[R, previous & future NC-17] Executive Orders 6/11
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 8:26 am
Chapter Summary: In which the plot, meager though it is, advances and there is much bonding of reluctant roommates. Affectionately known as the chapter in which Relena and Wufei get down and dirty. But don't let that stop you...
Have I mentioned lately how much I've come to love Wufei?
Executive Orders
~An Out of Control Sequel~
by
Smarty Cat
smartycat9383@yahoo.com
===========================
Part 6 -- Craving
===========================
?One more day down. An unknown eternity to go.?
Wufei slowly crossed off the small square on the wall calendar with the largest, reddest marker he could find. It joined a stream of bold crimson marks identical to it flowing across the page. He then counted them slowly and deliberately as he had been doing since the day he had moved in with Relena.
Twelve.
They were nearing two weeks of blissful cohabitation.
?Haven't I asked you nicely not to do that??
Relena?s peevish voice rang in his ear, and he turned to find her clad from neck to calves in a fluffy pink bathrobe. He raised his eyebrows at her appearance and warily eyed the precariously tall wet towel that wound about her head like a turban.
?If by asking nicely you mean that time you threw your slippers at my head then yes.?
Her eyes narrowed at his dry, nonchalant tone. ?Why do you still do it then??
He shrugged. ?Everyone needs a hobby.?
?Wufei!? she snarled, curling her fists around the terrycloth belt of her robe and wishing that it was his neck she was throttling. ?And what is that circle on the twenty-fourth for??
?That will be . . . your first public appearance since the proverbial body waste hit the proverbial spinning blade in a box.?
A muscle along the left side of her jaw twitched. ?Only since Une insisted that I cancel all my others when that tabloid debacle started. And you deem it to be so important that you would encircle it with an inch thick line because . . .??
?It should be interesting.? He shrugged. ?I thought it would be important to you.?
She sat down on her bed, busily toweling off her wet hair. ?It is, but I don?t need you painting a bull?s eye around it. My desk planner has all the important dates marked in it.?
Her bodyguard affected a wistful expression. ?Ah, yes, the desk planner . . . which you won?t let me touch,? he finished flatly.
?You wonder why?? she barked sarcastically, swatting at him with the soaked towel.
He caught it calmly, wrenching it out of her hands and flinging it across the room where it hit the bathroom door with a sharp fwap and fell to the floor in a limp puddle of soaked terrycloth. Wufei sat down heavily on the beside her with what might be regarded as an intentional bounce thrown in, making the springs squeak in protest and jostling Relena off to one side. She sputtered as she attempted to right herself while trying in vain to remain modestly covered.
?How much more of this do you think we can take, Darlian?? he questioned as he grabbed one flailing arm and hauled her upright. She pushed damp golden locks out of her face and slumped against him.
?However long it lasts. You still haven?t found the informant??
?Leak,? he corrected mildly. ?They?re only informants if they have true, useful information. And no. . . . You?re dripping on my uniform.?
She pulled away and wrinkled her nose at him. ?So sorry.?
?Glad to hear it. Now why don?t you tell me what the real problem is??
She immediately tried to stand up, but he caught her wrists with a harshness that belied the concern in his face and pulled her back. She struggled vainly to free herself. ?What real problem? I hadn?t though any of them were fake!?
?I think this is something beyond the calendar, beyond us living together, beyond Yuy, even beyond the world and its stupidity.? He motioned at the various psychology texts she had scattered over her bedroom floor the previous night. ?You do this every single night. You?re searching for something specific, aren?t you??
Relena looked away and muttered something under her breath.
Wufei gave up his hold on one of her hands to tip her face back to him. ?I didn?t hear you.?
She sighed, her eyes dropping and her free hand twisting the material of her robe. ?The voice is gone.?
?The voice,? he repeated deliberately. A bemused look crossed his face, and he released her completely, bending down to snag the nearest volume, a collection of artwork by schizophrenics. ?I think you?re the only person I know who?d be upset when the voices in her head went away.?
?Not voices, not plural. Singular,? she bit out defensively, snatching the book from his hands.
?Did this voice sound like anyone you know??
Two spots of vibrant color burst into being high on her cheekbones.
?Well, well, is it someone I might know?? he inquired, leaning forward with eager curiosity lighting his eyes.
?Dorothy,? she whispered. ?Dorothy Catalonia.?
?And what did Dorothy tell you to do??
The blush expanded, turning her whole face cherry red. ?Jump Heero.?
A look of strain crossed Wufei's face at the monumental task of containing his amusement. ?And the voice is gone now that you have??
She nodded slowly.
?Well, that?s it then,? he remarked satisfactorily. ?You fulfilled the task so there?s no reason for you to still hear it.?
?Then it should have left three--? she cut off abruptly at his look of predatory interest.
?This job just keeps getting more and more interesting . . . Have you come up with a self-diagnosis?? He inclined his head significantly as the mass of reading material.
?To my satisfaction? No.?
?Maybe you?re just not acknowledging the whole truth of the matter then.?
She glanced at him warily. ?I?m not sure I know what you mean.?
