Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon in my Hand ❯ Over My Heart ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: Woot, new chapter and, it looks like I've been able to keep on schedule so far, which makes me happy. With that said, on to the new chapter. I hope you enjoy and review.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and make no profit from this story.

 

Dragon in my Hand

Chapter Three

Over My Heart

 

For the second time in a row, Wufei woke up in a small and unfamiliar place.  Only, this time, there was light coming from a large crack along the top of one wall.  He headed directly for it, his slightly sleep addled brain yet to really catch up to him.  Peering through the gap, Wufei frowned up at what was obviously a ceiling, but why was it so far-

"Sweet Nataku," he whispered in horror as the previous day  caught up to him and he sat down hard on the 'floor' of what he now remembered to be a drawer.  A drawer.  A drawer in Treize Khushrenada's bedroom.  As if summoned by his thoughts, the general's face appeared in the gap, making Wufei scramble backwards.

"I thought I heard movement," Treize said softly, smiling down at the younger man.  He slid the drawer out, doing his absolute best not to jerk it.  Such rough movements would be even worse to a person Wufei's size.  As it was still early in the morning, Treize had yet to dress, a simple robe and wet hair giving away the fact that he'd showered recently.  He reached into one of the pockets of the robe and pulled out Wufei's missing clothes, holding them out for Wufei to take.  "They finished drying overnight.  If you'd like to bathe first, I can bring you some hot water in a bowl."

Wufei all but snatched the familiar bundle of clothes from Treize's fingers, holding them to his chest as he took a step back.  The clear anxiety made the general want to sigh.  Clearly, the relaxed state he'd gotten into the night before was once again nowhere to be found.  Pity.

"Set one out before you leave," the Chinese pilot said, eying Treize with suspicion.  It helped to cover how mortified he was as he came to realize that his enemy had carried him to bed and tucked him in after he'd fallen asleep reading.  It was a childish thing to do, a habit from his days in boarding school.  He thought it was one he'd broken.  Apparently not.  "I prefer to bathe in privacy.

"And I would prefer to be within yelling range until I'm sure I haven't missed any further injuries," Treize said firmly.  He turned his back to the pilot bearing drawer and let the robe drop so he could dress.  Growing up in the military didn't exactly make for body modesty.  And since Wufei was a soldier as well, he assumed the same, especially after his refusal of the handkerchief the evening before.  "Which is why, when I leave, you will be coming with me.  So I would suggest getting dressed so you have time to eat breakfast."

Wufei froze as he stared up at Treize and felt the blood rush to his cheeks, suddenly thankful for the angle of the view because it didn't allow him to see anything below the man's waist.  As he turned away and Treize's words caught up to him, his face made a dramatic change from red to white.  If he was kept with the general, there would be no chance of escape, and none of rescue.  That knowledge was truly worse than that of the danger there would be waiting for him outside of Treize's looked rooms.  If Une saw him in this state...  Wufei hid a shudder by starting to pull his freshly cleaned clothes on, the familiar material comforting.

"How do you expect to be able to keep me hidden following you around all day?" he asked tersely, rather dreading the answer.  Clearly, they'd gotten him in there without detection, but he didn't have any clues to suggest just how the task had been done.  "You can't expect me to walk behind you, ducking under hallway tables to keep out of sight."

There was a rustle of fabric as Treize lifted his uniform coat from the back of a chair to settle on his shoulders.  Long fingers worked quickly to do up the many buttons.  "Of course not.  That would be dangerous.  I'll be carrying you.  Zechs will take charge of your care after lunch for a time.  Perhaps you can convince him to take you outside for some fresh air."

"Again, I'm not some kind of pet, Khushrenada, and I will not be begging you or your lover to take me out on a fucking walk!" Wufei snapped at the man, turning sharply to glare up at Treize.  Hair down and shoeless, he still felt exposed despite the fact that he was otherwise dressed.  He couldn't explain the absence of the missing items, and neither of his 'hosts' had offered up an explanation.

