It occurred to him after about a half hour that he was being watched. "What?" he asked from the desk where he sat, peering over the half-glasses perched on his nose.
"Nothing," was the quick response, though it was accompanied by a bit of a snicker.
"That noise isn't nothing. What is it?" He folded the financial section of the paper and set it aside to regard the other man who lay sprawled on his stomach on the expensive upholstered chaise lounge nearby.
The snicker was replaced with a wide grin and a snort. "You. You're really so silly, you know."
"I am not silly." The half-glasses were removed and set aside. "I don't do 'silly'. Silly is so not me. Whatever gave you such an idea?"
The observer didn't really think the platinum-blond man was silly. It was just an excuse to get a rise out of him, a game. "It's the glasses, of course. You look silly in glasses."
The platinum blond regarded his companion wryly. The shorter man was draped rather dramatically along the fully length of the Veronique double rolled arm chaise, ankles crossed coyly in the air, his chin propped up on the heels of his hands. The long chocolate brown braid trailed over his shoulder and spilled artlessly onto the terazza. "They're just for reading," he murmured, though his gaze was still glued to the braid.
"You wear them because you think they make you look distinguished, " the man with the braid explained, smirking. "That's silly."
"They do..." Clearing his throat, the current monarch of Sank set about to restate. "I mean, I should look distinguished. You know, so I'm taken seriously."
"You're kidding, right?"
"I beg your pardon?"
The man with the braid did not respond immediately. Instead he let his gaze trail upwards slowly, from the polished boots to the muscled thighs hidden by the meticulous uniform pants to the trim waist and brocaded jacket... and the spill of platinum satin hair cascading past the finely tooled leather belt. Finally he looked up at the other's face. "God, you're so gorgeous," he finally drawled, eyes half-lidded. "Even if you are twenty-three. "
"Yeah, I'm so old," the youthful king responded with a snort, but he grinned as well. "You know the other leaders on Earth still think I'm a wild child..."
"Ha! Imagine what they think of me..."
Milliard Peacecraft, current ruler of the Sank Kingdom, still known to his friends as Zechs, looked fondly upon the sprawled figure of fellow ex-Preventer Duo Maxwell. His lover of the past four years at 5'7" was still dwarfed by his own 6'3" of height*, but Duo had filled out deliciously by age nineteen. His attire was less traditional and formal, being closer in style and cut to his old Preventer uniform, dark blue pants and waist-length tailored jacket for ease of movement whether fighting or climbing into mobile suits.
When Zechs's sister, Relena, had opened a new academy in the Sank capital for law enforcement personnel and soldiers in the new peacekeeping force, Duo had taken a position as instructor in navigation of land, air, and space vehicles, and also taught strategy and street fighting tactics.
A year ago, their relationship had become public... but after Duo orchestrated an impressive aerial display of his students' skills at an international peace conference where an assassin's attempt on the life of one of the leaders had allowed Duo to demonstrate his personal skill as well in apprehending the terrorist... most objections were silenced. And it had helped that the King of Sank was adamant about the young professor accompanying him to state functions... where Duo often put his personal stamp of colonial quirkiness on the festivities to the delight of all, his own natural charisma endearing.
He'd even gotten the King of Sank to dance something with him that he called the Highland Fling...
"They think we're two of a kind," Zechs replied finally, smiling broadly. Then his gaze fell on the braid again.
"Yeah? Er... what are..." Duo blinked, wondering how Zechs managed to cross the space between his desk and the chaise without him noticing. Indeed, he found himself staring into the very intense pale blue eyes of his lover who was now kneeling beside the chaise. [Damn, he still has that speed...] "Er, um..."
Then he couldn't speak because his mouth was occupied in being kissed. Duo lifted his head, sighing into Zechs's mouth as one hand reached out to filter into the long, white-blond hair. [This never gets old... heh...]
A moment later, the kiss ended. "See, you are silly," Duo persisted, grinning.
Zechs touched his forehead to Duo's. "I beg your pardon?"
"You said we were two of a kind, and I am definitely a silly man, so therefore... " Duo squeaked as he was abruptly straddled.
"That just means we're both wild," Zechs said, his voice dropping into a lower register that always made Duo's insides melt. "I accept being wild, and you..." He thrust a little at Duo's bottom to punctuate. "... are definitely wild. That's all."
