This story is dedicated to Lili for her kindness and her wonderful support. Thanks so much, my dear!

I make no claim to any of the Gundam Wing characters. This story is written for my, and hopefully others' enjoyment and not for monetary profit.

This chapter is unbetaed so please excuse any mistakes

A Matter of Good Sense

by Michalyn

Chapter Thirteen: Lovers

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Heero rubbed the soft strands of Duo's hair between his fingers. His lover was asleep and in a rare moment of vulnerability, he appeared completely relaxed. Duo's hair was tangled about him and Heero brushed the silky lock draped over the other man's hip. It slipped away to reveal a pale scar, one of many on Duo's leanly muscled body. He had as many as Heero did and Heero thought them beautiful silent testaments to his lover's resilience and strength.

Everything about Duo was beautiful though, Heero thought with a smirk. His eyes lingered over Duo's features. He had been surprised when Duo first stumbled in on him that day by the river but Heero had taken in those molten purple eyes and the even more telling bulge in Duo's breeches and after that ... well ... never let it be said that Heero was one to let an opportunity slip by him. The sex was good, amazing, mind-blowing, but they were both pleasantly surprised to find they were compatible in other ways as well. Duo didn't seem bothered by Heero's gruffness or his quietness and Heero understood the shadows behind Duo's smile.

Heero could not ask for more. He worried though. How long could they stay together? Lately, Emperor Rossetti had been troubled and the cause was obvious. It seemed the closer Heero and Duo became, the more Emperor Rossetti and Prince Wufei drifted apart. If things should not work out, Heero's and Duo's loyalties would be divided. Heero was not religious. In fact, the only thing he had ever believed in was his own sword arm. Until Duo that is. Now he blindly sent up a plea to the gods, the ancestors, the forces of nature--whatever power that might exist--to allow them the sliver of happiness they'd found in an otherwise dark world.

As he pondered, Duo stirred. He blinked drowsily and yawned. "Hey, lover," he greeted, his voice husky with sleep.

"Hey, yourself," Heero said gruffly. He kept stroking Duo's hair.

Duo smiled. "Why the long face so early in the morning? His face darkened a little. "I had some not-so-fun dreams. Did ... did I attack you again?"

"Idiot," Heero growled, seeing Duo's expression. He rolled on top of the other man, pinning him to the mattress. "You did but..." Heero quickly interrupted before Duo could apologize, "that's nothing. Just a little occupational hazard." Heero cracked a smile. "I was just thinking. Probably too much."

"Thinking? About what?" You looked pretty intense just now."

"About this..." Heero smoothed his hand down Duo's torso. As always he marveled at the frission of electricity that seemed to flow between them whenever they touched. Heero kept moving lower until he found what he really wanted. He stroked Duo, even as he bent to capture his lover's lips.

"Liar," Duo groaned, already arching hungrily into Heero's caress.

"Mmm. What are you going to do about it?"

Duo wrestled Heero until he'd reversed their positions. He grinned. "How about this?"

"Hmph. I think I like the sound of that," Heero purred, already pulling Duo closer. If he had any lingering worries, he let them rest for now. Besides, with their future so uncertain they might as well enjoy every moment to the full.

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Wufei propped his chin on his hand as he scribbled onto the parchment. Five more rolls rested beside him and those were only the ones he had completed. A box of many more papers awaited his attention. Now that he was part of the council, he was back to his usual volume of work. There was still so much to learn but Wufei was grateful for the work. It was interesting and it kept him busy. Usually by the time he left his office, practiced with Meiran and finished his own exercises, the day had slipped through his fingers.

For the past few nights, Wufei had eaten a quiet dinner alone and had gone to bed early. Occasionally Duo kept him company but after the trauma his friend had suffered because of the shadows, Wufei had granted Duo the evening off. He was used to being alone, but even in Eires Wufei spent most of his free time at the temple. It meant that even when he was not actively socializing, he was at least surrounded by the voices of the students.

No matter how difficult things were, whenever he was at the temple he had a sense of belonging to something bigger than himself. It was hard to recreate that in a new place. Of course, if Wufei wanted company there was always the main dining room but that was where Treize ate and Wufei did not feel any more inclined to suffer through the awkward silence that punctuated their meals any more than he was sure Treize did. The less they saw of each other the better really. If they could not love passionately then the least they could do was stay out of each other's way.

