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Tapestry - Chapter 17
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I love those first few moments when I'm waking up from a sound sleep. I feel as though I'm cocooned, safe and comfortable, no worries at all. Well - no worries until I actually started thinking and open my eyes.
That same feeling - something very sensual, yet secure - draped over me now. My eyes were closed, but I could feel sunlight pouring over my face and warming my eyelids. I was covered to my chin, sheets and covers weighing down my arms and legs; I felt safe and protected. My head pressed down into a soft pillow, and I breathed in a familiar, slightly spicy scent. It wasn't mine, though something about it was definitely male and very pleasant.
Awareness comes back in stages. I was awake, but I was the only one who knew it; and I wanted to keep it that way, as small an advantage as it was. Slitting my eyes against the bright sunlight, I kept my breathing light and even and pretended to sleep, but I couldn't see anything except the mound of comforter in front of my face.
I moved my head on the pillow, settling a little more, and stretched my neck so I had a better view of the room. It was nice, but it wasn't my room; I couldn't remember exactly where I was. My gaze lingered over traditional bedroom furniture, and came to rest on a figure sitting in a chair next to the bed. He was quite still, reading.
I frowned, feeling the muscles between my eyes contract. Why was he sitting next to me and -
My eyes flew open, and I looked at Wufei.
Now I remembered. Everything.
As he sat and read, calmly turning pages and completely unaware, I watched him through my eyelashes. Dread, confusion and uncertainty flooded back into me. Gods. What happened last night? It was - it was - surreal. Unreal. A dream, or ... what? If it wasn't a dream - if my overactive imagination didn't make it up - then we were in more trouble than I cared to think about.
Well. I wasn't going to think about it; that wouldn't help, because there was nothing I could do. What I had to do now was think of something to tell Wufei. Something - anything - as long as it was plausible. I knew, as well as I knew my own name, that he was going to demand an explanation, which would lead to why he shouldn't call in a doctor to check me out.
I studied him as he read. He looked composed and calm, but tired; and he was wearing the same thing he wore last night. That meant he had been sitting in that chair, all night, watching over me. Waiting. Keeping me safe from ... who knows what.
I thought I knew what he was guarding against even if he didn't - but it was something I couldn't quite explain, let alone believe. So little of it made sense - although on another level, one which I was loathe to acknowledge, far too much of it did. Not only did it look like Treize had fangs there for a moment, but ... he never blinked. Not once during the entire time I spoke to him. What kind of a person never blinks?
Cautiously, I opened my eyes all the way and gazed at Wufei, envying him his complete concentration. I couldn't hide forever - might as well get it over with, and soon.
"Wufei?" I whispered.
He nearly bounded out of his chair, I startled him so badly. "Sally!" he exclaimed, putting his book to the side and staring at me. "Are you all right?"
"I - I think so," I responded, muffled in the comforter. "What time is it?"
"After ten. Are you well? A doctor would be good."
"Ah .. no. I don't need a doctor, Wufei." I pushed myself up to a sitting position; I still felt a little unsteady and woozy, though. "I'm - all right. I don't feel as if I have a fever ..." I felt my head for emphasis, keeping the lower half of my body bundled up in the blankets.
He frowned at me, almost scowling. "You passed out for no apparent reason. I would say that requires a doctor."
"But, Wufei ... I am a doctor, and I don't believe I need to see anyone." I gave him a weak, pleading smile. "Please - Wufei, really - I feel all right. I think I was just overtired. Overextended."
Snorting, Wufei raised his eyebrow at me. "You blacked out," he said flatly. "Are you epileptic?"
"No - I don't have seizures," I answered, sitting up straighter. "But really ... really, I'm just fine." I tried to put strength into my voice, tried to make it cheerful.
Folding his arms, Wufei eyed me and stayed silent. He didn't protest - he just looked straight at me and said nothing.
I felt my resolve crumbling; his gaze was heavy, and hard for me to hold. "I - I think I should go back to my room, though - so I can get my clothes."
"I will bring them here. What do you want?"
"Well ... um ... shorts, I suppose .. and a tee shirt ... and underwear. Sandals would be good, too."
Wufei turned red at the mention of 'underwear,' but he carried on, trying to look impervious.
"I can get them, Wufei." I took pity on him, wanting to spare him embarrassment, pushing myself to the side of the bed. "They're just in my room; at least, I THINK they're there. I didn't really have much time to look around the room at all, so I'm not quite sure what's there."
"No. You stay right where you are. I will get what you need."
"Wufei ..."
"Stay there."
He strode out of the room, not giving me a backwards glance, assuming I would obey him. I watched him leave, grateful that he didn't press the issue any more than he had.
I sat up in bed and looked at the sea. Palm trees were swaying in the breeze, the wind innocently coaxing their fronds apart, ocean waves licking at the shore. It was a beautiful day. Everything looked so normal - so natural - so unlike last night ... gads.
I knew it. We were in deep trouble.
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"Wufei - do you have my phone?"
Peering around the bathroom door, I whispered that last word - force of habit, I suppose. You never know who's around, and I certainly didn't want Treize to find and confiscate it.
"Oh .. hai."
"Thank you," I said as he dropped the cellphone into my waiting hand. "I'll be right out." Pulling back behind the door, I stowed the phone in its usual place, then walked out of the bathroom.
"Now ... do I look as though I have to see a doctor?" I asked Wufei, smiling, spreading my hands so he could see how healthy I appeared in my shorts and tee shirt.
"Yes," he said, giving me an even look. "You're terribly pale and your hands are shaking."
Alarmed, I looked down; sure enough, my hands were shaking. I shoved them into the pockets of my shorts. Gods. Just what I needed.
"Now what's wrong?" Wufei asked, frowning.
I couldn't look at him; I felt tight, so tight. "I - I just feel I was overtired, Wufei. That's all. I don't need to see a doctor." Avoiding his gaze, I went to the overstuffed chair in front of the window and sat down, resolutely looking anywhere except at him.
From the corner of my eye I saw him watch me walk over and sit down, apparently considering what he was going to do.
"You're not all right," he finally said, still eyeing me, "but I will respect your request."
Gratitude washed over me. I glanced at him and gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, Wufei. Thank you. I - I will be all right, I know. I really don't feel ill."
A knock at the door interrupted us. I started, looked at the door, then back at Wufei.
"Come," he said, not taking his gaze from me.
A soldier opened the door. "General Treize requests an answer regarding the bruncheon."
Wufei nodded, still looking at me. "I'll let him know in a moment."
The soldier nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
"I put off breakfast," Wufei said calmly.
"Ah .." I nodded at him, thinking the very last thing I wanted to do was to have breakfast with Treize. "Do I ... are you ..." I stopped and looked at him. "... we have to go?"
"'We?'" Wufei asked, puzzled. "I breakfast with him every day, before we duel. I didn't go today." He shrugged expressively.
"Oh ... I'm sorry, Wufei," I said, nodding. "I didn't mean to hold you back."
"You have not held me back," he said, snorting a little. "If you need nothing else, I will go."
"No, Wufei ... there's nothing else. Thank you for staying with me. And please - be careful."
"Careful? Of what?" he asked, perplexed. Shaking his head, he turned and walked out the doorway, leaving me alone.
I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and sat for a few minutes, breathing deeply, willing myself calm. My body felt rested, but my mind was exhausted.
Better than someone else, muttered my snarky inner voice. Somebody didn't get any sleep last night, but he's still going to duel. I sighed, fervently hoping that Wufei wouldn't lose too badly today - I knew he wasn't going to be as sharp as usual, so his chances of 'winning' were slim.
'Winning.' Bah. Who was kidding whom? There was no 'winning' here, only surviving.
I sighed and looked outside again. As much as I wanted to stay, I knew I had to get up and get moving. I was hiding in Wufei's room, and I couldn't do that forever. It was an option, but really ... not the best one. I pushed myself out of the chair, walked to the door and slipped into the hallway, not quite knowing where I wanted to go.
Turning my head, my gaze fell on a nondescript door on the left hand side of the corridor. Immediately my stomach lurched and my palms started to get damp. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself, walked over to the door, turned the doorknob, and pulled.
Nothing. The door was locked.
Looking down the corridor, I noticed that most - but not all - doors were open. As I walked in the hall, I tried several of the closed doors; they were all locked. Apparently, open doors were unlocked, but if the door was closed, it was most likely locked. Too strange.
I reached the stairs and was about to go up when a movement near one of the windows caught my attention. It was Wufei and Treize - and they were going to duel.
Outside. With long swords.
The next thing I realized, I was sitting on the windowsill with my nose practically pressed against the glass. Both men - and yes, I considered Wufei a man when he was fighting - were moving and stretching before they dueled, which was not unusual. What I did consider unusual was their conversation before the duel. Normally, I could not have heard them, but the had wind shifted, the transom above the window was open, and their voices drifted through the opening.
"... yes, Wufei, it really was the most marvelous piece to hear. The tone was exquisite, mellow and ..."
Treize was telling Wufei about his night last night. Yay. That was fairly innocuous stuff - rather boring, in fact. I stopped listening after the first few words and just watched them, feeling their body language and attitude would tell me more about the fight and themselves than their conversation ever would.
There was a table set for breakfast, off to the side on the patio, untouched; and there was Wufei, taking off his shirt, his sword leaning against his leg. Treize, too, was standing with his hands in his pockets, his loose shirt open to the waist and his sword leaning against his leg, looking elegant. No one else was in the area, though; it seemed as if all the soldiers had been warned away, allow Treize and Wufei the privacy to duel in peace.
