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A Home in Common	By : Michalyn Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2654 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
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."
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A Home in Common