17 Jun 2000
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.
Pairing: 13x6/6x13
WARNING: YAOI - heavy shonen-ai (kissing); sap; adolescent angst
There was a feast deserving of a king awaiting any who entered the room, and a large pack of wolf like relatives who were all chattering among themselves -- of course about the interesting revelations of the afternoon.
"Cannot BELIEVE that the dear boy turns that way, after all the hard work his mother put into him..."
"A jail record? Not surprising for Nik, not at all."
"Dorothy! No desert until you've eaten *real* food."
Snippets of the conversation reached his ears, and he looked to Zechs, shaking his head.
The blond leaned in close to Treize. "They may have found the problem with you and Nikolai amusing," he said quietly, "but I think they underestimate *their own* entertainment value."
"Well, we could begin with aunt Ekaterina," Treize murmured, casting a gaze over to the mother of one of the two cousins who'd not been i the dealings of before. "She's on her.... hmn. I believe when I last saw her, she was on her ninth marriage and her twelve lover. So far in the year."
Azure eyes widened considerably. "Goodness," Zechs said, "she must be very... energetic."
"Apparently," Treize said with some amusement. "A few of us jokingly call her 'Ekaterina The Great', after Catherine the great."
Zechs stifled a laugh. "Yes, but - why so *many?*" He leaned in closer, eye on the legendary woman in question. "Does she wear them out?"
"My personal belief is that they're like tires to her -- that they need to be rotated so many hundred miles of wear," he winked, then guided Zechs up to the long table that was set with food but no chairs. "Come -- let's eat, my friend."
Zechs filled his plate with medallions of beef some sort of potato casserole he couldn't quite make out. It smelled wonderful - that was enough. Picking up a napkin and fork he looked around the crowded room. "Is there someone you'd like to talk to?"
Treize surveyed his relations. "Perhaps the general," he murmured, picking up his own fork.
"After you, *Count*," Zechs said, smiling.
"A pity that you make such a good shield," Treize smiled, leading the way over to that little clump of his family. "Uncle," he greeted.
General Catalonia turned at the sound of Treize's voice. "Treize," he said in a soft but earnest voice. "What an ordeal - leave it to Nikolai to try to stage something like that. If his treatment of your friend and your mention of the criminal record didn't work, I was ready to inform everyone of his brief but sullied career in the Marina. What a disaster *that* was."
"Nikolai is, in short, a disaster," Treize drawled slowly. "But thank you, Sir."
Standing behind the man was Dorothy, smiling at Treize and Zechs. "You two are pretty together," she said lightly.
The General rolled his eyes and leaned down to where his daughter stood. "Dorothy, do you remember last evening when we had our talk about *discretion?* Well this would be a good time to practice."
Zechs' cheeks, by that time, were bright red.
"All right," Dorothy smiled at her father. "But don't you need to have that talk with *them*, too?"
Treize's face was nearing Zechs' own shade.
The General straightened up. "All right young lady - that's enough. It's time I got you on a plane home." He held his hand out to Treize and then to Zechs. "Treize, congratulations on weathering another of this family's skirmishes. If you can do this, rebels should cause you no problems. Dorothy? Say good night to our hosts."
"Good NIGHT," Dorothy smirked, waving at them as she turned around.
"Thank you. Sir," Treize managed to smile faintly.
Zechs waited until the pair had left the room, then murmured, "How old did you say she was?"
"I do believe she's nine or ten," Treize mused aloud.
"Going on 36, no doubt..." Zechs added.
"No doubt," Treize agreed, scanning the room. Slowly, the relatives were beginning to disburse, some waving to him, others simply slipping out. "But then again, you are probably 13 going on forty, and heavens knows, my mind is ready for a mid-life crisis."
The comment made Zechs laugh and then he ducked his head, staring down at the floor. "You poor, poor old man..."
"Yes, yes," Treize smiled at the younger man. "How about making this old geezer feel young again?" he teased.
Zechs gave him a blushing smile and then a discreet salute. "I'll do my best. Sir."
