Valentine's mystery

by kidishcaresh

The envelope was grey and plain and the only thing on it was his name in neat, calligraphic, black, ink Chinese letters.

Title: Valentine's mystery.

Author: Kidishcaresh

Pairing: 2x5

Word count: 3387

Theme: valentine

Timeline: Post EW

Authoress notes: Late Valentine's day story. I thought I posted this part already last year, but it seems I hadn't. I find this very strange myself, but oh well. It hasn't been beta-read, so forgive any errors, but all 5 of my beta's are being held hostage by their exams.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC's.

Wufei sighed pushing the heap of hot pink off his desk and into a trash bag. It was the same for the past 3 years now. The five of them would each get more valentines cards then there would fit in the huge garbage bins outside the Preventor building. He sighed as he watched Heero do the same. The brunette would likely burn them all again without reading any. Trowa would do the same, after all the ones that mattered were days earlier given by his sister and lover. Duo and Quatre faithfully read them all each year. Duo enjoyed getting these cards. He gave cards back just as easily. He didn't seem to care though that he was getting the hopes of the women up by doing that.

With another sigh he picked up his dumpster and all the pink envelopes under his desk. Soon Johnny would come and bring him the ones the women had thrown out in their stupid jealousy. He'd never understand why they would do such a thing though. He blamed this stupid commercial holiday full of awful pink things and bonbons. He groaned. He knew the envelopes where only the start of his problems. During lunch he'd be hunted down by those deranged women with their god awful sweets.

'How can such a thing as a festive day turn even the most dignified lady into a monster like this and not be forbidden and who's bright idea was this valentine's day anyway?' he thought angrily as he set to work on his mission reports and instructors paperwork. The sooner he finished his morning load the sooner he'd be able to escape from here. The sooner he could get away from his office the better. Mountains of pink cards and awful sweets and the fact that this day reminded him quite painfully of her didn't help.

This year lady Une decided to hold a preventors valentines dance and of course all the women; apparently wanted to go with one of the preventor 5. Today would be their big chance to get a date with one of the guys. The ball would be at the end of the week and Wufei fully intended not to go. He'd be busy looking through the cards in his 7 trash bags to find the ones that mattered.

Lunch time came without warning and Wufei like the other 4 boys found himself trying desperately not to be seen. He sighed in relief as he made it to the fire escape unseen and escaped the last 15 steps up to the roof.

"I can't believe that in all these 5 years this is the one place they never look." he sighed chuckling as he saw Duo drive off with Trowa and Quatre for lunch across town. Heero was long gone too. He left half way through the morning. He was going for it this year. He'd been rather nervous and worried Relena might turn him down after all this time, but Wufei assured him she would not turn him down.

"I guess they think you wouldn't go somewhere where you'll end up trapped if they find you." a voice said behind him. Wufei winced. That voice sounded female. He turned around and blinked. Out of all the people to hunt him down on this dreadful day she was the one to find him?

Kimi Lowe. She was one of the newer agents. Just 3 years ago she'd been one of the first agents he instructed. She had long brown hair that she tied back in a different fashion each week and deep brown eyes. She wasn't one of their best agents but she tried her hardest and always finished her work on time. On the few field missions they went on together she'd been a great partner to have. She listened well and even had some insightful comments and unlike the other women she was genuinely interested in learning martial arts whereas the other women only took the course back then to be able to see him work out.

"Did you come to give me those awful chocolates too?" Wufei asked snorting. Kimi said nothing and looked down at the street.

"I don't believe in valentine…Lady Une wants you in her office now. I'm here to help you punch your way to It." she finally said laughingly adding the last part.

"I can punch perfectly fine on my own." Wufei grumbled.

"Okay then good luck with the massive V-day force coming up the stairs now." Kimi said walking off. Wufei frowned looking at the door as the sound of approaching people drew closer. He gulped slightly.

"Okay fine." he relented. She smiled and opened the door motioning for him to come. He followed her down surprised at how easily the mass of women let them through. He noticed though that they were all glaring at Kimi and groaned in realization.

His mission details had been few and simple. Just the way he liked it. He sighed when he left the office and went to his own to prepare the rest of the day. He'd leave around 2 and be back by midnight. When he got ready to leave there was an envelope on his desk. He blinked and pocketed the plain grey envelope that had his name on it. He locked the office and got ready to leave for his mission.

Wufei sighed and let himself fall down onto the bed in the small house that had been provided for this mission as his base of operations. The mission had been very tedious as he had to move very carefully. The base he'd been asked to look into had given him the model citizen tour and shown him enough to believe them to not be producing weapons, but what he needed to see had been underground and he knew they would not show him of their own accord. Their alarm system had been great and didn't make his investigation any easier, but he got by it and got what he needed. He left the place and detonated the mobile suit factory under the building then called in his findings to Une who told him to go to the house and let her handle it further. He might get another mission in the morning.

