Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ Creative Debate ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I laughed as I waded carefully through the sea of children who were all following Alex as she led them to the table. She was carrying a pitcher of juice carefully against her chest, and I had a horrible feeling that the said garment wouldn't last very long, "Can I pour?" I asked her.

"Okay!" she relinquished the pitcher into my hands as the sea of children was suddenly replaced with rows of cups.

Trowa had just mixed the juice up, and why he let his six year old carry it across the room to the table in a brand-new dress boggled my mind.

I could tell that Wufei was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer mass of six year olds, because he was hovering in the corner of the kitchen looking worried. In the other room, Miguel was talking to some of the parents and Heero. Relena was at the door.

"Alexia, Zach is here!" she called.

Half of the children I was serving suddenly disappeared.

"Cups in the kitchen, please!" Relena said, and half of those who'd disappeared reappeared.

I looked to Trowa as he mixed up another pitcher of juice, he wasn't looking at me, but I could tell he was happy.

"Mr. Barton," a man appeared, looking around the room before spotting him, "I just wanted to ask you real-quick if it were all right if I left Zach here?"

"Oh sure, that's fine." Trowa conceded.

"Thank you!" the man muttered, "I have an appointment I have to go to in about twenty minutes, but Zach really wanted to come."

"I'm glad you brought him, then," Trowa said, beaming at the boy.

The man smiled, offering a hand, "I'm Travis Gahn," he stated.

"Trowa Barton." Trowa replied with a smile, then gestured at me, "That's Duo Maxwell, and the one hiding over there in the corner is Chang Wufei."

Wufei gave Trowa a look, then smiled at the man.

I was saved from having to be a gracious host, since I was pouring drinks.

"If you'll come out here…" Trowa led the man from the room.

"This is nuts," Wufei informed me in Chinese.

One little girl gasped, putting her hands to her mouth as she looked at him.

Wufei mirrored the gesture, "Oops! You understand me?" he asked still in Chinese.

She nodded, her eyes wide.

Wufei gave me a guilty look.

"For shame." I said in English as other little kids asked the girl what he'd said and she refused to answer.

I really loved working with children.

.

"Tio, you want this?" Alex asked me, offering me a half-eaten popsicle, "I don't anymore."

"All right." I returned, taking it from her and starting to eat it as I moved to put the check-book back in the pile of bills Relena was going to go through later.

"Can I have a drink?" she added, studying my cup of coffee.

"Sure, kid, knock yourself out." I muttered, letting her take it from me. It'd been a week since her birthday. Wufei and Duo were at Pawn, the bar Wufei worked at, and Trowa was in the living room watching tv. Miguel was also presumably at Pawn, but I didn't have a clue.

"Thank you, Tio." she said, passing it back to me.

"No problem."

She disappeared into the living room and I followed a minute later, still sucking on the popsicle.

When Trowa focused on me and gave me a semi-horrified look, it connected in my mind that Alex was much more subdued than normal.

"Alex, did you give that to Tio?" Trowa asked her, meeting her eyes.

"Yeah," she muttered-she was snuggled in his lap and looked miserable.

"Heero, don't eat it." he said quickly, "She's got a sore throat…" he sighed, "You have already, haven't you?"

I nodded, taking the thing from my mouth and wondering if it was just me, or if telling someone not to eat something already in their mouth seemed stupid.

Trowa flashed me a grin.

I lowered the Popsicle from my mouth and took a sip of my cup…before realizing that she'd drank from that.

I set both things on the coffee table.

Alex scrambled from her father's lap and crossed the room to me, extending her arms as she reached me.

"They sent her home from school early today," Trowa muttered as she curled her overly warm little body against me, "She's had a fever for a while. I gave her the last of the cough syrup I had, and that helped for a while…but…"

"I'll watch her if you want to go get more." I offered.

He nodded-he already had his keys in his hand. He was out the door in a moment.

"I'm cold, Tio," she muttered, shifting against me.