Or in pieces, my mind supplied, helpful as always.
Both men moved onto the sand, barefoot, now testing their footing. Without warning, Wufei lunged at Treize, quickly enough that I wondered if he had giving any warning or indication of his strike. It was an excellent way to use a tactical advantage, but I was surprised. Wufei did not seem the type to take that kind of advantage.
I would have. In fact, given the opportunity, I would have struck when Treize's back was turned.
It was immediately obvious, though, that no warning was necessary; Treize was more than ready for him. Their blades slapped each other as the general came alive, sliding into a classic defense posture, his eyes glittering and narrowed, completely focused on Wufei.
Fighting in the sand was always difficult and tricky, and fighting with swords simply tipped the odds in the favor of the more experienced swordsman; fear for Wufei was a metallic taste in my mouth. As they shuffled across the sand, I could tell that Treize seemed to be allowing Wufei to move as much as he wanted. The general was using a minimal defense, not permitting Wufei's parries and thrusts to penetrate his guard, but doing nothing to actively defend himself.
Wufei was calm, but only because he was making a supreme effort. I could see him trying to rein in his fury, urging himself to attack again and again. His movements were quick, polished, and well timed, but they lacked the control and form of his other fights. He was tired - it was obvious - and guilt dropped over me like a blanket. It was my fault. My fault, because he sat with me all night long and didn't sleep. My fault he was exhausted. Damn, this was not going to go well for him.
I was thinking so much about that problem that I almost missed Wufei's next move. It was sudden, unexpected - and inspired. They had locked swords again, when Wufei delivered a very powerful, neat, roundhouse kick, aimed right at Treize's midsection.
Treize wasn't prepared; without warning, he lost his balance, toppled and dropped to the ground. In a flash, Wufei was standing over him with his sword at his throat. It was an automatic, trained gesture.
His instincts brought him to the brink. The only thing left for him to do was finish the job.
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"Do it - do it now, Wufei - kill him! Do it! Do it NOW!"
My hands were splayed on the glass. I probably looked like a bug that had been squashed on the inside of the window. The moment I saw Treize go down, both my hands smacked flat against the pane, my forehead pressed against the glass, and I started screaming at Wufei.
"Kill him, Wufei - kill him! NOW! DO IT!"
Wufei, though, was more shocked and tired than anything else, and as such, made one small, fatal mistake. He looked into Treize's eyes.
"Excellent, Wufei - but you neglected to do one thing."
"What?"
He was standing over Treize, one foot between Treize's legs. Frankly, he didn't have much of a choice; it was either that, or straddle Treize's body to get close enough to hold the sword at his throat.
Treize's response to Wufei's question was immediate. He locked his legs together, rolled, and twisted, very neatly throwing Wufei into the sand. Apparently not satisfied with simply downing him, the general then rolled on top of Wufei, effectively pinning him to the ground with his superior weight and strength, his face scant centimeters away from Wufei's.
A horrid expression was on Wufei's face. His teeth were bared slightly, and he looked torn between tears and hot, searing fury. He struggled for a few moments until he discovered it was futile, then gave up and lay quietly under Treize, glaring hatred and hopelessness up at him.
Treize, for his part, did nothing inappropriate - relatively. He simply didn't move. The general held Wufei's arms away from his body and let his weight cover the boy while he watched him struggle. Treize continued to hold him down until Wufei stopped struggling and started to look acutely uncomfortable.
"It is a simple thing to forget, Wufei," Treize said, moving off him and offering the boy a hand up.
Wufei stared at Treize's outstretched hand and pointedly ignored it, looking ill at ease and slightly confused.
Treize pulled his hand back and settled for brushing invisible dust motes from his wrists. "Don't ever hesitate to kill."
He scrambled to his feet and stumbled backwards, staring at Treize, his face suffused with color. There was something wild in the way he looked at Treize, something that showed his distress, his uneasiness and confusion.
"You're going to get me one of these days, Wufei," Treize said with a small smile. "Really - an excellent job." He turned his back on Wufei and walked back to the breakfast table.
I drooped, my forehead pressed against the back of my hands, hands still stuck on the window. Damn, damn, damn.
There was a part of me that urged Wufei to go after him and attack him again, but I knew that would never happen. It would have been completely against any of the 'rules' that had been constructed before they started dueling with each other. Rather than try to assassinate him, Wufei stayed right where he was, his shoulders hunched forward a little, wearing a 'what the hell just happened?' look.
Treize, however, reached the table and was calmly serving himself breakfast. He wasn't waiting for Wufei to join him; it felt as if he knew Wufei would join him eventually.
Gods, that was infuriating. It was as if Treize knew just what Wufei was thinking, what would drive him to do certain things - almost as if he had done this many times before. But that was impossible, because before this war, Wufei had never even seen Treize. Now, suddenly, the general was in his face - and mine - as often as humanly possible.
I turned away from the window, thinking. Treize showed no fear at all - not even when it was clear that Wufei could have skewered him. No fear at all. Did he know Wufei would hesitate? Was that part of his plan, too - see how far he could push Wufei before provoking that kind of response?
Well, feh - I didn't know. I had no idea. What I did know was that I wasn't really hungry, but I did crave tea, and I didn't want to be seen at the moment. Had Treize spotted me, there was no doubt in my mind that he would have insisted I join them; and really, I simply wasn't up to facing him. Not yet.
I slunk away, into the depths of the house.
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Reconnaissance seemed to be part of my nature, as was my affinity for guerilla warfare. I instinctively understood how to approach what I wanted with a minimum of noise and fuss, and I was usually able to 'acquire' what I needed without problems.
My luck stayed with me while I wandered through the mansion. I found the kitchen; no one was there, so I was able to satisfy my craving for tea and toast easily. As I ate my breakfast, I pinpointed various things - where the cutting knives were kept, where the fire extinguisher was, and how many different types of cleavers the cooks stored in their drawers.
Not that I'd ever get the opportunity to use them, of course. I was sure they were inventoried hourly since Wufei and I were there.
Bright sunlight filtered through the windows at the back of the room. I walked over, curious to see where this side of the house faced, and found myself looking at Wufei and Treize finishing their breakfast.
It didn't look as though Wufei was responding at all. He was still, and as far as I could tell, silent.
Treize touched his napkin to his lips, leaned over to murmur something to Wufei, stood and nodded to him, and walked toward the house - away from the kitchen entrance, that is. Wufei simply stared after him, not moving a muscle. After a few moments, he, too, rose stiffly from his seat and followed Treize to the house.
I had a bad feeling about Wufei and his reaction to their 'duel.' I stuck my teacup in the dishwasher and hurried out the door, intent on getting to the dining room at the same time Wufei came indoors.
I was too late, though. By the time I reached the hallway near the dining room I saw Wufei sweeping through, marching down the opposite hall toward the exercise rooms. Intent on following him, I changed direction and started toward the opposite end of the house.
And in the process, almost bumped into Treize.
He steadied me, holding both my shoulders and peered into my face, smiling. "Ah, Sally! You look much better - I'm glad to see it. Still no doctor, though?"
Gads - he's handling me again. I pulled back a little, not enough to break his grip, shaking my head slightly. "Ah .. no, thank you, Treize. Really. I'm feeling much better."
Patting my shoulder encouragingly, he looked at me, still smiling but with an edge of concern in his manner. "Please, Sally, do take care. Let someone know if you feel ill. I would feel terrible if you somehow overexerted yourself."
"I - I will, Treize. I promise."
There was absolutely no sign of that darkness I saw in his eyes last night, nothing controlling, no coercion at all - and now I was wondering what kind of waking dream I'd had. I watched him as he walked away. In spite of myself, it was hard not to notice how his shirt clung to his broad shoulders and molded to his back. And his skin tone - ah, it really WAS golden. He did look golden, all over. That prodded something in my memory, something about his appearance last night that was unusual.
I blinked. Why, he had been golden then, too.
Now I was bothered, and wanted to find Wufei. I spotted him trotting down the corridor, almost out of sight. Hurrying after him, I filed Treize's appearance away, intending on thinking about that later. Later, when I wasn't as concerned about Wufei.
I found Wufei in another room of the house, one I hadn't had the opportunity to explore. It was completely white, floor to ceiling. The walls and the floor were slightly padded; the padding looked slightly damaged at the far end of the room, next to the only window.
Wufei was there, at the opposite end of the room, and was concentrating on one spot on the wall. As I watched, incredulous, he deliberately drew his hand back, aimed, and started using that spot on the wall for target practice.
No wonder the padding looked damaged. Wufei was literally beating the stuffing out of the wall.
I walked into the room, crossed over to one side and sat, with my back to the wall and my arms across my knees. I sat there for quite a while, watching him pulverize that spot.
He stopped every once in a while to look at it, but otherwise continued smacking the same spot, his aim and execution flawless. Had any of his blows connected with a person, he would have broken bones.
His pace was picking up, becoming a little more frantic. Baring his teeth, Wufei grimaced and continued, grimly pounding the wall into oblivion.
"Wufei."
No response, except for an accelerated tempo of hits on the wall.
That concerned me. Actually, I thought he was hitting the wall with enough force to break the bones in his hand. One slip, and they'd be splinters. I rose and walked over to him, trying to make my tone calm and rational.
"Wufei."
He stopped, dropping his fist to his side. Then without any warning at all, he swung and slammed that fist into the wall as hard as he could, ignoring form or style or his own safety.
"If you break your hand, you won't be able to use it for quite a while."
SLAM!
"What difference would it make?" he demanded, his voice cracking a bit.
"It would make a great deal of difference to me, Wufei."
