Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Victoria Base Affair ❯ The Attraction Grows ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: The attraction grows

Treize entered the mobile suit hanger and took the slide down to the end where the mobile suits used by underclassmen were stored. The cockpit of one suit was open and Treize was not surprised to see Zechs kneeling on the lowered door, his upper body partly concealed as he leaned inside the access panel.

"Don't you trust the mechanics, Zechs?" Treize called.

Zechs sat back on his heels and smiled down at Treize. "I just like to take a look before I fight. If there's a mechanical failure, it's my butt out there, not the mechanic's."

"A man after my own heart," Treize replied. He stepped onto the service lift and let it carry him up level with Zechs. "How does it look?"

"Pretty good." Zechs wiped his hands on a rag and closed the access panel. He stood up, climbed into the cockpit and settled into the pilot seat. He flipped on the controls, watching the readouts as the suit went through its startup diagnostics. "I shouldn't have any problems."

Treize stepped onto the door and into the cockpit, twisting so he could see the displays as well. His face was within inches of Zechs' and he could feel the soft rush of Zechs' breath on his cheek. He turned and looked into Zechs' eyes. Zechs went still and he stared back at Treize without blinking.

"You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen," Treize whispered. Zechs' lips parted soundlessly. "I wish I had never set eyes on you," Treize murmured, and he leaned close and touched his lips to Zechs'. The kiss sent a blaze of heat through his body and he closed his eyes. His lips parted and he felt Zechs' tongue brush against his. He leaned closer, letting the kiss grow deeper as desire suffused him. Zechs kissed him back, his long hair brushing against Treize's face.

Treize wanted the kiss to last forever. It filled him with a longing like nothing he had ever known. Zechs did nothing to stop him; he did not resist at all. Only the growing ache of his need made Treize realize what was happening. It took all of his strength and will power to pull himself away, to draw his mouth away from Zechs'. He stared at Zechs, fighting the urge to kiss him again.

"We can't do this," he whispered. "Fraternization is forbidden."

"I know," Zechs answered, his face flushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It wasn't your fault," Treize interrupted. He stepped back, moving outside the cockpit. "I should know better." He stepped onto the lift and turned to look at Zechs as he exited the cockpit behind him. "Let's agree not to speak of it. Nothing else has changed. I still want you on my team next month."

Zechs looked both surprised and relieved. "Thank you, Lord Kushranada. I promise I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't," Treize answered. "We'll speak again after the exercise." He thumbed the switch and looked down as the lift dropped him back to the main floor.

- - - - - - -

Zechs was glad he had the upcoming training exercise to focus his attention and take his mind off of what had just happened between him and Treize Kushranada. Zechs was used to people being attracted to him. He knew his appearance and manner were appealing, but he had never expected to draw the attention of someone as important as the young Duke of Luxembourg. Since the fall of the Sanc Kingdom, Zechs' title was more honor than substance. He had little of the wealth and power enjoyed by nobles of healthy nations. The fact that he choose not to go by his given name was taken by many of those who knew his real identity as an admission of shame. But it was not that. Becoming a soldier was against the teachings of his father and the tenets by which he was raised. He refused to sully his family's great name when the time came for him to fight and kill in the name of duty.

So he focused his attention on the job ahead and pushed all thoughts of Treize and that thrilling kiss out of his mind. Treize was right, anyway. Fraternization was against Academy policy. Violating that rule could get them both kicked out.

Zechs moved into formation with his unit and prepared for battle. His team of five would be engaging another team of five underclassmen, who were training under a different instructor. Each instructor had their own techniques and tricks that they imparted to their students. Zechs always found these simulated combats instructive on a variety of levels. Each mobile suit had a single large-caliber machine gun. The ammunition was designed to not impart significant damage to other suits, but could disable them if the right spots were targeted. The suits were all Leos, so the teams would fight on foot. In this exercise, Zechs' team was to attack and attempt to destroy a simulated command post housed in a concrete bunker. The other team was to defend. The exercise would be observed from a safe distance by the instructors and others, including Treize.

