Hey, everyone! Wow, it's sure been a long time . . . (cries) I'm so sorry! CEP is sorry too, but he's not crying . . .
So it's been 5 months since we last updated . . . (looks around nervously) Is anyone still here?
Well, time to answer reviews. At least now we're writing more, so we've already started chapter 5!
Shahrezad1: glad to see you again! Review Modern Day! C'mon! I miss you! Anyhow, CEP and I agree that the Gundam pilots are a bit too gun-happy . . .but then again, they are teenagers. And those were the "toys" they grew up with . . . now I feel dirty.
Two-BitGortez: Is that supposed to be Gortex? Anyhow, is that all you have to say?! WAAAAAAAHHHH!! CEP says (gee, I hope it's not Gortex. That would sting.)
Saki: Thanks, we try to have a good plot that doesn't lack those well-loved elements such as intellect, charm and in-characterness. Too bad the rest of "fanfic" land doesn't feel the same, but what can one do? CEP says (Actually, they think they ARE doing those things, which is even more sad.)
Wing: Are you male or female? CEP is curious. We like twists too, and Une seems to be really good at them, considering how much time she spent around Treize and how hard she struggled to be more . . . graceful. (snicker). William is the mystery meat of this fanfic right now, but hopefully he won't be too much more mysterious. (CEP: "He's too weeks old and looks kinda grey.") Ironic, how when all the GW pilots get together the humor seems to erupt like a volcano . . . damaging everything in its path. (J/K)
Genkai Lady: What does Genkai mean? I know what genki means . . . Anyhow, no, Quatre and Wu Fei are not trying to break Relena and Heero up. How could they when they're not together yet? And what do you take them for, do you think Quatre and Wu Fei are the threesome type? LOL! What, will they share Relena every other day? (CEP: "Ew . . .")
Also, people can be nice to each other without wanting to date each other. (now we know where all those rumors about Duo and Heero being gay came from: the fact that neither seemed to truly despise one another.) So, no, Catherine and Wu Fei are not an automatic couple because she was concerned about him. HOWEVER, though we were a bit annoyed with the romantic nature of your review, we definitly appreciate that you noticed and liked how we actually did some background on this "highschool" idea. :-) We hate those fanfics that give no good reason for them to be in a high school and suddenly launch preppy teenage girls upon them in droves. (CEP: "We'll be launching preppy teenage girls too, but more like 'into orbit' . . .")
Alright, on to the next chapter! Hope someone read these review responses, because they had some important things in them!!
(HINT, HINT)
PS:Because of the stupidity of fanfiction dot net, we have to make the "foreign language" have dashes -- instead of the carrots we were using. Now it no longer accepts carrots, parenthesis, OR astrixs. We hate ffdotnet.
Chapter 4
Earth, Izumo
April 13th – 10:05 pm
Pulling back the covers to her lilac-colored canopy bed, Relena yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Every day is so similar to the one before, here," she told herself, sitting onto the bed and gazing around her room. "But the last thing I should be doing is wishing for excitement."
Honk-honk, sounded a horn from the front driveway, and the honey-blonde girl frowned. "What the hell?" With a growl, she stood up and began to stomp over to the open window, tossing back her head angrily. "If that's you, William," she screamed as she stuck her head out, "I swear to – Dorothy?!"
Three floors below her, the long-haired socialite waved a hand enthusiastically, a flashlight below her chin eerily illuminating her features. "Please, Relena," she called back, "don't take my name in vain!" and began to chortle.
Relena slumped to the sill as the girl below guffawed at her own joke, her eyes narrowing. "Dorothy," came her suddenly calm voice, her cerulean gaze dropping to the visitor, "what are you doing here? I haven't seen you since the wedding!"
"Girls' night out!" the barely-lit teen cried, hopping a bit in a quite uncharacteristically giddy manner and tossing her free hand through the air again. "To celebrate your vacation in Italy, of course!"
