Author: kc-chan
DISCLAIMER: not mine. . . please don't sue. Only borrowing them. COMMENTS: that would be nice.
beta-ed lovingly by Cheshire.
>> see part 1 for warnings, ratings...

<< Other languages are like this >>

Somewhere + Part 4

BEEP BEEP BEEP!!

Gritting his teeth, the blonde man reached over with a groping arm to hit the alarm. After a few attempts he had managed to hit the snooze. `I hate that alarm... ' He grumbled mentally, his lower region still obviously residing in his dream. Stifling a yawn, he cracked his neck and went to sit up.

Looking down he was greeted with a strangely familiar scene.

Two golden arms were latched soundly around his waist.

And somehow that familiarity was not of his now gone husband, which he pondered, was probably not a good thing.

With a deep sigh he fell back on his pillow. Before the snooze went off he picked up the clock and turned it off. `Well, there isn't much to do now.' he thought, blue eyes resting on the boy snuggling closer to him. That warm breath tickling his stomach, which in turn was not helping him relax his morning hard-on.

Sitting up slightly, not enough to disturb the boy, he observed the sleeping Asian man. The Sankian man was pretty sure that Wufei had no idea that he spent most of his nights cuddling him. In fact, Miri was more than sure of it. The boy would have thrown a little hissy fit. `He is so damn cute when he's blissfully unaware of the world' which didn't sit too comfortably with the older man.

`If he was a Gundam pilot and was still working with the Preventers before he came here, wouldn't any movement wake him up? But here he sleeps through alarms, doesn't stir if I climb into bed with him late at night, or even now when I am obviously moving, he sleeps on.' Pausing, the blonde man studied the boy's relaxed features. `Somehow he's completely at ease sleeping with me.'

That alone was an odd thing. `If he didn't like the fact that he sleeps in the same room with me, then unconsciously he does? Or does this mean that Maxwell and Quatre are right? That Fei and Wufei are merely trying to sort out who's the more dominant mind?

`But Fei was awakened by any movement, me getting into the bed, me waking up early, the alarm clock. It doesn't make any sense that Wufei would be more comfortable sleeping with me than my husband. That involves a very deep trust. Not that Fei didn't trust me, but the whole idea that Wufei does, is bothersome.'

Refocusing his eyes from thought to reality, Miri watched as Wufei drifted awake. Bleary black orbs blinked into consciousness, confusion drifting in them.

"Good morning, sunshine," the Sankian prince greeted the Asian man.

"Hm?" Bafflement curtained his slow moving thoughts. Wufei merely processed with his whirring thoughts, some still deep in slumber, that someone had called him `sunshine'.

"Would you care to move so I can get up?" Millardo asked, a gentle smile laying on his features.

"Huh?" Wufei blinked quickly, taking note of his surroundings. A slow flush brightened his face, as he quickly removed himself from the older man. "What time is it?" he asked, not even attempting to look at the man across from him.

"About 7 or so," came the calm reply.

"Wait... It's a supposed holiday. You have off. *You* are going back to sleep," Wufei ordered, a commanding look entering his eyes.

"Wufei. It's an old American holiday that was devoted to eating and watching football. I think that it's a good enough reason to exercise," Miri responded, meeting that black eyed command with a nonchalant glance.

"Humph." Pouting, the Chinese man glared a little harder before he noted that the glare did not move the taller man. "Fine. I'll join you then."

"No. You can sleep in."

"I'm awake now."

"It won't be hard to go back to bed."

"If it's so easy, why don't you go back to sleep. You need the sleep more than I do."

"Since when? You don't know that, Wufei."

"You've been working yourself to much trying to forget about other things. You aren't some paragon of perfection Miri, you need to sleep."

"Listen, Chang-"

A finger went to the man's lip. "Shhh," the Asian man commanded.

"What?" the taller man asked quietly, sticking his tongue out and licking the boy's finger until it was hastily removed.

