Winter Wonderland: Chapter Two
By Alecto
Disclaimer: If it belongs in GW, it's not mine.
*Thoughts*
emphasis
********Section change
Tongue sticking out in concentration, Duo moved his rook, then jumped back as if the chessboard would explode. "Your turn, Wufei."
Without hesitating, Wufei moved his own rook. "Checkmate."
Duo groaned, slapping the table. "Awww, not again!" He frantically searched the board. "What if I move here?"
"Bishops only move diagonally, Duo," Sally said from over his shoulder. "They can't jump over other pieces, either."
"Well, maybe there's a secret passageway. Huh? How 'bout that?"
"You lost," Wufei said. "Get over it. Go sledding or something." He leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Doesn't anybody else want to play? Maxwell here isn't much of a challenge."
"Yeah, well you had some tough times that last game." Duo stuck out his tongue at Wufei.
"That's only because Sally helped you."
"If you have to be specific, yeah. Sally, why don't you play the 'chess wizard?' I bet you could beat him."
"Her?" Wufei smirked. "Not much of a challenge either."
Sally had turned away to go talk with Noin, but she stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me, Chang Wufei?"
"You heard me. I could beat you at chess anytime."
Sally sat down in Duo's recently vacated chair. "Oh yeah? I'm more of a challenge than you can handle. And just to prove it, if I do beat you . . . " She tapped a nail against her chin in thought. "You have to go sledding with Duo. You could use some fun. Agreed?" Sally leveled a stare at him. Wufei returned her gaze.
"Of course. I'm white again."
"Then it's your move." Sally smirked at Wufei. *Challenge, huh? That was obvious bait, but I couldn't help it. He's never seen me play chess before. This is going to be fun.*
* * * * *
Duo joined Trowa and Noin at a safe distance from the chess table. "Those two are nuts. Especially Wufei -- does he ever lighten up?"
"You talk to him more than we do," Trowa pointed out. "I haven't even talked to them since last winter's gathering. Or many of the people here." He looked around the room at people sitting and talking together. "I thought Maremaia and Lady Une were coming."
"I think they'll be here in a few days," Noin said. "And in answer to your question, Duo, I believe Wufei is lightening up. Or at least as close as he gets."
Duo looked over. Wufei had already lost a pawn in the chess battle, but he didn't seem too upset. Actually, he was -- smiling? Well, it looked like a smile -- as Sally took another piece. He said something to her, too low to hear, and she laughed.
"Well, I guess so," Duo said. "Funny, he never looked that pleased when Trowa here wins pieces. Think he's letting her win?"
"Justice-boy? Not a chance."
"That reminds me, there was something I wanted to ask you," Noin said. "And, um, it might be totally off course. But there isn't any sort of attraction between Sally and Wufei, is there?"
Duo's eyes bugged out, and he gaped. "Them? Aw, come on. No way. Besides, I thought you were friends with Sally, how can you wish /that/ --" he motioned at Wufei "-- on her?"
Noin shrugged defensively. "Just asking. I've been out of touch for a while, you know. They seemed closer than working partners."
"Yeah, well, they're not."
"Aren't they?" Trowa spoke up. He looked thoughtful, which was only a hair more dreamy than his usual expression. "Nobody has ever thought of it, but maybe we're too close to consider the obvious. Can't see the forest for the trees."
Duo looked marginally afraid. "For once, I believe I'm the only sane one here. They won't stop arguing!"
"They're not arguing now," Trowa pointed out quietly. They weren't, both were locked in concentration over the chess board. Actually, they seemed pretty content.
"So?" Duo asked. "That doesn't mean anything. Look, if I believed you I'd do something to set the two up, but I don't."
"I do," Noin said. "Trowa?" He nodded slightly.
Catherine poked her head in the room. "Lunch time!" she chirped. "Don't let it get cold, now."
Duo had about to say something, but he perked up at the announcement. "Yay! Come on, everybody!"
Sally looked up from the game briefly and smiled as the others went to the dining room. "Maybe later, Duo. We're going to finish this game first."
Duo shrugged. "Suit yourself." He skipped out to lunch.
Wufei grinned at Sally. "You should have gone to lunch. It would delay my victory, you know."
Sally pretended to ponder his words as she moved her rook. "I don't think even a break would help you win, Wufei. Maybe the peaceful atmosphere will." They were all alone now. She hadn't noticed before just how close they were, sitting around an old card table. In fact, if she moved her hand just a few inches, it would be touching his. Sally frowned mentally. *Now, why would I care about that?* Sally turned to inspect the clock, and Wufei started.
* * * * *
He had been listening to her voice a little too closely, not really paying attention to the words. Honestly, that woman could have been a singer if she wanted. It was a perfectly honorable profession, and certainly a more befitting one than being a Preventer. Wufei checked his thoughts as he moved a knight and shook his head ruefully. Maybe other women couldn't fight, but Sally had saved his life several times on missions. She didn't focus on her emotions like other women. She certainly never tried anything sappy with any coworkers or him. Wufei felt a strange pang. *Why would I want her to do something like that? Just because she's strong, and has a nice voice, and can play chess pretty well . . .*
A certain nice voice interrupted his thoughts. "Checkmate."
Wufei jumped and examined the chessboard. *Damn it!* He couldn't believe how obvious the move was, now that he was actually paying attention. "Humph. Beginners luck, Woman."
Sally laughed as she stood up and stretched. "Whatever, Wufei. You better go eat -- it's no fun to go sledding on an empty stomach."
Yay, Chapter Two's done! I know it's been a while, but my log-in wouldn't work for anything. Next chapter: sledding! ^__^ If you want to see the next chapter, review!! Even if you don't want the next chapter, review. Please??
