I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

::crickets chirp::

Heh.  Anyway, I've gotten my computer problems mostly worked out. 
*mutter* stupid, melting hard drive *mutter*  Although I still have
not begun trying to replace my missing images and mp3s.  Ah well. 
I'll get to it sometime or another.  So anyway, I've managed to
finish rewriting part 4 of HH.  *falls over*  Took me a while didn't
it?  After I post this, I can start on rewriting what I had for
Afterimage.  Thank goodness I only had about a page written for it. 
Shouldn't be too hard to remember.  I hope.  Anyway, on to the fic.


Title: Houseboat Haven 4/?
Author: Caroline (chibirei @ hotmail.com)
Rating: this part - PG-13, 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.


.:four:.

Duo sat huddled at one end of the small couch, watching Wufei bustle
around the kitchenette making hot chocolate. Dusk was beginning to
fall, and with it, the temperature. For that, Duo was grateful. The
midday sun had turned the cabin into an oven, and while Wufei's
swimming lessons had taught him how to stay afloat and swim short
distances, he still wasn't comfortable enough to go out on deck where
it was cooler.

The braided pilot yawned and turned his gaze back to the darkening
purple sky. It was very peaceful, being out here on the lake, but he
had to admit, it was kind of boring as well. If only he had a book to
read…

"Here, Duo," Wufei said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Duo looked
up to see the Chinese pilot holding a mug out to him.

"Thanks," the braided teen mumbled, blushing as he took the cup. He
sipped on it in silence, avoiding Wufei's gaze. Neither he nor the
dark-haired teen had mentioned the kiss they'd shared. Duo grew warm
just thinking about it. He glanced at Wufei again. The Shenlong pilot
was fiddling with his laptop with an unreadable expression on his
face. Duo wished he knew what the other teen was thinking. Was he,
too, thinking about the kiss? Duo sighed dejectedly and turned his
eyes to stare down at his hot chocolate.

A sudden noise emanating from the laptop caused him to jump slightly.
He looked up, eyes open wide with amazement. His favorite vid program
was playing on the screen. He turned his startled gaze to Wufei.

"How did you get that?" he asked.

Wufei shrugged. "There's a dish on top of the houseboat. I just
connected it to my laptop. You were looking a little bored, and I
knew this was your favorite show…" The Chinese pilot trailed off,
looking somewhat embarrassed.

Duo smiled. Wufei *had* been paying attention to him after all.
Maybe… maybe Wufei really *did* like him. He watched the other
teen
sit down on the other end of the couch as far away from Duo as
possible. The braided boy frowned. That just wouldn't do.

Setting his mug on the floor, Duo crawled across the couch to sit on
his knees next to the Chinese boy. Wufei turned his head to look at
him.

"What is it, Maxwell?" he growled halfheartedly.

Duo stared at him without speaking for a long moment. Just as Wufei
opened his mouth to speak again, Duo launched himself at the dark-
eyed pilot. He wrapped his arms tightly around Wufei's neck and
squeezed his eyes shut before any tears could leak out. He didn't
know what had come over him. He had been planning on teasing Wufei to
try and get a smile out of the stoic boy, but staring into those
dark, chocolate eyes, he had been overcome with emotion. A strong
wave of unfamiliar feelings had threatened to sweep him away, and so
he had reached out to the one anchor he knew could keep him grounded.

"Duo?" Wufei asked, wrapping his own arms around the boy's body.

The braided teen sniffed and clutched tighter. "Thank you," he
whispered softly.

"What for?"

"For caring. No one's cared for me in such a long time… I'd
almost
forgotten what it felt like."

Wufei held him for a moment longer before gently pulling him away. He
reached up to wipe away one lone tear that had fallen onto Duo's
smooth cheek. "How could I not care? You're beautiful, both inside
and out." Both boys blushed at those words. "You're an easy person to
love, Duo. Anyone who can't see that is a fool."

Duo blushed warmly, looking down at his hands. 'Wait a minute - did I
just hear that right? Did he just say… love?' He glanced back up
to
see Wufei watching him intently. 'Surely he didn't mean it *that*
way. No one can love me. I can't let them. Anyone who loves me dies.
I can't - I *won't* let that happen to Wufei as well.'

