Don't blame me. This chapter wouldn't leave my brain and, as I've said before, when the brain demands plot sacrifices, it must be appeased.
Everyone needs some peace and quiet.
"Welcome home." Was all that Wufei said from his usual position on the loveseat, not even raising his head or shifting to look behind him as he turned to the next page of his book. The book, in all honesty, was a far cry from his usual academic fare...but he was enjoying it far more than he had initially thought that he would. He would have to remember to bring Sally some coffee tomorrow morning to thank her for suggesting that he read "The Hobbit".
"Thank you, Wufei." Relena said as she set down her briefcase next to the couch before she moved to sit down on it. She reached up and undid the ribbon holding her hair in its ponytail, taking a moment to run her fingers through the now free locks before she looked back at the former-pilot. "Tolkien?"
"Po suggested it to me. Something about how it 'should appeal' to me due to our game nights." Wufei said, finally looking away from his book to study the diplomat seated near him. Was it his imagination or did she look completely exhausted right now? Had something gone wrong or just headache-inducing today? Clearly someone hadn't threatened her, if she didn't defend herself, she had six other people who were more very willing to, after all and, to his knowledge, there was currently a very short supply remaining of people who were both stupid and suicidal enough to try such a thing to start with.
Wait a second, what was today? Thursday, right? There had been some kind of video-conference today, hadn't there? Admittedly, he had some difficulty remembering everything on Relena's political schedule (beyond her oft-repeated statements that she needed to give her secretary a raise or a huge bonus as a thank you for keeping that schedule running as smooth as silk and making certain that her caffeine supply never faltered even once) but he did try to keep some kind of mental record when it came to some things, if only so that he could know if they needed to stage a rescue operation of some kind. "Do we need to kill someone?"
Wufei blinked at his own words then groaned in annoyance; clearly both Heero and Trowa's willingness to commit first-degree murder at the drop of a hat was rubbing off on him.
"No, not this time." Came Relena's response, a small smile forming despite her tiredness, at what she believed was Wufei's attempt to cheer her up. "Just a very trying day. Some of the politicians that I dealt with today were waffling and double-talking over each other so much, I was starting to question if my ears were working correctly."
"Safe to say that, outside of you, most politicians are imbeciles?"
"At least the ones that I dealt with for today. I'm pretty sure one of them just flipped a coin to decide if he was going to be an uncompromising jerk for the duration of the video-conference." Relena said as she leaned over to rest her head on her folded arms, on the armrest of the couch, and staring through her bangs at the flatscreen on the wall. "There's a sequel book to "The Hobbit". It's called "The Lord of the Rings". You'll probably like it if you're enjoying what you've already read."
"Do we already have a copy in the library or will I need to go out, deal with the general public, and purchase one?" Wufei asked as he reached down and slid his still-warm half-full mug of matcha over to Relena who accepted it gratefully, taking a sip from the opposite side of the navy-blue mug before she placed it neatly back on it's coaster so that it was in easy reach of the former-pilot. "I have a copy in my room. Let me know when you're finished with this one and I'll be happy to lend it to you."
Wufei nodded in response, not even looking up when Relena stood once more and went to get her own cup...nor did he even glance in her direction when she returned to her seat without her work jacket, filled her rose-pink mug from the pot sitting on the warming plate on the coffee table, and refilled his mug. "Thank you."
"Of course." The diplomat said as she settled back onto the couch with her mug in both hands, taking a moment to just breathe in the steam with closed eyes as she waited for the tension of the day to begin to melt away. The silence that followed was peaceful, relaxing even, and only broken by the soft sounds of Wufei turning pages in his book and the faint ticking and tocking from the antique grandfather clock in the hallway. Relena blinked and looked over at Wufei. "It's too quiet, where is everyone?"
"Supposedly playing paintball." Wufei answered as he flipped another page. "Schbeiker told Maxwell about it, he became enthusiastic, they somehow convinced Winner to want to participate, and then they used him to convince Barton and Yuy to go along with the whole thing since Barton will do anything that Winner asks of him and Yuy is a slave to his curiosity."
