Goodbye LJ...

[windandwater]

This is just to make it official for those who don't know, but I'm leaving LJ completely. For the rest of this week at least. Tomorrow is the Bar Exam and it runs for three days, so don't expect to see me about at all until Thursday night. Or even until the weekend since I plan on spending Thursday after the Bar drunk and crying. No online time for me at all. *whines* It will be hard, but I know I can do it.

So, because I'm a total h0r like that, I am declaring this to be a spam post. Go ahead. Run wild! Give me fics, give me links, give me pics, just babble to your heart's content and rape my inbox so I have something to see when I finally DO come back to the wonderful world of LJ. I don't even care if you write me a drabble and post it one word at a time. XD;

Though, I've tried to make a spam post before and it failed a bit miserably, so I don't have very high expectations this time around. Feel free to prove me wrong though!

♥

Comments

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

Three days out from the river crossing and he was already beginning to tire. He had carefully set himself a pace that he knew he could keep up for a long time, and still have energy to fight at the end. And he would have to fight, he knew that. Somehow the one who was chasing him had kept up, easily; he couldn't tell how far behind his pursuer was, but he could sense the man there. It had been wishful folly, to think that his hunter would give up -- not if the price on his head was set as high as the rumor said...
He would die before he let the bounty hunter take him. Ideally, he would kill the mercenary first, but there was no way he would let them drag him back to Romafeller to stand for that mockery of justice they called a trial.
The woods around him were too quiet. He looked about him uneasily, even stopping for a moment to listen, but there was nothing. The feeling stayed with him as he started walking again, and unconsciously his pace began to quicken.

Not long after the fugitive passed, another man stooped down and ran his fingers through the blades of grass disturbed there. Shadows obscured his face but not his vision, as his sharp eyes picked out the telltale signs of his prey's flight. White teeth flashed into a grin as he saw the lengthening of the footprints, and he knew that he had been detected. His prey knew that he was being followed, and was trying to escape.
"You're a good runner," he mused, letting his eyes and hands linger a little more on the traces. He'd been following this prey for three days now, and only now did he begin to show signs of panic or fatigue. Far better than most men in his situation could do. Far better than any of his previous targets had ever done...
He stood abruptly, and the grin flashed in the shadows again. "Fortunately, I'm a good chaser!"
He started off again, all his senses intent on his prey. His boots made almost no sound at all.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

By sunset he was panting, in harsh, shallow gasps as the strain of running took its toll. He was being followed -- he could feel his hunter's presence behind him, lurking ever closer. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, as though from the weight of unseen eyes or a weapon trained on his back. But every time he halted and whirled to confront his stalker, all his instincts screaming at him to run, to keep going, there was nothing there -- absolutely nothing!
The trees opened up, into a space barely lit by the last rays of sunlight. He only got a few steps into the open space before the horrible crawling sensation of exposure overwhelmed him. He stopped and turned back the way he had come, yanking his long knife out of its sheath. How he wished that he still had his sword -- but that was left behind long ago, and he would fight with the dagger, to the death if he had to. "Who's there?" he growled.
For a moment there was silence, then the trees began to rustle as the wind started up. He turned in a slow circle, eyes moving across the dark spaces of the trees surrounding him. "Show yourself, damn it!" he roared, over the rustling of leaves. "Come out and fight like a man! Or are you too much of a coward? Face me!"
For just a moment, he heard another sound over the wind and leaves -- a sound almost like laughter. He whirled around, preparing to slash with his blade, but never got the chance. A dark blur flashed into his vision for an instant, a pain in his head, and then nothing.

The hunter allowed himself brief luxury, indulging in a moment of unconstrained laughter as the exultation of his success filled him. "Fight like a man, he says? Ha!" Still chuckling softly, he bent down and retrieved the fallen weapon, giving it a cursory glance before stowing it away in a hidden pocket. "News for you, buddy -- Shinigami doesn't *need* to fight like a man."
Kneeling on the forest floor, the hunter began to search the body for further weapons. Carefully, he rolled the young man onto his back, and frowned down at his uncovered face. Relaxed into unconsciousness, the man's features were angular and delicately formed, and black hair wisped free of its confining ponytail to trail about his neck and face. "So this is the infamous Dragon, uh?" he muttered. Despite the detailed descriptions he'd gotten of the man before taking the job -- and, of course, having chased him for over a week now -- this was the first time he'd seen him up close. "Funny, I kind of thought he'd be taller..."
***

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

Slowly, Wufei stirred himself back into consciousness; the last rays of the fading sunset stabbed into his eyes, and he quickly squeezed them shut. His head was fogged over with a blanket of pain, leaving his thoughts sluggish. "Unh..." he muttered as he shifted position, turning his head out of the light and opening his eyes again.
Memory filtered back to him; snatches of running, turning to face his stalker, then nothing. Without thinking, he started to move his hands to support him on the ground, only to discover that they had been tied behind his back. From the feel of it, his legs, too, were similarly confined.
It seemed the bounty hunters had caught up with him at last. A bitter taste filled his mouth, accompanied by a slowly building rage. From behind -- that bastard had attacked him from behind! "Of all the lowest..." he growled, painfully squirming his body around until he could sit up. "Fatherless, worm-gutted, cowardly son-of-a --"
A sound interrupted his growing rant -- a familiar-sounding chuckle. As his head cleared, he managed to identify it as the same laughter that had distracted him before.
"You've got a lot of nerve, calling me that to my face." The voice spoke out of nowhere.
"Uh?" Wufei squinted against the fading light, searching for the source of the mysterious voice. Shadows coalesced and danced in his vision about him, but he saw no-one there. "Where..."
The speaker went on, blithely ignoring the interruption. "Even I wouldn't expect manners, I thought you'd at least have some common sense. After all..." Another chuckle broke through, sending a chill stealing up his spine. "You're my prize now." He couldn't see the speaker, at all. The voice seemed to come from all directions, or from above him.
On a hunch, Wufei craned his neck and peered up into the tree branches above him. He was almost blind in the low light, but from the corner of his eye he caught a flash of movement. Looking closer, he could barely make out a dim outline nestled in the crutch of a branch against the trunk. "What are you talking about?" he croaked, more to try and pinpoint the speaker than anything else.
"Oh, I'm sure you've heard stories," the shadowy form said casually. "Of bounty hunters and their trade... manacles, brands, hobbles, the whole lot. Cutting off the hands, or the tongue; that's pretty standard, most hunters do that to make sure their prisoners can't escape..." He trailed off, and a derisive snort sounded from his general vicinity. "Amateurs!"
With some effort, Wufei managed to swallow his mouth clear. "Release me," he growled.
A slight brush of cloth against bark sounded, as the unseen figure shifted position. "Mmmm.... no," he decided.
Wufei struggled briefly against his bindings, but they were solid, and he slumped panting against the trunk of the tree. "Then give me a weapon and face me in a fair fight!"
"What's fair about it?" the bounty hunter snorted. "You faced Treize Khushrenada in a duel and killed him, and from what I hear more than a dozen of his bodyguards, as well. They tell me I'm crazy, but not crazy enough to go against those odds."

