Gundam Wing

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing;. I just borrowed some of the characters. Rated: NC-17

Reluctant Companion

Chapter 4

Morning found both men grumpy for the same reason. Lack of decent sleep.

Milliardo knelt at Wufei’s side and waited to be fed. He was hungry and very thirsty. The gag dried his mouth out terribly.

Wufei unbuckled the strap and dropped the gag onto the table. He wished that Milliardo would just think before he spoke. He picked up a spoonful of cereal and poked it at Milliardo. Milliardo, who’s mind had been wandering, ducked it.

Wufei slammed the spoon down on the table. “Dammit! Do you intentionally do this sort of thing? Are you going to eat this or not?”

Milliardo stood up. “Obviously not! Excuse me. I’ll go prepare your bath.” Milliardo turned to go but caught the chain between his ankles on something and tripped. He managed not to fall into the burning fire place but he hit his head on the edge of the sink surround on the way down.

Wufei jumped up at once and hurried to Milliardo. He snarled, “Stay down. Fool. If you’ve injured your neck ...”

Milliardo, half dazed, just lay back down and tried to keep from throwing up. He succeeded by the skin of his teeth. Wufei checked carefully to make sure that Milliardo hadn’t broken anything. He hadn’t but he had a really nasty gash in his forehead where he’d struck it on the edge of the sink.

Wufei quickly collected what he needed then went back to Milliardo. Milliardo had eased himself into a sitting position and was trying to stem the flow of blood with a clean rag from the undersink basket.

Wufei took the rag from him and tossed it aside. “Let me see. Hold still” Milliardo cooperated, which made Wufei worry for his brain function. He didn’t worry long.

“Ouch! Just leave it. It’ll stop soon.” Milliardo tried to duck away from Wufei’s probing. Wufei promptly caught him by the chin.

“If you don’t hold still and let me fix that, it’ll leave a scar. Or get infected. The scar, I don’t mind; the infection, I do. Now be still.”

Milliardo held still. The feel of Wufei’s fingers on his chin left his flesh tingling strangely.

Wufei fussed, cleaned the wound and declared that it needed sewing. Milliardo held still while Wufei did the job with quick efficiency.

First he smeared some cream into the wound explaining that it would ease the pain and help prevent infection. Then he got Milliardo into the chair he’d so recently vacated.

Wufei then set out his instruments. He threaded a curved needle with fine silk thread all the way from Chin. Milliardo flinched a bit when Wufei pinched the edges of the cut together but remained still otherwise. Wufei put two neat stitches in the cut then dusted it with some powder from a small packet. He riffled through a box containing all kinds of similar packets each with a strange mark on it.

“Drink this. It tastes like ... boiled grass, Duo says.” Wufei mixed another powder into some warm water while he spoke.

Milliardo drank it with a grimace. “I just hope it stays down. I feel a little nauseous.”

“Let me take a look at your eyes.” Wufei tipped Milliardo’s face up to the light. He looked into his ice blue eyes and sighed. “One pupil is a tiny bit larger than the other. You’ve got a concussion. You’ll have to take today off chores and possibly tomorrow as well. Go lay down.”

Milliardo stood up, found his blanket and lay down on the floor beside the sink. He expected Wufei to chain him to the ring in the floor. But it was gone. Milliardo looked around and couldn’t even see a sign of where it had been removed. He decided his head ached too much to think about it now.

Wufei came back to see what was taking Milliardo so long. When he saw Milliardo laying on the floor, he blew up.

“Ay ya! What are you doing? Get up from there. You’re injured and I won’t have you sickening because you were laying on a cold stone floor.”

Milliardo got himself back to his feet. He swayed for a moment then steadied himself. “Lead the way ... as I’m not sure where you want me.” Milliardo managed not to stagger by leaning on the walls.

Wufei led the way to his rooms. There was a small side room, obviously a servants chamber. It contained only a bed and a small trunk. Wufei pointed to the bed.

“Go to sleep if you like. I’ll be up to wake you in one candle mark. You can’t sleep more than that until I’m sure your brains aren’t scrambled.”

