Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Home in Common ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

I make no claim to any of the Gundam Wing characters. This story is written for my, and hopefully others' enjoyment and not for monetary profit. A huge thanks to Diane for the beta.

A Home in Common
by Michalyn

Chapter One of Five

Warnings: 13x5, 2+4
Rating: MA

 

Summary: A single father and widower, Wufei has built a loving home with his daughter, Yi Jie. As the little girl he once knew starts to grow up, Wufei is propelled into uncertain territory. He finds himself re-evaluating fatherhood, the meaning of home -- and most unexpectedly, falling into an unlikely romance.

Notes:

"Baba" is the Chinese equivalent of "Papa" and is a fond, affectionate name. (Thank you, Susan-chan for providing this info!)

 

o-o-o

Wufei lifted the cover of the bamboo steamer and removed the trout. Sampling it, he nodded in approval. The flesh was soft and flaky and succulent with the melded flavors of the ginger and rice wine he had added. While he waited for the vegetable oil to heat up, Wufei sprinkled scallions over the fish and moved to set the table.

"Yi Jie, dinner is ready," he called through the doorway.

"Coming!" His daughter thundered down the stairs.

Pouring the oil along the length of the fish, Wufei frowned. "No running in the house. You could easily fall down those stairs and injure yourself. You know--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know." Yi Jie grumbled. Sniffing the air she tugged on his shirt. "Smells good, Baba. Steamed fish?"

Wufei nodded. "Can you get the tea?"

"Okay."

Wufei watched as she reached into the cupboard for the pale green box and sprinkled a few tea leaves into one cup. The water was already boiling, and Yi Jie poured it into the cup with care. When she set it next to Wufei's plate, he looked up in surprise.

"Just one?"

"Yeah." Yi Jie rummaged through the refrigerator. "I'm having soda."

"No you're not." Wufei took his seat.

"But Baba."

"Yi Jie." Wufei's voice was firm. "These carbonated drinks are not good for you. I want you consuming healthy food."

His daughter made a face. "Baba, nobody says 'carbonated drinks' anymore," she informed Wufei, imitating his soft accent. She picked up her chopsticks and began shoveling rice into her mouth. "Only old people say that kind of stuff -- like 'pop' and 'carbonated drinks'," she giggled, mangling the words for emphasis.

Wufei inclined his head. "Even so, I will not have you drinking it for dinner. It is bad enough that we even have them in the house. If I had my way...."

"I know, Baba, I know." Yi Jie smiled. "I won't ask to have it with dinner anymore."

"Good." Wufei nodded. "How was school today? Have you done your homework?"

"Okay," Yi Jie murmured, pushing her fish around her plate. "Baba...."

"Hmm?"

"What's a period?"

There was suddenly no air going through Wufei's windpipe. Gurgling, he clutched at the tablecloth. His daughter rushed to his side and began thumping him vigorously on the back.

"Baba, are you all right?"

"I ... well ... you see...."

Wufei leaned back in his chair trying to force the breath back into his lungs. He gulped for air. "Yes...," his chest heaved, "I'm ... fine."

Gods, gods, gods. Why wasn't Meiran here for this? Wufei lamented. He missed his wife most in moments like these, not so much as a lover, but as his childhood friend. Meiran would have never been thrown off by their daughter's natural curiosity. Instead, where Wufei was left floundering, she would have known exactly how to respond to Yi Jie's questions.

At twenty, theirs had been an arranged marriage, inescapable given the traditionalism of both their families. They were expected to get married and have babies because that was simply the way it had been done for generations. No matter they were no longer in China; no matter that Wufei was even more unsure about his own sexuality than the prospect of marriage. They were young, and had not thought to rebel. Besides, if the duty was to be borne, who better to share it with than his closest confidante? Meiran knew his uncertainty regarding his sexuality and they both agreed it was best to have the grandchild their parents wanted first, so as to avoid any complications in the future.

Yi Jie was born one year later and they did not love her any less for the sense of expediency that had characterized her conception. She would be, they concurred, their first, and their last. Wufei was smitten with his new daughter, and though at night he and Meiran each returned to separate beds, it was with no sense of animosity. They understood each other. If there was love between them, it was a love of devotion and peace rather than passion. Wufei's spirit quieted; he began to look forward to the companionable years ahead. The road before them seemed to stretch smooth and furrowless for miles beyond the horizon.

Meiran's accident, only two years after their daughter's birth, hurtled Wufei's world into pain and confusion. Her death was so contrary to everything they had envisioned that he was left rudderless. Suddenly free of the very obligation he had once dreaded, Wufei felt cheated, spending months in the darkness of rage. Only Yi Jie's presence and the everyday responsibilities of fatherhood kept him sane. Only in the cooking, cleaning, feeding, the horrors of arranging daycare and the inevitable mishaps associated with being a single father at twenty three was it possible to forget. Then, unexpectedly, he woke up one day to discover that the pain had faded to a dull ache. He had a stable job at an insurance company, Yi Jie was five and somehow they had built a life for themselves.

It lent Wufei a strength he did not know he possessed.

