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"Rescues"Written By: Honor Disclaimer: Despite my best attempts, I have not
managed to steal the boys. I’ll let you know when I succeed.
Archived: Gundam Wing Diaries Rating: R (I think, I really don’t have a
good grasp on the rating system) Spoilers: nada Warnings: TWT, EWWT (I’m acting like the
war lasts a year and a half and Eternal Waltz doesn’t happen)
Lemon, some angst, violence, language, romance Pairings: 3x4 established, working on 5xOMC (anyone
remember Jamie?) and a 1x2 //thought// <<com or phone>> *emphasized* ~flashback~
"Rescues " Chapter Seven: Assumptions
“Jamie,” Duo whispered softly. “Why are you up?” She sighed and turned around to face him. Heero had left a few hours after Wufei, and she knew that Duo was just as worried. He’d had a separate mission from Heero’s which had prevented him from accompanying his lover. “Probably the same reason why you’re up. It’s impossible to sleep without him.” Duo acknowledged this with a shrug as he moved to sit next to her. “Yeah. I’ve always had someone in the room with me when I slept. And since I hooked up with ‘Ro… It’s not just that, of course.” “No, it’s not.” She blew out an irritable breath. “Mac always said that worry is like a rocking horse. No matter how hard you ride it, you won’t go anywhere. I wish I could get off the horse.” “Nah. Worry is just a sign that your heart is in the right place. It’s only a bad thing when it stops you from sleeping.” “Like now?” she flashed him a wry smile to match her tone. Duo snorted. “Yeah. Like now. Tell you what, if you don’t feel weird about this, why don’t you sleep with me until Wufei gets back? Maybe we can both get some sleep that way.” Jamie considered this. Duo was someone she trusted absolutely—she didn’t see anything wrong with sharing a bed with him for a few nights. She was going to collapse soon from sleep deprivation if she didn’t do *something*. “Sure. Just do me a favor.” “Name it.” “Hold Heero back from killing me if he jumps to the wrong conclusion.” Duo saluted her lazily. “And you do the same with Wuffers.” “Deal.” Standing, Duo offered his arm with correct civility. “This way then, my lady.” She took the offered arm with a laugh and allowed him to escort her up to his and Heero’s room. In this house, the only room with two twins was hers and Wufei’s. The other two bedrooms had queen size beds, which would give them plenty of room to move around in. //I just hope he’s not a blanket hog.// Jamie relaxed under the friendly arm that Duo tossed around her waist. All of her anxiety and concerns quieted under his comforting presence, allowing her to slip into the sleep that she so desperately needed. + Wufei came in at five that morning, bone weary and grateful that the mission was over. He hadn’t been able to do more than take cat naps the past four days, and it was still irritating him that Jamie was so vital in that area. He wasn’t even going to think about the barely edible food he had choked down. Food on a mission was NEVER appetizing. He was quiet as he approached his room. Jamie was no doubt still asleep at this time of the morning, and he was not willing to wake her up. He eased open the door, placing the duffle bag on the floor softly. But his glance toward her side of the room showed that the bed was empty, if mussed. //So where is she?// Frowning, he went back downstairs and searched the first floor. Jamie was nowhere in sight. //Surely she wouldn’t be outside. It’s freezing.// Growling under his breath, he went back upstairs. Duo was back from his mission, or should be. He’d wake him up and ask. Why she wasn’t in her bed at this hour of the morning…of course, if one of the pilots was injured she could be tending to him. //But Trowa isn’t due back until lunch or so, and Quatre is with the Maguanacs right now. Heero won’t be back for another two days. There’d be signs if someone was injured and brought here for treatment earlier than expected.// Wufei opened the door, ready to shake Duo awake and demand Jamie’s whereabouts—his mouth closed on a pained breath. Jamie was in Duo’s bed, wrapped up in his arms and sleeping peacefully. Duo was half draped over her, head snuggled into the crook of her neck and sleeping just as deeply. Something shattered inside of him at the sight, the pieces dissolving as if they had never been. Clenching his eyes closed to withhold tears, he stepped back out of the room without a word and shut the door softly. Head bowed, he turned and walked away. + Jamie headed downstairs for breakfast (or maybe she should think of it as lunch since it was almost eleven) and stifled a yawn. Sleeping with Duo had helped tremendously. She was just glad that neither of their respective love interests had caught them in the same bed, otherwise they would have had a lot of explaining to do and some feathers to soothe. Turning around the corner, she tried to rub her face into awareness— “Oof.” Blinking rapidly she looked up into Wufei’s face. “Wufei! I didn’t know you were back!” her eyes scanned over his body frantically, relaxing as she realized that there was no obvious sign of injury. “You look alright. Is there anything that I’m not seeing?” His head turned away from her. “I’m fine.” //No…you’re not.