"Recast"

Written By: Kaeru Shisho

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Yaoi, AU, and an unlikeable Heero, Trowa, and Quatre, but very nice Wufei and Duo

Pairings: 1+2, 2x5x2

Summary: Wufei pursues Duo, who has been forsaken at the altar and is now trying to sort out his life, aiming to turn lost hopes into paradise found.

A/N: Thanks to Waterlily for generous feedback and improvements to the story throughout.

"Recast "

Chapter Five

Another week passed. They had not returned to the topic of their shared homosexuality. Duo felt that they both seemed comfortable with it being tucked safely away in a not-used but not-forgotten corner of their relationship. For the time being.

Wufei had begun his hunt for a job, a weak attempt so far, but Duo didn't blame him for wanting to extend his vacation. He hoped he'd decide to stick around, at least until Duo's job ran out. In the back of his mind there was still the fear Wufei would return to Preventers, but it was fading thanks to Fei's determination to find something new to do with his life. In the meantime, Duo loved having Wufei clean house and do the laundry and often take charge of the dinner preparations.

Duo checked the clock. It was nearly lunch time, and he couldn't wait. He smiled. Wufei should be done with the wash about now. The man did like his life scheduled and the structure fit nicely into Duo's more carefree mode of operations, complete with rituals and clock-watching.

Duo had accustomed himself to Wufei's daily visits, just as he had moving to an entirely new climate, food groups, and way of life. But unlike the lifestyle changes, Wufei's presence was quickly growing into an essential part of every waking minute. From the moment he awoke with his friend drowsing in the hammock only a few feet away to the last moments of wakefulness, again, with Wufei an arm's length away-

"AH!" Duo jumped to answer his phone. He was in the habit of leaving it on now, in order to chat with Wufei and occasionally Quatre. This was a call from neither one.

Noooooooo! Duo felt as if his brains would fall out, then explode into a shimmering waterfall of fireworks, then regroup in a solid mass just long enough to salute the island's flag hanging on the wall above his head, then split apart again into a hundred individual pieces decked out in majorette costumes, then prance off with the marching band singing "We Shall Overcome."

"Duo!?"

"Um, yeah. Hi, Heero?"

"Duo. I'm at the hotel. I've come to see you and to apologize. Can we meet?"

Duo's brain remained a bit smudgy on details after that. Before taking off, though, he did remember to message Wufei to meet him at the market and repeated "come" three times with plenty of "!" marks. He got Heero's name in there someplace.

They met in the lobby. At least Heero was out of uniform. At least. God. It was Heero with his back turned, shirt pulled taught across his broad shoulders for all the tension leashed inside. Duo felt torn between wanting to wait for Wufei's backup and running for his life. His heart threatened to pound a way out of his chest.

"Hey," Duo said hoarsely. To avoid a scene in front of people he knew and was friendly with, he led Heero directly out the door.

No Wufei in sight, still! Duo practically marched to the market place in lock-step and double-time before Heero called for a halt.

"I'd like to talk."

Duo freed his sleeve from the other man's iron grip. "Oh, you would, would you? And say what?" Duo turned up his defenses to "high" and stuffed his hands into his front cargo pockets.

"I'm sorry."

Duo tapped his foot and avoided his eyes. He scanned the horizon instead, but didn't see hide nor hair of Wufei. What was taking him so long?

Heero cleared his throat. "I've been told that I hurt you. You quit Preventers. That was an unexpected consequence of the mission, as well. I am here to tell you that I didn't mean that to happen. Any of it. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you are, are you? Well, I don't forgive you. Not. At. All. I'd like to say it doesn't still hurt, being publicly humiliated and, worse, rejected, lied to! I wish I didn't still feel it deep down where it's hard to reach, or I would have ripped it out with my heart. Obviously you feel nothing. That must be nice for you." The more Duo shouted, the better he felt, and once he got started it was hard to stop.

"It's not nice," Heero said, interrupting the flow of angry words. "I didn't tell you, but I was feeling like my worst self when I called you. Things aren't right. You are needed at work. Your presence is important."

