"Meditations on the Colour Blue"

Written By: Waterliliylf

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. All rights remain with Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. No profit being made here.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Sap, angst, fluff

Pairings: Wufei/Zechs get together. Background 1x2, 3x4

Summary: When Wufei takes a sabbatical to finish his new book, his aim to write loses focus due to noisy neighbours...but is that such a bad thing when one of them happens to be a handsome prince?

"Meditations on the Colour Blue"

 

Chapter 15:

The Lowe Marine Institute – which Wufei had vaguely imagined as some sort of giant aquarium – turned out to be a fiercely modern-looking building which could have been the headquarters of a bank or a large corporation.

Not that he actually had time to notice it as he and Zechs parked and rushed inside. They were running late.

Correction; they were running very late. They'd woken late; breakfast had gone on for the remainder of the morning, and then Zechs had suggested a brief 'siesta' upstairs, after which they'd taken a short nap, and woken with their arms tangled around each other, and then had to take a bath and suddenly it had been time to get ready.

Normally, he hated being late. This time, he was only vaguely concerned. Duo was saving them seats; hopefully far from where Quatre was sitting, and they still had ten minutes before Heero was due to speak, even if they had missed the reception which had started an hour ago.

He was far, far too happy to care about anything, anyway.

And Zechs looked so good, Wufei thought dreamily, admiring his boyfriend's long legs in his exquisitely tailored suit. He looked really, really good, actually.

'Querido,' the blond stopped suddenly, smiling at him. 'If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to find a broom cupboard or something and drag you inside.'

'Is that supposed to be some sort of disincentive?' Wufei sparkled up at him. The smile that had apparently taken root on his face bloomed even wider. A broom cupboard sounded fun. 'If so, it isn't working.'

Zechs took his hand, regardless of the fact that there were other people hurrying through the corridor. 'Ah. I'm starting to see how it is. You reeled me in with that adorably shy act of yours, and now you feel certain you've got me hooked, you're showing me just how demanding you can be.'

'That's it,' Wufei agreed blithely. 'Although I thought you'd realised the demanding thing earlier. Yesterday perhaps?'

'Yesterday?' the blond echoed. 'When, precisely, was I supposed to have had time for anything so frivolous as thought yesterday?'

'Then that proves the whole demanding thing,' Wufei retorted neatly. He didn't think he'd ever smiled so much in his entire life. He'd set out from the beach with the intention of showing Zechs just how much he cared about him. The man, unbelievably, had been worried about him meeting Trowa. He hadn't said as much; Wufei had inferred it from the wistful way he'd asked how his walk had gone.

A few days ago, he would have been hurt or insulted that Zechs could have thought so little of him. Somehow, that had paled before the look his boyfriend had given him when he'd walked back through that massive wooden door. Zechs had taken him in his arms, and had scarcely let go since.

'Have I really got you hooked?'

'Very much so.'

'I like that,' Wufei said dreamily. He loved this; all the silly flirting and teasing, and he especially loved the way Zechs was looking at him.

'I could stand here and look at you all night,' Zechs smiled at him, 'but it does seem rather a shame to miss Heero's speech, since we did manage to drag ourselves out of bed for it.'

'Mmm.' Wufei fell into step beside him as the other man tugged at his hand. 'I suppose. How long do you think it's going to be?'

Zechs half-turned to look at him; one pale eyebrow raised and a smile dancing on his lips. 'Really, I thought you'd have known by this stage exactly how long it's going to be.'

'Zechs!' Damn, he'd thought he'd got out of that ridiculous habit of blushing. 'You know perfectly well I wasn't talking about that!'

'Now, Wufei,' his aggravating, beautiful boyfriend retorted. 'I knew nothing of the sort.' He shook his head sadly. 'With you, everything seems to have a habit of coming around to sex.'

'You're the one who's talking about coming,' Wufei parried, and had the satisfaction of seeing spots of colour flare briefly in Zechs' cheeks.

'Enough,' he said firmly. 'Pure, clean thoughts for the next hour or so.'

That was going to be hard, ah, difficult, Wufei decided, following the other man into a large auditorium. Duo had kept them front row seats and beamed as they sat down.

'I can't believe you guys actually made it! I was pretty sure nothing short of heavy artillery would get you out of bed today.'

Zechs laughed. 'We both have excellent willpower.' He was still holding Wufei's hand, thumb tracing the surface lightly. Wufei wasn't sure anymore how good his willpower was. 'How is Heero?'