// “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” He moved her to the side, a little harshly so that he could shoulder past. Jamie wasn’t about to leave it there. She caught his arm. “Don’t give me that. You can’t even look me in the eye. Did something go wrong with the mission?” He pulled free, body rigid as he walked away. Jamie felt the rejection like a physical blow to the face. //I don’t understand…I don’t get this at all.// Maybe it was something that he couldn’t talk about yet, but Jamie dismissed that thought almost as soon as it occurred to her. No, there was something more to this. Even if he couldn’t talk to her about it, he would not have treated her so coldly. //This is worse than when I first met him.// Her appetite gone, she went to the side porch and sat on the bench, pulling her knees up so she could bury her face against them. //I worried myself sick over him, consoling myself with the thought of a happy homecoming. So what can I tell myself now?// + Trowa shut down Heavyarms with a sigh of relief. Quatre was due back later the next day, and normally he would have gone straight to the Maguanac base to be with him, but… //Sixteen hours straight in a cockpit is enough, thanks. It’ll probably do me more good to catch up on my sleep now so that I’m not a zombie when he gets here.// Flipping himself out of the hatch, he landed and took a look around. Deathscythe was kneeling in one corner, so Duo was there. Nataku was in another…was there a light on near her feet? Frowning, Trowa headed in that direction. Usually when Wufei came back, you couldn’t pry him away from Jamie for at least a day no matter what the reason. It was rather sweet, really. That he was still here with Nataku was odd…unless Nataku had sustained such heavy damage in the last mission that Wufei couldn’t ignore it. //But it doesn’t look like the suit was damaged at all…// “Chang?” Wufei’s head came into view briefly before it disappeared again. “What.” //Uh-oh. He really doesn’t sound happy.// “Status?” “Minor repairs needed to Nataku. You?” //Minor repairs? Then why is he still out here?// “Same. Where’s Jamie and Duo?” There was a brief flinch from Wufei’s back. “Inside.” “Hn.” //This REALLY doesn’t look good.// Trowa was at a loss as to the cause, however. He backed out of the hangar quickly, heading through the back in the hopes that he could call Quatre. He was not, and never would be, as good with people as the Arabian. Using every trick in the book he moved up to his room without being spotted and commed his lover. Quatre appeared after the second ring. <<Trowa! Uh-oh, that’s not a good expression. What’s happened?>> “I don’t know. That’s the problem. I think you’d better get here quickly, Quatre.” <<That was SO informative, lover.>> Quatre shot him an exasperated look. <<Some detail, if you would?>> “Right. When I came back, Wufei was working on Nataku.” Quatre frowned. <<Usually he’s joined to
Jamie at the hip when he comes off a mission. How badly was Nataku
damaged?>> <<Flinched.>> Trowa shrugged unhappily. “I didn’t think it a good idea to pry. Something is seriously wrong and I don’t want to make it worse.” <<I can’t blame you.>> Quatre looked to the side, no doubt looking at a clock. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth as he worried it. <<Unfortunately, I can’t be there for another ten hours at least. I think it would be a singularly bad idea to let this—whatever it is—stew for that long. I know this isn’t your thing, love, but you’re going to have to try to find out what’s going on and help fix it.>> Trowa winced. “I was afraid you were going to say that. Well, I’ll ask Jamie. Maybe she has an idea of what it is. If I’m stuck for ideas after that point, I’m calling you again.” <<Understood. On second thought…call me anyway. I want to know what’s happening.>> “Right. Love you.” <<Love you too. Winner, out.