The niggling problem of the robes and the mating ceremony was always at the back of Wufei's mind, especially since his symptoms continued to persist, though with much less intensity than before. Wufei did not know if this was because living with Treize, he was always near the older man and Treize's balancing energy helped him despite the fact that they did not get along or because of his discovery of his true power and his attempts to control it. Three days after the shadows had attacked Duo, Wufei could no longer deny that the dangerous appendages belonged to him. That didn't mean he had any more insight into how to deal with it just yet, however.

Wufei sighed, setting aside his pen and ink. Sunlight spilled onto the desk from the window and he could see the verdant green of the gardens. What a beautiful day. It reminded him of the late summer days he spent reading in the palace gardens as a boy. He'd fallen asleep on the warm stone benches more times than he could count. The maids always scolded him claiming that he'd get sunburned but Wufei never listened. Besides, Quatre was the one who blistered easily, not him. No matter how many times he was reprimanded he always went back to his favorite place. Wufei sighed once more as a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He was just picking up his pen again when someone knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," Wufei called, thinking it was one of the pages bringing the ledger he had requested. When the person did not enter, Wufei repeated his request, this time more loudly. Still, no one stepped forward. The soft knocking only came again after a moment. Wufei made an exasperated sound and moved towards the door. He pulled it open. "Yes?" he barked.

"Kala." Treize stepped forward, staring down at Wufei. He was carrying a large parcel.

Wufei immediately stiffened. "Excuse me. I did not realize this room was in use. I'll get my things." Wufei turned on his heel and began gathering up his papers.

"Kala, wait, please. I don't need the room and I'm not here to disturb your work. Please don't leave. A moment of your time is all I ask."

Wufei hesitated; he remained facing the desk. "For what?" he ground out.

"An apology." Treize's footsteps moved closer. "I ... I've spent a long time thinking and it's made me realize some things about myself that aren't easy to swallow, but are true all the same. I've been manipulative and selfish and have abused whatever little trust you had in me as your husband. You are right: my behavior has been despicable and I have no excuse for it except to say that I would like the chance to try again--to be the kind of man you would want to spend the rest of your life with. I..." Treize trailed off. "Please, Wufei, let me try again. Let us try again. I know we can make this work."

Wufei's throat worked soundlessly. He finally spun around. "Why? You're not the only one who has been thinking. You've always been good with words, Treize but it's the actions that don't follow up." Wufei rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling very weary. "No ... that's not entirely fair. I know I've also contributed to this but I don't know how to be different and maybe we should stop deluding ourselves and accept that we're just not compatible. Forget robes, forget fate, forget whatever age-old prophecy all the seers in the world spout. There are times to fight and there are times to just ... let go."

"No, Kala I refuse to believe that," Treize insisted, his eyes burning into Wufei's. "Despite everything that's happened I still think there is something between us. Even before I knew of any prophecy, I thought you were the most beautiful man in the world."

Wufei's eyes widened. He shook his head. "Treize..."

Treize reached for Wufei, then pulled his hand back with visible effort. "I won't push you but just think about it, please. I'll be waiting, however long it takes."

Wufei started to say something but Treize quickly interrupted him.

"Please, Wufei."

Wufei finally relented. He nodded.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me, Wufei. I know it might be presumptuous, but I brought something for you." Treize extended the parcel he had been holding up until this point. It was carefully wrapped in gilded paper.

Wufei balked. "I said I would think about it; there's no need to buy me off with expensive gifts. Those things mean nothing to me," he said sharply.

"I'm not trying to buy you off, Kala. I just want to show you how important you are to me. You said yourself that actions matter, not words. Then allow me to prove my sincerity with this gift. "

Wufei pressed his lips together. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to accept anything from Treize at this point. The pleading look in the older man's eyes though was hard to ignore. Wufei took the gift but he made no move to open it. Treize seemed to understand.

"It's all right, Kala. You can open it whenever you feel comfortable. I promised I wouldn't overstay my welcome so I'll take my leave now." Treize paused as he turned to go. "Thank you for listening to me, Wufei."

Wufei did not say anything. When Treize left he brought the gift to his desk and rested it next to his papers. Slumping into his seat, Wufei buried his face in his hands.

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Wufei did not move for a long time after Treize left. The gift lay before him, but he could not bring himself to open it. He had a sense that opening it would mean he had accepted it, that he was somehow indebted to Treize, and that was the last thing Wufei wanted. Yet ... he couldn't help feeling there was something different this time about Treize's words. Oh, he was extravagant as ever with his flattery but that was something Wufei was both used to and consistently ignored. Claims about his supposed beauty did nothing to move him, but the look in Treize's eyes had, if only a little. For the first time Wufei had sensed true sincerity in the other man and that made Wufei feel ... something. It was neither hope nor affection, but whatever he felt was enough to make Wufei uncertain.

