Warning: AU-ish, shounen-ai for now, reaaaaaaaaally strange.
Disclaimer: i wish, but well, all the characters aren't mine.
"Good morning, General, quite surprised to find you in the dining room"I heard a voice from above me, and I looked up to see that new Captain smiling coldly and putting his breakfast tray in front of mine, and pulling a chair, he sat down.
"Ah, Good morning, Captain. Its nice of you to join me. And yes, I like eating in the dining room, unlike certain general from Lake Vic."
He cocked his head to one side and I could bet that under those mask he's furrowing his brow, "General Fanfarnir, I have not been briefed that you actually like wordplay even in the morning. Its not even nine yet. I thought.."
I smiled, "Well, consider this a warming up before debriefing? And I tell you now, wordplay gives taste to my breakfast."
He placed a slice of toast in his mouth silently and downed it with his coffee, "And why is that, if I may know?"
"We officers, unlike foot soldiers need the fondness of diplomacy."
He nodded, as if understanding the double meaning, chid. "Ah.. I see. Over breakfast, yes. How very fitting"
This man *is* interesting.
I never left his line of vision, as I sipped my coffee, wanting to catch him off guard in any given situation, probably once, or with luck twice.
But half a breakfast later, which actually ensued in silence, not once had I met such luck. failing miserably, even.
"Had General Khusherenada not train you on diplomacy?" Now why did I question that to him? Wanting to prove that city boy wasn't always the well trained one around? Probably. Or just the need to prove something. Anyhting.
"We hadn't seen the need to. Its a natural thing for him, I think."
I smiled. Yes I've seen General Khusherenada many times during Staff Meetings, and I did agree, he did have a way with words. Exceptional infact. Him, Duke Dermail Catalonia, and most of those officer from the Khusherenada bred. I shook my head in amusement, "Genetics."
His smile was an amused one, which irritates me. Surely, there's a nerve I could strung. "So," I continued, "There seem to be no need for you to join in the diplomacy ring?"
"Not all the time," he said, spreading marmalade over his toast carefully, "Rarely needed."
"What do you do then? As his second?"
"A lot of things that seconds do, ah surely General, you must know." He looked up at me, as he lifted his toast.
"Well, no. I don't allow myself seconds."
"Ah.." he nodded, "Basically covering up for him, reminding him, replacing him for certain duties, paperwork."
"Babysitter?" I said, thoroughly amused.
"Not exactly."
"Slave?"
"What made you think that way, Sir?" His voice level, as he chewed his food.
"Probably," I stopped to think, now how to just hit the nerve and send him jolting? Ah yes, "Probably, the royal dog."
He stopped eating and looked at me, I thought I hit a nerve there but,
he laughed, not quite loudly, amused maybe, like someone who finally got the word he had been looking for, for ages.
"Probably Sir, probably. It feels like it sometimes. Maybe I'll settle with slave."
Damn this man, I could just see his eyes twinkling under those godforbidden mask. I wonder, what colour were his eyes, his brows, his... I shook myself clear, and I looked down to my breakfast plate. Finished.
Ah, maybe I could just finish this wordplay for now. "Its been a pleasurable breakfast, Captain.. its still.." I looked up to the clock on the dining room wall, with its long had on the '9 and the short one almost touching it', but which I knew was five minutes late, "Its still fifteen minutes to nine, I'd expect you to be punctual, or certain measures will be taken against you."
He nodded and continued eating, "Of course Sir."
I walked away with my tray in my hand, and placed it on one of the trolleys. Well, as much as I hate to admit, he won the first round. I sighed. Never had one sparked so much eagerness in my nerves to actually sent me to the brink of madness and pointless need to prove something.
But probably he'll be late for the debriefing.
**
"Its been a pleasurable breakfast, Captain.. its still.." and he stopped, looking at the clock, which showed a quarter to nine, "its still fifteen minutes to nine, I'd expect you to be punctual, or certain measures will be taken against you."
I nodded and appeared unaffected, "Of course Sir" and he's gone. Little did he know that I knew what he wanted. I knew that clock was five minutes late, and I, of all people dislike tardiness. Hell, if I was tardy, Lady Une would have my head as his mantlepiece a long time ago. But then again, Treize had escaped her wrath even though he's a lousy morning person.
And that name hit me like a whirlwind. Oh gods Treize, I missed you so much.. Why must we fight in the first place?
The toast suddenly tasted vile and the coffee suddenly made me nauseous, and tears started its threaten to flow already.
Damn, no more breakfast for me then.
**
I dreamt of him, when I sleep at night, dreamt that he's still here, still with me, but I'm faking it.. telling lies after lies thats no good for anyone, but the Devil. Adding onto my long list of unredeemable sin.
The alarm clock went off, its nine o'clock already. I hate it, I always hate the way the alarm clock sound. It pierced my ear like anything. I backhanded it blindly and sent it skittering onto the floor, and it hit the wall, not quite breaking it, but enough to send it silently squeaking... and stopped.
Then, revelation hit me like a ravaging storm. Just the fact that it had been so closely associated with Zechs. He gave it to me, so I could wake myself up in the morning. Gave it to me with his twinkling crystalline eyes. With a silent amusement and a small kiss. Nothing really precious, its just an alarm clock.. easily replaced.. But not the memory.
For sometimes my eyes were poised at the battered alarm clock, lying to one end of the room, doing nothing. I think I was lost in my own train of thoughts, for when I blinked myself back to reality, it was no longer there. Instead, it was in the hands of someone who had claimed the chair beside my bed. Had I been musing to myself for so long?
I smiled lamely as I called his name, "Chang Wufei?"
"Good morning, Treize." He said to me, his voice coarse, but somehow I found it fascinating.
"Why are you here?" the only thing I could ask, with my semi-hazy mind.
He shrugged, "Another recon to Lake Vic. And to meet you, I missed you."
I raised a questioning eyebrow, somehow I found a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "You must have missed me a lot, to put that twinkle in your eyes."
"Oh... yes.." his voice suddenly dropped into a slow husky whisper. Oh, how I just want to silence him off, kiss those lips... until...
The door suddenly flung open, "Treize-sama! its' half past nine, and you're still in bed!"
I jerked up and saw a flustered Lady Une standing by the door tapping her foot impatiently. Then..
/WUFEI!/ I spun around only to find there's no one around, no one, except me, and Une. The clock was still beeping lamely in its corner...
"If you're looking for Zechs to cover you up, he's not here."
/No!/ I wanted to say, wanted to explain. There's Wufei here, sitting there so near, his lips so near for me to claim.. but I can't possibly say that can I.
I slumped back into my bed. "I know" I groaned softly, "Be ready at quarter to."
"You'd better. There's a scheduled inspection from the Foundation. Ten Fifteen." and she walked out, closing the door firmly.
Lying on my back, I closed my eyes and squeezed whatever stinging tears that had threatened to come forth. All were illusion. Wufei was never here at all, it was just my imagination. And Zechs.. he's not here too. No one's here. I'm alone..
I lifted myself slowly, and stretched a bit, as far as my godbedamned aristocratic dignity would allow myself to, and walked to the en- suite bath.
Alone.. and I deserved it.