Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Contemplation Indigo ❯ Hogmanay ( Chapter 24 )

 

Hogmanay

Chapter 24 of the `Contemplation Indigo' series

By DRL

 

“I'll do whatever the fucking hell I want, and you can't stop me!” And with that, Wufei stomped across the room, wrenched open the door and exited the room, pulling the door forcibly to behind him so that it slammed home.

 

 

 

This last he did, not to emphasise his point, but for the simple reason that he knew Treize hated it. It was a childish and stupid thing to do, he well knew it. Indeed, the whole argument had been stupid. Childish, stupid and entirely Wufei's fault. He had woken up `on the wrong side of bed' as Treize was wont to say whenever he woke in an irascible mood, and he had been spoiling for a fight all morning. Treize's cloying over-protectiveness, which by turn either irritated or touched him depending on his mood, acted as a catalyst and made him tetchier still. He had goaded and sniped at his husband until Treize had uncharacteristically snapped back at him, and that was how it had begun. Treize did not usually argue with Wufei, maintaining a placid tone of gentle reasonableness in the face of Wufei's onslaughts, but sometimes he gave as good as he got, and this was one of those times.

 

 

 

Wufei made his way to his study and flung himself down into the chair that stood behind his desk. `Go back, throw your arms around his neck and give him a big kiss' a little voice in Wufei's head told him. This usually sufficed by way of an apology, the words `I'm sorry' being rather foreign to Wufei's vocabulary. Wufei was quick to anger - this fact was well known amongst his friends and acquaintances, but what was equally well known was that his anger was usually short-lived and he was equally quick to forgive. His anger at Treize had faded as soon as he had slammed the door, and he willingly capitulated. He rose from the chair and retraced his steps back to the drawing room, the scene of his and Treize's recent contretemps. When he entered the room, however, he was dismayed to find it empty, Treize evidently having departed on other business. Wufei harrumphed with annoyance and once again flung himself down into a chair.

 

 

“Well he can't have been too upset then.” He said ungraciously as he drew his knees up into the chair, and settled down.

 

 

 

Where was Treize, he wondered? The French chateau that was their palatial primary residence was too large for Wufei to contemplate searching for him, even though Treize had his favourite haunts, as did Wufei. Despite the size of the house, neither of them usually had to look far to find the other. Never mind, Wufei thought, they would catch up with each other at lunch and he would apologise to Treize then. And then, he thought with a lascivious smirk, he would lead him to their bedroom and demonstrate how truly sorry he was and the rest of the afternoon would take care of itself.

 

 

 

He looked about him at the 18th century opulence of the room. It was a beautiful house, but at times he found its size and grandeur a little oppressive. The fact that he and Treize were due to leave the chateau the next day for a week or so at their apartment in Paris made him feel a little better, but only a little. He did enjoy staying at the apartment. It too was opulent, with its French Directoire era styling and antique furniture, but here it was just the two of them - just himself and Treize, no servants or secretaries or nurses, just the two of them. Wufei smiled to himself in fond anticipation. He loved it whenever they stayed at the Paris apartment. They `did' for themselves as there were no domestic staff, and Wufei enjoyed the personal attention he received from Treize, who on these occasions invariably spoiled him even more than usual. Yes, he was looking forward to it.

 

 

Although neither had a regular job as such, the couple had their own personal interests and past-times in addition to the things they did together, and on a particular day it was by no means unusual for them to encounter each other only at meal times. Wufei saw Treize at lunch as he had anticipated, and after they had eaten he put the rest of his plan into operation. They made love late into the afternoon, then fell asleep in each other's arms.