Tired he rolled over and winced. He felt around in his pocket and found the offending object. The plain grey envelope he'd found on his desk the other day. He shrugged and tossed it onto the table. He'd look at it if he felt like it. He was tired now. Wufei muttered under his breath as he wiggled out of his preventor issued uniform and crawled under the blankets in just his boxers and the white T-shirt that went with his uniform. He felt too tired to change to his night shirt.

Wufei shot up gasping. He stared blindly at the wall for a long time before slowly searching out the clock. Much to his dislike the glaring red digits told him it was now two minutes past one. He got up and searched his bags for the bottle Sally prescribed him so long ago. The bottle contained several small white pills. Herbal pills they were. A natural medicine that had the affects of normal anti-depressives, but lacked the risk of addiction and hadn't any of the dangers that came with taking medications multiple times within short succession of each other. He hadn't wanted to take them, but found that Sally had been right and that at times like these they really helped him. He'd only accepted the prescription when she swore they were all herbal and hadn't a single chemical component in them.

He lay back on the bed and stared at the small dining table near the bed. This so called Safe house was rather small. For one person it was fine though. A bed one table with a chair and a kitchen were found in one room and a bathroom in the only other room. From the bed you had a full view of the entire house from front to back door and through the windows, a perfect arrangement in his eyes.

From the table the grey envelope seemed to mock him. Wufei glared at it as if it were the source of all his trouble. He lay down and attempted to sleep once more. Sleep though wouldn't come and after an hour of restless turning he sat up and glared at the envelope again. He leaned over and picked it up. Lying back down he examined it. The envelope was grey and plain and the only thing on it was his name in neat, calligraphic, black, ink Chinese letters. This narrowed down the possible people to have left it to seven people. Four of which he knew couldn't have left it for they knew nothing of calligraphy.

"Sally, Duo or Kimi…" he murmured holding the envelope up as if hoping to see through it the name of the person who left this for him. With a calm soft sigh he turned it over examining every inch of the neat grey envelope.

It felt heavier than most of the card's he got. Perhaps it was one of those annoying electronic cards that let out that horrid valentines tune over and over. After his third thorough inspection of the card Wufei decided that the envelope would have to be opened if he wished to find out and so one hour later he found himself deftly opening the envelope without ripping it and sliding out an equally grey card.

He calmly examined the back and front of the card. Embroided he noted calmly. Whoever left this had taken the time to make this by hand for him. Somehow he found himself smiling at this. Embroiding had to be the most awful of women's chores and not a single woman had ever done it willingly. He traced the embroidery of a Chinese couple by a lake. After doing so he pondered again.

'Do any of them know embroidery? Sally said she was born in China…it's possible she learned…' he thought. To know for sure though who send it now depended on the presence of a name inside the card. Wufei looked at the embroidery one more time before opening the card. No name he noted with some sadness. There was however more calligraphic text in it.

Delving in the Book of Change, I rose through hardship great,

And desperately fought the foe for four long years;

Like willow catkin, the war-torn land looks desolate,

I sink or swim as duckweed in the rain appears.

For perils on Perilous Beach, I heaved and sighed,

On Lonely Sea now, I feel dreary and lonely;

Since olden days, which man has lived and not died?

I'll leave a loyalist name in history!

A poem by Wen Tian-Xiang Wufei knew a pre-colonial poet of Chinese origins and his favorite poem at that. This scratched Sally off his list. She didn't know this. Duo had seen him read it once he recalled and he knew of Kimi that they shared the same taste in poetry.

Beneath the poem was a small little text asking him to be the sender's valentine and go to the dance with them.

"I'll have to attempt to discretely find out whom of them wishes to dance with me." Wufei sighed. He woke early the next morning and realized that he'd fallen asleep soon after that thought. He packed up and made sure to safely put the card somewhere where it would not be damaged then set out for home.

Wufei eyed his two suspects which were standing at the bar talking bemusedly together.

"If I didn't know you so well I'd think you're jealous." Sally said teasingly as she sat down across from him.

"You know me better by now Sally." Wufei said smirking. He wondered idly if he should try cashing in a favor with the woman to get the answer to his valentine mystery.

"Is something on your mind Chang?" Sally asked conspiratorially smirking at him.

"I have a first name and an idle question. Perhaps you could enlighten me. You work closely with Kimi after all." Wufei said deciding he might be able to figure out which it was through Sally.

"And what would you like to know about her?" Sally asked leaning in closer.

"I've seen some cards this valentine that were embroided. I know of only 3 people who can do such a tedious thing." Wufei said calmly. He looked genuinely interested but calm enough not to hint that he'd been on the receiving end of said embroidery covered card.

"I know myself to be able to. I take it you suspect Kimi of being another?" Sally asked.

"Another what?" Kimi asked joining them with Duo.

"Wufei is having a moment of curiosity and ponders on how many people here know embroidery." Sally said grinning. Wufei watched as Kimi simply smiled and sat down. Duo's reaction had been to brief to tell what it was and he just grinned.

"Do you often have moments of sudden random curiosity?" he asked jokingly.

