Author: Sami-pi
Pairing: established 1x2x1 and 3x4x3
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Timeline: post EW and okay, I'm lazy and I'm setting all 25 (if possible) drabbles into the same timeline/universe/setting. So if you haven't read the previous fics, the line goes like this: Quatre's CEO of WEI, Heero, Duo, Trowa, and Wufei are all Preventers, and they're all around 30ish. the drabbles will not be...interconnected, but you know... ^O^;;;
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing, its characters and its trappings, belong to Bandai, Sotsu, and... I was sure there was someone else in there... sorry! ^^;;; Anyway, this fic is not for profit, just for fun.
12:04
Wufei always went to this little mom'n'pop sandwich shop across the street from Preventers Headquarters. Though they offered a different daily special for each day of the week, Wufei always ordered the same thing: a broth-based soup and a chicken sandwich. Occasionally, when he was feeling particularly daring, Wufei would order a coffee too. It might not have been the most gourmet of lunches, but it was edible and it was cheap, so there Wufei was to be found everyday at 12:04pm sharp.
On Monday, Wufei ordered the minestrone. It was okay, but a little too much tomato in the broth.
On Tuesday, Wufei ordered the chicken noodle. It was okay, but there seemed to be more celery than chicken or noodles.
On Wednesday, Wufei ordered the Italian wedding. It was quite good.
On Thursday, Wufei ordered the beef barely. There was still more celery in it than warranted. More salt too. And Wufei thought that the "beef" looked and tasted an awful lot like cut up deli meat.
On Friday, Wufei strode up to the soup counter and was astonished to see one cream soup, one chowder, and a chili. He thought he felt the world tilt under his feet for a moment.
But before he even uttered a word, the woman behind the counter, knowing the personal preferences of their most steadfast repeat customer, apologized profusely and explained that her husband had used all the good broth for the daily special rather than a soup.
Wufei didn't know what to do.
He was flummoxed.
The woman suggested that he try the daily special.
Wufei had never had a "daily special". They were usually things like "lasagna" or "macaroni and cheese", foods that were too heavy for lunch. He didn't want to go back to the office feeling weighed down and lethargic. After all, he could be called out into the field at any moment.
Perhaps the proprietress sensed his dilemma, for she eagerly told him, of her own volition, that today's special was nice and light and would not be too filling at all. In fact, she said, it was really just the same as soup.
Wufei was a little confused but decided to ask what it was.
The answer was wonton soup.
Two dollars for six wontons in plain broth, three dollars for eight and some veggies, five dollars for ten and it came with noodles.
Until this moment, Wufei hadn't even realized that this shop was run by a Chinese couple.
Well, if one part of his lunch plan was gone to pot, he thought to himself, he might as well through all caution to the wind! Wufei forked over five dollars.
He carefully carried his tray to his customary table by the window.
Then he sat down and stared at it.
Little wrinkly white dumplings floating in golden chicken broth. A few greens swimming on the side. A bed of thin, yellow noodles lurking beneath the surface.
And then very, very suddenly, Wufei started to cry.
One tear drop after another fell into the soup. The ripples careened around the dumplings breaking up the glassy surface of the soup, interrupting each other and splashing against the side of the bowl. He tried to stop this nonsense but he found it was completely out of control.
Wufei wanted to go home.
But that was neither here nor there and Wufei scowled at his own childish behaviour. He grasped his chopsticks with one hand, his spoon with the other, and determinedly devoured his meal. He was Not crying. He was Not homesick. And if he paid five dollars for this food he was going to Eat it, not stare at it and moon over something that was gone forever.
When he left the shop, Wufei glanced over at the owners, both standing behind the counter busily serving customers. There was...something familiar about them now that he looked closer.
And from that day forward, every Friday Wufei forewent his usual soup and sandwich and ordered the wonton noodle soup.
OWARI
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