Who's a Weak Onna?
Chapter 10
Unexpected Sympathy
The extensive gardens around the Winner estate made a good place to hide out, Sally found.
She had ended up in a secluded section of the English wildflower garden, sitting on a small stone wall with a bubbling fishpond near her feet. Shade trees added to the seclusion, which was almost complete.
It was a good place to cry one's heart out as she was ever going to find, so she gave in and did so.
Finally, liquid sobs became dry choking sounds and then, irregular catches of breath and hiccups. She found herself wishing she had a drink of water or a cup of tea, but that would involve moving and there was no way she was going to show her face until she had total control of herself again.
She startled as she heard quiet footsteps behind her on the cobbled path. Quickly scrubbing her face with her hands, she attempted to regulate her breathing and looked over her shoulder.
"Good afternoon, Sally," said Trowa. "Or is it?"
"I'm sorry that you found me having an acute attack of self-pity," said Sally, sighing and rubbing her face again.
"Why?" asked Trowa, coming over to sit beside her on the stone wall.
"It's unjustified," she said, "after all, I'm not the one who's been suffering for 2 months."
"Are you sure about that?" asked Trowa. "It seems to me that we've all been suffering a little."
Sally couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him say more than a few words to anyone but Quatre, and she said so.
Trowa smiled. "I'm a better listener than I am a talker, I suppose."
"Don't apologize," said Sally, "most people do far more talking than listening and doing so, miss quite a bit."
"That's what Quatre says, too." The softening of Trowa's lean angular features bespoke of his love for his partner.
"You're so lucky," said Sally. "A lot of people never find someone to love the way you two love each other."
"Don't think I don't know it," said Trowa.
He leaned over and put his arm around Sally, surprising her. She knew he wasn't a particularly demonstrative person, at least with anyone but his partner.
"Don' t be sad," he said. "I hate it when people I care about are sad." His brilliant green eyes shined with unshed tears.
"Wufei is sad, too," he went on. "Did you have words?"
"Yes," said Sally simply. She began to cry again, which surprised her. She would have thought there was nothing left of tears in her.
"Come back to the house with me," said Trowa, pulling her up. "You need a cup of tea. It always works for Quatre," he said, smiling faintly.
Sally gulped and Trowa produced a clean square of handkerchief from the pocket of his khaki colored jeans, and she took it gratefully and wiped her eyes.
"I always keep one in my pocket. Quatre is rather a leaky person sometimes," he grinned at her for a brief second. "I never let him watch those advertisements by the Humane Society at the end of the news, or we'd be up to our knees in kittens and puppies."
She laughed ruefully. "I'm usually not too sentimental, but then again, I've never been in love with anyone before."
Trowa nodded, taking her arm and walking back towards the house.
"That definitely changes everything," he said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wufei shifted restlessly in the large silk covered bed. Never being much of a television watcher, he'd exhausted those possibilities a few hours ago.
A book he'd asked for lay opened on the bed, unread. He was utterly, insanely and completely bored.
There was only one thing he wanted, and it had left 3 hours ago. Or rather person, he corrected mentally. Sally was not a "thing".
He only wished he'd have had that illuminating thought before he'd opened his mouth and accused her of being as insensitive as he apparently was himself.
It was a disturbing thought.
He'd always thought himself impeccably polite; after all, he'd been raised to be. He was beginning to discern there was considerable difference between politeness and sensitivity.
"I'm such a jerk," he muttered, using one of Duo Maxwell's favorite words for him. The thought that Duo could have made a more accurate assessment of his personality than anyone could made him even more depressed than he already was.
He pushed the button on the intercom.
"May I have a cup of green tea, please?" he asked a female voice that answered somewhat indistinctly on the other end.
"Certainly," said the voice, "I'll be right there."
He rested his head in his hands. Maybe some meditation would clear his head, even if he couldn't sit in the comfortable half lotus position he was accustomed to.
He rested his hands palm up on his knees, one leg folded, the other in it's cast straight out in front of him and closed his eyes.
Focusing on the inner mental image of a serene pool of still water, he gradually allowed his muscles to relax, practically hearing the gentle liquid sounds of lapping softly against the edges of the pool.
He was totally immersed in that image when Sally came into the room with a tea tray.
She sat it down soundlessly and quietly took a red, satin covered ottoman at the foot of the bed. She gazed at his face in gentle repose, the strain of pain and anxiety eased from his strong distinct features.
"He's beautiful," she thought, "although he'd be horrified if I used that word." She smiled to herself at the thought.
