimers: don't own 'em.  never will.  'nuff said.


.:three:.

Duo awoke to the sound of dishes clattering beyond the closed bedroom
door. He blinked sleepily and turned his eyes to the window. The
early morning sun was peaking in through the partially open blinds.
He yawned and stretched languidly in the bed, feeling much better
than he had the day before. The anti-nausea pills Wufei had found
seemed to be working wonderfully. As a testimony to their
effectiveness, Duo's stomach gave a loud rumble, reminding him that
he'd only had one small cup of soup in four days.

Carefully he sat up, mindful of the low ceiling that had clobbered
him the day before. He stood up and walked over to the door. Opening
it, he was immediately assaulted with the most delicious smells
wafting through the air. His nose twitched eagerly as he followed the
aroma down the short hallway and into the kitchenette. The sight that
met him made him freeze.

Wufei was standing over the little stove, pan in one hand, spatula in
the other. The Chinese pilot was concentrating hard on his task of
flipping eggs without breaking the yolk. His brow was creased as he
frowned down at the pan. He was wearing an apron that said "Bob's
Apron" in big, bold letters. Duo couldn't help but laugh at the image
of domesticated bliss Wufei was presenting.

At the sound of Duo's voice, Wufei turned his head. "Good morning,
Duo."

"Morning, Bob," the braided boy replied, smirking at the apron.

Wufei glared at him. "Don't laugh. It was the only one on board and I
didn't want to get bacon grease on my clothes."

"There's bacon?" Duo asked hopefully.

"Yes. The eggs are almost ready. Sit down and I'll bring you your
breakfast when it's done."

"Thanks, 'Fei," Duo replied, sitting down at the table. Wufei has
already pored him some orange juice and laid out two more nausea
pills. Duo swallowed them quickly, chasing them down with the tart
juice. By the time Duo had got them down, Wufei was placing his
breakfast in front of him.

"Wow, 'Fei. This looks delicious," the American commented as he dove
right in.

"Good. Because you're not leaving this table until you eat every
bite. You'll need energy for what I have planned today."

"Did we get another mission?" Duo asked, mouth full of food.

"No." The Chinese pilot nodded to where his laptop was set up in the
living area. "Master O said to stay where we are for the time being.
He'll contact us should something come up."

"Then what are we going to do today?" Duo asked as he inhaled his
eggs. He turned hopeful eyes to Wufei. "Are we getting off this
boat?"

Wufei eyed Duo's rapidly emptying plate. "In a manner of speaking."
He waited until Duo had eaten a few more bites before he
continued. "I'm going to teach you how to swim."

Unfortunately Duo had chosen that moment to take a sip of his orange
juice. He choked on the liquid, spitting it back out into his glass.
He stared at Wufei incredulously, violet eyes open wide with panic.

"'F…Fei? What did you just say?" he asked softly.

"I'm going to teach you how to swim, Duo."

Duo looked at him for a long moment before grinning. "Ha ha. Very
funny, 'Fei."

"I'm not joking, Duo. The best way to get over your fear is to jump
in feet first… so to speak."

"No! There is no way in *hell* you are going to get me anywhere near
the water!" Duo cried out, his face twisted in fury. He started to
shimmy out of the bench seat, but Wufei grabbed his arm and held him
in place.

"Duo, please. Let me help you with this," he pleaded, looking deeply
into Duo's violet eyes. "You can't let your fears control you. I want
to help. And I promise I'll be there every step of the way. I won't
let anything happen to you."

When Duo didn't answer and looked away, Wufei continued.

"Duo… you don't know how scared I was when you didn't wake up
that
first day. I made a promise to myself that if you woke up and were
all right, I'd help you through whatever it was that had caused you
to collapse in the first place. You're my friend, Duo. I… I may
not
have always shown it, but I respect you. I admire you for surviving
your childhood and still being able to face the world with a smile. I
only wish I could do the same. Please, let me help you if not conquer
your fear, then control it."

Duo looked at him for a long moment. He couldn't believe Wufei had
said those things - that the Shenlong pilot actually thought of him
as a *friend*. He'd always though that the Chinese teen was too aloof
and had considered him as little more than an annoyance. But to know
the boy actually cared… it warmed his heart. He swallowed hard
and
looked into Wufei's eyes.

"I'll make you a deal, 'Fei. I…I'll let you try and teach me how
to s…
swim, if you'll let me teach you how to smile."

Wufei blinked, and Duo could see the Chinese pilot was a little taken
aback at the request. Finally, he bowed his head. "Very well. We
shall learn from each other. Now finish your breakfast. We'll begin
our first lesson in an hour."





