Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Relentless Sun ❯ Relentless Sun ( Chapter 1 )

Comments: Media Miner has been weird when it comes to me posting this story, so I've had to repost. Nothing has been changed/updated in the fic itself though.

Warnings: Big-ass spoilers. Bad blatant symbolism. Lemon (second chapter). Flashes forwards and back in time. Technically a deathfic (in the context of the series).

Notes: This is the way that I would fit a relationship between Treize and Wufei into the series while keeping true to the story line. I apologize for any OOCness in Wufei and general plot glitches that readers perceive.

"But I know I'll do the right thing,

If the right thing isn't feel."

-Staind

Relentless Sun Part One:

Freedom. Now. He craved it. Wufei's attention swayed away from Sally's chatting. Not interested that moment, only wanting to leave his desk and return to his apartment for the evening. Evidently, from the occasional snippet that slipped into Wufei's head, she wanted him to come in early and assist in more officer training. He agreed without thinking as he grabbed his coat and walked down the hallway with its uniform gray tiling and green walls. Instructing the courses was not bad, especially considering that all of the fresh officers put him on a pedestal taller than the headquarter building, but even Wufei needed breaks from the practice of ruining political intrigues.

Sally's voice wafted to him from a distance back, and he automatically raised his hand in farewell, a poor acknowledgement to her comments. It didn't matter at that point. Wufei just wanted to leave, be rid of confining walls and feel the enticing vastness of the city around him. For one so proper, the city's call was his daily opportunity to feel a hint, a mere touch, of adrenaline that echoed back from battles now in the "Modern Turmoil" chapter of the history texts.

The hallway tightened and branched off into a corridor of elevators. Wufei chose the express one. Being high in rank also meant being literally high in the Preventers HQ, something he usually didn't mind. He had been on top of the world and beyond; one quickly forgot the fear of heights. But the elevator's trip was annoying. Wufei stood alone in the tiny "shuttle," leaning against the cool brass wall and staring at his own reflection, though seeing nothing out of the ordinary. His features had barely altered in the past few months, hair still slicked back in a tight ponytail, with a harsh expression to match. Wufei regarded his own dark eyes and looked away, too restless to acknowledge the disdain in them.

Finally, after a minute or two, (Wufei had timed it once but didn't bother to remember the exact numbers), the elevator decelerated with a sickening pressure and came to a smooth halt. Before the doors had fully opened, he stalked towards the right corner of the parking garage. It had grown late in the afternoon, and the lot was only half full, making it easy for him to spot his motorcycle. He walked towards it quickly and straddled it, not taking the time to put on a helmet. Today, he couldn't bring himself to care, knowing that few could best him on a motorcycle, people in cars being no exception. Only the woman Noin had caught up with him quickly, but those were extenuating circumstances.

Not one minute after entering the underground garage, Wufei sped out into the city's late afternoon air, glad to be free for the day. The rush hour had already ended, and with mild traffic, he let himself accelerate to a dangerous speed. Soon Wufei was on the city's main exchange road, and he continued speeding, careful to pass vehicles with plenty of room, but not so cautious as to miss enjoying the commute.

It really was a good ride, with the power of the bike blaring underneath from between his legs, and the silent limitless sky above, broken sporadically by the jutting mirrored hulks of other skyscrapers, and dotted with various signs proclaiming this and cajoling for that. Wufei enjoyed it all- the speed the color, the warmth from a setting sun, the vitality of it all. //Calmness be damned.// Molding his frame to the bike, Wufei became more aerodynamic. He revved the engine and picked up speed.

Then, in the space of ten minutes, the warmth of the sun at his back fled, and a chilly wind blew in its wake. Without warning, a gust of the wind abruptly shoved Wufei in the back, shifting like a gigantic hand to his right side. // From the coast.// The ocean was just beyond the city to Wufei's right. //A storm approaches.//

Sure enough, when the concrete thoroughfare that he was on made a sharp turn, the wind hit the motorcycle and driver full force in the side. The bike's resistance to wind from the side was great, and even Wufei had a difficult time keeping the vehicle in control. Glancing to his left he caught an image of the last golden edges of the sun being swallowed up hungrily by greedy dark storm clouds. Beyond that was a solid, imposing wall of gray, in the area of the headquarters Wufei noted. He was only a few miles ahead of the storm.

