Pink roses. A young and innocent love. Wufei�s chest ached with the memory
of Treize, but he banished the thoughts and focused on the sweet face of his
fellow pilot and friend. Quatre looked radiant. Ecstatic. Wufei wondered if
he would ever find a love like that.
Quatre joined Trowa on the gazebo, and soon after, they exchanged vows of
undying love and the promise of a life together. Wufei, despite himself,
felt pangs of joy and sorrow, spasms of release and intense pain. They had
made it so far, through the war, through life itself. They were barely
sixteen and they had experienced so much. Now Trowa and Quatre would
experience life together. And soon, Duo and Heero would follow. Much as he
loved being with minna, he knew he could not remain here. He would only be
in their way.
The reception had been pleasant enough with music and dancing and lots of
wine, typical of any expensive celebration. Quatre and Trowa were in their
own world, however; since the first song played, they had begun to kiss and
hadn�t stopped half an hour later. Wufei took his turns with Quatre�s
sisters, impressing Duo and Heero with his ability to waltz. Another sad
smile graced his face as Yuy stepped up to him and extended his arm.
"May I have this dance?"
Wufei took his arm and let Heero lead him to the floor for a slow song.
"Wufei? What�s wrong? Are you unhappy?"
"Only a little," Wufei said through closed eyes.
"Did they hurt you? You don�t have to pretend for me� I know what it�s
like�"
"No� Treize didn�t hurt me. Une did, but that�s forgotten. No one was rude
to me once I got there."
"Then are you sad to have to go back so soon?"
"No. I� I don�t have to go back, Heero."
"What?"
"He... let me go."
Heero paused and then tucked Wufei�s head under his chin. "Then why are you
sad?"
"He let me go."
Heero pulled back and looked at Wufei�s onyx eyes. "You� love him?"
Wufei�s eyes flooded with tears. "No!� Yes�. I don�t know!" He sniffed and
pulled Heero back into their embrace. "It doesn�t matter now. He doesn�t
want me. He gave me back."
"Why? What did he say?"
"Some crap about not deserving me and how I deserved the world� bull� shit."
Wufei hiccuped. "Please don�t let them see me like this�"
"It�s okay. They�ll think you�re drunk anyway. God knows I am. I hate big
affairs. They make me nervous."
"They used to make me that way, too."
"Not anymore?"
"I got over it at� at the palace."
"Oh. I see. Why� not go back and try to work it out, Wufei?"
"No. It�s over. He doesn�t want me�"
"Are you sure?"
"Milliard said---"
"Milliard?"
"Zechs Marquise� said that Treize was letting me go because he loved me. I
don�t know what to believe anymore. I�m so tired and I can�t think straight.
I miss him. I miss him. I miss him. But� he�s the enemy. He made me his PET.
I have my pride. But my pride doesn�t take away this� emptiness� this
loneliness."
"Wufei�"
"A thousand times a day I turn around to ask him his opinion on something,
or to practice my languages or even to just get a rise out of him� I never
realized how big a part of my life he became� I miss him, Heero.."
Heero pulled Wufei close to him and breathed into his ear. "Then� then you
must go to him Wufei."
"I can�t, Yuy."
"Listen Wufei. I almost lost Duo because I was a coward. No don�t you be one
too, you hear me? Follow your love, at all costs. Even if it turns you into
a fool..."
"A fool in a penguin suit on a motocycle?"
Heero blushed. "Even then. Find out if Treize loves you. If not, then come
back. You always have a place with us� you know that�"
Wufei kissed Heero gratefully, which shocked Heero to be sure, but the kiss
had been returned. Then Wufei had been let loose into Duo�s embrace as the
braided boy cut in without a word.
"Hey there, Wu-man. I know you got a dance for me, ne?! And a kiss too?"
"Maxwell no baka!" Wufei said, as he smiled at Heero and pulled Duo into a
tight frame. They danced, and for once Duo remained quiet, and Wufei
appreciated that, just letting him feel, just letting him adjust. When
Quatre and Trowa finally broke for air, Wufei got his chance to dance with
each of them, and in doing so, got to say his good-byes.
