Challenge #287- Hunger
Title: Alternatives to Sugar
Author:grevola aka aceofshrubs
Rating/Word Count: PG-13, 998
Pairings/Warnings: Catherine, Wufei, and Middie, mentions of casual sex, possibly OOC, unbetaed.
Notes: Written for the gw500 prompt “hunger”. I don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters. I also don't know who to blame for this, so I guess you can blame me :P
Wufei Chang traveled extensively. He'd given up on having an apartment of his own a couple of years previous, when he realized he was lucky to spend to nights in it a month. Instead, he'd boxed up those things he didn't want to part with and stored them in a carefully locked shed to the back of Duo's scrap yard. For the most part this suited him just fine, as he had little time for books or hobbies less portable than his martial arts.
The one thing he had come to miss and crave was good cooking. Eating out of cafeterias and restaurants, no matter how nice or how homely, was never as good as a meal where you could watch the vegetables go from wash bin to cutting board, from pan to plate. Which was why he was standing outside a nondescript travel trailer juggling a bag of groceries and a bottle of wine as he knocked on the door.
It took Catherine long enough to answer he began regretting not calling ahead. Just as he was feeling that she must be out, and he must look like an idiot standing on her stoop with a sack of produce, the door was opened by a pretty blond. For a moment he wondered when Une had bleached her hair, but then the woman moved and the resemblance vanished. She stared at him for a long moment, and he realized she was waiting for some explanation. “Is, ah, Catherine in?”
She didn't take her eyes off him as she called into the rest of the trailer, “Hey Cathy? Are you expecting a grocery delivery?”
There was a rattling noise from inside, followed by what might have been muttered cursing, “No, why?”
“There's a Chinese guy here with wine and a baguette.”
“Wufei!” Her curly head appeared over the blond's shoulder, “Come in! You've got great timing!”
Wufei let his gaze move slowly between one woman and the other, but when the stranger moved out of the door way he decided it was safe enough to enter the trailer. He wasn't scared of strange women, as a rule. At least, not when he was within a colony of Sally Po.
“Hello Catherine. I don't believe I've met your friend?”
“Wufei, this is Middie, Middie, this is Wufei. He stops by sometimes and I fix him dinner.” Cathy was already pulling the groceries out of his arms and sorting through what he'd brought.
The blond raised an eyebrow, “Another one of your strays? Cathy, you've got to stop feeding every young man who gives you puppy eyes. You'll never get a moment to yourself.”
Wufei started to protest that this wasn't at all what was going on. He had an agreement with most of the people he knew who had permanent residences. If he was in the area he would stop by with groceries and news, and in exchange they share a home cooked meal. And in one or two cases, often a bed as well.
“Oh quiet, you're just jealous because I found him first and he has a nice ass.”
Wufei could feel the back of his neck and the tops of his ears burning. He tried not to splutter or let anything show on his face, but Middie was plenty observant and started laughing. It was quite an attractive laugh, a little low and a little richer than he would have expected. He might have joined in, if he weren't the source of her amusement.
“I didn't realize I was serving as your eye candy,” he managed. “I should start demanding desert as well.”
Cathy glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous grin, “Well, I was going to make some desert for Middie anyway. You're welcome to join us.”
This time it was Middie who pinked, her fair skin wearing the flush quite well. Wufei was aware there was another meaning to Cathy's comment, but he couldn't decode it at the moment so he let it go. It didn't stop him from enjoying her discomfiture though.
“Now,” Cathy said, “is this rice a hint or a present?”
This was more familiar ground, “A hint. A three kilo hint, to be precise. I don't want any of your inedible soup.”
“Beggars can't be choosers, Wufei.”
“And beggars don't bring you smoked paprika, Catherine.”
~~~~~
Despite the unexpected company, it was a lovely dinner.
~~~~~
Wufei had excused himself briefly after the meal, but he could still hear the quiet voices in the living area, so he took his time washing his hands.
“What was that crack about inviting him for “desert”?!” Middie hissed.
“I did have friends before you, Middie” Catherine said primly, “besides, weren't you bemoaning the lack of men in your life?”
“I wasn't expecting you to do anything about it!”
“We don't have to,” he could picture Catherine's shrug.
“I didn't say I didn't want, I just wasn't expecting-”
He splashed a bit of water on his face as he realized exactly what the girls were discussing. It was true he and Catherine had an understanding, though he hadn't been by for a couple of months. And Middie was very- but, both? At once?! Best not to think on that too hard. He decided he'd stalled quite enough, and waiting until the conversation was completely over would look more suspicious than just wandering back. Getting to see Middie flustered again was entirely a coincidence.
“So Wufei, about desert?” There was something slightly evil about the look in Catherine's eyes, and she was reclining just so on the sofa. Middie was flushed again, and definitely giving him a once over. He was glad Sally had eventually hit him over the head enough times he could recognize the look for what it was.