Wufei gingerly slid the gift across the desk, his hands hesitating over the fine wrapping. Was it worth it? He was so afraid of allowing himself to feel anything for Treize, only to be disappointed all over again.

Taking a deep breath, Wufei carefully unwrapped the present, which was quite heavy. He was half expecting some extravagant outfit or worse, jewelry, so when Wufei peeled back the paper to reveal the worn leather binding, his heart stopped. In one glance he had recognized the age-old insignia of the Shenlong and the book's title. Wufei lifted the volume with trembling hands. He flipped it over to the rear end paper and there, in fading script was the secret Shenlong verse that proved its authenticity. How could it be? The best Shenlong scholars had searched for years to find the Lotus Manual. How could it now be in his hands?

There were six canons of the Shenlong discipline, each dealing with a different aspect of the philosophy and practice. Expanding upon the canons were fifteen lesser texts. The most important and radical of these was the Lotus Manual. Written just 100 cycles before Wufei's birth, it was also the most recent of the philosophies. Claiming to have the vision for the future of the Shenlong, not only did the Lotus Manual introduce complex new techniques, but it called for a fundamental rethinking of the foundational philosophies. It had been lost, however, during King Quinze's rule in a war with one of the tribal kingdoms.

At that moment, to say Wufei was stunned could not even begin to describe what he was feeling. Where by the gods had Treize found it? How had he even known what it was? Did he even realize what he had given Wufei? But of course he had, Wufei chided himself. This was Treize after all. The man was anything if not deliberate and given the tension between them it was clear he had gone to much trouble to get the book. Wufei did not even want to think of what it might have cost.

His instinctive reaction was to return it. He could not accept something of this value from Treize. Yet, even as Wufei thought so, he rebelled against it. He had one of the most valuable pieces of Shenlong history in his possession. He would be a fool not to treasure it with his life. If he accepted it, however, what would that mean for his relationship with Treize? Wufei did not want to give the older man the wrong impression.

When he was honest with himself, Wufei admitted that perhaps he did feel something for Treize but he didn't know if it was enough to save their marriage and the last thing he needed was for Treize to think he somehow had him in his power. Experience had taught Wufei that that only led to misery. But what was he supposed to do now? How should he handle this?

Wufei stared at the book. Finally, he pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and began composing a letter to Shinsen O.

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Treize's heart was pounding as he left the study. Once he was out of earshot, he released a tremulous cheer. That had gone much better than he expected. True, Wufei had not opened the gift, but he had accepted it and with the younger man, even the smallest blessings counted.

For the first time in a long time, Treize was filled with hope. So often he was frustrated or exasperated with Wufei that had forgotten the few tender moments they'd had together. The memories of those bright times returned to Treize now and he was filled with yearning. He remembered the first evening they'd spent in Rossetti and how they had read together in bed. Wufei had not fought or closed himself off from him then, even through the racier passages. No, he'd surprised Treize with a biting humor and wit and an endearing shyness. It brought home to Treize the depth of what he had lost.

Where would they be now if he had been honest with Wufei? Certainly they would not be sleeping in separate beds. Treize sighed. Determined, he shook himself out of his dark thoughts. Looking to the past was useless. The future was all that mattered. And not just any future, Treize reminded himself, but one with Wufei in it. Yes, that was the only outcome which was acceptable. Treize hurried down the stairs to summon the steward. This was no time to be entertaining thoughts of defeat. He had a dinner to plan and a husband to woo. With any luck, he'd be one step closer to winning Wufei before the night was over.

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"All right, one more kata and then we're done for the day," Wufei announced, nodding at Meiran.

"Aww, already? Can't we do a few more exercises, Master Wufei?"

"No, that's enough." Wufei shook his head, though he understood Meiran's eagerness. The girl was truly gifted. In just a few short days she had mastered techniques that others took months to perfect. When he thought how good she might become, a quiver of excitement ran through Wufei. He had finally found a student whom he believed could surpass him. She was a prodigy and he too was tempted to push her further, to see how high she could fly, but Wufei knew it was better not to do too much too soon, especially in these initial stages.