He smiled wolfishly and leaned back on the bed. ?Permission to psychoanalyze you??
She raised one eyebrow. ?You?re hardly qualified. In fact you should stay as far away from Freudian psychology as possible,? she responded dryly before shrugging. ?Permission granted.?
He pulled his glasses out of a pocket and slid them on his nose before steepling his fingers, somehow managing to look a strange combination of dignified and ridiculous as he reclined on her exposed pink satin sheets. ?You were brought up in a conservative household, correct? Therefore I am right to assume that it was impressed upon you that things of a sexual nature are bad, wrong, wicked, undesirable, sinful, and all those other not nice adjectives that I don?t care to list right now. But you still thought about them, especially where Heero was concerned. And that made all those unflattering adjectives apply to you in your mind. So you subconsciously projected them onto a voice that is not yours, thus making them more acceptable to you because you convinced yourself that you weren?t really the one thinking and saying whatever it is they said. And don?t ever tell me; I don?t want to know.
?However,? he continued, ?your coping method had the unfortunate side effect of making you fear that you had gone crazy, and something you created as a manifestation of stress became a source of stress in its own right. Add in several years of pent up sexual frustration, and you have a formula for a nymphomaniac basket case. Which is of course what you were the day you showed up in my office with that disk. When you had sex with Heero you admitted yourself to be the carnal and wanton woman that you are thus eliminating the voice. It?s all in your mind. You created it and you have acknowledged that it is you thus absorbing it back into yourself. Now you simply have to deal with your sexuality openly and on your own terms, and you will eventually become an upstanding member of society with a normal sex drive.?
She stared at him silently for several long moments. ?You scare me,? she said at last, rising from the mattress. ?I can?t believe you?re really that perceptive. You have to making it all up, but I have to admit that the way you?ve explained it does make a kind of sense. And . . .I suppose it sounded like Dorothy because she was always uninhibited . . .?
Wufei watched her as she disappeared into the depths of her closet. Heero?s apparent indifference and the public backlash were starting to take their toll. Her skin was paler and marred by circles beneath her eyes, and, depending on her mood, she would either barely eat at all or gorge herself. Her work output had actually improved though. She had thrown herself into it wholeheartedly to forget the pain of multiple rejections.
Relena had essentially ceased all communication with Heero. All her contact with the ranks of Preventers supporting her went directly through Une or Wufei and Sally, who came directly below the commander in the hierarchy. Relena had never had any need to deal with the lower officers before, and she remained intelligent and aware enough that she realized she did not need to start now.
But she had not given in yet. Her eyes still sparked with fire and passion, and he was determined to keep it that way.
Let her get angry.
Anger was good.
Not necessarily anger with Yuy, but she needed a cathartic outlet, and Wufei was more than willing to provide one.
To fulfill that requirement and advance others in his own agenda and to her benefit, he had coaxed and developed their traditional infamous office rivalry into bouts of all-out war. The rest of the staff avoided them at all costs and moved very carefully when they had to come into contact with the volatile pair because there was no telling what spark would push their constant banter into a full-fledged screaming match.
He knew that those who worked with them in the main office were convinced that the sordid tales spattered across the tabloids and even some of the more reputable newspapers were false. Relena obviously was not playing around with other men. She did not need to when she was having such a passionate affair with her chief bodyguard. And Wufei had no qualms about allowing them to believe that, indeed he actively encouraged it. Let it spread among them. Let it trickle down the ranks to Yuy. Let him simmer and rage and suffer at what he thought was beyond his grasp. He would have sense knocked into his head soon enough. Both of them would. Even if Wufei had to bludgeon them himself.
A dangerous smile curled on his lips. He was looking forward to that part.
***
Wufei did not bother to glance up when Relena flung herself into the chair next to him and kicked her feet up in his lap. Nor did he deign to respond when Sally draped herself over his shoulders and snatched some food from his plate.
?Oh, look, the news.? She pointed helpfully with her chicken leg and inhaled sharply. ?Oh my . . .?
That, however, in conjunction with Relena?s startled gasp, did catch his attention. He looked up at the screen across the room, and his mouth tightened into a firm line. A flock of reporters had swarmed around a familiar dark figure and were thrusting microphones in his face.
?Mr. Yugen, is it true that the Vice Foreign Minister spent nearly an hour and a half in your office with no prior appointment??
?What is your relationship to the Vice Foreign Minister??
?Yo, Hiroshi, the world is dying to know, is she a screamer or a--urk!?
That particular reporter never got to finish his question since Heero?s hand closed around his throat, effectively cutting off his ability to speak. The Preventer officer lifted the hapless man and dangled him in the air, his face tight and his eyes burning. His words were low but clear and vibrant with barely restrained rage.
?Relena and I knew one another from boarding school. She found out that I had become a Preventer and came to welcome an acquaintance and catch up on old times. There is nothing more between us and there nev--?
Wufei cut the television off and turned to the young woman sitting rigidly in her chair. His brows lowered in concern. The anger had gone from her eyes and had been replaced by a dull sheen.
?Relena--?