Milliardo just dropped on the bed with a grumble, he was asleep before he could form a coherent remark.

Wufei was true to his word and woke Milliardo on the mark, every mark, for a candle. At first he was grumpy and buried his head under the pillow or blanket but after the forth or fifth awakening he managed a coherent answer when Wufei asked him questions.

Finally he had to ask, “Why are you being so kind to me? I’m nothing but trouble to everyone. I ... I find that ... never mind.”

Wufei gazed at Milliardo for a moment then sat in the chair beside the bed. “You find that I’m not like the sycophants that you are used to. I insist that you do what is right, not what is convenient or easy. I am a prince of my people. I was raised much as you were I think. But a difference in character, luck or perhaps in teachers or servants made us different. I know honor, you know convenience. I know justice, you know administration, and there is a great deal of difference. You’ve always had your way and been catered to. I was taught from early childhood that I am the servant of my people. You were taught that if you wanted it all you had to do was take it. You’re spoiled, self-centered and foolish. I’ve told you this before and I’ll keep telling you until you learn or I lose my voice. Go back to sleep now.”

Milliardo didn’t go back to sleep. He thought again of all the things he’d been told and all the things he’d done. He’d been so sure that his ‘friends’ had been right. That Relena wasn’t fit to rule because she was female and young. That his right to rule was paramount because he was older. He’d been proven wrong. What else was he wrong about?

He lay there long after he should have been asleep.

The bed was comfortable and warm, the room quiet and sweet smelling. He wished his thoughts were as pleasant.

Wufei waited for Milliardo to wake up. He wanted to make sure that he was rested. He thought one of the reasons they were having so much trouble was that Milliardo was exhausted. He hoped that getting a really good night’s sleep in a real bed would make things better. He was to be rewarded.

Milliardo got up slowly, eyed the sun and snarled. He was going to try to get along with his master. If he could, maybe he could make something of this new life. His resolve was weak, he knew, but he was going to try. He had to. He had to know if he was as useless as ‘they’ said. What if he wasn’t worth anything? What if he couldn’t learn to care for anyone. What if? What if? He shook his head and dragged himself out of the bed.

He went into the bathing chamber and felt of the cans. The water was hot enough for a bath.

Thanking his luck that someone had banked the fire properly he called down the stairs. “I’m getting ready to pour your bath! If you don’t want it, tell me now.”

Wufei called back “I’ll be up soon. Pour the bath and set out towels, I’ll do the rest myself. Thank you.”

Wufei smiled to himself. Perhaps he was actually getting through to the sullen prince.

He climbed the stairs carefully, his feet were aching because he’d been standing too long. And climbing the stairs every mark on the mark hadn’t helped much. He was longing for the soak he’d promised himself last night.

As he climbed the stairs, Wufei considered what he had to do. He wasn’t pleased with some of it, but other parts were much to his liking. He could still hear his father telling him, “You are a son of the Clan of the Dragon. You make your own rules, just be sure they are one’s that you can keep.” Of course that had been wrong but he’d been young and taken it to heart. It broke when he realized that most of what he’d been taught to do was not what was actually practiced. He thanked his dishonorable ancestors again that Heero had found him when he did. And that he’d been able to do what he’d done.

Milliardo was waiting for him when he got to the bathing chamber. Wufei checked the arrangements then dismissed Milliardo with a simple ‘thank you’

Milliardo waited a moment then asked, “Is there anything else? I’m ... not sure what I should do.”

Wufei nodded to him. “That is fine. I don’t require anything else. Go clean my bed chamber. Make the bed, dust, put the furniture back where it belongs. If you’re not sure about something leave it and ask me when my bath is done.”

Milliardo nodded. “Very well. Call if you need me.” He turned to go then turned back. “I’ll try to do better.” He hung his head. “You’re the first person to be kind to me in a long time. Not without wanting something in return.”

Wufei looked at Milliardo for a moment. “I do want something. I want you to obey me.”

Milliardo gave Wufei a crooked little smile. “See? And who’s good is that for?” He left before Wufei could say anything else.

