Title: Painted Crates

Author: Kiarene
Pairings: 5x13, 3x4
Rating: G
Summary: Just a Saturday morning in the Khushrenada-Chang household. Set in the Autumn Coffee AU.

Published: 4^th December 2004
Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Note: This story just ran away from me. I really thought Autumn Coffee would be a one-shot.

One Phonecall

For once, Trieze woke before his husband. Stretching lazily, he turned on his side and admired the lean form that was sprawled out gracefully beside him. The early morning sun slanted into the bedroom, dim and misty, wrapping the room in shadows and peach.

Wufei was lying on his side, one leg drawn up and draped over Trieze’s legs. Ebony silk tangled in glorious disarray around bare shoulders; Wufei’s hair tie had probably fallen off again during the night. Trieze ran his fingers through the fine strands lovingly, careful not to wake his slumbering lover. Wufei complained frequently about his hair and occasionally threatened to cut it short but he never did because he knew Trieze loved it. It shimmered like the finest satin, cool and soft. Trieze also suspected Wufei had a secret wide streak of vanity, no matter how much he protested.

His eyes drifted downwards. Like most Asians, Wufei was did not have much body hair, and the Trieze had always found Wufei’s smooth chest and abdomen extremely arousing — Wufei’s slimness and heart-shaped face only served to further emphasize his boyishness. All right, so maybe Trieze did have a bit of a pedophile fetish. Just a tiny bit. The bedsheet covered his beautiful dragon from waist down, the thin navy silk draping artfully over the camber of slender hips. It was tented erotically.

Trieze grinned, slowly pulling the silk down to reveal a deeply blushing erection. The morning air was cool — soon they would have to change silk sheets for warmer cottons — and Wufei’s nipples were tight little brown nubs. Leaning down, he licked one happily.

Wufei gave a murmur and turned onto his back, legs unconsciously falling open. And how could Trieze resist?

Moving his head down, he pressed a kiss to the darkly red crown before giving a wet lick. Wufei gave another somnolent murmur and Trieze took that as encouragement. He shimmied down until he was crouched comfortably over Wufei’s erection, and gave a few warm-up licks. Long, wet ones with the whole of his tongue like he was licking a melting lollipop and Wufei squirmed breathlessly, still asleep.

Trieze considered, alternating licks and sucks now. Slow or fast? He took the head into his mouth, slurping thoughtfully. On one hand, he always preferred to make love slowly, to draw it out exquisitely. Something he had been trying to explain to his younger lover. Even now, Wufei was making those sexy little mews, rocking his hips impatiently. Fingers carded through his hair, urging him on.

On the other hand, Wufei was asleep. If he timed it just right, he could probably make Wufei climax *just* as he wakes up. Grinning, Trieze swallowed the engorged cock to the root.

A startled gasp. Slurred murmurings and soft, panting whimpers. Trieze kept only a light touch on Wufei’s hips, allowing his lover to fuck his mouth. The fragrant musk of his lover, concentrated at the wiry curls, wended into his system like a drug with every inhale as he went down. God, he loved this, the lazy sensuality and perfect intimacy.

His own erection was aching now, drooling eagerly as he rubbed against the bed. It wasn’t long before Wufei was thrusting erratically, balls drawing up as he moaned. Trieze kept his lips tight around the pulsing shaft, swallowing.

“Mmmm… Trieze?”

Trieze flopped on his back, fist pulling rapidly. His other hand reached down to cup his balls, his back arching up. Two fingers slid down, pressed against that sensitive strip of skin just below his sacs and oh…

“Yes?” Trieze purred, sated. Eyes closed, the delicious fine tremors of his orgasm still thrumming through him, he felt utterly boneless. Something soft and wet lapped at the creamy puddle on his belly, and he gave a slight huff of laughter but did not move away.

When Trieze was clean, Wufei slid up and pressed a kiss to the taller man’s lips. “Good morning, lover.”

“Yes, indeed,” Trieze said with a Cheshire cat grin, arms wrapping around his husband and pulling him close.

~

Wufei was still in a very good mood when the phone rang. Sex and then breakfast would put anyone in a good mood. Even better, it was a Saturday.

The two men were seated in their kitchen, sipping at their coffees as they read through the stack of newspapers on the table. The breakfast dishes rested on the loose papers as paperweights. They subscribed to numerous papers; some were fed electronically to their computers but for some of the better papers, they preferred to read the paper version. It was an enjoyable way to start the day.

