Suki cried herself to sleep again that night. Her anger had died and she felt ashamed at her spitefulness. Why couldn't she have been more forgiving? Then she could forget her pain. She dreamt of beautiful jet eyes, and the liquid fire of his kiss that made the spiteful snog with that other guy seem futile. And she hadn't even bothered to learn his name. She sobbed into her pillow.
^^^
Suki was awakened, maybe an hour after finally getting to sleep, when a weight pressed into the side of her bed. It couldn't be Mika- he was sleeping over at his best friend's house until Monday. Opening her midnight-gummed eyes slowly, blinking sleep away with her long mascara-d lashes, she saw someone she would never have expected to see.
It had been easy for Wufei to pick the lock to the front door. He'd followed her home, in hope of a chance to apologise. He had rehearsed his apology over and over as he had hovered outside her door. Once he had almost turned away but he wasn't going to miss the chance to make up. He had stood by the door for maybe fifteen minutes, debating whether or not to wake her. She'd looked so peaceful, lying there with her lashes resting on her cheeks, that he could almost believe that she was the angel she had named herself. He had finally decided to sit down beside her, to see if she awoke.
Suki sat up and stared for long moments, soft lips parted in question. It seemed to her that here was one of her dream images, come to haunt her. So she reached out to him, resting her hand on his thigh, to reassure herself that he was real. Her anger and disappointment melted away, like snow in sunshine as she found he was really there and…perfect. He drew his breath in sharply, looking at her hand, then pulled her gently towards him, and they kissed, his speech forgotten. Sometimes actions mean more than words.
Pleasantly shocked, Suki froze for a moment then relaxed, enjoying his kiss. It was even better than last time, and she sighed as he caressed her lips with his tongue. She forgot that all she was wearing was a manky green vest top that was far too tight to wear outside and a pair of violently clashing purple hot pants.
He smiled against her lips and they parted for a second. Wufei's breath came more raggedly, looking at her sitting there in her skimpy clothing. It was a hot night, and the breeze from the window played with her dark hair, pulling strands of it from the loose ponytail and letting it float prettily in the warm night air. Her cheeks were delicately flushed, and her moist red lips shone.
He knew he had to go slowly, if he was to make it up to her. But his body refused, and he slid his hand down her back, touching her wherever she would let him, as he kissed her again.
Mind racing, Suki moaned slightly and leaned against him, her hands stroking his neck, heart in her throat and with lips tingling for contact. Unable to stop himself, Wufei pressed her down gently onto the bed, and started to rid her of her ill-fitting clothes. She was compelled to return the favour, unbuttoning his pale shirt that shone golden in the candlelight, to reveal, strong, well-developed muscles, developed for practical use, rather than to satisfy any vain ego. He glistened faintly in the soft light she kept burning by her bedside.
"Do you know what Suki means in Japanese?" he asked her quietly, whispering into her ear. "It means love."
She smiled in ecstasy.
^^^
Looking down at the slumbering beauty in his arms, Wufei felt warm and content. Her soft tanned skin brushed his, and their light sweat mingled. Her hair smelt sweet, like apple, he noticed with a smile as she nuzzled closer. Long legs intertwined with his own, as close as she could get. Suki had willingly given herself to him. They had made love- and indeed, literally. He could feel it growing in his heart, spilling to fill his being with the warm glow that he felt for this girl.
They had hardly spoken, but he was able to soothe her through her discomfort, until her body opened to his like a flower in bloom. He turned to look at her sleeping face again. Her mascara was smudged, but her tearstains had vanished. Hair brushed against his bare chest, warm, soft and wonderfully alive. Slowly, her eyes flickered open, lashes tickling his skin. She looked around for a moment, and then blissfully remembered who she was with. Smiling, she looked up at the handsome man she had fallen for, oh, so quickly. His musky scent overloaded her senses, but it was pleasant, and oh, so desirable. She buried her face in his shoulder, enjoying the embrace, breathing in his smell.
"When does your brother get back?"
She looked up at the quiet voice near her ear. His breath had tickled her skin, leaving a delicious trail of goosebumps up her arm.
"Not until Monday."
"Good." He grinned and moved to roll her onto her back once more. At that point her radio alarm switched itself on. Neither of them reached to turn it off.
"One more ti-ime. We're gonna celebrate yeah,
don't stop the dancing…"
^^^
He had stayed with her all through that wonderful weekend. But now she had to go back to school.
"Stop it." He had caught her around the waist, and was pulling her back to kiss her neck. "I have to go to school." She pushed him away reluctantly.
He looked at her questioningly and she laughed, kissing him on the nose. "I'll be back tonight. But Mika will be here too, so behave yourself." She scolded, smiling.
He let her go and she grabbed her bag, walking out backwards, not wanting to go but knowing she had to. She had university to think of. She laughed at her newest predicament and started the walk to school.
^^^
"Suki? Suki? SUKI!" Mieke had been yelling for fully five minutes, running through the crowd to try and catch up with her friend. "SUKI!" she called again, grabbing her shoulder. Suki was finally awakened from her daydream, and looked around at her friend questioningly.
"What is it?"
"I've been shouting at you for ages, and I had to practically yell in your ear to get your attention!" Mieke told her, not paying attention to the look on her friend's face. "You've gotta be really depressed if you're that bombed out."
Suki laughed, and Mieke looked back at her in astonishment. Right down to the tips of her long hair, Suki seemed to be glowing with love and happiness.
"What you on, girl? Can I have some?"
"No. None for you," Suki teased, tweaking her friend's nose. "None for Mieke."
"Oh, come on girl, spill!"
"Nope."
"Tell."
"No."
"Please?"
"No way." She half skipped away.
Exasperated, Mieke tried another tactic. "Well, I'm glad you're over that Wufei guy."
Suki laughed louder, at the joke her friend had unknowingly uttered, turning heads nearby with the gaiety of the sound.
"What?"
Suki couldn't speak, she was laughing so hard. The happiness she'd felt since Friday night was spilling from her now, but she wasn't running out of it. In fact the more she laughed the more she was filled up with love. All that was happening was that she was sharing it with her puzzled friend.
"What?! Tell me!"
"No."
Mieke couldn't make Suki tell her all the way to school, and quieted halfway there. If she knew her friend, she'd spill soon enough. Suki was never very good at keeping things secret from Mieke. After all, her best friend had tactics that had never failed before.
^^^
Bewildered, Mieke followed Suki out of school at the end of the day, still none the wiser. She hadn't told her. She couldn't believe it. As far as she was concerned she had failed miserably at extracting a piece of potentially juicy gossip from her friend.
Suki looked out of the gates, and to her delight, there Wufei was, waiting for her to leave school.
When they were almost there, she turned to Mieke and started to say,
"Mieke, this is my-" but was cut off as Wufei grabbed her playfully from behind, making her squeal with delight, and pulled her into a long kiss. Breaking away, Suki knew she was smiling like an idiot, but she didn't care.
"Like I was saying, Mieke, this is Wufei."
"Nice to meet you." Mieke shook his hand, carefully taking in all she could see about him. He had that glow, too- so much love that it threatened to break free and fill everything with happiness. Wufei took her hand but stayed silent, preferring to drink in everything about Suki. It had only been a day, and he'd missed her; her arms, her hair, her eyes, her body. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked along, Suki talking to her friend as they went. Mieke left, and Suki guided Wufei through the streets to her brother's school, unwrapping herself from his grip as she ran forward to greet her little brother.
Mika looked over her shoulder and saw him standing there. That pilot. What was he doing here, with Suki? He bet he could hazard a guess, by the exuberant smiles on both their faces.
The little boy disentangled himself and walked over, his cast dragging slightly, then looking up at the strange guy his sister liked so much.
Wufei looked down into solemn eyes, and realised who it was. It was the same person as flicked yoghurt onto his hair the other day. Eyes twinkling, he crouched and greeted him, dropping not-so-subtle hints about pigeons to show he knew it had been Mika. Joining them, Suki entwined her fingers with Wufei's and they set off for her apartment, with Mika walking silently alongside her.
^^^
Mika could hear giggling and murmuring coming from the bathroom. Suki and Wufei had vanished, and when he went looking for them, this was what he found.
"Suki?"
The noises stopped, and moments later he heard the reply,
"Yes, Mika?"
"You alright? It's dinner time, and I'm not allowed to cook, and anyway I need the bathroom…-"
"Sure, Mika. Give me a minute."
Brief sounds of hurried movement from the other side of the door reached his ears, and the door opened to reveal a slightly messy Suki, flustered from making out with Wufei in the bathroom.
Peering through the opening when she'd gone into the kitchen, Mika could see a kitana lying by the toilet. Eyes and grin widening in the joy of discovery, he turned quickly away, then hid in the bedroom as Wufei crept out silently, a nonchalant look on his face. Mika buried his head under the pillow and laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks.
^^^
Having been put to bed unfairly early, Mika still wasn't asleep. Instead, he lay perfectly still, listening to the quiet sounds from outside. He heard light footsteps coming along the corridor, and listened to see whose they were.
Suki was under attack from Wufei, laughing and pushing him away each time he tried to kiss her. By the door they finally stopped and he kissed her passionately, a long deep kiss that sent her skin shivering in delight. His hands crept to her waist, and she pulled them off firmly and gave him a mock stern look, trying not to giggle.
"You've got to go."
He tried to hold her close once more but she dodged, grinning. "In case you've conveniently forgotten, my little brother is in the house."
"That didn't stop you in the bathroom," he replied, grinning.
She didn't answer that, because he kissed her slowly again, as she opened the door with one hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Unwillingly, the pilot walked out slowly, gazing back at the beautiful Suki holding the door serenely.
Giggling quietly to herself, Suki walked into the bedroom and undressed slowly, by herself for the first time since Friday, climbing into bed and lying down peacefully. Watching through almost-closed eyes, Mika saw her pull a piece of blue cloth from under her pillow, breathe in deeply and sigh, then tuck it back carefully, her hand resting on it under the pillow.
Suki sighed blissfully. It was one of Wufei's shirts, and it smelt of his musky scent. She liked it. A lot. She knew Mika was watching, but she didn't care. Closing her eyes, one hand on Wufei's shirt, she drifted happily to sleep.
^^^
They carried on like this for a week, until the next Friday. Suki had finally persuaded Wufei to come with her and her friends to that fateful club, leaving Mika at someone else's house again. She brushed some smooth powder onto her face. She sneezed as she over did it- Wufei had come up behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her injured stomach, making her gasp in pain. The bruises still weren't healed, and she found the agony hard to deal with.
Concerned, Wufei looked at her face and realised what he'd done. He apologised and, shifting his arms to a more comfortable spot, he began to kiss her soft neck persuasively.
"Stop it! I've got to get ready!" she told him sternly, trying hard not to give in to his demands. "Go change."
Caressing her once more, he grabbed his crumpled clothes and began to struggle quickly into them, trying not to take his eyes off of the girl in front of the mirror. She stood up and watched, giggling as his shirt got stuck with his head in one of the armholes. Soon they were both in hysterics, but at last she took pity on him and guided it over his head until he had it on correctly.
Smiling invitingly, she pulled on her black shoes and they left the apartment, locking the door behind them. With his arm loosely around her waist, so as not to chafe her bruises, they walked through the back streets, taking a shortcut. It wasn't likely that Zedd and his gang would dare attack them again, not after the beating they had received last time. Hips swaying gently as she moved, Suki led Wufei through the alleyways to the club, where they met up with Mieke and Co.
"Hey, Mieke!" Suki called loudly, shouting above the rhythmic din.
"Hi!" her friend yelled back, straining on her toes to see her above the crowd. "Glad you could make it!"
Once inside, Wufei grabbed her playfully and pulled her to dance, his eyes taking in the surrounding area in detail. He may be a retired gundam pilot, but it was still better to be wary. Loads of guys were staring at his beautiful Suki, in a way Wufei didn't care for. He was highly possessive of her, and treated her like a delicate glass figurine, easily breakable. He wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her close, with her head on his muscular shoulder. Plenty of interested guys still watched, but many looked away, seeing that she was his. The Chinese pilot smiled, both at the simplicity of his defence and at his fortune that he could claim to own such beauty.
Suki could tell easily why he'd done that, and grinned to herself. He was so obsessive about making sure she was his, though he needn't have bothered. She didn't really look at other guys now, not needing to. She was safe and loved with Wufei, and for the first time in her life, she was content.
Wufei's roving eyes caught a familiar but unexpected figure leaning against the wall, unruly hair still out of control. Heero. And what's more, he had caught his eye and was beckoning to him.
Abruptly letting go of Suki, who looked up in surprise, he told her to stay right where she was and walked slowly through the multitudes to talk to his old friend.
"Heero."
"Wufei."
"What on earth are you doing here?"
"The Preventors need you again."
Jet eyes widening in comprehension, Wufei glanced back at the glorious, graceful Suki, still moving in perfect time with the music, talking to Mieke. His Suki. Heero followed his longing gaze, and grunted briefly in surprise. This had been one eventuality the Preventors hadn't foreseen.
"Now?" Heero's attention came back to Wufei's face, which now appeared to be calm. But something in his eyes betrayed him- a deep reluctance to return.
"Yes. We think someone's manufacturing mobile suits again."
It was said quietly, but some heads still turned amidst the noise to look briefly at them, then dismissed his words as a misheard comment.
Torn deeply, Wufei didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave Suki. All his life he had been in a dark place, inside and out. Killing and helping to kill many people. "How many?" he wondered glumly. But he had finally found his light, and he was needed to leave it to venture into the void once more.
"How reliable is the source?"
"As reliable as they come."
~ Damn. ~ "How long do I have?"
"We want you to leave tomorrow, or Sunday at latest."
"Where for?"
"L4."
Wufei was suddenly and unreasonably angry. Angry at his messed-up life that wouldn't let him have a little happiness. Angry at the Preventors who wouldn't let him rest. All he wanted was a normal life, but he knew he would never lead one. All that mattered to him now was Suki.
"Can I bring her with me?"
Heero knew whom he meant. He'd felt that way himself before, leaving Relena. The pain flickered briefly in his eyes at the memory.
"You'll have to ask Head Office. It doesn't concern me. Goodbye, Wufei."
Horribly confused and dismayed, Wufei made his slow way back over to Suki, pushing through the dancing crowd and held her close to his heartbeat, seeming to be simply dancing with her head on his shoulder. In reality he was rapidly whispering into her ear those parts of his problem she was allowed to know.
"Will you come?" he asked quietly, desperate for a yes but dreading a no.
She looked up at him with her big eyes and smiled slightly in her lopsided way. "Is the Pope a Catholic?"