'Communing with some of his favourite seaweed to calm him down, I think,' Duo grinned. He was looking unexpectedly demure with practically all of his skin covered for once. 'Seriously, thanks for coming, guys. I hope you won't be too bored. If you are, just imagine Heero naked. That should keep you awake.'

Wufei sniffed. 'Thank you. I'd much rather imagine my own boyfriend naked.'

'What? You have to imagine that? I thought you'd know what the real deal looked like.'

'Funny. Not.'

Zechs, on the other side of Wufei, laughed softly, apparently enjoying the banter and then Heero, looking very determined in a 'do or die' way, stepped out on to the podium.

He was actually a good speaker; very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject, and some of the slides he used as illustrations were beautiful. It still wasn't quite enough to hold Wufei's interest.

He didn't, really, want to visualise Heero in the nude. Zechs, though, was a totally different matter. It was all too easy to imagine – to remember – him, sprawled over tangled sheets and smelling of sex.

Oh, Gods.

He'd spent most of the last thirty six hours wrapped around the other man in a variety of positions. They'd even slept, finally, in a sweet tangle of bodies. Somehow, in that fairly brief period, he'd become accustomed to Zechs touching him; to touching Zechs. The light handclasp wasn't a remotely acceptable substitute. A week ago, he would have considered that blameless touch, even in a darkened room where no one was watching them, unacceptable.

Now, he wanted more. He wanted Zechs' hand to be somewhere else entirely.

He shouldn't be thinking about that here. Wufei crossed his legs, determinedly trying to block out those sorts of images. It didn't work. It didn't help when Zechs shifted slightly closer, close enough to feel the warmth of his body.

This was going to be a long, very long lecture. Duo was gazing raptly at his partner, possibly imagining him naked. Zechs was looking at Heero, very fixedly, but his fingers had begun to travel up Wufei's arm, stroking the curve of his elbow. He'd only found out the previous night that that was a sensitive, almost ticklish spot.

Wufei had spent years, over twenty of them, practising self discipline and control techniques. Heero's lecture lasted a little over an hour; long enough for him to realise he hadn't mastered any of them. Not in certain circumstances.

After Heero's speech there were questions from the audience. Interminable questions. Then Duo wanted to introduce him to some of Heero's colleagues, who were also coming to the party, and give him a brief tour of the building.

When they finally escaped into the darkened car park, they'd spent almost two hours with no physical contact except a light touch of hands. Not so long ago, Wufei would have thought even that unpardonably indecent in public. Not any more.

'Do we absolutely have to go to this party?' he asked as Zechs fished for his keys. He hoped it didn't come out sounding like as much of a whine as he feared.

'I'm afraid so. We don't have to stay too long. I thought we might leave the car at the harbour and walk home along the beach, if you'd like that?'

'I'd like that.'

'I thought you might.' Zechs' eyes; electric, eldritch blue under a streetlamp, gleamed. 'I have another idea. There's a rather lovely viewpoint overlooking the sea on the way home. We could park there and admire the scenery for a few minutes. It should be quite deserted now.'

They were late getting to the party. Very late. After a lifetime of determined punctuality, that particular virtue seemed to have evaporated.

Wufei didn't normally enjoy parties; given the choice, he would have far preferred to go home. A night spent alone with Zechs would be so much more pleasant than having to make small talk with strangers and run risk of having to talk to Quatre.

Still, Duo had invited them, and it wouldn't have been polite not to turn up, even for a short time.

'Pretty, huh?' Duo was leaning against the mast as they came aboard. Peacemillion had been transformed. Strings of twinkling fairylights had been looped around her rigging and old-fashioned ships' lanterns hung from the mast.

And there were plenty of people, which was good. It would make avoiding Quatre much easier. Walking back home after meeting Trowa the previous day, he'd worked out a strategy. Duo had been right; Quatre, whatever his many faults, was a part of Zechs' life, and he would have to deal with that, and at least be civil. Provided Quatre stopped that infernal meddling.

'It all looks beautiful,' Wufei said admiringly. 'Duo, I'm sorry. I never even offered to help this morning, and I made you listen to all of my problems.'

'No problem, really. I had Hilde and a couple of other friends here all afternoon. It was pretty good fun. If you'd really like to help out, you can swing by tomorrow when I have to take it all down. That's the really boring part.'

'Of course I will.'

