14 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; sap; relatives again
"Extraordinarily annoying," Treize muttered, stripping off his wet shirt. "Here, undress -- I'll start a fire, and it won't take but, oh, twenty minutes for us to dry that way."
Zechs mouth dropped open and then he laughed. "You're telling me that you're going to make those people wait for twenty minutes? What if they go pounding through the library door and do something horrible to your poor solicitor?"
"They're too busy drinking *my* liquor to care," Treize mused, already stacking the logs.
Zechs was very slowly getting better at reading his lover's moods. He was by no means expert, but he could tell by the man's tone of voice and his slowed movements that he was weary - and perhaps something more. Stripping off the rest of his wet clothes, Zechs walked to the fireplace and knelt behind Treize who was had just then succeeded at starting the fire. Slipping his arms around the man's neck, he kissed the still-damp cheek and whispered, "Can I give you a back rub?"
A soft sigh left Treize, and his eyes were fixed on the flickering flames. "Yes, please, Milliard."
Breathing against his palms to warm them, Zechs pressed his hands against Treize's shoulders and began a slow, easy stroke to find the knots below the skin.
Treize breathed a soft exhalation, hands resting on his knees for support. "Uhm... Where'd you learn... this?"
Zechs moved his hands in slow circles, starting small and then gradually widening them. "Well... the last family I stayed with - one of the uncles... he visited every week and... he wanted me to do this for him. So he taught me."
Zechs' voice had been quiet and now he moved inward from the relaxed shoulders. A whisper of touch moved up the nobleman's neck and then firm but gentle fingertips were buried beneath Treize's hair, massaging his scalp in small, soft movements.
"Would you teach me, so I could do this for you...?" came the purred question, as Treize shifted back to that touch.
"Yes, of course." The blond boy worked in silence, moving slowly down Treize's back and then trailing his fingers up to finish with a few gentle rubs of his shoulders again. "That should help," he said, still kneeling behind Treize. "You were all over knots but I think they're all gone now."
The older man stretched languidly, smiling, both from the heat of the fire and the touch of his lover's hands. "I feel much better, thank you, my love -- I'll do that for you after the reading."
"I should probably go get dressed and dry my hair," Zechs said, reaching out a hand - wanting so badly to touch Treize's silky hair, but pulling back before he did. Instead he stood and headed for the door to his suite.
"Get dressed, then come back here -- I'll dry your hair for you," Treize smiled, rising.
Coming into his suite, Zechs caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror against the far wall and winced. He ran a hand through his hair and went to the closet, choosing stone-colored trousers and a form-fitting, short-sleeved sweater in a shade just a bit darker than his eyes. Checking the mirror again as he put on shoes and socks, he felt his cheeks redden at the sight of himself in the tight sweater but decided it was too much trouble to find something less form-fitting, and headed back into Treize's suite.
Treize seemed to not really be caring what sort of presentation he gave his relations, even though he gave a good one without trying. A silk, forest green shirt that was tucked into and sharply cut black pants, and his now dried hair pushed back out of his eyes. The hair dryer laid on the bed, and he was sitting beside it, waiting.
"You look wonderful," Zechs said softly as he appeared, smiling, at the doorway. "Poor Charlotte won't be able to contain herself".
"Ah, but you're the one she has her eye on, and you look stunning," Treize smiled. "Sit -- let me dry your hair."
Zechs sat down next to Treize, grateful for the chance to face away from the man. /He looks so beautiful, but... still a bit distant - preoccupied, perhaps.../ "Thank you for doing this, you really didn't have to."
Treize smiled at Zechs, though he couldn't see. "There is a difference between having to do this, and wanting to -- I want to," he informed, even as he plugged the blow-dryer in and began to use it on Zechs' hair with slow, gentle motions.
Golden strands drifted around his face as Zechs closed his eyes. That face, however, settled itself into the familiar, brooding expression signifying that the blond boy was lost in thought. /He seems far away... Things feel more uncertain now. Not like those early hours... Perhaps they were just a dream. They certainly felt like it.../
Before Zechs knew it, his hair was dry, and Treize had turned off the dryer. "Well, I suppose we should..." And then he saw Zechs' expression. "Milliard...? Something's bothering you. Tell me," he spoke softly, sliding his arms around the boy's waist.
Jolted back to reality, Zechs blinked and looked around at Treize. "Hmm? Oh. It's nothing... really. Are you ready to go downstairs?"
"Not until you tell me what was bothering you," the older man said quietly.
Zechs gave a small self-deprecating laugh. "Really, it's... nothing. Honestly." He saw, however, that Treize was determined. Remembering the waiting relatives, he said softly "Sometimes I wish I was older - a lot older. Then I'd know how to handle things better. Know how to keep things from from making me sad."
"What makes you sad, Milliard?" Treize asked, tone gentle, patient and waiting.
