Gundam Wing

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

Reluctant Companion

Chapter 16

Wufei accepted the towel Milliardo offered him and wiped his face and neck. Milliardo did the same then accepted the mug of small beer he was offered.

He took one sip and nearly gagged. "I'm taking care of the brewery today. This is foul."

Wufei sniffed at his and shook his head. "Yes, I don't expect to see you the rest of the day. You can't expect people to do without beer."

So Milliardo invaded the kitchen. Cook just announced that it was about time as they were almost out of beer and there wouldn't be more until the next batch was done.

"I need a helper. Someone who isn't afraid to get slimy. We have to scrub out that tun, soak it in clean water for several hours then I need some food safe cleaner. I'll see what Master has. While the tun is soaking, I'm going to go into the dungeons and find a cool place to put the brew house. I'll need a place with room enough for boiling the mash. That means ventilation. Any ideas?"

Cook settled at her small table at the side of the kitchen. A table set so she could see the entire kitchen and talk to someone at the same time. "Not really. I'm not sure exactly what you want. If you just wander the basements you'll find something, I'm sure. Only you know what you need. Just go on. Master Chang will let you have almost anywhere. He's got it hard for you."

Milliardo gave Cook a look that she compared to a deer in lamplight. "He ... has it for me? I'm sure you're mistaken. He puts up with me. I relieve ... er ... natural pressures. Nothing more."

Cook made a rude noise. "Well, he never needed relief in the four years he was here before you came. He never even so much as sniffed at a skirt. And don't tell me he's a lover of boys."
Milliardo just froze, had Wufei told anyone here? Was it supposed to be a secret? How mad would Wufei be if he told?

Cook laughed softly. "It's only an expression. Everyone here knows that Master Chang is in the way of men, not women. You be good to that boy. I don't know what happened to him and I don't think I want to. When he was brought here, he was hurt bad, all burned up. He's a good man and deserves a companion. You be good to him. You hear? Or else." Cook gave a firm nod and levered herself up from the table. "You head down below. Find you a place."

Milliardo got up and descended to the lower levels of the keep. He wandered for a little then decided he'd better get back up to start on the tun. He knew Cook had sent him below to get him out of the kitchen until preparations for lunch were done. He decided to go back up to see if he could help.

.

Cook sighed. She didn't know what to do with this man. He was noble, no matter what some pissed off queen said. Cook knew he wouldn't know the first thing about kitchen work and had shooed him into the depths of the keep to get him out of the way. He was a persistent thing however and was right back up the moment he realized what she'd done.

Milliardo saw the look on Cook's face and approached her rather hesitantly. "I know I'm not much use in a kitchen. I don't even know how to peal a potato. But I'm a fast learner and I should know how to make more than toast and tea. Please?" Milliardo put on the look that had never failed to break his nurse. It worked on Cook like a charm.

"Well, here then. I'll show you how to shell peas. Not much you can do to spoil them, unless you mash ‘em."

Milliardo was handed a bowl of peas and another empty one. Cook settled him at her table and showed him how to crack the seam of the pod and strip the peas out. He settled in to work, smiling happily. He got several puzzled looks and some sympathetic one's. Cook usually set this fiddly chore to someone who was in trouble.

Milliardo proved to be both quick and neat, shelling the peas in record time. Cook took the bowl and handed him another. He just started shelling again. Cook was impressed, most of the girls and all the boys would groan and roll their eyes.

Milliardo shelled peas until his hands ached. He was glad to be included in the kitchen group. Their sympathetic glances and shy smiles soothed something he'd never even known was sore.

"You done with that? It's the last bowl and I need it fair quick. Won't be done if I don't get them on soon."

Milliardo glanced into the bowl of unshelled peas. "I'll be done soon. That's all there are left."

The girl sat down opposite of Milliardo and reached into the bowl. "I'll just give you a hand. It'll go quick an' I can get them on to simmer."

Milliardo grinned. "That's how ignorant I am. What's a simmer?"

The girl frankly stared at Milliardo. "You don't know what a simmer is? Where did you grow up?"

"In a palace. I was taught completely useless things like how to play a harp. I can't cook. Do you think Cook would teach me? I need to learn how to make a few simple things for master."

The girl smiled. "A palace! That must have been ... wonderful. Even if you are a slave. All that beautiful stuff all around you. I'd love to see, just once." She shook her head, dashing away her imaginings. "Cook will teach you. I know she will. Poor Master Chang. Somethin' truly horrible happened to him. He's so sad all the time. And so lonely. Like he's afraid if he gets close to anyone something bad will happen. You be good to him, you hear?"

Milliardo nearly laughed. This was the second person to use almost exactly the same words. "Yes, I'll be good to him. I swear."

.

