Quiet Chatter
By: Nuriko and Jess
Title: Quiet Chatter
Author(s): Dark Nuriko and JessEklom
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xM
Warnings: Yaoi, language, lunacy, AU, and lime/lemon
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Hajime. . .oh, you know. Jess and I don't know the G-boys, much to our dismay. We write solely for fun, so please don't sue us. We don't have much to our names, so it wouldn't be worth it anyway.
Author's Note: This story is one that Jess actually came up with and that I've gotten the information on so that I could begin it. This is a story that mirrors 'Rival Chatter' and 'Idle Chatter', Jess and mine's other internet stories. Only this one is more a mix of offline and online humor. This story is for Wufei and Meiran. Wufei's always believed that his life was perfect, that he would have everything he needed handed to him and never have to worry about interruptions. Yet with Duo Maxwell constantly showing him flaws in his 'Justice Rules' way of thinking and Meiran constantly showing him that rules aren't always meant to be followed, can Wufei remain the way he was taught to be, or will his life be tossed upside down? This is the final story in the 'Chatter Trilogy'. Done in switching POV's. I'll be doing Meiran's while Jess will handle Wufei's. A list of Screen Names are as follows:
Screen Names:
Duo: AngelofDeathShinigami
Heero: PerfectOne
Quatre: ArabianPrince later changed to GentlemenPreferBlondes
Trowa: NoName
Wufei: UnleashtheDragon
Relena: PrincessofPink
Hilde: LveroftheUnused
Meiran: DragonTamerGal
Chapter One; Meiran POV:
I awoke slowly, almost as if not wanting to leave the blissful confines of sleep and her wonderful hold. Yet there was no time for even an extra second of sleep. After all, if I wanted to afford my schooling, I had to get up and work. Slipping out of the warmth of my bed and its beckoning promise of oblivion, I got up and swiftly moved into the bathroom. Stripping down I jumped into the shower and made a through move of washing myself up. Once done, I stepped out of the of the bathroom with the towel wrapped turban style around my hair and went to my closet. I swiftly pulled out my school uniform and put it on. While I had hoped to be able to go to Albert Einstein Senior High, I had managed to get into a private all girls school. It was my parents last request. Seeing as I had been very much taught to follow my family's honor, I could do nothing less. Damn my Chinese up bringing anyway.
"Long Meiran, you have your family honor to uphold," I whispered to my reflection. Seeing my eyes flash with determination, I picked up my school bags and headed on out of the place I called home, as well as the place I worked for at night. I was an evening maid to the Chang family, as well as clean up to their family's dojo and a waitress to their family restaurant every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All in all, that was what it took for me to afford my tuition. Three jobs seemed to be against everything my family had stood for. When my father died, my mother remarried. Unfortunately, the bastard had run over my mother like she wasn't even there and when she died, he took all the money and ran off with one of the maids. That had left me to fend for myself. Kind of sad what the once wealthy class had been resigned to, isn't it? Needless to say, I can understand my friends Clarissa and Duo a lot better now.
I swiftly went through the home and made certain everything was in order for the Chang's son, Wufei. He was who I was in charge of. Thus I was always supposed to make certain his clothes were neatly pressed for his day at school, his breakfast was finished and waiting for him, and that he had absolutely no lack of anything. Now while I honestly believed he was one of the more handsome men I had ever had the courtesy of seeing, he seemed to see right through me. That made me a very sad woman. After all, Chinese families believe that wealth only marries wealth. Seeing as my chance had flown entirely out the window with my step-father, I tried not to dwell on it. Nodding that the other servants had done what they had needed to, I smiled and headed on out to school.
Once I arrived, I was met by Clarissa, who was being dropped off by Duo. Having gotten Duo's advice a few days ago as to how to make myself more noticeable, I had taken to dressing up better and even doing my long black hair differently. Today it was up in twin buns close to my ears. One on each side. I felt like a reject from a casting call for Chung-Li in a Street Fighter movie, but from the looks I had gotten on the bus ride here, I was certain it looked really good. I usually only did one of two things with it. I either left it down or placed it in pig tails near the back of my head. It had taken recalling every thing my mother had ever done for my hair in order to recreate some of them. The Chung-Li wanna be style was just one of them.
"Hey Dragon Killer, how are things?" Clarissa asked as I walked over to them. Duo gave me a wink.
"Things are same old, same old. Did you expect anything less?" Duo chuckled.