~*~
"Wufei-kun. If you love him, then don�t care what anybody else thinks. Go
and take him. Take your happiness. That is where your real freedom lies."
"I never knew you were such a romantic, Trowa!"
"I wasn�t, until I met Quatre. Wufei, never give up, ne? That way, you never
loose�"
"Wufei� we love you! You will always have a home here."
"Thank you, Quatre. I love you, too. I�m sorry to only stay for such a short
time� I will come back sometime, I promise, minna. I won�t loose you again."
"God�s speed Wufei!" Duo grinned.
"Make sure he treats you well, Wu. Remind him who your friends are!"
"Thank you Duo, Heero. Minna. I can never--" Wufei began to choke up and the
words wouldn�t come past his throat, so he merely bowed as slowly and as
deeply as he ever had in his life. Then he picked up his bag and sword and
without another word, stepped into the cab and raced towards the airport.
~*~
General Treize Krushrenada effectively fell apart. For three days he didn�t
eat, move from his writing desk or even bother to look up when Zechs or his
servants spoke to him. He clutched the silver necklace and ran his fingers
up and down the cherry wood desk.
His mind wandered... Wufei studying at this very desk. Wufei lying on the
floor as he read him the classics. Wufei trying on clothes. Wufei�s soft
lips. Wufei�s coal black hair. Wufei�s laughter; his cries. The way the boy
clung to him in fear or elation. Even the harsh words delivered to him in
the hospital became precious to Treize and he ran then over and over in his
mind. All the duels, all the arguments, all the dances he�d had with Wufei.
Gone. His dragon now gone... and with him went Treize�s heart.
"Get up! Dammit!" Zechs slapped him hard across the face.
"Milliard? There you are�."
"Treize? Treize, can you see me?"
"Yes, you don�t have the power to become invisible, do you?"
"Treize, do something for me?"
"What?"
"Take a shower!"
"A shower?"
"Yes! Now! Please!"
Zechs lifted Treize up and hauled him into a steaming hot shower and closed
the door. He then threw several soaps and shampoos over the glass door.
"Don�t come out of there until you smell like a rose!"
"Um, Milliard, you�re scaring me�"
No you�re the scary one, Zechs thought. Not even moving for almost 24 hours
is scary. It�s so unlike you Treize! "Just get clean and then I�ll order you
some soup."
"I�m not hungry."
"I�m not interested. You�ve been a royal pain in the ass, you know. Scaring
everyone. Not showing up for work. Not eating. NOT MOVING! Marie has been
asking for you and Wufei for days and quite frankly I didn�t know what to
tell her�"
"Gomen�"
"Don�t apologize, just wash!"
Treize scrubbed himself harshly, enjoying the pain over his sensitive skin,
luxuriating in the too-hot water, punishing himself. When he got out he had
turned a red as a crab.
"Good GOD! Here�" Zechs wrapped a towel around his friend. "You look like a
lobster, Treize!"
"Butter me," came the bitter reply.
Now that�s more like Treize. "How bout some chicken soup instead?"
"Whatever, Milliard."
Zechs sighed and let the older man lean on him until he reached the bed.
Then Zechs punched in 77 and ordered the food up.
After Zechs had been satisfied that the General had eaten a little, he
tucked him into bed and turned off all the lights save one. "Good night,
Treize."
"Thank you, Milliard..."
Treize tried to sleep, but he couldn�t. Where did his dragon live now? What
did he do there? Did he keep safe? Did he stay with his friends? Would he
find someone else soon? Treize tossed and turned and decided to get up
rather than surrender to the nightmares he knew awaited him. The General
could never remember being so weak, but then he had never been so strong
either. He loved Wufei. He could move mountains if the boy needed him to. He
loved Wufei. His rejection could kill him, would kill him.
Treize moved to the writing desk and sat down, brushing his fingers across
the lid as if he were stroking his dragon�s body. He opened the desk and
took out the book of Tao, and held it to his lips. It smelled like his
love�lavender, lang lang, and something only Wufei had. Treize laid the book
down and rested his head in his hands. The moonlight washed over him, but
his eyes were tightly shut, and he did not see the shadow pass over him.
Wufei slipped into the room from the balcony and silently unsheathed his
sword.