Part Sixteen
Lesson
Thanks so much for the reviews everyone! It's really awesome to see that people are still following this story.
I know the last chapter was really Sally/Heero heavy... That's because this chapter is entirely Wufei/Relena. (yay!) It's a little shorter than usual, but the next chapter looks to be a bit longer...
Hope you enjoy it! And don't forget to tell me what you think!
All the usual disclaimers apply.
Wufei cursed himself as they rode up the elevator, standing silently against the back wall. Why hadn't he refused? Why couldn't he just say goodnight and leave it at that? He should walk away right now. He could make some excuse – some early work he had to attend to, or something…? No, he was terrible at lying. Sally had always said so. He sighed as the doors opened to the seventh floor. He would just have to keep his visit brief. How long could it take to eat ice-cream, anyway?
He followed her down the dim hallway, wary of the security camera outside her door. He knew they were watching. He suspected they were questioning his presence.
Relena flipped a switch by the door as soon as she opened it, flooding the lonely apartment with warm light. The scent of jasmine was still strong as he stepped across the threshold, inviting to his mind images of Relena that brought color to his cheeks. Luckily, Relena was otherwise occupied, setting down her helmet and turning on her television to a local news channel, as was her habit, before heading toward the kitchen. "Let me freshen up a bit first," she called. "I'll just be a minute."
Wufei nodded, stepping past her sofa to stare out the window. The television droned in the background – the weatherman was promising good weather until Monday. Looking at his own apartment, he couldn't help but wonder what Sally was doing. He remembered the way she had spoken about Heero earlier. Was she really that fickle? Just a few days ago, he had been sure she still felt something for him. Just when had that changed? He didn't think himself so arrogant as to be imagining that… He thought a moment. Perhaps he just didn't understand women. Afterall, he could have sworn Relena was still in love with Heero, yet according to Sally, that was not the case. So maybe, Relena could be…
"How much would you like? A double helping with all the fixings?" He turned to find Relena grinning at him from the kitchen doorway. She had released her hair from its braid, and it now fell around her in soft waves.
His attention quickly returned to the window. "No thanks, just a small bowl for now." He saw her reflection nod, then disappear into the other room. A pent up breath escaped him; his shoulders sagged. He didn't know how long he could take this, how long he could keep up the charade. She was beautiful, yes. He was attracted to her… yes. But he simply did not know what to do, and he was about to go crazy listening to the arguments of his logic. Enough was enough!
He turned toward the kitchen, determined to say something, anything to her to get these demons out of his head and this weight off of his heart when the newscast switched to the evening headlines.
/Earlier today, a woman spending the afternoon at Swope Park was suddenly attacked by a homeless man, who presumably slept at the park every night…/ Wufei stopped in his tracks, his attention now focused on the news. The intermittent sounds from the kitchen had stopped as well.
Relena stood motionless, scoop paused in midair as she listened. Had that really been today? That seemed like a lifetime ago…
/Although no one was seriously injured, witnesses say a mysterious man came to the woman's rescue, fighting the attacker with his bare hands.../
The screen flipped to footage taken right after the incident, showing interviews of those who were there. Wufei had heard enough, making quick strides to turn the television off.
Behind him, Relena spoke from the kitchen doorway. "You didn't have to do that. I didn't mind it."
I don't think so. Wufei did not speak the words aloud, but he could tell by her tone that the report had upset her. "I don't like the news," he stated, raising his head to the stereo above the tv. On a whim he pressed the power button – immediately covering his ears at the unexpected blast of sound.
Relena giggled, hurrying to his aid as he fumbled for the volume. "Sorry about that," she said between fits of laughter. "Sometimes I like to dance around to that stuff. It's a… stress reliever, I suppose." Relena fiddled with the dial, blushing at the admittance that she danced around in her apartment when she was all alone. Wufei paid her no attention, however, turning away as he was once again caught up with the image of her doing so.
Relena noticed his sudden distance. "Wufei, is anything wrong?"
Wufei shook his head, mustering the courage to halfway turn toward her, but not brave enough to look at her. "You should get the ice cream, before it melts."
"Oh!" Relena whirled out of the room, having completely forgotten about their dessert.
Wufei moved to the couch, sitting back with a sigh as he mulled over what he was just about to do before the news came on. Baka! That could ruin everything! He shook his head, forcing himself to be calm. He let himself focus on the music Relena had chosen. It was jazz, playing soft and low. It sounded like something from another era.
