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.
WARNINGS: heavy shonen-ai (kissing); angst; some sap (my fault, not Tzi's); serious flirtation
Pairing: 6x5/5x6 (Implied 13x6, 13x5)
Zechs was leaning against the hood of the car, fully dressed now in his jeans, the red t-shirt (which had proved to be very tight and form-fitting,) and his trusty black boots. The early evening air was still very warm and there was sultry feeling to it. "Great," he said as Wufei emerged around the corner of the house. "Let's see what she can do."
He slid into the driver's seat, buckled himself and waited as Wufei got in. "Shall we find some deserted road and open her up?" he said, looking over at the boy.
"Let's go," Wufei agreed, heart racing behind his ribs. "I can't wait to see!" That was true, he couldn't; he had an absolutely reckless love for wild speed and the thought of it excited him almost as much as Zechs's kisses, which was to say quite a lot. A tentative smile crossed his lips as he buckled the seat belt, settling back in the seat.
The small car purred through the outskirts of Luxembourg and onto an open road that ran through a softly rolling country with woods on either side. Slowing to a stop, Zechs shifted down and then looked over at Wufei. "Moment of truth," he said softly with a quick wink at the slender Chinese boy. The next moment they were accelerating, the sheer speed of it enough to take Zechs's breath away momentarily. For the briefest moment, he was back in Tallgeese, moving across the sky in beautiful lightning arcs, the adrenalin feeling like sexual arousal all through his body. He took several curves expertly and maintained a pace more akin to racing cars that the small roadster under his hands. It was sheer exhilaration and, as always in times like these, he felt as if he could never get enough.
"Yes!" Wufei almost cried as they rounded another curve at an incredible rate of speed, eyes bright, expression somehow excited and longing and wanton all at the same time. "Oh, YES, it's BEAUTIFUL!"
On a long, straight patch of road, the blond man brought the car to a gentle stop. Looking over at his companion, he smiled brilliantly. "I think we did rather well," he said, reveling in the understatement. Then a fine platinum eyebrow arched and he gave Wufei a challenging look out of the corner of his eye. "Think you're up to driving it?"
"Are you brave enough to take the passenger seat?" Wufei asked with a challenging smirk of his own.
As a reply, Zechs kept his eyes on Wufei and unbuckled his seat belt, then opened his door and got out of the car. Walking around to the passenger side, he offered a hand to the Chinese boy, and murmured, "By all means -take my breath away."
Wufei accepted that assistance, stepping out of the car and changing places with Zechs, grinning as he slid behind the wheel. "Don't worry," he murmured, moving the seat up and putting one hand on the wheel, one hand on the stick, caressing the knob slowly. "I'll do just that."
Zechs watched the boy's fingers play over the highly polished wood, and was surprised at the heat that passed through him at the sight of it. His gaze slid slowly upwards to Wufei's face, and said in a low voice, "I bet you will."
They took off in a squeal of rubber, gears changed with a quick precision, wheel handled expertly despite the fact that a phone book beneath him might have helped him to peer up over the hood somewhat. Wufei almost laughed with delight as they continued down the road at a phenomenal rate of speed that would surely have gotten them arrested had anyone stopped them.
Zechs smiled, first to himself... /He's good - so nice to have someone who appreciates the Need for Speed/... and then over at Wufei. So strange to see him like this - as if he's truly enjoying something. As I am enjoying watching him.../
When they finally pulled to a stop it was only because they'd found the end of the road, a stop sign that left them with options of only left and right. "That," Wufei said with tones of pure enjoyment, "was *wonderful*."
"Indeed it was," Zechs said, looking over at a face transformed with delight. "Almost as enjoyable as seeing you really smile..."
Flushed, Wufei looked at him and smiled again. "I like to drive," he said simply, "and the company is enjoyable."
"Well, then - by all means, turn the car around and drive." Zechs relaxed against his seat and continued to smile at his companion.
With a chuckle, Wufei did just that and they were flying back again across those low-lying hills and curves, the little roadster hugging every one of them.
