Takeo - Hello again ^^
WuFei - We've moving on as quickly as possible
Takeo - I want to thank Dina, DragonMage, MER, Nikki and Nikita for their comments. Stuff in the ~lala~ are mental thoughts that Duo and WuFei share through the mind link, stuff in /blah/ are thoughts in someone's head.

Chapter Five : Amends

WuFei opened his eyes slowly, hissing a bit as alcohol sloshed generously down the sides of his thighs. Large turquoise eyes met obsidian ones as WuFei turned red. Quatre was nestled between his legs, a look of seriousness on his face as he cleaned WuFei up, thanking Allah that the cuts in WuFei weren't so deep.

"What…are you doing?" WuFei asked as he forced down the blush that reddened his too pale skin.

"You were hurt badly. I'm just cleaning up and checking to see if you're healthy, which I'm very glad of mind you." Quatre said with a business like tone as he threw away the blood soaked cloth into a disposal unit.

"Thank you." WuFei whispered as Quatre helped him sit up.

"It's no problem WuFei. We saved you, destroyed the Yonrose, although Relena's somewhere swearing up a storm in space and we have the Tenkuu with us." Quatre said as he pulled out a thick beige blanket and wrapped WuFei in it.

"But why did you come after me? How did you know that Relena had captured me?" WuFei asked, trying to put in the remaining pieces of the puzzle.

"Duo saw you being captured and he flipped out. He really wanted to save you WuFei and he put everything on the line for you." Quatre said with in soft tone, WuFei sensing some admiration in Quatre's tone.

"The mind link led me to you." A new voice said as someone entered the room, bearing a tray of warm food.

"Duo! I'm glad that you're up." Quatre said as he got up and pulled Duo in. Violet orbs met obsidian and WuFei saw fear and relief mixing together, Duo's eyes looking guiltily at WuFei as if he had done something terribly wrong.

"I wanted to. Are you okay WuFei?" Duo asked as he set the food on the table near the bed. WuFei nodded.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while." Quatre said as he left the sickbay, the door sliding shut behind him. Moments of silence passed as Duo watched WuFei. He had woken up not too long ago. Zechs had explained what had happened to WuFei and Duo *knew* through the mind link, through what he felt around WuFei that *he* was responsible for what had happened. He had hurt WuFei like this and he couldn't bring himself to see himself as a soul worth saving.

"Duo, are you okay? You look ill." WuFei asked as he made room for Duo to sit on the bed.

"I…I don't feel well, that's all." Duo said as he bit his tongue, forcing his guilty heart to stop its painful beating. WuFei regarded Duo for a minute, feeling the panicked emotions in Duo's mind.

"You, you created the mind link, between us, why?" WuFei asked as his eyes focused intently on Duo's face, trying to read the officer's saddened expression.

"Because I love you. /But you can't if you knew that it was because of me that you're hurt./" Duo said, grabbing his braid and twisting it around his fingers instead of just gnawing off his sinful hands.

"It…I knew that, I'm grateful. Not many people would love me for what I am." WuFei whispered as he dropped his head into his arms and wept. Duo looked up in alarm and wrapped his arms around WuFei, almost crying himself for the two struggling emotions that he felt fighting in his heart.

"Don't say that. You saved my life. Loving you let me live, even now…I…I've hurt you so much and I still love you." Duo whispered as he clutched WuFei in his arms, tears streaming out of his eyes as he buried his head into WuFei's loose hair.

"What are you talking about?" WuFei asked as he wiped his tears away. Duo froze and swallowed hard.

"I…it was me that, that hurt you. Forgive me!" Duo cried as he fell to the ground and clutched WuFei's ankles, tears still soaking his cheeks as WuFei's face went cold as he understood.

"No, it can't be." WuFei whispered. Duo looked up at him.

"It's true. Look." Duo said as he peeled the band-aid from his cheek to reveal the deep scratch that WuFei had left on him. WuFei stroked the scratch, shuddering as he did so.

"No…" WuFei whispered as he drew away from Duo, not wanting to believe what he had heard. In the back of his mind, Relena's mocking voice jeered at him.