Treize smoothed down his uniform as he turned to look down at Wufei, making a slight tsk sound that only served to infuriate Wufei more.  "Language, dragon.  As I said, I have no desire to turn you into my pet.  It would be a true waste of a strong opponent and a dishonorable way to treat a warrior like yourself."  He pulled on a crisp pair of white gloves before reaching into the drawer.  Refusing to back away like a frightened child, Wufei tensed as the other man's fingers wrapped around his torso and lifted him up.  "But while you're in this vulnerable state, you are dependent on our care whether you wish to be or not.  And until I can trust that you will not foolishly attempt an escape, you will be kept under supervision by myself or my lover, as you so charmingly phrased it, because we are the only ones who know that you were retrieved from the woods.  I believe, Wufei, that you will find yourself in no position to argue.  Now, to breakfast."

Wufei didn't have anything to say in reply to that as he was carried out of the bedroom and back into the main room.  As with the last meal, breakfast was laid out already, though only for one this time.  He was set down on the table while Treize walked over to his desk to rummage though the drawers.  He seemed to ponder through a couple different mechanical pencils, pulling the metal eraser cap off of one hand and holding it up to examine.

"This should do," he said with a satisfied nod.  He carried it into the bathroom and Wufei heard the sound of water running before the man returned, cap still in hand.  "It may still taste a little like eraser, but hopefully the orange juice will overpower that."

"Thank you," Wufei said slowly.  He reached up to accept the improvised cup that Treize carefully dripped orange juice into and took a cautious sip.  The man's guess turned out to be fairly correct.  There was little that he could taste other than the overpowering flavor of the juice.  And the size of the cup, though a little large, made it easier to ignore his own.

In order to keep himself from watching Wufei drink, Treize busied himself with serving the young man up a spoonful of food as he had done the night before.  If Wufei's 'condition' lasted for long, he would see about getting some things made for him that would be to scale.  A few changes of clothes would be in order too.  It wouldn't be proper for the warrior to wear the same things day in and out, and cleaning them each day would wear them out quickly, leaving Wufei nothing to wear other than his trademark coat.  When he placed the spoon a few inches from his guest, he was pleased to note that Wufei did not flinch away.  Perhaps he would have his  dragon eating beside him soon.

"You don't have to be afraid to speak to me, Wufei," he said after the silence had dominated the breakfast table for a while.  The glare he was sent in response threatened to make him break composure and laugh, but self preservation kept him silent.  "If you with to believably deny it, you'll have to do so verbally."

"I am not, will never be, and have never been afraid of you," Wufei growled as he glared harder up at his giant captor.  Oh, he knew what Treize could easily do to him if he ever had the inclination, and how unlikely his survival would be if the man decided to kill him, but he still refused to fear him.  To do so would prove that he was weak, and he refused to allow that.  "But I have no reason or desire to make idle conversation with my enemy."

Treize sighed as the meal lapsed back into silence.  Clearly, baiting Wufei via his courage was not the wisest move on his part.  It only angered the younger man, and made him more difficult to get through to.  The opposite of what he wanted.  Doubting that further attempts at conversation would be met with better results, he didn't make any more attempts to get Wufei to acknowledge him until the end of the meal.

When he stood up, setting his spoon down on the empty plate, the younger man looked up sharply at him and tensed immediately.  As Treize had before, he laid his open hand beside Wufei and waited for the boy to respond.  "Wufei, you have my word that I will allow no harm to come to you while you are in my care, or in my captivity if you insist on terming it that.  Not by my hand or by Zechs', and I will not be revealing your presence here to anyone else, unless in the most dire of situations and with your permission, unconditional up on anything other than direct and intentional betrayal of my trust."

The declaration sounded oddly formal to Wufei, and he couldn't help but to believe that Treize was telling the truth.  And from what he believed of the man's honor, he would be keeping the promise.  When he opened his mouth to answer, he was a little surprised at his own sincerity.  "I believe you."  He focused on that realization as he stepped up onto Treize's hand and knelt down, rather than the fact that he was going to be spending time in a pocket of all places.  Wufei briefly humored himself with the small relief that it wasn't Maxwell's pocket at least, or Barton's.  He had no desire to share the small space with metal parts or to be tightly crushed against someone's leg.

