28 Oct 2000
Chapter 8 - brief, but at least one thing is discovered. ^_^ kumi
DISCLAIMER: All Gundam Wing characters are property of Sunrise, Bandai Visuals, Sotsu Agency, and Asahi TV. This work is not written for profit, but for entertainment purposes only.
PAIRINGS: 6X9 AND 13X6
WARNING: extreme 13x6 sap
"It means you're ovulating." Sally said, peering at the strip of paper before sighing inwardly in huge relief. "It means you're not pregnant. Looks to me like it may be just pre-wedding jitters, but I'll use your paper strip to do a quick scan, just to be sure." She took the paper and tucked it into a plastic sleeve that had been in the case.
"So, now that we've ruled that out, what are you going to do?"
Noin was staring down at the small case by Sally's hand. For a moment, just one, small moment, she had actually hoped it would be true. She would have been carrying Zechs's child.
"Penny for you thoughts?" Sally said, leaning forward and peering up at her friend.
"Oh - sorry. I was just thinking about... well..."
"What you would have done it the test had come out positive?"
Noin looked over at her, feeling sheepish. "What Zechs would have done..."
Sally clasped a hand over Noin's. "Honey, I know that would have been tempting. But it would have been a mistake... to use a baby that way. You would have never known if he wanted *you* or just felt he *had* to marry you. It's better this way, really."
"You're right, I know." Noin's eyes gleamed with unshed tears. "It's just that I don't think I have much of a shot, you know? We all knew how they felt about each other. Deep down... we all knew..."
"But that doesn't mean you have to give up now," Sally insisted. "It's been five years, Noin. Zechs isn't necessarily the same - *Treize* isn't necessarily the same. You don't know what will happen." She lifted a hand and smoothed back the thick, black hair that had fallen in front of Noin's eyes. "If you want him," she said softly, "you let him *know* that. Talk to him, be with him, *convince* him that you're the one he really wants... that you can make him happy in ways that Treize never could."
A small smile had appeared on Noin's face, most of the tears fought back. "You think I can really do that?" she asked the other woman.
"I know you can do just as well as the other guy," Sally answered.
Then they both laughed at how true that statement really was.
Zechs and Treize had taken refuge from the afternoon's heat in the deep shade of the oaks and lindens circling the lake. Having led the way there, Zechs found that now they were along he couldn't bring himself to look at the other man - his oldest friend, once lover, once enemy. /But what is he now... now that he's learned my trick of coming back from the dead. Perhaps we were both meant to die in that god awful war... but we didn't, and hasn't that caused a mess for our loved ones.../
"Miriald. What an angel you look..." Treize's voice was hushed with emotion as he stared his childhood friend and lost lover. "I'd thought we'd lost each other for good, but that's not our way, is it? No matter what happens we seem to end up together, you and I. Won't you even look at me?"
The blond man hesitated and then spoke, still not turning to face Treize. "Why would you, of all people, Treize, want to look at me? I mean... it's not as if the last time we saw each other we were acting perfectly normal, is it?"
"It was a war, Miriald. We ended up on opposite sides, but that doesn't mean the bond between us was ever broken -"
"I tried to kill you!" Zechs said, spinning around to face the other man. "I *wanted*... to kill..." He broke off and put a hand to his head.
"Yes, Miriald. You wanted to kill. *I* wanted to kill. The war had brought us to that point... but I don't think that we ever wanted to kill each other. I wanted Romefeller destroyed and the Earth protected. You, my dearest friend... wanted peace - only peace - and you did what you thought was the only thing that would bring it about."
He walked over to where Zechs stood with his head bowed, face hidden behind the thick, golden strands of his bangs. His hand cupped the younger man's chin lightly and lifted Zechs's face so they were looking at each other. "Look at me now, Miri, and tell me you want me dead. Tell me you stopped loving me when you joined the White Fang."
Azure eyes held tears but they didn't fall as Zechs struggled to speak. "Treize... I... I..." He shook his head violently and dropped his eyes again. "How can you ever forgive me for what I did," he whispered, barely audible.
Treize stared hard at him. "Because I never stopped loving you. I've loved you since we met as children and that has never changed. And that, dearest Miriald, is why I'm here now. I love you. I *want* you, and I won't let you marry Noin when I know your heart really belongs to me, as mine has always been yours."