?Just shut up, Wufei.?
***
Vodka is such an interesting beverage, Relena decided as she idly tipped her glass in the light. Like water, only much, much better. Clear, sparkling, virtually unfreezable, burning. It made her wonderfully lightheaded, warm. Rather like being with Heero had.
But that was the problem. She didn?t want to think about Heero . . . which was why she was drinking the vodka. Perhaps she just hadn?t had enough of yet. Or enough of the cognac and brandy also sitting on the low table. The fruity drink in the pretty little decorative bottle was relatively untouched, but it was too feminine, too womanly. She didn?t want to feel particularly womanly. Feeling womanly was what had gotten her into this mess.
?You?re acting pathetic,? Wufei remarked dryly from his position on her sitting room couch. ?Destroying your liver because a guy won?t look at you.?
?Won?t look at me? Hah! He thinks I?m a whore. What would you know anyway?? she returned grumpily, setting her glass down and facing him. ?I?m sure rejection is a common occurrence for you, arrogant asshole that you are, but I am unaccustomed to it.?
?I?ll have you know that I am a sexual being too,? he responded smugly.
?You?? she laughed. ?You?re nothing more than a voyeur! I?m sure the women are just falling all over you.?
?You disagree then??
She walked toward him, hips swaying and settled herself astride his lap. Her fingers tangled themselves in the dragon?s tail at his neck and pulled his hair free. ?If I do will you prove me wrong??
Wufei snorted. ?Such witty repartee sounds like some of the drivel from one of Sally?s romance novels.? He arched his eyebrows. ?Be careful or I?ll think you want me.?
Her hands skimmed his face, playfully tugging at the glasses perched on his nose. ?Maybe I do. You?re cute like this.? Surprise covered the slurred words.
?Relena, you?re drunk,? he stated firmly, catching her wandering hands with his.
?So??
?So you?re not thinking--or acting--normally,? he replied grimly, shifting her off his thighs.
Bloodshot blue eyes stared up at him accusingly. ?What? You think I?m damaged goods too? All men are the same! Your damn fragile egos can?t handle the thought of a woman who?s had a lover before you! Pure as the fucking driven snow?!? she screamed. ?Is that what you want? Are we back in the damn Dark Ages?? She jerked to her feet and barked snidely, ?Shall I go fetch my dowry??
He watched her sway on her feet. ?I?m still not sleeping with you.?
Relena stalked away. Her voice came again from the next room, suddenly small and timid. ?Wufei? I think I?m going to be sick.?
And she proceeded to do just that.
***
Wufei sighed wearily as he took one last sweeping glance of the room. The sun was just beginning to tinge the sky with rosy gold, and he would be free to catch a few hours of sleep in about five minutes. And he desperately needed that sleep. It was distasteful work cleaning up after a sick woman.
A quiet knock sounded at the door, and he opened it to reveal a servant laden with a breakfast tray.
?This is what you requested, sir.?
Wufei eyed its contents: several pieces of toast with butter and jam on the side; a cup of coffee, black, with little cream and sugar pots set considerately nearby; and two glasses of ice water. He nodded curtly. ?Put it on the table and leave.?
The maid did as he demanded and scurried away. Wufei pulled a bottle from his pocket, shook out two small white pills, and placed them next to the coffee. He propped a hurriedly scribbled note against the tray and pulled the curtains closed again, leaving Relena?s quarters as the first beepings of her alarm filled the air.
***
Relena stirred sluggishly.
?Infernal racket . . . Oh, my head,? she moaned, one hand blindly emerging from the covers and batting at the alarm. It fell from the nightstand with a crash that reverberated in her skull but at least the beeping stopped. Relena struggled out of bed, her body unusually clumsy and heavy feeling. Her head felt thick, like it was shrouded in a cottony haze, but it pounded steadily in time to her beating heart.
She dragged herself into her sitting area and toward the breakfast table as was routine although simply the thought of food made her feel nauseous. Vaguely she wondered at the lack of usual early morning sunlight, but decided that it was probably for the better.
Relena sank heavily into her accustomed chair, staring at the simplicity of the meal before her in puzzlement. A rectangular white shape near her right hand caught her attention. It made no sense in context with her breakfast. Her mind could not seem to wrap itself around the enigma of that foreign presence.
Her fingers closed around it hesitantly and tingled with recognition upon encountering its surface. Paper. It was paper. Why would someone put paper on her breakfast tray? Despite her muddled state of mind, Relena was quite certain that she did not eat paper.
She picked it up and studied it. Wufei?s handwriting, immaculate and precise, the kind people paid to have engraved on important documents, flowed in large letters across the center of one side. Two words.
Foolish woman.
And all the blurry, fragmented images of the night before clicked into place. Drowning herself in liquor. Ranting. Raving. Practically throwing herself at Wufei. And she had been ill . . . She frowned. Everything after that was still blurry, but she caught flashes. Strong arms wrapped around her bare waist as icy water beat at her skin from above. A shower? More water tipped to her lips. A voice compelling her to drink. Softness and darkness and warmth. A hand stroking damp hair from her face. Covers tucked over her as she lay on her stomach.