—
"I see that you ditched your gigantic gold limo," Relena said as she pulled her seatbelt on.
"Well," Dorothy beamed, "it's really not much fun to drive a limo."
Relena gazed out of the window of the other girl's gold-painted corvette and shook her head at the night sky. "You're lucky my mother is a deep sleeper. She'll have a fit when she finds out."
"Who says she will?" The platinum-blonde started up the sports car and drove sedately away from the Dorlan mansion, heading onto the deserted road nearby. "After all, you left out the window; no evidence."
Arching an eyebrow, the Vice Foreign Minister quipped, "Thanks to your grappling gun. Dorothy, you truly disturb me sometimes."
"You're one to talk, Miss 'NOOOOOOOOO!!'" Dorothy cried melodramatically, tossing back her head as she accelerated onto the highway.
With a huff, the smaller girl glared out at the moon and stuck up her chin. "Shut up."
"Good to see you more relaxed. Now we just have to get you to have some fun instead of sulking all the time."
"I don't sulk!" Relena exclaimed, crossing her arms. "Where are we going, anyhow? And how did you know about my vacation to Italy?!" She turned to toss an indigo glare at the driver.
Shrugging, Dorothy smiled primly and narrowed her eyes at the road just as a sharp turn appeared, and Relena screamed as they raced around the curve, tires squealing. "I have my ways," the taller girl cackled at her passenger's reaction.
"You've gotten more crazy since we've last met!" the young politician announced, glowering again.
Dorothy shook her head. "No, I just like teasing you."
"Argh." Leaning back, Relena began to chuckle, and found the other teen joining her. "Well, I don't know where you came from, how you got here or even why, but I have to admit it IS nice to get out and just feel normal."
Giving her a grin, the silvery-haired girl glanced over and nodded. "I can certainly empathize with that." Her ice-blue eyes touched upon Relena's and for a moment, there seemed to be something else hidden there beneath her easy camaraderie . . . but after that instant, it had gone.
(((())))
Earth, Moscow
April 13th – 5:25 pm
"You know," Duo mused as he glanced around the restaurant, "I usually don't eat at establishments whose name I can't read."
The four other young men and three women lowered their menus and looked at him from around the large, circular table they were seated at. "It's in Chinese, Duo," Sally chuckled, shaking her dirty-blonde head. I knew joining them for dinner would be a humorous experience. Good thing I caught Quatre on the way out.
"Yeah," the braided pilot cried out, affronted. "Even the menu is in Chinese! I can't read kanji."
"That's not Chinese, that's Japanese, you moron," Hilde kicked him and went back to reading her menu. Jeeze, he's acting like he's nine . . . I mean, he's cute when he's hyper, and I know he's excited about seeing all his friends again, but it's starting to get old . . . She frowned and glared down at the table.
"It is called hànzì," the Asian teenager seated across the round table growled, onyx eyes hard. "And it is your fault for being illiterate."
Glaring back, Duo snapped, "It's CHINESE. Of course I can't read it, I would'a had to start learning when I was a fetus!"
"That is because you are a SLOW LEARNER!" Wu Fei shouted, drawing the attention of several other diners in the restaurant.
Smirking, the female Preventer agent raised her hands. "Okay, kids, settle down. My, it's hard to believe you two are old enough to vote."
"It's all HIS fault!" they yelled in sync, then glowered at each other.
Turning up his nose, Wu Fei muttered, "Illiterate."
Hilde began to chuckle quietly and shook her head. That's better . . . who knew a Gundam pilot could be so much fun to tease?
Sighing, now that everyone had decided to ignore him, Duo stared at the menu in his hands. "But how am I supposed to read it?"
Heero spoke up dully, a sadistic twinkle in his eye, "You could try reading the English translation on the other side. Unless you really are illiterate."
"Huh?" Duo blinked, violet eyes wide, and flipped over the menu as the indigo-locked girl at his side laughed loudly. "Hey, why didn't anybody tell me I was looking at the wrong side?!"
