Taste of cheating

Warnings/notes : Treize/Wufei, (hints at) Heero/Duo and Trowa/Quatre, non-episode-oriented fic, slight oocness

Disclaimer : I don't own Gundam Wing.

written at 11th march 2003, by Misura

For Firekat, to thank her.

**********

It was, Duo Maxwell reflected, an absolutely perfect morning. The sun was shining, he had managed not to burn his toast for once and Heero had only kicked him one time before he was able to drag himself out of bed. Our bed, he thought smiling.

Yet there was something off, something not quite fitting into this perfect picture. He could sense it but couldn't quite name the source of his unease. Quatre seemed to experience it as well, snarling at Trowa as he accidentally spilled a bit of tea.

Well, let's see. It's not me, it's not Heero, it's not Quatre, it's not Trowa so that leaves ...

"Where's Wufei?"

Quatre sighed, while Trowa shot Duo a thankful glance for distracting his younger lover from the spilled tea long enough for him to wipe it away.

"He went duelling with Treize again last night. He hasn't come home yet."

Duo raised one eyebrow. "He sleeps at Treize's place? Didn't I hear him say he'd rather die than do a thing like that? What changed his mind?"

"Nothing did, as far as I know." Quatre replied. "As far as Treize knows he went straight home after their duel. He called this morning to tell me Wufei had forgotten to take his katana with him as he left. Someone will drop it off later."

"You told him where we lived?" Heero asked neutrally.

Quatre rolled his eyes. "Of course not! He knew it already."

"Hn." Heero did not look very happy with this news.

"Why would Wufei 'forget' to take his most valued weapon? Did Treize try to do anything?" Duo inquired, a hint of anger in his voice. That's it ; that OZ-bastard must have upset him so bad he couldn't think clearly anymore and just fled. Maybe he'd like to meet Shinigami ....

"He said nothing special happened between them." Quatre started. "But - "

There was the sound of a key turning in the lock and Wufei entered. He looked ... Bad. Really bad. Like he hasn't slept for a week. And depressed too. Very depressed.

"Wufei? Are you all right? What happened?" Quatre asked worriedly.

"Nothing."

"Come on, Wu-man. We can all see *something* happened. The way you look .... " Duo let his voice trail off as Heero and Trowa nodded, all four of them now staring at the fifth pilot.

"We are your friends, Wufei." Trowa stated simply. "We care about you."

"Talking about a problem helps." Heero added, a remark Duo would have found rather funny any other given day. Like Heero ever discusses his private trouble with anyone.

"I challenged him, he beat me. He won, I lost. That's all that happened." Wufei said, not returning their gaze, his eyes on the floor. "Again."

"Maybe you should - " Quatre tried.

"No! I will defeat him! I can and I will! Now stay out of my business!" Wufei snapped, storming off to the privacy of his room.

Duo stared at his plate. Somehow he wasn't hungry anymore.

I have to do something about this. He's falling to pieces before our eyes.

*****

"I cannot deny I'm not worried about him." Treize admitted, sipping of his tea. "But I really can't do a thing about it. To deny his challenge wouldn't change anything. It might even make things worse."

The OZ-general had agreed to meet Duo and Quatre in a cozy little cafetaria that could be regarded as 'neutral territory'. Though there wasn't any reason not to invite him to the safe-house, Heero had insisted his lover meet their 'enemy' elsewhere.

Plus the coffee here's much better than that drab Trowa makes.

"Well, couldn't you let him win, just for once?" Quatre proposed, turning the full force of his clear blue gaze on Treize. Most people found it very hard to refuse the blond boy anything if he looked at them that way. Treize turned his eyes to his teacup.

"I can't do that, no matter how much I want to help."

Quatre pouted.

"Why on earth not?" Duo demanded. "You'd do it if you really cared about him."

"It would be without honor." Treize replied stiffly. "It would be a mockery."

"One time only?" Quatre pleaded. "Please! It would mean so much to him, I simply know it."

"No. I'm truely sorry. 02, 04, I have a meeting to attend in half an hour, so I must leave now. You know how to reach me in case something happens." Treize rose and left.

Duo muttered angrily. "Great. That really helped us along."

"At least we tried." Quatre shrugged. "Now we proceed to plan B."

"Plan B?"

Quatre grinned. "Didn't I tell you about that?"

**********

Treize couldn't keep his attention to the meeting. He kept seeing Wufei's face as the blade of his sword had once again been pressed to the Chinese pilot's throat. There had been a look of finality on it, a look that said I lost again and I will always loose so what's the point?

He had not liked seeing that kind of emotion on his dragon's face. It didn't suit him. Wufei was proud and determined ; at the end of each duel he would declare next time he and not Treize would be victorious. Not this time though.

He didn't even take his katana.

The suggestion of 04, to cheat and let Wufei win for once had occurred to Treize as well. After the third time already actually. Next time, he had told himself, next time I will let him win.

To be sure he comes back, had been his rational excuse for considering this kind of deception.