"I believe the inner coat pocket will be the safest for you," Treize said, unfastening the top button on his uniform coat.  "You'll be able to signal me if you need anything without attracting too much attention, and the fabric should hide the fact that you're in there.  Would that be acceptable?"

The question startled him, and he nodded without much thought about it.  He hadn't expected to be asked on the issue, not when he'd been told that he wouldn't be given a choice on whether or not he wanted to be taken with Treize at all.  "I'll survive."

"I'll make sure of it, my dragon," the General said in response, bringing Wufei close and brushing his lips very lightly over the top of the teenager's head.  He took advantage of the time Wufei took to sputter in order to gently deposit him once more in his pocket.  Though this time he rather doubted that he would be nearly as still and compliant.

Finding himself dropped into the sleeping bag sized pocket, Wufei shifted slowly to find a comfortable position to relax in.  It was unquestioningly warm in the pocket, and he sighed after a moment.  Wufei patted the firm wall behind him to catch Treize's attention as he unbuttoned his coat and wiggled his way out of it.  He looked up as the cloth walls shifted around him and held his coat up to the General peering in on him.  "It's too warm.  Leave it here."

"If you insist," Treize said, accepting the tiny coat.  But instead of putting it in the desk or carrying it back to Wufei's make-shift bedroom, he slipped it into another pocket for safe keeping.  He had little doubt that Wufei would want that fresh air he'd mentioned before.  And he would definitely need an extra layer then.  "Is there anything else you need, while you have my attention?"

"Just don't forget that I'm in here," Wufei muttered, soft enough that Treize wasn't sure he was supposed to hear.  But of course he did, and the General smiled slightly as he once more closed his uniform coat.  He gently cupped the barely noticeable lump with his hand briefly to allow Wufei to know he'd heard him, and gave his word that the young warrior would not be forgotten.

It was with that tiny secret hidden over his heart that Treize left his suite to go to his office.  Even if anyone did notice that he had something in his pocket, the privilege of rank would keep them from interrogating him.  Wufei would be perfectly safe, even in the mere three feet he would be from Lady Une at many points in the day.  The General smiled as his subordinates burst into activity at his entrance into the office, bearing reports for him to read and personnel requests to be inspected.

"I want a detailed report on the Gundam attack yesterday, especially regarding the unauthorized weapon used," he said as he took his seat, a cup of hot tea already at his elbow.  "Who designed it, who launched it, and what caused its explosion."  He took a sip of the tea, settling into his duties with practiced ease.  This had been his life for the past few years.  "Have the initial findings on my desk tomorrow morning."

The conversation outside of his fabric cage was loud enough for Wufei to hear clearly through the material, and he tried to focus on it more than on the steady beating of Treize's heart behind the 'wall.'  Or on the way the General's voice seemed to vibrate through him as the man spoke.  It had a lulling effect that he didn't want to admit.  He should not have been so comfortable.  Being literally kept in Treize's pocket should have been disturbing and should have had him positively infuriated.

He scowled in the darkness of the pocket, at himself as much as at his situation.  This was not the way that his second encounter with Khushrenada was supposed to go.  He was supposed to defeat the man in an even battle and then kill him, avenging Nataku and his clan.  But instead he was in captivity, kept like some prized pet and getting so confused over the things that Treize said and did.  Damn that man.  Why couldn't he behave like the villain he was?

Somehow, Treize managed to conduct business for several hours without any important information reaching reaching the tiny ears of his secret prisoner.  Wufei didn't know if it was because the man had given some sign for listeners or if they were accustomed to always suspecting it.  He refused to believe that the leader of OZ would waste half of his day on trivial business.  The pilot was ashamed to admit that he dozed off at several points between the boredom and the steady beating of Treize's heart in his warm cocoon, but he couldn't deny it when he jolted awake at a sudden change in the small movements he'd gotten used to.

The General stood up with his usual unhurried grace, well aware of the tiny movement against his chest.  He touched the fabric over his pocket lightly to acknowledge the pilot and movement stopped.  Still so twitchy.  Well, he supposed that it was to be expected.  Wufei had only had an evening and a morning to grow used to his new state, and it was clear to Treize that the young man was slow to adjust to changes.  Not in combat, of course, but in lifestyle.  And he doubted that idleness had even been something Wufei allowed for himself.