Cook handed off the last dish to go out to the dining hall. The keep was small enough that everybody gathered in the huge main hall to eat. Trestle tables were set up and taken down for every meal. Milliardo realized that Wufei didn't sit at the high table. He ate in the apothecary almost exclusively. That was going to have to change.

Milliardo knew that Wufei was just retiring by nature and didn't realize that he was robbing the people of a chance to approach him privately. This was bad as it forced people to bring matters best handled privately into the public audiences. He resolved to have a word with him about that as soon as possible.

Milliardo put these thoughts aside and approached Cook. "I'm ready to start on the tun. I'll scrub it out good, fill it with clean water and leave it to soak. Probably over night. While that's setting, I'd like someone who knows the lower levels to guide me. I'll be lost forever otherwise."

Cook nodded. "Fine. I've got some stuff that Master Wufei made to soak the kraut jars in. That'll do the trick. He said to rinse them twice. If you take my advice, you'll scrub out the tun and let this stuff do its work. Then come back tomorrow and rinse it again then set it to soak while you set up the rest of the brewery."

Milliardo had a rather blank look on his face while he listened to Cook. She started to say something but Milliardo seemed to ‘snap' back to attention. "Sorry. I know I look like I'm not paying any attention, but I am. I swear I am. That's a good suggestion. I'll take it gladly. Who do you think I can get to help me?"

Cook picked at her lip for a moment. "Well, I'll send Jem. He's a good steady older man. He knows most of this keep like the back of his hand. He might even be able to lead you right to the best place. Or at least have a suggestion or two. Here. Let's go find him."

So they went in search of Jem. They found him in the scullery scraping the scraps and gravy out of a large pot.

"Jem, here, give that over. I've got something more important for you to do. Take Milliardo here and go find a new brewery. The reason the beer is sour is because the tun is off and the brew house too hot. Or so Master Milliardo says."

Milliardo winced, "I'm not a master. I'm only a slave. It won't do me any good to forget it."

Cook just snorted. "You're a slave like I'm an Abadonion dancing girl. Get along with you."

So they got.

First they scrubbed out the tun. Milliardo set Jem to hauling hot water for him. He actually stripped naked and got into the tun to scrape the scum riming the edges. He scraped all the scum out and dumped it into buckets to be hauled to the refuse pile. Jem had to tie a cloth soaked in vinegar around his nose to keep from gagging.

When Milliardo was done scraping, they washed the whole thing down with hot soapy water and filled it to the brim with more. Milliardo used one bucket of the water to clean the mess off himself. Jem calmly handed him a towel to dry off with. Milliardo thanked him and dressed before Cook could catch him naked.

Cook came in with her precious jar of cleaner. She tossed in a handful and Milliardo mixed it in with a stirring paddle. He thanked Cook then told Jem they were done there for the moment.

"Now we look for a new brewery. Jem? Any ideas?"

Jem ran a hand through his sandy hair and nodded. "A few. I'll show you."

They spent the better part of the rest of the day examining room after room. None of them were right. Either there was no access to water, or there was no ventilation, no way to get the ingredients in, or something. It was always one thing or another. Or a combination. Milliardo finally gave up for the day, discouraged as Jem said they were running out of places.

Then Milliardo remembered the cistern room under the apothecary.

"Jem, come with me. I'm so stupid. I may have the perfect place."

Jem followed Milliardo into the apothecary and down the stairs. These stairs were hidden in the wall of the building. They were wide and shallow, perfect for bringing down the sugar, grain, and hops. Pumping water into the cistern would be the task of moments.

"If the flooring is strong enough to hold the tun and stacks of ingredients, we'll be in good shape."

They checked the flooring, the heavy beams that supported the slate tile flooring were firm and strong. Milliardo examined the out flow pipe and declared that it could be used to carry away all the waste water from the operation. Jem agreed and said that the stairs were even wide enough that they could get the tun in without unbanding it.

When they approached Wufei, all he said was he'd better not smell fermenting beer in the residence. Milliardo agreed with him. The smell could become powerful enough to make them ill.

"I'll make sure we don't smell it. I'm not fond of an over dose of that stench. If the smell gets too pervasive, I'll just have to find somewhere else. It won't make me happy but I'll do it if I have too. I don't intend to walk around stinking of beer all the time."

Wufei smiled at Milliardo and motioned to Jem. "Cook send him with you?"

"Yes, and he's been very helpful. We had to scrub out that tun and it was a real bitch. He never complained once. Cook put some of your cleaning powder in it. I'd like for you to compound me a cleaning solution for the brewing. If you don't keep everything clean, the tun will turn again. And I don't fancy having to get a new one. As it is, this one may be ruined, if it is, we have to get another. And they're expensive. I don't intend to waste our resources by being sloppy." Jem nodded his agreement in the back ground.