?Oh, dear heavens,? Relena breathed in horror, popping the aspirin in her mouth and gulping them down with the bitter coffee.
***
?You have to let me in eventually.?
?No, I don?t!? she responded crossly, trying to ignore the steady pounding on her door.
?I come bearing gifts,? he called enticingly.
?I don?t want them!? Desperation and shame tinged her voice, and she hated herself for it.
There was a pause. ?Are you exceptionally fond of this door?? he inquired conversationally.
Relena?s eyes widened in horror, and she rushed to unlock and yank open the ornately carved wooden door. ?Do you realize how old this door is?! How long it?s been here?!?
?Time for a new one then,? he shot back, pushing his way past her.
She followed him into the sitting room, wringing her hands anxiously. ?Wufei, about last night . . .?
?You were drunk,? he interrupted bluntly. ?Your judgment was impaired and you were not considering the consequences of your actions.?
?I?m so ashamed.? She sank down on the settee, covering her face with her hands.
?Good, you should be.? He smirked at her when she raised startled, tear-filled eyes to his. ?I never expected to have to defend my virtue from you.?
She frowned. ?Now you?re just making fun of me. I really do feel terrible.?
?That?s just the hangover. It?ll be gone in a day or so.?
?Wufei! I mean it!?
?I know.? He gifted her with a rare, genuine smile. ?That?s why I brought these. Consider them a peace offering.?
She eyed the plastic bag he held out for her warily.
?Just take it,? he ordered impatiently, shaking the bag in front of her face.
She glared at him, but reached out obligingly. Relena drew her hands back quickly in surprise. ?It?s cold!?
Wufei sighed wearily, sitting beside her on the settee. His hand fished into the crinkling bag, emerging with a plastic spoon which he presented to her with great ceremony. Then he pulled out a small tub covered in frost.
?Ice cream?? Relena breathed in disbelief as she pulled off the lid. ?You brought me ice cream? You wonderful man.?
?Death by Chocolate,? he confirmed with mock solemnity. ?Sally claims its the second best way to die. And since she?s a medic I guess she would know.?
?What?s the first then?? Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with color as he sardonically lifted one eyebrow. ?Oh . . . never mind,? she squeaked.
?It?s recommended for the brokenhearted and downtrodden. I also have this.? He tossed a medium sized paperback in her lap.
Relena stared down at the bare-chested, well-muscled man and barely dressed woman practically melting off him that adorned the cover. ?What is it??
?A romance novel. I believe that particular type is known as a bodice ripper.?
?Well, yes, that much is obvious from the state of her clothing, but . . .?
?One of Sally?s. Quite humorous actually. Not as trashy as the cover might lead you to believe. More campy.?
?Sally really does have a collection of romance novels? And you read them?!? Her lips twitched suspiciously around her spoon.
Wufei affected to look affronted. ?Strictly for research purposes, of course. They?re about women, by women, for women. If I am to be surrounded by women all day, I should at least develop some knowledge of their completely illogical thought processes.?
Her eyes glittered as she inquired with exaggerated politeness, ?Is it working??
?Of course not.?
She erupted into gales of laughter, clutching the ice cream carton to her stomach as her body shook with mirth. When her giggles finally died away she brushed tears from her eyes. ?Thank you. I needed that.?
?I?m so glad you appreciate the humiliation I go through on your behalf,? he remarked sarcastically, producing another spoon and digging into the ice cream.
They sat together in companionable silence, idly passing the carton between them. Relena turned her head to him along the high back of the settee. She snorted softly. ?You know, Wufei, I think you?re the closest thing to a best friend that I have.?
?Aren?t I the fortunate one,? he muttered in response around a mouthful of chocolate.
Relena moaned, beating her head against the cushion. ?I?m so pathetic.?
?Now you realize what I?ve always said.?
She halfheartedly chucked a lounge pillow at his face. He caught the incoming cushion easily, stuffing it behind his head and shooting her a smug look from his slanted eyes.
?What do you intend to do about Yuy??
?Make him suffer,? she responded in a flippant tone. She sighed quietly and turned to him, her eyes solemn. ?I have to stop running and stop hiding from what I?ve done. It?s time to accept the consequences of my actions. I have to fix this, Wufei. It?s all my fault, and I have to make everything right again, make him right again. I owe him that much for all the trouble I?ve caused. I just wish I knew how to do it.?
?Very good. I?m relieved to know that in the future there won?t be a reoccurrence of last night. I don?t think I could handle another mess like that.? Open amusement colored Wufei?s words, and she glared at him, poking him in the arm with one well-manicured finger.
?Be serious for a moment! And since it?s your fault too you?re going to help me do it. That?s an order, Preventer.?
?Consider it done then.? Wufei mock saluted her before snatching the carton from her hands and digging in. He swallowed his mouthful and raised his eyes to the ceiling in a pleading gesture before rolling them. ?The things I do for job security.?
And secretly he smiled.
Have I mentioned lately how much I've come to love Wufei?
