Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Purrfect Houseguest ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

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The Purrfect Houseguest

Part 13

As Zechs waited for Marie to return from the restroom he watched people rush by, entering and leaving the market. Everybody seemed in a hurry, except for a young man who had been loitering around near the entrance for a while now. There was something about the way he was gazing around that just didn't seem right. He just didn't fit in with the rest of the crowd.

Zechs had never before seen so many people, and such a hustle and bustle; not even at the lab, at those times when he managed to get out of his quarters and the entire staff was on their feet looking for him. All the noise and activity around him was beginning to give him a headache.

Maybe some fresh air will help, the neko thought, as he massaged his temples. He rose to his feet and headed for the exit, stopping at one point to let an elderly lady with a large shopping cart pass. Just as the lady reached the sliding door she dropped the walking cane that had been hanging on the cart's handlebar. Zechs was quickly by her side and picked the cane up, earning himself a friendly smile and a heartfelt: “Thank you, young man.”

As the lady continued her way to the parking lot, the young neko found himself a spot where he wasn't in anybodies way, near the large, glass entrance door. From there he could keep an eye on the bathroom door Mariemaia had disappeared through.

The hat he was wearing felt uncomfortably tight, and his ears were itching beneath the fabric, but he didn't dare to remove it in front of so many people. With a sigh the neko closed his eyes momentarily, trying to block out the noises around him, and will away the approaching headache.

Suddenly several things happened at once. Somebody, a woman, screamed, then yelled: “Hold him; please stop that man, he stole my purse.”
At the same moment Zechs was shoved aside, hard enough to almost knock him over, as somebody ran past him. As the neko turned to glare at whoever it was, he recognized the young man who had earlier been lingering inside the store. He was holding a gray leather purse pressed against his chest while running down the sidewalk, pushing aside people who didn't get out of his way fast enough.
In the parking lot the old lady with the cane was still yelling for somebody to catch the thief. The neko frowned. It didn't take much to put one and one together. And since nobody else seemed willing to stop the purse snatcher, Zechs flew into action.

The young man had a considerable head start, but then again, he had never been chased by a neko. At one point he looked back over his shoulder. Realizing that he was being pursued, he sped up. But Zechs still was faster. Dodging people and several cars as he crossed the street, the neko caught quickly up with his target. With a final, long leap Zechs dove at the thief.

At the last moment the young man spun around, a spring-blade knife in his hand. He lashed out at his pursuer, as they both hit the ground with a thump.

Zechs' eyes narrowed. Instinctively he unsheathed his claws as he caught the attacker's wrist in mid-air. A low growl formed in his throat as he squeezed the young man's arm until the hand opened and the knife dropped.

The thief stared at him, eyes wide in shock. “What the hell are you?” he stammered. With the strength of desperation he somehow managed to free himself from the taller and heavier neko. He stumbled to his feet and ran, leaving behind his weapon and the purse he had stolen.

Zechs didn't even try to follow; he had no interest anymore in the young man. Instead he rose and dusted the dirt off of his clothes, then he picked up the hand bag and headed back to the parking lot.

#####

“Maybe he just wandered off to look around in the store. Nekos are known to be curious.” Wufei pointed out. “Let's split up,” he suggested. “You finish shopping and I'll go looking for him. I'll call you when I find him.”

Treize nodded. “Good idea.”

“Can I go with Uncle Wufei?” Mariemaia wanted to know.

“No, you stay with me,” the ginger-blond man told his daughter. “The last thing we need right now, is for you to get lost as well.”

The young girl pouted.

“It's alright, Treize. I'll keep an eye on her.” Wufei assured him.

“All right then,” Treize finally agreed. As his lover and Marie left to look for the neko, he headed for the cash register. In spite of what Wufei had said, he was worried. What if Zechs hadn't just wandered off? Could it be that he had taken the opportunity to run away? Or did something happen to him? He heaved a little sigh.

As he stood in line at the check-out, Treize couldn't help but overhear a conversation between two women who seemed to know each other. One of them had just entered the store, while the other was standing in line, right behind him.

“What's going on out there, do you know? I think I just saw a police car drive by,” asked the lady behind Treize.

“You mean you haven't heard?” her friend asked. “Somebody got mugged, right outside the store in the parking lot.”

“You don't say so. That's terrible.”

“Yeah, really. In a crowded parking lot, in bright daylight, what a scary thought. The guy just pulled out a knife and demanded the woman's purse. But I heard that a bystander jumped in and wrestled him down.”

“Really? Wow. Who would do something like that? I thought things like that only happen in the movies. So the police got the robber?”

“No, I think he got away. They are talking to witnesses now.”

“Excuse me, Ladies. I need to get through. I just remember I forgot something.” Treize gave the two women an apologetic smile as he hastily pulled out of the line. He reached for his cell phone. Wufei picked up at the first ring. “I think I might know where Zechs is. Meet me at cash register five.”

#####

Zechs ducked his head. He was feeling more than just a little uneasy. There were way too many people around him, way too much noise. All he had wanted was to give the lady her purse back and then be on his way. But then the police arrived, first one car, then a second. Two officers had taken him aside and started questioning him.

“Are you alright, Sir? You weren't injured, were you?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I'm fine.”

“We'd like you to give us a description of the suspect, Sir.” One of the policemen pulled out a notebook and looked at him expectantly.

“Well…I don't know…I didn't even see him that well.” Uncomfortably Zechs shifted from one foot to the other. I just want to get out of here.

“But you have seen him, have you not?” the officer prodded. “What did he look like? Was he old or young?”

“Young.”

“How old?”

Zechs shrugged. “Maybe 18, maybe a little younger.”

“Was he black or white or…”

“He was white.” He replied and the policeman wrote it down on his notepad.

“Hair?”

“Yes,” Zechs answered quickly. He just wanted to get this over with as quick as possible.

“What?”

“Yes, he did have hair.”

The officer exchanged a strange gaze with his partner.

“Excuse me? What is going on?”

The neko let out a silent sigh of relieve at the sound of Treize's voice.

###

The taller of the two officers turned toward Treize. “We are conducting an investigation, Sir. I'll have to ask you to step away.”

“I understand, Sir.” The ginger-blond man nodded. “But you see, this young man is under my care, I'm his legal guardian,” he lied without loosing a beat.

The officer looked at Treize, then at Zechs and back at Treize. “His guardian?” he asked.

“Yes.” Treize confirmed. “Could we perhaps step aside where we have a little less of an audience?” He gestured at the crowd of onlookers that had gathered at the scene.

“Of course!”

“I realize that you couldn't know that,” he explained once they had walked a few yards away. “But the young man is autistic?”

“Autistic?” the policeman looked back at Zechs, and Treize prayed that he didn't know enough about the illness to call his bluff. “Well I guess it makes sense then. No offense, sir, but I was wondering why anybody in his right mind would go after an armed robber,” he finally said. “It must be tough for you…”

“Yeah well,” Treize managed to keep a straight expression. “We have good days and bad days. But in any case I'm afraid his statement will be of no use for you.”

“No, I guess not.”

“Then I take it you won't mind if we are going to leave now. He really doesn't feel comfortable with too many people around.” That wasn't even a lie.

###

On the drive home, Zechs didn't say a single word. He just stared quietly out of the window, and didn't even get out of the car as they stopped to pick up some pizza.

Once they got home he helped brining in the grocery bags before excusing himself. “I'm tired. I think I'm going to lie down.”

“What about dinner?” Treize asked. “We are just about to dish up the pizza.”

“I'm not hungry.”

The tawny-haired man heaved a little sigh, as he watched the blond neko walk upstairs to his room. It was more than obvious that something was bothering Zechs.

###

“Marie and I'll take care of the dishes tonight,” Wufei suggested after dinner when Treize rose to clean the table. “You go and talk to him.”

Treize nodded. “Thanks.”

When he walked upstairs, he found the door to Zechs' room closed. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if Zechs might be asleep, before knocking softly.

“Zechs, are you awake? It's me, Treize. May I come in?”

“Yes, of course.”

The neko was sitting on the window sill, one of his long legs drawn against his chest, and his arms wrapped around it.

“Are you sure you don't want to eat anything? There is still some pizza left.”

“I'm not hungry, thanks.”

“Do you want to tell me what's wrong?” Treize asked softly as he stepped closer.

After a few moments of silence Zechs finally turned his head to look at the older man. “I'm sorry?”

“Sorry?” Treize raised one eyebrow in surprise. “Sorry about what?”

“About what happened earlier,” Zechs explained, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn't think before I acted. I didn't think at all, and I really don't blame you if you are angry at me. Maybe it is better if I would leave. It probably would have been best if I'd never come here. It was very kind of you to take in a stray like me, but I don't belong in a place like this. I'll only keep causing trouble for you if I stay.”