The boy stared at his hands, not sure what words to say. /I don't want him to think that I'm annoying, or pathetic. Damn why couldn't he just leave it alone!/
A few moments of silence past and then he said, in a low voice, "Things seem a little different between us - today, compared to when I got here." He felt horrible having to say the words and he rushed to qualify them. "I mean, I *know* it's me, and I know that it's just something to get used to. The way things were at first - well, that was just... oh, I don't know *what* it was, fantasy maybe, but there's no use looking back, is there? We need to just live in the present and not wish for things that we don't have, or that have already come and gone." He finally got the nerve to look up at Treize. "Otherwise we just make ourselves *miserable*, don't you agree?"
"Yes," Treize said softly, kissing Zechs' temple gently. "But what has changed so drastically that it disturbs you so?"
The statement hurt. It really was only he who noticed. /It's only me who cares anything about it. He doesn't even... Damn. I just expected too much. Wanted it to last more than a day... Treize is happy with things the way they are. Don't press. It's not good form./
Zechs pulled himself away from Treize's arms. "This really isn't all that important, Treize. And you've got a solicitor waiting, and relatives as well, who are all probably drunk by now. I don't think that's going to make things easier for you. This was just a mood - I have them all the time. I'm fine, really. Let's go."
Treize's gaze narrowed slightly, and he moved to pull Zechs back closer to himself. "You're more important to me than my relatives," he spoke seriously. "Now, tell me exactly what's bothering you, so I can fix it, if I can."
Zechs stared into the vivid blue eyes, almost as if searching for something. When he spoke his voice was low, nearly a whisper. "You can't change the way you feel, Treize. Not if your honest with yourself. I really loved being with you, that first day - that night. But now you seem different, cooler perhaps." He couldn't hold the older man's gaze any longer. He felt stupid and childish, asking for treats after he'd already had them. Looking down at the floor, he continued. "As I said, I just need to be older. That way it wouldn't matter to me. I could be more like you."
"No, Milliard -- be yourself," Treize spoke firmly, pulling Zechs closer, kissing him passionately for a brief moment before he broke it to speak again. "You're miserable here with me, aren't you? I'm sorry -- I'd thought you were enjoying yourself. I don't know what you think I feel toward you, my friend, but I love you dearly, passionately -- do not doubt that."
Zechs stared at Treize, as if trying to read some deep truth in the older man's eyes. "You love me - passionately, you say... but you haven't wanted to really touch me much today..." His voice trailed off as he dropped his gaze to the floor. "I'm not miserable with you. I want nothing more than to be with you for the rest of my life. It'll just take some time to stop thinking about you that way. To stop wanting you more than I want to breathe. And I don't even know what it was I did wrong..."
A smile crinkled the corners of Treize's eyes. "Ah -- my love!" He hugged Zechs closer than before. "I'm so sorry... I was simply... ah, I have instincts that kick in when my relatives are around. You did nothing wrong at all." Before the blonde could get a word in edgewise, the older man took his lips fiercely, tongue probing into the sweet depths of Zechs' mouth for long moments. "I wouldn't call what we were doing when Dorothy caught us 'not wanting to touch you', either."
The kiss had made Zechs a little lightheaded, and he held tight to Treize's arms. "I suppose not. It was just so short and..." He looked up again. "Do you still want me... that way?" he asked, the child still warring with the man inside.
"Let me prove that to you as soon as my relatives are out the front door," Treize murmured, taking another kiss, this one slower, but no less wanting.
The hunger Zechs had been feeling, and denying, all day got the better of him. He pulled Treize closer to him savoring every caress of that sweet, probing tongue. When they finally broke apart he kept his forehead against Treize's, still nuzzling against the man's lips. "Thank you, Treize... I love you."
Soft, nipping kisses followed, and Treize smiled. "My dear friend... I love you, too." A pause, and he scattered kisses across the beautiful face. "Now, let us get this over with as soon as possible, so that I can build an alter of pillows to you and show you just how desirous I am of you."
Zechs blushed deeply but savored the kisses nonetheless. "That's all right - your words are good enough..." With that he looked up at the older man, holding him tightly enough so that he couldn't move. Once more he brushed his lips across the other's and then said, "Shall we head downstairs so you can put your relatives out of your misery?"
"Yes, though the most favorable way of doing so would be with a gun..." He didn't move yet, though, just holding close to his lover. "Yes, we should..."
Zechs smiled up at the tall nobleman. "Yes... we should..."
A rueful smile crossed Treize's lip, and he rose, pulling Zechs up with him. "After you, my love..."
They descended the staircase and were about to turn in to the parlor when a familiar voice called out, "Well, Treize - we finally got you cornered so we can claim what's ours." Zechs turned and looked behind them. Nikolai stood on the opposite side of the main entryway, arms crossed, expression an odd mixture of smug and sly.
Treize raised an eyebrow, turning a cool gaze on Nikolai. "Yes, I do suppose that is the only reason you ever kept in touch with my father --but this will all be settled soon, and, thankfully, I'll never see you again."
"Don't count on it, cos'." Nikolai's tone was derisive and he walked between them into the parlor, brushing Zechs aside as he did so. "This house is just *full* of interesting things to play with."
"It will be *so* refreshing to never see you again, Nikolai," Treize murmured darkly, as he and Zechs entered the parlor.
End of Part 10
(:./kumiko/bblood17)