To be sure he doesn't give up. And because I can and maybe, just maybe it would make him happy. I want him to be happy. I want to be the one to make him happy.

"Do you have anything to say on this matter, General Kushrenada?" Lady Une's soft voice asked, waking him from his revelries. He frankly had no idea what was being discussed so he merely shook his head. She frowned, making him wonder if he had just made a mistake.

Ah well, nothing to do about that now.

Let's just hope this meeting will be over soon.

*****

It wasn't, Treize mused sadly, a matter of not *wanting* to let Wufei win for once ; it simply wasn't possible for him to consciously loose to anyone.

Maybe if he hadn't been so skilled it would have been different.

But he always pushes me to my limits, forcing me to fight on pure instincts. There's no room for cheating in such a state of mind ; it would go against all training.

And if I let him win too soon he would notice I was giving the victory away. That would be very, very embarrassing and dishonoring.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a single plan that would both restore his dragon's spirit and save himself from being disgraced.

*****

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Q ?" Duo asked as he eyed the room dubiously. "This sure doesn't look like a place to duel in to me."

"My source has never been wrong before." Quatre replied haughtily.

"Very reassuring to hear." Duo murmured sarcastically. "But you know what they say ; there has to be a first time for everything."

"Yes, I know that saying." Quatre snapped. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost. Don't rush me." Duo groaned. "Geez, we have plenty of time."

"Sorry. I just want this to go right." Quatre answered meekly.

"You know what Quatre? So do I. So do I." Duo sighed, checking his work one last time.

*****

"I really have no idea why General Kushrenada even bothers sparring with you." Une snorted as she handed Wufei his cloth-wrapped katana. "It's not like you're ever going to defeat him."

Normally, he would have reacted to such a remark with anger, furiously denying it. Now though, he merely hung his head a little lower, accepting the blade with a short nod of thanks.

Une frowned. This was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. "I mean, he's had years and years of training. He's good. No one has ever beaten him and frankly, I think no one ever will either."

No reaction.

"He thinks it too, you know. He talks to me about it sometimes, how easy it is for him to win from you, how boring it is to duel with you, how predictable you are." She watched Wufei from the corner of her eyes. There was a frown on his face. She decided to push him a bit further.

"He called you a coward, not a real warrior. He said you probably lacked the guts to come and fight him again after last night. Said that was why you left your katana, to have an excuse not to have to face him again. And - "

"ENOUGH!" Wufei roared, all traces of uncertainty vanished from his face. "Enough of this nonsense! I have been easy on him thus far, but now he will know the true force of Wufei Chang! How dare he speak of me thus!"

Une watched him hurry away with a small smile.

It's up to you two now, Maxwell and Winner. Better make this work.

**********

Boring, boring, boring. Treize sighed as he went through the reports on his desk. There were too many of them, and none of them had anything interesting to say.

Besides, he didn't seem to be able to keep his mind on reading them for more than a few minutes ; after that his thoughts would inevitably return to Wufei. My dragon, once so proud.

The idea that you may have lost that pride, because of me, is unacceptable.

As someone stormed into his office, he looked up in surprise.

"I demand a rematch right here, right now!" Wufei exclaimed, seemingly not in the slightest bit breathless from running or dodging the guards.

I will have to check on security ; it's all right if he can come and go as he pleases but it wouldn't do to have all kind of people running over the place. This *is* supposed to be a secret base after all.

"If you have a moment, I'd like to finish this report. I'll be with you in a second." he replied, not looking up at Wufei, to keep the smile on his face hidden. He gestured to a chair. "Have a seat."

It seems 02 and 04 have succeeded. I must remember to thank them later.

"I will *not* sit down here and I will *not* wait for you. I said 'now' and I meant it. Or are you afraid?" Wufei spat out the words, almost as vehemently as he had been the second time.

Treize began to feel uneasy, just a little. Over the years -or was it months?- he and Wufei had become well, not exactly friends, but there had grown a certain bond between them.

I can hear no trace of that in his voice anymore though.

"Scared I will defeat you?" Wufei jeered, behaving, Treize noted, rather uncharacteristically.

Still, I can't let such an insult pass unanswered. Maybe he'll calm down after our duel.

Treize closed the report - what it had been about he already couldn't recall anymore - and gestured for Wufei that he was ready. After some assassin had been able to invade his private office, which was supposedly the safest place in the base, he had made a habit of always wearing his blade.

"Shall we duel here or do you have enough self-control to keep from attacking me until we have reached our usual room?" Treize inquired softly.

Wufei’s eyes darkened with anger at the suggestion he would strike dishonorably.

Taking this as an affirmation of the second, Treize walked out of the door, confident Wufei would follow. Or at least not stab him in the back ; the Chinese pilot was hard to read today and it was not impossible he wanted the duel to take place in Treize's office this time.

I wonder what kind of excuse I could use if some of my reports would be cut to pieces.

*****

"They're coming, they're coming!" Quatre's face was flushed with excitement. "Duo! Get out of there or they'll see you!"

