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"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 4: The gates to Zechs' villa were closed this morning; he'd given Wufei the security codes before leaving, and told him to let himself in. It seemed presumptuous, though, just to use it. He and Trowa had been together for weeks before swapping alarm codes. Keying in the four numbers Zechs had given him - 1306 - would be far too forward on such a slight acquaintance. Instead, Wufei raised one finger to press the intercom. Zechs had offered to wait for him while he showered and changed, but Wufei had made some excuse, needing a little time alone. Zechs was apparently perceptive enough to have picked up on that, since he hadn't pressed the issue. To be honest, he'd needed more than a little time alone. A week or so would have been barely adequate, to try to sort out the way he was feeling. He didn't need the complications of a relationship, not at this point. He wasn't sure if he still had feelings for Trowa. He hardly knew Zechs. The man lived in a different country; it could be nothing more than a holiday fling. He could list all the rational, measured arguments against seeing Zechs until he was blue in the face. He could itemise them in alphabetical order. It still wouldn't change how he felt. Instead, he'd switched on his laptop, pressed the google toolbar and typed in the other man's name. Research was what any competent historian was best at. He didn't know anything much about Zechs, true, but that didn't mean he couldn't find things out. He knew Milliardo Peacecraft wasn't exactly a nonentity. The sheer magnitude of sites which mentioned him was still breathtaking. From groups who wanted to restore the Sanque Monarchy to lists of Europe's most eligible bachelors. Eventually he selected a reputable news site, and scrolled down. Wufei preferred the past, overall, to the present, but he wasn't totally ignorant. He read the newspaper. He overheard people talking and noticed magazine headlines in shops. He vaguely knew that Zechs' parents had died in a 'plane crash; he hadn't realized that Zechs had been so young at the time. The photographs showed a young blond boy staring stonily at the cameras, one arm around his sobbing little sister. The rest of the stories about him were more gossipy; a few features on gardens he'd designed and dates with minor royalty and celebrities and a stunning male model. Dear gods, I can't possibly compete with people like that…not ever. He, Chang Wufei, who had no real idea how to cope with life outside of a library or his study, was not remotely prepared for this sort of lifestyle. Zechs had kissed him, though, and if he closed his eyes, he could replay it across his brain. Every second. The way those long strands of silken hair had played across his cheek; how Zech's lips had been warm and firm and gently insistent. How one hand had settled on the curve of his hip, the other cupping the nape of his neck. Stop thinking about it. It was just a kiss. There was no reason to keep dwelling on it. It wasn't like no one had ever kissed him before. He jerked his mind back to the present and jabbed one finger against the intercom. 'Wufei?' Zechs answered so quickly that he had the appalled thought that he'd been watching that pathetic little display of indecision on a security camera. 'Come on up. Just follow the drive; I'll see you in a moment.' He'd assumed that Zechs' home would be an ultra modern villa like Quatre's. It wasn't. Well, the man was a prince after all, Wufei thought giddily. It made sense for him to live in a castle. The heavy, brass-bound door swung open as Wufei ascended the last few steps and Zechs was there, smiling at him. Barefoot and with that hair scraped back into a messy pony-tail, the man looked positively edible. 'Welcome to my home.' 'It's amazing!' Zechs smiled. 'I'm glad you like it. It's not to everybody's taste. Come in.' 'How old is it?' Wufei wondered, following the taller man down a long, paneled corridor and some deep stone steps to the ground floor. 'Oh, not nearly as old as it looks. One of my great uncles was the Sanque ambassador to Spain about seventy years ago, and built this place as his holiday home. It was the fashion then to model houses after Moorish castles. Unfortunately, it's practically crumbling to pieces around us, and I can't afford to renovate it, so it will probably fall down at some point.' He grinned. 'As you can see, the kitchen is practically a museum piece. By the way, I hope you like seafood. I thought we'd have lobster for lunch. ' 'I love it.' 'Now, would you like something to drink? I just need to finish up a few things for lunch.' 'Just some water, please. Is there anything I can do to help?' 'Of course not, you're my guest. Why don't you take your drink out on to the terrace? I'll be with you in a moment.' 