Though it might not seem that way to Meiran, they were progressing quite rapidly. However, the katas were stressful on the joints and muscles, even more so as the techniques became more complex. Wufei, ever mindful of Meiran's young age, was careful not to overburden her childish limbs. That meant shorter exercises and interweaving a lot more strength training than Meiran would have liked. She was hotheaded and proud and initially complained loudly about things going too slowly but after being forced into yet more strength training as a form of discipline, she now quietly, if not meekly deferred to Wufei's better judgment.

Wufei never showed it, but he greatly enjoyed those flares of temper. Meiran was spirited and strong willed and those were important qualities in a warrior. He wanted to teach her enough control so that she was not impulsive, but not so much that it quenched the fire within her. Besides, it reminded Wufei of his own hot tempered ways when he first started training. Reflecting on it now Wufei saw that he had focused too much on suppressing his temper instead of channeling it and he hoped to help Meiran avoid that mistake. He went up to the little girl who was very reluctantly putting away the wooden staff she had been practicing with.

"Come on, hurry put the staff and weights away. I have something for you."

"For me?" Meiran tossed the training materials in a haphazard pile and hurried back to Wufei. She was practically vibrating with excitement.

Wufei didn't have to say anything. He merely folded his arms and Meiran slinked back to tidy up the pile. "Good, now this is what I wanted to give you," he told her when she was done. "If you're to master the Sheelokata, you'll need to start understanding more of the philosophy behind it. I would like to teach you the Eirean language as well as the specific old forms that appear in Shenlong texts. Here is the first list of characters that I want you to memorize," Wufei said gruffly, as he handed Meiran the roll of parchment.

"That means I'm officially your student now, doesn't it? I knew I could convince you!" Meiran whooped, eagerly grabbing the paper. She grinned, not deterred in the least by Wufei's formidable expression.

Wufei cleared his throat. "In any case, you'll have a new schedule starting tomorrow: We'll spend the first hour with the language lessons, and the remaining time will be for your usual training. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master Wufei."

"Good. Then you're dismissed for today."

"Thanks, Master Wufei." Meiran bowed and gathered up her things.

As usual, Wufei saw her off, then he headed back to the palace, his good mood fading the closer he got to the entrance. With Meiran's training completed and Duo gone for the evening, it seemed he would find little joy here tonight. Wufei slowly ascended the staircase to his bedroom. The letter he'd written Shinsen O was on his mind as he undressed and entered the bath which was waiting for him. Unlike the room he had shared with Treize, this one did not have an adjacent bathing chamber so a tub had to be brought in on mornings and evenings.

In the end, Wufei had decided to keep the book. At the same time, he felt compelled to return it to its rightful place in Eires. It did not seem right to keep something so important to himself. That was why he'd written Shinsen O. He hoped to read the manual and send it off to the temple shortly afterwards where all Shenlong students could benefit from its wisdom.

Wufei left the tub and dressed. When he was almost done, he was startled by the sound of a servant knocking on his door to beg an audience. Wufei smoothed his clothes and his hair, then went to find out why he was needed.

"Yes?" Wufei inquired as he opened the door. The servant bowed deeply.

"Prince Wufei, I come with a dinner invitation from Emperor Rossetti."

"Dinner invitation?"

"Yes, my lord. Emperor Rossetti would like to know if you would do him the pleasure of joining him this evening."

Wufei instinctively began to refuse when he remembered the Lotus Manual. No matter how suspicious he was of Treize's intentions, the older man had given him something precious and he was honor bound to at least thank him. Pressing his lips together, Wufei nodded. "Tell Emperor Rossetti I shall be there shortly."

"Yes, my lord." The servant bowed once more and left.

Wufei squared his shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the dining room.

Treize was seated at the dining table when Wufei arrived, but there was no food prepared. Wufei sighed. He was such a fool. For a moment, he'd actually begun to give Treize the benefit of the doubt. He should have known better than to take anything the older man said at face value. As Wufei warily approached, Treize looked up. He must have seen something in Wufei's expression, for he stood quickly.

"Kala, I'm so glad you could join me. Come, dinner is waiting in the garden."

In the garden? Wufei raised an eyebrow as he was led outside. A small table had been placed beneath the rose trellis and even in the glow of the candle lanterns the pink and white blooms were gorgeous. Wufei was used to the extravagances of the ruling class but the plates and goblets crafted from stained hand-blown glass took even his breath away. The silverware was also of a delicate filigree. It was all so lavish, so intimate that Wufei did not know how to react. And that was not even speaking of the food itself. Clearly Treize wanted to make an impression.

"Kala? Won't you join me?" Treize asked Wufei who was still poised on the patio step.

"Ah ... pardon me," Wufei murmured, gingerly taking his seat at the table.

"Here, let me pour you some wine." Treize filled his own goblet then reached over to begin filling Wufei's. "Shall I propose a small toast?"

"Look, Treize. I don't want to give you the wrong idea--" Wufei blurted, interrupting him.

Treize set his goblet back down. "Oh?" he asked softly.

"Yes ... I only came to thank you for the book. It ... it means a lot to be able to restore such an important part of history to the Shenlong."

Treize smiled. "I'm happy I could find it for you. And as to getting the wrong impression, it does not matter to me why you decided to come, only that you did. I meant what I said this morning, Kala."

"Please don't call me that," Wufei, said exasperatedly, looking away from Treize's warm gaze.

"You mean 'Kala'? Why?"

'Because I'm not your lover' Wufei wanted to scream. Instead he shook his head and murmured, "There was a time when it might have been appropriate, but we are far from that point right now. These endearments ... they are empty."

"Only if we let them."

"Treize--"

"I have missed you, Wufei." Treize's eyes reflected the candlelight. His expression was filled with such naked yearning that Wufei would have pulled away if not for Treize's hand sliding over his. Wufei's fingers jerked, then stilled. "I've missed you, Kala," Treize repeated, bringing Wufei's hand to his lips. His kissed his trembling fingers and the pulse throbbing in Wufei's wrist before gently releasing him.

Wufei stared at Treize in the flickering light, unable to speak. His throat was dry and his heart was pounding so hard that he could not catch his breath. He closed his eyes. Why, after all that happened did he still respond to this man?

"Because we are meant for each other," Treize insisted huskily.

Wufei started; he flushed. Had he said that out loud? He was sure he hadn't. Wufei rose. "I ... I should go..."

Treize shot to his feet. "Please, Wufei, don't leave. Is this really so terrible? I promised that I would not force you or hurt you and I meant that. Something made you come here tonight and I refuse to believe it was just a sense of obligation about an old book. I don't think you believe it either. Give us a chance, Wufei. I know we can make this work."

Wufei was half turned away, his fists clenched at his sides. Slowly he returned to the table and Treize made a sound of gratitude.

They ate the rest of the meal in silence with the sound of the crickets filling the air and the roses spilling their lingering perfume into the night.

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After all the plates were cleared away, Treize walked Wufei back to the foyer. It was late and all was quiet except for the faint sounds of the remaining servants moving about the kitchen. They stopped beneath the large candle-lit chandelier and Wufei took a deep breath.

"Thank you ... for the book ... and the dinner," he murmured, giving a small bow. The dinner had been awkward. Too much had passed between them and they'd drifted so far apart that neither had known what to say to each other. Every word was a potential weapon and so they both retreated to the safety of silence. Yet, for all of that it had not been a complete failure. The food was delicious, the garden even more beautiful and whatever else could be said, Treize had clearly put a lot of effort into the entire thing. Wufei could appreciate that at least.

Treize stepped closer with a smile. "Again, thank you for joining me. I hope you'll consider spending time with me again."

Wufei started to say something but Treize pressed a finger to his lips.

"Shh ... don't say yes or no right now. Just think about it, Kala."

Wufei's lashes lowered; he nodded.

Treize searched his features. He lifted his hand and when Wufei did not pull away, he gently tilted his face upwards. "Kala ... forgive me for asking this but how are you feeling? You moved away and I worry..." the older man trailed off.

There was no mistaking what Treize was asking and Wufei flushed at having the matter of the fever spells brought up so openly. "I'm fine," he muttered.

"All right ... all right. That wasn't a challenge. I only wanted to make sure that you were well," Treize cooed when Wufei began to pull away. He hesitated. "I know the idea may seem repulsive to you right now, but if you should need me in that way, I am here."

"Thank you but no. That won't be necessary. I ... I'm sure I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you will but it doesn't have to be that way, Wufei. I can ensure both your comfort and your pleasure if you'll let me."

Wufei was supremely uncomfortable with his conversation. He didn't like the fluttery feeling in his stomach and at that moment he only wanted to leave the husky promises in Treize's voice and return to the safety of his room. This time, when he stepped away, Treize did not stop him.

"Sorry, I ... I have to go," Wufei blurted, bowing again and turning on his heel.

"Good night, Kala," Treize called as Wufei took the stairs two at a time.

Wufei barely heard him. He rushed to his bedroom and locked the door behind him, his heart pounding in his chest.