Duo stood frozen in the doorway that led from the cabin to the
sundeck of the houseboat. He stared straight ahead at the little
beach of one of the larger islands where Wufei had grounded the boat.
He kept his eyes glued to one of the trees on the island, refusing to
look to either the right or left at the water.

"Duo? Did those swimming trunks fit?" Wufei called out from shore
where he was tying the boat to a tree.

Duo nodded, refusing to shift his eyes to the other pilot. Wufei
quickly finished his task then reboarded the boat. He crossed the
deck to stand in front of the terrified braided pilot.

"It's time, Duo."

The American clutched at the doorframe, unwilling to let go. He
whimpered softly as Wufei pried his fingers loose and guided him to
the edge of the boat. He shut his eyes as Wufei let go of his hands
to open the little gate on the side. He could hear Wufei climbing
down the small ladder and step into the water below. Just imagining
Wufei in the water was enough to make him tremble.

"Duo, open your eyes."

Duo shook his head vehemently.

"Duo, this won't work unless you open your eyes. Be brave. Look at
your fear."

"Wh…what if I fall?" he asked timidly.

"Then I'll be here to catch you."

Duo knew the Chinese pilot spoke the truth. Wufei wouldn't let
anything happen to him. The dark-haired boy was asking for Duo's
trust. Wufei had never asked him for anything before. The least Duo
could do was give him that much.

He opened his eyes and looked down. Immediately a wave of vertigo
washed over him as he stared down at the water. He swayed on his
feet, reaching out blindly for something to steady himself. It was
happening again - he was going to fall, going to go under.

Then suddenly, strong arms were around him, giving him balance,
keeping him from falling. He clutched tightly at the warm body
holding his own. Slowly the world righted itself, and Duo opened his
eyes to find Wufei's dark chocolate orbs looking down at him in
concern.

"You're safe, Duo. I've got you," the Chinese pilot whispered,
rubbing soothing circles along Duo's bare back.

The American took several deep breaths. "S…sorry, 'Fei. I…"

"You don't have to explain. I understand." He withdrew from their
embrace. Duo felt sad at the loss. "Now… are you ready to try
again?"

Duo took one last deep breath and nodded. He allowed Wufei to
maneuver him backward to the ladder. The Shenlong pilot went down
first. Duo clutched tightly to the side of the boat, standing on the
top rung. Slowly he looked down, telling himself it was okay, that
Wufei was there to catch him should he fall.

"That's it, Duo. Now take another step down," Wufei coaxed gently.

Duo obeyed, stepping down one more rung. 'I can do this. The water's
only up to Wufei's ankles. That's not so bad.'

He stepped down another rung, then another. Finally he was just
inches above the water. Only one more step to take. His heart pounded
in his chest. He wasn't sure he could do it. Then he felt Wufei's
hands on his sides.

"One more step, Duo," he said. "I know you can do this."

"I don't know if I can," Duo mewled pitifully.

"Please… for me?"

Duo hesitated for only a short moment before moving his leg and
taking the final step. His heart jumped as he felt the cool water
surround his foot. His body was trembling slightly as his left foot
joined his right in the lake. He reached blindly for Wufei's hand,
grasping it tightly before releasing his hold on the boat.

Wufei's eyes lit up. "You did it. You're standing in the water!"

Duo smiled back. "I am, aren't I?"

The dark-haired teen squeezed his hands. "Now, we're going to walk
out further into water. I want you to trust me. We won't be going out
over our heads. Your feet will always be able to touch bottom."

"O…okay."

Wufei moved backwards, drawing Duo with him. Step by step, they
walked into deeper waters, gradually moving away from the boat. Duo
tried to keep his breathing under control as they walked. He closed
his eyes, trusting Wufei to take care of him. He could feel the cool
liquid moving over his body. The sensation of the water against his
skin was actually quite soothing. He could understand why so many
people enjoyed swimming.

When the water was up to his waist, Wufei let go of his hands. Duo's
eyes flew open as the Chinese boy moved away from him into deeper
water.

"All right, Duo. Now, I want you to come to me. Take one step at a
time, and be careful. The bottom here is slippery."

Duo nodded, wrapping his arms around his body. He could do this. He'd
grown up on the streets of L2, survived a plague, lived through the
deaths of everyone he'd ever loved, and flown a Gundam against OZ.
Surely he could take a few steps towards his friend.

He moved slowly, making a face at the way the mud on the bottom
squished between his toes. The water rose higher over his chest. Duo
let out a scared whimper from the back of his throat. He could fell
another panic attack coming on and Wufei was still several steps
away.