"Why ... can't I ..." He didn't finish his statement; instead, he choked and slammed his hand into the wall once more, snarling, his teeth bared.
"Wufei." I put my hands on his shoulder and pulled gently. "Wufei, that's enough ... please."
"Kisama!" he spat, slamming his fist into the wall again. He leaned against the wall, panting, his forehead pressed against it, almost slumping in defeat. He was also holding his hand, cradling it in front of his body as if it was injured.
"Wufei - let me see that, please." I put every ounce of professionalism into my voice I could. Reaching around him, I lightly touched the hand covering his bruised fist. "Please, Wufei ... let me see it ..."
"Why won't they let me die?" he said tonelessly, as if he didn't hear me. "I've shamed them enough."
Gently, I took his covering hand away from the injured one and started probing the knuckles, inspecting. "Obviously, you still have some business to finish here," I murmured. "You can't leave until your task is finished; and apparently, your ancestors believe that, too."
"Gods. Why am I here?" he moaned. "I am not capable of doing whatever they want - I'm not even sure I should be doing it!"
"You don't shame your ancestors by trying to finish your task," I said, holding his hand. He bruised it, and it was going to show, but other than that, there were no broken bones. "Many things take entire lifetimes or more to finish."
After a moment, he looked over at me, anguish plain in his eyes. "Why are you touching me?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe I would want to dirty myself with the likes of him.
"Because, Wufei, I'm a doctor, and I'm your friend. Your hand is badly bruised, but not broken."
"I know it's not broken," he said, frowning. "I didn't miss once."
"That's true - your accuracy is astounding," I said, motioning to his knuckles with my free hand. "You've also built up an incredible amount of scar tissue here. It protects the bones back to your wrist."
"My accuracy is useless," he said, obviously ignoring everything else I said.
"Why do you say that?"
Wufei took his time in answering me. He pushed away from the wall, reclaimed his hand from my grasp, and looked into my face. That frantic sense of anger had swept away, leaving sadness and despair in its wake.
"Wufei - please talk to me."
"And tell you what?" he asked, his voice flat and dead.
I sighed. "Why did you say that your accuracy is useless?"
Closing his eyes and leaning his back against the wall, Wufei said evenly, "He is never going to kill me. Never."
My lips tightened in response. Good, I thought. "He - I believe he wants you alive, Wufei. He can't duel without you."
He was still for a moment. "He hates me that much. He knows I want to die, or he would have never made me promise."
"I don't think he hates you at all, Wufei. I simply believe he wants you to live." I looked at him, curious. "What did he make you promise?"
"Why?"
"You'd rather not tell me?" I asked, considering him.
After a moment, Wufei relented. "He made me promise not to die. He ... took that away from me."
"Do you mean - he made you promise not to kill yourself?"
"Yes," he said, his voice low.
Gods. That was exactly what Treize told me last night, in my ... dream. If it was a dream.
Concentrate on Wufei, Sally. You can think about that - other issue - later. I could feel the despair running behind his words. "You have not failed in your mission, Wufei. You have had a setback. It may take years to achieve your goal - but you will do it."
"Will I?" he asked, aching with pain.
"Yes," I nodded, projecting reassurance and calm. "It's probably the most difficult thing you've ever done in your life, Wufei - but you will win. And Wufei ... he will never 'let' you win. You need to take that for yourself. But I know you'll win. I know you will."
Silent again, Wufei stood in front of me. "He doesn't want me for death," he finally said, looking down.
"No," I responded. "He does not. But what he wants really makes no difference - you must concentrate on your goal. Your goal is diametrically opposed to his. You seek his death, while he seeks your life."
"It matters, because is IS his goal. He wants - he wants to keep me," Wufei said. His voice was expressionless, dead, but at the same time incredulous, as if he couldn't believe Treize wanted that at all.
I was taken aback. Guaranteed he did NOT understand that concept yesterday. Neither did I - not completely, anyway. Again, this was something that the Treize in my 'dream' had said to me, and now ... Wufei was confirming it.
"Yes, I think you're right. He does want to keep you here - with him."
"Why? When he receives more proof every day how weak I am. Does he enjoy mocking me that much?" He sounded broken, defeated. It finally dawned on me that he has been going through this for at least the last six weeks, if not longer; and the majority of that time he had been alone.
And he hadn't cracked. Not yet. Gods, this boy had stores of strength I could only guess at.
I sighed. "It is NOT weakness to duel day after day, Wufei - that is a sign of great strength of character. Do you believe you will win when you duel?"
A long silence fell between us. "I do not know how to answer you."
"You hope, then. You hope you will win. And when your hopes are dashed, day after day, you still continue to try."
"I have nothing else to DO," he protested. "There is nothing else I CAN do! It is my only option."
"You honor your ancestors with your tenacity, Wufei. You have not given up on your goal."
He snorted. "I am not even sure that I should. I fail them day after day. I do not see how that brings anyone honor - except Treize."
I sighed. He would never be convinced that he had any worth at all, at least not by talking about it. We needed a change of scene. I looked around at the sterile room and shuddered. This was NOT the place I wanted to be, not at all.
"Wufei - let's go take a walk down by the sea." I reached out and tugged on his arm, more to get him moving away from the wall and toward the door than anything else.
He blinked and to my surprise, moved away from the wall and toward the door, exactly as I had asked, not arguing.
Good. Surprising, but good. I took him out of that room as quickly as possible.
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We walked by the sea for a while, talking about nothing and everything. There wasn't much to say that would lighten Wufei's mood, but I wanted him to talk. Sometimes, simply having someone to talk to, even though both of us knew there was nothing that could reasonably be done to change our situation, helped.
No one stopped or challenged us as we made our way from the mansion to the sea. Several soldiers did spare a look in our direction - and I had the distinct impression they were staring at me - but once they saw Wufei, they shrugged and went on their way, saying nothing.
It really was a glorious day - the sun was shining brightly, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was perfect. Sand that looked as finely ground as powdered sugar whispered between our toes and on the soles of our feet as we wandered in the surf. Wufei looked out across the water, pensive, his eyes drawn and tired.
I followed his gaze, thinking. There was something I was supposed to ask him - about a breakfast, or -
'Ask him what he said to me on our fourth breakfast together. I'm sure you will be going to see him soon after this.'
Treize's voice rang in my mind, reminding me of what I needed to do.
Swallowing, I turned to Wufei. "Wufei ... ah ... do you remember the fourth breakfast you had with Treize? What - what did you talk about?"
He turned and stared at me a moment. "What an odd question," he murmured, blinking at me.
My pulse beat a little faster. Not that I needed proof that something happened last night; 'proof' was popping up all over the place, in random conversation. This was something, though, that was directed, and I was curious. I looked at him and waited.
"Yes, I remember," he said, slowly, tearing his gaze from the sea to the sand in front of him. "We ... spoke of many things. Different things." Color washed up from his neck and across his face as he continued. "We discussed ... politics. Languages. Sexuality. Religion."
Ah - sexuality. Hence, the blushing.
"And conscience."
"Conscience? And sexuality?" I repeated. "An interesting combination."
Wufei nodded. "He wanted to know what I thought of it. Sexuality, I mean. And as to conscience, I accused him of having none. Of ... simply doing what he was doing because he didn't want to lose."
"I .. ah .. noticed that," I said, shaking my head. No kidding he doesn't like to lose.
Shrugging, Wufei continued. "That's his only reason for doing things. Because he can - and because he doesn't like to lose."
"What was his reaction to what you said?"
Frowning slightly, Wufei paused, thinking. "He looked ... pleased. As if I'd somehow done the opposite of disappointing him."
Now that was weird. "You mean - he was happy when you told him he had no conscience, and that the only reason he was doing anything was because he didn't like to lose?" Gods, he liked that? He was stranger than I though.
Wufei nodded. "Yes."
"But - but what would he lose? What were you talking about at that point that he could have lost?"
"Nothing, really. I was simply analyzing him, and the fact that he didn't really care about anything. It was almost as though he was doing things to keep from being bored. I told him that, and he looked - satisfied." He shrugged again, confused. "I told Duo later. He stared at me the same way you are. Duo told Trowa, I know. He - Trowa - didn't seem surprised."
"No..." I stopped speaking and looked at the water, sunlight literally sparkling and dancing off the waves. It looked so safe and peaceful; the contrast between the appearance of peace and what we were discussing was almost laughable.
Quietly, trying to keep that hysterical, furious note out of my voice, I murmured, "He was ... bored. Bored. Wufei. Do you realize what that means? - that this man started a war because he was bored? Millions of people died, because he was bored..." I trailed off, almost too angry to speak. "I never believed the speeches anyway, but ... gods. This was all just to keep him amused?"
"...he has reasons," Wufei said, looking at the water again.
"My navigator died ... my helmsman died ... "
"...beauty. Glory of man. Things like that. But ... that is at the heart of it, I believe." He sighed. "I could be wrong."
I couldn't hide my feelings anymore. "My people died. They died, Wufei. People who believed in freedom and were ready to die for it - they gave their lives for their convictions. And why? Because this - this man -" I spat the word out, I was so angry - "- this man started a war because - he - was - BORED?"
"He didn't start it. Romefeller started it."
The sound of the surf washed around and over us. I was silent for a moment, pulling myself together. Calm, Sally, be calm. It doesn't help anyone when you're so angry you can hardly think. "Fine. That could be true - but tell me, Wufei, who overthrew Romefeller?"
"Treize," he said softly.
"Did the war stop?"
Wufei made a derisive sound through his teeth. "Supposedly, it has."
