Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Purrfect Houseguest ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: This story was written by a fan only for the enjoyment of other fans, without any monetary compensation. Gundam Wing and its characters are registered trademarks of Bandai Entertainment Inc.â„¢ and Sotsu Agency. All rights reserved.

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The Purrfect Houseguest

Prologue

Treize Khushrenada swallowed a curse as he closed the hood of his Mercedes. He felt the urge to kick the car, and only the fact that Mariemaia was watching stopped him from doing so. Instead he gave his daughter a reassuring smile, pulled out his cell phone once again and tried to make a call. But just like before he wasn't even able to get a signal. It must be the mountains, he thought, as he closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

A red shock of hair popped through the open driver seat window. “I'm thirsty, Papa.”

“There are some bottles of water in one of the bags in the back, help yourself Marie.”

The head disappeared, and he could hear her rummage around in the backseat. A few moments later Mariemaia was back, water bottle in hand. “We are screwed, Papa, aren't we?”

Treize raised one eyebrow at the young girl. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said, we are …,” she started.

“I've heard you the first time, young lady,” he interrupted her. “But what makes you think that it is alright to talk like that?”

Marie put on a little pout.

Treize sighed inwardly, as he turned his head and gazed at the empty road ahead. Perhaps Mariemaia was right and they were screwed. His phone wasn't working, and for the better part of an hour not a single car had come by. Ironically, its desolateness was exactly the reason why he had chosen this country road over the packed freeway in the first place.

“Do we have to spend the night out here?”

“Of course not, Angel.”

“Are you sure? We have been here a long time already.” Mariemaia sounded somewhat skeptical and a little worried.

Her father couldn't blame her. It was getting dark and they were practically in the middle of nowhere. “I'm certain,” he assured her with as much conviction as he could master. “Somebody will come by sooner or later.”
I really hope so. I'm not looking forward to spending the night in the car either. Just as he had finished that thought, Treize noticed a single headlight in the distance. It seemed as though his prayers had been answered.

###

Wufei was somewhat surprised when he saw, some distance away, a car stopped in the right lane of the street. He was driving this route three times a week, on his way home from the laboratory where he worked after school, and he had barely ever meet another vehicle on this stretch of road.

From the way the black Mercedes was parked, it appeared that the car had stalled while the driver was still trying to pull over to the right shoulder. The young man slowed his motorcycle down somewhat as he approached. He was well aware that stopping and offering help to a total stranger was not the safest thing to do, but there was no way that he could just drive by and ignore another person in trouble.

Wufei stopped his bike next to a tall, slender, man with ginger-colored hair, and raised the visor of his helmet as he looked up to him. “Are you having problems with your car?” he asked.

Before the man ever had a chance to answer, a little girl, probably six or seven years old, stuck her head through the driver seat window and smiled at him. “Hello, Mister. I think Papa broke the car and his phone too. Now we are stuck here. Can you help us?”

The tawny haired man, obviously her father, shrugged. His lips curved into a wry smile, and he raised his hand to push back a few tendrils of hair that had fallen into his face. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think that pretty much sums it up,” he said. “The car stopped; I'm not sure why. I have tried to call for help, but I can't seem to get a signal.”

Wufei nodded understandingly. “There is a rest stop less than 5 miles from here. They also have a small repair shop. I could drive by there, and have them send out a tow truck if you'd like,” he offered.

“Thank you, I would appreciate that very much.”

The young man gave another nod, as he pushed down his visor and started his bike. “It shouldn't take too long for the tow truck to get here.”
He looks familiar. I'm almost certain that I have seen the man before somewhere… but where, Wufei thought, as he pulled back into the left lane and drove off.

###

“…and they lived happily ever after.” Treize looked up from the book he had been reading from, and reached out to tug the blanket up over Mariemaia's shoulders. He couldn't be sure how long it would take before they would be picked up, and Marie had started to get tired and fuzzy. So, he had told her to lay down on the backseat and try to go to sleep, while he would read her a story.

“Read me another one, Papa, please,” she begged. “This time you can choose.”

“Alright,” he agreed. “Let's see what else we got here.” But before Treize was able to start reading the new story the sound of a motorcycle approaching grabbed his attention. He looked up, surprised when he recognized the bike and rider. He really hadn't expected the young man to return.

The bike stopped right in front of the Mercedes, and Treize set aside the book and climbed out of the car.

“I'm afraid it might take a while before the tow truck gets here. They only have one truck at the repair shop and it is out on the road at the moment. But I was told that it will be here within the next hour for sure.” the young man explained.
He dismounted the motorcycle and removed his helmet, and for the first time Treize was able to see his face. A handsome face; clearly oriental in feature, with golden tanned skin and dark, slightly slanted eyes. His jet-black hair was pulled together into a tight ponytail. Treize couldn't help but think that he would probably look even more beautiful with his hair open.

“Thank you for coming back all this way to let us know. I really appreciate it, Mr.…?”

“Chang… Chang Wufei,” the youth introduced himself.

Treize nodded. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chang. My name is Treize Khushrenada, and this…” he gestured toward the girl who was peeking out of the back window of the Mercedes, “is my daughter Mariemaia.”