The powerful hum of the motor seemed to permeate Zechs as he sank back into the passenger seat and gave up control completely to the fierce young man driving. /Fierce... not a word that would have fit him that first day I saw him at the cemetery... but it's been there, underneath, just waiting to be let out.../ For some reason, he found his eyes straying to Wufei's legs -the slim but powerful thighs, cleverly hidden under the loose white material that also fell in maddening folds around the boy's crotch. Flickering his eyes away reluctantly, he thought of what it would feel like to cup his hand against that warm place, to squeeze it firmly and feel it harden. His heart seemed to leap at the thought and he had to let his head fall back against the headrest, closing his eyes and smiling faintly with the pleasure the thought engendered. In a languid voice, he murmured, "Wufei - are you hungry?"
The realization that he'd eaten nothing since the muffin that morning struck him and he nodded, slowing down as they neared their starting point once more. "Starved," he agreed solemnly. "You?"
"Mmmm..." the blond man purred happily, still lost in thoughts of illicit touches. "If you see a good restaurant - stop."
***
The outside of the building was made of solid smooth river stones, huge and pretty, a few support beams exposed. From where they were parked, they could see through large windows. Lights twinkled merrily in the gathering dusk, revealing the people moving about inside from table to table, the food looking downright delicious to his hungry frame of mind. "Shall we?"
Zechs smiled. "We shall." He eased himself out of the car and indulged in a long stretch, then held the door for Wufei as they entered the restaurant. Once inside, a waiter moved forward quickly to take them to one of the little wooden tables in a corner at the back of the restaurant, quiet and out of the way, wooden chairs scraping on hardwood floors as he gave them menus and gently asked what they would prefer to drink.
Wufei considered the matter momentarily before saying, "Coffee, please," and nodding. He had no particular wish for any of the sodas or other things they offered. "And ice water, as well? Not the small glass, but a larger one."
A pleasant smile from the older man - "I'll have the same, please, and a glass of white wine." Zechs leaned back in his chair and regarded Wufei. "So, tell me the truth - is my car finally at peak performance, or does it need more work?"
"Your car," Wufei answered slowly, leaning forward, "is a true work of art. The only way it could be any better than it already is would be for it to be a mobile suit -- MY mobile suit," he said with a certain amount of arrogance.
Another smile from Zechs, this one downright angelic, and he leaned forward, too. "*Your* mobile suit?" he said in a low, breathy voice. "Give me the Tallgeese *any* day - *far* more powerful, and faster as well..." As he stared at the boy across the table, he reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind Wufei's ear.
A slight flush spread across Wufei's face, his eyes steadily trained on Zechs's mouth as he spoke, missing the words entirely. "Huh?"
A slow smile spread across the blond's face. "Never mind - it wasn't important." His eyes moved to the menu before him and he searched it for a moment before murmuring seductively, "So tell me Wufei - what is it you *really* want?"
/You on your back,/ Wufei thought before he brought the menu up to hide the deepening color in his cheeks. "The grilled chicken," he said, peering up over the edge. "And..." /Naked and writhing and me enjoying every minute of it,/ that contemplation continued, gaining a lusty sigh.
"Hmm..." The Blond Man studied the menu with a small frown. "I don't believe the grilled chicken comes with heavy sighs. Looks like it's vegetables julienne or nothing." He leaned over and asked with great concern, "Will you be able to manage without them? The heavy sighs, I mean? Because if you can't, I suppose we *could* have some for dessert." Zechs's ice-blue eyes were half-lidded as he stared across the table. "I know of a wonderful place to get them..."
"That..." Wufei croaked out. "That sounds just *FINE*!"
Good," Zechs purred, his toe rubbing up under Wufei's loose white pants. "I was hoping you'd feel that way."
For a moment, the slim young pilot lost all hopes of gaining his breath and shivered slightly with delight. "Y..es," he said a little breathlessly, flooded with the feelings rising in him.