"Surprisingly yes, usually when I am bored." Wufei shot back smirking. He was used to the boy's teasing nature by now and even enjoyed it a bit.

"Well with Sally you now know of two people." Kimi said. Wufei didn't react. Mentally though he frowned. She openly admitted to being able to do the tedious embroidery work. He needed to find out if Duo knew next this was easier than he expected.

"So Maxwell any latent talents for the finer arts?" he asked smirking. Duo smirked right back.

"I learned a little when I lived in the orphanage back on L2." he said grinning.

Wufei frowned as his lunch partners had left the lunchroom earlier. He'd become none-the-wiser as to whom gave him the card. A more direct approach would be needed. Which to start with though? He found that this question was answered for him when he made his way back to his office and found Kimi waiting with another mission notice. He had mission with Duo as his partner, how very convenient.

"Can we talk?" he asked calmly as Kimi got up to leave.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Kimi said sitting back down.

"This." Wufei said pushing the card to her.

"Ah so you got It." she said smiling.

"Does that mean you made it?" Wufei asked. She'd confirmed knowing of it, but did it come from her.

"I made it yes, but not to give myself. It was a favor for a friend." she said her smile faltering a second. He took note and decided to wonder on this more later.

"Thank you. I'd best hurry. I have a mission soon." he said instead getting up himself now. Kimi followed and the two walked in comfortable silence to the elevator.

"Take care." Kimi said when she got off the elevator on her floor. Wufei nodded and watched as she smiled and left. This valentine's mystery brought another with it. It was clear Duo had gone through the trouble of asking Kimi to make the embroidery on his card, but with what reason? Was the braided haired boy infatuated with him or possibly more? And why did Kimi's smile falter when she mentioned making it as a favor? The most plain to see answer was that yes Duo seemed to have feelings for him of a romantic nature and Wufei had to admit he didn't dislike the braided boy in that nature, but it seemed that there was a third factor in this equation. One that possibly Duo missed or that neither the braided haired boy nor the brunette woman had taken into consideration when the card was made and that was that Kimi also had certain feelings for him, but chose to help Duo instead. This left him though with the troubled choice of what to do?

The mission with Duo went well. No setbacks or trouble at all. This surprised Wufei greatly. They had more than enough time to spare before they had to meet with their ride back to Europe at the rendezvous point. They settled into a comfortable safe hour or rather an apartment in town that was registered to preventor personnel to use after missions.

The third Evening though as they packed to leave the card that he had kept close these past few days slipped from his bag. Duo gasped as it landed by his feet.

"Is something the matter? Oh…I've…been meaning to thank you for it, but couldn't find the words to." Wufei said looking up and noticing the card in Duo's hands.

"You…like it then?" Duo asked shyly. Wufei raised an eyebrow Duo looked almost innocent when he had that shy slightly scared look on his face.

"Yes very much, but next year write your name on it too." Wufei said smiling.

"I eh…you're not suppose to…I think." Duo said with a goofy grin.

"I think we need to talk about that though." Wufei said now serious as he sat down next to his packed bag.

"Talk? Well if…if you don't feel that way about me I'll understand…I just wanted you to know." Duo said almost tripping over his words.

"No that's not it, I'm honored…flattered even that you would feel that strongly about me…I…am just…I'm sorry Duo, but I can't yet answer your feelings. There is still something I must deal with on my own before I can and there is the matter I actually wanted to talk about." Wufei said uncertain of how to tell the boy, without actually saying straight out that he'd been married at one time, that he hadn't yet been able to move on after the death of his wife.

"I understand…I guess there's still hope for me since you didn't reject me flat out huh?" Duo said smiling sadly.

"There were things in my past…that still impact my life today greatly…they aren't things I can easily set aside…things that I must overcome first…but right now the more important matter at hand is that there is someone else who also harbors romantic feelings for me…I believe we can't just ignore that fact." Wufei said quietly. He didn't much like seeing Duo smile that sad smile especially not when he was the one that caused his dear friend such pain.

"I…know…I didn't know when I asked the favor though…I found out when I left the card she'd seen and tried to hide it I guess…when I found her to ask her she was acting like nothing happened and…I didn't dare bring it up. I thought if…if you never found out who sent it she wouldn't hurt either. You've never before tried so hard to find out who's a valentine's card was." Duo said quietly.

"Well it stood out and annoyed me…like you do at times." Wufei said smirking.

"I guess. I didn't want it to be a big flashy thing really." Duo said smiling genuinely.

"It wasn't but the fact remains that she feels for me in a romantic way." Wufei said getting back to the matter of their discussion.

"I suppose we'll have to tell her you haven't accepted yet." Duo said seriously.

"I do not wish to get her hopes up any higher though." Wufei said looking out the window to see if their chopper was coming yet. Their apartment was near the airport so it was easy to spot from the house.

"We have to go now. I guess we'll figure something out when we get home." Duo said picking up his bag as Wufei grabbed his and got up too.

"I suppose we will." Wufei agreed as they walked to the chopper.

part two of this is in the writing.