Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Sugar & Whips ❯ Chapter 9

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Sugar and Whips

Part 9

 

“Stop that!” a firm voice behind him ordered. “You are going to hurt yourself!”

Zechs could hear footsteps, and then Duke Khushrenada stepped into his line of view. He was wearing only a pair of black trousers and a white dress shirt, no jacket or gloves, tonight. But in his hand he was holding a furled up, black leather whip.

Zechs swallowed. He could feel a cold shiver run down his spine.

“Welcome back, Zechs,” the duke remarked almost nonchalantly. “Or should I call you by your real name from now on, Milliardo Peacecraft?”

His jaws tightened and his fists clenched as Zechs glared daggers at the tawny haired man. Anger was starting to bubble inside him like molten lava. Maybe it was Treize's calmness that infuriated him the most.

The duke stepped closer until he came to a stop right in front of his `pet'. He raised Zechs' chin with the end of his bullwhip, forcing the young man to look up at him. “You really disappointed me, Zechs. I have been nothing but kind and patient with you, but all I got in return was a slap in the face.”

Zechs' eyes narrowed. Treize gave an almost amused huff. “I don't know what you are irate about.” His face turned serious; still there was no anger or malice in his eyes when he continued. “Somehow I have the feeling tat you didn't take me serious when I told you that bad behaviors will be punished. You will believe me when we are done here. You can't say that I didn't warn you.”

Treize released the young man's chin and walked behind him. “I really didn't want to do this, but you don't leave me much of a choice.”

Zechs gave a sarcastic snort. “Don't make me laugh. You are nothing but a pervert who gets off on these things, so don't give me crap about…”

The whip made a cracking sound before coming down on Zechs' back. The young man's breath caught in his throat.

“Don't speak unless you are asked a question!” Zechs bit his lips when the whip came down again, crossing the angry, red welt left by the first lash.

Damn! He hissed in pain as he was struck again and again. After the first dozen lashes it took Zechs all the willpower he could master not to cry out lout. Then the whipping stopped. He was panting, hanging in his chains with his head drooping.

With the whip still in hand Treize walked around him, stopped in front of the young man and raised his chin once again. He could see pain in those crystal blue eyes mixed with anger and defiance.

“Is there anything you would like to say to me?” the duke asked calmly.

“Go to hell,” Zechs hissed.

Treize's face turned to stone. “Sorry, wrong answer!”

#####

“Zechs, are you awake?”

“No, I'm sleeping, go away,” Zechs growled crossly. He was still nude and he was lying, with his face turned toward the wall, on a thin mattress in a cell in the basement of the Black Rose. Compared to this `cage', the room he lived in at the master's mansion was a luxury suite.

Apparently Quatre didn't know to take no for an answer, because Zechs could hear a key being turned and then a slight squeaking noise as the door to his cell was opened. He didn't move, not even as the young man knelt down next to his mattress.

Quatre drew a sharp breath when he pulled the blanket Zechs was covered with down to his hips. The young man's back was swollen and crisscrossed with dark red welts. “Why didn't you just apologize? He would have got a lot easier on you.”

Zechs snorted as he turned his head. “Apologize for what?”

“Why do I even try?” The younger man sighed and shook his head. “Lie down on your stomach, so that I can put some ointment on your back.”

“I'm fine, just leave me alone.”

Quatre's brows narrowed. “Stop acting like a stubborn fool. I'm just trying to help you.”

“It isn't that bad.” Zechs grumbled. “He didn't even break the skin.”

“Of course not.” The other man gave an amused snort. “Somebody as experienced as Master Treize would never go as far as to scar a pet permanently.”

“Well, aren't I the lucky one?” Zechs' voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Believe it or not, but you are. For some strange reason that I can't quite figure out at the moment, Master Treize really seems to like you, because otherwise he wouldn't be so patient and lenient with you.”

“Lenient? In case you haven't noticed, he just whipped the heck out of me.”

“But he didn't do it on stage with a few hundred people watching, did he?” Quatre asked seriously.

Zechs swallowed. He isn't joking, is he?

“Now turn over and let me treat your back.”

“Did you come on your own, or does he know about this?” the older man asked as he finally shifted and rolled onto his stomach.

“Zechs, nothing around here happens without him knowing about it.” Quatre reminded him as he opened the tube with the ointment. “This will be cold and might burn a little, but that's only temporary.”

“Alright.” Zechs braced himself for the pain, but he still couldn't stop himself from hissing when the younger man spread the cream onto his sore back. He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lips.

“Sorry,” Quatre apologized. “The anesthetic should start numbing the pain soon and you will feel some relief.”

“Thanks.” The older man whispered; eyes still closed tightly.

“You know, you could have saved yourself all this trouble. All you had to do is ask.”

“What?” Zechs eyes flew open and his head spun around. “Are you trying to tell me he would have let me go if I had asked him?”

Quatre nodded seriously. He reached for the blanket and pulled it up to Zechs shoulders. “He probably would have sent somebody along, but I'm sure he would have let you go. Master Treize is not a monster, Zechs. I have been trying to tell you that from the start, but I'm beginning to get the feeling that you made up your mind that you were going to hate him as soon as you met him. And nothing he could have done would have changed that.”

"That's not true," Zechs protested, but they both knew that he was lying.

#####

It was a warm, late-summer night, so Quatre wasn't surprised to find the duke sitting outside on the patio after the club had closed. He cleared his throat to not startle the man as he approached.

Treize turned his head.

“Do you mind if I join you for a little while, Sir?”

“Not at all. Wine?” he gestured at the bottle of Cabernet on the table. “You will have to get yourself a glass though. I think all the waiters left already.”