Letting a long breath out with relief, he kissed her passionately, almost making her swoon once more, onto the dance floor. But it wasn't definite yet, nothing was. There was still the looming possibility that she still might not be allowed to go with him. And, of course, Mika would have to come too.
^^^
"Chang Wufei calling Head Office."
It was the next day, and it had taken all Wufei had to leave the slumbering Suki lying there tangled in the sheets while he rose to call Head Office. He was sat dozily in an elderly armchair.
"Wufei. It's nice to hear from you."
"Hello, Sally."
The video image showed Sally Po a flushed, sleep-deprived Wufei, and from Heero's report she could guess why that was. She stifled a smile.
"I need to bring two people along with me on this mission."
"Who?" she replied innocently, pretending she couldn't guess. At least one would be the girl. But she had no idea of the other.
"My…friend, Suki, and her little brother."
"Well…" Major Po sat in silence and thought for a moment, then turned her eyes back to the screen. "They can come." Wufei's face lit up. "However, there is one condition."
"What?" Wufei was ecstatic now- it seemed Suki could come after all.
"She has to take part in the mission."
Wufei's happy expression melted, eyes widening in shock. But she was so weak…how could he let her do something like that? She'd get hurt or something worse…
"Is that the only way I'll be allowed?" he asked glumly.
"Yes, Wufei. We can't take boarders. They'll have to work for their keep. We expect to see you at latest by tomorrow night. Goodbye Wufei."
The screen flickered off, and he slumped back in the chair, disbelieving. He had to endanger her to take her with him? He couldn't believe it. This was getting more complicated by the minute.
A pair of lithe arms wrapped themselves around his chest, and he turned his head to see Suki, wearing nothing but the sheet from their bed, chin resting on his shoulder and smiling. He reached for her and pulled her into his lap, kissing her sore reddened lips hard once more.
"So?" she asked breathlessly, when she finally pulled away.
"I won't let you go."
Suki's face deepened a shade, and tears threatened to come. "Why not?" she half whined.
"They want you to take part in the mission." He replied grimly
She laughed. "Is that all?"
He looked at her seriously and the laughter froze into a lump in her throat.
"You could get hurt." He said softly.
She worked it out. It clicked. "It's because you think I'm weak, isn't it?"
"I just don't want you to get hurt." He insisted
"I'm not weak!" she cried, standing abruptly, clasping the sheet with clenched fists around her trembling torso. "Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm weak!" The tears were streaming down her reddened face now, and he tried to embrace her, to try to comfort her, but she pulled away, fighting him off with desperately thrashing arms. She had thought he wasn't sexist any more! Then she ran off into the small bathroom with her spare hand over her streaming eyes to have a good cry by herself, slamming and locking the door behind her.
^^^
She couldn't get out to change without him catching her. She didn't want to have to face him in just an old sheet. Peering around through tear blurred lashes, she looked for something, anything decent, she could use. Finally she gave up and decided to have a shower. Maybe it would calm her, and help her to think more reasonably. The room was dark, with no windows. She pulled a waterproof lamp inside the closed curtain, twisting the hot water on, and drawing her breath in sharply at the unaccustomed heat.
When he heard the shower rumble into life, Wufei walked to the door and used his pocket knife to easily lift the tumblers in the lock. She'd forgotten that he was a pilot- otherwise she wouldn't have even bothered. The thought didn't enter his mind that she might have used it to emphasise her desire for solitude. In the darkness he could see her slender silhouette, dark against the lit-up curtain, hair cascading down her shoulders like a midnight waterfall. She was occupied with scrubbing herself thoroughly, as if to get rid of any of his loathsome scent remaining. She obviously didn't know she was there.
"Suki." He said loudly to reach her ears over the noise of the shower. Maybe a little too loudly. She jumped in surprise, and her wet bare foot slipped on the smooth surface of the bath, leaving her to fall, grasping at thin air, crashing towards the edge of the bath.
Wufei sprang, pulled aside the curtain and grabbed her in one movement, just before her outstretched neck, propelled by the full weight of her body collided with the hard, cracked porcelain. She grabbed his strong hand like a lifeline to a drowning man and began to weep uncontrollably, eyes streaming from the nearness of her possible death.
He hugged her close, not caring that he got sodden. Standing shakily, she uncertainly climbed from the bathtub, supporting herself on his shoulder, and fell into his arms, still trembling from the near accident.
"Now do you see why I won't let you go?" he asked quietly, stroking the deep jet hair gently as she grabbed a towel to dry herself.
"That's no reason, it was an accident," she said stubbornly, hair now wrapped in a turban. "You startled me. Anyway, what would I be expected to do in this mission of yours?"
"I don't know," Wufei admitted remorsefully. "I forgot to ask."
"Well then, I'm coming with you. I'll find out when we get there."
He looked at her commandingly, but she stared straight back at him, not giving an inch. It occurred to Wufei that there was more than one type of strength- that of the body, and that of the mind. He was certain he had both. But what did Suki have?
