Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. I didn't make any profit from this story.
Pairings: Wufei-centric
Warnings: Language and angst
December 2nd
Fresh Out of Christmas Cheer
Snarly. Cranky. Bitchy. Aggravated. Wufei was in a mood.
He hated recruit week. He hated being called away from his own work to proctor exams. He hated the wet-behind-the-ears newbies, most sporting eager military buzz cuts. This was not the military. He hated how innocent they all were, raising their hands to spout out answers they'd memorized by rote from a book because they lacked any actual experience. He hated the fact that many of them would fail, drop out or die in the course of their time with Preventers. He hated the fact that it was Christmas.
Christmas as a holiday meant very little to Wufei. It hadn't been celebrated on L5 and he'd only read about the tradition in books before coming to Earth. Chinese New Year was in fact, a much more painful and nostalgic holiday but he was able to forget it every year when there was no one else to remind him of it.
Wufei hated Christmas for its season. For the memories he associated with this time of the year. But then, maybe he was just looking for an excuse to explain his foul temper.
It certainly wasn't because he was alone.
Certainly not.
Because if Wufei admitted to being lonely then he'd have to admit he needed other people and he found that unacceptable. He could respect others, like he did his fellow pilots and now Preventer agents, but he wasn't going to them for a shoulder to cry on.
Wufei believed in being strong.
So unlike most people who might have agreed to work on Christmas, Wufei wasn't considered a martyr by his friends or co-workers. He was just Wufei. And Wufei always did his job.
Slamming the door to the exam room shut with a greater force than necessary, he stalked down the corridor grumbling.
Heero and Duo had gone somewhere for the holidays. The Bavarian Alps; Duo's been practically bubbling with excitement over it for the past four months.
Sally had gone home for the holidays. L1 cluster; she'd promised to bring him back a slice of pumpkin pie.
Trowa was spending the holidays somewhere, obviously not here. Christmas with Catherine and the crew and New Years at Quatre's. He'd spent a lavish amount of money on fireworks for the occasion.
Even Une had taken off for wherever the Commander spent her downtime. A quiet Christmas with Mariemeia and a visit to Treize' grave.
Wufei scowled and wished he didn't know and care so much about what his friends were actually doing. Nobody had asked what his plans were, they all knew. He sat down at his desk and gazed across the empty office.
When the phone rang, he growled slightly under his breath but answered it. Since that was his job. Listening to the person on the other end, he took notes and then acknowledged the information before signing off.
He'd thought about getting a cat. Something to come home to at least. And cats were quiet. They had a dignity about them that Wufei respected. Maybe he'd do that after the holidays.
For tonight though it was just him and a paperback he'd brought to pass the time. There wasn't much else to do other than man the desk, answer the phone and hope all hell didn't break loose before his shift was over.
The phone rang again and Wufei sighed.
Fucking Christmas.