I sighed. It was a bitter feeling, being trapped on an island paradise by your enemy. I hated that feeling.
Change the subject, Sally, before your feelings eat you up alive.
"So ... what did you tell him you thought about sexuality?"
The poor boy started a bit, but rallied and shrugged, blushing again. "That is was a lot of work for seven seconds of pleasure, and a mess to clean up afterwards. Remember? He laughed at me."
"Oh .. yes, I remember." I frowned, hearing Treize's voice in my head again: '...sex ... is terribly messy...'
Wufei did look awfully embarrassed, but was pushing forward, not shying away from the conversation.
Well ... that wasn't going to help us now. I sighed. "Okay, Wufei. What do we do?"
He looked at me, not understanding. "Do?"
Raising my eyebrow at him, I nodded. "Well .. yes. Do. We should do something. Unless you've taken to being reformed."
He gave me a puzzled look. "Woman, you've lost me. Do about WHAT?"
"Our situation, Wufei. We may be imprisoned, but there is nothing saying that we can't give our friends on the outside information ... since," and I gestured back to the house, "since we seem to be kept at a military complex. Don't tell me there aren't things here that wouldn't help the fight outside."
"I am imprisoned, and without Nataku."
"Understood," I said gently. "I am not asking you to go back on any promises you made to Treize, Wufei. I would never do that. I am asking, though, whether you believe there may be a way around your word - some way in which we could help our friends."
He gave me a dry look. "What do you think I've been doing?"
"I don't know," I replied, watching him.
"Quatre has been coming to see me. In his gundam." The last was said very softly - even though we were alone, by the waves, there was no way to tell whether or not someone could have overheard. "He is not with his family - the news said he was released back to them, but he did not go. And he has Sandrock."
I stared at him, completely shocked, and nearly stumbled over my own feet. But I recovered, finding my balance again, and kept walking with him. I was very glad the breeze was blowing from the shore to the sea - our voices wouldn't be carried toward the mansion. "Are you planning anything?"
"No. I am not a strategist. But Quatre is. What information I can give, I have been giving him. Consistently. We use flashlights and Morse code."
And there was another shock - that he was actively doing something with Quatre. I was amazed, and rather happy to find there was still fight left in Wufei.
"Is he in touch with Trowa?" I asked, squinting at him. Meaning, of course, that both he and Duo would have that information.
"I don't know. That is out of my hands." He looked mildly insulted, as if I had grossly underestimated him.
"I'm sorry, Wufei. I didn't mean to doubt you - and I certainly meant no disrespect. I have been feeling ... not quite myself ... the past several days."
He nodded, dismissing it, and looked out at the sea again. "I swam out too far, once," he said, his eyes fastened on a spot at the horizon. "On purpose."
I looked up at him. "What happened? Did someone come out to get you?"
"No," he replied, his tone even. "I managed to make it back. But .. I was exhausted." He turned his gaze to me; bleak, tired, and with something not quite identifiable. "We should go back."
I nodded. "All right."
We walked through the scrub on the dunes toward the house. Wufei, who had been silent for several minutes said, seemingly out of context, "He is not trustworthy."
That was a strange thing to say, right out of the blue. I knew he was referring to Treize, and what he said was true enough, but ... "What? what do you mean?"
He shrugged, his white tunic gleaming in the sun. "He is untrustworthy. That does not make him a fool - he can be right on many things. Most things, in fact. That is what makes him dangerous. A fool who deludes himself is easier to deal with than an evil man who knows the truth."
I agreed wholeheartedly. "He's clever, Wufei. And ruthless."
"And ..." Wufei frowned. His expression changed into one of total confusion. " ... he ..."
"He what?" I prompted gently.
Wufei looked confused and miserable. With his head down, he mumbled, " ... and ... I don't know. Nothing. Let's go inside."
"You don't want to tell me?" I asked, trotting next to him. "It can't be nothing if you react this way."
We walked in silence toward the mansion. The random soldiers outside hardly gave Wufei a second glance, although I could feel their gazes, heavy and suspicious, lingering over me. I ignored them. They could ALL go pound sand, as far as I was concerned. What was I going to do, for heaven's sake? I wasn't even armed.
"He's never left me alone this long before," Wufei suddenly blurted out.
Wow ... that was odd. "You miss being with him..." I studied him, looking at his face, his hands ... and realized what I said was true. He did miss being with him, as much as he proclaimed he didn't' trust him.
"No," Wufei denied. That was an automatic response, though. I could feel the uncertainly coming from him. "No ..."
I sighed. NOW I could see what was happening, and I didn't like it at all. The battle lines were drawn, and somehow, Wufei had become the prize between Treize and me. Gods. I hated Treize even more.
"I'm not used to being unscheduled," Wufei continued, rubbing his face with one hand. "I have ... nothing to do."
I grimaced. The fact that he had just been walking and talking with ME on the beach, I suppose, was nothing ...
"His conversation is stimulating. It's been over a year since I could talk with anyone like that. Nobody else even cares what I'm talking about."
And there we were. Apparently, walking and talking with me actually did mean nothing. "I don't believe that's true, Wufei," I said quietly. Had there been a knife thrust into my gut, it would have started twisting about this time.
"You didn't even know what Occam's Razor was -" he said, accusing. But then he stopped speaking and looked at me. I glanced at him, then looked away. Not fast enough, though.
He shook his head and sighed. "I'm ... sorry. I know you expressed an interest in me. That ... is not what I meant."
Shrugging, I kept my gaze on the path in front of us. "It's all right, Wufei. Nothing to apologize for." Just keep twisting that knife in my gut. Once everything's been cut out, then I won't feel anything any more.
Damn you, Treize.
We walked the rest of the way to the house in silence.
I nodded at him. "I think I'll go up to my room. Thank you, Wufei, for taking care of me last night. I appreciate it." I gave him a small smile and turned for the stairs.
A small, choked sound pulled my attention back to him. "I would never have done anything else," he said, his voice low. "I don't know what I am - to him, or anyone else - but I would never do anything other to you."
"I know you wouldn't, Wufei," I replied, giving him another small smile. "I trust you completely."
"Perhaps you shouldn't," he responded, pain clearly in his eyes. He turned away and walked down the corridor toward his own room, his head down.
I looked after him for a moment, then turned to go up the stairs, dejected. I fervently prayed I could find my room again, because I surely didn't want to ask anyone where it was.
Fortunately, it wasn't hard. I recognized it as soon as I left the staircase. The door was closed, but unlocked.
So, apparently, I'm not permitted to lock my door for privacy, but anyone else could. I reflected sourly on that. Nasty thing, being someone else's prisoner. Your basic rights were taken away, and only if you pleased your warden would they be given back to you, one by one, doled out like treats to a favorite pet.
Feh. I was in a bad mood.
The room was as bright and airy as I remembered, bringing a little cheer to my heart. Someone had left a tray of food, as well - fruit, and cheeses, milk and tea, and some marvelous homemade bread - and there was a note for me propped up on the tray.
Curious, I opened it.
"My dearest Sally -
I was encouraged to see you up and about this morning. Please do not take any chances with your health - should you feel the slightest bit ill, please let me know, and I will ensure you are taken care of immediately.
And please do enjoy this light repast! I would also encourage you to get as much rest as you can. Dinner is at eight - however, do not feel that you must appear. If you are feeling unwell or tired, I will have something sent up to your room. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you to make you more comfortable.
Take care -
Sincerely,
Treize"
That was it. The very last thing I wanted to see was any communication from that man. I crushed the note between my hands and violently flung it into the trash can, then hurled the entire tray of cheese and fruit after it. Nothing shattered on the floor, but the bowls and tray did make rather a horrible noise clanging about.
I realized I was gripping the bread in one hand. I left the mess on the floor, dropped down into the large chair facing the window and brooded.
"Anything you can do for me, you .." I found I was speaking out loud, staring at the sea. "You could start, Treize, by giving me back Wufei."
~And what makes you think he's mine to give?~
I was breathing faster, staring at the sea, but I didn't see anything at all. I just heard something ... someone ... in my head? ... but I couldn't have heard anyone, because there's no one there, and things like that really didn't happen, because people couldn't do that ...
No. Ridiculous. You're overtied, Sally Po. You're picturing the man with fangs, for pity's sake, sitting right in front of you when he's actually miles away ... and now he can speak to you in your head?
No. I rubbed my head, dully wondering if I had hit my head a little too hard when I was thrown from my horse on Tuesday. Perhaps this is a delayed concussion..? At any rate, I needed some rest.
I ate a little of the bread, and put it down on the table next to the chair. Rubbing my aching temples, I thought I felt the beginning of a migraine. The sun glinting off the water would speed that along, too. I sighed, resolutely pushing everything else out of my mind, drew my legs up to my chin and closed my eyes, sinking back into the chair.
I was on the verge of falling asleep when my phone started to vibrate.
Shocked, I retrieved the phone from its hiding place, flipped open the lid and whispered, "Hello?"
"Hey - you still going to the opera on Friday?"
I squinted against the bright sunlight. It was Duo, and he sounded abnormally cheerful. "As far as I know," I replied, tired. "We're going to Milan, from what I remember. I think we're going to dinner there, too."
"All RIGHT!" he chortled into the phone. "Just be sure you gotta go to the bathroom during intermission. See ya!"
"What?" I asked, feeling a little slow - but he had already disconnected.
Sighing, I put the phone away, leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. . How on earth is he going to get into the ladies' bathroom? I pictured Duo in a maid's uniform and high heels, waiting for me in the bathroom of an opera house, before I dozed off.