There! Duo spotted his friend heading their way, still carrying the laundry rucksack. Yeah, he was rushing to his aid. Too bad he was hefting his gear bag instead of dropping it at home first, not that it seemed to be slowing him down much. Just knowing Wufei was on his way gave his confidence a boost.

"Miss me, huh?" Duo did not suppress his sarcasm one bit, guessing Heero wouldn't recognize it.

He was right. Heero nodded his affirmation. "I didn't realize-."

"But you don't love me or want me, or in particular, want to marry me."

Heero shook his head to the negative. "I'm not attracted to any men, but if I were, it would be you."

"My math's failing to add "you" plus "me" and get anything like an "us". There's just so much of the "you," that humble little "me" simply doesn't count."

(o) Wufei pov

Wufei folded the last towel and stuffed it into the one bag. He looked on the carefully cleaned and pressed clothes with pride before easing them into his rucksack. Job well done.

He shouldered both bags and trotted back to the home he had made for himself with Duo. He had time to drop off the things at the hut, change clothes... no... shower and then change his clothes. He wanted to look his best. Today was the day. He'd had enough of the tip-toeing around the subject. He was a man. Duo was a man. Clearly, they were mutually attracted. It was time to do something about it. A nice lunch and then he'd walk Duo back to his work, pulling him into that shadowed walkway he'd discovered while reconnoitering the day before, and kissing him for all he was worth. He'd never kissed anyone before, but he knew without a doubt that once his lips touched Duo's he'd have no problem figuring out where to go from there.

"I shall throw caution out the window, because I'm playing for my life," Wufei told himself.

And then his phone vibrated so hard it nearly leapt off the floor where he'd left it while bathing. "What the-? Duo?"

His vision blurred as he re-read the message. Heero had come for Duo. He was to meet them at the market. Dear God. One short message had delt him a crushing blow

Wufei couldn't believe it at first. After everything? But, of course, Heero had come to set things right, and, probably, Duo would fall under his sway again. What should he do?

He couldn't decide whether to fight for Duo or give up. If Duo chose Heero over him after all Heero put him through, then, he'd never had a chance in hell to win Duo. He had to be prepared to leave them in peace and fade off into the sunset, even if it was the middle of the day.

He emptied the rucksack and re-packed his measly collection of things. Clothes mostly. One momento he'd keep; a rock from the kayaking trip which had kept Duo's craft from being swept off the shoreline in the storm. It hadn't been large, just in the right place at the right time. Pumice and buried mostly in the sand. It wasn't heavy, so he tossed it in the bag.

Duo, he knew, had found something to admire in him, Wufei had seen it in his eyes more than once. During the storm in the tiny place they ate, at the table, sitting close. He'd let Duo choose, but he wouldn't allow Yuy to bully him into that choice.

"But you really don't know what you're going to see when you get there," he said letting out all the bitterness he felt.

He dragged his feet like a dog walking to be bathed, loathing every step. As he neared the outdoor market, he noticed other men, looking down and out, men who passed through life the hard way, reclusive and wary, overlooked and forgotten.

That would not be him! Chang Wufei, last of his clan, would not go out hanging his head. Chin up-!

He spotted Heero and Duo, and Duo was not looking happy. At all. Until his head turned his way. He locked eyes with Duo and watched a smile spread from his mouth to his eyes. Hope! There was hope! Duo needed him!

Wufei start to run.

(o)

"Do you still want to marry me?" Heero asked just as Wufei reached Duo's side.

"Hey, you made it," Duo said tossing a lot of grateful into the mix of emotions he tried to confer with his greeting.

"Of course. Wufei rested his rucksack on the ground and frowned at Heero. "Yuy, what are you doing here?"

"Talking to Duo. I came to see him, not you."

"Since we're talking the cold hard truth here," Duo directed to Heero, "and since I'm not sure if you know, I'm telling you that actually you're not the only guy on earth-."

"I'll leave if Duo asks me to," Wufei said in reply to what Heero had said.