"I like watching you make an ass of yourself," Hilde murmured as she looked over her menu. As he began to fume by glaring at the edge of the table, she shot him a side-long grin. "It's cute."
Shocked, the raven-clad young man stared at the Chinese side of the menu. Wow. Does she mean that? Should I make an ass of myself more often? Or, does this mean that she thinks I'm cute all the time? But what if she only thinks I'm cute when I act like a moron, so that-
Just then, a slender Asian waiter appeared, smile across his face and mouth opening to speak.
"EVERYONE WILL ORDER NOW!" Wu Fei yelled, cutting off the waiter before he could say anything.
The waiter and the group of young adults all leaned back, away from him, in stunned silence. "Um," said the man, taking out a pad of paper, "if . . . you're ready."
"They are," continued the Chinese Preventer.
"Oh," Sally mused from where she sat at his left, looking at the hànzì side of the menu, "I don't think so. I think I need more time. But if everyone else is ready to order, go right ahead," she beamed, winking at Wu Fei as he clenched his fists and glared up at her. "What's wrong, Wu Fei? Do you need more time, too?"
Standing suddenly and slamming his palms down on the table, Wu Fei snapped in Chinese, "How dare you undermine me like that! It is my responsibility to oversee these reprobates, not yours!"
She raised a slender brow at him and leaned back in her chair, everyone watching them intently. "Oh? But they're not all hooligans, you know. And I dare quite easily. After all, I am technically your superior, aren't I?"
The male agent's voice rose, tone roughening as his fingers tightened into fists at his side, "Semantics are not my concern! You're my partner, so start acting like one!"
"I'm your Preventer partner," the older woman stressed, leaning over her folded arms to narrow her eyes at him, "not your WIFE."
Trowa smiled a little as the waiter disappeared swiftly on that note. "And yet the two of you would make such a lovely couple," he commented in English. "Remember, Wu Fei, passion is a vice. One must learn to master one's emotions, not allow them to master oneself."
Drained and blushing slightly, the Chinese teen sat back down into his seat, folding his arms across his chest. "Alright."
To his left, Sally bowed her head, brow furrowed and cheeks flushed, but she said nothing.
"Ahem," Quatre cleared his throat in the resulting silence, "so . . . I hope the waiter comes back."
On that note, everyone but the two combatants turned to look towards where the waiter had disappeared, only to catch the restaurant staff gazing at them in interest. Immediately, the workers fled to their various tasks in shame, ducking their heads.
Trying to ignore the fact that Heero still stared at him from time to time – and the fact that the only obstacle between them was Hilde - Duo leaned over towards said indigo-haired girl to his left and muttered, "Good thing we don't fight like that, huh, Babe?"
"Yeah," Hilde returned, "usually I toss you out way before this point."
"Definitely," he nodded his sienna head, then frowned. "Hey."
"Anyway, I know what I want," Hilde breathed airily.
On the other side of the table, Catherine gazed sadly over at the young Chinese man sulking next to her. With a sigh, she turned to whisper to Trowa, "What was all that about 'a lovely couple'? You shouldn't be so mean to Wu Fei, he seems to be under a lot of stress."
"I wasn't being mean," the young man to her right replied, brown eyes intent upon the two quiet Preventer agents. "I was being honest. And it snapped them out of it, didn't it?"
"Is this normal between them?" the female acrobat asked softly, eyes warily glancing around the table.
Quatre bent towards them as well, murmuring, "From what I've heard, yes."
((()))
Earth, Izumo
April 13th – 11:25 pm
"Okay," Dorothy said as she pulled Relena over to the bar, "first we get you sauced."
"What?!" the Minister looked around the sports bar in shock, but none of the inebriated patrons seemed to notice them. "Dorothy, why don't you get drunk while I just sit in a corner and hide." Her pained cerulean eyes flickered over the bar counter and down to her hands clasped over her goldenrod sweater.