'No, I'd like to help.' Well, that wasn't entirely true. He just wanted to spend time with Zechs. He'd never imagined preparing food could be an intimate experience. Moving around Zechs' kitchen gave wonderful opportunities for all sorts of little not-quite-accidental touches. Especially when Zechs dipped a finger in the garlic mayonnaise he was making and invited him to taste it. That ended up with Wufei backed against the cupboards with one hand sliding between Zechs' legs, and both of them panting for breath. 'Wufei,' his name came out as a ragged gasp. 'Stop. Please.' 'What's wrong?' Wufei asked tentatively, crossing his arms against his chest. Damnation, he was just hopeless at this sort of thing. 'What did I do?' 'Nothing,' Zechs said it in a rush. 'Really. You did nothing. I, God, Wufei, I'm trying to find some way to say this so it won't offend you. Come here.' He tugged Wufei into his arms, one hand stroking his hair gently. 'I just don't want you to jump on me, because you're feeling tired or confused or lonely or something, and then regret it.' 'I am more than old enough to know my own mind,' Wufei snapped coldly. 'I know. I know. I'm sorry; I knew you'd be pissed off if I said that.' 'What are you saying; that you don't want to have sex with me?' 'No.' Zechs lifted one hand to brush the long, pale bangs out of his eyes. 'Like I said, this morning, I always seem to be apologising to you. Listen, can we start this over again? I am very, very interested in you. I'm sure you've figured that out. You told me a couple of hours ago that you're not into flings. Nor am I. So do you think we could just…slow down a little bit?' 'Oh!' Wufei blinked, then felt his skin heat into a blush of radioactive proportions. 'I'm sorry. I- I'm not some sort of sexual compulsive. Really. I just…' 'Damn.' Zechs pulled away from him and banged his head, deliberately against the wall. 'Ouch! Shit. I keep messing up.' 'Trying to bash your brains out probably isn't the answer,' Wufei volunteered helpfully. 'I've already tried that earlier and it didn't help.' Zechs gifted him with a glimmer of a smile. 'I didn't mean to accuse you of being a sex maniac. Truly. And I certainly wouldn't have a problem if you were. Just for the record,' his lips ghosted across Wufei's face, 'I would absolutely love to have sex with you. More than anything I can think of at the moment. But I don't want to go too fast and ruin things. Would you mind if we just got to know each other a little bit better first?' 'Of course not,' Wufei said quickly, suppressing a sudden urge to ask Zechs how long that would take. Damnuniverse. He'd spent his whole lifetime imposing his will onto his body's desires, and they have to choose this moment to fight back. Of course Zechs was perfectly right. Of course he was. He should be thanking every deity in the universe that he'd met such an understanding, mature person. Except his whole body was still singing from the feel of Zechs pressed against him… 'I'll just fetch a bottle of wine from the cellar.' Wufei nodded, rather glad of the chance to be alone for a few moments, and collapsed into one of the chairs, burying his burning face in his hands. God, this is humiliating. Although Zechs had said he wanted to have sex. With him. More than anything I can imagine at the moment. That was how he'd put it. It hadn't been a lie either; men weren't terribly good at hiding that sort of thing, especially not at such close quarters. And it was a much better idea to wait until they were better acquainted. Of course it was. Just keep telling yourself that, Chang. It wasn't that he'd been ready to pounce on the other man or anything. His body had just reacted without any communication with his brain. Never a good idea. Well, he wouldn't be doing that again, he resolved grimly. He really hoped Zechs wasn't hiding from him in the wine cellar. It was rather reassuring that he was a little less confident about all this than Wufei had presumed. Rather endearing, actually. Plates in hand, he wandered onto the terrace, and then heard voices drifting up from below. 'So?' Duo was demanding. 'Otto said you called over to see him this morning. What happened? First base? Second base? Grand climax at the Superbowl with a fireworks display?' 'Duo!' Zechs snapped. 'Stop it!' He lowered his voice, and hissed something in the other man's ears. Instead of looking remotely abashed, Duo started to laugh. 'Really! He's here? Cool!' There was the sound of running footsteps on the stairs, and the door burst open. 'Hey, Wufei!' Duo greeted him like a long-lost friend. 'It's great to see you again.' Wufei knew he should feel offended that Duo had obviously been gossiping about him, but he somehow couldn't resist the other man's winsome smile, or the warmth in his voice. 'This is Heero, my other half. He's been dying to meet you.' A second man stepped into the doorway, managing to hold back his enthusiasm with apparent ease. Duo hauled him into the room, and Wufei had a sudden dazed moment of wondering if every man in the vicinity could be a male model, or cover art for Hunk magazine, or a porn star. He quashed that thought quickly. Duo might be showing far too much skin, in indecently skimpy shorts and a tiny top that seemed to be missing half of its fabric, but Heero, who had accessorized his own outfit with a homicidal glare, rather obviously didn't like anyone looking at his partner. 