"Not at all, Mei-Mei. You seem content with how things are going." I shrugged, just a little disturbed by the nickname, but having learned how to deal with it. After all, Duo was Duo, and there was nothing anyone would want to do to change that.
"What else can I do, Duo? There isn't anything that I can do to change things as they are. Yet, I have to admit that your help has made me feel better about myself. Perhaps I can manage to find myself a nice boyfriend." Clarissa rolled her eyes and glared at me while Duo smirked.
"But you don't want a NICE boyfriend, do you, Mei. You want Wufei Chang of all people." I felt myself flush softly and looked away.
"I realize its just a dream, Clare, don't remind me. Besides, I'm more interested in hearing about Duo's little date with his internet buddy. After all, you most certainly loved it from the glow on your face." Duo flushed then, making him look really good. I smiled and nudged.
"So, how did it go?" Clarissa asked.
"It turns out my internet soul-mate is none other than Heero Yuy," he said. I gasped in pleasant surprise. If Duo had been able to corral one of the Regal Three, then perhaps I still had a slight chance. Clarissa's eyes widened in shock.
"THE Heero Yuy? The leader of the Regal Three?" Clarissa asked. Duo nodded while I lightly smacked Clarissa's arm. While I had been taught how to protect myself, I had to always keep my strength in check. I could kiss some mean ass when I needed to.
"Clare, be nice. I think its cool. Way to go, Duo. You win him over and make him drool for you," I told him, a grin on my lips. Duo smiled in return and nodded.
"I'll see what I can do, Mei-Mei. After all, no one can resist me." Clarissa and I laughed at that and he got back into his care. "Anyway, I've got school as well, so I'll see you girls later." I waved as he got into the vehicle and drove off. Clarissa even went so far as to blow him a kiss before turning toward the front doors of the all girls private school we went to.
"Oi, don't look now, Meiran, but here comes the Princess of Pink and her court. Her bodyguard brother is with her too. Must mean she was stalking someone again this weekend." I glanced in the direction she indicated and spied Relena Peacecraft standing in the middle of a crowd of girls. She was dressed in various shades of pink that complimented her pale skin and ash blonde hair. She had some really pretty blue eyes when she wasn't looking like she was ready to attack someone, which wasn't often. Beside her was her brother, Milliardo, who went by Zechs. He had long platinum blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. He was a very handsome young man. It was just a shame he was four years older than me and related to that woman or I'd try for him. He always flirted with Clarissa and I. It seemed Clarissa enjoyed flirting back, seeing as she was very comfortable with the fact that she wasn't going to like him and he knew it. Life at Eleanor Roosevelt Private School for Girls was anything but boring.
"Hey Meiran, Man-Hatter, how's things," Zechs asked as he came up to them, trying to get away from his sister and her entourage of girls. Leading the groupies was Dorothy Catalonia. She was in love with Relena, but the woman was oblivious to everyone but Heero Yuy. Although, if truth be told, she enjoyed trying to go slumming with Duo when she could. She was a really depraved woman.
"Hey Sexy Zechsy, how are you hanging?" Clarissa asked, using her nickname for the blonde man. Zechs laughed.
"Long, low, and hard to carry. How about yourself?" He asked. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Those two were terrible together. I mean, they really shouldn't be so terrible together. One would think they were together, despite the fact that Clarissa was a well known man hatter. That was something we all got used to being in an all girls school. You found a lot of girl-on-girl love here, as well as some majorly obsessed women for certain men, like Relena.
"Soft, round, and slightly tan," she answered. I blinked and found myself staring at the woman. She was terrible. Sometimes I wonder if she wasn't really a man in a woman's body. She was just as rude as any male, which was saying a lot for the girl.
"Sometimes I worry about you," I muttered, shaking my head.
"Aw, but you still love me, right?" they both said at the same time, giving me identical puppy expressions. I couldn't help but stare at them. They were really beginning to scare me.
"Would you two cut it out! I swear sometimes you two can be just down right scary." Zechs bowed while Clarissa smirked.
"You're just too stuff shirt still. You need to learn how to live a little. Loosen up. Let yourself enjoy life," Clarissa said, staring at me. I sighed. I really wasn't that bad, was I?
"I haven't been anyone of importance in a long time. I don't think I can even remember how to be one. So it isn't that. I just haven't found anyone who would want to date me. So that's how I am." Zechs glanced over me and slowly found himself smiling.
"Then lets settle one of your problems. Go out on a date with me tonight," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I raised one of my own and shrugged. I had to look for someone else. I couldn't waste away, waiting on Wufei, who never even noticed me.