But gazing into the Chinese boy's dark eyes, Duo felt it was already
too late. Before being stuck together on this floating deathtrap, Duo
had certainly been attracted to the other pilot. But now, after
spending several days in such close proximity, and having Wufei take
care of him, and the *kiss* - Duo had lost his heart to the dark-
haired boy. And while he prayed that Wufei hadn't done the same, deep
down he harbored the hope that the Chinese pilot *did* feel something
for him as well. They'd both been alone for too long. This bloody war
could easily destroy them. But together - together they would be
stronger. And perhaps, having someone to love could help them come
out of this war alive and a little less emotionally scarred than if
they were alone.

"Duo?" Wufei's concerned voice broke him out of his reverie once
again.

The braided pilot offered him a smile. "I'm okay. I was just
thinking."

"May I ask what about?"

Duo shrugged. "Just stuff. You mostly, and about how lucky I am to be
stuck out here with *you*. Heero probably would have tossed me
overboard long before now."

Wufei grunted. "Baka. *I'm* the lucky one. Now be quiet and settle
down. You're missing your show."

The Chinese pilot drew Duo down into a sitting position next to him
and wrapped one arm around the braided boy's shoulders. Duo snuggled
happily into the crook of Wufei's arm as he turned his attention to
the program. He would worry about love later. Right now, he was
content just to be close to the other boy.





Nearly two hours later, Wufei looked down at the boy resting on his
shoulder. Duo had fallen asleep about twenty minutes before,
clutching onto him like a security blanket. The Chinese pilot smiled
softly as he reached out to brush Duo's bangs out of his face.

'Poor kid. Swimming must have really worn him out,' he thought,
trying to get Duo into a sitting position without waking him up. He
managed to slither out of Duo's grasp without awakening him. Duo
whimpered in protest at the loss of the warm body beside him.
Inwardly, Wufei made the same sound.

He walked over to his laptop and shut it down, then headed for the
sink in the kitchenette. He stumbled the last few steps as the boat
rocked on the water. Peering out the window at the darkened sky, he
frowned. There were no stars shining, and the wind was picking up.
The water was getting choppier by the minute.

'Looks like it's going to storm. I'd better get Duo into bed, then
secure the boat,' he thought as he filled a glass with some water and
grabbed one of Duo's anti-nausea pills.

He walked back to the couch as carefully as possible with the deck
rolling beneath him. But as he approached the sleeping figure on the
couch, he had to pause. He'd seen Duo asleep before, but lying on the
couch, curled up like a kitten with a soft smile on his face, Duo
looked like an angel. Wufei's heart melted at the sight. His breath
caught in his throat as a multitude of feelings swelled through him -
admiration for the boy's courage, pride for facing his fears,
friendship, devotion, and… something else. Something he hadn't
felt
since Meiran had died. Something he wanted, but was afraid to face.

Wufei closed his eyes and pushed all those feelings aside. They could
wait until after everything was secure. Right now, he wanted to get
Duo into bed and asleep before the storm arrived. With any luck, the
braided pilot would sleep right through it. The water was bound to
get rough tonight. He didn't want Duo to wake up and be afraid of the
boat as it rocked on the waves.

Reaching out, he gently shook Duo's shoulder. The long-haired pilot
stirred slightly, mumbling in his sleep.

Wufei tried again. "Duo, I need you to wake up."

One violet eye opened part way, looking up at him in
confusion. "'Fei? Wh' time is it?" he asked sleepily.

"Time for bed. You've had a long day. You need to take your pill and
get some sleep. Can you sit up?"

Duo nodded sleepily and pushed himself up. Wufei pressed the pill
into Duo's hand. The braided boy swallowed it, Wufei holding the
glass so he could chase it down with the water. Once that task was
accomplished, the dark-haired teen set the glass aside and pulled his
partner to his feet. Duo swayed groggily for a moment, but managed to
keep his balance.

"Come on, Duo. Let's get you into bed," Wufei said, guiding the boy
through the cabin and into the bedroom. Duo followed obediently,
still half asleep.

They reached the bedroom without incident. Wufei flipped on the
overhead light and led Duo over to the bed. He set the American down
on the edge of the bed, then, after a moment's hesitation, began
divesting the braided boy of his clothing. Duo allowed himself to be
undressed, lifting his limbs when required. His eyes were closed, and
Wufei wondered if he had fallen asleep during the process.

When Duo had been stripped down to his boxers, Wufei maneuvered him
onto the bed, blushing as he touched the other boy's bare skin. He
pulled up the covers around the sleeping pilot and turned to leave
when Duo's voice stopped him.

"'Fei?"

"Yes, Duo?"

"Where do you sleep? If there's only one bed, it isn't fair for me to
use it all the time. We could take turns or… I wouldn't mind
sharing."