Executive Orders
~An Out of Control Sequel~
by
Smarty Cat
smartycat9383@yahoo.com
===========================
Part 6 -- Craving
===========================
?One more day down. An unknown eternity to go.?
Wufei slowly crossed off the small square on the wall calendar with the largest, reddest marker he could find. It joined a stream of bold crimson marks identical to it flowing across the page. He then counted them slowly and deliberately as he had been doing since the day he had moved in with Relena.
Twelve.
They were nearing two weeks of blissful cohabitation.
?Haven't I asked you nicely not to do that??
Relena?s peevish voice rang in his ear, and he turned to find her clad from neck to calves in a fluffy pink bathrobe. He raised his eyebrows at her appearance and warily eyed the precariously tall wet towel that wound about her head like a turban.
?If by asking nicely you mean that time you threw your slippers at my head then yes.?
Her eyes narrowed at his dry, nonchalant tone. ?Why do you still do it then??
He shrugged. ?Everyone needs a hobby.?
?Wufei!? she snarled, curling her fists around the terrycloth belt of her robe and wishing that it was his neck she was throttling. ?And what is that circle on the twenty-fourth for??
?That will be . . . your first public appearance since the proverbial body waste hit the proverbial spinning blade in a box.?
A muscle along the left side of her jaw twitched. ?Only since Une insisted that I cancel all my others when that tabloid debacle started. And you deem it to be so important that you would encircle it with an inch thick line because . . .??
?It should be interesting.? He shrugged. ?I thought it would be important to you.?
She sat down on her bed, busily toweling off her wet hair. ?It is, but I don?t need you painting a bull?s eye around it. My desk planner has all the important dates marked in it.?
Her bodyguard affected a wistful expression. ?Ah, yes, the desk planner . . . which you won?t let me touch,? he finished flatly.
?You wonder why?? she barked sarcastically, swatting at him with the soaked towel.
He caught it calmly, wrenching it out of her hands and flinging it across the room where it hit the bathroom door with a sharp fwap and fell to the floor in a limp puddle of soaked terrycloth. Wufei sat down heavily on the beside her with what might be regarded as an intentional bounce thrown in, making the springs squeak in protest and jostling Relena off to one side. She sputtered as she attempted to right herself while trying in vain to remain modestly covered.
?How much more of this do you think we can take, Darlian?? he questioned as he grabbed one flailing arm and hauled her upright. She pushed damp golden locks out of her face and slumped against him.
?However long it lasts. You still haven?t found the informant??
?Leak,? he corrected mildly. ?They?re only informants if they have true, useful information. And no. . . . You?re dripping on my uniform.?
She pulled away and wrinkled her nose at him. ?So sorry.?
?Glad to hear it. Now why don?t you tell me what the real problem is??
She immediately tried to stand up, but he caught her wrists with a harshness that belied the concern in his face and pulled her back. She struggled vainly to free herself. ?What real problem? I hadn?t though any of them were fake!?
?I think this is something beyond the calendar, beyond us living together, beyond Yuy, even beyond the world and its stupidity.? He motioned at the various psychology texts she had scattered over her bedroom floor the previous night. ?You do this every single night. You?re searching for something specific, aren?t you??
Relena looked away and muttered something under her breath.
Wufei gave up his hold on one of her hands to tip her face back to him. ?I didn?t hear you.?
She sighed, her eyes dropping and her free hand twisting the material of her robe. ?The voice is gone.?
?The voice,? he repeated deliberately. A bemused look crossed his face, and he released her completely, bending down to snag the nearest volume, a collection of artwork by schizophrenics. ?I think you?re the only person I know who?d be upset when the voices in her head went away.?
?Not voices, not plural. Singular,? she bit out defensively, snatching the book from his hands.
?Did this voice sound like anyone you know??
Two spots of vibrant color burst into being high on her cheekbones.
?Well, well, is it someone I might know?? he inquired, leaning forward with eager curiosity lighting his eyes.
?Dorothy,? she whispered. ?Dorothy Catalonia.?
?And what did Dorothy tell you to do??
The blush expanded, turning her whole face cherry red. ?Jump Heero.?
A look of strain crossed Wufei's face at the monumental task of containing his amusement. ?And the voice is gone now that you have??
She nodded slowly.
?Well, that?s it then,? he remarked satisfactorily. ?You fulfilled the task so there?s no reason for you to still hear it.?
?Then it should have left three--? she cut off abruptly at his look of predatory interest.
?This job just keeps getting more and more interesting . . . Have you come up with a self-diagnosis?? He inclined his head significantly as the mass of reading material.
?To my satisfaction? No.?
?Maybe you?re just not acknowledging the whole truth of the matter then.?
She glanced at him warily. ?I?m not sure I know what you mean.?
He smiled wolfishly and leaned back on the bed. ?Permission to psychoanalyze you??
She raised one eyebrow. ?You?re hardly qualified. In fact you should stay as far away from Freudian psychology as possible,? she responded dryly before shrugging. ?Permission granted.?
