Diversion #19 Ii kibarashi - Bus Stop
"You know, this wouldn't be necessary if you weren't still mooning around like a lovesick tomcat," said Trowa mildly.
"Nothing stopped you from calling," Wufei muttered half-heartedly.
"It was your turn."
"Yeah... well... You should know better by now," he snapped.
"I should know when you're about to have a brainfart? I don't remember initialing that line in my job description." Trowa crouched down, wrapping his long tail around him, trying to keep his toes warm. The metal bench was cold, but at least it was dry. His eyes were no more than emerald slits against the wind. The rain was coming down like a damn monsoon, except that it was cold as ice.
At least the Were-Dragon could float, and thank Bastet that the bus shelter actually *sheltered*.
"Where *is* that damned bus?" Wufei muttered, ignoring Trowa's remark. The least he could have done was remember to ask. If he had just asked Wufei if he had called in, Wufei would have remembered, and called in. Who the hell knew that it would open up and pour down, and that all the teleporters would be booked solid for three hours?
"When is the bus scheduled to be here?"
"About five minutes. It may be late with this weather."
"This is so demeaning..."
"Lots of people take the bus, Wufei."
"*People* take the bus."
"Chauvinist," Trowa muttered under the cover of a snort. The Dragon was peeved at himself, embarrassed at forgetting to reserve a porter.
"Don't sweat it, Fei," he said after a minute. "You'll be able to drive tomorrow."
Before Wufei could think of a suitable rejoinder, a woman came rushing up to the shelter, her umbrella tilted against the wind-driven rain.
As she shook the water off her umbrella and furled it loosely, Trowa scootched himself to the far end of the bench, to make room for her to sit. "Are you waiting for the three-eighteen?" he inquired politely. "It seems to be running a little late."
"I'd be surprised..." she began in a strong voice that petered out to nothing as she turned and saw the enormous mountain lion crouched on the bench not two meters away. She froze. She stared. She swallowed.
There was an odd noise from the corner where Wufei hovered fastidiously above the wet pavement. It sounded suspiciously like a snort. The Were-Dragon managed to contain it for once as Trowa's ears swiveled his direction.
"The bench is quite dry," Trowa ventured hoping she wouldn't make a scene. One bout of dealing with an over-eager game warden was quite enough, thank you.
The woman blinked.
Wufei rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Good god, onna! Haven't you ever seen a Were before?"
Her head snapped around and she gulped at the sight of the Five-Toed Imperial Chinese Were-Dragon hovering behind her.
"Oh, there's the bus!" interjected Trowa desperately. "Wufei, you do have money, right?"
"Oh, sure; *now* you ask me!" he grumbled, but he flicked his hand and conjured the bus fare from his otherspace.
The bus shuddered to a stop in front of the shelter, its doors flinging open.
Trowa stood up and waved a front paw. "After you, miss," he offered politely. The woman nodded as if in a trance and scurried onto the bus. Trowa leaped from the bench through the open door, pausing to say good morning to the startled driver.
The bus driver blinked, stared and swallowed, reminding himself that there was a reason why he lived here, and if his in-laws could deal with... with talking lions, he could too.
Wufei floated over and through the door, bills in hand. Trowa padded down the aisle to the last seat.
"Is it still $1.50? Oh, good." Wufei fed the bills into the machine.
The driver cleared his throat. "Transfer?" he squeaked.
"Yes, please," called Trowa from the back of the bus.
Wufei shrugged. "What he said." Two small cards popped out of the machine and Wufei hooked them with his claws. "Thank you." He drifted down the aisle to join Trowa.
For a moment nothing happened. Both Weres looked back up the aisle. People on both sides and the driver were turned, staring open-mouthed at them.
Wufei huffed. "*What?*"
Heads snapped forward again. The engine groaned and the bus shuffled itself back into the flow of traffic.
Wufei settled onto the seat and turned to gaze out the foggy window. "I hate public transportation," he muttered.
"Next time remember to call for a port, dork."
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