Wufei settled back in the bath and relaxed. He hated for anyone to see him. He was body shy and not ashamed to say it. As he reached for the sponge, he rose slightly in the tub. Just then Milliardo stuck his head in the door, remarking, “I’m not ... oh! Excuse me.”

Wufei plopped back into the tub with a splash. “Get out! Now!”

Milliardo only had a vague impression of golden skin and slender limbs, and something that bothered him. He assumed that it was seeing Wufei naked when he so obviously didn’t like it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I just. ... I’ll ask you later. Do you want anything?”

Wufei snarled, “Just your absence from this floor. Go down stairs and start cleaning up there.”

Milliardo just went. He wasn’t sure why Master Wufei was so upset by his intrusion but he was. And true to his vow, Milliardo intended to make amends.

His nighttime ruminations had had one outcome. Milliardo had promised himself that he would accept his position. He would do well in something for the first time in his life. Even if it was only learning to be a good and obedient slave. He was sure it was going to be a long, uphill battle. But he was going to make it. He was pretty sure the consequences of failure would be unpleasant in the extreme.

Milliardo struggled to accomplish the simplest tasks. He didn’t know how to dust, sweep, mop or do any of the things a personal servant should do. But he was going to learn. One, he didn’t want to be put back in the pit, the sensory deprivation had been awful. Two, he was proud enough that he hated failing at anything. Three, he realized that he’d been miserable in his old life. This new one was a fresh slate. Empty and clean, for him to write anything he wanted on.

Wufei got out of the tub and dried and dressed himself. He eased on the silk stockings and tiny black slippers. Then he tugged up the drawstring trousers, pulled on the tunic, over tunic and vest. He was ready to descend the stairs and take on a new day.

When he got to the kitchen area, which was actually just an exception of one of the laboratory tables, Milliardo was attempting to scramble some eggs. Or, rather, he was standing by the table with a frying pan in one hand and an egg in the other. He was gazing at the egg with a pissy expression on his face.

“What are you doing?” Wufei couldn’t help the slight laugh.

“Um ... scrambling eggs?” The bemused question in Milliardo voice made both of them chuckle. “Or I would if I had any idea how to go about it.”

Wufei gave Milliardo a sharp look but decided that he was being serious.

“Well, here. First you break the eggs into a bowl.” Wufei demonstrated how to break eggs then let Milliardo take over. Which he did with acceptable skill. He only got a little shell in it.

After breaking the eggs and whisking them with a fork, following Wufei’s instructions, Milliardo set the pan on the heat and after a moment held his hand over its surface to see if it was hot enough. When it was, he dropped a bit of butter into it and added the eggs. He stirred them as Wufei watched to make sure that he didn’t burn them. Milliardo obeyed him without protest, which made Wufei a bit suspicious but he kept his own council, accepting Milliardo’s attempts in the spirit they seemed to be offered.

No matter that Milliardo was truly trying Wufei refused to let him make the toast or the tea.

They ate their meal in companionable silence.

Wufei stood up when he’d finished his tea and announced that he’d be out of the house most of the day. “I have things I must do in the village. I’ll send someone to teach you how to perform your duties. Try not to scare them half to death.”

Milliardo nodded, really nothing more than a quick jerk of his head. “As you wish.” He gave Wufei his back.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Milliardo shrugged one shoulder sullenly.

“It is something or you wouldn’t be acting like a petulant child.”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

Wufei hid his smile. “Because I’m going into the village to examine a pregnant woman. I’m very sure that she won’t appreciate me bringing another man.”

Milliardo bit his lip. “I’m ... sorry. Who’s coming to train me?”

“Cook. And do not try your tricks on her. She’s been head cook here most of her life and she’ll ... well, I’m not really sure what she’ll do. I’ve never tempted her displeasure.”

Wufei let Milliardo pack his bag for him so that he’d know what to do next time it was needed. Then he left, cautioning Milliardo again against touching the equipment on the tables.

Milliardo just nodded and watched the smaller man as he walked away, carrying his bag in one hand. He noticed that Wufei was limping slightly. He wondered if Wufei had bruised his foot on his hard head.