The waiter arrived to take their orders and was back in only minutes with their drinks, as well as salad and a basket of fresh-baked bread. Zechs took a warm slice and broke it apart, staring down at his plate thoughtfully. "Wufei," he finally said, voice soft, almost nostalgic, "do you ever miss it? The speed, the flying - that feeling of the being so attuned to the machine that you're almost part of it?"
"Sometimes," Wufei admitted, carefully pulling out some of the salad and putting it carefully upon a plate before unraveling his silverware from his napkin and taking a bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then continued. "Mostly I don't. There are too many bad memories attached to it."
"Mmmm..." Zechs staring down at the table, but what he seemed to see appeared to be a thousand miles away. "That's understandable..."
Wufei's fork dawdled around in his salad as he looked at Zechs. "What are you thinking?" he asked tentatively.
"Hmm?" Zechs looked up, eyes still a bit unfocused. "Oh, it's nothing," he smiled softly. "How is the salad? To your liking?"
"Oh, it's fine," Wufei replied solemnly, letting Zechs get away with his answer... for now. "How's the bread?"
"Delicious," Zechs pronounced, smiling at the young man opposite him. "I want to thank you again for the help today. One of my favorite pastimes is to take something and perfect it. To put a lot of work into something and make it better even than it was when it was new." He tucked into his salad at last and was silent for a moment. "Machines seem to be so well-suited to that - and I understand them completely. People, however," he said, looking up at Wufei through long, pale-gold bangs, "are still something of a mystery to me at times..."
The smile that came in response to that was tiny and faintly sad, that fork poking around in the lettuce again. "When you figure them out, you should tell me," he responded wryly, shaking his head. "I can't even figure myself out anymore, much less someone else. The mystery of it is sort of nice, though."
"It can be," Zechs mused, and put his fork down again. He sat back in his chair and looked out over the crowd of diners. Each table held people engaged in lively conversation, completely comfortable with themselves, and here the two of them were, stumbling over their words. /I don't remember ever being like that... even before the war. Maybe I am a loner - still, it's so good to have his company, even if we can't talk very easily./
He looked back a Wufei, tilting his head a bit to the side as he regarded the Chinese boy. "I think the kind of understanding you're seeking takes a lifetime to master. That's our job in life, I've come to believe... understanding others, and ourselves in the process."
"Hopefully I won't continue failing so badly," Wufei murmured, both black brows arching as his gaze wandered across the diners, taking note of the soft laughter and smiles that were all a part of the evening for most of them. "They look so comfortable, don't they? The people here. The people everywhere. Comfortable with themselves, this peace, the world. I wonder sometimes how they do it..."
Zechs leaned forward again and lightly stroked the back of Wufei's hand. "You and I, the people we know, have a bit more to come to terms with than most people do. Give yourself some time and do it by degrees... try getting comfortable with one person at a time." His expression was warm and understanding and the gentle caresses continued.
"Starting with you?" Wufei asked, a subtle hint of challenge in the intricate layers of emotion that filled his voice.
/Watch your step, Zechs - you may be presuming too much.../ The fingers were subtly but quickly removed and Zechs sat back, taking a drink of wine. "That's up to you, entirely. It's not my decision to make. Ahh - here is our food."
For a moment, those words felt like rejection more than anything else as the waiter gently sat their plates before them. The moment's silence gave Wufei the opportunity to wonder, though; to wonder if perhaps, no matter *how* ridiculous it seemed to him, the blond god was as afraid of rejection as he was.
"Tell me, Wufei," Zechs said as he began cutting his beef, "do you ride?" He took a bite, savoring it. "Horses that is?"
"No," came the answer, the double entendre not passing him by entirely, but almost. "We didn't have larger animals on L5; only the small ones and they died almost constantly," he murmured. "The colony was dying and even those of us..." He paused momentarily before changing what he was going to say. "The expense was too high," he murmured finally, "for an animal that would just die anyway."