'Ah, it's nice to meet you.' Wufei stretched out a hand. Heero, who, unlike Duo, seemed to be a man of few words, took it with a nod. 'So…' Duo shot that irrepressible smile at Zechs. 'What's for lunch? You don't mind us turning up, do you? But Heero just couldn't wait to meet Wufei.' Heero said nothing. It looked to Wufei as if Heero could have enjoyed his afternoon off in a multitude of ways besides meeting him. On the terrace, Wufei took the seat beside Zechs; Duo waited for Heero to sit down and clambered into his lap, stealing a piece of lobster off his plate. 'Wow, this is really good!' He filched another piece and twisted around to pour a glass of wine. 'Stop squirming, Maxwell,' Heero grumbled. 'I'm trying to eat.' Duo grinned chirpily. 'Your fault if I can't sit still today, remember?' He twisted around and planted a sloppy kiss on Heero's cheek. 'Too much information,' Zechs interjected smartly, before Wufei's flush actually turned into spontaneous combustion. He'd never seen any couple, gay or straight, who were so openly affectionate with each other. 'Duo, I was telling Wufei about Peacemillion. He's never been on a boat; maybe you could take him out someday?' 'You've really never been on a boat?' Duo sounded shocked. 'That's terrible. Of course I'll bring you out. I've been charted by a school group tomorrow for a snorkeling trip. You're welcome to come if you don't mind spending the day with twenty hyperactive kids.' 'You mean, twenty one,' Heero said smoothly, and then winced as Duo dug an elbow into his side. 'I wish you'd stop doing that.' 'I wouldn't have to if you didn't keep making those smart comments,' Duo retorted, and then gasped as his boyfriend hauled him around and gave him what looked like an exhaustively thorough kiss. Zechs just grinned at Wufei. 'You'll get used to it. They can't keep their hands off each other for more than two minutes. Well? Do you think you like the idea of going to sea in the morning?' 'I'm not sure. I should really try to get some editing done.' Wufei looked helplessly at Zechs. 'Are you going?' 'I'm afraid I have to look at a new commission. You should go, you know.' 'Isn't this something of a role reversal?' Wufei teased slyly. 'You're the one who told me I needed to have a little fun.' 'Oh!' Zechs actually looked rather nonplussed. 'You're right! I'm sure I could cancel my appointment.' 'You don't have to do that. I was only teasing.' Wufei looked down at this plate, suddenly embarrassed. He'd never imagined that Zechs would take him seriously; it felt surprisingly good, though, that he'd offered to skip work on his behalf, just to spend time with him. He couldn't remember anyone ever doing something like that before. 'Well, you don't have to decide right now.' Duo emerged from Heero's embrace, rumpled, flushed and with his lips rather swollen. 'I'll be leaving at around nine in the morning. Zechs can show you where the boat's docked. We're pretty unmissable anyway. If you come, just bring swimming trunks and your camera. We'll be back around three or four so you'll still have the evening free, if you and Zechs have anything planned.' 'Well, that's subtle,' Heero gave the long brown braid draped across his chest a slight tug. 'Wufei, please feel free to ignore him. Everyone else does.' 'Hey! That's not true, Yuy! You don't ignore me.' 'How can I? When you're bouncing around on my lap like this?' 'Oh? You'd prefer me to sit somewhere else? I can move.' Duo arched one eyebrow at his partner, standing up, and was immediately hauled back. 'Stop complaining then. I was just pointing out, in a very considerate manner, that if Zechs had maybe made any plans for tomorrow evening, say going out for a romantic, candlelit dinner, then we'd be back in plenty of time.' He grinned impishly at Wufei, who rather helplessly smiled back. Zechs sighed. 'Maxwell, I am more than capable of making my own romantic arrangements, you know. And, no, I'm not planning on asking Wufei out while you're sitting here listening to everything I say.' 'Spoilsport,' Duo muttered. 'How about if I move away a little bit?' He rubbed his stomach. 'I think maybe I've eaten too much; maybe I need to lie down for a while?' Standing up, he took Heero's hand and led him down the steps, stretching out on one of the sun-loungers by the pool. 'Hmm. If I ask you out to now, will you always think it was at Duo's prompting?' Wufei laughed suddenly. 'But of course. I could probably live with it, though.' 'Dinner then. Tomorrow night?' 'Yes, please.' He felt utterly, absurdly happy. He had a date. An actual dinner date. The sun was shining, he'd had a wonderful meal, and Zechs was smiling at him. That smile made it easy to quash the persistently nagging little voice in his head that told him he hadn't done a tap of work in almost forty eight hours. So what? He thought rebelliously. He'd sit down at the computer tomorrow. Or no, he couldn't. Not if he wanted to go sailing. Well, he could get up early. 