[Thread] Let me think back, no, remember--

[preventerchang]

Characters: OU!Wufei, AU!Quatre, AU!Wufei
Where: a private examination room at the clinic
When: a little bit after the transfer of the kidnapping victims to the clinic
Summary: AU!Quatre peeks in on OU!Wufei to check how he's doing during the chaos at the clinic; AU!Wufei has bad timing
Warnings: mention of previous events, angst, possible arguing

Comments

[05for_justice]

Wufei was tired, dirty, and ached all over. She limped just a little as she entered the clinic, wanting to check in on her friends before limping home. She saw Quatre instantly, the sight made a smile touch her lips despite everything. He looked so weary. "Quatre," she called as she approached the door he was about to enter. "How are you?"

[preventerchang]

Startled from his thoughts, Wufei looked up as the door to the room opened, readying himself to tell whomever it was to go away, that he wanted to be left alone. It wasn't the truth, but it was for the best. However, as the door opened, he saw a familiar face, identity confirmed by a female voice calling the name of that face down the hallway.

Winner was back. After their last conversation, Wufei wasn't so sure he wanted to see the other man quite so soon.

[05for_justice]

Wufei slipped her arms around him and closed her eyes for a moment as he touched her face. "I am," she admitted. "And I'll rest when I'm sure everyone is taken care of...and that includes you, Mister Winner," she added with a sly smile, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. "You're no good to me unconscious from exhaustion," she told him.

[preventerchang]

Wufei had been about to extend a quiet greeting toQuatre when the man was thoroughly distracted by the approach of the female who had called his name. Wufei? Why was Winner calling his name down the hallway, when he was right--

He was about to remark on this with gentle irritation when she appeared, and he found himself frozen from the inside out, unable to speak, unable to even breathe. Winner had not meant him when he had spoken the name 'Wufei'.

Every denial and betrayal, every word he had ignored as delusional, every statement he had thrown into the faces of the allies he had met here suddenly ceased to be relevant. If she was here, and her name was Wufei, then anything at all was possible and he was more the fool for believing otherwise.

She was wearing her hair slightly differently, and her voice was blessedly unrecognizable, but Wufei knew exactly who she was -- in his world, and he wondered, with the small part of his brain that was not paralyzed with a shock that was bleeding further into horror with each moment that

[05for_justice]

The voice was strange...familiar, almost. The tone was that of a kinsman, a member of the Long clan. So the double was here, was he?

She set a hand on her hip and turned her most appraising expression upon the man in the little exam room; but she couldn't help a small start of surprise. He was a kinsman. In fact, he almost looked like...

"Are any necessary?" she asked, keeping her voice even.

[preventerchang]

Wufei didn't miss her surprise, but he said nothing of it. He stared at her for a long moment, forgoing speaking while he studied her face, her body language; the things which were familiar but also strange. She moved the same way any in the Long clan would have, being raised to the warrior arts.

"No," he replied flatly. "We know each other well enough."

He focused on the indignation he'd felt, on the remembered sharp words and sarcasm they had traded over the PDAs; there was no reasoning with his confusion and shock, or the odd affection he felt towards the sudden vibrant memory of the girl whose spirit he had at last laid to rest.

He glanced towards Quatre, gaze traveling down to their joined hands. It was stupid to be irritated by this display, to feel the faintest hint of jealous betrayal, but he couldn't help himself. "I thought you'd better taste," he said, not sure which of them he was speaking to. "Or at the least, better discretion."

[05for_justice]

Wufei's eyes glowered a bit, through her expression remained cool. "As you can plainly see, Mister Winner has excellent taste. And my taste is my own business. As for discretion..." She shrugged. Perhaps she should have been more discreet, but she was tired and upset and his touch had been like warm light on a dark day. "I think we can be allowed some leeway, considering the circumstances." She squeezed Quatre's hand to give him some assurance.

[preventerchang]

"If you came here to do something, Winner, then do it, so that I do not need to see you here again," Wufei said, the words flat. "There are enough people in need of assistance that you should not bother with wasting your time on a third visit to someone whose welfare is of no import, when you should be attempting to take care of yourself, as you have obviously not

[05for_justice]

"There's no need to either apologize for him or defend me," Wufei told Quatre. "I'm sure he's just surprised, is all." She was too.

She did slide her hand from Quatre's grasp though, crossing her arms and fixing her "double" with a hard glare. "But I don't want to make the patient uncomfortable," she added. "Maybe it would be better if I left."

[preventerchang]

Surprised. The description was so inadequate for what he was feeling that Wufei felt offended. Of course, she could hardly have any idea what it was like for him to be confronted with the vision of his dead w--

A terrible thought occurred to him, and he pulled it in, shut it down, and locked down every bit of emotion that he could with the aid of pain.

He stepped outside of the situation entirely, letting his anger and indignation run ice cold, calming himself by pushing it all away, divorcing himself from the too-close situation; letting himself slide into the objective viewpoint of the observer, who watched the reactions of all three of them with clinical detachment.

"I agree," he said.