"Because I'm the driver, sweetie," the girl shook her head and suddenly shoved Relena onto a bar stool. "Sit there, goldilocks."
The shorter girl watched as Dorothy sat down next to her and tossed back her long waves of hair. "Now what?"
"Now you get something to drink and we talk!" Dorothy gave her a dazzling smile and a wink. "For example," she began, then waved over the bartender. "Bartender! Baaten," she cried, "could we get some drinks?"
A middle-aged Hispanic woman sauntered over and leaned on the counter. "Nani o nomimasu ka?" she asked with a perfect dialect.
"I want to get my friend here," Dorothy told the barkeep, "drunk, as fast as possible. What do you suggest?"
The woman smiled knowingly and replied, "Tequila."
"But," Relena shook her head as Dorothy clapped and laughed. "No, wait . . ."
"Okay!" the taller girl announced, "that's what you're drinking!"
Frowning, the Vice Foreign Minister chastened, "I can't drink that, it's way too dangerous. Do you know what that much alcohol does to your brain?!"
"Oh, Rela, you could stand to lose a few brain cells!" Dorothy snapped at her. "You think too much as it is."
The bartender raised a brow at them and said, "First off, though, you both eighteen?"
Nodding, they waited.
"Got any I.D.?" she laughed and rested her palms on the bar.
Relena blanched slightly and turned to look at Dorothy. "Dor-"
"Here, Rela," Dorothy reached down to the floor towards the other girl's purse, "let me get yours out for you."
"But-"
"No buts," she smiled, coming back up, "it's your night, Rela!"
Frowning, Relena leaned over and murmured, "Why do you keep calling me that?" then blinked as the platinum-haired girl handed two cards to the bartender.
The Hispanic woman looked at them, then at the cards. "Okay, looks fine to me, girls."
The barkeep handed back the I.D.s to them respectively, and Relena took hers, eyes widening a bit at the name. "Rela Duncast"? Bleh. Tucking the fake I.D. into her purse, she glanced over at Dorothy and shook her head at the sweet smile upon her face.
"As I was saying," Dorothy began, "we get something to drink and talk."
"Talk about what?" asked Relena, more calmly now that she felt safe from scrutiny.
"Hmm, how about your love life." Dorothy gazed at her with serious ice-blue eyes.
Raising a brow, Relena said, "No thanks."
"Okay," the other blonde nodded, "how about, 'did you know I'm going to be going to Castello de Cristo as well'?"
"Huh?" Shocked, Relena blinked at her, then turned as a large glass was set down in front of her. "Um . . ." She stared at the pale greenish fluid then back up at the barkeep, tugging on her sweater nervously. "Isn't this a bit much?"
"Drink up," she told her, smiling. "Nomi-nomi," she quipped in Japanese, and headed off towards the other side of the bar while tossing a chuckle behind her.
Staring at the glass, Relena sighed, then glanced over at Dorothy with narrowed eyes. "Okay, if I drink this, then you have to do something for me in return."
"Oh?" The platinum-locked girl raised a double-brow and looked at her curiously. "And what's that?"
With a smirk, Relena sipped the tequila, then winced at the horrible taste and strength. "Why, we talk about your love life, of course!" she announced cheerily.
Paling, Dorothy turned to look across the bar and called out to the bartender, "Give her beer!"
Unfortunately for her, the noise of the sports bar drowned out her words, and the shorter girl next to her just chuckled and continued trying to imbibe her less-than-palatable drink. "But why mince words," the young minister smirked, sapphire eyes sparkling. "Let's get to the real subject . . ."
"And what's that," Dorothy glanced up at the televisions on the wall and tried to look nonchalant while nervously swinging one leg back and forth.
"Why, Quatre, of course," Relena smiled, raising the glass to her. "Okay, let's see how much of this I can drink at once."
With a frown, the long-haired girl next to her growled, "If that's our subject, I think I need that drink more than you do." She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe we can call a cab."