 

 

When Wufei awoke the sky outside the windows was inky in hue with the oncoming twilight and the room was cool. Treize was still asleep; Wufei could tell this from the evenness of his breathing. He slipped easily from the sleep-slackened grip of Treize's arms and padded, naked and barefoot, across to the windows, visiting each in turn and drawing closed the heavy brocaded curtains. The fire in the grate had been banked up by the household staff earlier on in the day, preparatory to being lit later, when the central heating system in the house had been switched off. The central heating was necessary in a house this size for the sake of comfort, but Treize enjoyed the cosiness of a log fire, so both heating systems were employed. Wufei struck a match, touched it to a taper and applied the resultant flame to the kindling in the grate. After fourteen years in this house he was an expert firelighter, and the kindling caught and was blazing within minutes. He turned back to the bed, but stopped short as he saw Treize watching him, his skin glowing golden in the light from the burgeoning flames and his pale blue eyes luminous in the reflected gleam. Treize smiled and drew back the coverlet, exposing the empty space beside him in the bed. Wufei quickened his pace and crossed back to the bed, accepting the unmistakable invitation. He clambered back into the bed and snuggled against his husband's firm, strong body.

 

 

“Brrr, you're cold.” Treize said with a shiver.

 

 

“Not for long.” Wufei wrapped himself around Treize, sliding chilled feet up and down his long legs. “There, that's better.” He settled against him, his head tucked beneath Treize's chin, an arm across his chest. “So,” He asked, “Am I forgiven?”

 

 

 

“Of course,” Treize replied and after a short pause he added, referring to the root cause of their earlier contretemps, “Would it bother you that much to attend the New Years Eve Ball?”

 

 

 

“That much and more.” Wufei replied flatly.

 

 

 

“But we've attended every year for as long as I can remember, my sweet.” Treize protested. He raised the arm that held Wufei against him, took up a lock of his hair and idly twirled the silken strand around his forefinger. “Apart from last year when you were still under Dr Scrivener and we were still with Quatre & Trowa.”

 

 

“Well, that must be why I am so utterly sick of it and all the sycophantic toadies that we meet there.” Treize laughed - a rich, mellow sound.

 

 

“Does that go for everyone?” He asked, “What about Milliardo & Lucrezia, they will be there.”

 

 

“Perhaps not them,” Wufei conceded, “So long as they don't bring that brood of bratty children with them.” Treize laughed again.

 

 

“Fei, how can you speak so of your precious godsons and goddaughters?”

 

 

“Please, don't remind me.” Wufei said dryly.

 

 

“And what about Relena,” Treize continued, “She will be there. Surely you would like to see her?”

 

 

“Oh, well yes,” Wufei made another concession, “I'd love to see Relena. We haven't seen her since the wedding and we still owe her for letting us use her palace.”

 

 

“Well then,” Treize said triumphantly, “That will make it worth going won't it?” Wufei gave a weighty sigh.

 

 

“Okay Treize,” He said disconsolately, “You win. If you want to go, we will go, but it really is not my idea of a large New Year's Eve.”

 

 

“What would you like to do tomorrow evening?” Treize asked. “How would you prefer to spend New Years Eve?” Wufei was silent for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.

 

 

“You know what?” He said at length. “Last New Year's Eve was the best I have ever had.”

 

 

“Why was that?” Treize asked with a chuckle, “No Ball?”

 

 

“No.” Wufei refuted good naturedly, but forbore to elucidate further. “Anyway,” He said, reverting to the former subject, “I can't have the New Year;s Eve that I would like to have, so let's go to the Ball. At least we will be together, and surely that is the main thing.” He gave Treize an affectionate little squeeze.

 

 

“Mmmm.” Treize said distractedly. Suddenly he stirred and patted Wufei's shoulder. “Come on Fe, my lovei,” Treize said, sitting up in the bed and causing Wufei to rouse himself also, “I need to finish a few things before the end of the day so I'd better get to it. Let me run you a nice hot bath and you can relax for a while before dinner.”

 

 

Treize was as good as his word and 10 minutes later Wufei was lying in a large enamel tub, submerged up to his neck in fragrantly foaming, just below scaldingly-hot water, just as he liked it.