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

"Coward!" Wufei snarled. "At least have the decency to kill me now!"
"Sheesh, you are full of demands, aren't you?" the unseen speaker sighed. Another scraping against bark reached Wufei's ears, and then the bounty hunter dropped out of the tree and landed lightly on his feet before Wufei. Brushing off his clothes, he looked Wufei over appraisingly.
Somewhat shocked, Wufei did the same. This was the first time he'd gotten a clear look at his captor, and this certainly wasn't what he'd expected a bounty hunter to look like. For starters, the man was young -- no older than himself, surely! -- and definitely on the small side. He was covered head to foot in black, which accounted at least in part for his uncanny stealth, and moved with a deadly grace that suggested he could move like the wind if given the inclination. But a cheerful grin sat easily on an open, disarming face that looked made for smiles, and his wide blue eyes glinted with good humor. Most startling was the distinctly unprofessional braid of light brown hair that snaked well past his waist.
"Now here's the thing," this strange vision told him. "Admittedly, when the authorities put a price on someone's head, they aren't too concerned about the person's long-term survival. So a lot of people figure it isn't worth the trouble of carting a prisoner back to the police alive. On the other hand, if all they want is you dead, then they can take care of that easily once they get your hands on you -- but if they want you alive, and you get there dead, then..." He trailed off, and then shrugged. "Well, it's a little it harder to bring someone back to life."
"It makes no difference in the end," Wufei snarled. "You said yourself, it would be easier to have me dead."
The bounty hunter looked affronted. "Easy! Any two-bit bloodhound can do easy. But I don't care about easy -- I do things right. That's why I --" he jerked a thumb towards his chest with another disarming grin, "-- am a *professional.*"
"A professional killer," Wufei said scornfully. "Merchant in blood."
He only smiled at this attempted insult. "You killed Lord Khushrenada," he said simply. "I really don't think you're in any position to be calling names."
Wufei opened his mouth to speak, but then flushed and looked away. After a moment, the bounty hunter continued.
"You are going back to Romafeller to stand trial." The man crouched down until his braid trailed onto the ground, eyes nearly level with Wufei's. "That's a fact. The question, then, is up to you: do you go the easy way, or the hard way?"

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

"What?" Wufei's eyes snapped back up to meet his captor's.
"It's really quite simple," he went on. From somewhere on his clothing he produced a small metal key, and held it up for Wufei to see. "We can break out all the accessories, with the hobbles, and the locks, and the chains, and drag you back into Romafeller like an animal to the slaughter. That's the way the game is usually played. Or you can give me your word -- on your honor -- that you will accompany me peacefully back to the city and walk there unencumbered, under your own power."
Wufei inhaled a sharp breath. It was a completely unexpected offer. "And what's to stop me from escaping?" he had to ask.
The key vanished to the same place it had come from, and a not-so-nice smile appeared on the man's face. "I found you once, didn't I?"
He had a point.
Still, another question followed logically. "You have to sleep sometime," he pointed out. "I could easily kill you in your sleep to keep you from following me."
"Yes," the bounty hunter agreed amiably. "You could try that."
Try, Wufei noticed the word, not succeed.
"But consider," he pointed out in a reasonable tone. "The price on your head is pretty damn high. This countryside will be crawling with bloodhounds thirsty for it, and they won't stop until you're dead. If not me, then another. Even if you were to somehow make it past the border, they'd follow you, and sooner or later you'll find yourself in the exact same position. And I can promise you, the next one won't offer you this choice."
Wufei fell silent for a long moment, working his jaw as he battled with himself. Put himself under a bloodhound's control, willingly march himself to a farce of a trial and then certain death to follow, as a despised criminal? It reeked of dishonor, and Wufei balked at defiling his word by submitting to such a thing. Still, he had to admit to himself bleakly, his fate was set; there was no feasible escape open to him. And what honor could be found in resisting, in being dragged back to Romafeller like a dog in chains? That way would strip him of his honor, his pride, and his dignity. There was really no choice.
"All right," he agreed at last, reluctantly. "I swear on my honor that I will go with you willingly."
The bounty hunter grinned again, and immediately reproduced the key and bent down to unfasten the lock on the chains. "Great!" he said with a boyish enthusiasm out-of-place in the situation. "That saves us both a lot of grief."

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

He pulled the shackles away and began to wrap them into a tight coil; freed, Wufei rubbed at his wrists and ankles and eyed the other man suspiciously. "If we are to be... traveling companions," he started, "can I at least know your name?"
"Sure thing." The bounty hunter reached up and pulled a traveling pack down from his perch on the branch, and stowed the folded chains away in it. That done, he straightened up and smirked at Wufei, holding out his hand for his prisoner to grasp. "I'm the Shinigami -- but you can call me Duo."

On the first day of their trek back to Romafeller, Wufei’s gut churned with dread every time he though of his future. The same was true of the second day. By the third day, however, he was looking forward to the end of the journey -- even incarceration and execution had to be better than putting up with Duo. Periodically, Wufei found himself asking whatever deities might be up there why, why, if he had to be captured, had they made Duo be the one to capture to him? It was cruel. It was unfair. It was... unjust.
The braided man never stopped talking, never! That was bad enough, but he seemed to be under the firm impression that Wufei wanted to hold conversations with him, and he simply would not give up until he’d gotten a response from his captive. It was... demeaning somehow, that Duo neglected to treat him like a prisoner. He acted like they were two friends out on a spring hike, not a bounty hunter and his prey. Wufei found himself wishing that Duo would let him alone, leave him his dignity and stony silence, without acting like he... consented to this journey.
And, Wufei thought in a burst of pique, nobody had the right to be that cheerful in the morning and live.
The skies matched Wufei’s dark thoughts; as they started walking on the second day ominous inky clouds began to drift together in the sky, and by evening it was raining. A light but steady rain fell all through the night, and the next day the water poured down from the sky. They reached the ford that marked the unofficial borders of the inhabited lands and the woods, the one Wufei had crossed when he first sensed someone on his trail. But the water had already risen too high to cross, and they were forced to camp out in an abandoned missive post for three days while the rain drenched through the trees and the creek roared impassibly high.
Wufei’s mood was foul enough at the start of their weather-induced incarceration, and three days spent huddled underneath a plank wooden roof

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

He pulled the shackles away and began to wrap them into a tight coil; freed, Wufei rubbed at his wrists and ankles and eyed the other man suspiciously. "If we are to be... traveling companions," he started, "can I at least know your name?"
"Sure thing." The bounty hunter reached up and pulled a traveling pack down from his perch on the branch, and stowed the folded chains away in it. That done, he straightened up and smirked at Wufei, holding out his hand for his prisoner to grasp. "I'm the Shinigami -- but you can call me Duo."