I looked around, "There aren't any blankets down here."

She curled even more against me.

I nuzzled her cheek, which was extremely hot, then readjusted myself on the chair.

"I'm'nna get a blanket." she muttered, crawling from my arms and starting up the stairs.

I sighed, picking up my popsicle and coffee mug, taking them both into the kitchen. I couldn't bear to just dump the coffee, because it'd turned out exceptionally well. Instead, I drank from a spot I hoped she hadn't before rinsing the thing and drinking some water from a clean cup. I could hear her coming down the stairs, so I moved back into the living room, scooping her up and wrapping the blanket around her, lying down with her on the couch.

.

When Jun came into the bar, I instantly moved toward where Duo normally sat. Unfortunately, Duo had gone into the bathroom-was just going into the bathroom, and there was a line. Wednesday nights were never very busy, and tonight seemed almost dead-how there was a line at the bathroom was beyond my comprehension.

"Mr. Chang," Jun said, moving up to sit directly across from me since I'd chosen an unfortunate spot to pause, "I'm happy you're here."

No one was close enough to us to hear him talking in a lowered voice.

"Why don't you leave?" I returned darkly, "Or change seats." I pointed to where Ragan was busily making a drink at the other end of the bar.

"I don't come to this place," he looked the room over, "To simply drink."

"I'm not comfortable with you in the building." I said evenly, "And that fact alone is enough to get you banned."

"Can I get a…Lavender Swiss?" a guy asked, moving up to me with a pool-stick in hand, gesturing for his buddies to wait.

"Just a moment." I replied, trying to ignore Jun's eyes on me as I gathered the ingredients.

"You ever play pool, Chang?" the guy asked curiously.

"I've been known to go a round," I replied, glancing over my shoulder at him.

"You want to play? I'll make it worth your time if you can kick my ass." he passed me some bills.

Jun looked furious.

I grinned at him, "I'd love to play, but I'm working now. I have lunch in…a bit," I glanced toward Jun, not wanting him to know when, "If you can wait for me?"

"It's a game, then." the guy toasted me, taking a healthy drink from the glass before returning to the billiard tables.

"I could get you a table, if you wanted." Jun muttered.

"Just order your drink and get the fuck out of my face." I snapped.

"I want to apologize!" he said quickly, "That night…I was drunk and…well, I wasn't myself…"

I glared at him, still feeling sick to my stomach.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Mr. Chang!"

"You would have forced me to fuck you," I snapped at him, "You pulled a loaded gun on me, fucker. I never want to see you again." I turned my back to him, wondering if the room had cooled off, I was starting to shiver from my stomach.

"Mr. Chang, please!"

"Get out." I snapped at him, slamming a glass so hard onto the counter that it shattered under my hand-the bar fell fairly quiet as everyone turned to look at us and Rodney moved toward me. A bartender breaking a glass generally brought a few bouncers.

"If you would just listen to me…" he muttered, rising to his feet, "Don't make a scene!"

"Fuck you!" I snapped, focusing on my cut hand, backing away from the counter.

And then Duo was there, standing directly behind the guy.

Jun froze.

When I'd walked way from the guy, people started chattering together again. I didn't want to see what Duo would do, I didn't want to play that guy a game of pool. I didn't want to be at work. Not only was I cheap, by evidently my forgiveness was easily bought.

I slid down the wall inside the employee lounge, closing my eyes tightly together as I held a towel to my cut hand.

"Why the fuck did you break a glass?" Ragan snapped at me.

"Fuck you!" I jumped up and shoved at him before gasping as pain lanced from my palm to my elbow.

"Dude…" he moved forward and grabbed my wrist, moving the towel to look at the thing, "There's still glass in this."

"It fuckin' hurts," I whispered, trying not to let the tears fall.

"Come here." he ordered, dragging me to the sink, "Hold your breath."

.

I jumped, focusing on the door Wufei had disappeared into as I heard a sound of pain.