Zechs shut that thought out of his mind as he and his teammates moved into their starting positions. The defenders had moved into position around the bunker, their guns leveled at the offense.

Zechs thumbed on his radio. "All right, Blue Team, let's see how quickly we can reduce that command post to rubble," he commanded. "Blue 2 and 3, break left and come in with the sun behind you. Blue 4, go straight in and cut left to draw their fire. Blue 5, you and I will start to circle around to the right to get behind them. We should draw at least two defenders. Once we get them looking in different directions, we'll get an opening."

A chorus of "Right, Blue 1" and "Roger that, Blue 1" chirped out of the speaker, and then they fell silent, waiting for Zechs. He signaled the start of the offense by raising his gun, firing straight at the waiting defenders and charging forward.

The battle went quickly, as Zechs' fights always did. He pushed the suit to its limits, forcing every ounce of speed and maneuverability out of it that he could. The readouts always showed the suit controls close to burning out, but he knew exactly how far he could push it. Even knowing how fast he was, the defenders facing him were never quite ready to counter him. As they turned to maintain fire on his team as they separated, as he knew they would have to, he circled to the right with Blue 5 for only seconds, before cutting back in mid-stride, spinning on one foot with his machine gun blazing, and charging straight in on a startled defender. Les Javi, a little ahead of him in Blue 5, spun too and began firing at the same mobile suit from the side, and he went down. She began taking fire and turned to defend herself, but the damage was done. Zechs, moving faster than any of the defenders, leaped over the fallen Leo and sprayed the bunker with machine gun fire. Three of the remaining defenders turned to fire at him in an attempt to save the bunker, but this put their backs to Blues 2, 3 and 4. All three went down and the fifth, seeing it was pointless, dropped his gun in surrender.

The entire battle had taken less than ninety seconds.

"Well done, Blue Team." Their instructor's voice sounded almost smug. He had obviously expected the outcome. "I'll expect you all for a post-exercise debriefing in Classroom 3A in one hour."

He keyed off, not waiting for their replies. None was really required.

Zechs rounded up his team and started them back toward the mobile suit hanger. None of them was too damaged to return under their own power, unlike the Red Team. Two of their suits were still down and the pilots were standing outside the open cockpits.

"I'm glad I ain't them," Les Javi announced with a laugh. "They'll be getting their debriefing and an ass-whuppin' right there, I betcha!"

"They already had their ass-whuppin'!" Corbin Dowl, in Blue 3, chimed in. "They got it Lightning Count-style! Hoo-ya!"

The other team members echoed the shout and Zechs grinned.

In the hanger, he started the diagnostics as he climbed out of the cockpit. The mechanic, waiting on the lift outside for the door to open, grinned at him. "You didn't burn it out again did you, Sir?" she asked good-naturedly.

"Not this time." They traded places and Zechs rode the lift down. Treize was waiting for him on the main floor.

"I am very impressed, Count," he said as Zechs stepped off the lift. "I think the mobile suit is actually limiting your abilities."

Zechs was startled. Although everyone knew his reflexes were fast, he didn't think anyone realized that he could move faster than the suit could perform. Most people believed mobile suit technology exceeded the capacity of human beings. That was why scientists were working on computer programs that could pilot the mobile suits and operate them at maximum efficiency.

"I do have to watch that I don't burn out the suit's systems," he answered carefully.

Treize studied him for a moment, his dark eyes boring intently into Zechs'. "Perhaps I will have to build a suit one day that can keep up with you, Lightning Count." He continued to gaze at Zechs for several heartbeats. "I definitely want you on my team next month. The two of us together will be unstoppable."

"I am at your disposal, Lord Kushranada."

"Call me Treize. We'll start training together next week. I'll speak to your instructors to make time in your schedule." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Zechs watched him go until he was out of sight. Suddenly, he could remember exactly what it felt like to have Treize's mouth pressed against his. A coil of warm desire began to unwind in his loins. He looked around, wondering if anyone had seen him staring after Treize. Quickly, he headed for the barracks, hoping he had time for a cold shower before the debriefing.