by Arithkenshin
Disclaimer: Stop rubbing it in, I don't own them, just playing.
Notes: *glomps* Sol. thanks again hon, for your patience with me and my bouncing sessions and for the great betaing. *hugs* CYT btw. *hugs* Casey, *hugs* Trowacko and *hugs* Makoto
For the first time since he had come to Blight to seek his revenge, Wufei felt at peace. He sat on the ground, legs folded up to his chest, arms locked loosely around them. His loose hair swayed in the breeze, the dawning shadows dancing across his features, giving him a secretive look.
He sighed.
Wufei had always loved this time of day, that first fresh moment when the sun woke and spread its warmth over the world. When the golden rays of light spread their fingers across the land, leaving shadows to dwell in the concealed corners they couldn't reach.
It was a time of day that leant him a clarity he didn't get at any other. Right then, however, he wasn't sure if clarity was what he needed. What he needed was to focus.
He stood up and stretched. It was a languid movement of muscles he knew would protest before he was done. But it had been too long and despite, or maybe because of, everything that had happened he wanted to ground himself.
The air at dawn was fresh, like a new beginning as the sky morphed through its myriad of colours. Warm violet bathed the garden. It slowly bled to a red briefly lending an eerie ambience, before melding to orange that slowly leaked into every crevice it could. When the sun finally woke fully, Blight was bathed momentarily in a golden-yellow light, belying the nature of its inhabitants.
Wufei's face tilted upwards. His eyes were closed; legs shoulder width apart and arms flung out to either side as he soaked up the sun's warmth. His golden skin felt as if it was glowing. The sunlight caught his hair, accentuating the blue highlights as it flowed gently in the breeze.
Despite himself, a smile crossed his face. His body was relaxed and stretched; his mind at ease. He fell easily into the age-old stance taught to him since he was old enough to walk. It was the beginning to his clan's kata. It freed his mind and let him enter something akin to a trance; it allowed his body to take over and leave his mind free.
He ignored everything around him. All the sounds of nature faded into nothingness. There was nothing to interrupt his flow. All foreign sensation left his field of perception. The fabric of his clothes no longer existed; and his heart beat steadily, pumping the blood through his veins; empowering him. His moves virtually flowed from one position to the next with an ease acquired through many years of training. It was magical to behold.
Wufei let nothing intrude. He let himself become one with his surroundings, oblivious to everything else. Nothing invaded his awareness, not even Arioch or the eyes watching him from a distance.
And he didn't care. For the first time in days, he finally felt fully human again.
Duo stood in his favourite place outside of his haven. For the first time since his wings had been forced back into existence, he spread them outdoors. He stood on top of the tower room, wings spanning to either side. Although they were still a little tender, it felt good to feel the sensation the wind caused when it ruffled his feathers.
The sun's rays contrasted to the cool breeze, lending relief to the mild ache in his wings. His hair fluttered behind him, unbound. The chestnut tendrils entwined themselves around him, seeking to replace the shadows that couldn't follow him there.
His violet gaze was narrowed thoughtfully, as it rested on the figure in the gardens below. He watched as it moved, the lithe grace evident even from such a distance. Wufei was unconsciously demonstrating a fluid elegance that was so similar to the way Arioch moved that it made Duo ache for his friend.
The sigh that escaped Duo, wafted away on a gust of wind, lost to the morning breeze. He felt melancholy creep over him, and did little to fend it off. It was as if something was always lying in wait for him, ready to try and pull him off balance at a moment's notice.
Duo's brow furrowed with determination. He had been caught off balance once before, and had paid dire consequences for it. For that momentary lapse, he would reap his revenge. It had taken him eons to heal and hundreds of years to gather his strength. He refused to be caught off guard ever again. And for him, ever was a very long time.
The wind around him picked up as his hair reacted in anger. Strands of hair crackled with the power threatening to spill from his grasp. He scowled, eyes never leaving the solitary figure in trance below. Duo knew he needed better control when he was angry. He always had and likely always would.
