White | Silver | Black
On a plateau overlooking a tranquil lake, a ginger haired man in a starched shirt and black formal trousers crosses the short distance to the driver's side of a red convertible, opening the door and waiting for its occupant to emerge before saying, "I was hoping to see you here."
Ice blue eyes regard the redhead as the taller man straightens and flicks his long, silvery blond hair over his shoulder. "Why?" The surrounding temperature seems to drop by a few degrees, as the car's door slams shut.
"It's..." The elegant throat swallows words that can't be voiced. Long ginger eyebrows twitch. "I've been trying to get in touch with you," he says instead. "I wanted... needed to see you again."
"Why?" Bare arms fold across a broad chest. The blond leans his hips against the side of his vehicle and crosses his ankles too.
"Milliard..." Allowing the name to roll off his tongue, the older man gathers his breath. "I was wrong. It took me an eternity to realize it," he says in a rush. "And even longer to gather the courage to try to contact you. I've been trying ever since. I couldn't seem to get past your impossibly obtuse sister."
"Overly protective would be a better choice of words." Milliard sighs. "Why?" he repeats. "What's changed since the last time we spoke?"
"The war is over..."
"That wasn't why we parted," Milliard interrupts, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Nothing's changed! So why did you come? What we had is over!" he shouts, glaring with bloodshot eyes into shocked dark blue ones. "It's been over since you... you..." The accusation ends in a suspicious sniffle.
"Then why are YOU here?" the redhead retorts. "Today... of all days, today. Please, give me a chance to say what I've been wanting... no, needing to say to you," he pleads, reaching for the younger man.
"You weren't here last year," Milliard whispers, looking away. "I wanted you so much to be here then, Treize. Perhaps if you had been here..."
"I'm here now." Closing the distance between them, Treize tries to catch his friend's gaze.
Milliard refuses to look up. "You're a year late. A whole year too..." A hand on his mouth stops him from saying more.
"Please, don't say that. You still came, here... today. That has to mean something. Please?" A hesitant hand reaches out to touch the pale cheek and direct an icy gaze towards his own. Their eyes meet and Treize continues while he has his audience's attention. "I dreamed of you in my solitude. I told myself, way back when, that if my prayers could get me there, I'd never let you go again." Seeing the ice melt, he dares gently to put his arms around painfully thin shoulders. "I never understood what we had until you defied me and walked away. The support that I had taken for granted... You'll never know how much I looked forward to your daily call, to hearing your voice. I missed the games we used to play in public, how a word or a touch could convey more that anyone could possibly guess. I missed knowing that no matter what happened, we'd always have each other. I've missed you so much." Long arms creeping around his waist give him the courage to go on. "I even missed your awful cooking."
"I've never cooked for you," Milliard mutters, confusion evident in his voice. He attempts to lift his head but the soothing stroking of his back convinces him otherwise.
Treize ignores the interruption and continues. "When they blocked my every effort at contacting you, I thought..." he pauses, gathering his breath. "I thought..." He leans forward to capture slightly parted lips, tasting and greedily consuming the sweet breath, so long denied him. When they eventually part, the forehead coming to rest on his shoulder urges him onward. "Darlin', I had lost you once. When Une told me that you had plunged Epyon into the Libra's core and that you were missing, I thought my world had come to an end. All my efforts had come to nothing without you to share the peace with." The slight trembling of the man in his arms brings him that final step into the embrace as their bodies melt together and all the distances between them disappear. "Today... I came here today hoping against hope to see you. So, now in my hands, a second chance, I'll never let you go again."
"But nothing's changed," Milliard murmurs against the starched collar. "What forced us apart..."
"Everything's changed," Treize assures the man in his arms. Periwinkle eyes shining with hope, he adds, "I was wrong to allow the war to come between us. I shouldn't have let my political ambitions cloud my love for you. They are no longer a factor. All that is behind us now." The clear blue eyes deepen to an almost violet shade. "We are no longer on opposing sides of the war. We can build a future together." Lush lips part to form a wide grin. "I've loved you since I first tripped over you and fell into your mother's fishpond."