After years of self-recrimination he finally had the courage to admit that, yes, he was attracted to men and was no less of a person for it. He spoke to his family, insisting that no, he would not be remarrying, and while they would stay in touch, moving away with Yi Jie was necessary and good. They settled down, bought a home and proceeded to live a quiet, uncomplicated life.

Until now.

Wufei stared at his daughter across the table. It had taken him some time, but he finally felt he was starting to get this parenting thing down. He was not ready for boys and puberty!

Yi Jie was fiddling with the tablecloth. "Also...." she flushed, keeping her eyes on her plate. "I want a bra." Her bottom lip was trembling and Wufei could see that the only thing keeping her from crying was pure force of will. Her own pain and confusion touched him and Wufei had to swallow past the lump suddenly rising in his throat.

He rose. Going to Yi Jie's side, he gave her an awkward hug.

"Can you give me some time to ponder this?" he asked gruffly, straightening his glasses. "I have to admit that you surprised me, and I am afraid that anything I say now would inevitably be the wrong thing."

Yi Jie looked up, uncertain, but her expression brightened. "You're sure?"

Wufei nodded. He suspected her greatest fear had been that she would be dismissed or ignored (which, in a fit of panic, Wufei had considered). He knew how difficult it was for her to broach such intimate subjects with a male, even one who was her father, and given the closeness of their relationship. Recognizing it, Wufei was humbled by her bravery. How could he respond with anything less than the same?

"I give you my word. Can we talk again tomorrow?"

"Okay. Thanks, Dad." She gave him a hug of the type Wufei had not received since she was a toddler, and patted him on the shoulder. After a minute, she cleared her plate away and excused herself to begin her homework. Standing in the doorway, Yi Jie hesitated on the way to her room.

"Hey, Baba?"

"Yes?" Wufei looked up.

"It's okay if you don't know the answer. We can learn together." Her look was sympathetic as though she had taken the measure of the situation and understood quite acutely Wufei's confusion.

Speechless, Wufei felt the blood rush to his face. How on earth was he supposed to respond to something like that? "Ah .. ahem ... well ... thank you." Wufei's voice was strangled.

"Night, Baba."

"Good night. I will come to check in on you shortly. If you complete your homework, perhaps we can watch that new movie we bought last week."

"Oh yeah? Awesome!" Her joyous whoop was immediately followed by the sound of clattering on the stairs.

"Yi Jie!"

"Sorry!"

Wufei lowered his head into his hands as he contemplated the day ahead of him. Sighing, he stood and began washing the dishes.

Gods help him, for surely he was going to need a miracle to face these new and turbid waters.

 

o-o-o

 

"And that," Wufei finished, "is my unenviable position at this moment." He lifted his head from the table. "She thinks I don't know."

"Do you know?"

"Duo!" Quatre chided as Wufei scowled.

"What?" the other man insisted. "I have to ask these things. Look at how flustered he is just talking to us." Duo downed his drink. "This looks bad, man. I don't think you're going to make it through the talk."

Quatre must have seen the look of panic on Wufei's face, because he quickly quieted his lover. "How old is Yi Jie?"

"Nine," Wufei mumbled dispiritedly. He waved the waiter over and ordered another drink.

"Well she is at about that age."

"I know, but that does not make this any easier. I have no experience with this kind of thing!" Wufei ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Wufei," Quatre said gently, "nobody does. I think all parents just learn as they go along. Besides, you've already set a very positive tone for this discussion. You listened to her and Yi Jie appreciates that. You'll do fine."

"Have you thought of getting some of those books for her? Judy Blume type stuff and you know the other I'm talking about," Duo inclined his head, "What Every Young Woman Should Know and that sort of thing. It might really help things go more smoothly. And if you really can't stomach it, you can always give them to her to read." He shrugged. "Not my first choice, but she has to get this information from somewhere, and at least you can make sure it's accurate."

"I visited the bookstore on Sunville Avenue today and the saleswoman there was kind enough to recommend novels by this 'Judy Blume' you spoke of, as well as some others." Wufei patted the shopping bag at his feet. "I picked those that I was told are most popular among young girls of Yi Jie's age. There were also some more practical youth-friendly guides about pubescence that seemed particularly fitting. I will not, however, merely hand them to her and leave her to read them on her own. It is my duty as her father to guide her through this very difficult stage." Wufei's mouth twisted. "Inevitably, these books cannot account for every young person's experience, and I will not have her tormenting herself because she does not fit the ideal portrayed there."

Duo smiled, his eyes fierce with understanding.

"Then, my friend, that is all any kid could ever ask for."

 

o-o-o

 

It did not go badly.

Smoothly, would have been a lie, but despite some awkwardness and a great deal of blushing on both their parts, Wufei thought they had done admirably. In the end, he was very glad he had not taken the coward's way out. Nor was it over yet. Today they were going brassiere shopping and Wufei did not know if he was any more prepared for this adventure than for explaining the intricacies of sex. Yesterday, though, had a fostered a new closeness between them that he was grateful for, especially given their current errand.