"'Fei!"

"Just a little further, Duo."

Duo's breathing sped up, his eyes wide with panic and fear. The water
was so high. His chest felt tight. There was too much… too
much…

He moved forward in a rush, wanting to reach Wufei as quickly as
possible. Unfortunately, Wufei had been right, the bottom *was*
slippery. Just before he reached the Chinese teen, his foot slipped
in the mud. He lost his balance and fell backwards. He flailed in the
water, his head going under. He opened his mouth to scream for help
only to end up with a mouth full of water. He twisted his body,
trying to find the bottom with his feet, but the world had shifted.
His lungs burned and his vision started to go black.

Then suddenly, his head broke the surface. Wufei cradled him in his

arms once again, patting him hard on the back. Duo coughed, spitting
out what water he hadn't swallowed. He gasped for air and clung to
his friend, trying his best to stop trembling. He blinked tears out
of his eyes, determined not to cry and show Wufei how weak he was.
But the tears couldn't be held back. He wrapped his arms around
Wufei's neck and buried his face in the crook of his shoulder.

Wufei held him gently, allowing him time to calm down. He whispered
comforting words into Duo's ear.

"I'm sorry, 'Fei," the braided boy said, his voice trembling as hard
as his body. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Shhhh. It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry. I told
you you'd be safe and I let you go under."

"It's not your fault," Duo sniffed.

"And it's not yours either. This is why I want to teach you how to
swim. I may not always be there to pull you out."

Duo moved his head back to look into Wufei's eyes. "You really do
care, don't you?"

"More than you know," the dark-eyed pilot replied almost too softly
for Duo to hear.

The braided boy sucked in his breath, a warm blush spreading across
his face. Wufei's cheeks, too, glowed with a hint of red at the
sudden admission. Their eyes met and held. Their faces were only
inches apart. Duo could feel the heat rising from the other teen's
caramel skin. He gravitated to that warmth, propelled by the cool
lake waters. A slight breeze rustled his hair like a lover, raising
goose bumps on his arms, as their lips brushed together.

The first touch was fleeting, the merest butterfly whisper of lips
against lips. The second touch was more tactile. The kiss was chaste
but transmitted such heat that Duo gasped aloud, opening his mouth
slightly. Wufei seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He slid
his tongue inside Duo's mouth, going in for only the briefest of
tastes. Duo made a little mewling sound in the back of his throat,
disappointed that the touch hadn't lasted longer. Wufei moved his
lips over Duo's one last time before pulling back and looking
questioningly into Duo's eyes.

"Maxwell, I… I'm sorry, I… don't know what came over me," the
Chinese
pilot stammered.

Duo's heart plummeted at those words. His face fell as he looked
away. The dark-eyed pilot had reverted to calling him Maxwell again.
So Wufei hadn't meant to kiss him after all? It had just been a
momentary lapse of reason? He could feel his stomach sinking.

Wufei must have deduced Duo's train of thought from the crestfallen
expression on his face because the Chinese teen wrapped his arms more
firmly around the slender American, holding him close.

"Duo, I… must admit, I've wanted to do that… for sometime
now," he
said slowly. Duo's eyes grew as big as saucers.

"R…really?" he asked hesitantly.

"Aa. However, it was dishonorable for me to take advantage of your
fears. I can only humble myself to you and beg your forgiveness."

Duo smiled. "There's nothing to forgive, 'Fei. I've… wanted to do
that for a while too."

Wufei looked down at the boy still in his arms. "Why did you not say
anything?"

Duo shrugged. "Another fear I suppose. Fear of rejection." He looked
away again. "I have so many fears. You must think I'm so weak."

"No." Wufei clasped Duo's chin with one hand and lifted his
face. "No. Only a fool has no fears. You have them and are learning
to face them. There is no dishonor in being afraid. I get afraid
every time I go into battle. It's a natural instinct. Learning how to
live with one's fears - that takes bravery. And you, Duo Maxwell, are
one of the bravest people I know."

Duo felt himself blush deeply, his heart warming to Wufei's
words. "Thank you, 'Fei. No one has ever said anything like that to
me before."

"I meant every word." He shifted Duo in his arms. "As much as I'd
love to stand here and look into your beautiful eyes all day, it's
going to get really hot soon. Are you ready to continue your
lessons?"

Duo felt a momentary surge of fear, but knowing that Wufei would be
there every step of the way pushed his panic aside. He nodded and
allowed the Chinese pilot to show him how to position his arms and
legs. All the while, his heart soared in remembrance of their first,
beautiful kiss they'd shared only moments before.