I think I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Tapestry - Chapter 17
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I love those first few moments when I'm waking up from a sound sleep. I feel as though I'm cocooned, safe and comfortable, no worries at all. Well - no worries until I actually started thinking and open my eyes.
That same feeling - something very sensual, yet secure - draped over me now. My eyes were closed, but I could feel sunlight pouring over my face and warming my eyelids. I was covered to my chin, sheets and covers weighing down my arms and legs; I felt safe and protected. My head pressed down into a soft pillow, and I breathed in a familiar, slightly spicy scent. It wasn't mine, though something about it was definitely male and very pleasant.
Awareness comes back in stages. I was awake, but I was the only one who knew it; and I wanted to keep it that way, as small an advantage as it was. Slitting my eyes against the bright sunlight, I kept my breathing light and even and pretended to sleep, but I couldn't see anything except the mound of comforter in front of my face.
I moved my head on the pillow, settling a little more, and stretched my neck so I had a better view of the room. It was nice, but it wasn't my room; I couldn't remember exactly where I was. My gaze lingered over traditional bedroom furniture, and came to rest on a figure sitting in a chair next to the bed. He was quite still, reading.
I frowned, feeling the muscles between my eyes contract. Why was he sitting next to me and -
My eyes flew open, and I looked at Wufei.
Now I remembered. Everything.
As he sat and read, calmly turning pages and completely unaware, I watched him through my eyelashes. Dread, confusion and uncertainty flooded back into me. Gods. What happened last night? It was - it was - surreal. Unreal. A dream, or ... what? If it wasn't a dream - if my overactive imagination didn't make it up - then we were in more trouble than I cared to think about.
Well. I wasn't going to think about it; that wouldn't help, because there was nothing I could do. What I had to do now was think of something to tell Wufei. Something - anything - as long as it was plausible. I knew, as well as I knew my own name, that he was going to demand an explanation, which would lead to why he shouldn't call in a doctor to check me out.
I studied him as he read. He looked composed and calm, but tired; and he was wearing the same thing he wore last night. That meant he had been sitting in that chair, all night, watching over me. Waiting. Keeping me safe from ... who knows what.
I thought I knew what he was guarding against even if he didn't - but it was something I couldn't quite explain, let alone believe. So little of it made sense - although on another level, one which I was loathe to acknowledge, far too much of it did. Not only did it look like Treize had fangs there for a moment, but ... he never blinked. Not once during the entire time I spoke to him. What kind of a person never blinks?
Cautiously, I opened my eyes all the way and gazed at Wufei, envying him his complete concentration. I couldn't hide forever - might as well get it over with, and soon.
"Wufei?" I whispered.
He nearly bounded out of his chair, I startled him so badly. "Sally!" he exclaimed, putting his book to the side and staring at me. "Are you all right?"
"I - I think so," I responded, muffled in the comforter. "What time is it?"
"After ten. Are you well? A doctor would be good."
"Ah .. no. I don't need a doctor, Wufei." I pushed myself up to a sitting position; I still felt a little unsteady and woozy, though. "I'm - all right. I don't feel as if I have a fever ..." I felt my head for emphasis, keeping the lower half of my body bundled up in the blankets.
He frowned at me, almost scowling. "You passed out for no apparent reason. I would say that requires a doctor."
"But, Wufei ... I am a doctor, and I don't believe I need to see anyone." I gave him a weak, pleading smile. "Please - Wufei, really - I feel all right. I think I was just overtired. Overextended."
Snorting, Wufei raised his eyebrow at me. "You blacked out," he said flatly. "Are you epileptic?"
"No - I don't have seizures," I answered, sitting up straighter. "But really ... really, I'm just fine." I tried to put strength into my voice, tried to make it cheerful.
Folding his arms, Wufei eyed me and stayed silent. He didn't protest - he just looked straight at me and said nothing.
I felt my resolve crumbling; his gaze was heavy, and hard for me to hold. "I - I think I should go back to my room, though - so I can get my clothes."
"I will bring them here. What do you want?"
"Well ... um ... shorts, I suppose .. and a tee shirt ... and underwear. Sandals would be good, too."
Wufei turned red at the mention of 'underwear,' but he carried on, trying to look impervious.
"I can get them, Wufei." I took pity on him, wanting to spare him embarrassment, pushing myself to the side of the bed. "They're just in my room; at least, I THINK they're there. I didn't really have much time to look around the room at all, so I'm not quite sure what's there."
"No. You stay right where you are. I will get what you need."
"Wufei ..."
"Stay there."
He strode out of the room, not giving me a backwards glance, assuming I would obey him. I watched him leave, grateful that he didn't press the issue any more than he had.
I sat up in bed and looked at the sea. Palm trees were swaying in the breeze, the wind innocently coaxing their fronds apart, ocean waves licking at the shore. It was a beautiful day. Everything looked so normal - so natural - so unlike last night ... gads.
I knew it. We were in deep trouble.
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"Wufei - do you have my phone?"
Peering around the bathroom door, I whispered that last word - force of habit, I suppose. You never know who's around, and I certainly didn't want Treize to find and confiscate it.
"Oh .. hai."
"Thank you," I said as he dropped the cellphone into my waiting hand. "I'll be right out." Pulling back behind the door, I stowed the phone in its usual place, then walked out of the bathroom.
"Now ... do I look as though I have to see a doctor?" I asked Wufei, smiling, spreading my hands so he could see how healthy I appeared in my shorts and tee shirt.
"Yes," he said, giving me an even look. "You're terribly pale and your hands are shaking."
Alarmed, I looked down; sure enough, my hands were shaking. I shoved them into the pockets of my shorts. Gods. Just what I needed.
"Now what's wrong?" Wufei asked, frowning.
I couldn't look at him; I felt tight, so tight. "I - I just feel I was overtired, Wufei. That's all. I don't need to see a doctor." Avoiding his gaze, I went to the overstuffed chair in front of the window and sat down, resolutely looking anywhere except at him.
From the corner of my eye I saw him watch me walk over and sit down, apparently considering what he was going to do.
"You're not all right," he finally said, still eyeing me, "but I will respect your request."
Gratitude washed over me. I glanced at him and gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, Wufei. Thank you. I - I will be all right, I know. I really don't feel ill."
A knock at the door interrupted us. I started, looked at the door, then back at Wufei.
"Come," he said, not taking his gaze from me.
A soldier opened the door. "General Treize requests an answer regarding the bruncheon."
Wufei nodded, still looking at me. "I'll let him know in a moment."
The soldier nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
"I put off breakfast," Wufei said calmly.
"Ah .." I nodded at him, thinking the very last thing I wanted to do was to have breakfast with Treize. "Do I ... are you ..." I stopped and looked at him. "... we have to go?"
"'We?'" Wufei asked, puzzled. "I breakfast with him every day, before we duel. I didn't go today." He shrugged expressively.
"Oh ... I'm sorry, Wufei," I said, nodding. "I didn't mean to hold you back."
"You have not held me back," he said, snorting a little. "If you need nothing else, I will go."
"No, Wufei ... there's nothing else. Thank you for staying with me. And please - be careful."
"Careful? Of what?" he asked, perplexed. Shaking his head, he turned and walked out the doorway, leaving me alone.
I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and sat for a few minutes, breathing deeply, willing myself calm. My body felt rested, but my mind was exhausted.
Better than someone else, muttered my snarky inner voice. Somebody didn't get any sleep last night, but he's still going to duel. I sighed, fervently hoping that Wufei wouldn't lose too badly today - I knew he wasn't going to be as sharp as usual, so his chances of 'winning' were slim.
'Winning.' Bah. Who was kidding whom? There was no 'winning' here, only surviving.
I sighed and looked outside again. As much as I wanted to stay, I knew I had to get up and get moving. I was hiding in Wufei's room, and I couldn't do that forever. It was an option, but really ... not the best one. I pushed myself out of the chair, walked to the door and slipped into the hallway, not quite knowing where I wanted to go.
Turning my head, my gaze fell on a nondescript door on the left hand side of the corridor. Immediately my stomach lurched and my palms started to get damp. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself, walked over to the door, turned the doorknob, and pulled.
Nothing. The door was locked.
Looking down the corridor, I noticed that most - but not all - doors were open. As I walked in the hall, I tried several of the closed doors; they were all locked. Apparently, open doors were unlocked, but if the door was closed, it was most likely locked. Too strange.
I reached the stairs and was about to go up when a movement near one of the windows caught my attention. It was Wufei and Treize - and they were going to duel.
Outside. With long swords.
The next thing I realized, I was sitting on the windowsill with my nose practically pressed against the glass. Both men - and yes, I considered Wufei a man when he was fighting - were moving and stretching before they dueled, which was not unusual. What I did consider unusual was their conversation before the duel. Normally, I could not have heard them, but the had wind shifted, the transom above the window was open, and their voices drifted through the opening.
"... yes, Wufei, it really was the most marvelous piece to hear. The tone was exquisite, mellow and ..."
Treize was telling Wufei about his night last night. Yay. That was fairly innocuous stuff - rather boring, in fact. I stopped listening after the first few words and just watched them, feeling their body language and attitude would tell me more about the fight and themselves than their conversation ever would.
There was a table set for breakfast, off to the side on the patio, untouched; and there was Wufei, taking off his shirt, his sword leaning against his leg. Treize, too, was standing with his hands in his pockets, his loose shirt open to the waist and his sword leaning against his leg, looking elegant. No one else was in the area, though; it seemed as if all the soldiers had been warned away, allow Treize and Wufei the privacy to duel in peace.
Or in pieces, my mind supplied, helpful as always.