"What did I tell you about calling me sir off duty?" Treize mock scolded as he looked around the room again. "Give me a moment and we'll be free to leave once more." And he slid off into his family's little groups to bid polite good byes.
Feeling uncomfortable amongst the many departing relatives, Zechs put his plate down and left the room, wandering down the main hall towards the back of the house. Treize would no doubt be awhile with his farewells to the relatives, and Zechs himself was feeling a strange restlessness.
He had wandered a bit, no really paying attention to where he was going, when he happened upon a door he'd not seen before. Feeling curious he opened it and found a stairway, leading downwards. /I'm sure I have time -I'll just walk down and come right back up. By that time Treize should be done./
The stairway itself was well-lit but had a muggy feeling to it that Zechs didn't understand. Didn't, that is, until he reached the bottom and heard the gentle hum of some kind of machine through the warm and humid air. It was pitch black, so he felt for a light switch and drew back in surprise at what the light revealed: a small but gleaming swimming pool with perfectly clear, blue water. A soft sigh escaped him, and he walked over to dip a hand in it.
Long minutes passed, and then, when Treize farewelled himself nearly to death, he went off looking for any servant that had seen Zechs to tell him where he'd gone.
He knew the house like the back of his hand, but the sheer luck of Zechs finding the pool were... Well...
Smiling to himself and giving a final wave to his relations, he started toward the door that would take him to the pool. And Zechs.
The blond boy had gotten comfortable, lying by the side of the pool and trailing a hand in the bathtub-temperature water. He like the sound of the water as it moved, and closed his eyes, letting himself dwell on the topic of Treize.
The lights were already on, and a booted footfall sounded heavily in the room. "Hello, Milliard," Treize smiled softly. "Like to go for a swim?
The sound of Treize's voice made him jump and he scrambled to his knees, a stricken expression on his face. "I'm sorry! I... I lost track of the time - I was going to come back to the dining room straight away, but... I'm sorry..."
"No need to apologize," Treize smiled smoothly. "I found you, and now we don't even have to go back down there."
Zechs looked down into the water. "This is a beautiful pool - not like that horrible one at the Academy. Freezing in the morning, hot and murky in the afternoon. Once there was an entire pride of lions drinking at it when everyone showed up for the 6am laps. I don't know who thought to put an outdoor pool on the African Savannah, but they should have been locked up for it."
"I think it was put in more for entertainment purposes than anything," Treize spoke, walking closer to his young lover. "The entertainment of the grounds staff, that is -- but truly, do you want to go for a swim?"
"It sounds great," Zechs said, looking up at Treize, "but I didn't bring a suit."
A sly smile touched Treize's lips. "No worry there. I don't have one, either. Why don't we swim nude?"
"Ahh - oh, well... sure, I guess. I don't think I've ever done that," Zechs stammered as they began undressing. He eased his sweater over his head and kicked off his shoes and socks. Then, knowing he'd have to be decisive or give up on the idea altogether, he stripped off trousers and briefs and dove quickly into the pool, heading for the deepest end, hair streaming out behind him.
Treize gave a soft laugh. "In such a hurry to get away from me?" came Treize's teasing, languid question even as he toed off his own shoes and unbuttoned his shirt. Soon he was garmentless, and strode calmly to the edge, before diving in.
Zechs had finally come up for a breath. "This feels amazing... do you do this a lot?"
Treize had surfaced, swimming over to where Zechs was before simply staying afloat by kicking his feet. "Actually, yes. It's very relaxing, hmn?"
"Mmm," Zechs nodded, dipping under the water once to get his bangs out of his eyes and smiled at the approaching man. "You look like you live in the water."
Treize smirked. "I could certainly be happy living in the water," he mused, lifting a wet hand to push back his own hair. "Milliard, swim to the edge?"
"Sure," the blond replied, then dove under and glided over to the edge of the pool deck.
Treize followed smoothly, swimming smoothly through the water until he was beside Zechs. One hand on the edge of the pool, the other on Zechs' side. "Does this appeal to you, Milliard?" Came the easy question.
"Yes," the boy replied, resting his arm on the edge of the deck. "Like I said, it's wonderful."