"Why would I tell you to go?" Duo asked, mystified. "I just called you-."

Wheeang! Thunk!

The rest of what Duo was going to say got lost in a volley of gunshot. One bullet flew past Duo and embedded itself an overhead wooden sign.

Eeee thwang!

The next hit the aluminum pole Heero had been leaning against.

Duo's hand flew to a weapon he no longer carried. From the corner of his eye, he saw Wufei doing the same thing and letting out a curse. Next thing, he saw a blur of the rucksack lifting before the weight of it pushed him over.

Pop! Fump!

That one sank into Wufei's bag, hitting something hard. What would be hard in the laundry, Duo wondered?

A pair of strong arms whipped around him and pinned him where he'd fallen to the ground. Wufei. Duo looked past his black hair just in time to catch a glimpse of Heero poised, aiming, then opening fire with his super-deluxe, official Preventers-issued handgun.

A cry of anguish, a clatter and thump. Silence. The sniper was dead, Duo had no doubts. The ground was hard, but he liked the weight of Wufei on his chest. Eyes closed let him imagine the man about to kiss him and make love.

"Yuy!" Wufei shouted. "Put that fucking phone down and come help me with Duo. He might be hurt!"

"He's not. The shot fired entered the wood sign here, over my ear. The marksman wasn't aiming for Duo. He was aiming for me. I know that now. I was right. I'm notifying Preventers."

Heero's face came into focus, and Duo propped himself up on one elbow then shouted, "You came here... luring a terrorist here... using me... This was another mission?!"

Was Wufei here for that reason too? Oh, God! Oh, God, oh God! Had he come here on a mission, too? Was this all just another job for them? Duo's stomach cramped; he felt sick, felt backwards onto the ground, and curled in on himself again, groaning. Used again and by both of them!

"Duo, look at me! Are you injured?" Wufei's voice was right in his ear.

Duo turned his head enough to make eye contact. There! There was a look in Wufei's eyes- concern, unmasked worry, and interest. He cared! Duo squeezed his eyes shut. He held onto that expression and pushed the bad thoughts away.

Heero certainly had proven in the past that he was fully capable of putting him in harm's way. But no way would Wufei! He was above all else a man of honor and his word. If he was to believe in anything, anyone, it would be Wufei Chang.

"Yeah, I'm okay, 'Fei." He leveled his voice and tried sounding in control again, but it was difficult with the other man's solemn eyes looking him over and face close enough to kiss. "Go help settle the people over there. I'll try to assure folks nearby."

Wufei didn't let him go. He pressed them together chest to chest. "Duo," he whispered.

"Can't... breathe..." Duo gasped back.

Instantly the compression relaxed. The hands moved to his shoulders and Duo was gazing into a pair of earnest brown eyes dark as midnight. "I'm fine," Duo reassured him again. "Go on. Show'em how tough us Preventers, ex or not, are. 'Ro will be on his target before I even stand up."

A local constable stood guard over the slain man. Luckily there had only been the one casualty. Carnage was no longer an acceptable outcome, and Heero was a crack shot. Heero joined Wufei and Duo calming and checking on a cluster of onlookers.

While waiting for the next level of police to arrive, Duo thought it was time for a little sorting out. He rounded on Heero. "You wanted to talk? So talk. I can't wait to hear what you've' got to say to me."

"I really came here to say I am sorry."

"For what?" Wufei barked impatiently.

Duo almost laughed. He'd wondered how long his techy and impatient friend would be able to hold in all the things he obviously wanted to say to Heero. And 'Fei could rant with the best of them!

"How many things are you sorry for? Try one... You accused Duo of having given you a STD! That was unconscionable!"

"That wasn't me! I told them to think of something else!" Heero gritted his teeth as if fighting a war with himself to keep his damning words caged in. "Part of the plan was to circulate that before the wedding to explain the suddenness of it."

"It didn't happen." Duo said to verify what he remembered.

"It wasn't necessary," Heero said. "Other planted articles made it sound as if we'd been... together...secretly... for some time." After stumbling over those words, he looked thoughtful for a second. "When the false story never appeared in the news, I assumed they'd taken my advice and the entire idea had been canned."