Both men moved onto the sand, barefoot, now testing their footing. Without warning, Wufei lunged at Treize, quickly enough that I wondered if he had giving any warning or indication of his strike. It was an excellent way to use a tactical advantage, but I was surprised. Wufei did not seem the type to take that kind of advantage.
I would have. In fact, given the opportunity, I would have struck when Treize's back was turned.
It was immediately obvious, though, that no warning was necessary; Treize was more than ready for him. Their blades slapped each other as the general came alive, sliding into a classic defense posture, his eyes glittering and narrowed, completely focused on Wufei.
Fighting in the sand was always difficult and tricky, and fighting with swords simply tipped the odds in the favor of the more experienced swordsman; fear for Wufei was a metallic taste in my mouth. As they shuffled across the sand, I could tell that Treize seemed to be allowing Wufei to move as much as he wanted. The general was using a minimal defense, not permitting Wufei's parries and thrusts to penetrate his guard, but doing nothing to actively defend himself.
Wufei was calm, but only because he was making a supreme effort. I could see him trying to rein in his fury, urging himself to attack again and again. His movements were quick, polished, and well timed, but they lacked the control and form of his other fights. He was tired - it was obvious - and guilt dropped over me like a blanket. It was my fault. My fault, because he sat with me all night long and didn't sleep. My fault he was exhausted. Damn, this was not going to go well for him.
I was thinking so much about that problem that I almost missed Wufei's next move. It was sudden, unexpected - and inspired. They had locked swords again, when Wufei delivered a very powerful, neat, roundhouse kick, aimed right at Treize's midsection.
Treize wasn't prepared; without warning, he lost his balance, toppled and dropped to the ground. In a flash, Wufei was standing over him with his sword at his throat. It was an automatic, trained gesture.
His instincts brought him to the brink. The only thing left for him to do was finish the job.
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"Do it - do it now, Wufei - kill him! Do it! Do it NOW!"
My hands were splayed on the glass. I probably looked like a bug that had been squashed on the inside of the window. The moment I saw Treize go down, both my hands smacked flat against the pane, my forehead pressed against the glass, and I started screaming at Wufei.
"Kill him, Wufei - kill him! NOW! DO IT!"
Wufei, though, was more shocked and tired than anything else, and as such, made one small, fatal mistake. He looked into Treize's eyes.
"Excellent, Wufei - but you neglected to do one thing."
"What?"
He was standing over Treize, one foot between Treize's legs. Frankly, he didn't have much of a choice; it was either that, or straddle Treize's body to get close enough to hold the sword at his throat.
Treize's response to Wufei's question was immediate. He locked his legs together, rolled, and twisted, very neatly throwing Wufei into the sand. Apparently not satisfied with simply downing him, the general then rolled on top of Wufei, effectively pinning him to the ground with his superior weight and strength, his face scant centimeters away from Wufei's.
A horrid expression was on Wufei's face. His teeth were bared slightly, and he looked torn between tears and hot, searing fury. He struggled for a few moments until he discovered it was futile, then gave up and lay quietly under Treize, glaring hatred and hopelessness up at him.
Treize, for his part, did nothing inappropriate - relatively. He simply didn't move. The general held Wufei's arms away from his body and let his weight cover the boy while he watched him struggle. Treize continued to hold him down until Wufei stopped struggling and started to look acutely uncomfortable.
"It is a simple thing to forget, Wufei," Treize said, moving off him and offering the boy a hand up.
Wufei stared at Treize's outstretched hand and pointedly ignored it, looking ill at ease and slightly confused.
Treize pulled his hand back and settled for brushing invisible dust motes from his wrists. "Don't ever hesitate to kill."
He scrambled to his feet and stumbled backwards, staring at Treize, his face suffused with color. There was something wild in the way he looked at Treize, something that showed his distress, his uneasiness and confusion.
"You're going to get me one of these days, Wufei," Treize said with a small smile. "Really - an excellent job." He turned his back on Wufei and walked back to the breakfast table.
I drooped, my forehead pressed against the back of my hands, hands still stuck on the window. Damn, damn, damn.
There was a part of me that urged Wufei to go after him and attack him again, but I knew that would never happen. It would have been completely against any of the 'rules' that had been constructed before they started dueling with each other. Rather than try to assassinate him, Wufei stayed right where he was, his shoulders hunched forward a little, wearing a 'what the hell just happened?' look.
Treize, however, reached the table and was calmly serving himself breakfast. He wasn't waiting for Wufei to join him; it felt as if he knew Wufei would join him eventually.
Gods, that was infuriating. It was as if Treize knew just what Wufei was thinking, what would drive him to do certain things - almost as if he had done this many times before. But that was impossible, because before this war, Wufei had never even seen Treize. Now, suddenly, the general was in his face - and mine - as often as humanly possible.
I turned away from the window, thinking. Treize showed no fear at all - not even when it was clear that Wufei could have skewered him. No fear at all. Did he know Wufei would hesitate? Was that part of his plan, too - see how far he could push Wufei before provoking that kind of response?
Well, feh - I didn't know. I had no idea. What I did know was that I wasn't really hungry, but I did crave tea, and I didn't want to be seen at the moment. Had Treize spotted me, there was no doubt in my mind that he would have insisted I join them; and really, I simply wasn't up to facing him. Not yet.
I slunk away, into the depths of the house.
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Reconnaissance seemed to be part of my nature, as was my affinity for guerilla warfare. I instinctively understood how to approach what I wanted with a minimum of noise and fuss, and I was usually able to 'acquire' what I needed without problems.
My luck stayed with me while I wandered through the mansion. I found the kitchen; no one was there, so I was able to satisfy my craving for tea and toast easily. As I ate my breakfast, I pinpointed various things - where the cutting knives were kept, where the fire extinguisher was, and how many different types of cleavers the cooks stored in their drawers.
Not that I'd ever get the opportunity to use them, of course. I was sure they were inventoried hourly since Wufei and I were there.
Bright sunlight filtered through the windows at the back of the room. I walked over, curious to see where this side of the house faced, and found myself looking at Wufei and Treize finishing their breakfast.
It didn't look as though Wufei was responding at all. He was still, and as far as I could tell, silent.
Treize touched his napkin to his lips, leaned over to murmur something to Wufei, stood and nodded to him, and walked toward the house - away from the kitchen entrance, that is. Wufei simply stared after him, not moving a muscle. After a few moments, he, too, rose stiffly from his seat and followed Treize to the house.
I had a bad feeling about Wufei and his reaction to their 'duel.' I stuck my teacup in the dishwasher and hurried out the door, intent on getting to the dining room at the same time Wufei came indoors.
I was too late, though. By the time I reached the hallway near the dining room I saw Wufei sweeping through, marching down the opposite hall toward the exercise rooms. Intent on following him, I changed direction and started toward the opposite end of the house.
And in the process, almost bumped into Treize.
He steadied me, holding both my shoulders and peered into my face, smiling. "Ah, Sally! You look much better - I'm glad to see it. Still no doctor, though?"
Gads - he's handling me again. I pulled back a little, not enough to break his grip, shaking my head slightly. "Ah .. no, thank you, Treize. Really. I'm feeling much better."
Patting my shoulder encouragingly, he looked at me, still smiling but with an edge of concern in his manner. "Please, Sally, do take care. Let someone know if you feel ill. I would feel terrible if you somehow overexerted yourself."
"I - I will, Treize. I promise."
There was absolutely no sign of that darkness I saw in his eyes last night, nothing controlling, no coercion at all - and now I was wondering what kind of waking dream I'd had. I watched him as he walked away. In spite of myself, it was hard not to notice how his shirt clung to his broad shoulders and molded to his back. And his skin tone - ah, it really WAS golden. He did look golden, all over. That prodded something in my memory, something about his appearance last night that was unusual.
I blinked. Why, he had been golden then, too.
Now I was bothered, and wanted to find Wufei. I spotted him trotting down the corridor, almost out of sight. Hurrying after him, I filed Treize's appearance away, intending on thinking about that later. Later, when I wasn't as concerned about Wufei.
I found Wufei in another room of the house, one I hadn't had the opportunity to explore. It was completely white, floor to ceiling. The walls and the floor were slightly padded; the padding looked slightly damaged at the far end of the room, next to the only window.
Wufei was there, at the opposite end of the room, and was concentrating on one spot on the wall. As I watched, incredulous, he deliberately drew his hand back, aimed, and started using that spot on the wall for target practice.
No wonder the padding looked damaged. Wufei was literally beating the stuffing out of the wall.
I walked into the room, crossed over to one side and sat, with my back to the wall and my arms across my knees. I sat there for quite a while, watching him pulverize that spot.
He stopped every once in a while to look at it, but otherwise continued smacking the same spot, his aim and execution flawless. Had any of his blows connected with a person, he would have broken bones.
His pace was picking up, becoming a little more frantic. Baring his teeth, Wufei grimaced and continued, grimly pounding the wall into oblivion.
"Wufei."
No response, except for an accelerated tempo of hits on the wall.
That concerned me. Actually, I thought he was hitting the wall with enough force to break the bones in his hand. One slip, and they'd be splinters. I rose and walked over to him, trying to make my tone calm and rational.
"Wufei."
He stopped, dropping his fist to his side. Then without any warning at all, he swung and slammed that fist into the wall as hard as he could, ignoring form or style or his own safety.
"If you break your hand, you won't be able to use it for quite a while."
SLAM!
"What difference would it make?" he demanded, his voice cracking a bit.
"It would make a great deal of difference to me, Wufei."