"Alright." He agreed reluctantly. "But if it's too dangerous, you're going back when I say."
"Whatever." She smiled knowingly. She would fight that battle when she got to it. "As long as I stay with you, I don't care about the danger."
^^^
Suki was awakened, maybe an hour after finally getting to sleep, when a weight pressed into the side of her bed. It couldn't be Mika- he was sleeping over at his best friend's house until Monday. Opening her midnight-gummed eyes slowly, blinking sleep away with her long mascara-d lashes, she saw someone she would never have expected to see.
It had been easy for Wufei to pick the lock to the front door. He'd followed her home, in hope of a chance to apologise. He had rehearsed his apology over and over as he had hovered outside her door. Once he had almost turned away but he wasn't going to miss the chance to make up. He had stood by the door for maybe fifteen minutes, debating whether or not to wake her. She'd looked so peaceful, lying there with her lashes resting on her cheeks, that he could almost believe that she was the angel she had named herself. He had finally decided to sit down beside her, to see if she awoke.
Suki sat up and stared for long moments, soft lips parted in question. It seemed to her that here was one of her dream images, come to haunt her. So she reached out to him, resting her hand on his thigh, to reassure herself that he was real. Her anger and disappointment melted away, like snow in sunshine as she found he was really there and…perfect. He drew his breath in sharply, looking at her hand, then pulled her gently towards him, and they kissed, his speech forgotten. Sometimes actions mean more than words.
Pleasantly shocked, Suki froze for a moment then relaxed, enjoying his kiss. It was even better than last time, and she sighed as he caressed her lips with his tongue. She forgot that all she was wearing was a manky green vest top that was far too tight to wear outside and a pair of violently clashing purple hot pants.
He smiled against her lips and they parted for a second. Wufei's breath came more raggedly, looking at her sitting there in her skimpy clothing. It was a hot night, and the breeze from the window played with her dark hair, pulling strands of it from the loose ponytail and letting it float prettily in the warm night air. Her cheeks were delicately flushed, and her moist red lips shone.
He knew he had to go slowly, if he was to make it up to her. But his body refused, and he slid his hand down her back, touching her wherever she would let him, as he kissed her again.
Mind racing, Suki moaned slightly and leaned against him, her hands stroking his neck, heart in her throat and with lips tingling for contact. Unable to stop himself, Wufei pressed her down gently onto the bed, and started to rid her of her ill-fitting clothes. She was compelled to return the favour, unbuttoning his pale shirt that shone golden in the candlelight, to reveal, strong, well-developed muscles, developed for practical use, rather than to satisfy any vain ego. He glistened faintly in the soft light she kept burning by her bedside.
"Do you know what Suki means in Japanese?" he asked her quietly, whispering into her ear. "It means love."
She smiled in ecstasy.
^^^
Looking down at the slumbering beauty in his arms, Wufei felt warm and content. Her soft tanned skin brushed his, and their light sweat mingled. Her hair smelt sweet, like apple, he noticed with a smile as she nuzzled closer. Long legs intertwined with his own, as close as she could get. Suki had willingly given herself to him. They had made love- and indeed, literally. He could feel it growing in his heart, spilling to fill his being with the warm glow that he felt for this girl.
They had hardly spoken, but he was able to soothe her through her discomfort, until her body opened to his like a flower in bloom. He turned to look at her sleeping face again. Her mascara was smudged, but her tearstains had vanished. Hair brushed against his bare chest, warm, soft and wonderfully alive. Slowly, her eyes flickered open, lashes tickling his skin. She looked around for a moment, and then blissfully remembered who she was with. Smiling, she looked up at the handsome man she had fallen for, oh, so quickly. His musky scent overloaded her senses, but it was pleasant, and oh, so desirable. She buried her face in his shoulder, enjoying the embrace, breathing in his smell.
"When does your brother get back?"
She looked up at the quiet voice near her ear. His breath had tickled her skin, leaving a delicious trail of goosebumps up her arm.
"Not until Monday."
"Good." He grinned and moved to roll her onto her back once more. At that point her radio alarm switched itself on. Neither of them reached to turn it off.
"One more ti-ime. We're gonna celebrate yeah,
don't stop the dancing…"
^^^
He had stayed with her all through that wonderful weekend. But now she had to go back to school.
"Stop it." He had caught her around the waist, and was pulling her back to kiss her neck. "I have to go to school." She pushed him away reluctantly.
He looked at her questioningly and she laughed, kissing him on the nose. "I'll be back tonight. But Mika will be here too, so behave yourself." She scolded, smiling.
He let her go and she grabbed her bag, walking out backwards, not wanting to go but knowing she had to. She had university to think of. She laughed at her newest predicament and started the walk to school.
^^^
"Suki? Suki? SUKI!" Mieke had been yelling for fully five minutes, running through the crowd to try and catch up with her friend. "SUKI!" she called again, grabbing her shoulder. Suki was finally awakened from her daydream, and looked around at her friend questioningly.
"What is it?"