On the first day of their trek back to Romafeller, Wufei’s gut churned with dread every time he though of his future. The same was true of the second day. By the third day, however, he was looking forward to the end of the journey -- even incarceration and execution had to be better than putting up with Duo. Periodically, Wufei found himself asking whatever deities might be up there why, why, if he had to be captured, had they made Duo be the one to capture to him? It was cruel. It was unfair. It was... unjust.
The braided man never stopped talking, never! That was bad enough, but he seemed to be under the firm impression that Wufei wanted to hold conversations with him, and he simply would not give up until he’d gotten a response from his captive. It was... demeaning somehow, that Duo neglected to treat him like a prisoner. He acted like they were two friends out on a spring hike, not a bounty hunter and his prey. Wufei found himself wishing that Duo would let him alone, leave him his dignity and stony silence, without acting like he... consented to this journey.
And, Wufei thought in a burst of pique, nobody had the right to be that cheerful in the morning and live.
The skies matched Wufei’s dark thoughts; as they started walking on the second day ominous inky clouds began to drift together in the sky, and by evening it was raining. A light but steady rain fell all through the night, and the next day the water poured down from the sky. They reached the ford that marked the unofficial borders of the inhabited lands and the woods, the one Wufei had crossed when he first sensed someone on his trail. But the water had already risen too high to cross, and they were forced to camp out in an abandoned missive post for three days while the rain drenched through the trees and the creek roared impassibly high.
Wufei’s mood was foul enough at the start of their weather-induced incarceration, and three days spent huddled underneath a plank wooden roof

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

watching the gray water trickle down from the sodden leaves overhead was enough to plunge him into a black depression. His already precarious self-control frayed dangerously thin, and he found himself snapping bitter retorts and growling angry threats to Duo. Fortunately -- or unfortunately, depending on your point of view -- his captor did not seem to let any of Wufei’s testy remarks spoil his fun. His cheerfulness did not abate in the slightest even while the sky was gray and the ground was nothing but a soggy mudhole.
Huddled into his damp clothes on the damp ground, Wufei glared out past the edge of the shelter. The bounty hunter was, insanely enough, standing out in the rain in clearest space the trees could offer, watching the roaring flood. Water inundated his ridiculously impractical braid, turning his hair almost as dark as Wufei’s own, and soaked his clothes, causing them to cling most indecently to his figure. Wufei found his eyes almost mesmerized by the way the droplets sluiced off his limbs every time he moved even the slightest bit. He had to force his eyes away, and growled low in his throat at that realization.
The sound of footsteps, marked by the squelching sound as boots lifted free of the mud, marked Duo’s return to the little shelter. He was grinning, insufferable as ever, and laughing softly to himself at some joke that nobody else would get. Wufei ignored him, as he always did, as Duo stood just out of the rain and wrung water from his braid.
A splatter of cold hit Wufei’s cheek, and he switched a glare onto the bounty hunter. “You’re dripping,” he growled icily.
Duo shrugged, swinging the braid back over his shoulder. “So are the trees,” he replied easily, and shook his head, sending droplets flying everywhere.
More of the wetness splattered against Wufei’s face, and he wiped it away with a scowl. Duo stopped to appraise Wufei, hands on his hips, head cocked to one side. “What, don’t tell me you’ve never been out in the rain before,” he mocked.
“Why would I?” Wufei countered. “I was a scholar, not a farmer, and anyway, most people know to come in out of the cold and the mud.”
“It’s only water, you know. A little cold and wet won’t kill you,” Duo teased him.
“No,” Wufei found himself saying almost despite himself. “Hanging in Romafeller while the so-called Count Merquise and his thugs look on, that will kill me.”
Duo’s smile faded from his face, and he looked away. “You always dwell on such gloomy things, Dragon,” he said quietly.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

The softly bitter edge to Duo’s voice stung, but Wufei could not figure out why. “I’m marching to my own death. You expect me to be singing?” he snapped.
Duo slid to a seat on the opposite wall of the shelter, looking at Wufei with all smiles gone. “I’d expect you to make better use of the life you have now than spending it sulking,” he said seriously.
“Sulking?” Wufei demanded, outraged. “I think I have a right to sulk -- I’m going to die in two weeks!”
“Everybody dies, Dragon,” Duo replied somberly. “You have two weeks’ notice -- that’s more than most people get. Most people have no warning at all, and no time to make peace with their lives when death comes.”
“Death is the enemy of all things! How can you make peace with it?”
Duo leaned forward, catching Wufei’s eyes. “Do you know what my name is, Dragon?” he asked softly.
Uneasily, Wufei shifted his position against the wall, looking away from Duo’s suddenly intense glance. “It means Killer. An appropriate name for one who takes money for the death of others.”
“I’d think a scholar would know better,” Duo corrected him. “It means God of Death. It means knowing that death is just as important a part of life as birth is.”
Exasperated, Wufei retorted before thinking. “That’s patent nonsense. You sound just like M --”
He stopped himself, not quite in time.
Duo leaned forward, almost eagerly. “Who?” he asked. “I sound like who?”
“Nobody,” Wufei said roughly. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his torso for warmth. “No-one who exists any more.”
“Somehow I don’t believe you,” Duo said quietly. “I think --”
“Let it go,” Wufei interrupted him, appalled by the pleading note that crept into his voice. “I am asking you... let it drop. It doesn’t matter to you.”
There was a little sigh, and the sound of a body shifting position; after a moment Duo started talking again, changing the subject. “The rain looks like it will stop before tomorrow morning. We should be able to cross the ford by the next day.”
He did not press Wufei further about his slip, and in spite of himself, Wufei found himself grateful.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

