7 Dec 2000
Tabris, your wish is my command...
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.
Warnings: Later bondage, lemon, lemon, lemon, sex, NC references.
Pairings: 6x5, 6x13, 13x5, 13x6 (I order of appearance ^_~)
Inside the office, Zechs was reading several faxes by the light of the tall, multipaned window that stood behind his desk. Morning light streamed in and a small fire burned brightly in a grate on the opposite wall.
"Close the door," the blond murmured, not looking up from his reading.
Treize did, the movement silent. "Guten Morgen Herr," he murmured calmly, striding to a spot that was half-way between the door and where Zechs sat.
And then he could simply only await an order.
"Guten Morgen, Treize," came the reply as Zechs turned to his desk. "You will excuse me for just one moment -" He leaned over and pressed the intercom on his telephone. "Patrick, please send me the file on the Italian acquisition."
"Yes, sir," a smooth, male voice replied. "I'll send it over now."
"Thank you," Zechs murmured and straightened, looking at Treize for the first time. His gaze wandered freely over the older man's body. "Very well-dressed, Treize. I like to see my pets looking like the beauties they are. Please, have a seat." As he himself sat down in the chair behind his desk, he waved an arm at the chair across from it.
"Would you care for coffee or some other refreshment?"
"No, thank you, Master," he murmured, sitting down in the chair that was across from Zechs, just as directed. /Pet. Hmn./ "I've already had coffee this morning." /And I miss my Ersatz./
"Well," the blond began, "as Wufei has probably told you most of my slaves have jobs in my house. I believe you met Duo this morning, and you'll probably meet Heero soon. He's coming sometime this morning to pick up some paperwork."
Zechs picked up his coffee and leaned back comfortably in his chair. His hair, neatly combed as always, was vividly set off by a cobalt blue, buttoned-down shirt which he wore with a blue-and-pale-gold patterned tie and close fitting, stone-colored trousers. "You, of course, will be no different," he continued. "I have a position that has needed filling for quite some time that I think you would be extremely well-suited for, but the two people that I've discussed it with think you are too new an acquisition for the post."
Staring hard at Treize, the younger man said softly, "I wanted to get your thoughts on it before I made a decision.
Steady sapphire eyes held a bit more fire than they had the first time Zechs had met Treize while they were both dressed. "I've yet to find something I cannot do, sir -- I'm very sure I could fill whatever position you would require for me."
Zechs smiled into his coffee cup and looked up at Treize through long, blond bangs. "Now *that*, Treize, is a *very* interesting statement," he said slowly. "You have yet to find something that you cannot do?" He put his cup down and leaned across the desk, propping his head with one hand and giving Treize a rather predatory stare. "I do so enjoy testing a man's limits..."
"You do?" Treize questioned. "I think the only reason is because I'm usually damn stubborn."
A dazzling smile from the blond and then, "Stubbornness - I adore that quality. It plays to all my strengths, you see. But just remember one thing, Treize." His voice had turned a little breathy and he continued to stare into Treize's eyes. "I have to be able to work with you. If that endearing trait of yours prevents you from being properly trained, then I would have no choice but to send you to another master. Is that what you want?" His head tilted a bit, trying to read the look in the man's eyes, and what his body had to say.
Even the faint threat of being sold again sent a tremor through Treize's frame. "No, Master." Great effort was put into keeping his gaze steady on Zechs'. "I'm willing to work with you."
"That's *very* good to hear, Treize," came the murmured reply. Zechs continued to stare in the other man's eyes for several moments until the intercom buzzed and Patrick announced the arrival of Heero Yuy.
"Thank you, Patrick, send him in," Zechs said, eyes still locked on Treize.
The door opened slowly, and a new man entered -- one Treize hadn't seen before, even though he could only watch him from his periphreial vision. Medium height, just like Duo was, with a shock of dark brown hair and a sharp composure he'd only seen before in soldiery and ex-assasins turned body-guard.
Which he assumed, and rightly, that Heero was.
"Sir," came the monotone word.
"Heero, thank you for coming up. I'd like you to meet our household's newest member. This is Treize Khushrenada. Treize, this is Heero Yuy, my chief bodyguard. He organizes our security plans, both here and at my office in London. And does it spectacularly well." This last bit was put in for effect, since Zechs knew that Heero always went a little pink at compliments.
And he did, just a little, making a nod to Treize -- this was the slave that was such an importance in the house? "Hn. Welcome to the house, Treize."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Treize returned, nodding.
Zechs handed Heero a file folder. "This is my schedule for the next two weeks. You'll see there's a brief trip to Paris, so work with Patrick on the flight details." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I... may have a companion on that trip," he added. "Patrick will contact you if additional arrangements have to be made."