(((())))
Earth, Moscow
April 13th – 6:41 pm
"Hey, everybody, we should read our fortune cookies to each other!" Quatre beamed as the tiny wrapped objects were placed before each of them on the cleared-away table.
"No, we should not," came Wu Fei's brusque reply, and the Asian teen crossed his arms and scowled at the offending confection. "They are not a Chinese tradition, they were created in the Americas by greedy restaurateurs."
To his left, Sally shook her head and rolled her eyes as she unwrapped her cookie. "Oh, Wu Fei, lighten up. What does it really matter, it's fun!" Breaking the cookie, she pulled out the fortune as the others around the table – excluding Heero and Wu Fei – followed her example.
The female agent looked at hers and read, "'Your calmness in times of strife will serve you well in the future.' See, Wu Fei, nice and vague and harmless," she told him, shooting him a violet-blue glance.
Unnoticed by the others, Heero dropped his gaze to the cookie before him, and carefully broke it, gaze unemotional as he removed the paper.
"I'll go next," Quatre offered to everyone, eyes twinkling excitedly. "Mine says, 'Compassion and kindness are gifts you grant to all whom you touch.'"
"-In bed!" appended Duo, earning him a gut-punch from the girl to his left. "Ow, hey, Hildee!"
Sighing, Trowa shook his head. "I think those are both very accurate," he told Sally and Quatre. Giving a pointed glance to Duo, he continued, "I suppose I'll read mine, not that I really believe in them."
"But these were pretty telling, weren't they?" the blond teenager at his right pointed out.
With a nod and a smile, the acrobat shrugged. "That's true." He then glanced down at the fortune in his hand and recited, "'Trials and tribulations may be in your future; with a firm stance, nothing is impossible to overcome.'"
"-In bed!" This time Duo covered his stomach, but winced as Hilde smacked the back of his head.
"You loser," the indigo-haired girl chided him, grinning.
Exhaling heavily in annoyance, Wu Fei stood and reached for the bill in the center of the table, snapping, "Well, I should pay while you all continue this foolishness."
"No, no," Quatre shook his head, azure eyes concerned, "let me get it."
The Chinese Preventer scowled and told him, "I was just going to expense it. You don't really think we get paid that much, do you?"
Smiling, the fair-haired boy reached over to pick up the receipt and shrugged, "Just consider it an impromptu donation to the Preventers."
With a sullen nod, Wu Fei sat back into his chair and allowed him to take the bill. Across from him came the sound of a piece of paper being crushed, and he glanced over at the cold-eyed young man sitting there.
"Heero, what's wrong?" Quatre asked as he stood to pay the bill, turquoise eyes concerned.
The slender boy frowned slightly, his dark head dropping to look down at the ivory strip of paper crumpled in his hand. His Prussian eyes narrowed, but he handed over the fortune to the blond, gaze unfocused on the empty center of the round table.
Unfolding the fortune, the trillionaire blinked at it. "Heero, it's just blank," he told him as he flipped it over, "that's not . . ." Halting, he turned a little pale as all eyes but Heero's fell upon him.
On the back of Heero's crinkled fortune streamed a continuous row of zeroes.
"What is it, Quatre?" Trowa asked quietly, and the others blinked and looked at each other in confusion, then back up at the blond.
"Nothing, I just remembered something I forgot to do," he lied again, tucking the paper into the pocket of his slacks and glancing around the restaurant. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go pay the tab," he told them, then turned and headed away from the table, towards the front of the establishment.
In his peripheral vision, wait-staff and customers seemed to move in slow-motion, as Quatre neared the cashier station. It's just a coincidence . . . Shaking his head, he took out the crumpled fortune and studied the row of zeros again. There's no way it means anything, the Zero systems have been destroyed.
He reached the register and presented the bill, then took out his wallet and from within it, a credit card. Azure eyes tired, he smiled weakly as a slight shudder jerked his hand as he held out the payment to the woman at the register. It's just a fortune cookie . . . a misprint.
