Takeo – Hello. It’s a new fic via reader’s request! It’s called Those Memories.
WuFei – So what’s with this fic?
Takeo – So glad that you asked. Heero?
Heero – *Picks up script * Takeo does not own GW or us. No warnings yet, just a bit of blood that’s all.
Duo – What? Blood? And I’m not invited?
Takeo – This is for you Azzie, and it’s a series! *giggles excitedly at forthcoming mayhem *

Chapter One : Shot in the Dark.

WuFei swore in Cantonese as he wrapped a bandage tight around Heero’s lower abdomen, moments before washing the blood that kept running down the Japanese teen’s sides. How the hell did this happen? His mind replayed the events of the past few hours.

It had been a routine mission; well, almost routine except that he had a partner tagging along with him. His partner was Heero and they were supposed to infiltrate an Oz base that contained the blue prints of their gundams. Apparently, Heero and WuFei had treated this as solo missions and so, they were unprepared for all the new recruits that had been added to beef up security.

The mission didn’t require their gundams, but in the end, WuFei wished that he had indeed brought Nataku along for the ride. He and Heero had escaped together, after succeeding in their mission, but not before Heero was gunned down, shot in his side as he ran behind WuFei. The Chinese boy saved his ranting for later as he hauled the Japanese teen into a jeep. He reached for the ignition to hot wire it and then he was shot in his leg. Ignoring the pain and discomfort, WuFei succeeded in getting the jeep started and sped off in a cloud of dust. They had made it to the safe house without any trouble.

WuFei got up, pain twitching in his leg as he approached Heero. WuFei sought to attend to his injury later. Right now, he had to attend to Heero. He laid Heero on the plain couch in the safe house. Cobalt blue eyes snapped open as gentle fingers eased a bit into his wound. His eyes shut as the pain returned.

"Gomen nasai Heero, but, this bullet has to come out." WuFei said as his two fingers hit against the bullet. He slowly but surely eased the bullet out of Heero and growled in disgust as he dropped the bullet to the ground. He pulled out his med kit that he always carried with him and washed the wound clean. Heero opened his eyes as the hands gently cleansed his wound. Heero had never thought of WuFei as someone with a gentle touch. He turned his face so that he could see what WuFei was doing. WuFei’s eyes were assessing the wound.

"What’s your diagnosis WuFei?" Heero asked.

"It won’t need stitches, and I’ve cleaned it up with alcohol, so it won’t get infected. I just need to bandage it and replace it over a period of days. However, your side received quite a shock so I suggest that you don’t move around too much unless you’ll irritate the wound." WuFei said as he pulled out the antiseptic bandage. Heero sat up and WuFei wrapped the bandage snugly around his waist. WuFei stood back and admired his work. With a nod he let Heero lie down again and covered him with a blanket. WuFei headed to the bathroom and pulled off his pants, now soaking with blood.

"K’uso." WuFei swore as he dumped his pants in the sink, turning on the taps. He swabbed his wound lightly, wincing as the cloth ran over a bump in his thigh. WuFei closed his eyes as he let his fingers probe his wounded flesh and return triumphantly with the bullet. The real pain started now, WuFei shutting his eyes as the blood flowed faster.

"They got you too." Heero said from the doorway as he limped into the bathroom. WuFei blushed angrily at this invasion of his privacy.

"It’s only a scratch." WuFei said nonchantly as he lifted his leg up to the sink, in order for the blood flow to decrease (1).

"Hn." Heero snorted as he picked up the cloth and mopped up the rest of the blood. WuFei grabbed the bandage and wound it around his thigh under Heero’s watchful eye.

"Thank you for your concern." WuFei said as he breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I should be thanking you. At least, the mission was successful." Heero said as he turned and left.

"It’s always about the mission isn’t it Heero?" WuFei asked as he hid the sad tone in his voice. He pulled out a bar of soap and proceeded to wash his blood stained pants. But at least, it will be through your strength that this war will be won, so, I must preserve your life in order from many others to be saved. If the mission is so important to you, I shall not stand in your way…

Heero mentally slapped himself as he sat back on the couch. His usual cold and non-caring tone of voice had gotten to him. He had heard WuFei’s last comment, sadness etched in that rich voice. Heero poked a bit at his wound and grunted. He didn’t even want to imagine what those Oz soldiers would have done to him if they had captured him.

The next few days were uneventful. All the pilots were lying low due to all the coup- de-ta being undertaken by Oz. Heero did the cleaning while WuFei did the cooking. His arrangement had become a routine since Heero cooked to satisfy his hunger while WuFei preferred a proper meal. At the moment, WuFei was in the kitchen cooking. Heero was in the what they had called the living room, keys clacking away on his computer. Heero wasn’t used to such peace and quiet in any of the safe houses since he was always with the noisy American who insisted on playing music and taking long baths, using up all the hot water. Heero was pleasantly surprised as he enjoyed the quietness that was WuFei, though he would never tell the other pilot. They usually slept on the one bed that they had found in the house, neither pilot debating on which side he would sleep on.

"Dinner’s ready." WuFei called in his usual voice, although over the last few days, the Chinese boy’s guard wasn’t so tight and he cracked a few jokes to amuse himself once in a while. They ate in companionable silence.

"How’s your wound?" Heero asked as he took a bite out of his chicken.

"It will be better soon enough." WuFei replied with the same calm and coolness in his voice.

"Then neither of our injuries will affect our next missions." Heero continued. WuFei nodded. Heero winced. That hadn’t come out the way he meant it. He was very concerned for WuFei’s health. The boy had been sleeping on the couch the past few nights and Heero was sure that he hadn’t gotten any sleep since dark rings lurked under WuFei’s eyes. The Chinese boy kept to himself and Heero wasn’t sure why but it angered him. He remembered that with Duo, all walls were down when they talked. Heero was glad that Duo turned out to be a very good friend despite their rough meetings of one another. (2) WuFei got up silently and cleared the plates, washed them in a matter of minutes.

"I’m going out." WuFei said as he picked up his white shirt and buttoned it up. Heero nodded. WuFei picked up a duffel bag and headed outside into the darkness. Heero watched with cobalt eyes as the caramel form slid out the door. Damn it Yuy, what’s wrong with you?

 

End of chapter one

1) If you are bleeding, say, a cut in your arm, you should raise it above your heart because it takes a longer time for the heart to pump blood uphill rather than downhill.
2) When Heero and Duo met, Duo shot Heero twice. Would you be friends with someone who shot you not once, but twice, on purpose?!
Takeo – Well, no comment.
WuFei – I need a glass of water, and maybe my gundam.