Glaring at the blonde gentleman, Wufei rubbed his finger on the bed. Miri paused from laughing when he heard footsteps in the hall.

"Marie?" He mouthed to the pouting boy.

Wufei shrugged, but sat obviously tense.

A knock on their door and both turned to it. "Are you up and decent?" a bubbly voice asked.

Grabbing the Chinese man's lithe waist, the Sankian man all but tossed them onto the bed, ignoring Wufei's muffled squawk of embarrassment. "We're decent. Come on in, Marie!"

Wufei poked the blonde man harshly in the ribs; pouting at the very queer and quite unreasonable position that Zechs' yank had placed him in. He plastered a smile on his face as a familiar bob of red hair walked in.

Black orbs widened as a sleep tussled Mariemaia entered their room. The neat odangos from the night before were half out of their bindings, loose hairs flying about, giving her face an even more childlike appearance.

She stepped into the room and turned the armchair by their window around and dragged it towards the bed.

"Marie? Are you done redecorating now?" Miri asked, watching her with amusement.

"Yes, Miri." she responded, with a slight roll of her eyes. Plopping down in the seat, she gave them a serious look. "I was chatting with Mister Maxwell last night, who by the way informed me that we were lacking in our feast."

"Mister Maxwell?" Miri asked, incredulously.

The redhead's grin widened. "It sounded better than saying Duo."

"And what exactly did he inform you was wrong?" Wufei asked.

"Other than me weaseling out of the big shindig at Mr. Winner's home with the rest of them? Which by the way he was upset that we were able to sneak out, and demanded that had he known sooner, he would have flown out his ol' Buddy and snatched me away to the party," Mariemaia recited back.

"And he's been hiding that where?" Wufei asked sarcastically.

"Between him and Heero, I am sure they have an army of Gundams lying around for rainy days," Millardo responded.

"You two are avoiding the point!" She declared, attempting to regain their attention.

"Which was?" the blonde man asked innocently.

"ARGGGH!! That we are missing key ingredients to having a perfect Thanksgiving!" She began to list them off neatly, "Cranberry sauce, baked yams, though I'm not sure what they are, stuffing, corn on the cob, and we only have one dessert. This has to be perfect!" she intoned, seriously.

Black and icy blue orbs blinked at her. Wufei turned to the man next to him. He had no clue that this was that important to her. Miri held his confused stare for a long moment before turning around to look at Marie who had been watching them like a hawk.

Finally, Miri mumbled his reply, "Well, it looks like we'll be getting up to go to the food store, which doesn't open for another two hours, Mariemaia."

"Why don't you clean yourself up, straighten up your room and make a list of what you think we need," Wufei instructed her. "Then by the time we're downstairs, we'll call Relena and Lady Ann and tell them not to eat for the entire day, and we'll see if we have recipes for the food you want, alright?"

"Done!" And off she ran to her room.

Slumping back on his pillow, Wufei looked over at the bare back of the Sankian man. "Does she always have this habit of visiting in the morning?"

"I think it comes from the worry that one day she'll wake up and we won't be here," Miri replied softly. Narrowing his eyes on the far wall his mind whispered harshly, `Not that it should matter to you, we aren't *doing* anything!'

"Why would she think that?"

"Because she was used so young, Wufei. She never really knew Trieze, her mother is long gone, and nobody ever really looked after her. She wants a sense of family. She wants ne needs a sense of normality. Mariemaia's friends have the quote unquote normal family. Mariemaia has a former prince turned terrorist turned Preventer and delegate for one parent, a retired Gundam pilot turned historical researcher as another, and a very busy head of the Preventers as another whom, might I add, she rarely sees. That is far different from a mother and father," Millardo explained softly.

"And the fact that she almost took over the world doesn't always help, I'm sure," Wufei added, his eyes still studying the taller man's back. "I guess at times she seems childish, too childish for twelve."