Jun focused on the door as well, but Rodney was standing right behind me and he knew he had to leave. He hesitated a moment longer before calling me a few names and storming out the door.

"He's a bad enemy to make," Rodney muttered at me, "You really need to be careful with him, Tailor."

I nodded, accepting that and moving across the bar to the employee-lounge.

Ragan was standing with Wufei, he had Wufei's hand held up and was studying it carefully.

"Are you all right?" I demanded of Wufei, blinking at Ragan.

"He had glass in the cut," Ragan explained, "I got it out and rinsed it." he indicated the sink.

"What the hell is this? The meeting point? This room is for employees only."

I studied Duane levelly a long moment before moving up to Wufei and studying his hand carefully.

"What's going on?" Duane snapped in sheer annoyance. His office was just off the lounge.

"Wufei broke a glass," Ragan explained.

"Chang!"

"It was because of a customer." Ragan snapped at the guy.

That settled the man, "Is he…are…are you okay?" he asked, moving up to look at Wufei's hand.

Wufei nodded, and I could feel slight shivers running through him.

"I think I should take him home." I muttered to Duane.

"But…" he looked to Ragan.

"It's dead tonight." Ragan dismissed that, "I can cover the rest of the night."

Duane looked to Wufei's hand again and sighed, "You should probably get stitches, Wufei."

"I know." Wufei muttered, pulling away from all of us, "But it's not that bad." he moved to where his jacket was sitting, trying to untie the apron he was wearing.

"I'll go get your tips." Ragan muttered, disappearing.

Duane was hesitating to do anything.

"Here," I muttered, sighing and moving across the room to untie the tight knot, "Just keep putting pressure on that."

Wufei nodded, his head drooping forward some.

"Is he all right?" Duane asked me somewhat nervously, "He's all right, isn't he?"

I tossed the apron at the guy and grabbed Wufei's jacket, helping him put it on. "He's fine." I replied.

Wufei was shivering even worse now.

Ragan appeared a moment later with a handful off bills, straightening them before folding them and handing them to me, since Wufei didn't seem the least bit interested in taking them.

Wufei followed me silently from the room, waiting for me as I moved around the bar and got my jacket.

"Where ya goin', Chang?" some guy asked, moving up to us with a grin, "I thought we were gonna play pool?"

"I'll have to do it another time." Wufei muttered, not looking at him.

"Why? You said you had break…"

Wufei turned and moved the towel so he could see the bloody wounds.

"Oh…" the guy blinked, then met my eyes.

"I'll play you, too." I informed him, smirking, "You play for cash?"

"Doesn't everybody?" the man asked, then laughed, "I'll catch you guys later."

"Night." Wufei muttered, starting walking again.

"You okay?" Rodney asked as we neared him, he was studying Wufei in concern.

"He should be fine when we get home." I replied, pressing his lower back so Wufei wouldn't stop walking, "Night. Thanks for your help." I passed him some of my own bills.

"No problem." he muttered, tucking those in his pocket, "I wasn't expecting anything, but…"

I smiled at him, "Every little bit helps, huh?"

He smiled at me, and I led Wufei into the night.

.

"You're home early." I noted, blinking up at Duo and Wufei. Wufei looked upset. He didn't say anything to me as he moved into the downstairs bathroom.

"Jun showed up tonight," Duo muttered in a low voice, "I was in the bathroom. He broke a glass and cut his hand." that was said with a gesture over his shoulder.

I frowned, moving to rise, but stopping since Alex was using my leg as a pillow.

"Why isn't she in bed?" he asked, startled.

"She's got a fever and a sore throat." I replied, "She wants to constantly be touching someone."

"Oh." he blinked down at her.

"Shit!" Wufei said, his voice sounding pained.

Duo turned instantly and moved into the bathroom.

I listened to their quiet murmuring, wondering vaguely why Wufei didn't just hold his breath instead of gasping the way he was. It almost sounded like he was crying, but not quite.