>> Trowa sighed, letting his head thump against the desk. Now for the hard part. + He found Jamie sitting on the porch swing, head buried against her knees. It was not, in his opinion, a good sign. He sat next to her, letting her get used to his presence before prying. If he were really lucky, she might tell him what was wrong without him having to ask any questions at all. “Hi, Trowa.” Her head lifted and she gave him a smile of welcome. It hurt to see it, for it was far from the usual brilliant smile she usually gave him. “Mission go okay?” “Yes. It was just boring.” He hesitated. How was he supposed to ask? “Trowa…did you see Wufei in the hangar when you came in?” He nodded a cautious affirmative. “Could…you do me a favor? Go talk to him. Ask him what’s wrong. He won’t…talk to me.” Trowa frowned. “You don’t know?” She shook her head sadly, eyes going off into the distance. “I asked. He just shouldered past me. He couldn’t even look me in the eyes.” There was so much pain in her eyes that he couldn’t just sit there without offering some kind of comfort. Hesitantly he slipped an arm around her shoulders. With a sigh she turned into him, head settling on his shoulder. “I’ll talk to him,” he promised softly. “Thanks.” “Then I’ll beat him up for being an idiot.” She choked on a laugh. “Should I turn the ice maker back on, then?” “It’s probably a good idea,” he returned with a slight squeeze to her shoulders. “You’re a good friend, Trowa Barton.” “I’m just returning what you’ve given to me, Jamie Dragonmanovich.” + Trowa didn’t think he’d get much in the way of information from Wufei. This was the man, after all, that put himself into a trance whenever OZ tried to extract information from him. So he did something very sneaky and underhanded. He broke into Nataku. Wufei’s mission logs were…entertaining, to say the least. There were brief outbursts peppered through the normally concise wording, mostly dealing with how boring the whole thing was and how Jamie was a much better cook. Trowa nearly laughed up a lung when he read one that dated two days back, at three in the morning. ‘I cannot believe that I can’t even sleep without her in the same room! I am a warrior of the Dragon Clan! This is ridiculous! Next I know, I’ll be demanding a safety blanket and a pacifier!’ What Trowa read was both informative…and not. Nothing in the logs indicated that anything had gone wrong on the mission. Wufei ended the log at five this morning, when he got in. So, what did he do now? //There’s only one thing that I can do. Talk to Wufei.// Not a favorite prospect, but there was little choice at this point. He dropped out of Heavyarms (erasing any indication that he had hacked into Nataku first) and went to where Wufei was fitting the spare parts to Nataku’s leg. “Chang.” “What.” “What’s wrong?” “Cao! Why does everyone ask me that question?!” Wufei whirled on him, eyes spitting fire. “Maybe because you’re usually with Jamie after a mission, not buffing out Nataku’s paint job.” The flinch over Jamie’s name didn’t escape Trowa’s notice. So, it was something to do with Jamie…made sense. “Tell me, Wufei.” “Or what.” “Or I call in Quatre, and let him deal with you.” Which was actually what he preferred to do anyway. //I am not equipped to handle this right, curse it.// Wufei turned away, carefully putting the screwdriver in his hands down. “I’ll be leaving soon. Don’t worry about it.” “Wrong answer, Chang. Try again.” Oh he really didn’t like this. This was the Wufei that he knew from before Jamie had entered their lives. Now that he was truly looking, he could see the utter lifelessness in Wufei’s eyes, despite the anger in them now. //What could have possibly caused this?// “It wasn’t the mission that hurt you. So what happened at five this morning, Wufei?” Wufei froze. “How did you know when I came in?” “System logs,” Trowa replied promptly, carefully *not* mentioning *which* system logs… “It’s not important. Now leave me alone, Barton. I want to get this done.” And that was that. When Wufei used that tone, there wouldn’t be any more information forthcoming. Trowa knew that very well from past experience. Thoughtfully he turned away and headed outside. Maybe it was time to ask Duo. He might know something that Jamie didn’t. + Duo was fighting with the washing machine when Trowa found him, apparently trying to get a sweater with a drawstring untangled from the center post. “…fucking always gets caught! Argh!!” “Duo.” Duo’s head shot up, smile lighting his face. “Hey, Tro! Lookin’ good, my man. So I take it another strike was made for the good guys?” Trowa nodded. “Have you seen Wufei?” “Er…no. Is he back?” Trowa frowned and sighed. So, maybe Duo didn’t know anything. “Yes.” “Man! That’s weird, I can’t figure out how I missed seeing him. When did he come in?” “Five.” Duo went stock still, eyes widening. “This morning?” Trowa’s frown deepened. “Yes. Is that important?” “Oh…SHIT.” Duo latched onto Trowa’s arms. “Please tell me he’s being all lovey dovey with Jamie.” Trowa shook his head. “No. He’s avoiding