"Like we are any judges of what it was to be a normal, healthy twelve year old." A heavy sigh came from the man. "At twelve I was going onto becoming a Specialist of OZ, first in my class, preparing for war. You were married and being raised to help lead a Colony. Heero was assassinating people. Duo was a thief and sometimes starving to death. Quatre was running away and helping a mobile army to survive, Trowa was working with the Barton's in making a Gundam, Ann was graduating from OZ training and going onto the field.

"At twelve we were getting prepared for lives most twelve year olds don't think about. What do normal twelve year olds do, Wufei? I can only guess that they gossip about the boys they like, do homework, go to sleepovers, go to dances, goof around on the weekends, and have fun with their biggest worry being if so and so likes them or will they get a good grade on an upcoming test. Marie desperately wants to be that. She wants a normal childhood," the blonde finished, looking down on his open palm.

"I forgot. I never was a child. Most of us weren't. I forget that it isn't so bad to try to be normal," the apology softly came.

"Being normal isn't so bad."

Gently, Wufei smiled. "Not so hardly that terrible. Boring at times, but not too bad. It takes some... adjusting I guess. But normalcy isn't too dreadful."

A snort of disbelief left the blonde. "Fei, at times I'd give anything to soar through space in Tallgeesse, anything would be boring next to the thrill of battle." Pausing, Millardo stopped as if thinking about his next words, then if coming to a decision ended with, "Except for sex."

Bright red, the Asian youth gave the tall man a playful shove. "Get your ass moving, Miri. Otherwise I take the first shower."

Obligingly playing along with the younger man's grousing, he got up. "Don't you want more excitement, Wufei? You want to join me in the shower?" he added with a wink.

Flushing, Wufei glared. "I'll handle being bored right now, thank you very much."

"You're loss."

"Move it, Miri!" Wufei snorted.

"Moving," the man replied, smiling all the way to the shower, life wasn't too bad that morning. Not at all too bad.

+

Black eyes glared as the blonde haired woman stirred the cranberries in the pot next to him. He didn't remember inviting Dorothy to their family gathering, but when the blonde haired witch had shown up with Relena, it wasn't as if he could have protested.

"You really have improved in your cooking, Wufei. I'm surprised. It's so domestic of you," she commented, hitting the word domestic on purpose. She knew that would bristle up that Chang Wufei pride like nothing else would.

Pinning her with a harsh glare, he simply replied, "Either start helping or leave, Dorothy."

"Why I'll stay to help, of course, Mr. Chang." She grinned. `Worked like a charm. After the Halloween Party I thought I was beginning to lose my touch on him.'

`I should have told her to leave,' he silently grumbled, going back to cleaning off the vegetables. Washing them off one by one, he placed them onto a paper towel covered plate.

"We have the turkey!" a bright, young voice announced.

The two turned from their current duties to see Mariemaia walk into the kitchen holding a grocery bag and followed in tow by Millardo, with his hands full of dessert boxes.

"I see Relena talked you both into more food shopping, but I don't see a turkey." Dorothy smiled, outwardly amused by the entrance.

"I'm inclined to agree," Wufei added, wiping his hands with a towel and turning off the water. "You can put those where they belong in the refrigerator, Marie," he instructed, moving to rescue one of the soon to be spilt bags from her arms.

"Thanks, Fei!" She grinned, grasping a hold of the other bag and settling it on the island's countertop. "Can you get me a bowl to put the fruit in?"

"I'll get it," Miri informed her, handing the young girl his jacket and scarf. "You can put these and your jacket away."

"Okay!!" Marie bellowed as she and the coats disappeared.

"So where do I put this?" a new voice asked, entering the kitchen.

"Right here, Relena," Wufei replied, helping take the fairly large bird from the auburn haired woman and placing it next to the sink. "How did you convince Miri to get more food?"

"Well as much as I love ham and chicken, I decided to agree with Mariemaia and insisted we needed turkey. And then I passed the most adorable bakery! You never told me about it, Wufei! It was so quaint and I had to look, and I know you didn't have treats like cookies and pastries to go with late night coffee, nor sweets for tomorrow. And then I thought that we might need some hor'dourves!"