Wufei snorted in disgust. "You should have followed up. I made the mistake not verifying the entire mission had been re-worked having most of it slated to the garbage bin, or cancelled entirely, but I at least had the excuse of being on the other side of the planet neck-deep in a battle!"

Heero drilled him with a harsh glare. "I can't think of everything."

"And yet, you seem to when you put your mind to it," Duo said. "I think the part where I'd been slowly dying of a new as yet incurable form of AIDS as a reason for the fast wedding and why I hadn't been seeing action for some time... that level of detail had your mark on it."

"Une thought it made me a more sympathetic character." Heero felt enough guilt to look somewhat abashed and turn his intense gaze away.

"It wasn't some kind of game; it was his life!" Wufei remarked with a definite growl attached.

Duo cross-checked if Wufei was about to go ballistic, but as heated as he sounded, his face appeared under complete control. He found that admirable considering how this must have thrown a loop in his daily routine. Sure, Wu had had to adapt- and he had very quickly to fit into Duo's lifestyle- but he'd had a few weeks to acclimatize. Heero's visit had been totally unexpected and unplanned, something Duo could roll with. Duo had had a lot of weird experiences by not having a plan. Some parts of an event, like the one unfolding, made complete sense as you watched, like a movie, while other parts made no sense, like the day of his mock-wedding. It created the kind of chaos that demanded its own kind of discipline, and Wufei Chang apparently had that in spades. Duo respected how the man could wade through crazy stuff to hit at the heart of the matter.

God, how he prized the man, his best-est best friend, the best friend anyone could ever have. How he loved him! Oh... cripey... he had fallen in love with Wu. Yes, he had. Wow. Now, all he had to do was rid himself of the irritating Heero, and then he could move on to better things.

Heero ignored the angry man, a mistake, Duo thought, and focused on him instead. "Besides, this... tension from you-"

"Tension? That was fucking love staring you in the face, you asshole!" But not like the love growing inside him now. This one had roots and potential to blossom like gangbusters once he got alone with 'Fei again.

"This," Heero waved a hand to incorporate Duo and himself into his statement, "was all inevitable."

"Maybe," Duo gave him that much. "But just because something is said to be inevitable, doesn't make it morally right. You're an ass," Duo simply stated.

"Worse than that," Wufei doubled down for him. "You must have known how Duo felt about you and yet you totally exploited that! If I ever, ever had someone love me that much... who would stop their life and join mine at a moment's notice? I would cherish that person and treat them like gold. God, I can't imagine how you can be so complacent about it!"

Anyone could see how upset Wufei was. Duo knew that it came from a depth of feelings, feeling for him, and he smiled. He as much said he would love and cherish Duo, given the right sign. Right at the moment, Duo wished he had a giant "Come get me!" sign to plaster on his ass.

Heero was a much harder read, but he appeared to be thinking hard, mulling over what had been said-or scanning the horizon for an escape route. Duo wasn't sure. "I placed your feelings second to accomplishing the mission," Heero said at last.

"Just come to that conclusion? Well, yeah, you did, 'Ro. And I feel sorry for you that you are able to do that," Duo said softly. "What would you have done if the snipers hadn't shown up?"

Wufei wobbled on his feet and Duo reached out to steady him. It was completely unnecessary, but Wufei didn't object, so Duo left his hand on his shoulder a second longer and the started moving it slowly across the expanse of his back to encompass him completely. Wow, that felt grand, and Wufei hadn't flinched.

"I would have gone through with the wedding," Heero replied in his flat tone. "I had a suit in the car, just in case."

Wufei couldn't hold back his remarks; although, Duo's arm across his shoulders might have physically keeping him from taking a swipe at Heero. "It is as if you don't know what to do so you borrow ideas from the writers of penny romances, and you frequently borrow the wrong bits."

Heero shrugged his comments off and continued to stare into Duo's eyes, waiting to hear what he had to say.