Duo shot him an impish little grin. 'Well, if Zechsy lets you of the bedroom, I'll see you sometime. No hurry. I've no intention of letting Heero out of bed too early.' He waved at a couple of new arrivals. 'Listen, I'd better go and do the host thing. You guys have fun. Drinks and food over there. Help yourselves.'

Two minutes later, Wufei looked down at the glass Zechs had handed him; it looked like a fruit salad in lemonade.

'What is it?'

'Sangria. It should be rum, really, but these Japanese and American pirates have no respect for tradition.'

'Back to pirates again, are we?' Wufei took a sip of his drink; it tasted like fruit juice but there was a definite kick as he swallowed.

'We are on a pirate ship.' Zechs set down his own glass. 'Shall we dance?'

'Um, if you like. I'm not very good at it though.'

'Maybe you've been waiting for the right partner? Come on.'

Zechs was, most definitely, the right partner, Wufei decided a few seconds later.

'Happy?'

'Blissfully so.' Wufei rested his head on Zechs' shoulder, one hand placed over his heart. 'I've never been so happy in my whole life.'

After a couple of slow dances, the music changed to something faster; Wufei shook his head at his partner's questioning glance and Zechs led him away from the other dancers.

'We should eat something, you know. It's been a long time since breakfast.' One blue eye winked solemnly. 'We do have quite a walk home; you'll want to keep up your strength.'

'It's not that far.'

'It is if we take the scenic route.' Zechs bent to kiss him, very softly, on the mouth. 'I'll get us something to eat, and then we can probably excuse ourselves and leave, don't you think?'

Wufei nodded; he was enjoying the party, far more than he'd expected to, but it would be much more enjoyable to have Zechs to himself. And not to have to worry about Quatre trying to corner him.

'You can't keep avoiding him, you know.' Duo grinned at him, proffering a jug of that drink – sangria.

'I'm not avoiding anyone!' Wufei said defensively. 'I simply have no desire to spend time with him.'

'That'll be tough since he's your next door neighbour. D'you know he's going to stay here for another week or so?'

'He's supposed to be leaving tomorrow. That's what you told me.' He'd counted on that.

'Yeah, well, plans change. He told Heero that he and Trowa needed to spend some time together. Apparently, things haven't been going so well for them.' He gave Wufei a direct look. 'Guess the honeymoon's over. Did Trowa tell you any of that yesterday?'

'He mentioned they were having some problems, yes.' Wufei took a sip of his drink. Part of him; the dishonourable part, couldn't help thinking that it would serve Quatre right to be dumped, to see how he liked it. But Trowa did seem to care for the blond menace for some unfathomable reason and Wufei didn't want to see his friend hurt.

'Karma, huh? You know, you will have to talk to him at some point. He's been sneaking glances at you all night.' Duo laughed. 'He either really wants to talk to you, or he's got a thing for you. Play your cards right, and you could end up as the filing in a blond sandwich. How'd you fancy that?'

'Not remotely. The blond I have is more than satisfactory, thank you.'

'Yeah, I guess he is, at that. Ooops, Quatre alert at ten o'clock. Good luck.'

He shot Wufei a quick grin and took off, leaving Wufei to face Quatre Winner, who was bearing down on him with a highly determined expression on his face.'

'Do you think we could talk for a moment? Please?'

Wufei sighed, setting down his glass. It was so tempting to refuse, to find Zechs and hide behind him.

'All right.'

Quatre took a deep breath. 'I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble.' He sounded like he was reciting a couple of lines he'd learned by heart, not meeting Wufei's eyes.

'Are you saying that because you mean it, or because Trowa wants you to?' Wufei asked bluntly.

Quatre's very fair skin flushed. 'You probably won't believe me, but I was concerned about Zechs.'

'It was nothing to do with you.'

Quatre shook his head. 'I'm sorry, but it was. He's a very good friend of mine. I know how badly he's been hurt before.'

'That doesn't give you the right to assume I'd do the same,' Wufei said tartly.

'As far as I knew you were planning to leave here in a couple of weeks!' Quatre snapped. 'I offered you a chance to stay here for as long as you wanted, and you refused. What was I supposed to think? I'm sorry, this isn't working out the way I'd planned. I wanted to apologise.'

'Fine. Now, you have. For the record, I have no intention of hurting Zechs, ever. I do realise you two are close, but he also happens to be my boyfriend and I do not appreciate other people interfering in my relationships, however well intentioned they may be.'

Quatre snorted. 'It's hardly a relationship. You've only just met him. What's going to happen when you decide you want to get back to your own life? Or are you going to move here and give up your career for someone you've known just a few days?'