Duo had not lied. The rain finally petered out at dawn, giving the disheveled travelers their first view of blue sky in days. They didn’t really make the effort to dry themselves out; the woods were still dripping drenched, and they still had to cross the ford. But at least the sunlight kept them warm, if not dry.
They crossed the ford, at last, the next day. The water was shocking cold, but by that time Wufei would have gladly walked through fire just to get away from the dismally familiar surroundings of their shelter. A few hours before dusk, when the ground at last began to thump instead of squelch beneath their feet, Duo called a halt.
Some woodscraft knowledge alien to Wufei allowed Duo to collect some miraculously dry wood, and start a fire; much to Wufei’s chagrin, the young bounty hunter immediately began to strip out of his clothes.
“What are you waiting for, Dragon?” Duo called impatiently, as he arranged his clothes carefully beside the fire. “If you want your clothes to dry by nightfall...”
“I prefer to keep my clothes in place,” Wufei snapped, scowling fiercely to keep the persistent blush out of his cheeks.
When Duo stood and turned to face him, Wufei tried to avert his eyes; he knew it was wrong to stare, but as good as the man looked with cloth clinging to his skin, he looked even better without it. At least he had kept on a pair of thin, cut-off breeches that he wore under his normal outfit, but the tight material left nothing to the imagination. The skin revealed on his body was unblemished, and lightly tanned, his arms darker than his chest, but for the darker brown skin of his nipples. He was slender, but not thin; the outline of his ribcage was barely visible under the flat but clearly defined muscles highlighted by a lingering sheen of water.
The tantalizing outline shifted under his skin as Duo shrugged, oblivious to Wufei’s fascinated scrutiny. “If you spend a night in the open in wet clothes, you’ll catch a chill,” he said casually. Dragging a slightly damp log near to the fire, he seated himself on it and leaned slightly to the side, fingers starting to work at the end of his long, damp braid.
The sight made Wufei’s breath catch embarrassingly in his chest, and he turned halfway away from the bounty hunter so that less of his expression would be visible, without being so conspicuous. “So what if I do catch a chill?” he grumbled. “What can it do, kill me?”
“I guess, if you want to spend the last days of your life with a cough and a runny nose -- that’s your choice, Dragon.”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

Duo had not lied. The rain finally petered out at dawn, giving the disheveled travelers their first view of blue sky in days. They didn’t really make the effort to dry themselves out; the woods were still dripping drenched, and they still had to cross the ford. But at least the sunlight kept them warm, if not dry.
They crossed the ford, at last, the next day. The water was shocking cold, but by that time Wufei would have gladly walked through fire just to get away from the dismally familiar surroundings of their shelter. A few hours before dusk, when the ground at last began to thump instead of squelch beneath their feet, Duo called a halt.
Some woodscraft knowledge alien to Wufei allowed Duo to collect some miraculously dry wood, and start a fire; much to Wufei’s chagrin, the young bounty hunter immediately began to strip out of his clothes.
“What are you waiting for, Dragon?” Duo called impatiently, as he arranged his clothes carefully beside the fire. “If you want your clothes to dry by nightfall...”
“I prefer to keep my clothes in place,” Wufei snapped, scowling fiercely to keep the persistent blush out of his cheeks.
When Duo stood and turned to face him, Wufei tried to avert his eyes; he knew it was wrong to stare, but as good as the man looked with cloth clinging to his skin, he looked even better without it. At least he had kept on a pair of thin, cut-off breeches that he wore under his normal outfit, but the tight material left nothing to the imagination. The skin revealed on his body was unblemished, and lightly tanned, his arms darker than his chest, but for the darker brown skin of his nipples. He was slender, but not thin; the outline of his ribcage was barely visible under the flat but clearly defined muscles highlighted by a lingering sheen of water.
The tantalizing outline shifted under his skin as Duo shrugged, oblivious to Wufei’s fascinated scrutiny. “If you spend a night in the open in wet clothes, you’ll catch a chill,” he said casually. Dragging a slightly damp log near to the fire, he seated himself on it and leaned slightly to the side, fingers starting to work at the end of his long, damp braid.
The sight made Wufei’s breath catch embarrassingly in his chest, and he turned halfway away from the bounty hunter so that less of his expression would be visible, without being so conspicuous. “So what if I do catch a chill?” he grumbled. “What can it do, kill me?”
“I guess, if you want to spend the last days of your life with a cough and a runny nose -- that’s your choice, Dragon.”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

His voice was teasing, but when Wufei looked up, the expression on Duo’s face was surprisingly gentle. Wufei fingered the naggingly damp cloth of his shirt, and sighed. He was sick of being wet. After another covert glance at Duo, he began shrugging out of his own clothes.
The lack of conversation suddenly seemed stifling. Wufei could hear his own breathing, and feel his cheeks flame as he peeled the sodden shirt off his back. Uneasily, he glanced over at Duo, but the bounty hunter was totally engrossed in rearranging the fire to some standard. He seemed quite unfairly comfortable with his own state of undress, as though he wandered around near-naked all the time. His easy confidence put Wufei on the defensive, he didn’t like that feeling...
“What made you decide to become a bloodhound, anyway?” he said suddenly. “Do you feel some perverse thrill in hunting men down?”
Duo didn’t even look up. “Needed the money,” he replied calmly, unfazed by Wufei’s returning hostile tone. “You have quite a price on your head, Dragon. If I hadn’t nabbed you, someone else would have.”
“Money. I should have known,” Wufei said bitterly. “Trading lives for gold.”
At this jibe, Duo finally glanced up, but his lips were oddly quirked. “It’s not like I get a new job every week, you know. I bring in about four, five marks a year.” He tilted his head slightly, regarding Wufei.
“So few?” Wufei was actually startled, though he quickly tried to push it down. “Pays that well, does it, Shinigami?”
“You get what you pay for.” Duo finally abandoned the fire, and turned his full attention on Wufei. A sudden grin covered his face. “I am the best, after all.”
“The best?” Wufei repeated, incredulous.
“Uh huh.” Duo was unperturbed by Wufei’s doubt. “Eh... some bounty hunters will take any job. The easier, the better, and when the jobs are easy, they’re also cheap. So they take as many as they can, as fast as they can. Why do you think they bother with chains, with brands and crops? It’s not for control, it’s for convenience. Get your target as fast as you can, drive them to the point of exhaustion and you’ll get your reward sooner. Don’t waste any more supplies on them than necessary to keep them going. Those are the rules.”
Wufei paused, taken aback. Those were all the stories he had heard, all that he knew of bounty hunters and their craft. And yet --

