A Scripta

Grim had closed his eyes and the next thing he saw was sunrise. Lue had also fallen asleep in his arms and was breathing deeply. He awoke moments later, even though Grim hadn't moved. "We...fell asleep," Lue said groggily.

"Fully dressed," Grim said and yawned. It was getting hot in the room again. "Dammit, is it ever cool around here?"

Lue made a couple of hand signs while they still lay there and a constant breeze flowed across both of them. Grim smiled and hugged Lue. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Lue looked up at the clock and lay his head back down with a groan. "Seven-thirty..."

"Three and a half hours to showtime."

"Must you remind me?"

Grim kissed Lue's hair. "What are you going to tell them, love?"

"I'm sure it's already been told."

Grim looked at the ceiling. "Oh." As he usually did, Grim searched for a way to make him happy by distracting him with humor. "Hey, can we go back to that market again? I want to try the grasshoppers."

Lue chuckled, saying, "I'd much rather stay here." He snuggled against him for emphasis.

"We can order out."

"At seven-thirty in the morning?"

"C'mon, you guys have running water, you don't have 24 hour delivery service?"

"We don't have that at home either."

"Which goes to show the necessity of it! I should tell Rorri."

Lue shook his head, chuckling. "Grim, I love you."

"I love you too, Lue." Lue raised his head, and looked with longing at Grim.

They discovered that the bed was sturdier than it looked.

=======================

Tao Xiong paced. Long Cha, the bride's father, looked worried. Mee Cha sat with her mother and two younger sisters in an adjacent room, oblivious to what was going on. Rumors had reached Long that Lue had arrived from America, which threw all the plans in disarray. Originally, the four negotiators would come together - two from the bride's and two from the groom's - have a few drinks, and negotiate the bride price and the dowry. What was to be exchanged was a mere formality, and an excuse to have a party. A wedding would be performed in absentium and Lue would be informed by mail that he now had a wife. He was honor-bound to accept her.

Now, it was all wrong. Lue was here, and he was going to refuse her. That part of the rumor mercifully did not reach Long Cha, though Tao wouldn't be surprised if it was making its way through the guests right now, and it would only be a matter of time before Long would come up to him demanding what was going on.

At five of noon, the door to the hall opened. Teng and Xang should have been the ones standing there, ready to begin negotiations. Instead, it was Lue and his alien friend, Kim. A collective gasp came over most of the hall, as the two men walked side by side down the aisle that was created, heading toward the booth at the end of the bar, where Cha's negotiators now stood to greet them. Both men were dressed formally, as was expected, and both of them looked very serious.

Lue walked by Tao, heading right to the booth. He whispered something to Kim, who stood back as Lue continued up the three steps to the booth. Lue said, in a clear voice, "I wish to speak to Mee Cha." It wasn't lost by the assembly that he didn't call her "my bride".

Long Cha looked at the negotiators, who were looking at him. One of them turned and went to the room the women were in. Kim stood alone in the middle of the floor, his hands behind his back, waiting. The door to the other room opened and a young, pretty girl came out. She looked about Lue's age, with raven black hair and gentle brown eyes. Lue wasn't wrong in saying that she was a kind person, because she exuded that sort of aura about her. She smiled at Lue. "Lue Xiong! They said you'd come here." She smiled happily. She was probably expecting a ragamuffin, and instead saw a very handsome man.

"Mee Cha," he replied with a small smile. Mee came forward and hugged him. He returned the hug, then held her at arm's length. "I must tell you something."

The smile faded slightly.

"I'm sorry, but I must refuse this marriage."

"Wh..." The entire hall gasped again, and Grim saw that some women had put their hands over their mouths in shock. Mee's smile totally disappeared. Grim watched Tao turn from the scene and head toward the bar. "Wh...why?"

"I am a hero in Paragon City, in America. I am a hunted man there. I won't have the time to devote to you, nor will I be able to protect you. Your life will be in constant danger. I cannot be responsible for that."

She looked ready to burst into tears. "You won't take me to America?"

Lue stared at her, stunned, and so did Grim. Grim whispered, "Son of a bitch."

Lue whirled and faced Tao, "Is that what this marriage was about, for me to take her to America?"

Tao said, a drink in his hand, still standing at the bar, "That was the bride price."

Lue's eyes were dark; Grim knew that meant fury. He took a deep breath and turned back to Mee. "I am sorry you were caught in the middle of this and mislead--"

"I want to go to America! And bring my family!"

Grim said quietly, "You're making this worse, honey..."

Lue said coldly to her, "That's not going to happen, at least not with me." He turned from her and headed back down the stairs, going to the door.

It was then that he saw Xang and Teng, along with some of the men from last night flanking them. Teng stepped forward. "You want to know the real reason, Mee?"

Grim started a spell that would cause him to lose his voice for half an hour. Lue heard him and put a hand on his arm, shaking his head.

"He likes men."

That caused an audible gasp in the room. Lue waited for some time then folded his arms and regarded Teng. "Are you finished?"

Teng was slightly taken aback. He was probably expecting Lue to adamantly deny it, or at least start an argument. He was ready for that. He wasn't ready for Lue's cold acceptance of the accusation. Teng blinked. Lue nodded his head toward the door, and Grim followed.

"Coward!" yelled Xang.

Lue turned around. "You are the real cowards. At least I have the bravery to follow my heart." Lue summoned a wind to throw open the doors before them, and both of them walked out.