Milliardo smiled at Jem. "Can you come here tomorrow morning after our workout and help me move that tun? If you could find three or four more men to help it would be greatly appreciated."

"Sure thing. I'll get them together right after breakfast. We can watch your workout then see to the set up."

Jem left whistling and Milliardo sighed. "Heavens, I'm tired. And ... is it time for supper yet?"

Wufei nodded. "Just about."

"Good because I'm starved. Lunch was kitchen stuff. Very good, but I sort of swallowed it standing."

Wufei just laughed. "We'll eat in."

Milliardo seized his opportunity and told Wufei that they should eat in the great hall and why. Wufei sighed, admitted that he hadn't thought of that and said that he'd be sure to eat in the hall at lest once every other day.

"Will that satisfy you, my pushy slave?"

Milliardo gathered Wufei into his arms and kissed him. "Yes ... do you really think I'm pushy?"

Wufei nodded leaning against Milliardo's chest. "Yes, but only when you think it's something important. And you're right. I never thought of that. My people don't do it. If you have a problem you go to formal court and present it. No arguments and no privacy."

Milliardo unashamedly cuddled Wufei, who just sighed.

"Do you think I'm going soft?"

"You, soft? No. There's nothing wrong with a little comfort, even for you. Master Dragon."

Wufei snorted.

.

The meal wasn't as bad as Wufei had feared. Milliardo stood behind him and served him with considerable skill. Wufei remarked on it and Milliardo leaned down to whisper in his ear. He smiled back at the proffered treat of a bed time story.

Milliardo neatly plucked the dirty plate from in front of Wufei and handed it off to a maid. He then placed the next course before him. Wufei looked at the baked chicken without interest.

"I'm full. What am I supposed to do with that? I don't want it but I don't want to insult Cook either."

Milliardo leaned over Wufei's shoulder so he could speak in his ear. "Just wave it away. I'll take it back into the service area and eat it myself."

Wufei stiffened as he realized that Milliardo couldn't eat and wait on him at the same time. "Milliardo, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. This sort of thing makes me nervous. Sit, eat."

Milliardo gave Wufei a shocked look. "A slave sitting at the high table? Are you out of your mind? The scandal will ..."

Wufei stood up and hammered on the table for attention. "Quiet!" The silence was absolute. "Thank you. I want my man to sit at table with me. Does anyone object?" The look in Wufei's eyes said that there had better not be. Wufei glared around the room then settled back in his chair. He looked over his shoulder at Milliardo. "Sit! Eat!"

Milliardo settled carefully in the chair next to Wufei. He helped himself to the chicken, some vegetables from a bowl near by and a hunk of bread. He ate neatly and slowly. Wufei watched Milliardo for a moment then turned his attention to the room. No one seemed to object to Milliardo sitting at the high table.

They finished their meal and Wufei sighed with relief that no one had wanted anything. He wasn't bothered by the thought that someone might want something. He just wasn't good at giving advice on personal matters, which was why he avoided this sort of situation. He could advise Heero, Duo and Quatre. Trowa never seemed to need advice. But he wasn't about to try to advise people he didn't know.

He and Milliardo escaped to the apothecary, nearly sneaking out.

.

It didn't take long for them to bathe and get ready for bed. Milliardo turned down the bed then asked Wufei, "Do you want to read the chapter here or at the table downstairs?"

Wufei considered. "Either. I'd like for you to rub in a lot of cream tonight. My feet feel so much better. I think in the bed. I can read while you give me my massage. If that's all right with you."

Milliardo nodded. "I'll fetch the cream and some towels. If you'll get the book and get settled?"

Wufei just headed for where they'd left their book.

Milliardo arranged his towel and helped Wufei get settled. He rubbed in cream and listened to Wufei read in his cultured calm voice. It sounded warm and comforting. He sighed.

Wufei looked up from the book. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. In fact, I don't remember being so all right for a long time. Is the chapter almost done?"

Wufei paged through to find the end of the chapter. "Yes, only two more pages. Then I'm going to sleep. I'm bushed, as Trowa would say."

Milliardo gathered up his things and went into the bathroom, Wufei continued to read raising his voice a little so Milliardo could hear. Milliardo dumped his towel into the hamper and put the jar away.

"You need to refill the jar tomorrow."

Wufei closed the book, he'd finished reading at last. "All right. Are you going to move the tun tomorrow?"

"Yes, you want to come watch?"

"Come to bed. I'm tired and the bed is cold. ... Yes, I believe I will. I have to check on that boy, but I'll come to watch after that."

Milliardo crawled into the bed and settled beside Wufei. Wufei rolled over and snuggled against him. Milliardo wrapped an arm around Wufei and promptly fell asleep.