But as he was handed back his card and opened his wallet to replace it, he found himself slipping the fortune into the billfold and closing the wallet upon it.
((()))
Exhaling slowly, Sally folded her arms as she leaned against the wall of the hotel lobby and watched as Quatre cheerily paid for hotel rooms for each of the pilots and their two female companions. They all stood around him with their backpacks, duffel bags and suitcases in hand or resting on the ground . . . all but the un-hampered Wu Fei, who managed to stay just a few feet away, shoulders straight, expression callous . . . and back turned purposefully away from her.
Sighing again, the honey-locked woman looked down at the maroon and indigo carpeting under her feet. I guess I really should know better. Good job, Sally. You knew Wu Fei was under a lot of pressure: four ex-Gundam pilots under his wing, two civilians . . . and what with his protective streak towards Relena, who knows if Relena decided to take William up on his offer. What was Une thinking? With a smirk, she decided that Une's plans would most likely remain a mystery. After all, there's no possible way that she chose Castello de Cristo just because Relena might decide to go as well. Une, a matchmaker? Not likely.
Yes, the news of Relena's possible vacation didn't go amiss by the higher-ranked Preventer agents; how could it, when they were either friends or family to the Vice Foreign Minister.
The sound of a throat clearing shook her from her thoughts, and she raised her head to see her partner walking towards her as the others collected their things and their room cards and began to walk away, Quatre, Duo and Catherine tossing them waves as they went, the latter favoring Wu Fei with a considering look that Sally didn't miss.
She could feel his hard gaze upon her, and glanced back, suppressing a wince.
"I'll report in tomorrow at eight," he snapped coolly now that he had her attention. "If you're lucky, I'll have all of our paperwork done by the time you arrive."
The uniformed young man turned to head towards the outer doors, and she slumped for a moment. Taking a deep breath, the tawny-haired woman gave him a few seconds to march away from her, then lifted her head and jogged after him, catching the door before it closed behind him.
Though he couldn't have missed the sound of her boots on the pavement outside of the hotel, the young Asian man continued to walk without turning around. The cool evening air of Moscow ruffled her bangs as she hurried after him, suppressing a groan as the ebony-headed boy began to stalk faster, almost to a jog, in order to get away from her.
"Wu Fei!" Sally called out finally, and gave a frustrated moan in the back of her throat as he slowed down but tightened his hands into fists at his side.
She caught up to him and sighed deeply, gaze dropping to watch her own feet marching along the sidewalk. "I was wondering if you would walk me to my apartment."
"Why," he growled, icy black eyes flicking over to her and away, "has Jerry from accounting been following you again and you need someone to protect you?"
Rolling her eyes, Sally allowed him to move ahead of her again by just a pace or two and chuckled, "Well, it's true that he won't give up. I tried telling him I was a lesbian," she laughed as Wu Fei stumbled slightly at that, "but he doesn't seem to believe me."
"What?" Turning his head, the young man stared up at her, letting her return at his side as they began to walk again, this time at a more regular pace.
Giving him a lopsided smile, the young woman tossed a braid over her shoulder and shrugged. "It was worth a try, wasn't it?"
He shook his head and frowned, returning his eyes to the path before them and the lamp-lit city. "Your audacity is truly amazing sometimes, Preventer Po."
Groaning, Sally threw up her hands before her and rolled her eyes up to the heavens. "Dammit, Wu Fei-" she began, then halted as he drew up to their apartment building and took out his key-card.
"Is there a problem, Preventer Po?" he asked bitingly as he opened the door and stepped through, the older woman right on his heels.
"Yes," she murmured, eyes narrowing, "you still haven't told me if you're going to be walking me to my room yet."
Passing the elevators and heading for the stairwell, the dark-haired young man tossed an angry glance back at her and retorted, "If that's an order, then I will of course do as you command."
Ouch. Sally rubbed her head as she slowly followed him up the stairs, halting after a few steps to let out a long sigh. "Please, Wu Fei," she asked tiredly, raising her eyes to gaze up to him where he stood on the landing above.
