Author's Notes: Just so we're clear, I do know that 'aiya' is pretty mild, and not even a full-out curse/swear word. It's an interjection that can mean many things, and is very Chinese. Mei reacts as much to Wufei's losing his cool and to his use of that particular word. When he says "Aiya!" he's pretty much declaring his Chinese-ness. W00t!
This chapter brings in some more familiar faces, so read on!
Chapter Fifteen
I was careful when we went to the store. I stayed close, not wanting to set off his alarms again... but I also kept a wary distance. His hackles were still up, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
Even his ponytail looked frazzled.
He lead the way inside the large shop without a word; I hoped that this was better than an alternative of lectures. Already I felt foolish, calling him a boy. I hadn't gotten to look at the medal yet. Wasn't I contradicting myself, to think he might've been in that war long enough to earn a medal--while he was only a boy? It crouched uncomfortably in the back of my mind, and I tried to ignore it.
Thankfully, Murray's Sit'n Snooze was an education in Western furnishing.
For miles around, futons, of every description. Low, squat futons, high-backed futons, plush futons, minimalist futons. Futons designed like their Asian predecesors and futons disguised in Western sofas and loveseats. Colorful, demure; I must have been staring, because a sales person immediately slid around Wufei to beam at me and inquire. I shook my head, not able to keep up with her. She blinked but her smile didn't fade. "What are you looking for, today?"
Wufei descended with a scowl. "A wall-hugger. Sturdy. Something to match dark wood, neutral fabric."
Again the woman blinked, but this time she was definately startled. "...I think we can find something that will suit your needs, sir. Please follow me." She showed us to a corner of the showroom marked by these... 'wall-huggers.' I managed to put two and two together on sight--they had shallow seats and high backs, so they 'hugged the wall' and left my floor room. Fine by me: it was a small enough room as it was. I trailed behind them like a lost puppy, listening absently as Wufei badgered the woman for details.
"What fabric does this come in? Can this withstand long-term use?" He looked askance at anything that might be bad for my back--or, you know, comfortable--and demanded that this futon be of a sturdy, dull material that wouldn't stain and didn't look at all fun.
I eyed the array of multicolored slipcovers with envy.
"Mei. Come here." Sigh. At his beck and call. I trotted over. He pointed imperiously at a boring beige futon, elegant, dark wood holding it up in simple lines. "Test this one."
"Excuse me?"
"Test it. See if you like it."
I tipped my head to one side, not sure I had heard him correctly. "See if I... what?"
He was getting impatient. "If you like it. If it's comfortable. Can you sleep on it?" Such a simple question, and she was looking at him like he had three heads. The saleswoman looked between them, lost in the Chinese garble.
Wumei eyed the futon, and then her guardian. "I guess so."
"No, test it. Sit on it. Lie on it. See if you can move it," Wufei said with exasperation. To demonstrate, he himself sat and waved her to the other end. "Well?"
The man was mad. That had to be it. He did not seriously want her opinion on a new piece of furniture, that would cost hundreds of colony dollars, did he? It would stand in his home, in his office--but it was her room, now. At least for the next two weeks. She sat.
The saleswoman promptly turned her smile back on. "It's very comfortable, isn't it? My sister got one last year, everyone always fights to sit on it." Wufei's expression showed that he doubted that. "The mechanism is very smooth, too. If you'll both just stand for a moment..." They did, and she fiddled with something on the futon's left. It slid flat with an easy motion, and Wufei waved the teenager onto the new bed.
She sat, bouncing experimentally. It stayed put, a good sign. While the woman prattled on, she swung her feet up and lay down, trying to imagine what it would be like to sleep on this strange bed every night. A difficult task with a flourescent light panel staring back at her from the ceiling.
"Well? Is it comfortable?" Wufei was leaning over her.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for. I've never bought a bed before." The honesty surprised ever her, and she waited for his response.
The saleswoman looked nervous, but Wufei sighed and motioned for Wumei to scoot over. "Let me try it." She hopped up and let him lie down. He folded his arms atop his stomach and closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the beginnings of meditation. Yes, this bed would do. She had no complaints, and neither did he.
"This brand is on sale right now..."
"We'll take it."
She was then subjected to waiting. The floor model was not for sale (and nor would Wufei have wanted it if it were--too used) and so they had to see what was in stock. The warehouse on the other side of the colony didn't have a model in the colors they wanted. Wufei and the saleswoman spent an hour phoning the other carriers to see if they had one.
Wumei, meanwhile, flipped through the catalogs and imagined what she would buy if she were not tied to Wufei and his one-man apartment.
She'd get her own room, of course. Without anyone else's things in it. In Beijing, Genji Ma had kept all their winter clothes at the top of Wumei's closet. It would be nice to have a space all to herself. She wouldn't get a boring futon, either. She would have a proper bed--one with a sweeping canopy, like a princess--with soft sheets and big pillows covered with embroidered flowers. A huge closet to hold all of her clothes. (She would need to thank Wufei again for them. He had given her more freedom to choose than she really deserved that night. Perhaps a show of gratefulness now would help to calm his temper after their fight this morning.) Oh, and make-up! A vanity, with a big mirror and lights, like the professionals, with drawers ad drawers for all her things. Jewelry, too. She'd have purple walls, and stick posters up everywhere! Genji Ma said it peeled the paint, so she had pasted things up inside her closet instead. There were some photographs in that closet that she would miss... was missing right now...
Wufei approached, triumphant. "They'll have it delivered by tonight. Lets go." So much for her daydream.