Duo had plenty to impart and it took two hands to say it. He needed gesturing space, so, sadly, he removed his hold from Wufei. He missed it instantly. Waving both arms helped.

"The perfect soldier is always prepared for any eventuality," Duo said, pretending to recite a page out of a Gundam pilot manual. "Fuck, 'Ro! So, you would have gone ahead and married me, even though you aren't attracted to men in that way, and gone on a honeymoon, and what? Did you think I wouldn't have noticed? Did you think we could have lived...happily ever after?" Duo's voice had reached the higher octave. "Have you really no emotional depth at all?!"

"I would have done it for you. No one else." Heero had dropped his voice to a low murmur.

"But it wouldn't have worked! I wouldn't have been happy. You would have been miserable. I know that much and I can barely interpret how you feel from the way you act. Probably, you have a hard time knowing yourself. It's not normal and it's not good enough for me. Wufei here... I can tell how he feels about me with every selfless thing he does, every word of support. Christ! Heero!" Duo flapped his arms in frustration. "Holding on to a mistake continues to be a bigger mistake-I can see that, can you? It's a good thing the bad guys showed up and Trowa got them all."

"Not all," Heero just had to point out the man lying on the ground where he'd fallen from a tree.

The local policemen had arrived and two were heading in their direction. Heero already had his Preventers ID out, ready to complete his job.

Both Wufei and Duo were staring at Heero Yuy's Senior Agent, Preventers Identification Card.

"I don't deserve it, but I hope you believe me." Heero's eyes were riveted to Duo's. "This was not a mission. I came here to apologize to you."

"Yeah, but you knew there was one more man on Une's terrorist list out there hunting you."

Heero nodded.

"Serendipity, I don't believe in, 'Ro." Duo gestured to the police hovering around them. "Your fans are waiting to talk to you. And when you're done with them? You'll just have time to catch the next flight off the island."

One clipped nod of understanding and last words-"Goodbye, Duo."

"Backatcher, 'Ro."

(o)

Wufei nearly laughed when he heard Duo telling the man he worked with his news.

"Yeah, I'm taking off the rest of the day. Well, I got shot at. Yep. Watch the news for the complete story, heh, heh. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He felt the decision required no further defense than "I got shot at." The Duo he knew had lived with "being shot at" all his life with no need to take off time to recover.

"You okay with that? Just some us time?" Duo asked him.

This was for them, time for them. "Yes, very."

Wufei floated in a cloud of euphoria across the sandy beach, and it wasn't just that he'd had two of those lemon beers with the coconut curried pork they'd downed for lunch. The fact that Duo chose him over Yuy, and was walking at his side, planning to celebrate his escape from another man gunning for him, and a terrorist- when Wufei had been so worried that he might not- filled him with an effervescence that keep bubbling over in his laugher. It just transcended joy.

And Duo noticed. "You were going to just pack up and go?" He'd noticed the rucksack and berated Wufei a little over his lack of faith. "Like I would have traded you for him? Wu, Wu, Wu. One Wu in the hammock is worth... a gazillion 'Ro's anytime, anywhere."

Wufei stopped at the entrance to their hut and turned when Duo's hand rested on his shoulder. When Duo's other hand reached for his hand, Wufei nearly swooned the blood moved so fast to his groin.

His lips moved, "Duo," but no sound came out.

"First, I wanted to thank you for saving me in more ways than one."

Wufei tried to tell him "It was nothing. I'd do it again," but what came out was, "Duo."

Staring into those dark blue eyes, he felt overwhelming love, lust, and happiness. It would kill him if he didn't find an outlet for all that emotion, and soon.

"Un, huh." Duo chuckled and smoothed some of the loose black hair away from Wufei's face.

His eyelashes fluttered shut and he leaned into the intimate touch. "Duo."

"So, tell me, why did you really come here?" Duo asked. Yes, he hadn't heard the full answer yet. Wufei had always told him something different. "You wanted a change of scenery, a vacation, and to avoid people at work you'd lost respect for-I get that. Even to be my friend in need, but why really?"