“I thought that you might be hungry.” The young man pulled a paper sack from the bag in the back of his motorcycle, and handed it to Treize “I hope you like hotdogs, it was the only warm food that they had.”

“Thank you! That's very thoughtful of you. Marie, what do you say?”

“Thank you, Mister.”

“You are welcome.” Wufei gave her a little smile, as he watched her father unpack one of the hotdogs for the girl.

“What do I owe you, Mr. Chang?” Treize asked as he turned back toward their Good Samaritan.

“Nothing,” the young man replied with a dismissive gesture. “It's not even worth mentioning really.”

“Nevertheless, I would like to repay my debt,” Treize persisted. “At least allow me to invite you for dinner in return.”

“That's really not necessary.”

“But I insist. You have been more than kind to us and I would feel like taking advantage of your kindness if I don't get a chance to repay you in some way.”

“Truth is, I'm not much of a restaurant person.” Wufei admitted.

“Coincidentally, neither am I. But I love to cook, so why won't I make dinner for us, at my house. Let's say on Wednesday evening?” the older man suggested.

“I have to work on Wednesday night.”

“Thursday then?”

“Yes, Thursday would work, I suppose.”

“Excellent. Then Thursday evening it is. Let me give you my address and my phone number.”

As the older man reached into the glove compartment of his car to pull out a pen and a small notebook, and started to write down his information, Wufei blinked. What, in the name of my ancestors, just happened? What have I gotten myself into?

 

#####

Wufei took another look at the address on the piece of paper that Treize had given him, just to make sure that he was really at the right house. He had gotten lost twice on the way here, and had only found the place after somebody had pointed him in the right direction. Emerald Ridge was by all indications a very exclusive neighborhood. He had only seen a few scattered houses, set high upon a hill, overlooking the ocean, each of them worth easily a million dollar or more. Apparently the people who lived here valued their privacy and had the means to pay for it.

The house he was standing in front was a white, two-story building, with a perfectly manicured front yard and a three-car garage. The fifteen dollar bottle of wine he had bought as a host's gift seemed all of a sudden very inadequate, and Wufei faltered. What am I doing here anyway? he thought. Why did I take his invitation? He was probably only trying to be polite. I mean, he is married with at least one child. I can only imagine how his wife reacted when he told her that he invited some stranger, who he picked up on the side of the road, over for dinner.
But before he could continue with that train of thoughts, or change his mind, the door was opened and Treize Khushrenada stepped out, wearing a pair of cream colored trousers and a deep red silk shirt.

“Ah, Mr. Chang, welcome” he greeted his guest with a charming smile. “I thought I heard your motorcycle. I was beginning to worry that you might have changed your mind, and decided to stand me up.”

“No, I just got lost on the way here,” Wufei admitted somewhat sheepishly.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose I should have given you better directions. Let's go inside, shall we?”

The young man followed his host into the house and the living room, where he presented him with the bottle of wine that he had brought along.

“Ah, Stack's Leap, an excellent choice,” Treize remarked appreciatively as he unwrapped it. “I'll go and open it to let it breathe for a while. We can have it later with dinner. If you will excuse me…”

As the tawny haired man left Wufei took the opportunity to study his surroundings. The room was tastefully and expensively furnished; a perfect combination of modern and classic style. A large panoramic window provided a lovely view onto the bay. Two dividers separated a small dining area from the main living room. He frowned slightly when he noticed that the table was only set for two. Just then, he heard Treize walk back into the room, and he turned to face him.

“Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Can I offer you anything till then; something to drink perhaps?”

“No thanks, I'm fine right now.” The young man shook his head. “I was just admiring the view,” he added with a gesture toward the window.

“Yes it is beautiful, isn't it?” Treize agreed. He walked over to where his guest was standing and for a long moment they both gazed out onto the ocean.

As Wufei turned his head, he noticed for the first time the stunning color of the other man's eyes. That evening, when they met at the roadside, it had been too dark for him to see how incredibly blue and piercing they were. It's not only the eyes, he thought. His face has something distinctively refined to it. He is extremely handsome. I wish I could remember where I have seen him before.

Just then Treize looked at him, and he quickly averted his gaze, hoping that he wasn't blushing.

“This view is one of the reasons why I bought this house,” the older man remarked. “The other one is the serenity around here. Don't get me wrong. I'm by no means a hermit; however I do appreciate peace and quiet when I'm working.”

“If you don't mind me asking, what kind of work do you do, Mr. Khushrenada?” Wufei had noticed a laptop and a lot of loose papers and books on a small coffee table on the other side of the room.

“I'm a writer,” Treize confirmed the younger man's conjecture. “But please, my name is Treize. Being called Mister, makes me feel like I'm awfully old already.” He laughed.

“Thank you, but then you'll have you call me by my first name as well.”

The older man inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Very well, Wufei.”

An author, huh? Wufei thought. And just like that also knew where he had seen Treize before; not the man in person, but a picture of him.

“Oh, if I remember correctly, I saw your picture a few weeks ago at the bookstore I frequently go to.”

