"Remade and Remodeled
"
Written By: Artemis
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic.
Rating: NC 17
Warnings: Alternate reality, hurt/comfort, angst
Pairings: 6x2
Summary: The challenge of an outlandish bet brings
unforeseen consequences
"Remade and Remodeled "
"Where am I?" he asked, his eyelids heavy from his long
sleep. The room was dark, so very dark and he could only just make
out a figure sitting by his bedside.
"Shhh," the man said, patting his forehead with a cool,
wet cloth.
It felt good that bit of coolness on his brow and he let his eyes
drift closed again.
When next he woke the room was brighter for the sunlight that tried
to penetrate the heavy curtains. He looked about, unfamiliar with
his surroundings. He sat up, slowly, his hand automatically going
to his head. The bandage was still there, but the headache had blessedly
eased.
What was this place? It was all colors of the ocean—seaweed green,
seashell white, deepest blue. The bed was large, king size he guessed
from the way he felt dwarfed in the middle of it. It was certainly
the focus of the room the way it was decked out in silks and tulle
netting. The cream and pale blue tulle draped from a single point
in the ceiling down to the floor—creating a tent, a haven for
the occupant. He would have loved this bed as a boy, imagining himself
an Arab sheik or a soldier of fortune.
The walls were painted in gradation up from the floor—deep aqua
to crystal blue and finally to the brilliant white of the crown molding.
And the paintings, oils and watercolors, all originals for sure, were
of palm trees and white sandy beaches. Had he been transported to
a tropical paradise and made king for a day? The fire in the ivory
marbled fireplace certainly seemed an invitation to stay.
He started as the door opened and a silver tray appeared and then
that man—the man with the long, white hair.
"Ah, good, you're awake," Zechs said, smiling.
"Who are you? And where am I?"
"In that order?" Zechs asked, seeming amused. "I am
Zechs Merquise, and you are in my home, because of your concussion,”
he said, setting down the tray on the bedside table. "This is
one of my guest rooms."
Duo looked over at the contents of the tray—freshly sliced fruit,
scones and strawberry preserves, hot tea and juice.
"I thought you might be hungry this morning."
Duo couldn't remember anything from the previous night. Had... had
something happened between him and this man? He felt naked and looked
down at himself to find his upper body bare. Could this be as bad
as it looked? Gingerly he peeked under the silken sheets to find he
was wearing his underwear. Okay, so maybe it wasn't so bad, but still
he tucked the covers more securely about his waist.
"Yeah, the concussion," Duo said with a nervous gulp. He
still didn't understand why he was here, in this stranger's house.
"I witnessed your unfortunate accident the other night, and tried
to help you," Zechs said, sitting down delicately at the edge
of the bed. "I'm afraid you were determined to be your own man."
Duo grinned at the compliment. "Yeah, well, I had somewhere to
be."
"And you're not going to tell me, are you?"
"It's no big deal. I just needed...." Duo stopped his explanation
abruptly. "Wait a minute. I don't know you from a hill of beans,
but somehow I've ended up here..." An embarrassing blush colored
his cheeks and he shut up.
"I told you, I'm Zechs Merquise.”
"Yeah, yeah, Zechs Merquise. Like that's supposed to mean something
to me," Duo said, folding his arms over his chest.
"Actually, I'm pleased that it doesn't mean anything to you,"
Zechs said, smoothing the bed covers. "I wanted to help you and
I felt so very helpless the other night. Can you understand that?"
Duo was remembering things now, not the accident so much, but how
the man had come to the store, and how the doctor had tended to him
in the emergency room.
"You on the level?" It wasn't like a stranger to help—and
a rich one at that. "All you want is to help?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. I haven't kidnapped you to be my love slave,
if that's what you think.”
Duo turned his eyes away as he felt his cheeks blush again. What was
it about this guy that embarrassed him into blushing?
"You're free to go when you're up to it, though the doctor advised
supervised rest for several days."
Duo nodded awkwardly and looked to the tray of breakfast treats.
"Of course, you must be famished. Let me leave you to your breakfast,"
Zechs said, getting up from the bed.
"Thanks," Duo said, looking up at the tall man. "I
guess I've never met a Good Samaritan before."
The man's face lit up. "You're most welcome, Duo. Now eat and
rest and I'll check on you again later."
Duo nodded and watched the man go from the room. How very strange
that this man should come into his life. He was sure such chivalry,
such unselfishness had died out centuries ago, and yet here stood
the proof—a white knight in the flesh and blood.
+ + +
With more sleep and a full belly, Duo was feeling himself again, and
didn't think it right to impose on this generous stranger any longer.
He got out of bed and found his clothes washed, pressed, boots polished,
and all neatly stacked on a bench at the foot of the bed. He laughed.
This was the best his clothes had ever looked, even when they had
been new, but why had they gone to all this trouble for a gray t-shirt
and black jeans? With a shrug he dressed and then went in search of
his host.
The house was grand, too grand for just one guy to be living here.
Heck, two of Duo's apartments could've fit in the guestroom. And the
halls went on and on—marble and slate, accentuated with works
of art in gilded frames and richly woven rugs. It made a guy's skin
crawl to see so much wealth and no one watching the stuff. Was he
the only one in this place?
He poked his head inside a large room that turned out to be the dining
room. It was so massive that Duo was sure his voice would echo should
he speak. Stepping inside, he wandered along the edge of the room,
letting his hand glide on top of a buffet and over silver bowls and
trays. It looked like they were getting ready for a dinner party the
way everything was set out. Hmm, a piece or two of silverware would
fit easily into his...
"May I help you, sir?"
The voice startled Duo, who froze and then slowly turned to its source.
He smiled at the middle-aged man in the black suit and tie, a suit
that screamed "butler."
"I was looking for Zechs," Duo said, noticing that the man's
eyes were watching his hands. He tucked them into his pockets. "You
know the tall guy with blond hair."
"Mr. Merquise is taking his afternoon swim," the butler
said, raising an appraising eyebrow. "You must be the young man
he brought home yesterday."
Something about that didn't sound right, but Duo let it slide. "Yeah,
he's helping me out though I haven't the faintest clue why."
"He's a generous man," the butler said and then waved his
hand toward the door. "This way, please."
Duo looked back longingly at the silver service as he followed the
man out of the room. He padded along close behind, certain he'd be
lost if he was left to wander on his own again. After many turns and
twists down this hallway and that, and finally down a set of stairs,
Duo was escorted through a set of double doors. He watched the butler
go, and then turned his eyes onto the room in which he had been deposited.
"Whoa," he said, his mouth dropping open.
It was Mount Olympus—or a close facsimile. Either way, it was
if Duo had died and gone to heaven. There were floor to ceiling Grecian
columns and potted trees, and urns overflowing with red azaleas, and
the air smelled of warm, chlorinated water and the sweet scent of
flowers. At the very center of this paradise was a crystal blue swimming
pool, and within it the god of the mountain himself.
Duo gulped, watching the ripple of muscles with each stroke. Zechs
was swimming toward the edge of the pool, then standing, ascending,
revealing his broad, lean body with each step.
Zechs smiled as he stepped onto the colored tiles at poolside, unfastening
his hair and letting it fall down his back. "I didn't expect
to see you out of bed."
Duo nodded, dumbly, barely suppressing a whimper. Damn this guy was
tall, and so fucking fuckable in those tight red swim trunks it was
making Duo’s jeans a bit snug. "Yeah... I'm feeling better,"
Duo said, somehow managing to bring his eyes up to Zechs's face.
The grin on Zechs's lips broadened. "I'm pleased." He reached
for a towel on the back of a chair.
"Still a bit tired though," Duo said, finding it hard to
remember what he was doing here. Oh, yeah, he was leaving. "I
wanted to thank you before I left."
"You're going? So soon?" Zechs asked, concern filling his
eyes.
"I've caused you enough trouble." Duo felt guilty over the
fuss that had been made of him.
"You're no trouble. I was glad to help."
Once again Duo wondered why a man of Zechs's station would want to
help him. Call it street savvy or anything you like, but something
didn't sit right in his belly. "Yeah, I appreciate all you've
done, but now I'm gonna be on my way."
"The doctor recommended several days bed rest.”
"Yeah, I remember you mentioning something like that, but I really
gotta be going. I need to get back to work."
Zechs patted his chest and arms dry with the towel. "Of course,
but you must be hungry. Would you care to join me for lunch before
you leave? My chef is preparing a pear and pecan salad with endive."
What's endive? Duo wondered. First this guy had scooped him off his
feet at the store and the next thing Duo knew he was half naked in
his bed... and now the guy was working it so Duo would never leave.
"I--I gotta be going," Duo said, nervously, but more insistently.
"Thanks again."
"You're very welcome." Zechs reached over to a phone on
a low, glass table. "I'll have Healy bring around the car to
take you home---”
"That's okay, I can find my own way home."
"We're quite a ways out from the city. My driver will take you."
The tone was pleasant, but definitely a directive, and despite himself,
Duo nodded. Okay, so he'd let himself be driven home. At least he'd
be out of this place.
+ + +
It was a beautiful prison. That's what Duo had dubbed Zechs's home
once he was free of its lure. Servants, silk sheets, freshly squeezed
grapefruit juice, and a swimming pool. It was all a bit much for a
Joe who made minimum wage and ate Spaghetti-O's.
"A guy could go nuts, wanting all that stuff," Duo said,
as he pulled the silver serving spoon from inside his jeans. He turned
it over, examining it as he closed the apartment door behind him.
This one piece would fetch a couple hundred dollars on the street.
Lucky for him that servant had let him linger for a minute. That was
all it took to slip back into the dining hall and take a souvenir
of his visit to the right side of the tracks.
A couple hundred dollars was the difference between eking by and having
a little extra for groceries and possibly some new clothes or a down
payment on a stereo he'd been drooling over for the past three months.
Yeah, this spoon was his ticket to an easier life, if only temporary.
His only regret was that he hadn't taken more.
~ * ~
Chapter 5
Back to Artemis'
fics
Back to GW Authors Index.