her completely. Duo, why is it important that he came in at five?” “Oh man! And here I was joking with her about it too!” Duo sank against the dryer, head buried in both hands. “See, me and Jamie haven’t been sleeping all that well without the guys. Too used to someone else in the room, y’know? So I told her to just climb in with me.” Trowa groaned. “Dammit, Duo—!” “I know! Believe me, I know! But I didn’t think it’d matter! Hell, Wufei knows that I’m with Heero. I didn’t think it’d do any harm, and neither of us were getting any real sleep by staying in our own beds like that. He must have gone looking for her when she wasn’t where she was supposed to be, and seen her with me.” “You’d better have been on opposite sides of the bed,” Trowa growled. “Uh…” “DUO!” “Dammit, you know I’m a cuddle bunny! I can’t help it!” Yes, Quatre was the same way. But still! “Fine. It’s your fault so you can fix it.” “Fine. Where is he?” Duo was almost anxious to beat some sense into Wufei’s head at this point. Of all the lame, idiotic things to do! “I saw him in the hangar last.” + Duo stalked around the house, getting madder by the second. Wufei wasn’t in the hangar, and he wasn’t anywhere in the house. That meant he was outside somewhere. He had briefly seen Jamie during his search, and what he had seen hadn’t helped him calm down any. //She was crying, dammit. I don’t know what that jerk friend of mine said, but it was enough to upset her. Gah! Why does Wufei have to be such an idiot?!// Finally he spotted him. Wufei was in furious motion, hands and feet lashing out in the demanding pattern of his katas. Usually Duo waited until he finished before approaching, but he couldn’t care less about that now. “CHANG!” Wufei stopped with his foot still in the air. “What?” “We need to straighten out a few things.” “I think everything is quite clear, actually.” Wufei’s foot dropped and he went back to his kata. Duo looked around for some way of getting his attention. They were close enough to the hangar that a garden hose was lying nearby. Without hesitation he went to it and wrenched the water all the way on. Wufei spluttered, falling out of the pattern clumsily as he was hit with a burst of water. “MAXWELL! TURN THAT OFF!” Duo wrenched it off again. “You’re going to listen to me, Wufei, or I’m going to beat you out of your senses so that you have no other choice!” “Fine,” Wufei bit off. “I’m all ears.” “I am NOT nor ever have been with Jamie!” Duo shouted. “Never came close!” Wufei’s cold mask cracked. “…what?” “She climbed into bed with me because neither one of us could sleep,” Duo continued in barely controlled anger. At least Wufei was actually *listening* to him now! “Because we are too used to having someone else in the room. She was worried sick about you, idiot!” “Ancestors shield me,” Wufei whispered hoarsely, “what have I done?” Duo closed the distance between them, his hands falling to Wufei’s shoulders so that he could shake him gently. “Moron. What kind of friend do you think I am, anyway? Don’t you think I could see what she meant to you? I’d never hurt you like that. And she certainly wouldn’t have let me! I’d be in a hospital if I tried.” Wufei ran a hand over his face, breathing raggedly. “I just…” “Assumed, which made an ass out of you and me, I know. And if you didn’t look like a drowned rat right now, I’d ream you for it.” Duo turned him toward the house. “She’s on the side porch. Go explain, then beg for forgiveness. I’ll hunt down Trowa and assure him that we don’t need to beat some sense into you. Yet.” Wufei nodded, walking rapidly toward the house. When he was level with the hangar he turned to look back. “Duo. You’re right. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” Duo snorted. “Damn straight. Get going, Grumpy.” Nodding, he turned back toward the house. + Wufei was rapidly thinking as he walked. If there was a way he could have handled this situation any worse than he did, he couldn’t think of it. //Well, no. I could have blown up at her and hurtled accusations. That would have been worse. The air would have been cleared much faster, however, because Jamie would have killed me for saying such things…// Absently he pulled his wet shirt off, Duo’s parting jibe about looking like a drowned rat reverberating in his skull. He should probably go change, but that seemed like a lesser concern at the moment. //What do I say? Somehow, I don’t think a simple ‘sorry’ will cut it.// He came around the house and felt like the biggest heel on earth at what he saw. Jamie was sitting on the swing, arms wrapped tightly around herself, staring absently into the distance with red eyes. //Zao goa, I made her cry.