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

His voice was teasing, but when Wufei looked up, the expression on Duo’s face was surprisingly gentle. Wufei fingered the naggingly damp cloth of his shirt, and sighed. He was sick of being wet. After another covert glance at Duo, he began shrugging out of his own clothes.
The lack of conversation suddenly seemed stifling. Wufei could hear his own breathing, and feel his cheeks flame as he peeled the sodden shirt off his back. Uneasily, he glanced over at Duo, but the bounty hunter was totally engrossed in rearranging the fire to some standard. He seemed quite unfairly comfortable with his own state of undress, as though he wandered around near-naked all the time. His easy confidence put Wufei on the defensive, he didn’t like that feeling...
“What made you decide to become a bloodhound, anyway?” he said suddenly. “Do you feel some perverse thrill in hunting men down?”
Duo didn’t even look up. “Needed the money,” he replied calmly, unfazed by Wufei’s returning hostile tone. “You have quite a price on your head, Dragon. If I hadn’t nabbed you, someone else would have.”
“Money. I should have known,” Wufei said bitterly. “Trading lives for gold.”
At this jibe, Duo finally glanced up, but his lips were oddly quirked. “It’s not like I get a new job every week, you know. I bring in about four, five marks a year.” He tilted his head slightly, regarding Wufei.
“So few?” Wufei was actually startled, though he quickly tried to push it down. “Pays that well, does it, Shinigami?”
“You get what you pay for.” Duo finally abandoned the fire, and turned his full attention on Wufei. A sudden grin covered his face. “I am the best, after all.”
“The best?” Wufei repeated, incredulous.
“Uh huh.” Duo was unperturbed by Wufei’s doubt. “Eh... some bounty hunters will take any job. The easier, the better, and when the jobs are easy, they’re also cheap. So they take as many as they can, as fast as they can. Why do you think they bother with chains, with brands and crops? It’s not for control, it’s for convenience. Get your target as fast as you can, drive them to the point of exhaustion and you’ll get your reward sooner. Don’t waste any more supplies on them than necessary to keep them going. Those are the rules.”
Wufei paused, taken aback. Those were all the stories he had heard, all that he knew of bounty hunters and their craft. And yet --

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

They set a leisurely pace, when they walked, no more than Wufei could handle. They had both been eating out of Duo’s supplies, Duo giving him as much as he needed. “But...” Wufei started to voice his thoughts, before stopping himself. There was, after all, no need to give Duo ideas.
“But what about me?” Duo finished for him, amused. “I told you, I’m the best. I only need to bring in three or four prizes a year, because take the hardest jobs, the biggest jobs, the strangest jobs. Like you, Dragon.”
He didn’t have an answer, so all he could come back with was, “I have a name, you know, and it isn’t Dragon!”
“I know.” The infuriating smirk was back. Duo returned his attention to dealing with his disheveled hair.

The fire was burning low.
The bounty hunter had been right; the clear night brought with it colder air, and Wufei was grateful for the protection the dry clothes provided. Duo was asleep and snoring lightly; after several hours of lying awake fruitlessly seeking slumber, Wufei sat up and watched the fire burn to embers. His thoughts ran to darkness.
What had he come to, Chang Wufei, scion of the proud Clan of the Dragon? What must his family think of him now; fugitive, outlaw, more base and worthless than the lowest peasant. What had become of the trace of fierce, proud, blood that ran in his veins, as the descendant of the legendary dragon? Here he was, lost and stranded in the wilderness with a mercenary who dealt in the flesh of human beings -- prostituting his word to such a creature, following the bloodhound back to Romafeller as willing and docile as a whore.
For the murder of Treize Khushrenada -- his village’s lord.
Lord and master? The name was bitter in his mind as it had ever been. His was the rule of the conqueror; Wufei’s village, his family, their traditions, their way of life and all their proud dragon blood had been overwhelmed by the might of the westerners. But they owed him no true allegiance, and hated him dully even as they submitted, called him lord, and accepted their barbarian traditions.
Was he truly the first one to compromise his family’s honor? Or had they not done the same, when they surrendered, those generations ago? That they labored for their white devils, made the necessary obeisances to appease their conquerer’s childish egos, and sacrificed their maidens to the hunger of the foreigners?
Prodigal son of a prodigal family. Wufei could almost weep.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

“Your brand isn’t on him either,” Duo pointed out. “And it won’t be, either. ”
“Think so?” Alex blustered. “We can fix that right now --”
Glaring provocatively at Duo, Alex shifted his grip on Wufei, shifting his grip on the wooden handle. Wufei cringed as he felt the heat radiating off the metal. The cherry glow was rapidly fading, but Wufei had no doubt it would still sear...
Duo’s attention sharpened, and his body tense, hand vanishing into the hidden pocket. “Don’t. Move. One. Inch,” he hissed through closed teeth.
A long, tense standoff ensued; Wufei held his breath. You could have heard a pin drop on the rough wooden floors. When Alex finally broke away from Duo’s eyes, and dropped his gaze to his would-be-prisoner, he saw that the glow had faded from the iron entirely. “Hell with it,” he muttered, and shoved Wufei away from him. “Mueller, let’s find another goddamn inn.” Mueller, looking relieved, did the same, and the two of them sullenly began gathering their gear.
Duo just stood there, smiling slightly, as the bloodhounds edged around him; just before they reached the open door, however, he whirled like a cat and had a knife pressed up against Alex’s back before the larger man could move. “The keys?” he asked sweetly.
{Note to beta-reader: is that last part unnecessary, d’you think?}
White and shaken, Alex fumbled for a moment with the hooks on his belt before holding up a rusty iron key in trembling fingers. “Here! Take the damn things!” he gasped.
“Thanks ever so much,” Duo said politely, taking the the key from his hands. The two bounty hunters bolted from the inn without further need for encouragement.
As their footsteps faded, Duo stood tense for a moment before letting out a long, shallow breath. The dangerous frenzy which had edged his demeanor faded, and when he turned so Wufei could see his face he wore an anxious frown. “That was a close thing,” he muttered. “Here, Wufei, I’ll get you out of those...”
Wufei finally allowed himself to relax, and immediately felt the sharp bite of the manacles into his wrists, the dull throb of the bruises and the stinging pain of the lash marks. Seeing Duo with that... look on his face had made Wufei doubt everything that had happened in the past weeks. For a moment he had horribly suspected that Duo would leave the chains on him.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