Yes,” Quatre confirmed as he settled down in the chair across the duke. “It seems like we are the last ones around. Everybody else, including Heero, left already. I'm fine though. I had enough to drink as it is.”

“You went to see Zechs earlier this evening, didn't you?” the duke asked. “How is he? I'm afraid I might have lost my temper and went a little too far.”

“He'll survive.” Quatre assured him with a tiny smile. “I think his pride was hurt worse than his flesh.”

“He is quite something, isn't he? He didn't even make as much as a sound when I punished him.”

“He is just stubborn.”

“So I've noticed. I'll have to break that stubborn streak of his before I can do anything else with him.”

Quatre's eyes fell onto a thin folder on the table next to the wine bottle. “Is that what I think it is?”

The duke nodded. “Heero gave me his final report earlier this evening.”

“Would you mind if I take a look?”

“Be my guest.” Treize reached for the folder. As he handed it off to the younger man a photo slipped out from between the pages and landed on the table in front of Quatre.

He picked it up. The picture showed a young girl - young woman - about his age, with long, blond hair and blue eyes. He could see a subtle resemblance to Zechs in her. “Is this his sister?”

“Yes,” Treize confirmed. “Her name is Relena.”

Quatre put down the photograph and opened the folder. Milliardo Peacecraft, so that was his real name. He is 24; he didn't lie about his age.

“Peacecraft… The name sounds familiar, why?”

“His father was into politics.”

“That might be it,” Quatre nodded thoughtfully as he continued to read. His parents were killed in a car accident. The same accident that left his sister paralyzed. He glanced at Treize, but the older man's face showed no indication of what he was thinking.

“I think I remember now. His father was running for Governor, wasn't he? His family was returning from some political rally when their car was struck by a drunk driver. The culprit died at the scene as well. But the incident brought up a whole array of rumors, including some that a political opponent, who was trying to get rid of his rival, was behind the accident.”

“Yes, but none of that was ever proven.” Treize pointed out. “These kind of `conspiracy theories' always come up when political figures are involved.”

“I guess that's true. However I understand now why he did not want his real name to be revealed.”

The duke nodded. “And I have no interest in exposing him. The last thing I need is for the press or worse, the police to start snooping around. In any case, it's late. Trowa is probably waiting for you. Call him and tell him to pick you up. I'll stay here over night.”

“As you wish, Sir.” Quatre confirmed. It wasn't that unusual for Treize to spend the night in his private suite in the top floor of the club.

#####

Zechs raised his head at the sound of approaching footsteps. His face darkened as he recognized Treize. The duke was carrying a tray with a carafe and bowl. He put the dishes down to unlock the door.

“I'm sorry; somehow I forgot to tell somebody to bring you dinner.” Treize picked up the tray again and pulled the door close behind himself as he entered. “There isn't anybody in the kitchen anymore at this time, so this will have to do.”

“I'm not hungry.” Zechs eyed the bowl, which held some kind of soup or stew, as the duke set it down on the floor.

“Eat or don't eat,” Treize shrugged as he turned to leave. “It's all the same to me.”

“Wait, I want to ask you something.”

The duke stopped, turned his head and raised one eyebrow. “What was that? I don't think I heard you.”

Zechs' yaws tightened for a second. “May I ask you something, Master?”

“See, it's not that hard, is it?” Treize turned to face him. “Go ahead, ask.”

“How did you find me so quickly? And how did you manage to find out who I am?”

“You made a phone call at the restaurant a few days ago. It was easy to trace. Did you really think we wouldn't keep an eye on you?”

Damn it! Zechs' shoulders slumped. I really should have known better.

“Don't be too hard on yourself. We would have found you even without that call. I had Heero already investigate you. Your fingerprints were on file with the DMV. And last but not least, Mister Ventuno had a transmitter implanted into your body before he sent you to me.”

“What?”

“Modern technology is quite amazing.” The duke remarked casually. “Ten years ago you would have needed a whole room full of equipment and transmitter the size of a football to track somebody. Today something as small as a grain of rice does the job.”

“What's going to happen to me now?”

“For starters you will spend the night down here. I would like you to use that time to think.”

“What about my clothes?” Zechs wanted to know. “It's not exactly warm here.”

“It's not that cold either. Don't worry, you won't freeze to death. Besides, I did give you a blanket, didn't I?”

“I'd rather have my clothes back.”

“Your clothes?” The duke asked. “If I remember right, I was the one paying for the. You will get them back when you have earned them.”

“Earned them?” the blond echoed, pale brows furrowed in confusion.

“That's right.” Treize confirmed. “I told you before that I take no pleasure in punishing you, but I will treat you according your behavior. I had all intentions of cutting you some slack but obviously this didn't work. So now you will have to earn your privileges around here. And yes, wearing clothes is a privilege, so is sleeping in a bed or taking a hot shower.”

With that the duke turned to leave. “If you behave yourself I might consider taking you back home tomorrow night.”

“Damn you!” Zechs kicked his mattress in a fit of frustration and anger.

“Keep that up and you will stay a lot longer down here.”

As the door closed the light turned off, leaving the young man alone in the dark.

 

#####

Zechs ended up spending three days in the cage in the basement of the “Black Rose. By the time he was allowed to return to his room in the master's mansion he had learned to appreciate the comforts of a soft bed and running water.

It was the morning after he had returned, when Quatre woke him earlier than usual. “Get up, the master is waiting for you.”

Zechs blinked as he sat up, still sleepy and slightly disoriented. “What about breakfast?”

“You can have breakfast later.” The younger man told him. “Go, get your teeth brushed and put this on.”

“Oh, did he change his mind about me wearing clothes?”

“Not really; this is a training harness.”

Zechs swallowed hard as he stared at Quatre, the last traces of sleepiness gone from his startled eyes.

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T.B.C. 

Author's Note: