28 Jun 2001
TITLE: Velvet
AUTHOR: Kat & kumi!
PART: 37/42
FANDOM: Gundam Wing
PAIRING: A puddle of Treize, Zechs and Wufei
WARNINGS: lemon, lemon, lemmmmon!
DISCLAIMER: Not ours. *sigh* ^_~
'Dinner' with Catherine and Trowa had fallen through, and Treize had, since that conversation with Anne, taken to sleeping on the sofa.
And having horrible nightmares that kept him from truly sleeping. Two nights of little sleep was killing him, and it was hellishly obvious that he was unhappy, uneasy being there -- while trying to act, at least in front of Marimeia, like everything was okay.
The nightmares had been broad ranging -- from being attacked and raped again by his old masters, to vivid mental images of Zechs dying before he had a chance to see him gain, of never seeing him again, of going to see him and being shunned...
All of those possibilities and more, and every moment more, Treize felt like he was dying inside.
Mari would be home from school soon, and he'd be finished packing up his office -- just a few little things that he wanted, all of which had remained untouched in his absence.
/They all expected me to be the same,/ he thought bitterly, putting pictures and a few papers into the box he'd brought with him. /Like I wouldn't change? Like I could just slide back into life, and be happy... And they anger when I *can't*. I should never have left him -- I love him, more than Anne./
There was movement by the door and then a soft voice. "Treize? Welcome back."
"Hello Cathrine," he murmured, looking up for a moment, before going back to packing. "Did Anne send you, or did you find me here by yourself?"
"No, I was helping out with some of Relena's caseload, so I was here and taking a break. The trip to France left her behind, so I volunteered."
/I wish she'd never been there./ "Well, I'm glad to see that you are still... in good health, Cathrine." There it was again -- the awkwardness, the stiffness.
She leaned against the door frame and smiled softly at him, watching him put things into boxes. "I know I'll probably regret this, but dare I ask why you're packing?"
"Because I can't stay here, Catherine," Treize murmured after he thought about it for a moment.
"Can we talk about it, Treize?"
"Ah..." His lips thinned as he sat down in the once familiar leather chair. "I'm going to take Mari with me and go find my ex-master in Norway. I miss him, and I'm gay now."
Cathrine's jaw dropped a bit at that. She appeared to be trying to say something, but was unable to get anything out, so she simply sat down in the chair across from his desk. "I see..." she finally said, staring at him in complete bewilderment. "Well - you certain do know how to leave a woman at a loss for words.... Did you say you were gay *now*?"
"Before, too, it seems, only I didn't know," he murmured, picking up another picture and putting it away.
Cathrine sat for a moment and tried to make sense of the information. "And... what about Anne? This must mean you've called off the engagement...?" She made a mental note to herself to call Treize's now former fiancee as soon as she left Treize.
"Yes, Cathrine," Treize murmured, "You were the one who frowned on it when I *did* decide to get engaged to her."
"Hmm, well... it certainly wasn't because I thought you were gay," Cathrine said, sitting back in the chair and looking thoughtful. "It just seemed that the love between you was... more like siblings, perhaps, instead of romantic." She chewed on her lip for a moment, just looking at him, and then added, "So, does this mean you're really in love with another man? And is he *good* to you?"
"Cathrine... You've met Relena's brother before, I know. What did you think of him?" Treize asked as he picked up the tape to seal one of the boxes.
She looked puzzled, wondering at the apparent non-sequiter. "Miriald? Oh, well... he's certainly good looking - gorgeous, actually, *and* knows it." She pondered, chin in hand. "Very elegant, smooth, very nice manners that probably go right out the window when the bedroom door is closed." She shook her head, a faintly amused look on her face. "I always got the feeling with him that there were things he did, had done, that were just outrageous and that he looked at the rest of us as boring little peons. I'm not sure why, but that was the impression I got... That he was amazingly kinky and extremely intelligent - a possibly dangerous combination..."
"He is," Treize spoke shortly, waiting for her reaction. "He's a very kinky, intelligent, gentle man."
For a brief moment she stared at him, uncomprehending and then it fell into place. "Miriald? You're in love with... Miriald *Peacecraft*? But where did you meet -" She stopped short, making yet another connection and her eyes went wide. "Oh *no*... it can't be... *Relena's brother*... is he an owner or just a patron?"
"He was my last owner, Cathrine," Treize murmured, looking easily at her. "Also known as Zechs Marquise. I love him too much to stay away."
The woman opposite him looked at him with an air of concern. "Treize... you know I don't care about people being gay or straight, so don't think I'm questioning that, but... are you sure this is really love? That it's not that he still has... whatever hold masters have over slaves, over you? How do you know that you *love* him?"
/Devil's advocate./ "How does anyone know that they're in love, Cathrine? When they leave the other person and find themselves absolutely miserable? I can't sleep at nights because I can't relax without him and Wufei there. I feel... like part of me is missing. I miss his voice, I miss the way he acts, the way he treats me, the way he thinks..."