 

 

“There,” Treize handed him an old, leather-bound volume and a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, “You finish your book and I'll see you at dinner. And remember, my pet,” He sank to one knee beside the tub, smoothed Wufei's steam-dampened hair back from his forehead and placed a light kiss upon his brow, “Whatever my Wufei wants, My Wufei gets.”

 

 

They travelled from their home in the Dordogne to Paris by helicopter, which Treize piloted himself, and by mid-morning they were at the apartment. Wufei had resigned himself to attending the New Years Eve ball and was in an ebullient mood as he unpacked their luggage. They had stopped to purchase provisions on the way from the heliport, and Treize was in the kitchen preparing brunch for the two of them. As the rich smells of the cooking food permeated through the apartment to the master bedroom, Wufei inhaled deeply and sighed contentedly. He would be with Treize on New Year's Eve, and as he had observed the previous day, that was the main thing.

 

 

After their meal Wufei dragged Treize out for a tour of the city. Wufei loved Paris and he hauled Treize around to all of his favourite landmarks, buildings and museums. They remained out for most of the day, finally turning their steps homeward only when Treize warned that they would soon have to begin preparing themselves for the ball, if they were to attend. Treize had stopped off at a nearby store to purchase further provisions for the next day, and Wufei continued up to their apartment on his own. He unlocked the unprepossessing street door and stepped off the busy main road into the quiet, fountained courtyard that fronted the 1860's building, and wondered, not for the first time, at the way in which the street noise was completely shut out at the mere closing of the street door. He crossed the cobbled courtyard, entered the building and ascended the stairs to the fourth floor, where the apartment was situated.

 

 

As soon as he entered the hall he knew that something was wrong. He froze in the doorway and looked around. Everything was as it was when they left, but his old gundam pilot training refused to die, and he was alert and ready as he walked through to the main living room. There was no sound, but an unfamiliar coat thrown across the arm of a chair confirmed his suspicions, as did the sudden sound of the plumbing as a water tap was turned on somewhere within the apartment. Thinking that perhaps somehow, inexplicably, Treize had returned to the apartment ahead of him, he walked boldly across the living room and out through the double doors that led to the corridor where the bedrooms were situated. As he stepped out, a head and shoulders emerged from one of the doorways and, to Wufei's utter surprise, Heero Yuy looked him calmly in the face and said,

 

 

“Ah Chang, you're back at last. You'd better hurry up and get ready or we going to be late. Duo has decided to wash his hair however, so there won't be any hot water left.”

 

 

The head and shoulders then retreated back into the bedroom and the door closed. Before Wufei could collect his wits, he distinctly heard another voice calling from behind a door on the opposite side of the corridor:-

 

 

“Trowa, I think they're back.”

 

 

The door was pulled open a second later and Quatre Winner came bustling out and threw his arms around Wufei, enveloping him in a warm embrace.

 

 

When he had collected his wits sufficiently to ascertain how the very last people on earth he had expected to see had suddenly appeared while he was out and taken over his apartment, Wufei sank down into a Louis XVI armchair and blinked back tears. Heero, Duo, Quatre and Trowa were all seated in the living room, and had just finished explaining to him how Treize had telephoned them the evening before, telling them that he was attempting to arrange a surprise for Wufei and asking whether they would be at liberty to assist. Both couples had acquiesced, had cancelled all plans and had set out immediately, flying overnight in order to make it to Paris in time to attend the Ball.

 

 

“I can't believe that you would all do this, just for me.” He said with a quavering voice.

 

 

“Wu, we'd do anything for you.” Duo replied.

 

 

“As would I, my pet.” At the sound of Treize's voice Wufei flew out of his seat and fairly launched himself into his husband's arms as he stepped into the room, supplanting the bags of groceries, which Treize was compelled to drop. As Wufei thanked him brokenly he said in a whisper audible only to the overwhelmed ex-pilot, “As I said, whatever my Wufei wants, my Wufei gets. Happy Hogmanay[1], my sweet.”

 

[1] Scotch term for the last day of the year.

 

 

 

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