"Good," Treize murmured, leaning close, taking slightly cool lips in his own, tongue probing to part them.
"Mmm..." Zechs felt a shiver run through him at the touch. To feel the water caressing him everywhere, his lover that close, was heaven indeed. He pressed back against Treize's warm mouth and let his free hand move to brush against the older man's jaw and neck. "Love you," he breathed against heated lips. "Love you so much..."
"Yes," came the urgent agreement, as Treize's slid his freehand down Zechs' side, cupping his thigh to wrap it the boy's leg around his waist. "You're my other half..."
/Sweet words... in the sweetest voice I've ever known.. want him so much.../ Zechs moaned softly as Treize brought him closer, tasting sweet fire with every kiss and tangling his fingers in wet, golden-brown silk. It was selfish of him, he realized, but his heart ached for it, so he asked. "Treize... mmmn... tell me more..."
"Gladly," the older man uttered kissing Zechs fiercely for a moment, before breathing against those lips, "You're my god, Milliard -- I worship you. If I could, I would put you away in my rooms and not let any others see you --I am unworthy of your company but they are more unworthy, so let me just bask in your beauty, taste your mouth, touch your skin..."
Treize's words sent electricity through him, every part of his body aching to be closer to the man. He wrapped his other leg around the other's lean hips and let his lover's tongue deeper into the heat of his mouth. "And I... would be your willing slave... just to let this go on forever..."
It was pure pleasure to explore the heated space that opened to him, toying with the other's tongue before he pulled back to speak again. "I want you to be mine forever, Milliard -- So let our words to each other be the bond that holds us to each other. I love you, and will never stop loving you, my dear friend."
Zechs stared into impossibly blue eyes, feeling like a pilgrim staring into the sun. "I want to spend my life with you, Treize" he said fiercely. "No one else before you... no one ever... but you..."
And those same blue eyes gazed back, love and want shimmering in their depths. "Yes. No one else, ever again."
Desire was growing too keen in him to remain apart from his lover and Zechs moved in close and pressed himself against Treize, claiming his mouth with a fiery kiss. He couldn't seem to stop the soft whimpers of frustration coming from deep within him - couldn't get close enough to the older man to feel satisfied, though he certainly tried.
Treize shifted closer to the side. "Soon, Milliard -- so, we can be one." He trailed his free hand down Zechs' back, teasing at the cleft between two firm buttocks. "Someday, I'll be inside of you, and then you can be inside of me... but not yet, my love."
The blond boy pulled back, panting heavily. He stared intently at Treize for a moment, then gave a loud growl of frustrated desire and dove deeply into the water.
With a softly amused sound, Treize drew a deep breath and followed after the boy, staying close on his heels.
Zechs had his eyes closed, trying hard as he could to put himself into some neutral fantasy that might ease the emptiness he felt. He was a merman, swimming under the ocean, hair spilling out around him, streaming with the current. He wanted nothing and no one, just to swim was enough.
Suddenly, Treize grasped him, and pulled him up to the air, laughing softly. "I caught you! Try to get away from me, my beautiful fish? I think not."
The blond treaded water, only his eyes above the surface, almost glaring at Treize. Then he came all the way up and took a breath. "Don't follow me if you're not really interested in what you'd catch."
And Treize held tightly onto Zechs. "Now, why do you say a thing like that?"
The boy was wriggling, trying to escape the close contact, and not having much luck. "When I first got here, you couldn't keep your hands off me," Zechs said, a odd mixture of anger and sadness in his voice. "But now, whenever we start to kiss you start talking about what we can't do. We can't get 5 minutes into it without you saying that now is not the time." He was getting tired, muscles weary from struggling against the larger man, now behind him. "What happened, Treize?" he asked softly. "What did I do wrong after that first day that made you change?"
