The Grass is Always Greener...
Part Three
A.N.: Well, here it is at last, the long awaited third chapter in my series. I must say thank you to everyone who has showed interest in this story. If not for your e-mails, etc., this story might never have been continued.
Unfortunately, this is not the end. There is much more to be written in this little tale of mine, and finding the time to write is... well, next to impossible.
But I shall ever endeavor to keep writing and get the fourth part out A.S.A.P.!
Wufei and Relena stood back, admiring the work they had accomplished together. Over the last hour and a half, they had sorted through all of Wufei's books, putting them on the bookcase alphabetically by author. Then she had helped him hang up the plain white curtains he had bought that morning before they decided where to hang the scroll. Finally, they agreed that it looked best hanging next to the window. "That way, it'll be the first thing you see every time you walk through your door," Relena smirked. She had received a glare for her remark, but somehow she felt Wufei was just teasing her.
Slowly turning in a circle, Relena realized how neat Wufei's apartment was. Everything seemed to have a special place; nothing was out of order. Catching sight of the window, she decided to see Walnut Ave. from a different angle. She glanced down at the cars briefly before turning her attention to her building. "I wonder which apartment is mine?"
Behind her, Wufei opened his mouth to tell her, but realized it would be stupid to do so. He would then have to explain how he knew. Turning slightly red in the face, Wufei was thankful that her attention was directed out the window.
"Oh, now I see it--I think. See? It's the one with the curtains open, on the seventh floor. Come look!"
Scowling, he reluctantly walked toward the window. "Alright, woman, I'll look." Standing behind her, he thought it best to pretend he didn't know where she was pointing to. "Where?"
"Look there, on the seventh floor, almost directly across. See it?"
"Mm." Leaning down a little so he could follow her finger, Wufei became aware of a very pleasant fragrance. He was confused at first--then he realized it was her. It had been a long time since he had been close enough to a woman to smell he hair. It wasn't an entirely displeasing sensation; but suddenly, an image bloomed in his mind's eye: one of Relena dancing alone in her apartment wearing only a tank top and a pair of pink panties.
The unexpected resurfacing of the memory caused Wufei's cheeks to redden slightly, and he abruptly turned away from the window. Glancing back, Relena's smile faltered as she regarded Wufei. "Wufei? Is something wrong?"
"No." Wufei realized he spoke too quickly-his voice was thick and heavy, not sounding like him at all. Clearing his throat, Wufei glanced over at the clock. It was almost 5:30. "It's getting late," he said absently.
Behind him, Relena's features fell. "Oh," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice neutral. She had been there for over two hours; perhaps he'd had enough of her for one day.
Wufei stood in silence thinking of his plans to cook Mah Gu Gai Pin, one of his favorite meals, as a means to celebrate his recent promotion. Would it really be so bad to have company? He silently debated the issue, unsure of which he would prefer, until Relena's voice prompted him to make his decision. "Wufei, I--"
Gritting his teeth, Wufei turned to face her; he hoped he would not regret this. "You can stay for dinner, if you'd like," he said nonchalantly. "I planned on making something special…"
Although his tone told her he could care less, there was a certain sparkle in his dark eyes that fairly begged her to stay-not that he would ever admit such a thing. The smile returned, full volume, to Relena's lips. "Okay, Wufei. I'd love to stay."
Wufei didn't say anything at her reply, but Relena thought he made a face that looked like he was trying not to smile. "Come on," Wufei said, nodding his head toward the kitchen. "I hope you like Chinese. I'm making Mah Gu Gai Pin."
"Mah… Gu…" Relena wondered aloud as she followed Wufei. "Is that like Moo Goo Gai Pan? I've eaten that before."
"Moo Goo Gai Pan is the Americanized version of Mah Gu Gai Pin," Wufei explained as he opened a cupboard to fish out a bowl. Turning to her, he gave her a brief smile. "This one is much better."
Relena watched as Wufei opened another cupboard filled with spices and took out several selected bottles. Her eyes followed him to the refridgerator, which he opened to reveal a fully stocked, well organized interior before pulling out a plate of chicken breasts. Looking up at her, Wufei hardly noticed her amazed expression as he pointed to several bottles arranged on the table behind her. "Can you hand me that first bottle on the right?"
Relena turned and picked up the desired bottle, reading the label as she approached Wufei. "White rice wine? This isn't going to get me drunk, is it?"