Wufei's heart flipped at Duo's offer. He'd love nothing more than to
share the small bed with the American, feeling Duo's warmth curled up
next to his body as he had been on the couch. For a moment, he was
tempted to take Duo up on his offer, but he knew the violet-eyed boy
might regret it in the morning. The braided pilot was half-asleep and
might not be fully aware of what he was saying. Besides, Wufei wasn't
entirely sure he could control himself if he and Duo were to share
the same bed. The Deathscythe pilot evoked such strong feelings in
him that he was afraid what he might do if he found himself sleeping
next to Duo.

"The couch folds out into a bed," he answered the sleepy boy. "It's
quite comfortable. Don't worry about me."

"Okay," Duo said, sounding almost unhappy - or was that Wufei's
imagination? "G'night 'Fei."

The Chinese boy stood watching the American sleep for a long moment
before clicking out the light with a sigh and closing the door behind
him.

"Good night, Duo."





*BOOOOOOOM*

Wufei jerked awake, breathing heavily. He blinked for a moment,
trying to get his bearings. Outside, a streak of lightning flashed
across the sky, lighting up the darkened room. The wind was howling
outside and rain was battering the roof of the cabin. The boat rocked
almost violently on the waves being produced by the storm. Wufei
turned on the sofa bed to glance at the clock. 3 A.M. Sighing, he sat
up, knowing that now he was awake, the noise of the storm would
prevent him from falling asleep once again.

Thunder crashed outside again. This time, another noise followed it.
Wufei froze, trying to figure out what he'd just heard. He was about
to write off the sound as a figment of his imagination when another
clap of thunder boomed overhead. Again he heard the noise - a low,
keening wail came from the direction of the bedroom. His eyes
widened. Duo.

As quickly as he could manage in the rolling darkness, the Chinese
pilot stumbled across the cabin. He pushed the door to the bedroom
open just as another bolt of lightning raced across the sky,
illuminating the dark room. In that brief moment, Wufei saw Duo's
form flailing amongst the blankets. The braided boy was in the grips
of a nightmare it seemed. Another burst of thunder echoed through the
sky as Duo's head thrashed about on the pillow.

"Father… Sister… no!" he cried out in his sleep, sounding
like a
small, frightened child.

Wufei wasted no time in crossing the short distance to the bed. He
sat on the edge and grabbed for Duo's writhing shoulders.

"Duo! Duo! Wake up. It's just a dream," the dark-haired teen said,
shaking the other boy gently.

"'S my fault. I'm so sorry," Duo muttered, not waking up.

Wufei shook harder. "Duo! Wake up!"

Scared violet eyes flew open. For a moment, the boy looked around
wildly, not remembering where he was. Then his eyes focused on
Wufei's face.

"'Fei?" he asked plaintively.

Wufei pulled the frightened boy up into his arms and rubbed soothing
circles along his back. "Shhh. It's all right now, Duo. You were
having a nightmare. But it's over now. You're awake and your dreams
can't hurt you anymore."

Duo sobbed in his arms for a long time. Wufei simply held him,
rocking him back and forth gently as the storm continued to rage
outside. Another clap of thunder caused the braided boy in his arms
to jump.

"It's okay, Duo. It's just a storm," Wufei said soothingly, squeezing
his arms tighter.

"A… a storm?" Duo sniffed. "In my dream… the thunder sounded
like
explosions."

Wufei drew back to look down at Duo's pale face in the dim cabin
light. He reached up to wipe Duo's tears away, his breath catching in
his throat as Duo unconsciously nuzzled his hand.

"D…do you think you'll be okay now, Duo?" he stammered, glad that
the
lack of light was hiding his blush.

Duo nodded but clutched tightly to Wufei's arm. "Please… stay
with
me?"

"Duo, I…"

"Please? Until the storm breaks?"

Wufei sighed softly, then nodded. Duo shifted on the bed, making room
for the Chinese teen to lie down next to him. They lay in silence for
a long while as the storm raged overhead. Duo had curled up on his
side as close to Wufei as possible, as if taking comfort in the dark-
haired boy's presence. Wufei lay facing Duo, unsure of what to do
with his arms. Slowly he moved them to encircle Duo's body. The
braided boy sighed happily and snuggled into his embrace.

After a while, after another loud clap of thunder had caused them
both to jump, Wufei asked, "Why are you afraid of storms, Duo?"

The slender youth in his arms shrugged. "I'm not, really. I kinda
like storms actually. It's just… the thunder sounds so much like
the
explosions when…" his voice trailed off.