This was his chance. He found his voice and mastered his vocal cords. "Because you were here." It still came out barely above a whisper.

"You mean, if I'd gone to the South Pole, you would have trekked all the way there and set up camp?"

"Yes." Wufei's eyes popped open and he met Duo's gaze straight on. "And then I would have done everything possible to convince you to change climes."

Duo smiled fully. He moved slowly, studying his friend's face. Before Wufei charged into his life on the island, the topic of their romance had been off the table. Then it had been about past affairs and getting over them. This was really happening now.

"We're entering dangerous territory," Duo said. He'd been wrong, very wrong, before with Heero.

"Bah, this is nothing," Wufei scoffed in jest. "Proving myself worthy... something else again."

He was nervous and Duo knew it. They both knew things had moved beyond the flirting stage and were treading warily. Not that either one seemed ready to back out, but there was no rash grabbing and tearing off of shirts.

"Guys on the rebound aren't picky," Duo said with a chuckle. "I'd even travel without much convincing."

"Are you... on the rebound?"

"Yeah." Duo felt confident that he'd chosen the right man to whom he could hand over his heart. "I've ricocheted all over the place like some damn brainless bullet. I am definitely over the perfect soldier"

"He was a fool-"

"Less of that and more without normal emotions. I don't think he ever thought about me, how I would be affected at all."

"Everything about you affects me." He was staring at their clasped hands and breathing hard for someone as fit as him.

"I'm ready for the perfect man, who is also my perfect friend." Duo smiled a little at his corny line, and Wufei looked up again with a widening grin. "Put your arms around me," Duo suggested.

"Are you sure?" His dark eyes slid to the side as if he was about to check for onlookers.

"Sure, I'm sure," Duo said.

That's all he needed to hear. Just the encouragement he needed. Wufei wrapped his arms around the narrow waist and pulled him close. He stared directly into Duo's eyes, and told him, "I'd like to do something to make you happy."

"This is good. It makes me very happy, can't you tell?"

Wufei could most definitely feel the hard length pressed into hip and knew Duo could feel his. He was going to kiss Duo now. Beyond that? He had no idea what or how, and he didn't know if Duo did either, but whatever happened, they'd be doing it together. He trembled. Words! What words could he use to express how he felt, what he wanted? And then he dredged up something original, just for Duo.

"Fragments of your love cover my heart like a map, no spots left unmarked."

"Another poem?" Duo asked. He rubbed his hardness against Wufei more urgently, to make his point. "I was going another direction here."

"I said: I'd like to do something to make you happy."

"That's what I thought you'd said. It just didn't strike me as the kind of thing you'd say to me."

"No?" Wufei felt a little hurt. "Why not?"

"I'd think you'd say something more like: what can I do to knock some sense into you and get you back to normal? Maybe even... where can we take this private and let me show you how I really feel?" Duo appeared a little anxious after reeling off all that. "Am I right?"

"I could say any of that, but my goal is to fill your head with good memories. I want to see you supremely happy again."

"Happy, huh?" Duo scratched his head. "Lemme think about that 'supremely' part a sec."

Duo gave a gentle kick and the door opened. "In."

Wufei knew his opportunity had come, and backed Duo to the small mat, hardly what he'd call a bed. Together they sat down, but without warning, because if he thought about how to do it one more time he'd explode, Wufei had his lips pressed flat against Duo's.

"Ohh..." God. He'd done it!

He tingled all over. For a short space in time the heat inside him felt no bounds. It was everything he'd imagined times ten! He had Duo in his arms and was kissing him! Where to put his hands? Oh, that's a good place. There and there and ... yes, there... He was grateful things like that came naturally.

When Duo's tongue brushed over his lips he shivered, when his lips parted, the tongue sought entry, when their tongues touched, he moaned from the aching need the contact generated.

If he died now, he thought, he'd die happy. And then Duo's hand moved, slipping under the hem of his shorts, and he felt a tickle go up his thigh, there was no time for thinking after that.

Wufei's answering kiss said it all. Poetry of the lips.

TBC

Chapter 6

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