"Why ... can't I ..." He didn't finish his statement; instead, he choked and slammed his hand into the wall once more, snarling, his teeth bared.
"Wufei." I put my hands on his shoulder and pulled gently. "Wufei, that's enough ... please."
"Kisama!" he spat, slamming his fist into the wall again. He leaned against the wall, panting, his forehead pressed against it, almost slumping in defeat. He was also holding his hand, cradling it in front of his body as if it was injured.
"Wufei - let me see that, please." I put every ounce of professionalism into my voice I could. Reaching around him, I lightly touched the hand covering his bruised fist. "Please, Wufei ... let me see it ..."
"Why won't they let me die?" he said tonelessly, as if he didn't hear me. "I've shamed them enough."
Gently, I took his covering hand away from the injured one and started probing the knuckles, inspecting. "Obviously, you still have some business to finish here," I murmured. "You can't leave until your task is finished; and apparently, your ancestors believe that, too."
"Gods. Why am I here?" he moaned. "I am not capable of doing whatever they want - I'm not even sure I should be doing it!"
"You don't shame your ancestors by trying to finish your task," I said, holding his hand. He bruised it, and it was going to show, but other than that, there were no broken bones. "Many things take entire lifetimes or more to finish."
After a moment, he looked over at me, anguish plain in his eyes. "Why are you touching me?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe I would want to dirty myself with the likes of him.
"Because, Wufei, I'm a doctor, and I'm your friend. Your hand is badly bruised, but not broken."
"I know it's not broken," he said, frowning. "I didn't miss once."
"That's true - your accuracy is astounding," I said, motioning to his knuckles with my free hand. "You've also built up an incredible amount of scar tissue here. It protects the bones back to your wrist."
"My accuracy is useless," he said, obviously ignoring everything else I said.
"Why do you say that?"
Wufei took his time in answering me. He pushed away from the wall, reclaimed his hand from my grasp, and looked into my face. That frantic sense of anger had swept away, leaving sadness and despair in its wake.
"Wufei - please talk to me."
"And tell you what?" he asked, his voice flat and dead.
I sighed. "Why did you say that your accuracy is useless?"
Closing his eyes and leaning his back against the wall, Wufei said evenly, "He is never going to kill me. Never."
My lips tightened in response. Good, I thought. "He - I believe he wants you alive, Wufei. He can't duel without you."
He was still for a moment. "He hates me that much. He knows I want to die, or he would have never made me promise."
"I don't think he hates you at all, Wufei. I simply believe he wants you to live." I looked at him, curious. "What did he make you promise?"
"Why?"
"You'd rather not tell me?" I asked, considering him.
After a moment, Wufei relented. "He made me promise not to die. He ... took that away from me."
"Do you mean - he made you promise not to kill yourself?"
"Yes," he said, his voice low.
Gods. That was exactly what Treize told me last night, in my ... dream. If it was a dream.
Concentrate on Wufei, Sally. You can think about that - other issue - later. I could feel the despair running behind his words. "You have not failed in your mission, Wufei. You have had a setback. It may take years to achieve your goal - but you will do it."
"Will I?" he asked, aching with pain.
"Yes," I nodded, projecting reassurance and calm. "It's probably the most difficult thing you've ever done in your life, Wufei - but you will win. And Wufei ... he will never 'let' you win. You need to take that for yourself. But I know you'll win. I know you will."
Silent again, Wufei stood in front of me. "He doesn't want me for death," he finally said, looking down.
"No," I responded. "He does not. But what he wants really makes no difference - you must concentrate on your goal. Your goal is diametrically opposed to his. You seek his death, while he seeks your life."
"It matters, because is IS his goal. He wants - he wants to keep me," Wufei said. His voice was expressionless, dead, but at the same time incredulous, as if he couldn't believe Treize wanted that at all.
I was taken aback. Guaranteed he did NOT understand that concept yesterday. Neither did I - not completely, anyway. Again, this was something that the Treize in my 'dream' had said to me, and now ... Wufei was confirming it.
"Yes, I think you're right. He does want to keep you here - with him."
"Why? When he receives more proof every day how weak I am. Does he enjoy mocking me that much?" He sounded broken, defeated. It finally dawned on me that he has been going through this for at least the last six weeks, if not longer; and the majority of that time he had been alone.
And he hadn't cracked. Not yet. Gods, this boy had stores of strength I could only guess at.
I sighed. "It is NOT weakness to duel day after day, Wufei - that is a sign of great strength of character. Do you believe you will win when you duel?"
A long silence fell between us. "I do not know how to answer you."
"You hope, then. You hope you will win. And when your hopes are dashed, day after day, you still continue to try."
"I have nothing else to DO," he protested. "There is nothing else I CAN do! It is my only option."
"You honor your ancestors with your tenacity, Wufei. You have not given up on your goal."
He snorted. "I am not even sure that I should. I fail them day after day. I do not see how that brings anyone honor - except Treize."
I sighed. He would never be convinced that he had any worth at all, at least not by talking about it. We needed a change of scene. I looked around at the sterile room and shuddered. This was NOT the place I wanted to be, not at all.
"Wufei - let's go take a walk down by the sea." I reached out and tugged on his arm, more to get him moving away from the wall and toward the door than anything else.
He blinked and to my surprise, moved away from the wall and toward the door, exactly as I had asked, not arguing.
Good. Surprising, but good. I took him out of that room as quickly as possible.
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We walked by the sea for a while, talking about nothing and everything. There wasn't much to say that would lighten Wufei's mood, but I wanted him to talk. Sometimes, simply having someone to talk to, even though both of us knew there was nothing that could reasonably be done to change our situation, helped.
No one stopped or challenged us as we made our way from the mansion to the sea. Several soldiers did spare a look in our direction - and I had the distinct impression they were staring at me - but once they saw Wufei, they shrugged and went on their way, saying nothing.
It really was a glorious day - the sun was shining brightly, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was perfect. Sand that looked as finely ground as powdered sugar whispered between our toes and on the soles of our feet as we wandered in the surf. Wufei looked out across the water, pensive, his eyes drawn and tired.
I followed his gaze, thinking. There was something I was supposed to ask him - about a breakfast, or -
'Ask him what he said to me on our fourth breakfast together. I'm sure you will be going to see him soon after this.'
Treize's voice rang in my mind, reminding me of what I needed to do.
Swallowing, I turned to Wufei. "Wufei ... ah ... do you remember the fourth breakfast you had with Treize? What - what did you talk about?"
He turned and stared at me a moment. "What an odd question," he murmured, blinking at me.
My pulse beat a little faster. Not that I needed proof that something happened last night; 'proof' was popping up all over the place, in random conversation. This was something, though, that was directed, and I was curious. I looked at him and waited.
"Yes, I remember," he said, slowly, tearing his gaze from the sea to the sand in front of him. "We ... spoke of many things. Different things." Color washed up from his neck and across his face as he continued. "We discussed ... politics. Languages. Sexuality. Religion."
Ah - sexuality. Hence, the blushing.
"And conscience."
"Conscience? And sexuality?" I repeated. "An interesting combination."
Wufei nodded. "He wanted to know what I thought of it. Sexuality, I mean. And as to conscience, I accused him of having none. Of ... simply doing what he was doing because he didn't want to lose."
"I .. ah .. noticed that," I said, shaking my head. No kidding he doesn't like to lose.
Shrugging, Wufei continued. "That's his only reason for doing things. Because he can - and because he doesn't like to lose."
"What was his reaction to what you said?"
Frowning slightly, Wufei paused, thinking. "He looked ... pleased. As if I'd somehow done the opposite of disappointing him."
Now that was weird. "You mean - he was happy when you told him he had no conscience, and that the only reason he was doing anything was because he didn't like to lose?" Gods, he liked that? He was stranger than I though.
Wufei nodded. "Yes."
"But - but what would he lose? What were you talking about at that point that he could have lost?"
"Nothing, really. I was simply analyzing him, and the fact that he didn't really care about anything. It was almost as though he was doing things to keep from being bored. I told him that, and he looked - satisfied." He shrugged again, confused. "I told Duo later. He stared at me the same way you are. Duo told Trowa, I know. He - Trowa - didn't seem surprised."
"No..." I stopped speaking and looked at the water, sunlight literally sparkling and dancing off the waves. It looked so safe and peaceful; the contrast between the appearance of peace and what we were discussing was almost laughable.
Quietly, trying to keep that hysterical, furious note out of my voice, I murmured, "He was ... bored. Bored. Wufei. Do you realize what that means? - that this man started a war because he was bored? Millions of people died, because he was bored..." I trailed off, almost too angry to speak. "I never believed the speeches anyway, but ... gods. This was all just to keep him amused?"
"...he has reasons," Wufei said, looking at the water again.
"My navigator died ... my helmsman died ... "
"...beauty. Glory of man. Things like that. But ... that is at the heart of it, I believe." He sighed. "I could be wrong."
I couldn't hide my feelings anymore. "My people died. They died, Wufei. People who believed in freedom and were ready to die for it - they gave their lives for their convictions. And why? Because this - this man -" I spat the word out, I was so angry - "- this man started a war because - he - was - BORED?"
"He didn't start it. Romefeller started it."
The sound of the surf washed around and over us. I was silent for a moment, pulling myself together. Calm, Sally, be calm. It doesn't help anyone when you're so angry you can hardly think. "Fine. That could be true - but tell me, Wufei, who overthrew Romefeller?"
"Treize," he said softly.
"Did the war stop?"
Wufei made a derisive sound through his teeth. "Supposedly, it has."