"When what?" When Duo didn't answer him, he drew the boy closer. "If
you don't want to talk about it…"

"No. I do. But it's hard for me." Violet eyes sought chocolate ones
in the near darkness. "I've never told anyone before."

"Then you honor me again," Wufei replied, then waited for Duo to
begin his tale.

"I never had a family - a real family I mean. For a while I thought I
had found one with Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. I loved them both
so much. But I shouldn't have. Everyone I've ever loved has died."

"What happened?"

"Tell me, Wufei, have you ever heard of the Maxwell Church Massacre?"

"Of course. Every school child on L5 knew of it. All those
children…"
Eyes opened wide as realization hit him. "Ancestors! But I thought
there were no survivors."

"There was one," Duo sad mournfully. "I can still hear the explosions
in my dreams sometimes."

"I'm so sorry, Duo," Wufei murmured, resting his cheek on the top of
Duo's head. His heart ached for the boy in his arms. Duo had lost
everyone he'd ever loved. Understanding began to creep in as he held
the boy. What a lonely life the American must have had. No wonder he
was so loud, talkative, and friendly to everyone he met. He wanted to
draw attention to himself so he wouldn't be lonely anymore. Wufei
frowned and vowed Duo would never have to be lonely again.

Hot drops of water began to seep through the cotton shirt he was
wearing. He looked down to see Duo trembling in his arms as if trying
not to cry.

"Duo, shhh. It's okay now. You're here with me and your dreams can't
hurt you," he sad again, reaching up with one hand to wipe away an
errant tear.

"But I can't forget, 'Fei," Duo whispered. "The explosions, the cries
of the children - they're echoing through my head."

Thunder boomed overhead once more, causing the braided pilot to cry
out. He clutched at Wufei's shirt. "Please, 'Fei. Make me forget."

Wufei swallowed as he realized what Duo was asking. His body reacted
immediately to the fey boy's words. His mouth went dry. Every cell in
his body was screaming at him to say yes, to take this boy in his
arms, and chase away the demons that plagued him. But he couldn't. He
valued his friendship with the American pilot too much to take
advantage of him in this manner.

"Duo, you don't know what you're asking," he said, gently trying to
extract himself from Duo's grasp.

The braided pilot held on tight to Wufei's shirt, refusing to let
go. "Yes, I do," he replied, then moved his lips to meet Wufei's.

The Chinese boy gasped as Duo's mouth covered his own. Duo took the
opportunity to slip his tongue into Wufei's mouth, caressing his
tongue in slow but urgent strokes. Wufei tried not to respond, but
the taste of Duo combined with the little noises the American was
making proved to be his undoing. He pressed back against Duo's mouth,
their kiss becoming more heated as their tongues warred for
dominance. Without realizing what he was doing, the Chinese pilot
eased Duo onto his back, half-covering the boy's body with his own.

Duo's hands wandered along Wufei's back, tracing random patterns
through the cotton shirt. When the boy's small hands slid under his
shirt to meet bare skin, Wufei gasped in shock, pulling his mouth
away from Duo's.

"Duo, we can't," he gasped, trying not to think about how good the
American felt squirming beneath him.

"Please, 'Fei." Duo pleaded, kissing Wufei's throat.

Wufei suppressed a moan. "But Duo, you're not thinking clearly. You
could regret this in the morning."

Duo reached up to make Wufei look down into his eyes. "I won't. I run
and hide, but I don't lie." He wriggled beneath the dark-haired boy,
causing them both to groan. "Please, 'Fei. I just need to forget. I
just need to feel loved again, if only for one night. Please."

Wufei stared down at his would-be lover for a long time. Duo was so
beautiful. And he deserved to be loved. Wufei didn't know if he could
grant the kind of love he knew the other boy deserved, but if Duo
wanted him to love him, if only for this one night, how could he say
no? He could never deny Duo anything.

Duo stared up at him with unwavering eyes. Wufei knew the boy was
waiting for an answer. Smiling softly, he took one of Duo's hands in
his own, and answered him with a kiss.

tbc...

next part: do I really need to tell you what's going to happen next?
*evil grin*

Duo:  Dammit woman, you've made me all weepy.
Caro: So?  It's gonna get you laid.
Duo:  *pause*  Oh. All right then.
Heero: Why am I not in this fic?
Caro: Oh hush.  You'll be getting some in Afterimage. 
Heero: ...
Duo:  Yay! Lucky me!

Caroline