She debated whether she should disturb his meditations or wait and risk cold tea later, and decided to wait. After all, water could be easily heated, but this was the most peaceful she'd seen Wufei in a few weeks.
"Well," she thought, "there's nothing that says I have to wait for my tea," and very carefully began to prepare herself a cup.
Taking a tea ball full of green tea, she lowered it into the teapot of steaming water and allowed it to steep for a full minute. Just long enough to get the full flavor, but not long enough to turn bitter.
She took a porcelain cup and saucer, she carefully poured the fragrant beverage and raised it to her lips, sipping a bit. It was still quite hot.
She felt it trail down her throat and warm her stomach, relaxing her. Unconsciously, she exhaled loudly.
Wufei's eyes fluttered open at the faint sound. "Sally," he said in a low voice. "You're back."
"I brought your tea," she said, quickly setting down her cup and pouring him one. "Here, drink while it's still hot."
He took the offered cup and took a tiny sip. "It's fine, thank you," he said, not raising his eyes. "You didn't make it too bitter."
"Of course not," she said, a bit defensively. Hearing the tone of her voice, she took a deep breath. "I mean, I'm fussy about how my tea is made too."
He nodded, saying nothing and took a larger swallow.
He closed his eyes and sat the cup and saucer on the thigh of his uninjured leg.
"Sally, I want to apologize," he said, "I had no right to speak to you as I did. I only hope you can forgive me." He kept his eyes lowered through this speech, not daring to look at her.
She nodded, "No, you shouldn't have spoken to me like that. Apology accepted. Let's not speak of it again."
He inclined his head. "As you wish."
He raised his eyes to hers finally, and saw that a faint smile graced her lips.
"You're not angry with me anymore?" he couldn't resist asking.
"I was never angry with you," she replied, "I was hurt."
"Hurt?" he asked, a puzzled frown between his eyes.
"Yes, I was hurt that you didn't feel free to tell me how you were feeling before you had to explode like that. After all, there's nothing you can't say to me, or at least I thought you knew that. That's the way it is between.. Friends," she finished.
"Friends," he repeated. "I had hoped.." He let the sentence trail off. "It's too soon," he thought and I've just offended her too. He pressed his lips together.
"Hoped what?" she asked, not willing to let it go.
"Nothing," he said resolutely, picking up his cup.
"Nothing?" she repeated. "Are you sure?"
His face grew uncomfortably warm. "I was going to say, I hoped that eventually we could be more than friends."
He almost choked on the last few words, but forced them out.
"I understand if that idea is repugnant to you now," he said formally. "After all, I'm guilty of treating you rather badly."
"I thought we weren't going to speak of that again," said Sally with mock severity. "And, the idea isn't 'repugnant' to me," she added. She smiled at him and put her head to one side.
"Are you always this self-effacing when you've screwed up?"
His head jerked up. "No," he said, honestly, but with a trace of a smile. "I'm usually an arrogant jackass."
Sally laughed. "That's what I thought."
She rose and came over, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.
"Well, as long as you KNOW you're an arrogant jackass," she began, "I think I can deal with it."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
She was slightly surprised to see color come to his face.
"What a shy Dragon you are sometimes," she murmured, putting her face along his cheek and turning his face gently towards hers. She put her lips to his and he responded by pulling her down into his arms.
"Sally," he gasped. His eyes were closed and his mouth trailed along her jaw until he found her lips and he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and suckled it.
She was vaguely aware of him moaning and his breath hot in her mouth, his tongue moving in an erotic imitation of what their bodies desired to do.
Her head was spinning and she had to reluctantly pull away to gasp for much needed air.
"Wow," she said, which sounded so stupid in her own ears that she began to giggle, partly from reaction. She wasn't sure she could stand, her knees felt like pudding.
"Did I do something funny," demanded Wufei, not sure of whether he was being laughed at.
"NO," said Sally emphatically, although she was still giggling slightly. "I'm just a bit hysterical, I think," she said, shaking her head. "Believe me, I'm NOT laughing at you."
"Women!" said Wufei in a mild tone of exasperation, but Sally saw he was smiling at her.
"Yes, we're all a little insane, swimming in the estrogen ocean; deal with it!" she said, "Unless you want to play on the other team," she added, in a teasing voice.
"Um, no thank you," he said, white teeth flashing in his caramel face for an instant.
"I've no inclinations in that direction that I'm aware of," he added, "and believe me, I've had more than a few opportunities to find out."
"Always good to know," Sally said, smiling back at him. "I like to keep an eye on the competition."
"You have none," he said, "None worth mentioning."
"Also good to know," she said, putting her hands on the hard planes of his chest and pushing him back on the pillows for another thorough kiss.