Since Zechs would not look up at him, Treize knelt gracefully on one knee, taking the other man's hand and looking up at him. "Miriald Peacecraft, will you follow your duty, and marry her, or will you follow your heart, and marry me?"
Zechs sank to his knees in front of Treize. He hadn't pulled his hand away and now they sat and stared into each other's eyes, ice blue reflecting darker sapphire. Zechs thoughts were becoming muddled and the heat and fragrance of the older man so close by was not helping in the least. "Treize... I... I've promised Noin..."
"Is she the one you *really* want, Miriald?" Treize's voice was, as ever, smooth and calming. "It's your choice, of course. You have to decide what would make you happiest... but she's had five years to court you, five years that I didn't have."
The sunlight slanted through the trees just then and touched red-gold fire to Treize's hair. An urge to stroke that softness was growing in Zechs's fingers, a desire, almost hunger, to touch the man again after such a long time.
Treize had been fighting a similar urge since he'd arrived at the wedding rehearsal and seen the long silk of Zechs's hair, the heavy cape of it flowing down his back. Desire overcame cautiousness and he reached a hand out, running greedy fingers through the pale gold strands. It brought back so many memories of laying with Zechs after they'd made love and wanting desperately to wind himself up in the stuff.
The gentle motions had captivated Zechs and he sat motionless, letting Treize's fingers soothe him into submission. "Treize..." he breathed, "can't... shouldn't... please..."
Treize gave a gentle tug on the silky hair and pulled Zechs close to him, so close their lips were nearly touching. "You say please, dear Prince... but I wonder what it is you plead for...?" And with that, he leaned in the rest of the way, brushing Zechs's lips with his own. "Ah, Miri... how I've longed for you..."
The pull was too powerful and Zechs closed his eyes, feeling a wave of desire pass through him that he hadn't felt since the last time they'd lain together, over five years ago. With a shudder of pleasure, he realized that nothing he'd done since that night, so very long ago, had come close to this feeling, this intensity. His body ached for the other man.
"Don't hide from it, love," Treize was whispering, his lips warm against Zechs's. "I need you - more than I need to breathe, it seems at times. One thing this horrible convalescence of mine had done is give me a sense of perspective and I know now what is truly important to me." His mouth nearly closed on Zechs's, an almost-kiss that made the blond man shiver. "You, Miri, are at the top of that list..."
Head swimming with desire and conflict, Zechs gave a soft whimper and then fell into a long, lingering kiss that sent fire through his veins.
When they finally broke apart, the first image that came to Zechs was Noin's face outside of the chapel. He began shaking his head, still staring at the man across from him with a fiery, confused lust. "I'm... engaged to Noin... I shouldn't have done that..."
"But you *wanted* it, Miri, and you want more - I know you do - just as I do..."
The blond man stood abruptly, still shaking his head. "I have to think," breathed, and the turned and ran off into the woods.
Treize sat back on one knee, the other one folded beneath him. After a moment he smiled softly. "Miri," he said softly to himself, "you always did have too many manners for your own good... but I think that for a start, it's been an excellent day..."
He stayed there, under the trees, for quite awhile in the fading afternoon, planning his next move.
Noin sat at the small dressing table in her room. She had wanted to share with Zechs but at the last minute Relena had stepped in and insisted it would really be more romantic for them to sleep apart until the wedding night. At the time it seemed to Noin to be a cute and nostalgic idea, so she'd gone along and convinced Zechs to as well.
Now, however, she was kicking herself.
/He's out somewhere with Treize... I just know it... what if... stupid woman, don't think like that. It'll only make you unhappy.../
She picked up the silver brush that Zechs had told her used to belong to his mother. It was one of the few things that had miraculously survived the first attack on Sank. Turning it over in her hand, Noin saw an ornate initial 'P' engraved on the back, surrounded by flowers cut into the silver.
/Lucrezia Peacecraft... makes me sound positively medieval, but I love it... I don't care what name he chooses to give me, as long as he gives me himself along with it. That's what I want more than anything... just a lifetime to figure out my beautiful man.../
She was staring into the mirror now, brushing her short, dark hair slowly, carefully. /You *are* worthy of him, Noin, and he *does* love you. You can win him over... every bit as much as Treize can. So go to your closet and put on that dress he said he loved to see you in. Put some perfume behind your knees and between your breasts, then go find him, and let the seduction begin.../
End of Part 8
(:./kumiko/rosen8)
