Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Journey of a Thousand Miles ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

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A special Thank You to Anne Olsen for beta reading.

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Journey of a Thousand Miles

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

-Confucius-

Part 6

I was sitting at my desk by the window, working on my English studies when I heard a horse and carriage come up the cobblestone road. I looked outside just in time to see Zechs' coach pull up in front of the manor.
I hadn't seen the blond aristocrat for almost a week. He had been in London to work out some arrangements regarding his first public art show.
During that time I had finished the books he had loaned me and had eagerly been waiting for him to return so that I could give them back to him and hopefully borrow a few more. Zechs had been correct. Greece was a fascinating country with a very long and interesting history. I could not wait to learn more about it.
I finished my lesson, put away ink and paper, and rose from my chair. Grabbing the pile of books from the edge of the desk, I left my room. As I walked downstairs I could hear Zechs and Treize talking in the sitting room.
In the main hall, just across from the stairs hung a large mirror, just in the right position for me to see my cousin's reflection. Treize had opened the liquor cabinet and was pouring a drink for himself and his guest when Zechs came up behind him and put an arm round his waist. The duke didn't seem at all surprised. He turned around in Zechs embrace to face him. My eyes went wide and I stopped in my tracks as the blond dipped his head slightly and very gently kissed my cousin on the mouth. Treize didn't object, but once their lips parted he said.

"Zechs, I don't think we should be doing this. Quatre is upstairs, you know."
"He doesn't know yet?" Zechs asked, his arm still around the duke's waist. "He has been living here since more the four weeks and you still haven't told him?"

Treize sighed. "I have thought about it, but… He is not even fourteen yet, Zechs."
I slowly and quietly retreated back up the stairs until I couldn't see the two men anymore in the mirror and was sure that I couldn't be seen either.
"I was only fourteen when you kissed me for the very first time. Remember that night?"
"You told me you were nearly sixteen."
Zechs chuckled. "You believed me?"
"I didn't know you as well back then as I do now." Treize replied playfully.
"What are you implying, your Excellency?" the blond asked.
"I'm not making any implications at all, my dear Prince," the duke answered innocently. Then he became serious. "Quatre is different, Zechs. He is still so…so blissfully ignorant, so innocent. I would like for him to keep that innocence as long as possible. You understand that, don't you?"
"I do understand." Zechs replied. "It just seems hardly fair that I have to suffer because of it."
"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"It had better be good."
"Have I ever given you any reason to complain?" I heard my cousin ask, his voice very low and very husky.
Zechs didn't answer, but gave a noise somewhere between a gasp and a growl.
During their conversation I had turned and silently made my way back up the stairs. Now I slipped into my room, my cheeks burning, closed the door behind me and threw myself across the large bed.

I could hardly believe what I just had witnessed. Zechs and the duke were not merely friends; they were lovers.

Treize had been right when he'd called me ignorant. I had been oblivious to what was going on around me. How else could I not have noticed it earlier? So, that was what he had meant, when he spoke about 'his lifestyle'. Of course now that I thought about it everything made perfect sense; the way my family treated the duke, all those little remarks they made about him; openly or in secret, it all made sense.
I wasn't surprised that my cousin tried to keep their relationship secret. For a healthy, young gentleman to be in love with another man was something that just wasn't consider appropriate; or as some people might even say 'normal'.
To me Treize and Zechs seemed very normal however, engaging in most of the same activities many gentlemen of their age and station did. Aside from that, Zechs Merquise was one of the nicest people I had ever had the pleasure to meet, and the duke had only treated me with kindness and respect.

So, I thought, who was to decide what was normal and what wasn't?

*****

When I left my room for the second time and walked downstairs I made sure that I was heard.
"Ah, Quatre, you are just in time for tea," my cousin greeted me. "You will join us, won't you?"
"Yes, of course." I nodded and then turned toward his blond guest. "How nice to see you again, Zechs. How was your trip to London?"
"A little exhausting, but all in all quite enjoyable. Which reminds me…" He reached for a thin, wrapped package on the table and handed it to me.
"For me?" I asked, somewhat surprised.

He nodded. "I saw it in a store window and thought that you might like it."
"You are spoiling him, Zechs." Treize remarked.
"I am spoiling him?" The blond raised one eyebrow.
"I am his cousin," the duke answered with a mirthful tone in his voice. "I'm allowed to spoil him."

Zechs snorted. "I bow at your logic, your Excellency."

"May I open it?"
"I insist," the blond aristocrat replied.
Curiously I ripped away the paper and gasped as I revealed a thin booklet of sheet music.
"Thank you, Zechs. Thank you so much. Mozart is my favorite composer. How did you know?"

"It was not hard to reach that conclusion," the blond chuckled. "I have heard you play a lot of his music. Perhaps you could entertain us with a little performance?"

"It would be my pleasure." I told him.
"Perhaps after tea," the duke suggested, ushering us to the table.

"Tell me, Quatre, how are you doing in your studies?" Zechs asked as we were sitting down.
"I think I'm doing alright," I answered modestly. "Mister Pushowski seems satisfied with my progress."

I looked at the duke, knowing that my cousin was receiving weekly reports from my private tutor.
"He is more than just satisfied," Treize spoke. "He says you are one of his best students, Quatre. He is very pleased. And so am I."

Thank you, Sir." I was delighted that my cousin was pleased with me, for I was trying hard to live up to his expectations. It was the least I could do, I thought, to repay him for his kindness.

*****

I had woken up early and since it was such a beautiful morning I decided to go outside and sit in the rose garden for a while. I had taken my violin with me and was practicing some of the pieces from the booklet that Zechs had bought for me in London.

"That was excellent, " somebody remarked from behind me as I stopped to turn the page.
The voice startled me. I had no idea that I had an audience. I jerked around and glared at the 'intruder'. It was Zechs' servant. Trowa I believe was the name.
"Do you always have to sneak up on people like that?" I asked.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you," he replied. "Master Zechs sent me to deliver some sketches to his Excellency."
"The duke is still asleep."
He nodded. "I know. Xander told me as much. I left the drawings with him. I was just about to leave when I heard your music and stopped to listen for a moment. You play wonderfully."

"Thank you." I answered tersely.
There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again.
"I owe you an apology, I believe."
Yes, I suppose you do. I thought. Or at least an explanation for being rude the first time we met.
"I had no idea that you are related to Duke Khushrenada."
"So, what you are saying is you are only polite to me now because the duke is my cousin?" My eyes narrowed in irritation. "If that is the case, don't even bother apologizing at all."
"No, that's not what I'm saying. If you would let me explain…"
"Very well, go ahead."

"Like I said, I didn't know that you and Duke Khushrenada are related. When I saw you and him walking in the woods, I thought…well, to be honest I wasn't really sure what to think at first. The two of you were talking and laughing, and I jumped to the wrong conclusion, I suppose - you have got to understand; Master Zechs is the closest thing to family that I have and I never ever want him to get hurt by anybody…"
What is he talking about? My frown deepened. Why would anybody want to hurt Zechs? Is he implying that me living here with my cousin would hurt Zechs? Then realization hit me. My eyes went wide and my yaw dropped.
"You thought that the Duke and I…? Oh my god, no!" I exclaimed a little more forcefully than I had intended. "Don't you think that I'm a little too young for his Excellency? Besides, I'm not…not like that."
"I'm sorry. Like I said I made a mistake by jumping to conclusions. Can you forgive me?" He looked straight at me and for the first time I noticed the intense green color of his eyes.
"I suppose," I answered with a shrug. "Everybody makes mistakes sometimes."
"Thank you."

There was another moment of awkward silence.
"So, do you just like to listen to music, or do you play an instrument yourself?" I asked, in an attempt to make polite small talk.

"In fact I do," he answered. "I play the flute. Perhaps, if you don't mind we could play a duet together some day."

"Oh, I would love to." I wasn't sure why his request surprised me. Perhaps I too had been too quick in judging him.

Just then I noticed a one horse carriage coming up the road.
"Forgive me, but I'll have to leave now. My tutor has arrived."

He nodded as I rose from the bench, gathering my notes and violin. "I should probably be on my way too."

"Don't forget to bring your flute the next time you come." I reminded him before we parted.

*****

After a few days of contemplating I had decided that it was probably the best to tell my cousin that the secret regarding his relationship with Zechs wasn't really a secret anymore. I knew that the duke was usually in his study at this time of the day. Taking a deep breath I knocked at the door.
"Cousin, may I talk to you?"
"Of course, please come in, Quatre." Treize looked up from the book he was reading when I walked into the room and gave me smile. "Can I offer you anything? A kiss perhaps?"

"Excuse me?" I stared at my cousin in bewilderment, hoping that he hadn't said what I'd thought.
"I asked if you would like a kiss. You should have one. They are really quite delicious." He gestured toward the table, at a tray filled with little white, sugar covered pastries.

"Oh yes," I managed to stammer, feeling very sheepish at that moment. "They do look appetizing."
I picked up one of the little delicacies and popped it into my mouth. It was sweet and a little crunchy.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" the duke asked me.
Suddenly I wasn't sure how to tell him.
"You are right, they are delicious." I said instead, reaching for a second kiss to win myself some time.
Finally I decided that being straightforward was probably the best.
"I…I know about you and Zechs."
Now it was Treize's turn to look puzzled. "I beg your pardon?"
"What I mean is, I saw the two of you kiss each other…earlier today."
The duke flushed crimson red. "What else did you see?"
There was more?
"Nothing," I assured him quickly. "It was not my intention to pry on you either. It was quite by accident that I saw you."

"Are you shocked and disgusted now?" Treize asked. From the expression on his face I could tell that he fully expected me to say that I was. But who was I to judge him, especially after everything he had done for me?

"Disgusted? No, not really." I answered truthfully. "Shocked? Maybe I was at first, but then I did some thinking. So, you and Zechs are different? But there's nothing wrong with that, right? Mother always told me that if everybody was alike this world would be a very boring place."

The duke looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before he spoke. "Sometimes you really amaze me, Quatre, do you know that? It seems as though you are very mature for somebody your age. I'm sorry for not giving you enough credit, and for not telling you earlier."

"That is all right. Your personal affairs are really none of my concern, wouldn't you agree? I just thought you should know that I know. Now you don't have to hide it from me anymore." I gave him a shy smile and he smiled back at me.
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T.B.C.

Author's Note:

It will probably take a while until the next chapter is posted. I'm planning to work on my other fics for a while.

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)