"I see." Relena said before taking a sip of her matcha; those five playing paintball...she hoped that the location that they had went to survived or that, if it hadn't, the hit to hers and Quatre's bank accounts wouldn't be too harsh. They really didn't need another bowling alley incident...actually, she was pretty sure that Heero, Duo, and Trowa were still banned by restraining order on a specific location, even after all of the legal fees and repair bills had been paid. "Why did you decide to not go with them? You're usually all for competitive games...especially when it means a chance to go against everyone else and take out any lingering irritation at them."
"Tired of being the babysitter." Wufei deadpanned as he looked up from his book again with a tired expression on his face that mirrored Relena's own. "I deal with them at work and at home. I needed some peace and quiet for myself."
"Want me to leave?"
"No." The Chinese ex-pilot said firmly as he looked back at his book. "You are welcome to stay."
Relena chuckled softly at that and settled back in her seat, taking a long sip from her mug. After a few moments of silence, Wufei marked his place in his book and set the book on the coffee table, to the diplomat's confusion. Relena was about to ask if something was wrong when Wufei spoke first. "Do you want to watch a movie together?"
Well...this was a big and pleasant surprise and Relena couldn't help but to smile in response. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"
=title card reading: three hours later=
=(What? I couldn't think of a joke this time.)=
"CHEATER!"
Duo's angry shout following a door being slammed open wasn't abnormal...if anything, it was a surefire sign that wherever he and the rest of the five with him, were coming from might still be standing anyway, Relena thought from her position on the couch next to Wufei as the Chinese ex-pilot just picked up the remote and promptly turned up the volume as if in hopes that if he ignored the steadily growing racket in the kitchen behind them, that it would cease to exist.
"I did not cheat." Came Trowa's far too calm voice. "I merely helped myself and Quatre win."
"No! You cheated! You are NOT allowed to do your crazy, acrobatics-that-shouldn't-exist-without-wirework-and-CGI stuff in a game of paintball!" Duo shouted again, only this time his shout was joined by Quatre's attempts at defusing the situation by reminding the long-haired former pilot that they had never made a rule that Trowa couldn't do his 'thing', Hilde teasingly-calling her boyfriend a sore loser while fighting a losing battle with laughter, and what sounded vaguely, and most likely, like Heero choosing to focus on rifling through the contents of the refrigerator (probably for one of his energy drinks) and avoiding everything else that was going on around him.
Relena sighed softly, leaning against Wufei's side, and chanced a glance over at him. "So...when do you think we should go in there and be responsible?"
"Duo. You're just mad that he managed to snipe you in the ass, while upside down, from a tree. Get over it." Heero said, sounding as if he really didn't care about this whole mess. "You were the one trying to taunt him."
"'Ro! We're a team! You're supposed to be on my side!"
Wufei glanced at Relena, seemingly in thought regarding the chaos in the kitchen...then calmly shifted his arm around her shoulders as he raised the volume once more. "I think that the movie has twenty minutes left."
"I'm not on anyone's side in this." Yet again, came Heero's voice from the kitchen. "At this point, I'm Switzerland."
"Then go make a pocketknife and stop sellin' me up the river!" Duo's voice shouted, though he sounded more like he was struggling to keep up his act by this point, while Hilde had already devolved into laughter at the madness.
"Works for me." Was all the diplomat said, resting her head lightly against the former-pilot's shoulder as the movie started to drown out the sounds of Duo's, mostly for-show, complaining devolving into saying that everyone was against "fair play" and then trying to claim Quatre as his new "favorite"...which would turn into him trying to "steal" the blond and set off a chase between him and Trowa that would, as was normal, end in an impromptu-wrestling match before finishing in both planting themselves in front of a tv to play Smash Bros until time for dinner.
On the bowling alley incident...picture this.
Trowa questions if he's able to juggle a bowling ball. Duo calls him a "coward" and dares him to make it two. Heero offers a hundred credits if Trowa ups the number to three.
Hilarity ensued.