'Like I said, it's none of your business,' Wufei said defensively. 'Zechs and I are quite capable of sorting out our own lives.' He shivered slightly, despite his own words. They had talked about it, a little, that morning; about what would happen in their future, resolving nothing except that they were both determined to be together. For now, they had a definite year, and Wufei could probably extend his sabbatical; once he kept writing, the university would want to keep him on the staff, even on a part time basis. They would sort it out, somehow. None of it was Quatre Winner's business, and he launched an offensive counter-attack. 'Now, what's happening between you and Trowa?'

'That's not really any of your affair anymore,' Quatre snapped.

'Yes, it is. Trowa and I are still friends. I don't think you have the monopoly on caring about the people in your life, do you?'

'Do you? Still care about him?'

'Well, of course, I do,' Wufei began, and then saw the expression in the blond's eyes. They were a rather insipid shade of blue, compared to Zechs' and he'd never seen the supremely self-possessed Quatre Winner at a loss before. 'Quatre…he's the one who left me. You know that.'

The other man shrugged; an oddly graceless gesture. 'You could have had him back in a second if you'd lifted one finger. That was all he wanted; to know you really cared about him.'

'No.' Wufei shook his head firmly. 'You're wrong. For the first few months after we split up, I did wonder if we might get back together sometime. Then he met you and that was that. You must know he's crazy about you.'

Quatre's eyes were suddenly huge, staring at him. 'When we first got together, I was convinced I was the rebound guy for him. A convenient blond on the side until you got your act together and decided you wanted him back. You're the one he was crazy about. Do you have any idea what he thinks of you? Or what it's like to be with someone whose ex happens to be brilliant and successful and incredibly talented and incredibly attractive?'

Wufei tried, very hard, to speak without stammering. None of this made sense. Trowa had left him, because he wasn't happy. That was a fact. Wasn't it? Trowa had said something, on the beach the previous day, about how Wufei had reacted to their break up, that he'd acted like he couldn't care less. Had he been expecting something different; for Wufei to plead with him to stay, to say how much he loved and wanted him?

'You're all those things too,' he said finally, and Quatre gave a bitter little laugh, along with a vehement shake of his head.

'No. I'm not. I've spent my whole life desperately trying to please my father, and it's never enough. I went to his old university and then went to work for my family's company. I've never even had the courage to tell him that I'm gay; he has to have guessed by now, but I've never actually told him. It's one of the things Trowa and I argue about. One of the many things.'

'But you two always seemed so close.' Oh, it had rankled, that intimacy between the two of them. 'Every time I met the pair of you, you were all over him.'

The blond shrugged. 'Oh, yes. I was trying so hard to be the perfect boyfriend, to be everything he wanted. And I thought if you believed we were the perfect couple, you wouldn't…well, you wouldn't try to get him back.'

Oh, Gods. Wufei rubbed his forehead. He should have run away; dived over the side; anything to avoid this awful, awful conversation. Instead, he took ten deep breaths in succession.

'Quatre. Listen to me. It's not a competition. Trowa and I had broken up before he even met you. Yes, maybe I did think we might get back at some point, but once I saw the two of you together, the way he looked at you, it was obvious how he felt about you. It still is. Whatever problems you two are having, leave me out of them. It's something you and Trowa have to work out between the two of you.'

Those big, blue eyes gazed at him, in a way that was probably meant to look appealing. Odd, how two men could have similar colouring, and look so very different. Zechs glittered like a glacier in clear sunlight; Quatre just looked…. washed out.

'So you really aren't interested in him any more?'

'That isn't the point,' Wufei ground out. This conversation was starting to give him a headache; he needed Zechs. 'The point, Winner, is how you and Trowa feel about each other. If you trust him, then it shouldn't matter a damn how I feel about him.'

'I'm not very good at trusting people,' Quatre whispered.

'Well, that's not my problem. Oh, for God's sake, don't get upset.' Poor Trowa, having to put up with this all the time. Wufei reminded himself firmly that he was a good, honourable, fair person; however tempting it might be to leave Winner hanging. 'Look, I'll give you some advice. You need to talk to Trowa about this, not me. Maybe stop interfering in other people's lives for a while and try to sort out your own. For the record, I am with Zechs, we're blissfully happy and I don't want Trowa back. You need to focus on him, and stop trying to control everyone else. '

'Is everything all right?' Trowa appeared suddenly in front of them. 'Quatre?'