"I've been shouting at you for ages, and I had to practically yell in your ear to get your attention!" Mieke told her, not paying attention to the look on her friend's face. "You've gotta be really depressed if you're that bombed out."
Suki laughed, and Mieke looked back at her in astonishment. Right down to the tips of her long hair, Suki seemed to be glowing with love and happiness.
"What you on, girl? Can I have some?"
"No. None for you," Suki teased, tweaking her friend's nose. "None for Mieke."
"Oh, come on girl, spill!"
"Nope."
"Tell."
"No."
"Please?"
"No way." She half skipped away.
Exasperated, Mieke tried another tactic. "Well, I'm glad you're over that Wufei guy."
Suki laughed louder, at the joke her friend had unknowingly uttered, turning heads nearby with the gaiety of the sound.
"What?"
Suki couldn't speak, she was laughing so hard. The happiness she'd felt since Friday night was spilling from her now, but she wasn't running out of it. In fact the more she laughed the more she was filled up with love. All that was happening was that she was sharing it with her puzzled friend.
"What?! Tell me!"
"No."
Mieke couldn't make Suki tell her all the way to school, and quieted halfway there. If she knew her friend, she'd spill soon enough. Suki was never very good at keeping things secret from Mieke. After all, her best friend had tactics that had never failed before.
^^^
Bewildered, Mieke followed Suki out of school at the end of the day, still none the wiser. She hadn't told her. She couldn't believe it. As far as she was concerned she had failed miserably at extracting a piece of potentially juicy gossip from her friend.
Suki looked out of the gates, and to her delight, there Wufei was, waiting for her to leave school.
When they were almost there, she turned to Mieke and started to say,
"Mieke, this is my-" but was cut off as Wufei grabbed her playfully from behind, making her squeal with delight, and pulled her into a long kiss. Breaking away, Suki knew she was smiling like an idiot, but she didn't care.
"Like I was saying, Mieke, this is Wufei."
"Nice to meet you." Mieke shook his hand, carefully taking in all she could see about him. He had that glow, too- so much love that it threatened to break free and fill everything with happiness. Wufei took her hand but stayed silent, preferring to drink in everything about Suki. It had only been a day, and he'd missed her; her arms, her hair, her eyes, her body. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked along, Suki talking to her friend as they went. Mieke left, and Suki guided Wufei through the streets to her brother's school, unwrapping herself from his grip as she ran forward to greet her little brother.
Mika looked over her shoulder and saw him standing there. That pilot. What was he doing here, with Suki? He bet he could hazard a guess, by the exuberant smiles on both their faces.
The little boy disentangled himself and walked over, his cast dragging slightly, then looking up at the strange guy his sister liked so much.
Wufei looked down into solemn eyes, and realised who it was. It was the same person as flicked yoghurt onto his hair the other day. Eyes twinkling, he crouched and greeted him, dropping not-so-subtle hints about pigeons to show he knew it had been Mika. Joining them, Suki entwined her fingers with Wufei's and they set off for her apartment, with Mika walking silently alongside her.
^^^
Mika could hear giggling and murmuring coming from the bathroom. Suki and Wufei had vanished, and when he went looking for them, this was what he found.
"Suki?"
The noises stopped, and moments later he heard the reply,
"Yes, Mika?"
"You alright? It's dinner time, and I'm not allowed to cook, and anyway I need the bathroom…-"
"Sure, Mika. Give me a minute."
Brief sounds of hurried movement from the other side of the door reached his ears, and the door opened to reveal a slightly messy Suki, flustered from making out with Wufei in the bathroom.
Peering through the opening when she'd gone into the kitchen, Mika could see a kitana lying by the toilet. Eyes and grin widening in the joy of discovery, he turned quickly away, then hid in the bedroom as Wufei crept out silently, a nonchalant look on his face. Mika buried his head under the pillow and laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks.
^^^
Having been put to bed unfairly early, Mika still wasn't asleep. Instead, he lay perfectly still, listening to the quiet sounds from outside. He heard light footsteps coming along the corridor, and listened to see whose they were.
Suki was under attack from Wufei, laughing and pushing him away each time he tried to kiss her. By the door they finally stopped and he kissed her passionately, a long deep kiss that sent her skin shivering in delight. His hands crept to her waist, and she pulled them off firmly and gave him a mock stern look, trying not to giggle.
"You've got to go."
He tried to hold her close once more but she dodged, grinning. "In case you've conveniently forgotten, my little brother is in the house."
"That didn't stop you in the bathroom," he replied, grinning.
She didn't answer that, because he kissed her slowly again, as she opened the door with one hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Unwillingly, the pilot walked out slowly, gazing back at the beautiful Suki holding the door serenely.
Giggling quietly to herself, Suki walked into the bedroom and undressed slowly, by herself for the first time since Friday, climbing into bed and lying down peacefully. Watching through almost-closed eyes, Mika saw her pull a piece of blue cloth from under her pillow, breathe in deeply and sigh, then tuck it back carefully, her hand resting on it under the pillow.
