Title: Oil, Cream and Lace
Author: Karina
Rating: PG
Pairing: Pagan + Milliardo, Valet
Notes: Challenge 187. Baby Series 4 #18. Takes place at the same time as Inevitable.
Spoilers: None
Warnings:
Many thanks to ShenLong Deb for her work betaing this set of fics.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Characters from the series but the baby is mine.
Title: Oil, Cream and Lace
"Is he having any trouble, Pagan?"
The old man inclined his head as he closed the door to the King's suite behind him. Milliardo had chosen not to go through all of the formality of appointing a wardrobe staff to dress him on a daily basis. He had, however, agreed to allow a valet to be appointed; the man now standing behind the King gathering up the mass of shimmering hair with brush in hand.
Milliardo stood before a tall mirror, watching Pagan through the mirror as he fussed at a lacy cuff. The look on the handsome face suggested the shirt would meet a nasty end very soon.
"Mr. Chang is managing the situation admirably, Sire. His group are settling into the facilities and are in the process of appointing representatives to attend this evening's formalities."
"The Elder?"
"Huán Hu is, I believe, taking developments as they come. He took the opportunity of a private audience to inform Mr. Chang how he views the current circumstances. In return Mr. Chang reciprocated in kind."
Ice blue eyes narrowed in amusement. "In other words, neither of them was amused with the other."
"Indeed. Sir, if you keep pulling at that lace it will…" Pagan sighed at the audible sound of stitches tearing. "Tear."
Blue eyes studied the discreet rip in the lace for a long moment, ignoring the valet's barely audible huff behind him and a long finger poked through the hole. Milliardo shrugged broad shoulders slightly.
"I will be needing a new shirt."
"It would appear so. Permit me."
Pagan slipped into the walk-in wardrobe with a passing nod to the valet, who was winding a black ribbon around the cascade of hair, drawing it into a controlled tail at the nape of Milliardo's neck. The private war between the valet and the King was well known to him. It was a subtle thing that rarely came to actual words and never to physical blows, but involved a subtle manoeuvring around the contents of the royal wardrobe. Milliardo would periodically raid the wardrobe under the cover of his midnight ramblings and dispose of the 'fripperies' he did not care for, such as overly lace cuffed shirts. His valet just as discretely would replace disposed of items.
The two men rather reminded him of pouring cream into oil. The two substances would not easily combine but tended to hold their own form unless beaten, and who in their right minds would think of beating together cream and oil? Disturbing.
Milliardo's idea of a valet was an ex military man, one who had served a high ranking officer. It was unfortunate that someone on the parliamentary panel assigned to see the King settled into his place had rather more grand ideas. Surveying the wardrobe Pagan shook his head slightly. Where was the man getting all of these frills and lacy edged pieces? He would have to see about this before Milliardo got it into his head that he needed to go shopping.
End
Karina Robertson 2012