I sighed. It was a bitter feeling, being trapped on an island paradise by your enemy. I hated that feeling.
Change the subject, Sally, before your feelings eat you up alive.
"So ... what did you tell him you thought about sexuality?"
The poor boy started a bit, but rallied and shrugged, blushing again. "That is was a lot of work for seven seconds of pleasure, and a mess to clean up afterwards. Remember? He laughed at me."
"Oh .. yes, I remember." I frowned, hearing Treize's voice in my head again: '...sex ... is terribly messy...'
Wufei did look awfully embarrassed, but was pushing forward, not shying away from the conversation.
Well ... that wasn't going to help us now. I sighed. "Okay, Wufei. What do we do?"
He looked at me, not understanding. "Do?"
Raising my eyebrow at him, I nodded. "Well .. yes. Do. We should do something. Unless you've taken to being reformed."
He gave me a puzzled look. "Woman, you've lost me. Do about WHAT?"
"Our situation, Wufei. We may be imprisoned, but there is nothing saying that we can't give our friends on the outside information ... since," and I gestured back to the house, "since we seem to be kept at a military complex. Don't tell me there aren't things here that wouldn't help the fight outside."
"I am imprisoned, and without Nataku."
"Understood," I said gently. "I am not asking you to go back on any promises you made to Treize, Wufei. I would never do that. I am asking, though, whether you believe there may be a way around your word - some way in which we could help our friends."
He gave me a dry look. "What do you think I've been doing?"
"I don't know," I replied, watching him.
"Quatre has been coming to see me. In his gundam." The last was said very softly - even though we were alone, by the waves, there was no way to tell whether or not someone could have overheard. "He is not with his family - the news said he was released back to them, but he did not go. And he has Sandrock."
I stared at him, completely shocked, and nearly stumbled over my own feet. But I recovered, finding my balance again, and kept walking with him. I was very glad the breeze was blowing from the shore to the sea - our voices wouldn't be carried toward the mansion. "Are you planning anything?"
"No. I am not a strategist. But Quatre is. What information I can give, I have been giving him. Consistently. We use flashlights and Morse code."
And there was another shock - that he was actively doing something with Quatre. I was amazed, and rather happy to find there was still fight left in Wufei.
"Is he in touch with Trowa?" I asked, squinting at him. Meaning, of course, that both he and Duo would have that information.
"I don't know. That is out of my hands." He looked mildly insulted, as if I had grossly underestimated him.
"I'm sorry, Wufei. I didn't mean to doubt you - and I certainly meant no disrespect. I have been feeling ... not quite myself ... the past several days."
He nodded, dismissing it, and looked out at the sea again. "I swam out too far, once," he said, his eyes fastened on a spot at the horizon. "On purpose."
I looked up at him. "What happened? Did someone come out to get you?"
"No," he replied, his tone even. "I managed to make it back. But .. I was exhausted." He turned his gaze to me; bleak, tired, and with something not quite identifiable. "We should go back."
I nodded. "All right."
We walked through the scrub on the dunes toward the house. Wufei, who had been silent for several minutes said, seemingly out of context, "He is not trustworthy."
That was a strange thing to say, right out of the blue. I knew he was referring to Treize, and what he said was true enough, but ... "What? what do you mean?"
He shrugged, his white tunic gleaming in the sun. "He is untrustworthy. That does not make him a fool - he can be right on many things. Most things, in fact. That is what makes him dangerous. A fool who deludes himself is easier to deal with than an evil man who knows the truth."
I agreed wholeheartedly. "He's clever, Wufei. And ruthless."
"And ..." Wufei frowned. His expression changed into one of total confusion. " ... he ..."
"He what?" I prompted gently.
Wufei looked confused and miserable. With his head down, he mumbled, " ... and ... I don't know. Nothing. Let's go inside."
"You don't want to tell me?" I asked, trotting next to him. "It can't be nothing if you react this way."
We walked in silence toward the mansion. The random soldiers outside hardly gave Wufei a second glance, although I could feel their gazes, heavy and suspicious, lingering over me. I ignored them. They could ALL go pound sand, as far as I was concerned. What was I going to do, for heaven's sake? I wasn't even armed.
"He's never left me alone this long before," Wufei suddenly blurted out.
Wow ... that was odd. "You miss being with him..." I studied him, looking at his face, his hands ... and realized what I said was true. He did miss being with him, as much as he proclaimed he didn't' trust him.
"No," Wufei denied. That was an automatic response, though. I could feel the uncertainly coming from him. "No ..."
I sighed. NOW I could see what was happening, and I didn't like it at all. The battle lines were drawn, and somehow, Wufei had become the prize between Treize and me. Gods. I hated Treize even more.
"I'm not used to being unscheduled," Wufei continued, rubbing his face with one hand. "I have ... nothing to do."
I grimaced. The fact that he had just been walking and talking with ME on the beach, I suppose, was nothing ...
"His conversation is stimulating. It's been over a year since I could talk with anyone like that. Nobody else even cares what I'm talking about."
And there we were. Apparently, walking and talking with me actually did mean nothing. "I don't believe that's true, Wufei," I said quietly. Had there been a knife thrust into my gut, it would have started twisting about this time.
"You didn't even know what Occam's Razor was -" he said, accusing. But then he stopped speaking and looked at me. I glanced at him, then looked away. Not fast enough, though.
He shook his head and sighed. "I'm ... sorry. I know you expressed an interest in me. That ... is not what I meant."
Shrugging, I kept my gaze on the path in front of us. "It's all right, Wufei. Nothing to apologize for." Just keep twisting that knife in my gut. Once everything's been cut out, then I won't feel anything any more.
Damn you, Treize.
We walked the rest of the way to the house in silence.
I nodded at him. "I think I'll go up to my room. Thank you, Wufei, for taking care of me last night. I appreciate it." I gave him a small smile and turned for the stairs.
A small, choked sound pulled my attention back to him. "I would never have done anything else," he said, his voice low. "I don't know what I am - to him, or anyone else - but I would never do anything other to you."
"I know you wouldn't, Wufei," I replied, giving him another small smile. "I trust you completely."
"Perhaps you shouldn't," he responded, pain clearly in his eyes. He turned away and walked down the corridor toward his own room, his head down.
I looked after him for a moment, then turned to go up the stairs, dejected. I fervently prayed I could find my room again, because I surely didn't want to ask anyone where it was.
Fortunately, it wasn't hard. I recognized it as soon as I left the staircase. The door was closed, but unlocked.
So, apparently, I'm not permitted to lock my door for privacy, but anyone else could. I reflected sourly on that. Nasty thing, being someone else's prisoner. Your basic rights were taken away, and only if you pleased your warden would they be given back to you, one by one, doled out like treats to a favorite pet.
Feh. I was in a bad mood.
The room was as bright and airy as I remembered, bringing a little cheer to my heart. Someone had left a tray of food, as well - fruit, and cheeses, milk and tea, and some marvelous homemade bread - and there was a note for me propped up on the tray.
Curious, I opened it.
"My dearest Sally -
I was encouraged to see you up and about this morning. Please do not take any chances with your health - should you feel the slightest bit ill, please let me know, and I will ensure you are taken care of immediately.
And please do enjoy this light repast! I would also encourage you to get as much rest as you can. Dinner is at eight - however, do not feel that you must appear. If you are feeling unwell or tired, I will have something sent up to your room. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you to make you more comfortable.
Take care -
Sincerely,
Treize"
That was it. The very last thing I wanted to see was any communication from that man. I crushed the note between my hands and violently flung it into the trash can, then hurled the entire tray of cheese and fruit after it. Nothing shattered on the floor, but the bowls and tray did make rather a horrible noise clanging about.
I realized I was gripping the bread in one hand. I left the mess on the floor, dropped down into the large chair facing the window and brooded.
"Anything you can do for me, you .." I found I was speaking out loud, staring at the sea. "You could start, Treize, by giving me back Wufei."
~And what makes you think he's mine to give?~
I was breathing faster, staring at the sea, but I didn't see anything at all. I just heard something ... someone ... in my head? ... but I couldn't have heard anyone, because there's no one there, and things like that really didn't happen, because people couldn't do that ...
No. Ridiculous. You're overtied, Sally Po. You're picturing the man with fangs, for pity's sake, sitting right in front of you when he's actually miles away ... and now he can speak to you in your head?
No. I rubbed my head, dully wondering if I had hit my head a little too hard when I was thrown from my horse on Tuesday. Perhaps this is a delayed concussion..? At any rate, I needed some rest.
I ate a little of the bread, and put it down on the table next to the chair. Rubbing my aching temples, I thought I felt the beginning of a migraine. The sun glinting off the water would speed that along, too. I sighed, resolutely pushing everything else out of my mind, drew my legs up to my chin and closed my eyes, sinking back into the chair.
I was on the verge of falling asleep when my phone started to vibrate.
Shocked, I retrieved the phone from its hiding place, flipped open the lid and whispered, "Hello?"
"Hey - you still going to the opera on Friday?"
I squinted against the bright sunlight. It was Duo, and he sounded abnormally cheerful. "As far as I know," I replied, tired. "We're going to Milan, from what I remember. I think we're going to dinner there, too."
"All RIGHT!" he chortled into the phone. "Just be sure you gotta go to the bathroom during intermission. See ya!"
"What?" I asked, feeling a little slow - but he had already disconnected.
Sighing, I put the phone away, leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. . How on earth is he going to get into the ladies' bathroom? I pictured Duo in a maid's uniform and high heels, waiting for me in the bathroom of an opera house, before I dozed off.
I think I fell asleep with a smile on my face.