Zechs knew all about L5 colony. After coming back from space, it was one of the things that most troubled Treize. One of his uncle's advisors had wanted to destroy the colony all at once - easier that way, he said, than trying to relocate the large and troublesome Long clan. It had been Treize who insisted that the people be given a chance to fight. /Yet another tie.../ Zechs mused, as he watched the light go out of Wufei's eyes again. Perhaps it was time for recklessness, before the evening got away from them both.
He leaned over the table, nearly coming out of his chair, and cupped his hand under Wufei's chin. Azure eyes met and held blackest ebony as the blond man began to speak. "Wufei - every word we say to each other seems to drive us further apart tonight, and that's the last thing I want to happen. Can we make a promise to one another - to be as *present* as we possibly can, even when the other person brings up memories that want to drag us back?" His thumb brushed over the Chinese boy's warm lips and he continued, voice low and soft. "There are times when it feels as if we're so close that we breathe the same breath - and there are times like now, when you seem a million miles away, or far back in time, in places where I could never follow you."
The boy's face was so lovely, those beautiful eyes, exotic in shape and color, so different than his own, skin that seemed to glow with heat from within, and lips that looked as soft as he remembered them being, from the few kisses they had shared. Such a hell of desire...
Now his fingertips moved across a soft cheek. "Please, Wufei - just be here with me... I don't want you to feel forced, but I don't want you drifting away either."
That touch, the soft words, drew him back from the edge of the past's precipice. He gave a single deep sigh and, for the first time in a very long time... Wufei let go.
"All right," he agreed solemnly. "I think I can do that."
While he'd have preferred it if Wufei had taken advantage of their proximity, Zechs knew it was an accomplishment on the boy's part simply to make the promise. He sat back slowly and gave his companion a soft smile. "Thank you - I appreciate it." /What do I do with him? He blows hot and cold by the minute. Were we really staring at each other in lust when we first sat down here...?/
Turning to his food, he again attempted something that might resemble conversation. "What is your favorite food, Wufei?"
There was no hesitation in his voice as he answered. "Chocolate. Without a doubt, chocolate." A little smile went Zechs's way and Wufei tilted his head. "You?"
"Strawberries - when they're very, very sweet."
The smile widened and the younger pilot said almost teasingly, "And sweet strawberries dipped in chocolate?"
"Well that would be close to perfection, wouldn't it?" Zechs said softly, pushing away his plate and keeping his eyes demurely down.
That demureness amused Wufei somewhat; he knew Zechs was no more innocent or demure than he, but they did have their little games, didn't they? Yes... and he found he rather enjoyed it. "Perhaps we should stop and pick some up for the evening," he murmured.
Zechs looked up, tilting his head a bit, blond hair falling over one shoulder. "Hmmm, perhaps. Although I had another destination in mind."
That struck Wufei as curious so he shifted his head in response, looking across at Zechs. "Mind telling me, or is it a secret?"
"There's a small lake nearby. I thought we could drive over there and watch the moon come up. It's full tonight, you know."
"No, I didn't know," Wufei said thoughtfully, eyes narrowing slightly. /Oh, I'm in *way* over my head.../ "Sounds great, though."
A smile and a soft sigh. To Zechs it seemed that the interaction between them was cooling rapidly - become almost fraternal - and he quietly gave up any hope of reviving it that night. As he signaled for the check, he murmured lightly, "We don't have to - it was just an idea."
The foot that nudged slowly up his left ankle accompanied by the slight flush on Wufei's face belied 'fraternity'. "No, I think I really want to. Can't we?"
"Certainly," Zechs replied, giving a sharp intake of breath at the unexpected touch. /Okay, maybe not *fraternal*.../ Tossing some bills on the table he stood and smiled down at Wufei. "I'll drive."
Wufei nodded, standing as well. "You know the way," he said solemnly, "and I wouldn't want to get lost and... miss the moon." /And perhaps the opportunity to kiss you again.../
End of Part 11
(:./kumiko/lvvs11)