“Your brand isn’t on him either,” Duo pointed out. “And it won’t be, either. ”
“Think so?” Alex blustered. “We can fix that right now --”
Glaring provocatively at Duo, Alex shifted his grip on Wufei, shifting his grip on the wooden handle. Wufei cringed as he felt the heat radiating off the metal. The cherry glow was rapidly fading, but Wufei had no doubt it would still sear...
Duo’s attention sharpened, and his body tense, hand vanishing into the hidden pocket. “Don’t. Move. One. Inch,” he hissed through closed teeth.
A long, tense standoff ensued; Wufei held his breath. You could have heard a pin drop on the rough wooden floors. When Alex finally broke away from Duo’s eyes, and dropped his gaze to his would-be-prisoner, he saw that the glow had faded from the iron entirely. “Hell with it,” he muttered, and shoved Wufei away from him. “Mueller, let’s find another goddamn inn.” Mueller, looking relieved, did the same, and the two of them sullenly began gathering their gear.
Duo just stood there, smiling slightly, as the bloodhounds edged around him; just before they reached the open door, however, he whirled like a cat and had a knife pressed up against Alex’s back before the larger man could move. “The keys?” he asked sweetly.
{Note to beta-reader: is that last part unnecessary, d’you think?}
White and shaken, Alex fumbled for a moment with the hooks on his belt before holding up a rusty iron key in trembling fingers. “Here! Take the damn things!” he gasped.
“Thanks ever so much,” Duo said politely, taking the the key from his hands. The two bounty hunters bolted from the inn without further need for encouragement.
As their footsteps faded, Duo stood tense for a moment before letting out a long, shallow breath. The dangerous frenzy which had edged his demeanor faded, and when he turned so Wufei could see his face he wore an anxious frown. “That was a close thing,” he muttered. “Here, Wufei, I’ll get you out of those...”
Wufei finally allowed himself to relax, and immediately felt the sharp bite of the manacles into his wrists, the dull throb of the bruises and the stinging pain of the lash marks. Seeing Duo with that... look on his face had made Wufei doubt everything that had happened in the past weeks. For a moment he had horribly suspected that Duo would leave the chains on him.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

But Duo leaned over him and quickly inserted the key into the lock, muttering curses about the condition of the metal as he tried to jiggle the lock free. “Don’t even take care of their own equipment...” he heard Duo mutter, as he gently peeled the rust-encrusted manacle away from Wufei’s flesh. He sat up on the table, head spinning dizzily, and rubbed at his sore wrists. He did not look Duo in the eye.
With equal care, Duo unlocked the leg manacles, and assisted Wufei down to the floor. He staggered at first, but soon managed to regain his balance. Duo watched him anxiously for a moment, then turned to regard the unhappy-looking Bella, who had hovered in the background through all this.
“Thanks for the warning, Bella,” he told her gratefully. “If I’d been any later, I’d have had a hell of a time getting him back...”
“Think nothing of it,” she said firmly. “Is the boy going to be all right? He got quite knocked around...”
“Oh...” Duo glanced over at him, trying for a smile despite the worried set of his mouth, “he’s tough. Look, I’m really sorry about all this -- here, this should cover the damages...”
“It’s those two ruffians who should be paying, not you,” Bella assured him. “This can pay for lunch, instead.”
“I’m sorry, Bella --” another anxious glance -- “I think we really should leave town now. I hate to run out on your wonderful meals...”
“So soon? Well, if you insist, dearie -- here, I’ll wrap it up for you, and you can eat it later. It should keep.” Despite some feeble protest on Duo’s part, she had soon pressed a fragrant bundle into Duo’s pack, and seen them out her door with a maternal anxiousness.

There was no conversation as they made their way back out of the village, Duo supporting Wufei and Wufei trying to not need support. When they had passed some invisible landmark, Duo finally sighed and relaxed, and called a halt.
Wufei sank to the ground gratefully. God, he hurt all over. What foolish thing had he been brooding about, what seemed a small eternity ago that afternoon? Oh, yes, he was worrying over the possibility that he had been attracted to Duo. It seemed such a distant, trivial thing to care about now. He could hardly feel resentment towards Duo now -- not when the man had taken such a dangerous risk to retrieve him. Of course, Duo probably only cared about the money he would get for bringing Wufei in. The thought made Wufei feel even lower.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

But once they had stopped to rest, Duo wordlessly came beside him and began checking him over, carefully treating his bruises and cuts when he found them. Wufei sat with his shirt off, as Duo silently and gently cared for the gashes the whip had opened on his back and arm. The black, dangerous attitude Duo had shown to the bloodhounds was completely alien to the careful and gentle way he was treating Wufei now. He was not even the bright-eyed, chattering young man that Wufei had grown to know -- and, he was forced to admit, to like -- in the past week and a half. Duo’s eyes were dark now, shadowed by some internal troubles or pain. Which was the real Duo Maxwell?
At last, Wufei broke the silence. “Could you have really taken them both down?” he asked, idly curious.
Duo finished wrapping a bandage around his arm, and stared at it for a moment. “Let’s just say I’m glad we didn’t have to find out,” he sighed.
“You seemed quite sure of yourself.”
Half of Duo’s mouth twitched in a wry grin. “Of course I did. I had to. Fear is the only thing guys like that will respect, yanno? Fear and power.”
Wufei winced as Duo tugged on the bandage to assure its firmness. “Thugs,” he growled. “No better than animals, like real bloodhounds...”
The sound of Duo’s indrawn breath cut Wufei off, and when he looked up at Duo, anger had entered his expression again. “There are some things you just don’t seem to understand, Wufei,” he grated out. “You’ve got this notion that bounty hunters are scum, the lowest that men can sink. Well, guess what. We’re not. The men we hunt, those are the true scum. Thieves and bandits, rapists and murderers.”
Wufei blanched at this last word, but Duo continued on, building up momentum as though this was something he’d been bottling inside for days. “We may prey on them, but they prey on innocents. And if we didn’t stop them, who would? Only some of the larger towns can support a town guard, who can police these criminals. And once they’ve escaped to the wilderness, to littler cities -- like your home village, think of that, with no protection at all -- then what will stop them from going on to hurt more people? You might not like it, Wufei, but damn it, we’re the only justice there is.”
An old and bitter anguish stirred in Wufei, that went back far beyond his own entanglement with the bounty hunters. “And what kind of justice is it that sells its service blindly?” he cried out resentfully. “Not according to need, but according to money. What do you care if your prey is a true criminal, or just some poor soul who happens to be in the way of a rich merchant? If you have money, you can have

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

anything -- if you’re poor, then you have nothing. Justice must be for all, or it is not justice!”
Duo leaned forward, his blue eyes tinted almost purple by the red light of the fading afternoon. “Half justice is better than none,” he whispered. “And what gives you the right to judge us? Chang Wufei. Scion of your so-proud noble line. The infamous Dragon. Scholar. Murderer.”
Wufei flinched back, as though Duo’s words had been blows. “I am not,” he said hoarsely, “a murderer.”
“Oh?”
The question, with a dozen hidden levels of invitation, hung frozen in the air for a long moment. Duo settled back, a strange look in his eyes. “What do you call the death of Treize Khushrenada, then?”
“Justice.” Wufei’s hand clenched into a fist, as remembered fury returned to him. “For crimes of his own, which he would never have come to trial for...”
He trailed off, and after a long silence Duo prompted him gently. “Why was it justice?” he said, his voice strangely soft.
Wufei looked quickly up at him, as though expecting mockery, but Duo’s face and eyes held unexpected sympathy. Unnerved, Wufei bit out in a surly tone, “What do you care?”
“I care.”
He sounded like he really meant it. Wufei swallowed against an ache in his throat. To tell... the whole damn story, would someone really listen? And what difference did it make now?
It mattered. Suddenly, it mattered very much to Wufei that someone know the tale. It had burned him, like a slow fire in his heart, that none of the men who so loudly called him murderer and outlaw would even be willing to hear -- much less care -- about why he had done what he did. Maybe in the long run it wouldn’t make a difference -- yes, he killed a man, and he was not sorry. But it mattered to Wufei. And maybe, just maybe -- it would matter to Duo, too.
He spoke in soft, even tones, and started from the beginning.
“It is the tradition in my clan that marriages are arranged by the clan elders, at a very young age. I was betrothed at age six. Meiran was only two years old. We grew up... not quite in the same household, but taking the same lessons, playing the same games. As we grew up, we grew closer together; Meiran was the only one who would