“Yes,” he smiled, “let's talk about desert.”
Author:grevola aka aceofshrubs
Rating/Word Count: PG-13, 998
Pairings/Warnings: Catherine, Wufei, and Middie, mentions of casual sex, possibly OOC, unbetaed.
Notes: Written for the gw500 prompt “hunger”. I don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters. I also don't know who to blame for this, so I guess you can blame me :P
Wufei Chang traveled extensively. He'd given up on having an apartment of his own a couple of years previous, when he realized he was lucky to spend to nights in it a month. Instead, he'd boxed up those things he didn't want to part with and stored them in a carefully locked shed to the back of Duo's scrap yard. For the most part this suited him just fine, as he had little time for books or hobbies less portable than his martial arts.
The one thing he had come to miss and crave was good cooking. Eating out of cafeterias and restaurants, no matter how nice or how homely, was never as good as a meal where you could watch the vegetables go from wash bin to cutting board, from pan to plate. Which was why he was standing outside a nondescript travel trailer juggling a bag of groceries and a bottle of wine as he knocked on the door.
It took Catherine long enough to answer he began regretting not calling ahead. Just as he was feeling that she must be out, and he must look like an idiot standing on her stoop with a sack of produce, the door was opened by a pretty blond. For a moment he wondered when Une had bleached her hair, but then the woman moved and the resemblance vanished. She stared at him for a long moment, and he realized she was waiting for some explanation. “Is, ah, Catherine in?”
She didn't take her eyes off him as she called into the rest of the trailer, “Hey Cathy? Are you expecting a grocery delivery?”
There was a rattling noise from inside, followed by what might have been muttered cursing, “No, why?”
“There's a Chinese guy here with wine and a baguette.”
“Wufei!” Her curly head appeared over the blond's shoulder, “Come in! You've got great timing!”
Wufei let his gaze move slowly between one woman and the other, but when the stranger moved out of the door way he decided it was safe enough to enter the trailer. He wasn't scared of strange women, as a rule. At least, not when he was within a colony of Sally Po.
“Hello Catherine. I don't believe I've met your friend?”
“Wufei, this is Middie, Middie, this is Wufei. He stops by sometimes and I fix him dinner.” Cathy was already pulling the groceries out of his arms and sorting through what he'd brought.
The blond raised an eyebrow, “Another one of your strays? Cathy, you've got to stop feeding every young man who gives you puppy eyes. You'll never get a moment to yourself.”
Wufei started to protest that this wasn't at all what was going on. He had an agreement with most of the people he knew who had permanent residences. If he was in the area he would stop by with groceries and news, and in exchange they share a home cooked meal. And in one or two cases, often a bed as well.
“Oh quiet, you're just jealous because I found him first and he has a nice ass.”
Wufei could feel the back of his neck and the tops of his ears burning. He tried not to splutter or let anything show on his face, but Middie was plenty observant and started laughing. It was quite an attractive laugh, a little low and a little richer than he would have expected. He might have joined in, if he weren't the source of her amusement.
“I didn't realize I was serving as your eye candy,” he managed. “I should start demanding desert as well.”
Cathy glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous grin, “Well, I was going to make some desert for Middie anyway. You're welcome to join us.”
This time it was Middie who pinked, her fair skin wearing the flush quite well. Wufei was aware there was another meaning to Cathy's comment, but he couldn't decode it at the moment so he let it go. It didn't stop him from enjoying her discomfiture though.
“Now,” Cathy said, “is this rice a hint or a present?”
This was more familiar ground, “A hint. A three kilo hint, to be precise. I don't want any of your inedible soup.”
“Beggars can't be choosers, Wufei.”
“And beggars don't bring you smoked paprika, Catherine.”
~~~~~
Despite the unexpected company, it was a lovely dinner.
~~~~~
Wufei had excused himself briefly after the meal, but he could still hear the quiet voices in the living area, so he took his time washing his hands.
“What was that crack about inviting him for “desert”?!” Middie hissed.
“I did have friends before you, Middie” Catherine said primly, “besides, weren't you bemoaning the lack of men in your life?”
“I wasn't expecting you to do anything about it!”
“We don't have to,” he could picture Catherine's shrug.
“I didn't say I didn't want, I just wasn't expecting-”
He splashed a bit of water on his face as he realized exactly what the girls were discussing. It was true he and Catherine had an understanding, though he hadn't been by for a couple of months. And Middie was very- but, both? At once?! Best not to think on that too hard. He decided he'd stalled quite enough, and waiting until the conversation was completely over would look more suspicious than just wandering back. Getting to see Middie flustered again was entirely a coincidence.
“So Wufei, about desert?” There was something slightly evil about the look in Catherine's eyes, and she was reclining just so on the sofa. Middie was flushed again, and definitely giving him a once over. He was glad Sally had eventually hit him over the head enough times he could recognize the look for what it was.
“Yes,” he smiled, “let's talk about desert.”