He pulled his glasses out of a pocket and slid them on his nose before steepling his fingers, somehow managing to look a strange combination of dignified and ridiculous as he reclined on her exposed pink satin sheets. ?You were brought up in a conservative household, correct? Therefore I am right to assume that it was impressed upon you that things of a sexual nature are bad, wrong, wicked, undesirable, sinful, and all those other not nice adjectives that I don?t care to list right now. But you still thought about them, especially where Heero was concerned. And that made all those unflattering adjectives apply to you in your mind. So you subconsciously projected them onto a voice that is not yours, thus making them more acceptable to you because you convinced yourself that you weren?t really the one thinking and saying whatever it is they said. And don?t ever tell me; I don?t want to know.
?However,? he continued, ?your coping method had the unfortunate side effect of making you fear that you had gone crazy, and something you created as a manifestation of stress became a source of stress in its own right. Add in several years of pent up sexual frustration, and you have a formula for a nymphomaniac basket case. Which is of course what you were the day you showed up in my office with that disk. When you had sex with Heero you admitted yourself to be the carnal and wanton woman that you are thus eliminating the voice. It?s all in your mind. You created it and you have acknowledged that it is you thus absorbing it back into yourself. Now you simply have to deal with your sexuality openly and on your own terms, and you will eventually become an upstanding member of society with a normal sex drive.?
She stared at him silently for several long moments. ?You scare me,? she said at last, rising from the mattress. ?I can?t believe you?re really that perceptive. You have to making it all up, but I have to admit that the way you?ve explained it does make a kind of sense. And . . .I suppose it sounded like Dorothy because she was always uninhibited . . .?
Wufei watched her as she disappeared into the depths of her closet. Heero?s apparent indifference and the public backlash were starting to take their toll. Her skin was paler and marred by circles beneath her eyes, and, depending on her mood, she would either barely eat at all or gorge herself. Her work output had actually improved though. She had thrown herself into it wholeheartedly to forget the pain of multiple rejections.
Relena had essentially ceased all communication with Heero. All her contact with the ranks of Preventers supporting her went directly through Une or Wufei and Sally, who came directly below the commander in the hierarchy. Relena had never had any need to deal with the lower officers before, and she remained intelligent and aware enough that she realized she did not need to start now.
But she had not given in yet. Her eyes still sparked with fire and passion, and he was determined to keep it that way.
Let her get angry.
Anger was good.
Not necessarily anger with Yuy, but she needed a cathartic outlet, and Wufei was more than willing to provide one.
To fulfill that requirement and advance others in his own agenda and to her benefit, he had coaxed and developed their traditional infamous office rivalry into bouts of all-out war. The rest of the staff avoided them at all costs and moved very carefully when they had to come into contact with the volatile pair because there was no telling what spark would push their constant banter into a full-fledged screaming match.
He knew that those who worked with them in the main office were convinced that the sordid tales spattered across the tabloids and even some of the more reputable newspapers were false. Relena obviously was not playing around with other men. She did not need to when she was having such a passionate affair with her chief bodyguard. And Wufei had no qualms about allowing them to believe that, indeed he actively encouraged it. Let it spread among them. Let it trickle down the ranks to Yuy. Let him simmer and rage and suffer at what he thought was beyond his grasp. He would have sense knocked into his head soon enough. Both of them would. Even if Wufei had to bludgeon them himself.
A dangerous smile curled on his lips. He was looking forward to that part.
***
Wufei did not bother to glance up when Relena flung herself into the chair next to him and kicked her feet up in his lap. Nor did he deign to respond when Sally draped herself over his shoulders and snatched some food from his plate.
?Oh, look, the news.? She pointed helpfully with her chicken leg and inhaled sharply. ?Oh my . . .?
That, however, in conjunction with Relena?s startled gasp, did catch his attention. He looked up at the screen across the room, and his mouth tightened into a firm line. A flock of reporters had swarmed around a familiar dark figure and were thrusting microphones in his face.
?Mr. Yugen, is it true that the Vice Foreign Minister spent nearly an hour and a half in your office with no prior appointment??
?What is your relationship to the Vice Foreign Minister??
?Yo, Hiroshi, the world is dying to know, is she a screamer or a--urk!?
That particular reporter never got to finish his question since Heero?s hand closed around his throat, effectively cutting off his ability to speak. The Preventer officer lifted the hapless man and dangled him in the air, his face tight and his eyes burning. His words were low but clear and vibrant with barely restrained rage.
?Relena and I knew one another from boarding school. She found out that I had become a Preventer and came to welcome an acquaintance and catch up on old times. There is nothing more between us and there nev--?
Wufei cut the television off and turned to the young woman sitting rigidly in her chair. His brows lowered in concern. The anger had gone from her eyes and had been replaced by a dull sheen.
?Relena--?
?Just shut up, Wufei.?
***
Vodka is such an interesting beverage, Relena decided as she idly tipped her glass in the light. Like water, only much, much better. Clear, sparkling, virtually unfreezable, burning. It made her wonderfully lightheaded, warm. Rather like being with Heero had.