"She basically rendered us stranded with leftovers for the next week," Miri translated with a highly bemused smile.

"Isn't there a parade or something on?" Dorothy asked, tapping her spoon on the side of the boiling pot. "Does it go to simmer now?"

The blonde man peered over her shoulder. "I'd should think so. Just give it a stir every few minutes. Cover it in the between time."

Wufei looked over to where Marie reentered the kitchen. "Why don't you get out the cocoa tin and see who wants some, Marie."

"Do we have whipped cream and marshmallows?" she asked, laughing as Wufei made a face at the mention of sweets.

Laughing with her, the Sankian prince pointed her in the direction of the fridge. "I'd love some Marie."

It was backed up with Dorothy's response and Relena's. Sighing, the Asian man tucked a loose strand of black hair behind his ear. "I might as well."

As his sister and `adopted' daughter worked on the hot chocolate, Millardo sauntered over to the vegetables the smaller man was arranging in pots. He didn't need to look to inherently know that Dorothy had been watching them all afternoon. Privately he was wondering when Lady Ann was going to make her appearance. Needless to say he would feel a whole lot safer if Miss I'm watching you like a hawk would back off. She might have noticed, or more he was hoping she hadn't noticed the rigidness in the posture Wufei had been holding himself in.

Platinum silk curtained along one side of him and Wufei blinked, looking up to his side. Strong arms slipped around his waist and a comforting and reassuring smile crossed his features.

Faintly, the boy managed to return a smile, one that did not quite reach his eyes.

Leaning closer, he brushed his cheek against the black capped head of hair. Wufei merely settled his hands on the counter and closed his eyes. He didn't move except to lean slightly back, enough to show that he looked like Fei to them, but not enough that he felt too terribly uncomfortable.

Slowly he opened his eyes, feeling a bit more centered than he had a moment ago. "So leftovers for a week? And we'll be here through when? Monday?"

The older man's chuckle washed warm air over his ear. "At least. Well, we can always bring them over to the office on Monday. I'm sure Duo will be thrilled to have you come in. He'll be back by then."

"Hm?" Wufei replied, turning his head slightly to look up into the taller man's eyes. "He's not making Quatre's party?"

"No, he is. He and Yuy are over in the Southern Americas wrapping up something for Lady Ann. They are flying in for the party tonight, and Heero mentioned something about a quick mission on Friday. But they should be back by Monday."

"You should invite them and Quatre and Trowa to my place in the mountains, Miri. They should join us," Relena invited, sighing happily at the sweet embodiment of happiness her brother and his husband made. If someone had asked her three years ago about the Chinese man she would have had a list of qualities she found less than redeeming. Included in that list would have been reasons for sending him to a penal Colony. But he had seemed to change, even more since the Summer. A year ago she would have still glanced at that list. A month ago she threw it out.

Seeing the two of them interact at the Halloween Party changed something. What the difference was she could not quite pin down, she did hope to observe the couples more newer aspects of their marriage at her home in the coming week. Relena had sensed a change in the Asian man, a change she hoped would stay.

Before he had seemed so utterly dependent on her brother, so removed from his previous life. She had actually never thought he would have completed the book. He had drifted from project to project. He had never seemed settled. He might have changed to others from his part in the Barton Affair, but he still had no real idea of his thoughts, ideals, or direction. There was no focus. Like he had needed her brother to keep on living.

Now, now he seemed more independent. He argued with her brother, told him to let her go food shopping. Had teased Dorothy. She liked the changes. "So can I interest you two gentleman in hot cocoa? And I mean it. It would be absolutely splendid to see the others with us up at the lodge." The Sankian woman handed over two mugs.

"It's really up to you, Relena." Wufei intoned, "I can't answer for them."

"It would be great to see them!" Marie exclaimed, carefully carrying the hot, steaming mug over to Dorothy.

"It's too bad I already declined," the blonde haired woman replied.

"Oh?" Wufei asked.

[cont]