But before he could clamp down on his power himself, someone else did.
Blue-green eyes opened sleepily, sparing a moment to level a glare at the sun shining through his window. Quatre frowned as he realised that Duo wasn't in bed with him. Though the blond had to admit that he felt rejuvenated, he didn't like waking up without his lover, when he slept at all.
He could feel Duo, as always, in the back of his head. His lover was brooding. With a sigh, Quatre stood, only stopping briefly to put on a pair of pants. The cloth was cool on his skin, and a slight shiver crept up his spine.
He reached the tower and climbed the winding staircase. Quatre loved the room at the top. It was hexagonal and each wall was made of glass. The most wonderful full circle view could be observed from it and although Quatre loved storms, he hated getting wet. So while Duo would climb up and stand on top of the tower, letting the elements pour down on him, Quatre would stay in the room and watch the show from there.
Quatre chuckled as he climbed the steep staircase leading to the roof. A wave of power rolled over him and he frowned. The essence was distinctly Duo, which meant that his lover was angry enough to forget to contain himself.
Quatre sighed. He stepped out onto the roof and made his way over to Duo, readying a barrier net to cast. His powers weren't fully returned, but they were close enough. For a moment he admired the view Duo presented.
The outspread wings and his flowing hair, ruffled gently in the morning zephyr. A smile crept over Quatre's face. Moments like this one made him glad that he had done what he had done so long ago. It was times like this that he knew he had definitely made the right choice. Not just because of Duo, but Duo was a large part of it. Duo was the best part of it.
Quatre clamped down on Duo's leaking power and took a step back as Duo pivoted and levelled an angry violet glare at him. Duo's face softened when he realised it was Quatre, and his voice was gentle when he spoke. "Don't sneak up on me like that."
Quatre sniggered. "I would hope I'm the only one who can."
"I hope so, too." Duo's retort wasn't playful. He was deadly serious.
Quatre cocked his head to one side. It was rare that Duo got into moods like these, but it did happen. The blond just waited for Duo to speak again. It didn't take long.
A sad sigh escaped Duo's lips and he turned to look at the landscape sprawling down from the house. He gestured vaguely with his left arm, before letting it dangle uselessly at his side. His right hand ran through windswept bangs and his voice was poignant when he spoke. "This. everything. There is so much out there.for them. Ultimately, everything we do is supposed to be for the people. We lost that somewhere. Somewhere in the competition, revenge and hatred, we've lost sight of our purpose."
Desperate Violet eyes turned to seek something in Quatre's countenance. The blond waited for Duo to continue.
"Can I do this? Can we? Should I be leading in something where I have obviously failed before?" Frustration was evident in the very way he held himself. His entire body was tense and he clenched his fists as he turned to watch Wufei once more. "Look at him. he was perfectly happy as a human. Is it really an honour to host one of us? Will I ruin him in a moment of distraction this time round? Will I get us destroyed this time?"
Ahhh, Now Quatre knew. He took a step forward and linked his arms loosely around Duo's waist. The wings hampered him a little, but Quatre was nothing if not persistent. He let his breath caress the Mark on Duo's shoulder, feeling the shudder run through his lover's body as his reward.
Quatre modulated his voice to put Duo at ease, to try and untangle those strangling thoughts. "You didn't ruin us. You didn't cause Michael to betray the pact." He placed a kiss along Duo's shoulder, before nuzzling the side of his neck. Quatre continued to speak in a whisper, his hot breath caressing Duo's skin. "If we've lost site of our purpose, now is as good a time as any to regain it. And Wufei was born to be a host. It's his purpose. You know that. Stop blaming yourself for everything."
The tension leaked out of the body beneath the blonde's touch. Quatre let a smile ghost across his features.
Another sigh escaped Duo, and the longhaired Fallen pulled Quatre around to hold him from the front. Duo held him tightly, as if he was afraid that the blond would disappear. His voice was barely audible when he spoke. "Do you ever regret it? Do you ever think you made the wrong choice?"
Quatre couldn't stand the pain in Duo's voice. The hesitancy was so foreign to the violet-eyed Fallen that Quatre's heart ached. "No. I never regret my choice. I never will."
They stood, simply holding each other. The sun rose higher in the sky soaking them in a golden light, infusing them with a warmth they needed.
Quatre revelled in it. They rarely let themselves get emotional. It was a danger, and as hard as the blond might find it, he had to suppress a lot of immediate reactions. The fact that Duo and himself were so alike made things hard sometimes. But then there were times when they could let go, and just take pleasure in being with each other.
He was brought out of his musings when a chuckle rumbled through Duo's body. Warm breath caressed his cheek as Duo spoke.
"I don't think our defiant host was expecting that."
Quatre turned to look down at the scene curiously. A smile spread across his face.
Trowa hadn't slept a wink. Not that it was unusual for him. He, like any Fallen, rarely needed sleep and found no logic in sleeping if he didn't need to. There was another reason for him being awake though, he was thinking. Or, at least, he had been. Now he was pacing and his long legs were doing so in a ground-eating manner.
He couldn't help himself. All he waned to do was have Wufei hold him the way he used to. It was hard to distance himself from the other Fallen considering their past lives together. They balanced each other. Air and Fire; it was the way it had always been. It was driving him to distraction that he couldn't be with his soul mate. The kiss the previous day hadn't helped any. Top it off with the fact that Wufei had instigated it and then become confused, and Trowa was understandably frustrated.
Of course, there was the fact that a full waking had only occurred one other time in their existence. Four Fallen needing to be woken was a challenge that rarely cropped up. Usually it was only necessary for one or maybe two of them to be Woken. It just depended on the nature of the battle and how much room there was for needless mistakes.
Last time none of them had slipped up. Last time the pact between the Fallen and Archangels had been betrayed. As far as Trowa was concerned; there was no longer a pact. Everything was fair game. A frown creased his face, and Trowa stopped pacing.
He was tired of waiting patiently and he moved in the direction he knew Wufei to be in. It was time to have a talk to his balance. Trowa made his way through the house to the garden.
He stepped out, raising a hand in front of his eyes to shield from the blinding rays of the sun. As his sight adjusted to the brightness, his gaze fell on Wufei's form and jaw dropped.
The Chinese man was deeply immersed in one of his katas. His form moved with fluid dignity. Every movement precise; the sheen of sweat covering his body accentuated the lightly rippling muscles. The fresh sunrays glinted off his skin, lending it a golden hue and an almost fiery appearance. Black hair whipped with every motion he made, dancing in harmony with him.
In that moment, Trowa wanted Wufei more than he ever had. Trowa approached quietly, only vaguely registering what he was doing and waiting for a break in the black haired man's routine.
Wufei finished the kata, holding his stance, muscles straining, breathing coming in short gasps. Sweat dripped into his eyes, making him blink. His body tensed as he felt breath on the back of his neck. He hadn't heard anyone approach, and he was ready to strike.
Before he could move, strong arms encircled him, holding him in place. A voice spoke, silky smooth in its texture. It made Wufei's skin tingle.
"Don't move. Just listen to me for once."
Body still tensed, Wufei nodded. He was angry at himself. It was obvious that he was distracted. He wouldn't usually have let anyone get that close to him unnoticed.
The hold on him relaxed a little, and the body behind him moved to stand in front of him. Trowa's green eyes sought out Wufei's own and the Chinese man had to fight more than ever to suppress the feelings he had been pushing down since his Waking.
Trowa spoke softly, as if he was scared that Wufei was going to disappear into thin air. "Am I really that repulsive."
Wufei wasn't sure, but he thought he could hear a tentative tone of misery in those words. His mouth moved without him commanding it to do so, and the words were out before he could stop them."I find you quite the opposite."
A smirk flitted across Trowa's face at Wufei's inadvertent admission. Wufei scowled and began to struggle out of the hold on him, only causing it to tighten.