When Duo reappeared his expression was unmistakably pissed. He moved through the living room silently, picking Wufei's keys up from the telephone table and disappearing out the door.

As the door shut, Wufei appeared very suddenly, running to it and throwing it open, "Duo, don't!" he hesitated a second, "Duo!" he disappeared out the door.

When they reappeared, Wufei was holding Duo's wrists and talking very quickly, his tone was too low for me to hear, though I could tell he was extremely upset.

Duo slammed the door.

Alex woke up at that, blinking up at me before sniveling and sitting up, extending her arms to me.

"It's only Tio," I reassured her, pulling her to me and rocking her, "It's all right…"

"Sorry." Duo said darkly, standing there a long moment.

"Just leave him alone, all right?" Wufei muttered, "Just for now…"

"Fine! Shit, Wufei." Duo snapped, pacing away from the guy a moment. I was watching them from the corner of my eyes, and Duo was watching me and Alex.

Alex was watching Duo as well, and though she was completely relaxed against me, I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking.

Duo jumped the back of the couch, stretching out next to us before lowering himself so his head was resting against the back of the couch and covering his face with his hands.

"What's going on down here?" Heero demanded, coming down the stairs quietly, then pausing, "Fei?"

Wufei didn't say anything, though he did climb over the couch and slide next to Duo, studying his hand as Duo righted himself so they could sit together.

"Jun showed up at Pawn?" I asked them, trying to get them to tell Heero.

"What?" Heero demanded, moving up behind Duo.

"He did." Duo replied, "I was in the bathroom, and by the time I got out, Wufei had cut himself on a cup he broke and disappeared into the employee lounge."

"You broke the cup?" Heero asked.

"I wanted him gone." Wufei said quietly, not looking up.

"I see." Heero muttered-then did something I never thought I'd see him do. He ran his hand through Wufei's loose hair, "Are you all right?" he asked, kneeling slightly so he could look into Wufei's face over the back of the couch.

"I'm fine." Wufei muttered, looking away from Heero's face.

Heero remained in that position for a long moment before straightening and sighing, looking to me and Alex, "Are you okay, honey?" he added, moving toward me and running his hand through my daughter's hair.

"My throat hurts." she replied, extending her arms up to him.

"Baby, you're gonna make your tio sick."

"No I'm not." she mumbled, lowering her hands to pout at me.

"You're sick," I muttered again, realizing I should probably be keeping her in our room, "And that can make anyone else sick."

She pouted at me, leaning against me again.

I sighed, rising slowly to my feet and studying Duo and Wufei a moment before nodding at Heero and starting up the stairs.

"Night." he muttered after us.

.

Heero didn't wait downstairs with us very long, and I could barely stomach my irritation at the entire situation. I needed to just go and kill Jun some night while he slept. Maybe I could poison him so it looked natural…though I doubted that'd fly since they'd do an autopsy on the corpse and realize what had happened.

It took me a long time to realize that Wufei was sleeping.

When the front door opened and Miguel appeared in it, I had to grind my teeth together, thinking. He hadn't taken pictures of us since I'd attacked him-and well, we were never in the same room together anymore.

"You're home early." Miguel muttered in that extended politeness someone uses with someone they don't like, "That's just as well." he came up behind me, passing me a photo envelope and studying Wufei's sleeping face a moment before meeting my eyes, "Look at his eyes."

Before I could reply to that, he'd turned and started up the stairs.

I stared at the package he'd given me, wondering if it was what I thought it was.

It was.

Every picture in the thing was of Wufei and I. Some of them were us sitting on the couch watching TV, some were of us standing together in some secluded corner…in the kitchen-me standing behind Wufei at the table, my hands on his shoulders. In several of the pictures, Wufei was looking up at me, or over at me…or down at me-whatever. He was looking at me. In all of them we were touching-except the last one, though you wouldn't know it.

"Hey," I muttered to Wufei, nudging him slightly so he woke up, passing the photos to him, "Miguel said to look at your eyes."