At the question, Wufei's smile suddenly made an appearance. Relena couldn't recall a time he ever looked so… relaxed. "Don't worry. It's only for flavor. You probably won't even taste it."
"Then why do you put it in there?" Relena teased.
"Because I'll taste it," he insisted.
Relena stood back and watched as Wufei began picking up various bottled, adding unspecified amounts to the bowl. "Isn't that a little risky?" Relena asked as he poured in a splash of soy sauce. "Why don't you use measuring spoons?"
"Measuring spoons are for weaklings," he said evenly, concentrating on measuring out some sugar in his hand. Relena's eyebrows shot up in surprise; like Heero, Wufei never ceased to amaze her. Dumping the sugar in, he gave her a sly look from the corner of his eye. "Actually, I've just been cooking so long, I don't need them anymore. Why, are you scared I might mess up?"
"No, I trust you, Wufei." Looking around, Relena let her gaze wander over the neatly stacked spices and meticulously arranged bottles that filled the kitchen. "It's just that I never realized you were such a connoisseur of the kitchen.
Wufei paused as he was reaching for the next ingredient and gave her a sly look. "You don't know me very well, do you."
* * * * *
Across the hall in apartment 815, Sally was doing her best to rid her front room of loose items of clothing, scattered hairpins, and empty take-out containers. She hadn't really bothered to clean up for Wufei last night; he was already used to the fact that she was never 100% neat. "Unlike some perfect people…" she muttered under her breath.
Glancing up at the clock, she saw it was a quarter to six. She had to pick up Heero at 6:30, and she had yet to decide what to wear. Yanking the last few items off the ironing board, she ran to her bathroom to throw them in the hamper. She then untied her hair, combed it and retwisted it before heading for the bedroom to find something appropriate. "This isn't a date," she told herself. "Heero's just an old friend, so don't choose something too dressy." She really didn't know why she was being so fussy. True, she hadn't seen Heero for a long time, and he always had been something of an enigma to her, but that was no reason to be nervous.
Dressing simply in a pair of black slacks and a white blouse, Sally made her way to the kitchen to check on dinner. After a quick inspection, she smiled happily. Everything was perfect. When she returned with Heero, she could simply reheat the meal, saving her the embarrassment of having him watch her try to look professional in a kitchen she rarely used. Covering the pan, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door.
Turning to lock the door behind her, Sally became aware of a very pleasant aroma. Inhaling deeply, she realized it was Wufei, no doubt cooking up something that would put her simple meal to shame. A pang of self-consciousness washed over her, until she heard a faint tinkle of feminine laughter emanate from his apartment, followed by those husky tenor tones that could only be Wufei's voice. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she was feeling. She had never dreamed that Wufei would be at all compatible with Relena, but the laughter she heard evidenced her misjudgment. "Well," Sally thought, "Relena is a political figure. It's her job to make the best of situations like this." Looking at her watch, Sally realized she was almost late; she had to be at Heero's in fifteen minutes. Pulling her key out of her lock, she dismissed her reservations about Wufei and Relena and headed for the elevator.
Twenty minutes later, she pulled up outside of Heero's small house. This time she didn't have to honk; she saw a flutter of the curtains in the front window, and a moment later, Heero appeared, locking his door behind him. Sally couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. She had always thought of Heero as a man, and now, four years after the Eve Wars, he definitely looked the part. As his long, jean-clad legs carried him to the car, Sally couldn't help but marvel at how much Heero had changed over the last few years, while somehow remaining exactly the same.
"Sally? Is something wrong?" Heero asked, noting her melancholy look as he slid into the car.
Sally snapped out of her reverie at the sound of his voice. "Sorry, Heero. I guess I was daydreaming." Sally gave Heero a moment to settle in before pulling out of his short driveway. Once she was back in mainstream traffic, she turned to give him a quick smile. "You know, it really has been a while since I've been able to cook for someone. I was almost afraid we were gonna have to go out afterall."
"Don't worry, Sally," Heero said calmly. "I'm sure whatever you've prepared will be just fine."
Sally smiled and tried to relax, unsure just how to respond. It was rare that Wufei was able to make such a simple, yet sincere statement, and even rarer that Sally was unable to reply without being so angry that she just didn't trust herself to speak. Perhaps, she thought, the night would be a little more refreshing that she first thought.