'Would you like to take a nap?' Zechs asked quietly, indicating the pair of lounge chairs beside the swimming pool, and Wufei realized he'd drifted off again. Duo had curled up on a sun bed and Heero was perched beside him, stroking his long braid with one hand. 'You had a long day yesterday.' 'I never sleep in the afternoon.' The thought of it was decadent. But it would be wonderful to curl up on one of those long luxuriously cushioned sunbeds, perhaps with Zechs stretched beside him, and …. 'Zechs?' Heero's voice interrupted that pleasant little fantasy. And where in the world had that come from? He never daydreamed. Never. 'I'm going to take Duo home. He's wrecked. D'you mind if I take your car? I'll drive it back up here.' 'Don't bother. I'll walk down to the harbour later and collect it myself. You know where the keys are.' 'We'll see you then. Wufei, it was nice to meet you.' He nodded his thanks to Zechs and vanished back into the house. 'Bye, Wufei.' Duo materialized, blinking in the bright sunlight and gave him a quick hug. 'Maybe see you in the morning? I'm sorry I was a bit - you know, today. I can actually behave myself, I promise.' 'It's fine.' Wufei surprised himself by returning the hug and the smile. 'I'd love to come tomorrow, if you're sure it's all right?' 'No bother. We'll have a blast!' Letting him go, Duo smiled up at Zechs, and wrapped both arms around the taller man's neck. 'Thanks for lunch, Zechs. And for last night.' Last night…Wufei's thoughts whirled off rebelliously. But Zechs had said that he and Duo weren't involved. Zechs walked him to the door and when he came back, Wufei was standing. 'I should go too. I have work to do,' he said stiffly. 'Thank you for lunch.' 'Wufei? What's wrong? You weren't thinking of work ten minutes ago. 'You were perfectly happy and relaxed. What happened?' 'I'm sure you can work it out if you try.' Wufei's tone would have frozen fire. 'I don't know what's between you and Duo, but I don't want to get involved with whatever it is. I thought you said Heero was your friend. You may be comfortable with – whatever is between you, but I have no wish to get involved in your sordid affairs. Good day.' 'Wufei, wait!' Zechs leaped up, catching his arm as he stalked off. 'Just listen. Please. Please. It's not what you're thinking.' Wufei swallowed hard, fighting off the impulse to jerk the other man loose, to break the hand that was holding him back. It wasn't fair. Maybe it was better just to walk away, relatively unscathed, before he plunged in any deeper. He could scarcely keep his footing as it was, and he'd spent no more than a couple of hours in Zechs' company. 'Duo's, well, his foster father - I suppose you could call him - died two years ago.' Zechs said softly. 'He's an orphan; he never knew who his parents were, and Howard took him in when he was about twelve. He was the only real family Duo ever knew. His death hit Duo really hard, as you can imagine. Last night was the anniversary of his death, and Duo was rather upset. Heero was away with work; he hadn't wanted to go but Duo insisted he'd be fine and made him go.' 'Oh. That's – that is truly awful,' Wufei breathed. He spent so much time of his life trying to meet his family's expectations, to make up for the ways he'd disappointed them, but he still couldn't imagine life as an orphan, even if it might be easier in some ways. Zechs nodded. 'We stayed up for most of last night, talking. I swear, there's nothing else between us.' He wanted to believe that so much; too much, really. Better just to walk away. Not. The best way not to get hurt again. 'I apologise,' he said stiffly. 'I jumped to conclusions without knowing the full facts. That was unjust of me.' Zechs grinned suddenly. 'Not at all. I know you were indignant on Heero's behalf. Is it presumptuous of me to think that maybe you were also a little angry on your own account?' Wufei floundered desperately. He just couldn't do this sort of thing. Flirting, teasing, whatever it was. Of course he'd been jealous. Duo was beautiful. Warm, impulsive, affectionate; all the things he wasn't. All the things Quatre was. He killed off that little thought ruthlessly. 'What is it?' Zechs demanded, the hand that had been holding his arm suddenly circling his waist instead. That felt so good. Instead of pleading that he still needed to leave, he let himself relax against the tall, solid body. He wasn't going to run off a second time, on some stupid excuse. He was going to trust Zechs, even if it was stupid, and see what happened. 'Nothing. I just thought…what about a walk on the beach?' 'Hmmm?' Zechs gave him a quizzical look. 'You told me you like walking on the beach. I can't remember the last time I did anything like that. It might be nice just to go for a stroll?' 'Well,' Zechs bent down for a quick kiss. 'If you're positive I won't be keeping you away from your writing, I suppose I could let you talk me into it.' Wufei pursed his lips. 'Well, you will be taking me away from my work, but I've come to the conclusion that a little off might freshen my approach.' When exactly did I decide that? Wufei wondered,
and then let the guiding hands of the taller man be the answer.
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