“Yeah, there were some big promotions when my latest novel was released,” Treize confirmed, sounding a little embarrassed by that fact.

“I have to admit though that I didn't pay enough attention to even know what your novel was about,” Wufei added.

The older man gave a deep, rich laugh. “Truthfully, I would have been a little surprised if you told me that you have actually read any of my books. I write romance novels, you must know, and my readership is mainly female. What about you? I remember you mentioned that you had to work on Saturday. May I ask what kind of a job you have?”

“Well, actually, I'm still a full-time student. I just work three times a week mostly after school at the Institute for Biotechnology and Genetics. I hope to get an internship there once I finish college.”

Treize raised one eyebrow in a mixture of surprise and regard “A scientist? I'm impressed.”

“Not much of a scientist yet,” Wufei replied with a slight grin, “unless you're considering cleaning lab equipment a science.”

Before Treize could reply anything to that, the sound of a chime interrupted them, and the man excused himself to check on the roast. He returned after only a few moments, announcing that dinner was ready. “Are we ready to eat?” He gave Wufei a questioning look.

“Well, shouldn't we be waiting for the rest of your family? Your daughter and your wife I mean, won't they be joining us?”

“Actually,” the older man replied. “I'm divorced. Marie lives with her mother's family during the week. I only have her on weekends and over the holidays. So, it will only be the two of us for dinner. I hope that doesn't bother you.”

“No, of course not,” Wufei assured his host quickly. He wasn't sure why, but the fact that the man was divorced actually pleased him for some reason.

###

A short time later the two men were sitting across from each other at the dinner table. As Treize leaned forward to pour the wine, Wufei felt himself once again drawn to those blue eyes. They are like two clear blue lakes, he thought, deep enough that one can easily drown in them. He shook his head to banish that thought from his mind and stared down onto his plate. Get a hold of yourself, Chang, he berated himself. And stop drooling over the man. He is just being polite. What makes you think that he could have any interest in you? He is rich, good looking and a bestselling author. What would he possibly see in a boy like you who hasn't even finished college yet, even if he was interested in men?

“You are not eating. Don't you like it?”

“No… I mean yes, I do like it. It's delicious really. I was just thinking about something, I'm sorry.” This time the young man could clearly feel his cheeks burning, and he desperately hoped that his host didn't notice.

They passed the time during dinner with small talk, and when Wufei asked about her, Treize spoke about Mariemaia. It didn't take much to realize that the older man adored his daughter.

When they had finished eating and Treize got up to clear the table, Wufei rose as well. “Let me help you,” he offered.

“Absolutely not; I only make my guests work on the first date if I don't want them to come back." Treize smirked at him.

Wufei blinked, surprised. Was he just trying to flirt with me? Of course not, Chang, you are imagining things.

“But perhaps while I'm cleaning up and put on some coffee, you should move your bike into the garage. It looks like we might get some rain tonight.”

The young man nodded. It seemed like a good idea. Riding home on a seat soaked with rainwater was not his idea of fun. His host opened the garage door for him and Wufei went to get his motorcycle. By the time he got back into the house Treize had already put away the dishes, and the coffee was brewing. “Are you sure you don't want me to help with anything?” he asked.

The older man shook his head. “I'm just about to get the cake and then we are all set. Why don't you have a seat already?”

As Wufei complied Treize left and returned a few moments later with the cake and the coffee pot. “I hope you like chocolate cake. Marie chose it. She insisted that you look like someone who loves chocolate.”

“Let me guess, chocolate is her favorite?”

Treize nodded, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “But of course she insisted that that fact that she is hoping for a piece when she comes to visit tomorrow had nothing to do with her choice.”

“It's quite delicious,” the young man remarked after taking the first bite. “Did you bake it yourself?”

“No, the credit for that goes to Kronehauser's bakery. I do like to cook, but I'm afraid I'm not much of a pastry chef,” Treize confessed, with a twinkle in his eyes. “The one and only time I ever tried to decorate a cake ended in such a disaster that Mariemaia made me promise to never try it again.”

Wufei laughed. Treize's amusing and delightfully charming attitude had put him quickly at ease. Any anxiety that he had when he arrived had long since fallen away, and he felt like he had known the other man for years rather than for only a few hours. He could hardly remember the last time when he had enjoyed himself this much.

 

Once they had finished their desserts Wufei helped clearing the table, and this time he didn't take no for an answer. Afterward the two men settled down with what was left of the bottle of wine he had brought. They ended up talking until long after midnight.

When Wufei finally decided that it was time to leave, he was almost sorry that the evening was over. “I had a wonderful time,” he told Treize. “But I'd better leave now. It's really getting late, and I have some early classes tomorrow… or better today.”

“It's raining; you shouldn't ride your bike home. Let me call you a taxi.” the older man suggested.

“That's not necessary, really.” Wufei made a dismissive gesture. “I have driven in the rain before.”

“No, I insist. I would be worried, knowing that you have to drive all the way back into town on those wet streets. Besides,” Treize added with a smirk, “that way you will have to come back to pick up your motorcycle.”

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T.B.C.

 

Author's Note: