Pepper & China Roses

Chapter 10

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He sat there staring at the sleeping man for quite a long time before he pushed himself out of bed.  'This is surreal… how did this happen? What now?'

He didn't know what to think, so he chose not to move even after the old man spoke to him he just laid there, eyes closed tightly.

He had a bad feeling from the beginning of his little trek to the castle; a day ago… maybe two days? Wufei woke early and left town alone to scout the area, he was curious and a bit nervous so it seemed like a good idea.  It had nothing to do with the knowledge that later that evening, Sally Po would arrive escorting the body of the man he killed… the one featured in most of his dreams and nightmares alike.

So it was that, after the wildest set of mishaps, he woke up in a warm cocoon of silky flesh, fur and fabrics… again! The only difference was the second man in the room. 

Now, strategically, it was best to stand down.  He knew better than to jump into another mess outnumbered, naked and feeling as weak as a newborn.  So when the old man left the room and Wufei was sure they were alone; he should have jump the man and… and just then he felt a moist touch on his lips, long spikes of pleasure rolling up and down his body, hands and lips caressing.  He forgot strategy and prisoner's protocol, his mind a drift.

The smile on that picture he kept hidden in his room was now behind his tightly closed eyelids and he refused to let it go.

Somewhere deep down, at night when loneliness and guilt got the better of him and all his walls came tumbling down, Wufei found himself imagining what-ifs and maybes. 

If his parents hadn't handed him over so young for training, maybe he would be less prickly?

He saw himself dying, instead of his young wife, Meiran she would have died later on in the war …maybe, but she could have lived longer… couldn't she?

His fellow colonist not blowing his home up, but surrendering to fight another day; he even wondered if the Oz leader had pulled a final trick and fooled them all.

'Why didn't he just follow Merquise example?  He could have had a better chance in the new peace than the man who tried to destroy earth.'

Now he was here, smack in the middle of nowhere, facing the culprit of so many crimes, almost as many as his own; wishing he could go back to his own bed and wake up to a less unsettling reality… and not wanting to move else he really woke up in his own, cold bed.

'Kushrenada, do you know what you did to me?'

Even now Wufei could still feel the warmth of the other's body lingering around him and it mellowed the rage and confusion inside. 

Nothing he ever dreamed could compare to this bizarre reality anyway.

He finally sat up in bed; letting his feet dangle and openly stared at him. 'Gods… he is so big!' 

He felt like punching himself.

'What am I thinking!?' he huffed and the loose hair framing his face swayed when he shook his head in silent laughter. 

The only time he had seen the fabled man face to face he was so infuse with anger the general could have been the next Napoleon for all he cared!  He was embarrassed to admit, back then, he thought of himself as a giant… metaphorically off course.  Gundam pilots tended to measure themselves from a "higher perspective."

Treize was sprawled in the high backed chair facing the bed.  An embroidered red blanket the only thing covering his torso, legs now stretched out before him and his feet inches away from Wufei's smaller ones. 

The young Preventer felt like laughing out loud, he was not the nervous type but this…

'Get a grip Chang! Your enemy is before you and all you can think of is his size? Calm down, breath deeply…'

After a quick evaluation of his surroundings, it won't do to be caught ogling the Oz general; the young man went back to doing just that. 

'He hasn't changed much, hair is longer… it sooth's him… ancestors!

What am I suppose to do? Arrest him? What will the ESUN do with him? Would the OZ faction return when they find out? …Will they make you a hero or villain?' 

The man in the chair slept on, his slow breathing watched intently by slanted eyes.

'Une will go crazy when she finds out!'

Thinking of Une's reaction made him shudder; he didn't trust her sanity to hold up for long if she saw him again. 

He 'had' seen the woman drunk once, an event he would rather not dwell on right now, but it gave him a grasp of how dependent the Lady was to "His Excellency."  Wufei knew she was crazy but he also knew she was strong and would do the right thing …as long as her alter ego, the Colonel, didn't return.

Treize himself seemed unbalanced now. Didn't he?

'How am I supposed to know how he behaves normally? Is he sane? Was he ever? …Am I? This is ridiculous!'

Just as he stood to wake the man a garish little laugh stopped him dead in his tracks.

In the doorway stood an older woman, grayish hair and eyebrows to challenge Dorothy Catalonia's. 

"You must be our little guest!" The rounded woman squeaked and clapped her hands around the bundle of clothes she held, her buxom breast bounced with the motion.

"Ancestors …another one."

The red head asleep in the chair, just curled up tighter in his blanket.

"Oh! Aren't you the shy one, common here honey you most be cold!" she hurried across the room and made a grab for a startled Wufei.  Who just ran around the bed to escape her… dragging a pillow to hide behind!

He would have run out the room when a younger female voice called from the hallway he was trying to reach.

"Is he dressed yet?"

So it was that: naked, at sea, and red as a beat, Chang Wufei was ushered behind an old folding screen to dress. 

Meanwhile a food tray was brought in; he was handed his attire: gray slacks, cream shirt, knitted green sweater, thick woolly socks and hiking boots.

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Almost four hours later, Wufei found himself inside the Kushrenada castle.

It was a positively medieval building; massive stone towers around it, battlements, merlons, portcullis, and yes... even a moat. Yet, somehow, in a strange way…it felt cozy.

Earlier… at what he found out later, was the guest house he was rounded up like cattle by the two noisy females: Aunty Elsa and Madchen; who dress, fed and all but slapped a bow on him before they all packed into a large old-fashioned looking car. 

Together, the Preventer and the two witches of OZ, as he now dubbed them, traveled across the countryside in an improvised motorcade.  Luckily for the boy's nerves, Treize, he was told, was traveling in another car.

Now he sat in the tearoom, waiting for the lord of the castle to return.  Oddly enough, Wufei was not worrying anymore about the crazy day he was having.  He was itching to know Treize's whereabouts and to actually have a long talk with the man.

When the chance came up, Wufei more or less explained to the inquisitive old man his reasons to be here and at some level he seemed to understand but… he was also looking him up and down and asking silly questions about his family and upbringing.

Funny, you would think that someone dress like 'that' wouldn't bother much about upbringing and family names.   He even mentioned this for witch he received a loud bark of laughter and a clap in the back.   "I like you already mister Chang!" the eccentric old man said.

"Dam crazy people"

He was still blushing from the memory of his embarrassing encounter with Aunty Elsa (as she demanded he call her) and her younger sister.   "Just call me Madchen" said the later, adjusting her thick glasses.  She was the mousy one, if her pale skin, thin arms and oversized overall said anything about her…

The whole ride back to the castle, Aunty Elsa tried to feed him some concoction of hers, promising he would feel better in no time if he drank it down in one gulp. 

Madchen stared him down with her curious little gray eyes the whole trip.  She only opened her mouth to warn him not to try anything her sister offered if first he had to down it in one gulp.

"I should leave now while I can! Find Une and report…" he blurted out in frustration.

"Why do that? There is no hurry…"

The soft voice made him rise to meet the one he Kushrenada he was aching to see.

They just stood there staring at each other for what felt like an instant. Treize was leaning heavily on the mantel; dress in washed-out slacks, socks and a large cotton shirt.  He looked sick and Wufei couldn't help wondering if he had hurt him.

He smiled weakly, and the pained look in his eyes made Wufei step closer on instinct, however only one step…

"We should speak before you leave… please…"

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Tbc.

Yeah I know. I am EVIL muahhahahahha @_@

Don't kill me! I am posting the next chapter with this one!