"I said, just listen to me for once. I'm not finished yet." Trowa's expression was stern and his body language on edge, as if he expected Wufei to punch him and run. Wufei's shoulders slumped a little and he glowered up at the taller Fallen's face, giving him silent permission to carry on.
"You don't remember me, do you?" Trowa's voice held resignation to something beyond his control.
Wufei couldn't help it; he took pity on him. He relaxed further into the grip that felt like home despite his best efforts to make it not feel like that. "I.I remember you too well. As if you're one of my memories. I." He took a breath, letting his anger and frustration leak through, making his voice sound stronger, trying to fill it with more disdain. Trying to fill it with the very derision he felt for his own reactions to things. "I wasn't raised this way. My marriage was already arranged. She died. and that thing that killed her and my family is supposed to be brethren? This is twisted. It's wrong."
Trowa dropped his grip. If he was shocked, Wufei couldn't tell. The strange piece of hair fell over the Wind Fallen's face, obscuring his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was soft and emotionless. "Did you love her?"
The question shocked Wufei. Did he love Meiran? He knew her, had known her his whole life; had been told as a child that he would be marrying her. But did he love her? His answer shocked himself. "I don't know."
Trowa's head shot up from the dejected position it had been lowered to, his eyes clearly visible once more. "You don't know? Why were you getting married?"
Wufei crossed his arms and scowled. "Marriage is an institution which can be used to achieve various results. Love has no place in such an agreement." Trowa's eyes lit with disbelief, but Wufei ignored it. The thing he couldn't ignore was the little voice in the back of his head, berating him for his stubbornness. If Wufei hadn't known better, he would have thought it was Arioch. Suddenly the sun didn't seem to warm his skin anymore. The golden light had lost its warmth and Wufei shivered.
An amused snort escaped Trowa as he spoke. "You don't even believe that yourself. You should probably try to convince yourself before you try to convince other people." The tall Fallen began to move away, the wind making his coat dance. It seemed to be mocking the black-haired Fallen.
Wufei suddenly found himself not wanting Trowa to leave. Before he could even think, he reacted, snaking out a hand to catch hold of Trowa's arm, halting the other man's departure. Green eyes blinked in question, focusing first briefly on Wufei's hand before searching Wufei's face for an answer.
"Are you finished now?"
Trowa blinked, but his face remained impassive. "Do you want me to be?"
Wufei's eyes darted to Trowa's, searching for something in there. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "No."
A ghost of a smile crossed Trowa's face as he stepped closer to Wufei. Whatever he planned to say was pushed out of mind as his skin ran cold.
The scream that echoed around Blight could be felt through the very ground. It caused Trowa to stumble, but the wind steadied him enabling him to catch Wufei and steady him. Green eyes focused on the house.
A heavy stench of earth power hung over the mansion and its surrounds. The power was unkempt and dangerous. Wufei braced himself against the taller man as yet another scream made the ground begin to shake.
Duo braced his legs, shoulder width apart, holding Quatre with one arm to steady him as well.
"What the." but then it dawned on the longhaired Fallen. He knew he was going to pay for what he was about to do, but he needed to get into the gardens straight away.
Quatre could obviously sense it and turned to Duo a moment to late. "Duo. don't you dare." He growled under his breath as his lover jumped off the top of the tower and floated down to the ground. He could feel the underlying pain of the action through his bond to his lover. Mumbling under his breath about irresponsible partners, Quatre followed.
Duo and Quatre reached Trowa and Wufei. The expression on the Chinese man's face was slightly confused, but Trowa's was grim with determination. Duo was about to say something to his friend when the door to the garden flew off its hinges and exploded into the area. Quatre's wings came out into an automatic shield, preventing the flying debris from hitting any of them.
When the shower of wood and iron shrapnel had stopped, Quatre folded his wings away once more.
Heero stood in the doorway, blue eyes dripping hatred. His chocolate hair was its usual unkempt mess of waves, and his body language spoke murder. He raised his right hand and pointed at Duo. "You!"
Duo cringed. "Fuck."
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