“I’ll get it.” Wufei folded his paper and stood up. The phone was just outside the kitchen.

He glanced at the number but since he did not recognize it, he left the vid-screen off. “Chang.”

There was a pause, and then, a male voice asked curtly. “Chang Wufei?”

Wufei stilled. That voice; he hadn’t heard it since the war ended but he would never forget a fellow pilot. “Trowa Barton?”

“Yes.”

Wufei stared at the black-gray screen, wondering if he should turn it on. Trowa didn’t sound friendly. He wondered if the call had anything to do with Quatre; since they ran into each other a few months ago, they had exchanged a couple of emails. Nothing much; the tone was cordial and tentatively warm.

“Chang?” Trowa’s voice sounded more surly.

Wufei snapped to attention, hand gripping the handset tightly. “Yes. Is there a reason for this call?”

“Is Quatre at your place?”

“No. Why?” A nasty suspicion started to form in Wufei’s mind.

“And you haven’t seen or heard from Quatre at all?”

“Answer my question first.” Wufei scowled, his previous good mood gone. “What did you do to Quatre?”

“I didn’t do anything to Quatre,” Trowa growled. “And you haven’t answered mine.”

“Not until I know what’s happening.” By now, Wufei was convinced that something was wrong. Possibly, Quatre had left Trowa. Good, he though pettily. It’s about time.

Quatre never said anything about Trowa in his emails, and to Wufei, that was all too telling.

“Wufei? Is everything ok?” Trieze called from the kitchen. He heard his lover’s irritated tones. “Who’s that on the phone?”

“Hold on,” Wufei said curtly. Placing a hand over the headset, he turned towards the kitchen. “It’s no problem. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Ok.” Trieze turned back to his papers doubtfully, but kept his ears open. Wufei occasionally got work-related calls and his dragon had a very short fuse, but *still*. He sipped his coffee, grinning wryly. He considered it his prerogative and privilege to worry about his husband.

“Turn on the vid-screen,” Trowa commanded suspiciously.

Wufei snorted but pressed the button anyway and replaced the handset. As if he had not been trained to lie with a straight face. The screen flickered on.

Wufei glowered at Trowa, who stared coldly back. Like his Trieze, Trowa had the classical European features: deep-set eyes, aquiline nose and sensuously thin lips, hair just a shade darker than Trieze’s russet. But that’s where the resemblance ends. Wufei noted the harsh set of Trowa’s face, the furious glint through his visible eye — Trowa still retained his long fringe — and downturned lips. In fact, while Trowa may have grown older, harder, he hadn’t really changed much since the war. He was even wearing a green turtleneck.

Wufei felt a strange sense of déjà vu — how many times had he remembered that face glaring at him like that? Full of distrust and rancor. But this time, Wufei refused to be cowed.

“Did Quatre leave? You must have done something.” Wufei asked, unconsciously crossing his arms in a belligerent pose.

“So you do know that he left!” Trowa accused, his suspicion confirmed. His arms were crossed as well.

“Well, the very fact that you called *me* to ask me where he is would tell me that Quatre left, wouldn’t it?” Wufei drawled.

Trowa flushed angrily. Yet, Wufei could tell that Trowa was pretty worried under that simmering anger, and took pity on the other man.

“How long has he been gone?” Wufei asked briskly. His mind fell back to the Preventer procedures for missing people; he was not in that department but he had read the handbook.

When Trowa did not reply, Wufei snapped. “Look, Barton. I don’t like you and you don’t like me. But for Quatre’s sake, because he *just* might be in trouble if he’s missing, I’m willing to help you even though I think Quatre would be much better off without you.”

“It’s none of your business,” Trowa said stiffly. He moved—

“Do *not* cut me off,” Wufei leaned forward, glaring. “You hang up now and *if* I do hear anything from Quatre, I will *not* call you.”

Reluctantly, Trowa nodded.

“Wufei?” Trieze suddenly spoke up, face shocked as he looked at his lover’s angry face and then at the vid-screen. Wufei glanced at his husband in surprise; he had been so distracted he hadn’t heard the older man’s approach.

“Barton.” No matter how much Trieze disliked the other pilots, he wouldn’t do something so plebian as yell obscenities or hang up, even if those were his first impulses. No, his disdain was more than adequately carried in that icy tone.