// He did the only thing he could think of. He walked to her and sank to his knees so that he could rest his forehead against her knee. “I’m sorry.” Jamie started at his voice, mouth opening and closing several times. But she couldn’t think of what to say. He sounded—beaten?—and the posture was all wrong. He looked like a kicked puppy, actually. “Wufei?” “I’m sorry. It wasn’t you. I just…” He looked up, eyes searching. There was so much confusion there, and remembered hurt, but she wasn’t angry. Of course, once he explained, that would probably change. “Wufei, what is going on?!” Well, here goes nothing. He took in a breath and expelled it all in one sentence. “I came in at five this morning.” For a split second it just didn’t click. Then her eyes narrowed. “Oh no you didn’t.” Wufei winced. “YOU IDIOT!” “I know,” he admitted wearily. “I would never—!” “I know,” he repeated with a groan. “You can hit me, if it makes you feel better.” “OOOH! Don’t tempt me Chang!” She exploded to her feet, unable to sit still. “I cannot believe that you thought I would sleep with Duo!” Wufei wisely held silent. He couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t get him into more trouble—silence was a good option right now. After five tense moments of that silence, however, he was too nervous to hold it in anymore. “Are you going to forgive me?” he asked quietly. Jamie looked at him, still kneeling. He looked so lost, and withdrawn. She wanted to hit him for ever believing that she would tangle with Duo behind his and Heero’s backs—but considering everything, she could understand why he had thought it, too. “Answer me one thing. Why didn’t you say anything to me?” “Two reasons,” he whispered. “I had never made my intentions clear to you. I had no right to say anything if you chose someone else. And…Duo would be a better partner for you, in any case.” The first part, she had to agree with. The second… “I don’t think either Heero or Duo would agree with that assessment,” she informed him dryly. Wufei snorted. “Probably not.” Dagnabit, she just couldn’t stay angry with him when he was looked as if he fully expected for her to slap him. Sinking to her knees, she threw both arms around his shoulders and hugged him hard. “I forgive you.” He sank into her arms, holding her back just as fiercely. Miracles of miracles, it appeared as if the apology had worked. For several long moments he just soaked in the feeling of being held by her, and holding her in return. //I need to say something. This whole debacle might repeat itself again if I do not make everything clear to us both.// “When…I saw you this morning, I couldn’t help but be angry with myself.” She pulled back to look at him. “Why?” “I shouldn’t…hesitate, about you. But I did. And I jeopardized everything with my cowardice.” “So what are your intentions, Wufei?” she queried gently. “I want to hold you,” he whispered past the heart in his throat, “for the rest of our lives. I do not want to lose the feeling that I have when I’m with you.” Jamie was sure she was smiling like an idiot, but she couldn’t help it. “That sounds perfect. Let’s start now.” He smiled back and pulled her into his lap. Jamie’s head tilted as he moved closer, eyes sliding shut as their mouths met. She threaded her fingers into his hair as he took the kiss from chaste to sweet heat and mating tongues. Never, in her entire life, had a kiss been like this. It was gentle, and thorough with Wufei’s taste like sweet ambrosia on her tongue. “Yup, I think they made up, Tro.” The two broke apart and turned to the front of the house. Duo and Trowa were standing there, grinning. Duo sauntered closer and tossed Wufei a new shirt. “So, can we call Q-ball and assure him that all’s clear on the western front?” Jamie sat back on her heels so that Wufei could pull the blue shirt over his head. “Yes. And Duo, the next time our boyfriends go away and leave us sleep deprived, I think we better just deal with it.” “Yeah, no kidding. We’ll pull out Fushigi Yuugi or something to kill the time with.” Wufei would have protested this but truthfully…he didn’t want anyone’s arms around Jamie but his. “Why does Quatre know about this?” “I called for advice,” Trowa admitted. “Please don’t do that again, any of you. At least not without Quatre around.” Jamie chuckled, shaking her head. “Scare you a little, did we?” Trowa gave her a flat stare. “I am *not* good at stuff like this.” “We’ll schedule our personal disasters around Quatre,” Duo promised with his hand on a figurative bible and another raised in a square, “we so solemnly swear.” “Hn.” Jamie tugged Wufei to his feet. “Now that the crisis is over, tell me how things went. And why on earth you’re wet and were half-naked.” ~*~*~*~ Cao—fuck
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