Relena joined him a few moments later, handing him his small dish of ice cream, then settling with her somewhat larger bowl of Neapolitan. "I didn't know you listened to jazz," he said, just as she took her first bite.
She nodded, speaking a moment later. "It's a habit I picked up from my mother. Whenever my father went off on his long business trips, she would start listening to her old records. She said it made her remember their early days together, and helped ease the pain of missing him."
Wufei considered. "Doesn't it make you sad?"
"Not really," she explained, a nostalgic smile curving her mouth. "I find it soothing. Like fond memories of home."
Wufei nodded. He thought to ask more, but then he remembered his plan to get out of there and back to the sane world of his own apartment before he committed any blunders with this woman. Focusing on his ice cream, he ate as quickly as he dared, not wanting to risk the dreaded "ice cream headache."
They sat in silence for a while, each enjoying their fare. Relena regarded him quietly, not wanting to stare. She was far more practiced at hiding her churning thoughts than Wufei – and much better at reading another's discomfort. She chided herself. Had she been too hasty in bringing him up here? She had hoped that by doing so, she would summon the courage to tell him of her developing feelings for him. She also believed – or at least hoped – that he would share some of those feelings, and perhaps their relationship could… change. She smiled at the thought. Yet the Wufei she was seeing now was clearly a colder, more distant version than the one she had spoken so closely with on the cliff.
Perhaps she had misread his actions somehow. Perhaps he had wanted nothing more than to show her a few of the things she had been missing due to her work, sort of an offhand way at being polite in his duties as a Preventer. Yet the way he had held her when she had nearly fallen… The way he had looked at her in the light of the setting sun… She shivered at the memory.
Watching him now as he finished the last of his ice cream, she suddenly realized something. Wufei wasn't merely uncomfortable, he was nervous. Thinking back, she remembered he had tried to behave just as distant and formal when he had first picked her up for the evening. Finishing off the last of her dish, Relena couldn't help but smile. Perhaps there was still hope yet. For now, though, she thought it might be best to save their talk for later. Afterall, it had been a pretty long day.
"Thanks for coming to the station today," she said, jolting Wufei from his thoughts. Wufei grunted. "It was nothing."
Relena suppressed her laughter. He really was bad at taking compliments. "No, really. It meant a lot to me." She rose, taking his bowl along with hers. "If it weren't for you and Steve…"
His expression soured. Is this jealousy? she wondered.
She headed toward the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "You two used to be partners, right? You must've been quite a team."
Wufei huffed. "Sure, if you mean he got to sit around all day while I was out doing the dirty work."
"I thought he did field work, too," she said, returning to the living room.
"He was just a rookie then," Wufei explained. "On tough assignments, all he did was relay info."
Relena considered as she settled on the sofa. "It's hard to imagine Steve as a rookie. I always thought his skills were incredible, fighting or otherwise."
"That's just a matter of training. Anyone who works at it can do the same."
"Really?" Relena drawled.
Wufei nodded.
"Even me?"
That got his attention. "Yeah, but why would you need it? I mean, you have Steve—"
"I know, I have Steve and a million other guards and security teams who would risk their lives to protect me. But what good does that do when I want to take a quiet walk in the park?"
Wufei said nothing.
"Besides, what if something happens and they can't get to me? I don't want to be completely helpless."
Wufei smiled. "A princess who would slay her own dragon?"
She nodded. "Something like that, I guess."
"Alright then," Wufei decided, abruptly rising. "Come on. I'll show you a few things." Relena took his offered hand, a little shocked at his willingness to oblige her.
First, they moved the couch out of the way. Then, Wufei proceeded to show her a few holds an attacker might use, and the best way to counter them.
"Remember to stay calm," he instructed. "Sometimes a clear head is the best advantage of all."
"Right."
"Alright, then. Let's see what you remember." Without warning, Wufei ducked behind her, snatching her close against him in what was supposed to be an example of an attacker's hold. "Now, try to break free."
His words were close against her ear, so close she could feel the heat of his breath. Goosebumps assailed her as she tried to remain calm, like he said, but he wasn't making it easy. It was her very clumsy attempts to remember what she had been taught that soon sent them both tumbling to the floor, Relena landing hard on top of Wufei.
"Wufei! Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"
"What," he began, pressing a hand to his throbbing head, "was that?"
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"
She was cut off by a knock at the door. "Relena? It's Steve."
Great, she thought, rising to let the man in.