But that was the problem. She didn?t want to think about Heero . . . which was why she was drinking the vodka. Perhaps she just hadn?t had enough of yet. Or enough of the cognac and brandy also sitting on the low table. The fruity drink in the pretty little decorative bottle was relatively untouched, but it was too feminine, too womanly. She didn?t want to feel particularly womanly. Feeling womanly was what had gotten her into this mess.
?You?re acting pathetic,? Wufei remarked dryly from his position on her sitting room couch. ?Destroying your liver because a guy won?t look at you.?
?Won?t look at me? Hah! He thinks I?m a whore. What would you know anyway?? she returned grumpily, setting her glass down and facing him. ?I?m sure rejection is a common occurrence for you, arrogant asshole that you are, but I am unaccustomed to it.?
?I?ll have you know that I am a sexual being too,? he responded smugly.
?You?? she laughed. ?You?re nothing more than a voyeur! I?m sure the women are just falling all over you.?
?You disagree then??
She walked toward him, hips swaying and settled herself astride his lap. Her fingers tangled themselves in the dragon?s tail at his neck and pulled his hair free. ?If I do will you prove me wrong??
Wufei snorted. ?Such witty repartee sounds like some of the drivel from one of Sally?s romance novels.? He arched his eyebrows. ?Be careful or I?ll think you want me.?
Her hands skimmed his face, playfully tugging at the glasses perched on his nose. ?Maybe I do. You?re cute like this.? Surprise covered the slurred words.
?Relena, you?re drunk,? he stated firmly, catching her wandering hands with his.
?So??
?So you?re not thinking--or acting--normally,? he replied grimly, shifting her off his thighs.
Bloodshot blue eyes stared up at him accusingly. ?What? You think I?m damaged goods too? All men are the same! Your damn fragile egos can?t handle the thought of a woman who?s had a lover before you! Pure as the fucking driven snow?!? she screamed. ?Is that what you want? Are we back in the damn Dark Ages?? She jerked to her feet and barked snidely, ?Shall I go fetch my dowry??
He watched her sway on her feet. ?I?m still not sleeping with you.?
Relena stalked away. Her voice came again from the next room, suddenly small and timid. ?Wufei? I think I?m going to be sick.?
And she proceeded to do just that.
***
Wufei sighed wearily as he took one last sweeping glance of the room. The sun was just beginning to tinge the sky with rosy gold, and he would be free to catch a few hours of sleep in about five minutes. And he desperately needed that sleep. It was distasteful work cleaning up after a sick woman.
A quiet knock sounded at the door, and he opened it to reveal a servant laden with a breakfast tray.
?This is what you requested, sir.?
Wufei eyed its contents: several pieces of toast with butter and jam on the side; a cup of coffee, black, with little cream and sugar pots set considerately nearby; and two glasses of ice water. He nodded curtly. ?Put it on the table and leave.?
The maid did as he demanded and scurried away. Wufei pulled a bottle from his pocket, shook out two small white pills, and placed them next to the coffee. He propped a hurriedly scribbled note against the tray and pulled the curtains closed again, leaving Relena?s quarters as the first beepings of her alarm filled the air.
***
Relena stirred sluggishly.
?Infernal racket . . . Oh, my head,? she moaned, one hand blindly emerging from the covers and batting at the alarm. It fell from the nightstand with a crash that reverberated in her skull but at least the beeping stopped. Relena struggled out of bed, her body unusually clumsy and heavy feeling. Her head felt thick, like it was shrouded in a cottony haze, but it pounded steadily in time to her beating heart.
She dragged herself into her sitting area and toward the breakfast table as was routine although simply the thought of food made her feel nauseous. Vaguely she wondered at the lack of usual early morning sunlight, but decided that it was probably for the better.
Relena sank heavily into her accustomed chair, staring at the simplicity of the meal before her in puzzlement. A rectangular white shape near her right hand caught her attention. It made no sense in context with her breakfast. Her mind could not seem to wrap itself around the enigma of that foreign presence.
Her fingers closed around it hesitantly and tingled with recognition upon encountering its surface. Paper. It was paper. Why would someone put paper on her breakfast tray? Despite her muddled state of mind, Relena was quite certain that she did not eat paper.
She picked it up and studied it. Wufei?s handwriting, immaculate and precise, the kind people paid to have engraved on important documents, flowed in large letters across the center of one side. Two words.
Foolish woman.
And all the blurry, fragmented images of the night before clicked into place. Drowning herself in liquor. Ranting. Raving. Practically throwing herself at Wufei. And she had been ill . . . She frowned. Everything after that was still blurry, but she caught flashes. Strong arms wrapped around her bare waist as icy water beat at her skin from above. A shower? More water tipped to her lips. A voice compelling her to drink. Softness and darkness and warmth. A hand stroking damp hair from her face. Covers tucked over her as she lay on her stomach.
?Oh, dear heavens,? Relena breathed in horror, popping the aspirin in her mouth and gulping them down with the bitter coffee.
***
?You have to let me in eventually.?
?No, I don?t!? she responded crossly, trying to ignore the steady pounding on her door.
?I come bearing gifts,? he called enticingly.