Treading water, Treize kissed the back of Zechs' neck. "I apologize. I only say that because I need to remind myself. Since you arrived, I want you more, I want to do everything, but there are laws that could separate us forever if we don't adhere for a few more months. I want so badly to take your virginity, to make you mine forever." Heated breath in the boy's ear, as he treaded them closer to the side of the pool. His erection pressed against Zechs' bottom as proof of his want. "It would be so easy to take you, here and now, as I want to. To just press in and become one with you... but if my relations ever wanted to call me on it, and any proof were found that I'd taken you before your were of age, I'd never get to see you again, and it would destroy me to be separated from you."
It all made sense. Much as Zechs didn't want it to, it made perfect and logical sense - and he hated it. He turned his head into Treize's nuzzle. "Are you saying," he said softly, "that we can't be together anymore - the way we were that first day? Because if you are I need to know it. I don't want to be expecting something that won't ever happen..."
"No, Milliard," Treize breathed, at last reaching the edge of the pool, freeing one arm to cling onto it. "No, I'm not saying that. I'm simply saying that there are a lot of things we can do aside from penetration that are just as enjoyable..." He kissed Zechs deeply, slowly, then pulled back, "And that you need to pardon my need to remind myself of what I can't do to you *yet*."
"Yes," Zechs said softly. "Yes, all right. I won't complain about it anymore."
"Thank you," Treize uttered, kissing Zechs again. "Let us go up to my room -- now that my kin are gone, I'd like to worship you properly. No Une, no interruptions at all."
Zechs climbed out of the pool, reaching for a towel from the stack next to the door. He dried off with his back to Treize, and pondered what to do about the slow and creeping freeze that was stealing into him. /I'm just trouble to him. Probably shouldn't be here at all. He's put his career at risk just by inviting me here... I can't let that happen./
Warm, damp arms slid around his waist. "You brood so prettily," he teased gently, pulling Zechs close against him. "I love you, my dear prince."
"I love you, too..." Zechs replied. His mind was occupied elsewhere, though - planning how to tell Treize that he should be leaving. /This will be tough. I can't claim I have to go back to work - I work for him now. I can't claim I need to see my family because I don't have anyone to see. But the longer I'm here the more dangerous it gets for him. Just like Une said.../
Treize's brows drew together. "What're you thinking of Milliard?" a hand lifted and smoothed across Zechs' brow. "You look pained."
"Mmm - I'm fine," Zechs said looking up. He swung his hair to one side and patted it with the towel. "Do you have any robes down here?"
"Yes," Treize smiled, holding Zechs close still. "But we don't need one to go back to the room."
"I'm not walking through your house without anything on, Treize," Zechs replied. "You just said that rumors about us could be dangerous. That would be asking for trouble it seems to me." /Perhaps Noin might be kind enough to take me in for a few days.../
"I didn't mean that the *rumors* were dangerous -- I meant that there simply cannot be any viable proof," Treize kissed Zechs' cheek, and his lips worked slowly to the boy's mouth. "My servants won't say a word, and everyone else is gone."
The intimacy of the touch made his heart race and, for a moment, his resolve weakened. /God, I want this so much... want him... don't ever, ever want to leave him, but I have to, now at least... I'll call Noin tonight./ Hating the thought of what he felt he had to do, Zechs put his arms around Treize's neck and held him as close as he could, just savoring the feel of the man against him.
Treize smiled, and kissed the side of Zechs face, shifting his grasp on the boy until he'd picked him up. "Close your eyes and we'll be in my room very soon, love."
The blond buried his face against the warmth of Treize's neck. /Tell me this isn't over, Treize... tell me that I won't hurt you just by being with you. That's the very last thing I'd ever want to do to you... but it seems like the thing I want most is the thing that would bring you danger. *God* how I'll miss you!/
Treize was walking up the stairs, motions smooth. "You know, Milliard," he murmured, still walking. "I won't let you leave me."
/Damn, how does he always know what I'm thinking! I seem to be an open book to him, and he's just a beautiful mystery to me./ Zechs didn't reply, just gripped Treize's neck tighter and buried his face in the man's shoulder. From his perspective he was in an impossible situation. /I've got nowhere to go. Every way I see leads to pain.../
"You'll only hurt me by leaving," Treize murmured, opening the door. "You're no threat to me, Milliard."
End of Part 13
(:./kumiko/bblood20)