Chapter 10
Unexpected Sympathy
The extensive gardens around the Winner estate made a good place to hide out, Sally found.
She had ended up in a secluded section of the English wildflower garden, sitting on a small stone wall with a bubbling fishpond near her feet. Shade trees added to the seclusion, which was almost complete.
It was a good place to cry one's heart out as she was ever going to find, so she gave in and did so.
Finally, liquid sobs became dry choking sounds and then, irregular catches of breath and hiccups. She found herself wishing she had a drink of water or a cup of tea, but that would involve moving and there was no way she was going to show her face until she had total control of herself again.
She startled as she heard quiet footsteps behind her on the cobbled path. Quickly scrubbing her face with her hands, she attempted to regulate her breathing and looked over her shoulder.
"Good afternoon, Sally," said Trowa. "Or is it?"
"I'm sorry that you found me having an acute attack of self-pity," said Sally, sighing and rubbing her face again.
"Why?" asked Trowa, coming over to sit beside her on the stone wall.
"It's unjustified," she said, "after all, I'm not the one who's been suffering for 2 months."
"Are you sure about that?" asked Trowa. "It seems to me that we've all been suffering a little."
Sally couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him say more than a few words to anyone but Quatre, and she said so.
Trowa smiled. "I'm a better listener than I am a talker, I suppose."
"Don't apologize," said Sally, "most people do far more talking than listening and doing so, miss quite a bit."
"That's what Quatre says, too." The softening of Trowa's lean angular features bespoke of his love for his partner.
"You're so lucky," said Sally. "A lot of people never find someone to love the way you two love each other."
"Don't think I don't know it," said Trowa.
He leaned over and put his arm around Sally, surprising her. She knew he wasn't a particularly demonstrative person, at least with anyone but his partner.
"Don' t be sad," he said. "I hate it when people I care about are sad." His brilliant green eyes shined with unshed tears.
"Wufei is sad, too," he went on. "Did you have words?"
"Yes," said Sally simply. She began to cry again, which surprised her. She would have thought there was nothing left of tears in her.
"Come back to the house with me," said Trowa, pulling her up. "You need a cup of tea. It always works for Quatre," he said, smiling faintly.
Sally gulped and Trowa produced a clean square of handkerchief from the pocket of his khaki colored jeans, and she took it gratefully and wiped her eyes.
"I always keep one in my pocket. Quatre is rather a leaky person sometimes," he grinned at her for a brief second. "I never let him watch those advertisements by the Humane Society at the end of the news, or we'd be up to our knees in kittens and puppies."
She laughed ruefully. "I'm usually not too sentimental, but then again, I've never been in love with anyone before."
Trowa nodded, taking her arm and walking back towards the house.
"That definitely changes everything," he said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wufei shifted restlessly in the large silk covered bed. Never being much of a television watcher, he'd exhausted those possibilities a few hours ago.
A book he'd asked for lay opened on the bed, unread. He was utterly, insanely and completely bored.
There was only one thing he wanted, and it had left 3 hours ago. Or rather person, he corrected mentally. Sally was not a "thing".
He only wished he'd have had that illuminating thought before he'd opened his mouth and accused her of being as insensitive as he apparently was himself.
It was a disturbing thought.
He'd always thought himself impeccably polite; after all, he'd been raised to be. He was beginning to discern there was considerable difference between politeness and sensitivity.
"I'm such a jerk," he muttered, using one of Duo Maxwell's favorite words for him. The thought that Duo could have made a more accurate assessment of his personality than anyone could made him even more depressed than he already was.
He pushed the button on the intercom.
"May I have a cup of green tea, please?" he asked a female voice that answered somewhat indistinctly on the other end.
"Certainly," said the voice, "I'll be right there."
He rested his head in his hands. Maybe some meditation would clear his head, even if he couldn't sit in the comfortable half lotus position he was accustomed to.
He rested his hands palm up on his knees, one leg folded, the other in it's cast straight out in front of him and closed his eyes.
Focusing on the inner mental image of a serene pool of still water, he gradually allowed his muscles to relax, practically hearing the gentle liquid sounds of lapping softly against the edges of the pool.
He was totally immersed in that image when Sally came into the room with a tea tray.
She sat it down soundlessly and quietly took a red, satin covered ottoman at the foot of the bed. She gazed at his face in gentle repose, the strain of pain and anxiety eased from his strong distinct features.
"He's beautiful," she thought, "although he'd be horrified if I used that word." She smiled to herself at the thought.
She debated whether she should disturb his meditations or wait and risk cold tea later, and decided to wait. After all, water could be easily heated, but this was the most peaceful she'd seen Wufei in a few weeks.
