The Calling (Audiobook) (A Gundam Wing Fanfic Novel)

The Calling - Chapter 16

Less than an hour after the boys returned home, the girls arrived back, carrying a lot of shopping. In an attempt to establish if the others were home, Noin opened the door to the lounge, to be greeted by six, unconscious, sleeping bodies.

A huge grin appeared on her face as she spun around to beckon the others over.

"You have got to see this!" she urged in a whispered voice to Sally and Hilde who were stood in the hallway behind her. All three girls peered in through the door.

The boys were still in their beach clothes. Duo and Trowa were slouched symmetrically on one of the sofas; both had their arms folded, and their heads tipped right back against the backrest, mouths agape. Wufei was stretched flat out on his back, across the second sofa, periodically snoring. Heero and Quatre were slouched at either end of the third couch. Fumio was slumped between them his head resting on Heero's shoulder and his feet resting across Quatre's lap.

"So cute!" gasped Hilde in a whisper, all three of them quietly giggling like schoolgirls at the sight before them.

"I wonder what they got up to today to make them all so tired?" asked Sally as she quietly closed the door, allowing them to sleep-on undisturbed. She was greeted by blank looks.

After going to their rooms to put their shopping away, the girls returned downstairs to regroup in the kitchen. There they sat for a long while drinking coffee and chatting, continuing to catch up on old times.

Eventually, Quatre wandered in yawning tiredly. His hair was tousled and sticking up. "Oh, hello," he yawned again, "how long have you been back?"

Over the next hour or so, one by one the boys emerged from their slumberous state and wandered into the kitchen, drawn there by the sound of talking and the smell of fresh coffee. They joined in the friendly conversation swapping stories with the girls over the events of the day.

They decided to go ahead with their plans to visit the local town; a meal in a restaurant followed by a visit to one of the local nightclubs.

They arrived in town at around seven. The boys were feeling much more refreshed than a few hours earlier. Quatre was driving again, this time in a more civilised limousine style car. He was originally intending to take the monster 4x4 and had unfolded two extra rows of rear passenger seats, creating ample room for everyone. The monster rig had caused quite a commotion back at the mansion when he first pulled up outside. Noin was particularly charmed by it and kept badgering him to let her take it out for a spin, which he did.

Everyone found it especially hilarious when Hilde tried to climb aboard in high heels and a skirt that was a little too restrictive around the knees. She almost had to be lifted up into the cab by Sally already inside, and Heero outside pushing. It was hardly a graceful event, and Sally was laughing so much at one point she almost dropped the poor girl. They both wound up slumped in a heap inside the cab, arm and legs in the air, laughing hysterically. It was then that Quatre decided his limousine was probably a better choice for the evening.

Everyone had dressed smart-casual for the occasion. The boys in evening trousers and neatly ironed shirts of varying colours and patterns. The Girls had all brought new evening wear on their day trip, which in reality amounted to little more than eight hours of retail therapy.

Their first port of call was a European restaurant that Quatre had highly recommended. The car park was just a few minutes walk from the town centre. After locking the vehicle, the group began to meander its way toward the lights and bustle of the high street. On exiting the car park, there was a slightly tense moment when they passed a small gang of rather unsavoury looking characters just hanging around near the entrance, but nothing more than a few neutral glances were exchanged.