Yi Jie's face was wan as they crossed the department store parking lot and Wufei could tell she was nervous. He had expected her to pull away from him, but instead she clung to Wufei's hand, trailing shyly behind him. It was easy to get caught up in the challenges Yi Jie's burgeoning sexuality had thrust upon him, but his daughter's discomfort reminded Wufei that however unsettling this might be for him, it was no doubt doubly frightening for her. He knew he was not very good at expressing his feelings, but he hoped to make this experience as pleasant for her as possible.

Tightening his fingers around Yi Jie's small hand, Wufei led them through the entrance, the automatic doors closing with a whoosh behind them . He did not know whether they should be heading towards the juniors' department or the section housing women's lingerie. They had entered on the second floor and found themselves now in the perfume department where a clerk moved behind a counter littered with bottles half-filled with liquid, some the color of amber, others the crystalline hue of champagne. Yi Jie met Wufei's gaze just as he was about to ask the woman for directions, and her dark, pleading eyes were enough to dissuade him from his mission. Sighing, he patted her hand and took a detour left. He supposed there was nothing wrong with stumbling around for a bit. He had taken the day off specifically for this. There was no rush; they had all the time in the world.

Wufei and Yi Jie wandered about the mirrored aisles, and after a few twists and turns, were finally where they were supposed to be -- two floors up and surrounded by pastel decor and pictures of smiling young girls wearing clip-on earrings and bright clothing. They approached the rows of underwear and stared at the rack of girls' brassieres with its cryptic code of sizes. There were As, double As, triple As, even delicate bras labeled A-B.

And that was only the beginning.

Wufei could not begin to tell the differences between them. He knew they needed something small, but all the candy colored items dangling before him appeared equally so. Furthermore, beyond size, what else should they be looking for? he wondered. Some brassieres were light and stretchy, others soft with cotton lining, others still were formidable with stiff, rounded cups. In addition, there was an array of tank tops, vests and camisoles, some which claimed to have built in "coverage" and others that seemed like something a twenty year old might wear on her wedding night. Moisture condensed on the credit card Wufei was clutching in his palm. He felt Yi Jie's shoulders droop beside him.

"But Papa," a girl's bold voice echoed from the other side of the turnstile, "this is the size I bought last time. I really think we should go for something different today."

"Hmm. Do you really think so?"

Wufei watched as a man with honey-dark hair wandered over. The girl behind the rack stepped out to greet him, clutching a handful of hangers, and Wufei saw that father and daughter had the same vivid blue gaze.

The first thing he felt was immense relief. Here too, was another poor father as confused as he was. Swiftly behind that was a suppressed appreciation for the other man's attractiveness. Wufei frowned, deliberately tamping down his admiration. He had enough trouble without becoming besotted with unvailable men.

Wufei stepped forward, coaxing Yi Jie along beside him. The girl who had spoken was detailing a number of brassieres in rapid succession to the man before her and her father peered into her hands, confusion clear over his aristocratic features.

"I'm sorry Marie, but I haven't the faintest...."

"Pardon me, but we seem to be in the same predicament and I was wondering perhaps if you could help us." Wufei raised hopeful eyes as the other man turned to him. He really was quite attractive."Do you have any idea how to decipher these sizes?"

The other man's eyebrows shot to his hairline. His gaze traveled from Wufei to Yi Jie and his features relaxed into a smile. "I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest myself," he rumbled amiably. "Marie's aunt shopped with her last time and I'm woefully out of the loop." Wufei nodded, wondering how he managed to stay so calm.

"I believe this calls for an expert." The man peered over the aisles. He raised a hand to signal to someone and a saleswoman materialized at his side.

"Mr Khushrenada, how can I help you today?"

"These two ladies," Mr. Khushrenada indicated his daughter and Yi Jie, "need some assistance in choosing some intimate apparel. Can you advise us?"

"Ah, I see," the saleswoman nodded. She examined the items Mr. Khushrenada's daughter was holding then turned to Wufei. "Do you know your daughter's size, sir?"

Wufei shook his head, fiercely avoiding looking at his daughter's budding breasts. "I'm afraid I have never done this before."

She bent to Yi Jie. "Do you know your size, dear?"

Yi Jie's eyes were glued to her shoes. "No, ma'am."

"Never fear, a beautiful lady like you shall not go unassisted." Mr. Khushrenada shot Yi Jie a roguish grin. He ushered the two girls into the saleswoman's care. "Madam, will you help us?"

The saleswoman's smile said that she had been equally charmed by Mr. Khushrenada's easy words and Wufei watched with a mixture of relief and nervousness as she glanced at Yi Jie, rifled purposefully through the rack and led his daughter away -- brassieres in tow.

As they moved toward the dressing rooms, Marie turned to blow her father a kiss, which he responded to without hesitation, settling easily against the counter. Wufei realized he was still clutching his credit card and he returned it to his pocket with a sigh. Wiping his hands against his slacks, he extended his palm to Khushrenada.

"I don't think I had a chance to properly introduce myself. I'm Chang Wufei."