Suki sighed blissfully. It was one of Wufei's shirts, and it smelt of his musky scent. She liked it. A lot. She knew Mika was watching, but she didn't care. Closing her eyes, one hand on Wufei's shirt, she drifted happily to sleep.
^^^
They carried on like this for a week, until the next Friday. Suki had finally persuaded Wufei to come with her and her friends to that fateful club, leaving Mika at someone else's house again. She brushed some smooth powder onto her face. She sneezed as she over did it- Wufei had come up behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her injured stomach, making her gasp in pain. The bruises still weren't healed, and she found the agony hard to deal with.
Concerned, Wufei looked at her face and realised what he'd done. He apologised and, shifting his arms to a more comfortable spot, he began to kiss her soft neck persuasively.
"Stop it! I've got to get ready!" she told him sternly, trying hard not to give in to his demands. "Go change."
Caressing her once more, he grabbed his crumpled clothes and began to struggle quickly into them, trying not to take his eyes off of the girl in front of the mirror. She stood up and watched, giggling as his shirt got stuck with his head in one of the armholes. Soon they were both in hysterics, but at last she took pity on him and guided it over his head until he had it on correctly.
Smiling invitingly, she pulled on her black shoes and they left the apartment, locking the door behind them. With his arm loosely around her waist, so as not to chafe her bruises, they walked through the back streets, taking a shortcut. It wasn't likely that Zedd and his gang would dare attack them again, not after the beating they had received last time. Hips swaying gently as she moved, Suki led Wufei through the alleyways to the club, where they met up with Mieke and Co.
"Hey, Mieke!" Suki called loudly, shouting above the rhythmic din.
"Hi!" her friend yelled back, straining on her toes to see her above the crowd. "Glad you could make it!"
Once inside, Wufei grabbed her playfully and pulled her to dance, his eyes taking in the surrounding area in detail. He may be a retired gundam pilot, but it was still better to be wary. Loads of guys were staring at his beautiful Suki, in a way Wufei didn't care for. He was highly possessive of her, and treated her like a delicate glass figurine, easily breakable. He wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her close, with her head on his muscular shoulder. Plenty of interested guys still watched, but many looked away, seeing that she was his. The Chinese pilot smiled, both at the simplicity of his defence and at his fortune that he could claim to own such beauty.
Suki could tell easily why he'd done that, and grinned to herself. He was so obsessive about making sure she was his, though he needn't have bothered. She didn't really look at other guys now, not needing to. She was safe and loved with Wufei, and for the first time in her life, she was content.
Wufei's roving eyes caught a familiar but unexpected figure leaning against the wall, unruly hair still out of control. Heero. And what's more, he had caught his eye and was beckoning to him.
Abruptly letting go of Suki, who looked up in surprise, he told her to stay right where she was and walked slowly through the multitudes to talk to his old friend.
"Heero."
"Wufei."
"What on earth are you doing here?"
"The Preventors need you again."
Jet eyes widening in comprehension, Wufei glanced back at the glorious, graceful Suki, still moving in perfect time with the music, talking to Mieke. His Suki. Heero followed his longing gaze, and grunted briefly in surprise. This had been one eventuality the Preventors hadn't foreseen.
"Now?" Heero's attention came back to Wufei's face, which now appeared to be calm. But something in his eyes betrayed him- a deep reluctance to return.
"Yes. We think someone's manufacturing mobile suits again."
It was said quietly, but some heads still turned amidst the noise to look briefly at them, then dismissed his words as a misheard comment.
Torn deeply, Wufei didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave Suki. All his life he had been in a dark place, inside and out. Killing and helping to kill many people. "How many?" he wondered glumly. But he had finally found his light, and he was needed to leave it to venture into the void once more.
"How reliable is the source?"
"As reliable as they come."
~ Damn. ~ "How long do I have?"
"We want you to leave tomorrow, or Sunday at latest."
"Where for?"
"L4."
Wufei was suddenly and unreasonably angry. Angry at his messed-up life that wouldn't let him have a little happiness. Angry at the Preventors who wouldn't let him rest. All he wanted was a normal life, but he knew he would never lead one. All that mattered to him now was Suki.
"Can I bring her with me?"
Heero knew whom he meant. He'd felt that way himself before, leaving Relena. The pain flickered briefly in his eyes at the memory.
"You'll have to ask Head Office. It doesn't concern me. Goodbye, Wufei."
Horribly confused and dismayed, Wufei made his slow way back over to Suki, pushing through the dancing crowd and held her close to his heartbeat, seeming to be simply dancing with her head on his shoulder. In reality he was rapidly whispering into her ear those parts of his problem she was allowed to know.
"Will you come?" he asked quietly, desperate for a yes but dreading a no.
She looked up at him with her big eyes and smiled slightly in her lopsided way. "Is the Pope a Catholic?"
Letting a long breath out with relief, he kissed her passionately, almost making her swoon once more, onto the dance floor. But it wasn't definite yet, nothing was. There was still the looming possibility that she still might not be allowed to go with him. And, of course, Mika would have to come too.