Perhaps once he could trust his dragon a little more and set the room up for it, he could begin leaving Wufei in his suite while he attended to his duties.  If a quiet hour with a book had calmed him to a level that allowed for pleasant conversation, if short lived, what would regular doses do?  It would definitely be worth it to find out, and possibly find out more about the little warrior in the process.  But first, there was something that needed taken care of.

For Wufei, the time from when they entered the small room where he could hear water running even before he was removed from Treize's pocket to the time a few minutes later when he was handed off to Marquise was the single most embarrassing instance in his life.  He was positive that even his witnessed marriage consummation had not been as bad, since at least that part was a norm for his clan and there'd been someone else to share his shame.  But this?  This made him want to block the incident from his memory, and for a while he was thankful to be hidden when his new guard tucked him away much in the same way as Treize had.  Having Marquise witness him flushed red from head to toe would not have soothed his bruised self image.

Once Wufei had recovered enough from his mental self exile in shame, it quickly became obvious how differently Zechs behaved compared to his superior.  The man clearly insisted on ignoring Wufei's presence, and was rarely still.  He moved through the base swiftly and with purpose, even inch a soldier.  And while Wufei heard significantly more useful information, it was all short term.  Unless Wufei managed to return to his normal height and escape or get word out to the other pilots by the following evening, the information would turn stale as plans were carried out.

There was no sense of time inside a pocket, and Wufei didn't really know how long he'd been being carried around like a pocket-watch (ironic as it was) until they entered a room filled with the unmistakable clatter filled noise of a mess hall.  Was it really only lunch time?  Wufei could only assume that the blond man ate dinner with Treize on a regular basis, and even if he didn't, the pilot rather doubted that he would be expected to eat the evening meal in the mess with its dangers of being discovered on top of the nearly deafening level of noise.

Luckily for him, Marquise didn't appear to be fond of the noise either, for they left the room before long, and, to Wufei's puzzlement, he was able to hear birds a few minutes after.  They were outside?

It was only a short time before his 'cage' shifted with the movement of the coat being opened.  Two of Zechs' gloved fingers dipped into the pocket and carefully hooked under his arms to pull him out into cold air.  Wufei didn't want to think about the way he clung to those fingers until the Lieutenant knelt down and there was earth beneath Wufei's bare feet.  He looked up at him, unable to believe just how massive the man hovering over him was.

Zechs looked back down at the tiny pilot through his mask, pulling the white coat from another pocket and holding it out to Wufei.  Treize had mentioned the shivers that he'd witnessed, and it would be even colder outside and away from the heating system.  The lieutenant watched Wufei pull the coat on before speaking.  "You will stay within my sight.  If you attempt to escape, I'll contain you after catch it again.  It may be with the use of a jar."

Wufei grimaced at the idea of being trapped in a jar like some bug caught by a child.  He couldn't imagine it being comfortable at all, or less than utterly humiliating.  He used the task of buttoning up his coat to look away from the blond man.  "I'll stay close."

The officer nodded in satisfaction and stood up slowly, being polite enough not to make any comments when his temporary ward took a nervous step back.  It was only once it was clear that Zechs had no plans on moving that Wufei turned away from him and began to walk around.  The edge of the woods look so distinctly alien that Wufei found himself needing to touch and look at everything.  When would he ever get such a chance again?

The mask Zechs wore hid the curiosity in his face as he watched the pilot down on the ground.  It was such a novelty to see the passionate teenager wandering about exploring.  The two images just didn't seem to fit together.  His smile was there and gone in an instant before Wufei could look up to catch sight of it.  With a silent shake of his head, Zechs gave the boy a little more space as he stepped back a few feet to sit down on a log, taking out the food taken from mess to eat and putting a tiny portion down on top of his overturned thermos lid.  When Wufei felt like it, it would be in reach.  Until then, Zechs would watch him and try to figure out the puzzle that claimed so much of his lover's attention.