"This Beautiful Life"

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters

Rating: R

Warnings: Romance & Friendship

Pairings: 2x5, others will be present but subtle.

Summary: 3 years after cutting ties with everyone from the war, WuFei Chang gets into a car accident in his way home from a company Christmas party and wakes up to another life.

"This Beautiful Life"

Chapter 21:

Duo returned with the cocoa, sitting next to WuFei and handing over one of the drinks. He warmed his hands around his own.

"It's too bad you've got the bum leg. Ice skating would be a great way to round out this perfect day," Duo said.

"It has been perfect," WuFei agreed, and Duo gave him a sly look.

"You want to play 'where were they when'?"

"What's that?" WuFei wrinkled his brow. Duo leaned his shoulder against WuFei's, speaking low so that they had to sit close to one another.

"It's our favorite people watching game. We pick out someone in the crowd and try to figure out where they were when some big historical event was happening. Here, I'll show you," Duo pointed out a young man lacing up his skates across the way, he had dark curls and a freckle filled face, he looked about seventeen, "You start with the question. Where was he when…Heero self-destructed during the Eve Wars."

WuFei gave Duo a bewildered look, "This is morbid."

"No, give it a chance," Duo insisted, and WuFei scowled but nodded, "Right, typically, whoever asked the question doesn't answer it but I'll go first. Where was he? Where was he…where was he…? School. He was running late for school. His alarm didn't go off and he couldn't find his homework. He ran out the front door, chasing after his bus but he completely missed it. He started walking and he found a puppy, on the side of the road. It was hurt. He completely forgot school, wrapped it up in his shirt and took it to the vet. The doctor was able to save its life and he took the puppy to class to explain to his teacher what happened. Turned out his teacher loves dogs. She adopted the puppy and named it after the student that saved its life."

"I see," WuFei sighed, "Creating new positive associations for traumatizing memories."

"Sure, that's the psychobabble explanation. It's also just fun to make up stories about strangers," Duo said, "Want to try?"

"I don't know if I can," WuFei frowned.

"Come on. You're really good at this game. I'll do another one, you pick the person out and ask the question," Duo insisted.

"Alright, I'll try," WuFei scanned the crowd. He spotted an older woman in a red coat and hat and pointed her out, "Where was she when…when we returned to space for the first time since Operation Meteor, leaving Quatre behind to hold our position."

Duo took a moment to think about it, "She was celebrating her thirtieth wedding anniversary with her husband. He took her to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town."

"Is that all they did?"

"Nope. They went out dancing afterwards and were out all night. They came back home feeling like teenagers again and stayed in bed the entire next day."

"That's very good," WuFei took a sip of his cocoa, it warmed its way down his throat, "I'll try one now."

"Okay, let me see…" Duo peered at the crowd, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully. He pointed to a small child running around the Christmas lights in wool stockings and a starched dress. She couldn't have been older than three or four, "Where was she when they shut off our oxygen on the moon base?"

WuFei made a face, "That's not fair. She probably wasn't even born yet."

"That's not how the game is played," Duo said, resting his elbow up on the park bench and looking smug. WuFei scowled, but narrowed his eyes on the little girl, thinking it through.

"She was a thought. In her mother's mind," he started, picking out his words with care, "Her mother had just met who she thought to be the man of her dreams. But he was a soldier, called away to the battlefield. She promised to wait for him. She thought he'd been lost after the attack on Luxemburg, he'd been listed a casualty, and she swore she'd never marry. After the final ceasefire, he appeared on her doorstep. It turned out he'd been admitted as a John Doe at a nearby hospital, came to a week later to rejoin the fight. They wed that day and were soon pregnant with that small child."

"Didn't I say you were good at this? It's all the books you read," Duo grinned.

They continued to play into the evening, taking turns pointing out people in the crowd and telling one another stories. Sometimes the stories were epic romances, slice of life, or just funny nonsense. A seven year old boy had learned to tie his shoes when White Fang entered the battlefield, a man became a father of triplets the night WuFei lost his first duel to Treize, and an elderly couple became engaged the day the Gundam pilots accidentally blew up a shuttle of the Alliance's pacifist leaders. They laughed and joked, and at one point, Duo took WuFei's hand, their fingers entwined and he held it the entire time, their foreheads nearly touching as they told each other about the lives of strangers.

It was late in the evening when they returned home in good spirits, that fell into a melancholy when they separated for bed.

"I had a good time," WuFei said, "Thank you."

"Anytime," Duo winked, "Good night, Fei."

"Good night, Duo."

Duo lay back on the couch, he held his hand, the one that had held WuFei's all night, over himself staring at it. He sighed, curling his fingers and letting the hand fall gentle to his chest.

They could make it, he realized. It wasn't a fluke the first time, it wasn't sheer, dumb luck.

He glanced up at the sound of a soft shuffle from the hall, his heart catching in his throat.

WuFei stood at the entryway, his hand rested on the wall holding himself up, his eyes locked on Duo's. His cheeks were flushed, his chest rose and fell as though he were trying to catch his breath, his lips were slightly parted. Those days passed between them, the agony and uncertainty. The loss and panic. Every look, every touch, that needed to be analyzed and understood, the longing and want. WuFei wanted to see those bare shoulders again, to feel that touch on his skin, lingering warm and light. He wanted to smell that scent of apple spice from the source, wanted to know the taste.

In slow movements, so as not to startle the other boy, Duo sat up and stood from the couch. He took short strides, his eyes never leaving WuFei's, as he crossed the room. He knew, he hoped he knew, what that look meant. His heart beat increased, excitement growing in him, as the other boy's eyes softened, moving down to examine his mouth, his chest, sweeping over his body, and back up again wearing an expression aching with obvious want and fear until Duo stood over him inches between them.

Their breath was the only sound.

WuFei moved forward, it felt like eternity, before his lips touched Duo's, soft and barely there, chaste, sweet, simple, and he pulled back again, studying Duo's reaction before moving forward again to capture one another in a second kiss. Duo's hand came up to cup WuFei's cheek, WuFei's hand curled in the fabric of Duo's shirt at his hip. The chastity was gone, replaced with pent up passion. Their lips parted and Duo's tongue moved in just to tease. They pulled apart, breathless, their foreheads rested together.

Hand still at Duo's hip, now slipping beneath the fabric to find warm flesh and the hard feel of muscle and bone, WuFei held the other boy's gaze, stepping back towards the bedroom. Duo caught on quick, leading the way as he locked WuFei in another kiss. They reached the bed and Duo put his knee up on the mattress, guiding them back onto it without breaking their hold on one another.

WuFei felt a strange comfort in the weight of Duo on top of him. They went no further than kisses that night, but they did discard their shirts and explore one another. Duo knew where to put his hands to bring out the best reactions in WuFei, but for WuFei it felt all new. He traced his fingers over every available inch of Duo's exposed skin, taking especial care of old scars and savoring each passing second.

Kissing Duo, touching him in that intimate way, felt better than WuFei could've imagined.

~ * ~

Chapter 22

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