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

anything -- if you’re poor, then you have nothing. Justice must be for all, or it is not justice!”
Duo leaned forward, his blue eyes tinted almost purple by the red light of the fading afternoon. “Half justice is better than none,” he whispered. “And what gives you the right to judge us? Chang Wufei. Scion of your so-proud noble line. The infamous Dragon. Scholar. Murderer.”
Wufei flinched back, as though Duo’s words had been blows. “I am not,” he said hoarsely, “a murderer.”
“Oh?”
The question, with a dozen hidden levels of invitation, hung frozen in the air for a long moment. Duo settled back, a strange look in his eyes. “What do you call the death of Treize Khushrenada, then?”
“Justice.” Wufei’s hand clenched into a fist, as remembered fury returned to him. “For crimes of his own, which he would never have come to trial for...”
He trailed off, and after a long silence Duo prompted him gently. “Why was it justice?” he said, his voice strangely soft.
Wufei looked quickly up at him, as though expecting mockery, but Duo’s face and eyes held unexpected sympathy. Unnerved, Wufei bit out in a surly tone, “What do you care?”
“I care.”
He sounded like he really meant it. Wufei swallowed against an ache in his throat. To tell... the whole damn story, would someone really listen? And what difference did it make now?
It mattered. Suddenly, it mattered very much to Wufei that someone know the tale. It had burned him, like a slow fire in his heart, that none of the men who so loudly called him murderer and outlaw would even be willing to hear -- much less care -- about why he had done what he did. Maybe in the long run it wouldn’t make a difference -- yes, he killed a man, and he was not sorry. But it mattered to Wufei. And maybe, just maybe -- it would matter to Duo, too.
He spoke in soft, even tones, and started from the beginning.
“It is the tradition in my clan that marriages are arranged by the clan elders, at a very young age. I was betrothed at age six. Meiran was only two years old. We grew up... not quite in the same household, but taking the same lessons, playing the same games. As we grew up, we grew closer together; Meiran was the only one who would

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

argue philosophy with me... for hours. Sometimes at the top of her lungs.” He smiled, briefly. “It never really occurred to either of us to protest the marriage. Though we shared no passionate love, we got along well. Despite her occasional temper and stubbornness, our clan elders were certain she would make me a good wife.
“Once she came of age, at seventeen years old, we were formally bonded. The ceremony was in the spring, just at the equinox. There were flowers everywhere, at the wedding field. Everyone was so happy, the whole clan was out in celebration. I remember Meiran looked glorious in red, she never stopped smiling. She was so beautiful...”
He had to stop for a minute, struggling against his emotions. When he spoke again, his voice had taken on harder tones. “The roads had opened not long before, just cleared enough for travel. Lord Khushrenada was making his rounds at that time, inspecting his territories after the last winter. He came... to our village, that day. I can only guess the crowd, the noise of celebration attracted him. He showed up just as soon as we’d both made our vows.” Wufei swallowed, and looked up at Duo, who was sitting, quietly absorbing this story.
“Have you ever heard of the Prima Nocta?” he asked, a little sharply
Duo frowned, then nodded. “The right of First Night? Yes, I’ve heard of it, but I’m not quite sure what it entails.”
“I’m not surprised you’ve heard of it. It is, after all, a western idea.” Wufei nearly spat the word. “The lord has the right to any woman’s maidenhood, on her wedding night. Lord Khushrenada took one look at Meiran, and invoked that right. I protested, our clan elders protested, but he had guards with him. Sixteen of them. He put her in front of him on his horse... she was still in her wedding dress. And then they rode away.
“For the rest of the afternoon, all that night, and the next morning... there was nothing. But the evening of the second day, one man came riding back. It was Khushrenada’s lieutenant, and he had Meiran’s... body strapped behind him on the saddle. He dumped her at our feet, like a sack of grain. She was covered with bruises, especially on her arms, and...” Wufei’s voice was wavering, and he fought to keep it from breaking. “The man made such filthy comments. I wanted to kill him. I tried to go for him, drag him off his saddle, but my father held me back. He told me there was no use in it, that there was nothing we could do to help Meiran now, except give her a funeral.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

“So I let him ride away. And we gave her a proper funeral. Nobody had wanted to eat, at the wedding, so we still had all the food left over for the funeral. And I sat through the ceremony, and walked beside her to the grave site, and threw the first handful of dirt into the grave. And once that was done, I left the village and started on foot for the coast. I was still in my funeral clothes. I couldn’t get rid of them, not until justice had been done.
“I went to the magistrate first, to report a murder. He would do nothing! He claimed that she must have attacked Treize, committing treason against her lord, and that he killed her in self-defense. Self-defense! One small, unarmed girl against a fully grown man, and all of his fully-armed guards?” His voice wavered between fury and pain, nearly lost again in his memories. “Treason? I would show them treason! Damn them, damn them all, they cared nothing for justice, nothing more than a group of self-serving money-bloated pigs!”
He broke off for a moment, breathing heavily, before resuming his narration in a slightly calmer tone. “I went to Treize’s manor, at Romafeller. He was holding some kind of competition, fencing with swords. Games. The guard at the gate didn’t want to let me in, threatened to cut my head off if I didn’t obey him. I took his sword away from him and killed him.” He frowned at this memory, as though it was something he hadn’t thought about much. “All I could think about was reaching Treize. More guards came to stop me. I killed... I don’t really remember how I did it. I was just so angry...
“I saw the lieutenant there, Treize’s lieutenant. I remember him. I cut his throat. That was when Treize came in, to see what all the clamor was. He saw me -- I don’t think he recognized me at first. I vaguely remember... shouting at him, demanding that he face me... face justice. Daring him to fight me, if he could. I don’t know what I was thinking, I had never been a fighter. I was a scholar. Even Meiran knew more of the martial arts than I did, but all her knowledge had not saved her...
“He must have been thinking that too. He agreed to duel me, like I was just another challenger in his little game. He let me keep the sword I had; it was too long for me, and the blade was rusted. His was in perfect condition, with gems in the handle. I remember the way they sparkled, in the sunlight in the courtyard. He was laughing at me, at the audacious little peasant who dared to confront him...
“And then I killed him.”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

He was calmer now, voice winding down as he reached the end of his story. “When I stood over him with his blood on my hands, I came back to myself. I knew I could not go back to my village, to my family. That would only put them in danger, bring them within reach of whatever retribution would fall on me. And it would fall on me, God, I knew that much at least. But... if nothing else... I had done what I had come to do. I had served Meiran, served justice.”