They remained quiet on the drive back. The radio reported the day's news, and rain began to patter down against the windshield. Wumei wriggled down in her seat, letting her new coat swallow her up. Her eyes drifted out the window, and then to what served as the colony's ceiling-cum-sky. Gray clouds drifted in the upper reaches, obscuring the light bulbs, pipes, and air vents that could usually be seen. For a few minutes she entertained the notion that she might be on Earth again, and when the clouds blew away she would see blue skies.
"...You can expect dim lighting over the Theta neighborhood tomorrow, as maintenance crews will be working on a ruptured air vent over the district. Residents are advised to stay alert and carry flashlights with them..." said the radio announcer, squashing her second daydream. With a sigh, she returned her gaze to street level.
Wufei, meanwhile, was brooding. Guilt over the severity of his outburst was beginning to set in, and hunger gnawed at his gut. Weak. He shouldn't have let his temper take control so easily. He glanced across the car to the teenager staring glumly out the window. She had made concessions, tried to meet him halfway. Then she had struck a nerve, and he may well have undone all the fragile bonds they were starting to create.
He sighed through his nose and turned toward home. What was he going to do with her for the next two weeks? How could he possibly be expected to look after her? Well, no one had asked it of him--he had brought it on himself.
The phone in his pocket began to ring, a short, precise chirp. Wumei looked up as he pressed the blinking dashboard light, turning on the car's speakerphone so he could continue to drive with both hands. "Chang, here."
"Wufei, hello! This is Hilde." Wufei's eyes widened and he stopped a tch too hastily at the light.
"Schbeiker?" he croaked, ignoring the strange look 'Mei was giving him.
"Yes, Schbeiker. I work with Duo, remember?"
Tonelessly, "I remember."
"Good," her voice sounded more relaxed, as though she had been afraid that he wouldn't. "Listen, we're looking to expand Hands of Maxwell to the L5 cluster. Duo was hoping we could stop by where you are and see you."
Wufei's head spun, and he nearly missed the light again. Hands of Maxwell? Of course, Duo's charity, an orphanage and school for needy and homeless street children. To be honest, Wufei hadn't quite believed that Duo was making himself so useful until last year, when the braided nitwit had shown up on network television across the Sphere. "Things are going well, then?"
"Very well." There was a smile in her voice. "So, when will you be free? We're arriving on X5-200 on Monday, and--you're on X5-700, right? We'll be there Thursday..."
"Aiyaaaaa..." the curse slipped out between his teeth before he could think to stop it. Wumei's head whipped around instantly, eyes alight with keen fascination and joy: always fun to see the teacher make a mistake! He waved at her impatiently and made some quick plans in his head. "I don't think I can do that, Schbeiker. Une is putting pressure on Po and me to solve this case, and I've already taken my vacation time for this year." And I have a teenage ward living in my spare room!
Now she sounded distressed. "Oh, Wufei... Are you sure you can't? We could extend the trip... through the weekend, maybe?"
NO! That was worse! His voice sounded strangled even to his ears. "No. We Preventors don't own our weekends. I may be needed."
Wumei was looking at him with a face that clearly read 'You are a lying scum. And not even a good lying scum.' It was Saturday and he hadn't mentioned going in to work once! Sally hadn't seemed at all worried about that big case--Hammerstein, wasn't it? Who was this woman, and why were Wufei's neck and cheeks turning red? Feeling a pang of sympathy, she cracked her window.
"Are you sure?" Hilde asked sadly. "Not even one day? Duo has been looking forward to this, Wufei... Really, he has... He misses everyone fr-"
There was a scuffle with the phone and then a new voice, male, came in clearly. "Don't listen to the babe, she's always getting sentimental about the old days. How are you, man?"
"Maxwell," replied Wufei formally, his face returning to its usual pallor. "I hear your business is doing well."
"Yeah, those news spots really helped. I don't quite know what to do with all the money and volunteers, tell you the truth. Listen, I do want to see you, since we'll be in town. The schedule's still kinda flexible, so how's this? We'll fly in Thursday night--tired off our asses, I'm sure--see the businessy people Friday, and Saturday you take us on a real tour, huh?"
"Maxwell--"
"Come on! It'll be fun! How long has it been, huh? Too long! Hilde, stop that--I am not being sentimental!"
Wufei stared straight ahead at the road. He hated feeling pressured. He hated it even worse when Maxwell was involved. The idea became progressively worse when Hilde's presence was added. No. There was no way he could do this. Not now, not ever. He opened his mouth to say so when he felt a small hand on his shoulder.
"Chang," said Wumei, her face sincere, "you want to see them, don't you?"
AN: That's right! That's right! We gots DUO IN DA HOUSE. When I started this story I swore to myself that I wouldn't pull in every single character just so they could all have appearances--but they stuck their noses in anyway! There are a few more lined up, so you can have fun speculating about that.
Hands of Maxwell is something I came up with when writing Blessed Don Juan ( a story about Dorothy's introspective new life after the Eve Wars. Duo started HoM after Deathscythe was destroyed, declaring that anything else he did he would do 'with his own two hands.' He began by volunteering with existing organizations--building houses and such--and then gravitated towards his real soft spot, homeless kids. He began his own group, HoM, to aid the homeless children of L2 with food, shelter, and education. As stated, a few well-placed news spots have made him something of a media darling and the donations have started rolling in. Hilde makes sure he gets to all the meetings on time and doesn't offend anyone too terribly.
Of course, the questions on EFF'RYone's mind: Are Duo and Hilde together with a bunch of toddlers and dogs at home? What will they do if/when they spot Mei? Will Wufei ever stop blustering? You'll have to keep reading to see!