“Trieze…” Wufei looked meaningfully at the scowling man.

Trieze sighed, but he refused to move away. Unseen by the vid-phone, he placed a hand on Wufei’s lower back and rubbed the tense muscles there.

Wufei turned back to the screen and waited. After a pause, eyes flickering between Wufei and Trieze, Trowa said tersely, “I haven’t heard from Quatre since Tuesday.”

“That’s four days ago,” Wufei said. A bit of scorn crept into his voice. “And you haven’t been able to find him…?’

Trowa stared back angrily. “No.” He took a breath. “How long have you been in contact with Quatre?”

“A few months. But only a few emails, nothing much. And no, Quatre hadn’t said anything to me.” Wufei thought back, running over the emails in his mind. No, they were polite, uninformative. “Do you think he might be in danger?”

Kidnapped? The ugly word hung unsaid. After all, Quatre was the head of a multi-national company.

Trowa shook his head. “No ransom note. Also…”

Wufei waited.

“He has been secretly making some trips to L2 in the past couple of months,” Trowa admitted reluctantly. “And you’re not the only Gundam pilot he resumed contact with recently.”

“Duo?” Wufei asked. Trowa’s lips thinned. Wufei suddenly knew. “You think he ran away with *Duo*?”

The hand stilled on Wufei’s lower back stilled, and then slid downwards, one finger sliding between his cheeks suggestively. Apparently, Treize found the idea hilarious as well.

Wufei wanted to laugh but Trowa’s statement stopped him. “Maxwell… wasn’t at his apartment either. A check with his landlord showed that he had not been seen for the past four days.”

“So Quatre ran away with Duo. Good for them.” Wufei smiled nastily. The finger between his ass cheeks wriggled, and Wufei resisted the urge to smack his husband. “It’s probably not for the reason you think, but even if they are having a torrid affair behind your back, I couldn’t care less.”

For a brief moment, a look of hurt crossed Trowa’s angry features and Wufei felt like a heel. “It was a mistake calling you.” Trowa snarled.

“Wait—“ Wufei held up a hand. “Barton. As much as I would like to end this conversation with you now and as much as I dislike helping you, I will offer you some suggestions.” He paused. “Have you contacted Yuy?”

“Yuy broke up with Maxwell last year.”

“Oh.” Wufei hid his smirk. *Oh*. Well, now. No wonder Trowa was automatically suspicious. “Ok. More importantly; do you think Quatre left for a reason? A reason that might be in part due to your actions?”

Trowa frowned defensively. “That’s none of your business.” Abruptly, the screen switched off.

“He hung up on me!” Wufei stared at the phone incredulously, torn between indignation and amusement. The latter won and he started laughing.

“Wufei?” Treize asked cautiously.

“My god. Did you see his face? That was… ok, I know it was horribly malicious to find amusement in others’ misfortune… but it was so funny.” Wufei wiped his eyes, still laughing hysterically. “He *really* thought Quatre was having an affair with Duo! What did he think of me? That I was secretly harboring the two supposed lovers?”

Trieze smirked. “I’d say he deserve it.”

Wufei nodded, finally smacking his lover’s hand away from his butt. “I almost wish Quatre *was* having an affair with Duo.”

“You don’t think so?” Treize asked curiously.

Wufei shook his head. “Oh no. Those two love each other like brothers. They just have horrid taste in lovers. I had thought they would be better off with each other but I knew they don’t see each other that way.”

They walked back towards the kitchen. Wufei grinned in glee, slipping an arm around Trieze’s waist. “Well, like I said earlier; good for them, wherever they are.”

Trieze looked at his manically cackling lover, a sly grin on his face. “Dragon. You *can* be evil after all.”

“Yes, I do know it’s bad of me—“ Wufei gave a guileless smile, eyes dancing merrily.

“No no, I don’t think it’s *bad* bad, just naughty bad.” Trieze grinned. And he scooped up Wufei over his shoulder. Slapping his squirming lover smartly on the ass, he said sternly. “And naughty boys need some… *guidance*.”

“Wait! Trieze, you asshole!” Wufei shrieked as he was carried towards their bedroom, wriggling madly. But Trieze had a very firm grip and to be really frank, Wufei wasn’t struggling all *that* hard.

~*~

GW Fics