“I’m sorry -- about your wife,” Duo offered softly.
Wufei smiled, but bitterly. “I’m sure you are,” he retorted. “But if every one of my clansmen for the next hundred years pooled every coin of their money, we still would not have had enough to buy justice for Treize Khushrenada.”
{Er... should that be “justice for” or “justice from?” or maybe, “justice for Meiran...”}
“Dammit, Wufei, I don’t --” Duo cut himself off, frustration evident in his stressed voice. “Don’t you think I don’t know about the faults in the system, about the innocents that get swept up with the real criminals? I’m not that blind! But the one thing you never seemed to learn, Chang Wufei, is that the real world doesn’t give a damn about justice. Life’s not fair -- in fact, life’s a bitch, and there’s nothing that we can do but swallow it anyway. I don’t have the power to change things.” He scrubbed one hand across his eyes. Wufei realized, with a sudden jolt, that Duo was close to tears.
“Don’t you realize,” he said, and the waver in his voice caught all of Wufei’s attention, “that if I could just let you go, I would? I don’t enjoy condemning innocent men to death. But it’s out of my hands, Wufei! If not me, then another -- those two thugs back in town are some of your better options. Zechs Merquise is a snake-cold bastard with a memory back to his tenth grandfather. He’ll never let you rest.” He inhaled deeply, blinking rapidly, his bright blue eyes made suspiciously brighter. Abruptly, he pushed himself to his feet and turned, pacing a little ways away, then leaning against a tree.
“This wasn’t supposed to ever happen,” he whispered, barely loudly enough for Wufei’s straining ears to catch. “I’m the Shinigami. I have to be. I’m not supposed to have feelings like this, not for a man who should be my prey...”
Wufei’s dark eyes widened, staring at Duo’s back and stiff shoulders. An impossible, crazy hope began to bloom in his heart despite all his protests, a hope mixed with black irony and despair...

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

“Duo,” he said sharply, causing the other man to stiffen. “Why did you never tell me that you were attracted to men?”
Surprised, perhaps, by the unexpected change of subject, Duo turned and looked at Wufei. “What?”
“What Bella said, about you not liking her because she was female,” Wufei clarified. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Oh... uh...” A blush appeared across Duo’s cheeks, and he dropped his gaze. “Because I didn’t want to frighten you,” he admitted in a small voice, “and I wanted you to like me...”
Wufei let out a slow breath. “I like you, Duo Maxwell.” He managed to push himself to his feet, ignoring the aching protests of his wounds. “I like you a lot.”
He saw Duo blink suddenly, saw the startled emotions running in quick succession across his face before settling into one of mixed joy and skepticism. “Why?”
Wufei’s own mouth twisted, in bitter irony. “Because life is a bitch,” he sighed.
“Ha.” Duo snorted in good humor as he wiped the last of the water from his eyes. “You’re finally learning, Dragon.”

The last of the afternoon had faded into twilight, while they had been talking, and it was rapidly growing darker under the trees. By silent, mutual consent the two travelers had decided there was no point in pressing on after dark, and had managed to put together a fire. As tired as they both were, after the day’s exertions, neither one made any move to pull out the blankets. Instead, they sat and watched the fire -- not on opposite sides, this time, but sitting side by side. Wufei’s back ached, and his legs, and it was difficult for him to find a comfortable position. At last, he leaned against Duo, resting his shoulder against Duo’s black-clad arm. There. That felt comfortable... even... right.
He felt Duo take a deep breath, and start to speak. “Wufei -- I --”
“Don’t talk right now, Duo,” Wufei interrupted him gently. “We’ve talked more than enough for one day.”
It wasn’t quite true; there was so much more that still needed to be said, but his tongue was still tied in knots and he didn’t want to risk saying something he couldn’t take back. Not yet, anyway.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

Duo fell silent, unexpectedly, but Wufei could feel his heart beating rapidly. Idly, he wondered why; he could feel his own body relaxing, not yet headed for sleep but languorous for the first time in... a long time.
Unexpectedly, Wufei felt Duo bring his arm up behind Wufei’s back, and turned his head to the side just in time for Duo’s lips to reach down and brush against his.
The contact was soft, and tender, and set Wufei’s heart pounding like a rabbit’s. Shocked, he sat up straight, looking Duo eye to eye. “Duo -- what --”
The bounty hunter smiled. “You said, don’t talk, so I had to find another way to communicate.”
“Oh.” Wufei blinked and thought about that for a moment. “Why did you do that, Duo?”
Duo’s smile changed, becoming a little sadder, more wistful. “Because you’re a very beautiful man, Wufei. And because I wanted to kiss you, just once.”
“Just once...?” Wufei breathed. “Oh, don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily --”
Duo’s eyes widened almost comically. “Wha --” Whatever the garrulous man was about to say, though, was cut off as Wufei determinedly leaned in and mimicked Duo’s actions. Duo made a startled, aborted motion to push Wufei off his chest, but instead his hand closed gently on Wufei’s collar, and tugged him closer.
This kiss was much deeper than the first, unbearably sweet and intense. Neither was willing to relinquish the other’s mouth, only breaking off to snatch a quick breath before pressing forward eagerly. Seeking a better angle, Wufei shifted position until his chest was rubbing against Duo’s, sending a warm wash of pleasure through both of their bodies. Gasping into Duo’s mouth, Wufei rubbed himself against Duo again, until both of them were squirming like a pair of kittens in a heap.
Wufei knew what he wanted, even if he couldn’t find coherent words to express it; his hands crept between them, caressing downwards along Duo’s stomach until his fingers were curling under the waistband of Duo’s trousers. Duo gasped, and then jerked away. “No,” he said, although his tone contradicted his words. “Stop, Wufei...”
“Why?” Wufei whispered, stilling his hands but not removing them. “I know what I want.”
“I want it too, Wufei, but dammit... it’s not right. It -- it’s too much like me taking advantage of you.” He grasped Wufei’s wrist and pulled his hand out of Duo’s pants.