"Normal security level?" Heero requested, looking over at Treize. /No, not him. Probably Wufei./
"No," Zechs replied. "I want it at full."
That surprised him a great deal, but that didn't show on his face. "Of course. I'll see to it, then, sir."
"Thank you, Heero. Feel free to visit the kitchen on your way out," the blond man said with a subtle grin.
That drew a smile from the stoic young man. "*Thank* you, sir!"
As he turned and left with light feet, Treize smiled. "You have extraordinary staff."
"I want the best," Zechs said in an off-hand manner, leaning back in his chair once more. "And fortunately I have the resources to get just that. Of course, it also pays to be observant and not bound by the more cumbersome traditions from the past. Excellence can be found in the most surprising places."
He leaned his head back, crossing long, powerful legs, and stared at a set of working maps on the opposite wall. He was silent and motionless, with his fist under his chin and his face a study in rapt concentration.
Treize fought to not squirm, to not move a single muscle, to do nothing more than be calm and collected -- but a tiny twitch in the corner of one eye showed his concentration on all those things, as he awaited his master to do or say something, so frozen was he by lack of knowledge of proper boundaries.
Without turning his head, Zechs said softly, "I need a personal aide, Treize. Someone to arrange things for me -lunches, parties, evenings out -and to accompany me to those engagements. It would be most helpful if this person had a knack for research because I travel frequently and require full reports ahead of time on the people and places I visit. Keeps me from stepping on anyone's toes, you see. Patrick can't do it - he's swamped with the work he has, so I need someone to be just my *personal* aide."
Still he regarded the maps and continued in a soft voice. "The position requires a great amount of freedom, as well a personality at home with mingling in my business and social circles. I know you have the latter, but the former is of some concern. A dear friend of mine has counseled me against giving you this position. He says you're too new and that you would abuse the freedom you would get to try and run away. He also doubts your loyalty to me.
"What I wanted to know from you, Treize, is why I should ignore my friend of many years and put you to work on this today." When Zechs finished speaking, he slowly turned toward Treize, stunning azure eyes assessed the slave, and waited coolly to see what he would say.
"As you said, I have a knack for social situations; I'm quite good at planning and researching, because I spent so much time doing it as a lawyer." Ah, but how to prove loyalties...?
"Sir, I read the morning paper this morning, and something struck me -- I have nothing to run to, back home. My career as a politician is over, and there are certain things I know I could no longer stomach about law. And, I truly believe you are the best possible owner I could ever have -- why would I try to run again and risk being sold back to... back to where I was before?"
"Because you're the kind of man who chafes at being owned," Zechs said softly, not moving his gaze from the deep blue eyes of his slave. "I knew that when I bought you. You would run because you want to return to your friends and loved ones, your way of life; because you wish to live on the Continent and not in Britain; because you have... ties there that you don't have here."
Zechs' eyes narrowed a bit and then he spoke again. "This isn't a position where you would wear a restraining device. I would have to know that you were trustworthy." /Yes... how nice it would be to know that, Treize... because I want you in this position, near me... I want your mind engaged and your body pleasured and your heart... but I wish for too much, don't I sweet man...?/
"My political position was taken by another, I'd already put my law career on the back-burner by then, preparing for being the leader of the upper house..." He sighed, expression pinched slightly. "I can't go back. I can't go back and take with me what the other masters have done to me... I can't shame my family name like that." He gazed up once more, meeting Zechs' eyes as firmly as he could.
"How could I go back to Anne, knowing what I know now about myself? I can't. I can only try to make the best of what I have here."
Zechs leaned forward a bit, a puzzled frown on a face that never showed any emotion if it's owner could help it. "What do you know now about yourself? What do you know now that you didn't before?" Without realizing it, he began to absently stroke a lock of long, pale gold hair.
So very tempting, to just reach out and touch it. "That I enjoy the company of men more than I've ever enjoyed women. That I'm apparently quite homosexual. That I..." He swallowed, reaching out a hand to touch that tempting hair. Strands of soft silk curled around his fingers. "Find you very attractive. I'm willing... to let you train me to be how you want... Master."
Zechs sat frozen for a moment. /This isn't good... this isn't good at all. I simply cannot let him do this kind of thing to me. He can't just *touch* me whenever he likes! I should tell him to stop... he should be... punished... he *should*.../
Slowly, Zechs' hand came up and covered Treize's, stopping it's motion. He should have let go after that, but he didn't; just kept his hand over the other man's, still looking deep into his eyes. "I'm very glad to hear," he said in a soft voice, "that your early training didn't hide your true nature from you. Of course an important lesson to learn in my house is not to touch me unless I *tell* you to do so."