Treize sighed inwardly. He walked over to the bed, settled down on the edge and patted the spot to his left, gesturing for Zechs to come and sit down.

“Zechs, I'm not angry at you,” he spoke as the neko was sitting next to him. “Well, maybe I was a little angry, at first, but only because we were worried about you. You were trying to do what you thought was the right thing, but it was dangerous, very dangerous. What if that guy would have had a gun instead of a knife? You could have gotten seriously hurt or even killed.”

“I know that's why…,” Zechs started to speak, but Treize put his finger over the neko's lips, silencing him.

“Shush! Just listen for the moment,” he said. “I know, I said that I wouldn't try to stop you if you'd ever decide to leave. However I want you to know that we consider you part of this family now. I don't want you to think of yourself as a `stray' or being trouble. Nobody expects you too be perfect. You have never lived amongst humans like this, it will take some getting used to, and you are bound to make mistake. But in this case I think it was me who made the biggest mistake. I should have never left you alone with Mariemaia.”

“But you told us not to go anywhere,” Zechs pointed out. “I should have listened.” Then after a moment of silence he confessed. “I was scared. When the police came, all I could think of was what if they realize what I am, what if they are going to take me back to a lab…”

Treize felt his throat tightening. His heart went out to the young neko. Gently he embraced Zechs and pulled him into his arms.

“It's alright, Zechs. You have nothing to worry,” he assured him. “Remember I told you, you are part of this family now. Anybody trying to take you away would have to go through me and Wufei first.”

###

Zechs was lying on his bed, his hands interlaced behind his head, still musing about what Treize had said, when a quiet, almost timid knock ripped him from his thoughts.

“Come in!”

The door opened slowly and Mariemaia's red head popped through the opening. “Did I wake you?”

“No, I wasn't sleeping.” The neko sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Marie was carrying her little blue backpack on her shoulders and a big white teddy bear in her arm as she stepped into the room. “Papa is going to take me home to grandma and grandpa's house now. I just came to say good bye.”

“Oh, right, you told me about that earlier,” Zechs nodded. “You will be gone till Friday, right?”

“Right,” the little girl confirmed. And then after a moment of silence she asked quietly. “Will you still be here when I come back?”

The neko gave another nod. “I'll be here.”

“Promise?” Mariemaia have him a firm look.

A soft smile tugged on Zechs' lips as he nodded once again. “Promise! I'll stay here as long as I'm welcome.”

“Honey, we have to leave,” her father called out from downstairs.

“Coming, Papa.” Marie suddenly threw her arms around the blond neko and hugged him tightly. Then she ran off, waving at him one last time from the door.

#####

“Still working?”

Wufei, sitting at the computer in the study that he and Treize now shared, turned his head at the sound of his lover's voice. “You are home already? I didn't even hear the garage door.”

“I parked in the driveway Treize explained as he walked up behind the younger man, put his hands on Wufei's shoulders and gently massaged them. “So, why are you still working at this time?”

Wufei closed his eyes momentarily enjoying his lover's gentle touch. “I'm just trying to get this research report done. Doctor Po wants me to have it finished by Thursday.”

“The woman is turning into a real slave driver.”

Wufei snorted at the other man's lighthearted comment. “And what is it to you? You are not working for her.”

“Well…” Treize dipped his head, placing a ghost of a kiss onto the soft, smooth skin at the nape of his lover's neck. “Since the weekend didn't turn out as quiet and relaxing as I had expected, I was hoping for some alone time tonight. No computers, no scripts, no deadlines…” He nipped playfully at Wufei's ear before whispering suggestively. “…just you and I and the bathtub.”

Wufei swallowed. There was something about that idea that sent shivers down his spine; very pleasant shivers. He faltered. “Hmm, I really would like to get that report done…”

“I'd even give you a massage, a very long and very thorough massage,” Treize purred into his ear. “And that's only the beginning.”

The suggestiveness in his lover's voice and the hot breath against his neck was Wufei's undoing. His resistance melted away like snow on the warm spring day. “Well, I guess I could finish it tomorrow.”

Treize gave a soft, bubbling laugh. “Excellent. I'll go and draw the bath.”

 

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T.B.C.

 

Author's Note:  Still reading? Good, because I want your feedback on the following question. Should the next chapter…

continue the last scene of this chapter (i.e a 13x5 lemon chapter) or

jump to the next morning

I'm asking because a lemon chapter at this point has no importance to the story line, but I would write one for fun if people want it. :)