Duo opened his mouth, but only something like a squeak came out at first. He arched his back, which had the effect of making his short jacket ride up, then chuckled when fingers slipped under at the invitation. "Geez, you've gotten heavy," he teased.
The weight lifted suddenly and he was being pulled up and hauled over Zechs's shoulder. "So have you," came the response.
"Hey, I was enjoying lying on that," Duo muttered, looking back at the chaise as it receded from view.
"We are so not having sex on Mother's Veronique double rolled arm chaise with winged, hand-carved mahogany legs upholstered in the finest Sank jacquard fabric," Zechs retorted, carrying his precious bundle into the bedroom proper from the outer sitting room.
Duo burst out laughing as they disappeared into the bedroom, even as his lover kicked the door shut behind them. "You *are* silly!" he proclaimed triumphantly.
Zechs was unable to keep a grin off his face. "Maybe... in private... where no one can hear..." He dropped Duo onto the bed but took the braid in hand. "Just this time, and only in the royal bedchamber, you are right," he murmured, still grinning, a light in his eyes.
"Zechs..." Duo whispered, looking up with delight at the devilish look in his lover's handsome face.
"A silly man," Zechs added, "in love with a silly man with a silly braid..."
"Oh, so my braid is silly, too?" Duo couldn't hold back a ridiculous sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a snort, and ended up giggling. "... Silly!"
"A very... silly... braid..." Zechs said, sotto voce, then took the end of the braid and pushed it up against the bottom of his nose so that it looked like he'd suddenly sprouted a chocolate moustache. "... Silly!"
"Whooop!" Duo couldn't help crowing in hysteria at the sight, then grabbed a length of platinum and shoved it under his nose lengthwise. "My good man, I declare that you are terminally silly!" he quipped, making his voice more gruff.
It was too much; both men collapsed in a paroxysm of laughter. Conditions worsened rapidly, as each other's hair was "borrowed" to be used as exaggerated body hair in various, er, places. Finally, sprawled somewhat tangled on the bed, Zechs and Duo were mostly laughed out, limp against the bed though every once in a while one would start to giggle again, which of course caused the other to as well.
It was a good fifteen minutes before the room was quiet.
"Duo... thank you," Zechs whispered finally.
"Hmmm? What the hell for?"
"I needed to laugh, I think."
Duo raised his head to look over at the spill of platinum hair off to his left. "You know, I did too. I hadn't meant to get so carried away..."
"You love getting carried away."
Duo chuckled, but the giggles didn't return. "Yeah, I love when you carry me, but you know what I mean."
"Why were you watching me, anyway?" Zechs asked. He was content to just lie motionless for the moment.
"'Cause I rarely get to," Duo murmured. "I... love it... love looking at you."
Zechs shifted so he could lever up on an elbow and turn to look at him. "Yeah? Glad you enjoy it still. After all, I'm getting so old, you know..."
Duo's gaze turned a notch more intent. "Stop that. You're going to be utterly magnificent at fifty and you know it."
"I'm just kidding," Zechs replied, winking. "Being silly, you know."
"Don't start..." Duo warned him, slapping a hand over his mouth. But he made the mistake of looking over.
The sillies took over again. Duo thought his gut would hurt for a week from laughing so hard.
"Wait... wait," Zechs gasped, trying to suppress the irresistible laughter for a moment. "I... I have the cure..."
"Gimme it quick," Duo managed to say, though at the moment he was on his back, holding his stomach but waving his feet in the air, his body shaking with laughter.
Then his man's hands were on him, taking off his pants. Duo let out a thrilled yelp and the next fifteen seconds saw a flurry of clothes flying around. Duo was preparing to give out another whoop when his mouth was abruptly preoccupied with Zechs's tongue, the other man's long body fitting snugly over his...
And it became apparent in a matter of seconds that his tall lover was serious.
Duo decided that he liked both sides of the King of Sank.
The End
I'm not entirely happy with the ending, but there it is. It occurred to me about halfway through this that it could be a postnote to Orphans or Gardenias or another of my 6x2 fics, but I guess it's fine as a stand-alone, too, heh. Hope you enjoyed the romp!
To see a picture of the chaise lounge, you can view it at the end of my webpage for this story at:
http://www.peacewind.com/6x2/silly6x2.htm
Czarina who needed to go back to bed about three hours ago...
03/14/07