"You said you were in love with Miriald," Cathrine asked suspiciously. "Who's Wufei?"
"Wufei is... another slave of Zechs," Treize murmured. "He's been with Zechs for years and years."
"Hmmm... and that doesn't bother you? It doesn't get in the way of *your* relationship with him?"
"There's... a little competition. *Was*, until Wufei and I had a lengthy talk," he murmured, sealing the second and last box. "there's no point in me staying here, Cathrine, though I'll miss all of you."
She gave him a sad smile. "Ah, Treize... I understand... maybe... he certainly had a way about him the few times *I* met him. I just wish you looked happier. It would make it easier to see you go..."
Treize managed a slight smile to her, stacking the boxes on top of each other. "I'll write, Cathrine. I promise -- I just can't stay here any more."
Standing up, his now-former partner walked around the desk and gave him a hug. "I'll miss that wicked sense of humor, you know, but I'm glad you've found someone who's that special to you." She froze for a moment and pulled back, staring at him. "What... what does Relena have to say about this? Does she know??"
"She knows," he murmured, through slightly gritted teeth at mention of Relena's name. "she can't believe that I'm doing this -- tried to convince me that I was crazy -- but..." he hugged Cathrine tightly. "I know I'm doing the right thing."
"Then follow you heart," she said simply. "And go *get* him!" She pulled back and smiled at him, slowly letting go. The she wiped quickly at her eyes and hurried out of the room saying, "Damn, I *hate* good byes..."
"I promise I'll see you again, Catherine..." He was going to miss her... but he promised himself that he *would* see her again!
"Mari... are you packing your bags...?" Treize asked softly as he peeked into her room.
She was sitting on the edge of her bed, feet dangling off the floor because of its height. Every once in awhile she would kick the side of the mattress hard. When he came she looked up at him with a glum face.
"I can't believe you're actually going through with this..." she said, somewhat huffily.
"Mari," he murmured, stepping into the room, brows furrowed a little. "It... is the only solution I can find."
"It's a solution for you," she said harshly, glaring at him. "You get to run off and be with your weirdo boyfriend and what am *I* going to do? Wait around until you two stop holding hands long enough to notice my existence?" She turned her back to him and let out a loud sigh of disgust.
"That didn't seem to be a worry you had about Anne, was it?"
"*Anne* was normal," she said huffily. "I mean... at least she was a *woman*. and besides... you hardly ever kissed and held hands anyway. I suppose you're going to be all kissy-faced with this... weirdo, aren't you." Another hard kick to the mattress.
"I don't like being talked to like this, Mari," Treize murmured, tone a little darker than before. "Yes, I'm sure I'll be more affectionate with Zechs, but that doesn't mean I'll spend any less time with *you*." /what the hell am I talking about? I'm not even sure he'll want me.../
"So I get to be in the room when you two are acting that way. Well..." she gave him a doleful look designed to exact a very large toll of guilt, in the way only one's offspring truly can. "He's going to be all happy to see you, but what is going to say when he sees *me.* What if he chucks you out? *Then* where will we be?"
"Then we'll turn around, come back here, move into *my* apartment, and I'll find a clerical job," he murmured. "If that happens."
She got up from the bed and put the last stack of clothing into her suitcase (rather harder than she needed to.) Then she crossed her arms again, gave him a mournful look and said, "I'm going to say goodbye to Anne." With that, she was out of the room.
"Stars," he muttered to himself as he sat, no, perched, on the bed, closing his eyes as he leaned forward to cradle his head in his hands. He wanted to just curl up and die, but he couldn't, not with Mari to care for, and Zechs to love... But it was so frustrating that it was still tempting.
Anne was sitting in the kitchen, staring into her coffee cup, and twirling the engagement ring she'd been wearing around her finger. /I should have known, really... guess I've been kidding myself for too long. Hindsight is such a damnable thing. I can see lots of signs now that I never would have thought of before. But I'm not at all sure I thought he would leave me to be with a *man*... How could he not have known earlier? Or did he know and was just too scared to show it.../
"Anne, we're..." He trailed off as he entered the room on silent feet, face clouded, eyes murky with moisture. "Mari and I are packed -- the cab should be coming soon, so... I suppose this is good-bye."
She stood, not knowing whether to embrace him or not, but finally doing it. There was no telling if she would ever see him again and, as angry as she was, as betrayed as she felt, she was still hopelessly and painfully in love with him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and the tears came - tears she'd been able to hold back for the last several days. "Please take care of yourself, Treize," she whispered. "And even though I don't want you to be happy with him... I do want you to be happy..."
"I'll miss you, Anne," he whispered roughly, "And Mari will call you probably every day. I hope you can be happy..."
She wanted to tell him that he'd made that impossible, but instead she simply let go of him and said, "Go on and go..."
He cast her a sad smile, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Better for this to have happened then for our marriage to have failed, Anne. I'll see you."
"Yes... see you..." She couldn't say anymore. Her voice was breaking.
End of Chapter 37
(:./kumiko/velvet37)
