Part 55
I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to ask Wufei personal questions. I finally decided to go ahead, but with the preface that if he didn't want to talk about it, I would understand.
I caught up to him on the way to the parking lot.
"Wufei!" He rotated in his floating position and his dragon countenance brightened.
"Duo, my adored friend! Where's Heero?" He looked past me, scanning the area.
"I slipped out because I want to ask a question, and I don't want you to be mad at him, too."
He chuckled and petted my hair affectionately. "If you want to kiss me, the answer is always 'yes;' you know that."
"That's not the question."
He frowned. "Give me a kiss and you can ask me anything," he said slyly.
I laughed and kissed his long snout. "Okay! My question is, what's the problem between you and your family?"
He blinked. "Oh. Yeah. Well, I wasn't expecting that," he hedged.
He didn't look or sound angry, but I will be the first to admit that it's very hard to read emotions on reptilian faces. The subtleties are often lost in the smooth rigidity of the scales.
I hesitated briefly. "If it's none of my business, just tell me. I was just curious."
He settled to the ground and did his tail wrap thing, one claw tapping his snout.
"No, that's all right. It's better if you know anyway." He sighed and met my eyes. "My family is one of the oldest. They're important. They're very conscious of their status. They have... expectations. Currently, I do not meet their expectations."
I blinked. "You don't mean that they don't think you're good enough, do you?" Wufei looked at me oddly.
"They don't find me obedient enough," he clarified.
"Why?"
He shrugged. He was playing with the spiked end of his tail. "I'm the middle son. There are certain duties attached to being the second son. I choose not to take up those duties. My elder brother has married and produced several heirs; the succession is firmly assured. My younger brother was married for political alliance and my sisters wed for the same reason. Much as I enjoy reading and learning, I have no desire at all to be manacled to some female I've never seen before, only to sire a pack of irrelevant brats and take a position as Clan historian and spend the rest of my life in a library." He spread his arms wide. "I like being here and doing what we do. I'm good at it. I like my friends. I like my life. But as long as I 'neglect my duty' my family shuns me." He shrugged carelessly. "I don't particularly give a shit."
For a moment, I couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him in a hard hug. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
He wrapped arms and tail around me. "Oh, my god! If it gets you to hug me, you can ask me anything!" he laughed.
A loud throat clearing broke us apart. Trowa sat nearby, head cocked to the side and his ears twitching like radar dishes.
"You got a death wish, dragon?"
"Crap! Make some noise, Trowa!" exclaimed Wufei. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"You'd rather Heero caught you with your hands on his Banshee?" he countered with a snort.
"I started it," I said before they could really get going. "Payment for a rude question."
Trowa padded over to us. "I know; Heero told me you were curious."
I looked at him, then at Wufei. "Umm.... Okay, I guess. Wufei, I'm sorry; I just needed to know."
He gave me a toothy grin and swiped his long lizard tongue over my face. "Apology accepted," he laughed. "It's just the way things are." He lifted off the ground again.
I wiped at my damp face. "Yeah. I know how it feels, Wufei."
He shook his head. "Nobody knows how it feels, Duo."
It was my turn to shake my head. "Trust me, Wufei; I know how it feels.
He gave me a look, but I was saved from cross-examination by Heero's appearance. He tossed me the keys. "Why don't you drive, Duo; get some practice."
I started to turn and he was suddenly right there beside me, sniffing.
"Chang..." he growled.
Wufei flipped a paw in the air dismissively. "It's instinct, Heero. But since your dragon instincts are negligible, I'll let it go this time," he pronounced haughtily.
Heero glared, snarled and stomped off to the car. I glanced at Trowa, to see if he looked worried. I've found that if there's trouble brewing between Heero and Wufei, Trowa always knows. Right now, though, he looked perfectly serene and even a little amused.
Right then, I realised that it wasn't always about me, with them. Something else percolated merrily away under both their tough hides, something that made them both close friends and wary duelists. I couldn't stop my smirk, but I did have the presence of mind to hide it. I'd just have to figure out what that something else was.
I could hardly wait.
On to Chapter fifty-six