'He's a bit upset about something,' Wufei muttered, shoving Quatre, who was displaying a terrifying tendency to weep on his shoulder, at the other man. Trowa could look after the soggy little blond and Wufei would be able to escape and find Zechs and leave.

'What's wrong, love?' Trowa, a braver, better man than Wufei, gathered Quatre into his arms, murmuring softly to him. Fine, they could work something out between them.

'Do I want to know what all that was about?' Zechs was just a few seconds behind Trowa; it occurred to Wufei that they'd probably been watching the whole episode.

'I'll tell you later.' Wufei eyed the two full plates that Zechs was holding. 'I'm really sorry, but would you mind if we just left now? I'm not really hungry. I should say goodbye to Heero and Duo first though.'

Zechs chuckled. 'Don't worry about that. They went below a few minutes ago, and I guarantee they won't want any interruptions. Unless you want to want to take a little revenge on Duo for walking in on us the other day?'

'That actually sounds rather tempting, but maybe another time? Right now, I'd rather just go home.'

'Your wish is my command,' Zechs offered him a graceful court bow and took his arm. The sky was velvety dark above them, a tapestry for a million stars. Heartbreakingly beautiful. Like Zechs.

Wufei slid one arm around the taller man's waist, holding him close. The future, their future, was still as remote as the stars in the sky, and as infinite. They loved each other; they would make it work. For the present, he would enjoy being with Zechs, and concentrate on making him happy, and building a lasting relationship.

'Is everything all right? You and Quatre seemed to be having a very intense conversation. Do you want to talk about it?'

'Not really.' Wufei reached up and slid one hand through the cascade of Zechs' moonlit hair. 'It's not important. Not now. Remember the second day I was here, you brought me for a walk down here?'

'I remember kissing you.'

'I remember that too. I liked it.'

Zechs' mouth, those perfect, kissable lips, curved into a smile. 'If you only liked it, I mustn't have done it very well.'

'I liked it a lot.' His arms wound themselves around the taller man's neck, pressing closer, pressing a whisper of a kiss to the base of Zechs' throat, the place that always made him groan, and followed it up with a nibble of his collarbone. 'You said we were officially a couple afterwards. I liked that too.'

'Mmm.' Zechs made that lovely moaning sound again, as Wufei dabbed his tongue at the place his teeth had just grazed. 'I like it when you do that. A lot.'

'Good.' Wufei licked his way up his lover's throat, loving the way Zechs' breath hitched when he fastened lips or teeth around a fold of skin. 'Do you realise, we haven't kissed properly for almost two hours?'

'Shocking.' To Zechs' credit, the words came out fairly steadily. 'Utterly shocking. I think we should remedy that, don't you?'

'I think we should. Oh, yes.' Damn, Zechs' shirt had a quite ridiculous amount of buttons; getting them undone while being kissed breathless wasn't easy. Especially not when Zechs' hands snaked under his own clothes, one seeking out a nipple and the other sliding under his waistband.

'Oh, God. Zechs.' His collapse onto the sand wasn't particularly graceful, more an undignified sprawl, but he didn't care. Not when Zechs followed him down, mouth sealing hungrily over his.

'Please..don't tell me this is going to be a repeat of that night in the moon garden,' Wufei begged, and then shivered at Zechs' low laugh.

'Certainly not. This time, I know just how demanding you are. I came prepared.'

'Prepared for pillage,' Wufei said happily. Oh, Gods, he'd have sand in all sorts of uncomfortable places, but it didn't matter, not just now, not with what Zechs' amazing, gifted, indescribably wonderful hands were doing to him.

'Pillage and plunder and all sorts of ravishment,' the blond agreed, and then there were stars everywhere, shooting down from the sky to explode across his brain as Zechs began to move in him.

After, Zechs carried him into the waves. An indignity he should have resented; it was years since anyone had done that; not since he was a little child, and even then he'd clamoured to be put down, to let him walk. Cradled in Zechs' arms, letting the cool, silky water wash over his skin, it didn't even occur to him to complain.

There was nobody to see anyway, just the two of them and silence and starlight and the sea. Nothing else mattered, just the man holding him, and the beauty of this place, and the night.

Zechs lowered him carefully so he was just drifting on the surface of the sea. Floating. He'd been floating in Quatre's pool that very first morning, transfixed by the blues of water and sky, and then he'd been captivated by Zechs' eyes, bluer than all the rest.

And he would be more than happy to spend the rest of his life meditating on that particular shade, gazing into his lover's eyes.

THE END

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