"I suppose so, but I'll only have an hour between jobs. I can't be gone long." Zechs smirked.
"That's fine, Meiran. At least you'll get to go out and get away from your jobs for a while." I sighed and looked away. Zechs was one of the few people who knew about my life. Even though he knew I worked more than most adults, he still enjoy teasing me. Granted, he possibly would have been someone I could have come to love, but I was lost to someone who would never even see me.
"Meet me at the dojo after work and we can go do something then," I told him. Clarissa smirked while Zechs laughed.
"It's a date," he said. I flushed slightly and watched him start heading back over to his sister. "See you there. Six o'clock, right." I nodded and waved him off as he left. I then glanced back at Clarissa to see her smirking at me.
"What?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.
"So Sexy Zechsy will date the Dragon Killer. Oh I wish I could see this one," she murmured. I flushed and headed on into school.
"Oh shut it, Clare, before I go tell Dorothy that you've got a crush on both her and the wild cat of E.R.P.S.G.," I muttered, glaring back at her.
"Fine, Dragon Killer, but don't say I didn't mention it later when you two are playing tonsil hockey." I turned even redder and looked away.
"CLARE! I exclaimed. She held her hands up in a placating manner.
"Fine, I'll stop." I sighed and nodded my head, going into the school without another word.
Later on, after a rather uneventful day at school, I found myself at the Chang family dojo, where I was instantly set to work cleaning up after the first class of the day and getting the dojo ready for the next class. Afterwards I would have to clean it once more, after the second class of the day and then I would going on my date with Zechs. I still couldn't believe I had agreed to it. I honestly had no clue why I had agreed, but I had. It was completely lost to me. Perhaps I had simply lost my mind, who really knew. Sighing, I finished up and then headed into the second dojo. There, I was allowed to work on my own kata's and martial arts skills until I was needed to clean up the first one that was used during the second class, which was for their more high level students. Slowly, I began to move with an inner music. My movements were slow, certain, and well practiced. I had loved to do this when I was younger, and now, it was more second nature to me.
Sudden clapping once I had finished brought me around to see Mr. Chang himself standing in the doorway, his ebony eyes just as stunning as his sons. Wufei was slightly behind his father, his expression unreadable, as usual. I blinked and looked over at them, a soft flush on my cheeks. I couldn't believe they had shown up here at all. Normally, Mr. Chang had someone else run the dojo while he worked in the corporate office. Wufei was normally using their own private dojo at home and never came here. Wiping the sweat from my forehead and bowed in front of them.
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't realize class was out already. I'll get to work," I stammered before bowing once more and moving to grab my towel. Before I could turn to leave, I was stopped.
"It's all right. Meiran isn't it?" he asked. I stopped in my move to leave and nodded.
"Yes sir," I answered without thought.
"You're Xi-ling and Mulin Long's daughter, aren't you?" Mr. Chang asked. I blinked, surprised to hear my parents name from him.
"Yes, sir. I am," I answered. Wufei didn't change his expression, but he did look over at me just then. I felt my breath catch in my throat as his ebony eyes looked right at me. Although I knew he wasn't looking at me, it was still something I had wanted for a very long time.
"So that was the Long kata that you were doing, then?" he asked. I nodded, uncertain what to say to that besides what I had already been saying, and that was rather poor of me to keep that up. "I see. I had thought it had gone with your mother and yet I see it survived. That was very well done. I don't believe even your mother could have done it any smoother than you did. How do you feel about joining the Chang Dojo team so that we finally have a kata specialist?" I blinked wide eyed at him. I wasn't actually a trainee in this dojo. I couldn't believe I was hearing this.
"I. . .I'm afraid I can't afford the classes, sir. Otherwise I would be more than honored, Mr. Chang." He laughed softly, shaking his head.
"You are under my employment, are you not?" he asked.
"Yes sir," I answered. "I work here cleaning after classes, I work evenings in the main house, and I work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings at the Chinese restaurant across from A.E.S.H. In exchange for cleaning here, on top of my salary, I'm allowed to use this room during second class to practice." He smiled, making me smile in return.
"Then practice here during second class. I'll place your name on the roll and you won't have to pay because you won't actually be learning from one of our instructors. Will that be satisfactory?" I blinked once more before I felt myself actually grace them with a genuine, warm smile.
"I would love that sir. My father had always wanted me to be able to compete with the Chang family in competitions. I'm glad I will be able to at least grant him this much," I answered, pride in my voice.