"Well," she thought, "there's nothing that says I have to wait for my tea," and very carefully began to prepare herself a cup.
Taking a tea ball full of green tea, she lowered it into the teapot of steaming water and allowed it to steep for a full minute. Just long enough to get the full flavor, but not long enough to turn bitter.
She took a porcelain cup and saucer, she carefully poured the fragrant beverage and raised it to her lips, sipping a bit. It was still quite hot.
She felt it trail down her throat and warm her stomach, relaxing her. Unconsciously, she exhaled loudly.
Wufei's eyes fluttered open at the faint sound. "Sally," he said in a low voice. "You're back."
"I brought your tea," she said, quickly setting down her cup and pouring him one. "Here, drink while it's still hot."
He took the offered cup and took a tiny sip. "It's fine, thank you," he said, not raising his eyes. "You didn't make it too bitter."
"Of course not," she said, a bit defensively. Hearing the tone of her voice, she took a deep breath. "I mean, I'm fussy about how my tea is made too."
He nodded, saying nothing and took a larger swallow.
He closed his eyes and sat the cup and saucer on the thigh of his uninjured leg.
"Sally, I want to apologize," he said, "I had no right to speak to you as I did. I only hope you can forgive me." He kept his eyes lowered through this speech, not daring to look at her.
She nodded, "No, you shouldn't have spoken to me like that. Apology accepted. Let's not speak of it again."
He inclined his head. "As you wish."
He raised his eyes to hers finally, and saw that a faint smile graced her lips.
"You're not angry with me anymore?" he couldn't resist asking.
"I was never angry with you," she replied, "I was hurt."
"Hurt?" he asked, a puzzled frown between his eyes.
"Yes, I was hurt that you didn't feel free to tell me how you were feeling before you had to explode like that. After all, there's nothing you can't say to me, or at least I thought you knew that. That's the way it is between.. Friends," she finished.
"Friends," he repeated. "I had hoped.." He let the sentence trail off. "It's too soon," he thought and I've just offended her too. He pressed his lips together.
"Hoped what?" she asked, not willing to let it go.
"Nothing," he said resolutely, picking up his cup.
"Nothing?" she repeated. "Are you sure?"
His face grew uncomfortably warm. "I was going to say, I hoped that eventually we could be more than friends."
He almost choked on the last few words, but forced them out.
"I understand if that idea is repugnant to you now," he said formally. "After all, I'm guilty of treating you rather badly."
"I thought we weren't going to speak of that again," said Sally with mock severity. "And, the idea isn't 'repugnant' to me," she added. She smiled at him and put her head to one side.
"Are you always this self-effacing when you've screwed up?"
His head jerked up. "No," he said, honestly, but with a trace of a smile. "I'm usually an arrogant jackass."
Sally laughed. "That's what I thought."
She rose and came over, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.
"Well, as long as you KNOW you're an arrogant jackass," she began, "I think I can deal with it."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
She was slightly surprised to see color come to his face.
"What a shy Dragon you are sometimes," she murmured, putting her face along his cheek and turning his face gently towards hers. She put her lips to his and he responded by pulling her down into his arms.
"Sally," he gasped. His eyes were closed and his mouth trailed along her jaw until he found her lips and he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and suckled it.
She was vaguely aware of him moaning and his breath hot in her mouth, his tongue moving in an erotic imitation of what their bodies desired to do.
Her head was spinning and she had to reluctantly pull away to gasp for much needed air.
"Wow," she said, which sounded so stupid in her own ears that she began to giggle, partly from reaction. She wasn't sure she could stand, her knees felt like pudding.
"Did I do something funny," demanded Wufei, not sure of whether he was being laughed at.
"NO," said Sally emphatically, although she was still giggling slightly. "I'm just a bit hysterical, I think," she said, shaking her head. "Believe me, I'm NOT laughing at you."
"Women!" said Wufei in a mild tone of exasperation, but Sally saw he was smiling at her.
"Yes, we're all a little insane, swimming in the estrogen ocean; deal with it!" she said, "Unless you want to play on the other team," she added, in a teasing voice.
"Um, no thank you," he said, white teeth flashing in his caramel face for an instant.
"I've no inclinations in that direction that I'm aware of," he added, "and believe me, I've had more than a few opportunities to find out."
"Always good to know," Sally said, smiling back at him. "I like to keep an eye on the competition."
"You have none," he said, "None worth mentioning."
"Also good to know," she said, putting her hands on the hard planes of his chest and pushing him back on the pillows for another thorough kiss.