"It was worth getting guppies in my hair just to see you all wet." Lifting his head, Milliard stares at the damp patch on Treize's shoulder. "Speaking of wet, I've ruined you shirt and I really need to blow my nose," he says, sounding nasal with an awkward sniffle.
"Well, let me get this ruined shirt off," Treize says, loosening his hold long enough to undo some buttons and pull the shirt over his head, "and you can blow your nose on it." He gathers the man to his bare chest. "I didn't mean to make you cry." Running his fingers through fine golden locks, he rubs his nose into the top of that bowed head. "Better, baby?"
"Yes, thank you," is the polite reply. "I wasn't crying, I have a rather severe cold. My nose has been dripping for a week." After staring at the white garment in his hands for a few moments, Milliard states, "This is your favorite dress shirt."
"You know someone really loves you when he lets you blow your nose on his favorite shirt," Treize murmurs, his face buried in silken tresses.
"Did you just say you love me?" the blond with his face buried in white silk asks.
"If you have to ask, I obviously didn't say it clearly enough." Treize feels the man in his arms stiffen. "I love you," he says into a delectable ear before nibbling on the lobe.
"Did you say that you'd never let me go?" Milliard lifts his face to look the older man in the eye.
A slow smile creeps across Treize's handsome face. "I do believe I did. I'll say it again. I'll even embellish it a little..."
Watery blue eyes light up as Milliard sniffs. "Here comes the speech," he manages to say before a bout of coughing silences him.
"Oh dear, that sounds rather bad." The ex-general thumps his lover on the back.
A whimper follows another attempt at clearing nasal passages. Milliard leans heavily against Treize, gasping for breath.
"Would you like my trousers as something dry to blow your nose on?" the half-dressed man offers generously.
"After your speech; I'm too tired to want to move."
"Very well," Treize begins. "Now and forever more, you can come to me." He pauses, his hand gently stroking the silver tresses of the man in his arms. "Baby, run to me. And I'll take you in my arms, I'll never let you go again." He ends his speech by pressing his lips to the pale brow.
"That's an awfully short speech," Milliard comments with a disdainful sniffle. "May I have your trousers now?"
"Of course." The redhead smiles as he strips down to his black silk boxers, singing as he embraces a snuffling prince. "Now and forever more, you can come to me," he croons. "Baby, run to me, and I'll take you in my arms. I'll never let you go again. In my hands, a second chance, I'll never let you go again."
"Singing?" Mill croaks, struggling to open his eyes. "Treize..."
"Shh, baby, it's just the radio." Duo tightens his hold on the waking man while gently stroking his back. "I like to sing along." He pauses briefly to point the remote and stop the soft background music. "I'll stop if it bothers you."
"No..." Giving up the struggle, Mill slumps back into the embrace and sniffs. He feels the tissue tickling his nose and obediently blows into it. "Sitting," he mumbles.
"We're sitting up 'cause you were having trouble breathing, darlin'," Duo explains, dropping the wet tissue into the waster paper basket beside the bed. "I thought you were gonna cough up a lung or two last night."
"S'hick..." Mill grumbles, rubbing his cheek against a bare shoulder.
"Yeah, you're sick and we're both stuck in bed," the self appointed nurse says as he stretches for another tissue to dry a dripping nose. "Blow," he orders.
"Never let me go..." Soft words, barely above a whisper, trail away.
Feeling the warm, regular but labored breaths against his neck, Duo tosses the wet tissue and returns to his lullaby. "Now and forever more, you can come to me," he croons. "Baby, run to me, and I'll take you in my arms. I'll never let you go again. In my hands, a second chance, I'll never let you go again."
The End
Song: Never Let You Go Again. Performed by Trish Yearwood (Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Tommy Sims)
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