Taking one heavy step, Wu Fei stopped without turning around, then cocked his head to glance back at her. "Alright," he replied quietly. "Sally."
((()))
Earth, Izumo
April 13th – 12:03 am
"We should start a club," Relena slurred as she sipped her new, magenta-tinted frozen drink. Tossing back her hair, she gazed over at the girl to her left unsteadily.
Dorothy downed her third martini and slouched on the table. "What kind of club?" she asked, not drunk yet but curious.
Starting to spin lazily around in her bar stool, the saffron-garbed girl raised a finger. "A club for girls that want to date Gundam pilots, but can't get them to . . . to date them, or something."
Nodding, the platinum-haired teenager waved over the bartender. "Who would be president?"
"You and me." The Minister sipped at her pink drink again, stirring it with the blue umbrella in it.
Dorothy raised a double-brow. "That doesn't work, we're not Siamese twins."
With a frown, Relena reconsidered drunkenly. "Co-Presidents, then."
"That doesn't work either, the politics of it are awful." Smiling, Dorothy watched Relena fling her hands out to her sides and look up at the ceiling.
"Noin can be our treasurer . . ." the ex-queen announced, studying the cracks in the structure above her.
The other blonde shook her head. "But she married her Gundam pilot."
"She did?"
"Yes, you dope," Dorothy grinned, "don't you remember? You were the Maid of Honor? I was a bridesmaid?"
"Oh, yeah," Relena downed the last of her drink, "and Quatre was the ring bearer and you chased him around and he almost lost the rings."
Flushing, Dorothy looked down at her empty martini glass. "I didn't chase him, I . . . followed him. Aggressively."
"You should be club president," Relena pointed at her with a serious expression on her bleary face.
Getting Relena drunk is really amusing, but the last thing I need is her needling me any more about Quatre. "Too bad Heero didn't stay around for the reception, then you and the best man could have danced together," Dorothy switched topics quickly, wondering what her companion would say.
Giving her a cerulean glare, Relena slammed the glass down on the table angrily and cried, "Heero doesn't stick around for anything, that jerk. He wouldn't even give me my birthday present in person, he pretended to be a maintenance worker!" She paused, confused azure eyes blinking wearily, then she gave a lopsided smile. "But he did touch my shoulder."
Dorothy paused, considering this. "I wish Quatre would touch my shoulder," she finally returned, mouth down-turned as she swiveled around to lean back against the bar and gaze out upon the tables filled with customers.
"I thought he had?" the other teen asked, looking over at her.
"It doesn't count if he's trying to push me away," Dorothy shook her head, crystal eyes tightening.
They both sighed and sat in silence for a few moments, then Relena surprised her by asking, "Which one of us is more sad?"
The laughing crowds surrounding them within the sports bar seemed distant and indistinct as Dorothy looked out beyond them into the emptiness she encompassed.
"I don't know."
((()))
Earth, Moscow
April 13th – 7:03 pm
Wu Fei glanced around Sally's dining-room from where he sat at the dinner-table as occasional clattering sounds disturbed the quiet of the night. Soft golden light suffused the apartment from various dim lamps and candles set around it, and the young Asian man once again noted with grudging approval the many Chinese decorations and mementos placed upon the tables and hung along the walls.
"Wu Fei," came her muffled voice from the kitchen, "if you want, you could turn on the stereo, I know I have some play-lists that you like."
Exhaling slowly, his mouth tightened and he stood up, eyes locking upon the many candles burning at the center of the round table. "Alright." What is she trying to do? It's been a while since she was this nice to me. Does she suddenly have amnesia? Or does she want some favor out of me?
Grasping the bottom hem of his uniform coat, he straightened it rigidly and stalked over to the stereo, flicking his fingers over the graphic interface and quickly selecting the section of traditional Chinese music that Sally kept on her stereo's hard-disk. With a frown, he pressed the button to turn off the screen, raven eyes flicking around the dimly-lit room once more.