//I'll outrun it.// And he set to it. Stepping up the motorcycle's velocity even more as the wind followed suit and increased its power. The youth could feel a spattering of rain drops, the gentle tapping fingers of somebody needing attention, on the back of his jacket as he sped along. But Wufei was ahead of it still, and after another turn, the wind was again at his back, helping now as it spirited him in his flight home.

And then he could see the exit for his street. Taking it, he slowed the bike. After only two traffic lights and a couple of twists and turns, the complex loomed before him. The apartments comprised a nice block of town in an area that Sally had recommended to him. Wufei pulled his motorcycle into yet another claustrophobia inducing garage, this time adjacent to the building, and climbed off the dormant machine. With an affectionate absent pat on the warm chrome, he left the bike and headed for his room.

Two slides of his plastic access card and another elevator found Wufei in his apartment. The lights were all off, but he turned on a floor lamp near the door and removed his jacket. Shaking it out, he found it was just slightly damp, the traces of rain from the impending storm almost gone from the water-proof top layer. He tossed it on the back of a sofa of such a dark color that it matched the other large furnishings, two elegant wooden folding chairs next to a matching table. They were new pieces that Wufei had recently purchased from an international dealer. The three piece dining set was done in a dark cherry lacquer, much like the furniture Wufei recalled from bygone days back in his Chinese community in the colony.

Sally, being Chinese herself, assisted him in picking out different objects to embellish the small apartment. Only a few key pieces of furniture and some simple adornments really, but Wufei was comfortable in his surroundings. He never required much as a soldier. Why require extravagancies now?

Clicking on the television, Wufei changed the channel before the forecaster could tell him what the low roar coming from his ceiling already said. The storm had come, and after a glance out his balcony, Wufei knew it would be staying for a while. The day was not getting any earlier, so the young man cooked himself a dinner of rice and chicken. Water and a salad completed the meal, and Wufei cooked and ate it alone, with news reports filling the silence. The reporter spoke of Relena's ambition for the presidency,* and of plans to build a new colony. To Wufei's pleasant surprise, he saw Quatre's face, always so charged with gentle conviction, among the many others of a delegation debating the plans. //It's doubtful he will ever change.//

But to Wufei's annoyance, the television was constantly drowned out by angry rumbles of thunder, preceded by the crisp white flashes of lightning that cast eerie shadows around Wufei's home. No matter that they only appeared for a split second; they cracked the serene glow of interior lighting into stark blacks and whites. And then it happened.

One immense flash of light later and all went gray; Wufei's apartment complex fritzed into darkness. Sighing in annoyance, the youth opened his balcony window and stepped outside right as the crack and boom of thunder shook the foundations of his building and vaguely reminded him of a mobile suit exploding. A rush of wind, saturated with miniscule droplets, threw itself upon him, and the loud raw sound of the down-pour filled his ears. The lights of the adjacent blocks were all gone, as were the park lights over half a mile away, where Wufei often practiced martial arts alone. Only hulking shadows could be discerned throughout the thick layers of rain. Two entire blocks had no power.

Chilled, Wufei went back inside, sliding closed the screen doors to muffle the scream of the storm to a whisper. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he sat back down at the dining table. Before eating more though, he lit the candle, a fat red pillar candle with three wicks which so far sat untouched on its glass base since the day he bought it. But tonight was different, and he struck a match and touched it to the end of each wick, waiting patiently for each one to blacken and curl down, as the flame abruptly grew larger.

He and Sally had been shopping for the furniture when the candle's smell twisted his memory in a cruel knot from its unassuming spot on a display cabinet. It reminded him of so many other smells. Strong ones that he had resisted relishing. Wufei never told Sally why he bought that particular candle because he had enough trouble convincing himself of why he wanted it.

To him, candles were feminine things, delicate self contained fires surrounded in smelly wax. But he could not shake the memory of the way they had reflected those blue eyes perfectly, and mimicked the color of those lips when kissed too fiercely. And fire was the most passionate of elements.

So he bought the candle. It happened on a day when Wufei thoughts went against his character, and his mind would become a disjointed thing that he could not understand. Those days were few and far between, but intense and strange. The day he bought the candle was one of them. Today was one, when he lit the candle. And another day, long before the last two. But really, they had nothing to do with candles.

His appetite gone, the former gundam pilot covered his food and placed it in the refrigerator for later eating. He absently hoped that the power would return before his food spoiled.

Like the water that fell desperately from the sky, Wufei's memories poured from the bottom of his soul, flooding the backs of his eyes with extinct images, his nerves with long-ago sensations, and his memory with lost emotions . Now staring without blinking at the three flames, the pilot of Nataku could never forget his shock when he heard the news...

//Why would Treize, of all people relinquish his position?//

Treize quit immediately before he and Duo escaped from the OZ Lunar base with their upgraded gundams, and by the time Wufei had finished a fight for vengeance and returned to the colony, the news of Treize's confinement was no longer the most recent story. Of course Wufei hadn't believed the report, even though the shock factor had been enough for him to drop the glass he was drinking from when an update aired on the television. Immediately after overcoming his disbelief, he grew morbidly intrigued.

It should have been a convoluted ploy to buy Treize time to build a new mobile suit prototype or think up a quick strategy to crush the colonies, but upon investigation he had found nothing of the sort. For a moment, he wondered if Treize had been murdered. Lying to the public was hardly below the Romafeller Foundation. The thought panicked Wufei when it slipped into his mind, and before he knew it, he was out the door and headed for the undisclosed mansion where Treize was being kept under house arrest.

//No one else can kill you. It will be I that defeats you.//

Well that was his excuse. A massive and pathetic excuse that made him infiltrate the complex that fateful evening and snap the neck of the head security guard for his uniform. The guard had an envelope to be forwarded to Treize immediately, and Wufei read its contents. It was a daily report: Romafeller's expansion, accounts of skirmishes, and a total death toll, certified and sealed with a commanding officer's signature...

The present failing him, Wufei stared down the candle and its three flames, almost white hot, melting the red wax around them. He almost pitied the wax that had no better use than to support the flames. It melted slowly, beading like sweat to slide into tiny pools surrounding the fires. Like the lightest film of sweat that had been under his "new" uniform collar. He had blamed it on humidity in a climate controlled building, not nervous anticipation. Not for Wufei...

Encountering no one else, he walked down the hall and knocked on the door. At a quiet "Enter," he did just that. Wufei zeroed in on Treize immediately, tall broad shouldered and intimidating, even without his customary outer cape on. He was facing the large open balcony window, admiring the lingering rays of sunlight that graciously painted everything in bright orange pink and gold.

"Well?" Treize queried without sounding overly demanding. He never turned from the window, as Wufei hastily tore his contemplation from his nemesis to his report. His voice never wavered as he read.

"Today thirty seven soldiers loyal to Kushrenada were killed in battle during Earth combats against operation NOVA. Lady Une's status is still unstable. Other investigations reveal that two of the Gundam pilots, those of Wing Zero and Sandrock have returned to Earth and may be in consort with the Sanc Kingdom now. Whereabouts of the remaining pilots is unknown."

Wufei punctuated the last fact with a cruel tone, and to his inner delight, Treize stiffened. "So, it is you, dragon. That name fits you, by the way."

//How dare he!// Anger flared up suddenly, and Wufei unsheathed his sword, which he had concealed at his side, in front of him and dropped into a fighting crouch. That made the Colonel turn, and Wufei swept it in an effortless and menacing arc, an obvious invitation for a duel, especially in combination with the black scowl Wufei knew he had on his face.

He watched Treize size him up down the point of the blade, but he made no move for a weapon. Instead, he leaned easily against the edge of his desk and smiled ruefully. "Agreed. We will have a rematch, but not now." To Wufei's surprise, there was no taunting lilt in the other man's voice, just a blunt statement. A few seconds of silence passed before Wufei spat out his next comment.

"Someone will have to clean up your mess of letting Romafeller have their way with mobile dolls."

Treize turned away and sighed, such a human sound. He carefully closed the window and drew shut its curtains. The sunlight had all but disappeared, leaving a dreary violet in its wake. Wufei never left his stance by the door, waiting for his target to attack suddenly, but all the man did was switch on various lamps and light a candle.

"And if I was still the winner, leading a mechanical army whom I rally through a keyboard in lieu of my own words, would that satisfy you? Tell me, pilot Wufei, how many have you killed today, and why? You should already have me dead if assassination was your motive." Treize practically bit the words out, and the truth in them made Wufei drop his stance. He knew that Treize was pleased by that concession, and the man pivoted a chair to face him, an silent gesture for them to sit and talk, all the while a small smile playing along the corners of his mouth.

It hardly mattered that they had only met once before. He knew that Treize was not content with their situation, because Wufei himself was not. //Fighting each other will do us no good. Not right now. But I still must understand him and his type of strength.//

So Wufei studied his surroundings and fellow occupant as he carefully walked farther into the room to the sitting area, opposite a large desk with papers and a laptop. To his immediate right was the large window and farther down in the corner were double doors that lead to what Wufei presumed were the Oz leader's sleeping quarters. The sitting chair that he chose was massive and plush, like its mate which faced him from four feet away. All other furniture, including the desk and a few tables and stands were constructed of a dark walnut wood with hand carved ornamentation. The walls, mostly bare save for an old oil painting or two, were a rich navy that nearly matched the thick carpet under Wufei's feet, though the carpet had gold leaf accents to match his chair. And it all smelled faintly of roses.

To the soldier, it was too stuffy and posh, though the sheer amount of space and the quality of work in the room made it bearable. But the work that interested Wufei the most was busy procuring from a cabinet two crystal tumblers and a bottle of cognac. He crossed the room and Wufei watched him, remembering everything from their last encounter. His clothing concealed nearly all of Treize's physique, but a muscular frame, even more than the proper tailoring, made the ridiculous geometry of his uniform work perfectly. And he still held himself with poise, though in a much more relaxed sense than if Treize were about to lift his rapier.

Their eyes met, and his expression concealed a mysterious humor, which Wufei had initially mistaken for a mocking look. Wufei abandoned his initial assumption. Wufei now knew Treize was one to be serious about everything, from fighting to enjoying himself, and nothing was done lightly.

Treize returned with a tumbler for each of them, filled with amber liquid. He offered the drink to Wufei as he took the other chair, next to the small table and the burning candle centered on its top. Wufei accepted the crystal, only to set it on that table without drinking any. Treize arched an eyebrow, not about to comment, and sipped from his own tumbler. Silence had reigned between them for a few minutes now, and it continued as each adjusted to the other's presence. Wufei abruptly broke it.

"I should hate you."

"Tell me why you do not," Treize said, obvious in his voice.

"Because you are strong. I can loathe you-"

"But the respect remains."

Wufei bristled at this display of arrogance. That was it, just the arrogance. Honey smooth tones in Treize's voice. Not because Treize could incite such emotion so easily in him. Or next praise him effortlessly. "It goes both ways, Dragon. I have not sparred physically, or mentally for that matter in quite a while. Not every day does one meet a scholar and a soldier in the same person."

"What do you know of my past?" Wufei accused.

"Well, I assume much of it," Treize said, bemused. His next comment made Wufei fight down a flush of something unknown and angry simultaneously. "I research that which interests me. That very apt nickname was in an old file about you."

"How can you be so sure that I am that dragon? I should have died on AO206 when you commanded OZ troops to wipe it out. To decimate my home colony."

Treize sighed and stared out of the window at the mellow sky. "Lady Une mentioned the sighting of a Gundam. It was only a matter of time before that pilot would come for justice for the colony which was only partially cleared out, though Oz concealed that from the Federation."

"My wife died in the attack."

Treize was startled, but he concealed it well. Blue, blue eyes affixed on Wufei, and he thought that the unblinking stare from a laser would have been more gentle right then. "You married?"

"Yes."

"How old were you."

"Fourteen."

"What was her name?"

"Nataku."

Treize gave him a hard look, and after a moment of silence said, "I apologize."

"Why?" Curiosity reared its head and Wufei found himself more inquisitive than resentful. He was not necessarily pleased by his change of heart, but the ruthless tactics Treize used carried over to all of his modes of attack. Remembering how Treize had used those Gundam Pilots to clinch his control over the Federation, Wufei could find little to criticize. //I would have done likewise. The Gundams were not initiated to combat OZ...//

"Because in my desire to unify the colonies and Earth, I alienated you."

"How can you be sure?"

Wufei leaned forward and snatched the tumbler from the table and quickly downed its contents, the blazing warmth of alcohol feeling likewise in his throat as it would to his hand if he held it too near a flame...

...Or the searing behind one's eyes when they try desperately not to cry, but the pain... oh the pain... The worst type, when someone is lost. And the Wufei sitting in the apartment was not the same as the one who walked in right before the storm hit. The three flames were so hot that they warped the background above them into a contorting mirage of liquid shadow. Like one's vision right after drinking golden spirits too quickly...

Treize obviously pondered Wufei's comment, and refilled his glass when he set it back on the table, but it would be Wufei's decision to drink whatever he wanted.

Wufei stared out of the window for a moment, and then back into eyes that were a shoo-in for the twilight sapphire of the night sky. //Out of the kettle...//

"Only you figured Operation Daybreak.** The two masters of tactics, Quatre and Trowa did not. And Heero, well-"

"Don't remind me," Wufei replied sarcastically.

"I won't. It's in the past. Things have changed since then."

"Which is why I wanted to speak with you."

"Yes. We have so much to discuss."

"I don't understand, Treize. How could you initiate your own loss? Why assume a position of the weak?" And Wufei startled himself with the questions. But even more so for the need to hear them answered.

Treize answered sardonically, "So now I justify myself?"

A pause.

"I better myself by losing. It is how I will win. One must not fear taking a step back and regrouping. There is much beauty to be had in a comeback," he said ruefully. "And besides, there is no-"

"honor to be had-"

"-when fighting with lifeless glorified chess pawns."

They both could not help grinning. Who would have guessed? The silence they shared then was more deafening... than the quiet of Wufei's apartment, for the storm had passed, and almost all was as still and dark. But the candle. Making an occasional minute snapping as one of the three flames consumed another millimeter of its wick... And their silence was not necessarily friendly as they sat across from one another, nor was it peaceful, nor companionable...

Yet the silence of the apartment's candle was more ominous, because Wufei knew what would happen when it burnt down...

"Our sides deviate, and our fighting methods differ, but does the rest?"

To Wufei the question was so innocent, curious. "No, because now I understand. We are so similar," he admitted.

"Is that why you came Wufei? For an inquisition, just to confirm something you would not dare to admit on the battlefield? What are your ulterior motives?"

A skeptical expression on Treize's face. //How dare he imply that I came here to gain advantage!// "I sought understanding to this situation!"

Treize scoffed. "This comes from someone who sneaks inside and brandishes a sword at me, knowing I do not fight actively given the situation. Pray tell, does your mission also involve seducing me for more `understanding' to use against me in future combat?"

Said so jokingly, that Wufei's jaw dropped. And he could feel the flush ascending rapidly from under the collar of the uniform, probably shaming the candle on the table. Wufei yanked his eyes downwards to break their contact and roved over Treize's body before he could stop himself. Frantically, he peered out the window, but the outdoor evening scenery offered no help. Mortified, Wufei felt appalled by the feelings he could only now acknowledge. //How can I have such blasphemous thoughts?!//

"Oh," Treize said, almost inaudibly, and the Gundam Pilot refused to stop looking out the window.

Again silence, awkward this time elapsed between them for a few eternities, as each of them collected their thoughts and tried to make sense of their situation. Then, Treize shifted in his chair and stood, his manner serious and careful but decisive nonetheless. He stretched languidly and took slow steps to the window, saying "I am going to lock the window in a moment." As if on cue, the officer continued. "You are most welcome to do what you wish. Leave if you so desire, but when the window is locked, it remains that way for the rest of the evening. As do the doors."

Even Wufei could read the hidden invitation in what Treize said, and he understood the rule. //He means for me to bed with him if I stay!// He would swear to himself later that his lack of preparation for handling such a situation was what made him remain frozen in place in the chair. Never did he admit that the deep riptide of tingling in his stomach was anything more than butterflies.

In self doubt, he glanced across the room at Treize who was regarding him expectantly through deep blue eyes. //He wants me!? And I? I'm not sure.//

Ever so slowly, Treize finished off the cognac in his glass and set it back on the table. So slowly that the seconds stretched into eons. He moved across the room and flipped open a key pad that set an alarm system in case the door or windows were tampered with.

Wufei ignored him and threw back his second shot of cognac.

Treize closed the door.