"Gods…Fei, I.. never meant to hurt you. I was so knocked out after Relena pulled us into her ship and I remember her whispering stuff that I've never heard before in my life. The next thing I know, I was in you and you were crying and then I found myself standing on Yonrose's deck with blood pouring down my cheek. I passed out when Heero saw me." Duo whispered as he still knelt on the floor, wishing to end his life for hurting the only boy that he had ever loved. WuFei sensed that thought echoing through the mind link.

"Stop thinking that! Relena has ways to control people that even *I* don't know about. You didn't do this willingly Duo, stop blaming yourself, and get off the floor." WuFei said a bit shakily. The chestnut head lifted and WuFei saw the tears that had refused to stop their flow. He also noticed that Duo's cut had started bleeding again.

"WuFei, I love you and I'll do anything you want for me to pay for my sin," Duo whispered, hiccuping a bit as he continued talking "Even though you'll hate me and never feel the same way that I feel about you, if there ever was a chance." Duo finished heart brokenly. Arms went around Duo as WuFei hugged the weeping boy.

"I, I understand your pain. This mind link thing wasn't such a bad idea." WuFei whispered back. At least, it was Duo, this boy that would sacrifice even his love for him just to forgive him.

~ Wrong place at the wrong time.~ WuFei thought as his arms hugged Duo tighter.

~What was that? Oh! We're, we're speaking without talking!~ Duo thought as his violet eyes widened in surprise.

~It's okay Duo.~ WuFei replied.

"WuFei, you need to rest. I want to take care of you, it's my fault after all." Duo said as he tucked WuFei in, wiping away his tears. WuFei had mentally sent him a wave of comfort as their eyes met.

"I forgive you Duo. If I had known that it was you in the room, I wouldn't have fought back." WuFei said with a somewhat shy smile as Duo's fingers laced with his. Duo nodded.

"I…thank you WuFei. I have food for you." Duo said sheepishly as he pulled up a chair and fed WuFei, taking in WuFei's lips, his eyes that had returned to their original level of content and the quivering body beneath the blanket.

"Thanks Duo." WuFei said as he licked his lips, catching the stray syrup that had managed to get way from his hungry mouth.

"You're not calling me 'Maxwell' anymore." Duo said with a grin. WuFei blushed.

"I know a lot more about you now." WuFei said with a small smile of his own. Duo thanked whatever god that had let his love forgive him and treat him nicely.

"You're shivering." Duo notice as WuFei clutched the blanket tighter.

"I dread sleeping. Ever since Relena captured me, I've been having terrible dreams. How will this night be any different? She said so many things to me…about my past and I'm being haunted again." WuFei said bitterly as he shook his head.

"I'll stay with you. I'm far from all right myself." Duo admitted as he put the tray away and taking off his boots, he crawled under the blanket with WuFei and wrapped the smaller boy in his arms, giving him as much warmth as he could.

"Duo." WuFei whispered as the chestnut head rested against his, warm breathing a bit quickened at the side of his neck.

"This is the best way that I know how." Duo replied as he faced WuFei, kicking himself hard as his eyes wandered to the pink lips just inches from his.

"You're willing to do all this, when you're not sure if I feel anything for you?" WuFei asked as he let his mind join with Duo's.

~Yes. Anything for you. I don't care if you don't love me, as long as you know, as long as you know that I exist, just for you.~ Duo's mind whispered softly. WuFei sighed. The intensity of Duo's reply made him smile, a true smile, one that hadn't showed on his face in years.

"Wo ai ni Du-chan. All of you." WuFei whispered as he snuggled into Duo's embrace sharing his own warmth with Duo, as if they were both one being. Duo's breath caught in his throat.

"I…ai shiteru." Duo whispered back as he caught WuFei's lips with his, a pure shot of pleasure sizzled over the mind link and both boys gasped at the rush of emotion that met them both. WuFei purred softly as Duo's tongue slid into his mouth, waltzing alongside him as pale hands gripped WuFei's neck and head, pulling the Chinese boy into a deeper kiss, one that tried to convey untold joy, relief and passion all at once. WuFei's arms wrapped around Duo's neck , sloe eyes closed as WuFei let the feeling mull him over and bath him with healing light. Neither of them heard the door open.