Zechs began stroking the fingers underneath his hand, slowly, softly. "And I'm very happy that you are willing to learn the ways of my house... and of myself. Tell me, Treize, would you like to work with me? To help with my affairs and the running of my house? To work in the library? To write? To ease the way for my visitors and colleagues when they come to see me?" He paused for a moment, still holding Treize's hand. "Or would you grow too sick of me?" he added, the faintest of smiles creeping over his lips.
"No," Treize murmured easily, no hesitation. "You're very... interesting."
/Hmmm... damning with faint praise.../ Zechs thought.
"I'd be very willing to aid in the running of your house." He turned his hand within Zechs' cupping grasp, 'till they were palm to palm. "Though, I'll warn you, you'll have to instruct me until I learn how you *like* things to be done."
"Well, *that* begins today," Zechs murmured, strangely excited by the touch of the other man's hand, and not understanding it a bit.
"So, you have a new job," he said in a more business-like voice, sliding his hand from Treize's and standing. Crossing over to a large shelf of books behind Treize he took two down and gave them to the older man. One was thin and seemed to be a monograph on a French company called Legrand. The other, thicker, was called "L'histoire de Limoges."
"I assume you read French?" Zechs asked.
"Very well, in fact," Treize assured. "I have near perfect comprehension of German, French and English -- aside from colloquialisms -- speak Russian natively, though I'm a fair bit rusty at it, and know enough Italian to not get lost in Rome." His gaze drifted over those books, then he looked questioning up at Zechs. "Why, though?"
Zechs sat back down and pressed his intercom button again. "Patrick - we'll need the files on Charcot and Savarin, please." He looked over at his maps again. "I'm involved in some merger talks between one of my subsidiaries and a French electronics company, Legrand. The trip to Paris you heard me discuss with Heero is to hopefully conclude those talks. The two men I'm dealing with, Reymond Charcot and Emil Savarin, both hail from the city of Limoges and are, according to gossip, more than proud of that fact." He flipped a wayward lock of hair behind him. "That's the French for you," he murmured.
"So, I need an untainted assessment of the corporate culture of Legrand, hence the small volume I gave you, and I also need to be well-versed in the charms of Limoges as well as its history and current municipal system. Taxes, you know."
He looked back at the other man. "Can you have a report on it for me in two days time?"
"Oral, or typed?" Treize asked calmly. /I can do *this*. It's easy./ Which surprised him, that he'd be given something so easy.
"Both," Zechs replied, flipping through his calendar. "I'll want a presentation and also a written copy that I can study on my own." Sitting back in his chair again, he fixed Treize with a steady stare.
"If you do this well, I'll consider your post filled. Then the real work will begin. And now, I suppose we should talk about the private aspect of the position..."
"Of course -- it's best to know what I'll be doing," he murmured, fingers moving over the leather of the top book. "In the private aspect."
"You'll be doing things around my suite, when I have no business-related work for you. You'll have little chores, of course, tending to my wardrobe, arranging my social engagements, pouring drinks, that sort of thing. And I'll expect you to be in my suite from 4 o'clock in the afternoon to at least 11 o'clock in the evening everyday that I'm home."
/Ah, god... seven hours a day with him.../ Treize shivered at the thought of that, part anticipation, part fear.
He paused for a moment and seemed to do an assessment of Treize's clothing. "During that time you will wear *only* what I wish for you to wear, which will not be much. For this afternoon I want you to wear the mesh that Wufei bought for you. You'll start with something easy - I have several toys that need to be prepared for this next week and it will be your job to do that. And of course, you will also be going through your training at the same time, so I will be sure to include opportunities for you to show me that you are progressing."
Zechs sat up in his chair again and propped his elbows on the desk, twining his fingers together and resting his chin on them. "Now - what questions do you have for me," he murmured in a tone of voice that said he fully expected questions.
Treize sat back, folding his arms over his chest, lips thinning. "What will 'training' be like? What sort of social engagements? And what kinds of drinks do you like?" The last one was asked with a faint little smile, but the other two were utterly serious.
A soft smile as Zechs looked across the desk at him. "Well," he said, "the training will prepare you to give pleasure the way I want you to, and to make you fit for my... attentions, shall we say."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in, Patrick," Zechs called.
Opening the door, a young man stepped into the room and walked to the desk. "Here are the files on the Frenchmen, sir," he said softly, handing a pair of folders to the blond man.
"Thank you. Patrick, I'd like you to meet the newest member of our household. This is Treize. Treize, this is Patrick."