"And I recall him telling me that on a number of occasions. Xi-ling was a very good man. I'm glad to see his sense of justice and honor lives on in his daughter." I flushed and bowed deeply to him.
"You do my honor to say such things, sir. I shall get back to work now. By your leave." He waved me on.
"Of course. Don't let me keep you." I bowed just once more before rushing off to get back to work, towel wrapped around my neck. After work, of which the dojo had hardly required my help, I had turned and taken a shower in the attached shower hall. Now clean and dressed in a simple Chinese style dress of dark jade, I glanced toward the dojo I had been in. Soft swishing sounds could be heard. It sounded almost as if someone was practicing a sword kata. I let my ears led me toward where the sound originated. With my hair hanging lose and damply down my back, I poked my head inside to see a very stunning sight. There Wufei stood, body perfectly aligned, and sword held gracefully before him. I watched, entranced, as he began swinging it as if he had an opponent. Each wing seemed geared to meet something that wasn't there. I couldn't believe the control he had, the skill. Yet it was sad, there was no joy behind each thrust. No emotion behind each parry. It was almost as if he was just going through the motions.
"You don't enjoy this," I whispered into the silence. He froze and glanced back my way. He looked at me and his eyes narrowed.
"Do you enjoy spying?" he asked, his voice deep and velvet soft. Yet it could cut like the sharpest of blades.
"I'm sorry, sir. I hadn't meant to. I was just on my way out," I apologized, bowing to him.
"Hmm, a liking story coming from an onna like you." I froze mid-bow and stared at him.
"Just what are you insinuating?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. I would never understand why I found this man so attractive when his attitude needed a lot of work.
"You always seem to be where I am, why do you think that is?" he asked. I couldn't help it. I slapped him. Real hard and with a loud enough rapport to make my hand sting as well as redden his cheek almost instantly.
"I work for your family, Mr. Chang. You can have me fired for what I did, but I will tell your father exactly why I did what I did before I leave. I am no stalker. I just happen to work for three different places, one of them being your own home. I rather I didn't have to, but I'm doing it for my parents, who wanted me to get the best education I could get. If you want to find the one going through your stuff, look a little closer to your own school. I have a date now, so if you will excuse me," I muttered before bowing and stomping off. At the front of the dojo I was met by Zechs, who gave me a once over.
"Should I worry for my life?" he asked jokingly. I swallowed.
"No, you're fine. I just found someone who seemed to hit a few nerves. Shall we go, Zechs?" Zechs smiled.
"Sure Meiran. When ever you're ready." I took the arm he offered me and led me away from the dojo. I spared only one glance back and saw Wufei still standing where I had left him, one hand resting on his cheek. It served him well, for all the pain he'd caused me.
Later that evening I arrived at home with just enough time to change. Yet there really wasn't much required of me, seeing as Wufei was called away and sighed deeply. I finished up my work and got to my homework. Once that was done, I logged onto my small computer to check email before going to bed. Sure enough, there was an email from my Chinese pen-pal. I smiled as I opened it to read it.
To:
From:
Subject: Are Things Really That Bad?
Hey there. I hope you're doing all right this evening. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I find I've been rather busy lately. Yet I was wondering, are things really that bad between you and the one you care for? I would have thought someone as hung on tradition as you are would have won him over in a heart beat. Yet from the sound of things, he hasn't even noticed you. I'm sorry to hear that, I really am. Would you like a shoulder to lean on? I'd more than willingly offer mine to such a caring individual. I can't believe he would be so dense. Let me know if I can do anything for you. I'm always here.
Your friend,
Dragon
I smiled softly. At least there was someone who cared wither or not I was making any head way with the one I cared for. While I had finally gotten his attention, I don't think it was exactly the kind of attention I had wanted. Settling down to type a reply, I gazed at the screen and began working on it.
To:
Subject: I suppose they could be worse.
It's all right. I really understand the concept of being busy. I'm that way almost every day, so I know the feeling. As for things being as bad as I put it, its possibly worse now. I won't go into detail, yet I will say I've certainly gotten his attention now. Just not as I had hoped to have it. Yet I'm glad for the offer and I may just take you up for it sometime. I'm glad you think I'm such a nice person, yet I'm not always so caring. Yet that is how most people are, aren't they? If I can think of anything you can do, I'll let you know. I'm glad to know you will always be there for me.
Yours truly,
Tamer
I sent the email and sighed softly, leaning back against my chair. I then drew a deep breath and shut down my computer. Turning from the monitor, I slid over to my bed and without even trying, I promptly fell asleep.