" Quatre said that you guys were in here- what?!" Zechs said as he stopped short at the door, seeing Duo rested on top of WuFei, the two boys engaged in a rather intimate kiss, one that left them alone in the world. Duo smiled as he pulled away from WuFei's' lips, amaryllis eyes filled with love and breath coming in slow pants. WuFei smiled softly and pulled Duo closer again until he saw ice blue eyes peeking at him.

"Hi Zechs." WuFei said as he rested on his elbows, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Zechs?!" Duo said as he turned his head and blushed as he saw the tall blond haired captain looking at both of them.

"WuFei, how could you?!." Zechs exclaimed as he stood in disbelief. Heero and Quatre approached the sickbay and listened

"What are you talking about Zechs?" WuFei asked as he became aware of Heero and Quatre's presence. Zechs grabbed Duo's arm and yanked him away from WuFei, cold fury blazing in his eyes.

"He's the one that hurt you WuFei, and I promised to make him pay for what he did." Zechs said as he glared coldly at Duo.

"Zechs! You have no proof!" Quatre said as he entered the room, Heero following suit.

"Yes there is. It's written all over his face." Zechs replied as he crumpled Duo's shirt even more.

"Enough!" WuFei shouted as he got up from the bed and yanked Zechs's hands off Duo. Amethyst eyes lidded with anger gazed at Zechs, fear washing through Duo.

"I didn't do it willing Zechs. You *know* that there's no way in seven hells that I would hurt WuFei." Duo said as he stood up to defend himself admist the angry blue eyes all around him. WuFei bit his lip. He couldn't help Duo out of this no matter how much he wanted too.

"Duo, I know that this is hard for you and if WuFei has come to terms with it, so must we." Heero said as he glared at Zechs for his behaviour. Angry sloe eyes met Zech's and the blond nodded.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. My life has taught me different lessons." Zechs said as he turned around and left the room, not meeting WuFei's eyes. Quatre sighed in relief and clapped his hands.

"Well, everything's settled. We'll leave you two alone and I'm glad that we're all back to normal. Come on Heero." Quatre said with a smile as he dragged his lover away, the door shutting once again.

"He'll never let me forget this." Duo said with a sad sigh as he sat on the bed again, looking down at his hands. WuFei's arms circled him from behind and he rested his head against Duo's back.

"I've forgiven you and I'm the one that was harmed by this the most. He'll get over it. Zechs is a strong man Duo. Maybe when things like this happened in his life, someone had to pay for it with their life, so it's easy to understand why he has that kind of justice in him. Anyway, let's not think about this again. And I'll talk to Zechs to reassure him." WuFei said with a sigh as he let go of Duo and settled back on the bed.

"Okay." Duo replied as he removed the rest of his clothes save his boxers and climbed in next to WuFei, snuggling closer to the boy that he loved. WuFei smiled as his hands skimmed Duo's well muscled back, the boy digging his head into the side of WuFei's neck, lips already leaving small kisses in their wake.

"I love you Duo." WuFei whispered as Duo's naked chest pressed against his own. Duo shivered at the small movement, his lips catching WuFei's.

"I love you too, with all my heart." Duo whispered back as he let the hope that he had blossom as his lips caught fire as they tasted his love.

Zechs sat alone on the bridge. Everyone had gone to bed and all he could do was stare at the expanse of space. It hurt him so much that WuFei had been hurt, he was relived that they had found out that it was Duo and that Duo was forgiven and all was settled, but it was nothing compared to the pain that Zechs felt in his heart when WuFei had yanked his hands off Duo earlier in the day. The fire in those eyes, fire of love. Zechs somehow wished that WuFei's eyes would light up like that for him, as if he was the most important thing in all the world.

"I can't be...in love?" Zechs whispered, shaking his head sadly and yet, he knew that as unbelievable as it sounded, it was as true as his own existence. Zechs smacked his hand against his forehead, mentally groaning.

End of chapter five

Takeo - yeah, no lemon. * Avoids poking from people*
WuFei - No more evil please!
Zechs- Too late for that now.