Author: Zazu
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Kids
Pairings: 5+R
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, nor do I own the characters. I have borrowed them here for some fun and creativity, and this is not for profit. I do, however, own the plot mentioned here, and any instances that you may find similar to real life events are purely a coincidence.
Notes: Not beta-read. This is a part of the babysiting adventures universe, inspired by Sharon's prompt "Babysitting adventures for uncles Heero, Duo, Trowa and Quatre. Wufei and Relena are the parents, of course". I should state now that the little drabbles in this universe will not be chronological at all!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! =D
Shou Sui
Wufei smiled a little at the sight of his daughter with her nose in a book. She was curled on the loveseat in her room where there was a standing light, and he knocked lightly on the door jamb before entering her room.
Baba," she put a bookmark in place and yawned. He settled down beside her and slid an arm around her shoulders, tucking her against his side. Her arm automatically wrapped around his waist in a hug and she sighed a little.
"Time for bed, little bookworm," he said.
"No, it isn't," she mumbled.
"The book and story will still be here when you wake up."
She sat up, shaking her head. "It's not the book."
"It's ten, baby." He nodded towards the clock.
Leila smiled. "I've a perfectly good reason to stay up tonight."
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow to humour her. "And what is this perfectly good reason?"
"Shou Sui."
It took a moment for him to understand the words, studying her face as he did so. Shou Sui was a term he hadn't heard in years. Relena insisted that Leila was brought up knowing traditions of the Chinese culture, but there were a fair amount of things he'd yet to mention or teach Leila because she was still so young.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Jonathan," she answered.
"Who?"
"Katherine's older brother. At recess today, he was telling me about how he wasn't going to sleep tonight. He said that good children will shou sui, so that their parents will live a long life."
"That's a tradition and superstition, Leila."
"I want Baba and Mommy to live forever," she said, leaning close to him again.
That was a childish wish. Again, Wufei reminded himself that Leila was only eleven, still his little girl. Kissing the top of her head, Wufei looked up and caught sight of Relena at the doorway. He beckoned to her.
"Is there a reason why you aren't headed for bed yet?" she asked Leila as she sat down at Wufei's side.
"Shou Sui," Leila repeated. "I get to stay up tonight."
Relena looked at Wufei, waiting for an explanation. "Shou Sui is something that families do on New Year's Eve. They gather to talk about the past year. It's believed to increase the parents' longevity when children stay up."
"Please?" Leila begged.
Wufei couldn't find it in his heart to say no to her. It was something that he, too, had done as a child. It was a filial gesture, and also one that he'd willingly done.
"All night?" Relena asked.
"It's Sunday tomorrow," Leila added.
"But if you don't sleep, how will you stay awake for the lunch party?"
She thought about this for a moment, then grinned. "Lots and lots of coffee?"
Both Relena and Wufei laughed at that. "Silly girl," Wufei said affectionately. He looked over at Relena, smiling softly. "One night?"
She pretended to think about it for a moment, then leaned closer to him. "How can I say no?" she asked. "After all, I do want all the time in my life to spend with you and watch our little girl grow up."
Leila cheered, then got up, running to her bed. She pulled the blanket off and brought it over to the sofa, spreading it over her parents. They shifted so she could sit in the middle, and she snuggled between them.
"So, the past year," Relena said softly. "What do you remember from it, Leila?"
She thought about it for a moment. "I remember the look on yours and Baba's faces when I won my very first trophy for dance," she said slowly. "I remember the yummy cake I ate afterwards, where Uncle Duo put the cream on Baba's nose and then blamed it on me."
"I knew it was him," Wufei grumbled, even though the event was from several months ago.
"I remember when Katherine got mad at her parents and wanted to run away, but I didn't go with her. I didn't know how to help her, but now I know better."
Wufei remembered that. Leila had been terrified to approach anyone about the issue, torn between getting Katherine in trouble and possibly losing her friendship. In the end, she'd called him, crying and begging him to make up some story with her that he'd simply run into her and brought her home because they weren't allowed to go out alone yet.
It was a hard lesson for Leila to learn, about when responsibility might be more important than keeping one's word. Katherine had refused to speak to Leila for almost two weeks after that, and his little girl had been so upset that she'd turned down Duo's offer to take her out for a ride in single engine plane.
"Well, I remember," he said. "How hard you practiced for that dance competition. I remember how proud I was that you told me you didn't care about winning, even though I figured you did," he teased. "I remember that one day you came down the stairs and told me that your jeans were getting too short, and I thought to myself, 'oh God, I'm going to go bankrupt trying to feed and clothe this growing girl'."
"Baba!" she laughed.
"How about the day you decided to make us breakfast and put salt in the coffee?"
"It wasn't my fault someone changed the places of it," Leila mumbled. "I've learned better."
"And you make the best coffee," Wufei assured her.
It was maybe one thirty in the morning when Leila fell asleep against Wufei, blanket tucked up under her chin. He played with her hair absently until Relena made him stop, reminding him without words that Leila was not as heavy a sleeper as she had been a few years ago.
Another half an hour later, they brought her to bed, but decided that, just this one night, they would sleep with her sandwiched between them. It was something that they hadn't done in two years, maybe three. Wufei could imagine that this would be a rare event in the future, and he was determined to savour each and every remaining chance.
Relena smiled affectionately at Wufei, kissing her fingers and pressing them to his lips. He caught her hand and kissed her fingers, too.
"I love you," she murmured.
"I love you, too," he replied softly, then pressed a light kiss to Leila's hair. "She tried," he added.
"Technically, she did stay up all night," Relena said. "Happy Chinese New Year, Wufei."
He smiled and caressed her cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day, my love."
Leila curled towards Relena, and she wrapped an arm around her little girl, pulling her close. "I wish for our little girl to grow up healthy."
"Let's save the wishes for later, hm?" Wufei asked, fixing the blanket around them. "Get some rest, Relena."
She smiled and closed her eyes, resting her cheek against Leila's head. Wufei tangled their fingers together over Leila's waist, feeling Relena squeeze them gently. It wasn't long before she, too, was asleep, and only then did Wufei allow himself to relax.
"Thank you," he murmured, partially to Leila for trying to stay up, and partially to Relena, for letting Leila try. His biggest wish, as it was each year, was that his little family will remain safe and healthy, and later, he would say a small prayer in thanks that the wish had been granted the past year and pray again that it would be granted in the New Year.
Tucking his arm under his head as he turned to face his little family, Wufei watched them for another minute before he closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be a busy day, with a mix of New Year's and Valentine's celebrations during the day, and a little date night for himself and Relena in the evening.
But at that very moment, Wufei cared only to enjoy the feeling of love bursting in his heart as the gentle breathing of the two most important people in his life lulled him into peaceful slumber.
OWARI
Extra Note: Shou Sui is something I've done every year since about ninth grade or so. I got up this morning at 7:30 for work, so I am having a bit of trouble, but let's hope I can make it for a bit longer. If not all night, then at least 2 or 3....*needs to stay awake!*
The wiki page on Chinese New Year is pretty good, and even Shou Sui is mentioned towards the bottom!
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