By Alecto
Disclaimer: If it belongs in GW, it's not mine.
*Thoughts*
emphasis
********Section change
Tongue sticking out in concentration, Duo moved his rook, then jumped back as if the chessboard would explode. "Your turn, Wufei."
Without hesitating, Wufei moved his own rook. "Checkmate."
Duo groaned, slapping the table. "Awww, not again!" He frantically searched the board. "What if I move here?"
"Bishops only move diagonally, Duo," Sally said from over his shoulder. "They can't jump over other pieces, either."
"Well, maybe there's a secret passageway. Huh? How 'bout that?"
"You lost," Wufei said. "Get over it. Go sledding or something." He leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Doesn't anybody else want to play? Maxwell here isn't much of a challenge."
"Yeah, well you had some tough times that last game." Duo stuck out his tongue at Wufei.
"That's only because Sally helped you."
"If you have to be specific, yeah. Sally, why don't you play the 'chess wizard?' I bet you could beat him."
"Her?" Wufei smirked. "Not much of a challenge either."
Sally had turned away to go talk with Noin, but she stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me, Chang Wufei?"
"You heard me. I could beat you at chess anytime."
Sally sat down in Duo's recently vacated chair. "Oh yeah? I'm more of a challenge than you can handle. And just to prove it, if I do beat you . . . " She tapped a nail against her chin in thought. "You have to go sledding with Duo. You could use some fun. Agreed?" Sally leveled a stare at him. Wufei returned her gaze.
"Of course. I'm white again."
"Then it's your move." Sally smirked at Wufei. *Challenge, huh? That was obvious bait, but I couldn't help it. He's never seen me play chess before. This is going to be fun.*
* * * * *
Duo joined Trowa and Noin at a safe distance from the chess table. "Those two are nuts. Especially Wufei -- does he ever lighten up?"
"You talk to him more than we do," Trowa pointed out. "I haven't even talked to them since last winter's gathering. Or many of the people here." He looked around the room at people sitting and talking together. "I thought Maremaia and Lady Une were coming."
"I think they'll be here in a few days," Noin said. "And in answer to your question, Duo, I believe Wufei is lightening up. Or at least as close as he gets."
Duo looked over. Wufei had already lost a pawn in the chess battle, but he didn't seem too upset. Actually, he was -- smiling? Well, it looked like a smile -- as Sally took another piece. He said something to her, too low to hear, and she laughed.
"Well, I guess so," Duo said. "Funny, he never looked that pleased when Trowa here wins pieces. Think he's letting her win?"
"Justice-boy? Not a chance."
"That reminds me, there was something I wanted to ask you," Noin said. "And, um, it might be totally off course. But there isn't any sort of attraction between Sally and Wufei, is there?"
Duo's eyes bugged out, and he gaped. "Them? Aw, come on. No way. Besides, I thought you were friends with Sally, how can you wish /that/ --" he motioned at Wufei "-- on her?"
Noin shrugged defensively. "Just asking. I've been out of touch for a while, you know. They seemed closer than working partners."
"Yeah, well, they're not."
"Aren't they?" Trowa spoke up. He looked thoughtful, which was only a hair more dreamy than his usual expression. "Nobody has ever thought of it, but maybe we're too close to consider the obvious. Can't see the forest for the trees."
Duo looked marginally afraid. "For once, I believe I'm the only sane one here. They won't stop arguing!"
"They're not arguing now," Trowa pointed out quietly. They weren't, both were locked in concentration over the chess board. Actually, they seemed pretty content.
"So?" Duo asked. "That doesn't mean anything. Look, if I believed you I'd do something to set the two up, but I don't."
"I do," Noin said. "Trowa?" He nodded slightly.
Catherine poked her head in the room. "Lunch time!" she chirped. "Don't let it get cold, now."
Duo had about to say something, but he perked up at the announcement. "Yay! Come on, everybody!"
Sally looked up from the game briefly and smiled as the others went to the dining room. "Maybe later, Duo. We're going to finish this game first."
Duo shrugged. "Suit yourself." He skipped out to lunch.
Wufei grinned at Sally. "You should have gone to lunch. It would delay my victory, you know."
Sally pretended to ponder his words as she moved her rook. "I don't think even a break would help you win, Wufei. Maybe the peaceful atmosphere will." They were all alone now. She hadn't noticed before just how close they were, sitting around an old card table. In fact, if she moved her hand just a few inches, it would be touching his. Sally frowned mentally. *Now, why would I care about that?* Sally turned to inspect the clock, and Wufei started.
* * * * *
He had been listening to her voice a little too closely, not really paying attention to the words. Honestly, that woman could have been a singer if she wanted. It was a perfectly honorable profession, and certainly a more befitting one than being a Preventer. Wufei checked his thoughts as he moved a knight and shook his head ruefully. Maybe other women couldn't fight, but Sally had saved his life several times on missions. She didn't focus on her emotions like other women. She certainly never tried anything sappy with any coworkers or him. Wufei felt a strange pang. *Why would I want her to do something like that? Just because she's strong, and has a nice voice, and can play chess pretty well . . .*
A certain nice voice interrupted his thoughts. "Checkmate."
Wufei jumped and examined the chessboard. *Damn it!* He couldn't believe how obvious the move was, now that he was actually paying attention. "Humph. Beginners luck, Woman."
Sally laughed as she stood up and stretched. "Whatever, Wufei. You better go eat -- it's no fun to go sledding on an empty stomach."
Yay, Chapter Two's done! I know it's been a while, but my log-in wouldn't work for anything. Next chapter: sledding! ^__^ If you want to see the next chapter, review!! Even if you don't want the next chapter, review. Please??