The young man turned and held a slim hand out to Treize. He was of moderate height with a stunningly beautiful face. Wide eyes, blue changing to almost-purple, were framed with dark black lashes and his hair, also dark black, was kept in a neat ponytail that was slung over one shoulder and tied with a piece of black ribbon.
"Very good to meet you, Treize," he said in a soft, smooth voice that carried an accent that sounded vaguely Celtish. "I hope you are settling in well."
"Very well, thank you -- it's a pleasure to meet you," Treize murmured, voice as accented as always, taking the extended hand and firmly shaking it, but not hard to jar the slender man. /I think I may have the shortest hair in this house-hold,/ came the passing thought. And he wondered how he could possibly be chosen for this job, with forked eye-brows and a scarred body, when there was someone so perfect who was obviously known to be loyal to Zechs.
And then there was also the fact that he was the oldest person in the household.
Patrick bowed slightly towards Zechs and slipped away through the door into an outer office, leaving Zechs to stare at Treize. "A penny for your thoughts, pet," he said softly.
Treize seemed to be contemplative for a moment, "Why me? I'm nothing compared to these pretty young men you've surrounded yourself with."
Zechs leaned back in his chair and tipped his head to one side, letting long, pale gold hair spill over one shoulder. His expression was almost wistful. "But you're wrong there, Treize," he said softly. "It's true you're a very different type of person than most of the people here. But to say that you are *less* because of that is a great mistake."
He paused and seem to struggle with a decision before speaking again. "Treize - you are, quite simply, the most beautiful man I've ever seen. And I believe that somewhere behind your coolness you have a brilliant mind and a passionate heart. How could I have let you be taken by someone who would abuse you?"
It was obvious Treize wasn't used to compliments of that sort, from the slightly embarrassed expression that crossed his face. "I'm glad that you haven't." He swallowed looking over the books before him. To say more and chance getting the man angry, or...? "I look forward to getting to know you more, Master. Very much so."
A brief spasm of what could have been disappointment crossed the blond man's face, but it was replaced immediately by the cool confidence he normally showed. "Well then - we're done here. I'll let you get on with your report," Zechs said in a somewhat brisk voice. He stood and began walking to the door that led to the elevator. "There's a small workroom across the hall from Wufei - you may use that to do your work in for now. And I expect you in my suite at 4pm. Exactly." Opening the door, they saw a slender boy rise from a small sofa that faced the elevator. Another of Zechs' "angels."
"Good morning, Anton," Zechs said, nodding his head at the boy. "Please see Treize safely back to Wufei's room. Enjoy your day, Treize." At that, the blond man turned back into his office and the door was firmly shut.
"Shall we?" Anton asked Treize, gesturing to the elevator, the doors of which were now sliding open.
"Ah, hold on a moment?" Treize turned from the pretty little boy, heading back to the office door, which he knocked on firmly. One problem was that 'he'd left the books he needed for research *in* that room, the second was that he was vaguely disconcerted.
Inside the office, Zechs had been about to make a phone call, but the knock came, completely unexpectedly, and made him start. He put the phone down and stared at the door for a moment, as if waiting for it to explain itself. No one should be coming in that door for another three hours. That was the schedule, and if there was anything Zechs abhorred it was someone mucking with his schedule. A frown of concern crossed his face as he rose and walked to the offending portal and pulled it open. Seeing Treize there made the frown turn bewildered. "Treize? What is it?"
"I, ah, left the books in here," he announced, semi-nervously, standing in the door-way. "You do want me to start research today?"
"Books... ah, yes," Zechs murmured and walked back into the room towards the books on the desk.
Treize entered the office a little, edgy in his own way. He stood that way until Zechs turned again, those books in his hands. Treize stepped forward to take them, then threw caution to the wind as he grabbed them in one hand, then quickly hugged Zechs tightly. "Thank you, master," he whispered roughly.
Zechs froze, his eyes gone wide. Trying to speak, he was also well aware that he was expected to return the hug, but frankly it had him stunned. Here it was again, that sweet but unbidden touch. It wasn't how he did things, not even close. Since he'd been five years old, no one had touched him spontaneously. He hadn't allowed it, and now this man...
He felt torn between letting Treize feel the full force of a punishment for once, and taking him in his arms for a delicious kiss. Instead he did neither. He patted the man's back awkwardly and murmured, "Your... welcome...?"
All that met that was silence, and a bitter-sweet smile as Treize pulled back. "I'll see you at four, sir."
And then he left to go back to the room.
End of Chapter 7
(:./kumiko/velvet7)