?I don?t want them!? Desperation and shame tinged her voice, and she hated herself for it.
There was a pause. ?Are you exceptionally fond of this door?? he inquired conversationally.
Relena?s eyes widened in horror, and she rushed to unlock and yank open the ornately carved wooden door. ?Do you realize how old this door is?! How long it?s been here?!?
?Time for a new one then,? he shot back, pushing his way past her.
She followed him into the sitting room, wringing her hands anxiously. ?Wufei, about last night . . .?
?You were drunk,? he interrupted bluntly. ?Your judgment was impaired and you were not considering the consequences of your actions.?
?I?m so ashamed.? She sank down on the settee, covering her face with her hands.
?Good, you should be.? He smirked at her when she raised startled, tear-filled eyes to his. ?I never expected to have to defend my virtue from you.?
She frowned. ?Now you?re just making fun of me. I really do feel terrible.?
?That?s just the hangover. It?ll be gone in a day or so.?
?Wufei! I mean it!?
?I know.? He gifted her with a rare, genuine smile. ?That?s why I brought these. Consider them a peace offering.?
She eyed the plastic bag he held out for her warily.
?Just take it,? he ordered impatiently, shaking the bag in front of her face.
She glared at him, but reached out obligingly. Relena drew her hands back quickly in surprise. ?It?s cold!?
Wufei sighed wearily, sitting beside her on the settee. His hand fished into the crinkling bag, emerging with a plastic spoon which he presented to her with great ceremony. Then he pulled out a small tub covered in frost.
?Ice cream?? Relena breathed in disbelief as she pulled off the lid. ?You brought me ice cream? You wonderful man.?
?Death by Chocolate,? he confirmed with mock solemnity. ?Sally claims its the second best way to die. And since she?s a medic I guess she would know.?
?What?s the first then?? Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with color as he sardonically lifted one eyebrow. ?Oh . . . never mind,? she squeaked.
?It?s recommended for the brokenhearted and downtrodden. I also have this.? He tossed a medium sized paperback in her lap.
Relena stared down at the bare-chested, well-muscled man and barely dressed woman practically melting off him that adorned the cover. ?What is it??
?A romance novel. I believe that particular type is known as a bodice ripper.?
?Well, yes, that much is obvious from the state of her clothing, but . . .?
?One of Sally?s. Quite humorous actually. Not as trashy as the cover might lead you to believe. More campy.?
?Sally really does have a collection of romance novels? And you read them?!? Her lips twitched suspiciously around her spoon.
Wufei affected to look affronted. ?Strictly for research purposes, of course. They?re about women, by women, for women. If I am to be surrounded by women all day, I should at least develop some knowledge of their completely illogical thought processes.?
Her eyes glittered as she inquired with exaggerated politeness, ?Is it working??
?Of course not.?
She erupted into gales of laughter, clutching the ice cream carton to her stomach as her body shook with mirth. When her giggles finally died away she brushed tears from her eyes. ?Thank you. I needed that.?
?I?m so glad you appreciate the humiliation I go through on your behalf,? he remarked sarcastically, producing another spoon and digging into the ice cream.
They sat together in companionable silence, idly passing the carton between them. Relena turned her head to him along the high back of the settee. She snorted softly. ?You know, Wufei, I think you?re the closest thing to a best friend that I have.?
?Aren?t I the fortunate one,? he muttered in response around a mouthful of chocolate.
Relena moaned, beating her head against the cushion. ?I?m so pathetic.?
?Now you realize what I?ve always said.?
She halfheartedly chucked a lounge pillow at his face. He caught the incoming cushion easily, stuffing it behind his head and shooting her a smug look from his slanted eyes.
?What do you intend to do about Yuy??
?Make him suffer,? she responded in a flippant tone. She sighed quietly and turned to him, her eyes solemn. ?I have to stop running and stop hiding from what I?ve done. It?s time to accept the consequences of my actions. I have to fix this, Wufei. It?s all my fault, and I have to make everything right again, make him right again. I owe him that much for all the trouble I?ve caused. I just wish I knew how to do it.?
?Very good. I?m relieved to know that in the future there won?t be a reoccurrence of last night. I don?t think I could handle another mess like that.? Open amusement colored Wufei?s words, and she glared at him, poking him in the arm with one well-manicured finger.
?Be serious for a moment! And since it?s your fault too you?re going to help me do it. That?s an order, Preventer.?
?Consider it done then.? Wufei mock saluted her before snatching the carton from her hands and digging in. He swallowed his mouthful and raised his eyes to the ceiling in a pleading gesture before rolling them. ?The things I do for job security.?
And secretly he smiled.
ohhhhh Wufei and Relena....bowchicabowwow
This is going to be SOOOOO much fun....
And there's more Wufei/Relena closeness before all is said and done so hopefully you'll be satisfied on all accounts. 
Relena wants to talk things out; Wufei wants to push Heero into action. And Wufei is an evil evil man. *remembers what he considers to be "drastic measures" and snickers* There will be screaming, crying, and verbal and physical fighting to come...and that's just in Heero's case. 