"Everything all right in here? There's been some awfully strange sounds coming through the walls…" Steve's jaw dropped as he caught a glimpse of Wufei, now sitting on the floor, his hair mussed, with an uncharacteristically embarrassed look upon his face. "What's all this?" he asked, not knowing whether to be amused or concerned.
"This? We were just—"
"Steve! C'mere a minute," Wufei commanded, finally getting up. "I need your help with something."
This was a blessing for Wufei. It would be much easier to show Relena the moves from a third person perspective rather than getting up close to her. Of course, his assumptions had been correct – her skin did smell of jasmine.
With Steve's help, Wufei was able to show Relena some basics, allowing her to get a firm grasp of how to deal with certain situations, including escaping the hold he had previously tried on her. It was much easier with Steve playing the bad guy. In fact, Relena seemed to have a knack for this kind of thing, and she was very eager to learn.
Just as they were finishing up, Steve's watch beeped the hour. "Ten o'clock already," he droned, frowning at his watch. "You guys sure know how to make the time go. But I should be getting home. I just wanted to stop by to say goodnight. Had I known you were going to force me into more work…"
"Thanks, Steve. I really appreciate this."
"Nothing to it, Ms. Relena," he said with a short bow. "Just don't try any of these new moves of yours out on me. My back can't take it."
"Cut the crap, Stan," Wufei interjected. "You're not that old."
"Yeah, you say that after hauling two kids around for a few years, then we'll talk."
"Hn."
Relena giggled. The sudden thought of Wufei carrying a child in each arm was almost too much to bear. "Goodnight, Steve. Say hello to Marion for me."
"Will do. And don't forget, Nathan should be making his rounds soon. I don't think Roger's going to bed 'til after 2, so if you need anything…"
"I know, I know." Relena knew, alright. She was never without her babysitters. She hated being reminded of this nearly every night, yet she didn't let her irritation show; Steve was just doing his job, and he was naturally very concerned about her. At least she knew he cared.
"And don't stay up too late… although I guess that really won't matter 'til Monday… But you should get your beauty sleep while you can… not that you really need that either…"
"Does he babble on like this all the time?" Wufei asked.
Relena shook her head, pushing the head of her security team toward the door. "Goodnight, Steve."
"Heh, goodnight, Relena. See ya, Chang."
Relena closed the door with a sigh. "It's just because he worries too much," Relena explained, answering Wufei's question. "I think somewhere along the line, he decided to adopt himself as my older brother – at least while Milliardo is on Mars."
"You're lucky to have him. He's one of the best."
Relena smiled. "Let's move the couch back."
In the silence that followed, Wufei found himself growing acutely uncomfortable. It was getting late – much later than he had intending on staying. Yet despite the spontaneity of the evening's events, for the most part, he had found it… a pleasant experience. Best end it now, before he said or did anything he would regret later.
"Relena, I should go too…" He hadn't meant that to sound so petulant.
"Oh, of course. I didn't mean to keep you so long." She smiled, walking with him to the door. She hoped she had kept the disappointment out of her voice. "Thanks again for everything. I had a lot of fun."
"Me too." He hesitated, turning to look at her before he opened the door. If he hadn't paused, if he had said goodbye and kept walking, then Relena wouldn't have done what she did. But as it was, with his expression such a heart wrenching mix of childlike sadness and mature resolve, she just couldn't help herself.
Taking just a few steps forward, Relena found herself reaching for him, looping her arms around his neck, pulling him close into an embrace. "Goodnight, Wufei," she whispered close against his ear.
Wufei was too stunned to move at first, a sudden overwhelming panic clenching his throat and making it impossible to speak. Yet he felt his arms closing about her slender frame, holding her tight against him.
When she at last pulled away, he made no effort to stay her. He merely dipped his head in farewell, hastily making his exit. He found it difficult to maintain a calm pace as he walked the hallway toward the stairs, not wanting to alarm whoever might be watching the security cameras, yet he made it to the lobby in near record time.
It was not until he was in the safety of his own apartment that he allowed himself to relax, sagging into the worn cushions of his own sofa. Yet his relief did not last long. His mind kept replaying the night's events – and he could still imagine he felt the warmth of her skin against his. It was too much.
Jumping up, he headed for the shower. One way or another, this would have to be settled. Perhaps after a good night's sleep – or at least, after what little sleep he might get – he might be able to think of a way to handle this. If not… perhaps he could find out where Heero had managed to disappear to for all those years.