"Yeah, okay, don't sweat it." Duo murmured, checking his work one last time. Like he has done only, oh say fifteen times in the past sixty minutes, Quatre reflected sourly.

"There, everything's all set. Now, where did I leave my ... ah here it is."

"Duo! Hurry up!" Quatre hissed.

Duo rolled his eyes. Some people were just so stressful! For certain things you simply had to take your time. Assuring one of your best friends' future happiness was one of them.

Finally satisfied he sauntered over to the hiding place Quatre had found for them. Actually Quatre had heard about it from his mysterious 'source' but he had chosen not to reveal that small detail to Duo.

*****

"This time I will be victorious." Wufei said through clenched teeth as he positioned himself opposite Treize, who merely smiled and nodded.

If I have any say in it you will. Having my pride hurt this once is a small price to pay for your smile and strength of spirit. To keep that fire in your soul burning.

The room fell silent then, occasionally resounding with the sound of blades clashing or feet dancing lightly. Duo and Quatre watched in amazement from their hiding place, their minds captured by the almost hypnotizing movements of the two swordsmen.

**********

Wufei took a step forwards, accompanying his movement with an upward sweep. Treize took a step back, deflecting the katana with his own lighter blade before dancing further out of reach.

He knew he could not afford to block the heavier blade directly ; his sword was made to allow its wielder to move and strike with the speed of lightning, not to rely on its bearer's brute strength to cause damage to an opponent.

Not that either of them ever got anything worse than a fleshwound in these sparrings ; they both were too good to do any serious harm unwillingly and neither of them really wanted to cause injury. But then, why are we doing this over and over again? Treize wondered, paying for his short distraction with another few steps back, narrowly preventing Wufei's blade from caressing his cheek.

Wufei narrowed his eyes, noticing the slip immediately. He cautiously tried to press his advantage, suspecting a trap. Treize backed up again, feeling his instincts trying to take over.

No! He has to win this time, he *has* to!

Gaining confidence with every step, Wufei forced Treize to retreat again and again, while the other man was trying to get a break to gather his thoughts again which was seriously hindered by Wufei's quick advancement.

And that was when he felt the tripping wire.

*****

Duo had been staring at the duel enraptured, but when Treize started to back up, breaking the constant flow of the fight, he regained his senses, remembering what he was there for.

*Not* to gape at two men pretending to be after eachother's blood.

Calculating he waited for Treize to take a few more steps to the right.

Almost there ... yes, perfect .... now! He pulled, praying his plan would work. If it didn't, well it had been Quatre who had come up with it, so if anything went wrong the blond boy was to blame, not him. Not that Wufei will pause to listen to details like that if he discovers us.

*****

Treize stumbled at the same time as Wufei charged forwards again, thus masking the real reason for his fall neatly. He landed hard, for a moment disoriented by the impact.

That moment was enough for Wufei to press the blade of his katana at Treize's throat.

"See, General Kushrenada, you're not as good as you thought." Wufei sneered.

"I thought we were on a first-name base, Pilot Chang." Treize replied, choosing to ignore the rest of the remark for now.

"That was before you told everyone you were better than I could ever be. Before you called me a coward." Wufei spat out the last word. "That was a mistake."

"It certainly must be." Treize replied mildly. "I definitely never said such a thing."

Wufei narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me! I'll kill you if you try to deceive me again."

Treize's eyes sought his, their force somehow undiminished by his defeat. "Again? I never deceived you, Wufei. I never will. You may kill me if you want to, but not for that reason."

The katana wavered. Wufei remained silent.

"You could kill me because I humiliated you, because I am officially your enemy, because I have the illusion we might be friends or more, but I will not die because of something someone else told you. I refuse to allow it."

It took Wufei a moment to hear the whole of that statement. To get the meaning of those few words in the middle. Friends or more. Can that really be?

"I demand a price for sparing your life."

"Name it." Treize wondered what could possibly be asked of him. He didn't think Wufei would ask him to betray OZ, as they both knew he would never do that.

"A date." Wufei swallowed. "A chance to become ... friends. And no more duels. I have proven that I'm the best of us."

For a moment, Treize was tempted to protest. Wufei had only won this one time, because of an unfortunate fall. But the look on the Chinese pilot's face was more than enough to make him swallow his words, as well as his pride.

"I don't have much choice do I?"

Wufei's eyes betrayed a hint of uncertainty. Treize sighed inwardly, cursing his weakness for this one person. How can he make me feel so guilty while threatening my life?

"No, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I will be honored to meet you in less hostile circumstances."

"Good." Wufei said relieved. "That's settled then."

Treize smiled, considering very few things had been 'settled' yet.

Unless I am very much mistaken, things between us are only starting.

It will be ... interesting to see where the future will take us.

*****

[that evening]

"Where's Wufei?" Trowa asked, pointing at the empty seat at the dinner-table.

"Don't tell me that baka has gone out dueling *again*." Heero growled.

"But Hee-chan! I thought *I* was the baka around here." Duo protested.

Quatre looked at Trowa smiling. "He's having a dinner-date. Isn't that nice?"

~OWARI~