Just as he turned to look back towards the small dining area, his partner appeared from the kitchen, two Chinese teacups and a teapot in her hands. She gave him a small smile, but something seemed to catch in her periwinkle eyes and the honey-haired woman looked away as she set the items down on the table. "You can sit back down again," she spoke quietly, almost timid as she placed one handle-less cup at the spot he had been sitting, then the other at the space kitty-corner to his.
Wu Fei gave a low hum in the back of his throat and started forward again, a disconcerting uneasiness rolling over him in a wave as he returned to the table, the golden candle-light dancing across his cold features. Now I'm really suspicious. She's being so quiet and demure . . . who stole her away and replaced her with this mouse? Yet, for all of his humorous rejoinders, the discomfiting feeling creeping up his spine caused his eyes to flicker up to her, to where she stood next to him, with a glance of worry.
I know she wouldn't really try to soften me up in order to ask for a favor. Something must truly be affecting her.
Then, suddenly, her pale eyes were looking down at him and she picked up the teapot. "I know you've had a hard couple of days, getting everyone together," she spoke, sultry voice low and gentle as she poured tea into his cup.
Wu Fei watched her at first, and the glistening of the candle-light upon the honeyed locks of hair, then his gaze fell to the shimmering umber tea as it filled the porcelain container. "Sally," he spoke finally as she finished pouring without spilling a drop, "I . . ." He growled something more like a sigh and bowed his head slightly to the tea. "Thank you for inviting me."
She smiled sweetly and poured her own tea, then sat down to his right. "I like you like this. You're not so caustic when I've surprised you into silence."
Arching a brow and giving her a flat stare, the young man picked up the cup carefully and sipped the tea, eyes returning to the candles. "I figured this act of yours couldn't last forever." He couldn't keep a tiny smile from tugging at his lips, though.
Sally laughed out loud, startling him a bit but loosening the tightness of his shoulders with the sound. "Oh, Wu Fei. You wouldn't believe how confused I was until I realized that these barbs of yours were supposed to be funny."
"They were funny," he corrected her, sipping the tea carefully.
"Well, yes," she beamed at him, eyes not nearly as demure as her sitting posture, "but your humor is as dry as the Sahara. You're hard to read, you know."
What slight hint of joy that had touched his features slid away, and Wu Fei's gaze dropped back to the tea. "I know," he admitted, and within him he felt the jagged tear that this knowledge inflicted. Everyone would like to think that they are valued for who they are, I suppose, he mused tiredly. But the person that I am does not seem to be acceptable.
Without warning, he found Sally's hand on his arm, and he glanced up at her in surprise.
"You're worth the effort, though," she smiled, then pulled her hand away. For some reason, he felt sorry to see it go. Her deep, warm eyes still clung to him, however, so he appreciated what he could have. "Wu Fei, I'm really sorry I was so hard on you today."
Blinking, the young man shook his head, confused. "Sally?"
With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and chuckled a bit, drinking from her teacup slowly. "You may have acted rude, but I should have taken into account what a holy terror all of your friends have a tendency to be. After all, even normal 'elite' soldiers seem to have a problem with sanity . . . just look at Milliardo." She smirked at him charmingly, and he could only wearily shake his head and give her a muted smile in return. "However," she continued, sipping her tea, "you managed all of them without killing anyone, no small feat for any human being. Especially with Heero and Duo around; those two could do a lot of damage if they got too much sugar."
Stunned, Wu Fei blinked for a moment, then began to laugh out loud, setting down the teacup before he dropped it. "Sally, you're quite strange," he told her, smiling at the satisfied grin on her face.
"I made you laugh," she informed him as if he'd forgotten already, "that's got to be worth something."
Unable to contain the smile from widening across his face, Wu Fei bent his dark head and chuckled again. "It is."
He turned the teacup in his hand, studying the sinuous painted dragon slipping along its ivory curve as his voice grew contemplative.
"It is."