^^^
"Chang Wufei calling Head Office."
It was the next day, and it had taken all Wufei had to leave the slumbering Suki lying there tangled in the sheets while he rose to call Head Office. He was sat dozily in an elderly armchair.
"Wufei. It's nice to hear from you."
"Hello, Sally."
The video image showed Sally Po a flushed, sleep-deprived Wufei, and from Heero's report she could guess why that was. She stifled a smile.
"I need to bring two people along with me on this mission."
"Who?" she replied innocently, pretending she couldn't guess. At least one would be the girl. But she had no idea of the other.
"My…friend, Suki, and her little brother."
"Well…" Major Po sat in silence and thought for a moment, then turned her eyes back to the screen. "They can come." Wufei's face lit up. "However, there is one condition."
"What?" Wufei was ecstatic now- it seemed Suki could come after all.
"She has to take part in the mission."
Wufei's happy expression melted, eyes widening in shock. But she was so weak…how could he let her do something like that? She'd get hurt or something worse…
"Is that the only way I'll be allowed?" he asked glumly.
"Yes, Wufei. We can't take boarders. They'll have to work for their keep. We expect to see you at latest by tomorrow night. Goodbye Wufei."
The screen flickered off, and he slumped back in the chair, disbelieving. He had to endanger her to take her with him? He couldn't believe it. This was getting more complicated by the minute.
A pair of lithe arms wrapped themselves around his chest, and he turned his head to see Suki, wearing nothing but the sheet from their bed, chin resting on his shoulder and smiling. He reached for her and pulled her into his lap, kissing her sore reddened lips hard once more.
"So?" she asked breathlessly, when she finally pulled away.
"I won't let you go."
Suki's face deepened a shade, and tears threatened to come. "Why not?" she half whined.
"They want you to take part in the mission." He replied grimly
She laughed. "Is that all?"
He looked at her seriously and the laughter froze into a lump in her throat.
"You could get hurt." He said softly.
She worked it out. It clicked. "It's because you think I'm weak, isn't it?"
"I just don't want you to get hurt." He insisted
"I'm not weak!" she cried, standing abruptly, clasping the sheet with clenched fists around her trembling torso. "Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm weak!" The tears were streaming down her reddened face now, and he tried to embrace her, to try to comfort her, but she pulled away, fighting him off with desperately thrashing arms. She had thought he wasn't sexist any more! Then she ran off into the small bathroom with her spare hand over her streaming eyes to have a good cry by herself, slamming and locking the door behind her.
^^^
She couldn't get out to change without him catching her. She didn't want to have to face him in just an old sheet. Peering around through tear blurred lashes, she looked for something, anything decent, she could use. Finally she gave up and decided to have a shower. Maybe it would calm her, and help her to think more reasonably. The room was dark, with no windows. She pulled a waterproof lamp inside the closed curtain, twisting the hot water on, and drawing her breath in sharply at the unaccustomed heat.
When he heard the shower rumble into life, Wufei walked to the door and used his pocket knife to easily lift the tumblers in the lock. She'd forgotten that he was a pilot- otherwise she wouldn't have even bothered. The thought didn't enter his mind that she might have used it to emphasise her desire for solitude. In the darkness he could see her slender silhouette, dark against the lit-up curtain, hair cascading down her shoulders like a midnight waterfall. She was occupied with scrubbing herself thoroughly, as if to get rid of any of his loathsome scent remaining. She obviously didn't know she was there.
"Suki." He said loudly to reach her ears over the noise of the shower. Maybe a little too loudly. She jumped in surprise, and her wet bare foot slipped on the smooth surface of the bath, leaving her to fall, grasping at thin air, crashing towards the edge of the bath.
Wufei sprang, pulled aside the curtain and grabbed her in one movement, just before her outstretched neck, propelled by the full weight of her body collided with the hard, cracked porcelain. She grabbed his strong hand like a lifeline to a drowning man and began to weep uncontrollably, eyes streaming from the nearness of her possible death.
He hugged her close, not caring that he got sodden. Standing shakily, she uncertainly climbed from the bathtub, supporting herself on his shoulder, and fell into his arms, still trembling from the near accident.
"Now do you see why I won't let you go?" he asked quietly, stroking the deep jet hair gently as she grabbed a towel to dry herself.
"That's no reason, it was an accident," she said stubbornly, hair now wrapped in a turban. "You startled me. Anyway, what would I be expected to do in this mission of yours?"
"I don't know," Wufei admitted remorsefully. "I forgot to ask."
"Well then, I'm coming with you. I'll find out when we get there."
He looked at her commandingly, but she stared straight back at him, not giving an inch. It occurred to Wufei that there was more than one type of strength- that of the body, and that of the mind. He was certain he had both. But what did Suki have?
"Alright." He agreed reluctantly. "But if it's too dangerous, you're going back when I say."
"Whatever." She smiled knowingly. She would fight that battle when she got to it. "As long as I stay with you, I don't care about the danger."