He frowned, taking them from me and blinking at his bandaged hand before starting to flip through the things. At first his eyes were confused, but as he reached about halfway, his eyes registered understanding.

"Well?"

"He…said to what?" Fei asked, blinking at me.

"Look at your eyes." I replied, shifting slightly.

He flipped to the end, then grinned at the last picture showing it to me, "That one looks like fun."

I frowned at him, taking it from him, "What do you mean?"

"It looks like you were about to kiss my throat." he replied, smirking at me.

I snorted, realizing the truth in that. I'd had my head tilted slightly down, and Wufei had his throat exposed-and he'd been trying to get me to taste his throat, seeing as he'd said he put edible massage oil on. I passed that back to him, rolling my eyes.

He laughed slightly, tucking it into his pocket, "I think I'll keep that...maybe sometime it'll make you do what I want instead of playing with Kayla."

I rolled my eyes at him, "You're a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?"

"You wouldn't believe how often I hear that." he muttered at me, tucking the rest of the things back into the envelope and meeting my eyes, smiling at me as he tossed them onto the table, then sighed, leaning against me.

"You wanna go to bed?" I asked, sitting up slightly.

"Yeah…I think I do." he muttered, focusing on his hand again and sighing.

"You have to move first," I reminded him.

His eyes snapped onto mine before he let out a slightly naughty chuckle, rising to his feet.

"What?" I demanded, frowning at him.

He met my eyes again, "I have to move first." he flashed me a grin.

"You know," I muttered, moving toward the stairs, "I don't think it's something I want to know."

"But it's something that's nice to hear." he muttered, his tone dancing.

"You're a sick-ass." I informed him, giving him a look as I started up the stairs.

He chuckled, "That's better than a dumb-ass."

"Not by much."

"Tcch." he pushed me.

I laughed, catching myself before I fell and realized that everyone was probably sleeping-everyone but Miguel. The guy had his door cracked very slightly. It was too dark upstairs for me to see anything, but I had a feeling he was watching us.

I smirked, stopping in front of my door and turning to rest my hands on Wufei's hips, leaning down like I'd kiss him-he was frozen in disbelief, "You gonna be all right?" I muttered in his ear in Chinese.

He didn't move for a long moment, and I felt bad for that one. Normally these little things I'd do would fly right over his head.

"He's watching us?" Wufei asked, also in Chinese.

"Yeah."

"Can you kiss me?"

I hesitated a long moment, studying his eyes, then leaned forward and did so, slowly.

Miguel's door shut.

Wufei pulled away from me, smiling at me as he turned and went into the room, waiting until I'd closed the door to turn on the light. His eyes were glowing.

"Since when did you want to piss him off?" I asked, pulling off my shirt and turning my back to him.

"Since I realized he thought I was in love with you." Wufei replied easily, as if this was something we'd talked about before.

I turned to blink at him.

"That's what those pictures are," he informed me, snorting slightly and digging the one he'd had in his pocket out, "Look at my eyes…shit." he tossed the thing in the general direction of the trashcan before he changed into his own pajamas.

I changed more slowly into mine, not caring that Wufei turned the light off on me. When I'd lain down he snuggled up against me, falling extremely silent. Normally we didn't snuggle in bed, he'd chatter at me about random events of the day until I drifted into sleep. This silence disturbed me.

"He's scared of me." I muttered finally, not able to take the silence when I knew he wasn't sleeping.

"I know."

"And he really thinks I'm crazy."

"Most people do." he agreed.

"Do you think so?"

"I don't want to talk about this, Duo." he muttered, turning so his back was against me.

"Can we talk about something?" I asked.

He chuckled evilly, running a his nails along my arm, "You're an excellent kisser."

"Uh…" I started to pull my arm off him.

He caught it, "I love the things you do with your hands."

"Maybe we should …just sleep…"

"Your tongue should be illegal."

"Fei…" I muttered.

He laughed slightly, relaxing against his pillow and letting me go, "Just go to sleep, Duo."