The rather belated final chapter to Trowa and Wufei's game. Thanks to everyone who's kept reviewing through this story's journey!

Chang Wufei had found his place. The one spot on the earth and colonies where he could truly be at peace, content for the first time since he was a small child. His masters had described the nature of this place, telling him that he would one day find it within himself. Wufei had always believed them wrong, searching outside of himself in studies, then in nature for it when he reached earth. Turns out, they were all wrong—the place was not within himself, in his books, or in the wilderness. The place was in another person. Waking wrapped up in his arms after a long night of being wrapped up in his heart.

Gently brushing back Trowa's damp hair away from his peaceful face, Wufei spent an hour simply watching him sleep. Reluctant to move away from his lover, he only did so when he realized the dried patches of ice cream and testaments of their lovemaking could eventually irritate Trowa's pale skin. Standing up without a care to his state of undress, he held back a laugh at the overturned tub of ice-cream lying on the floor. Stepping over it, he distractedly hoped the substance wouldn't discolor the carpet. He wet a washrag with warm water in the bathroom, bringing it back to his lover to clean him off.

At the new sensation, Trowa stretched and sleepily batted the washrag away. Peeking open his eyes, he smiled at the blurred but marvelously unclothed ex-pilot before him. "Mmmm. M'ning, Fei."

Capturing Trowa's lips with his, Wufei dropped the rag over by the ignored ice-cream tub. "You mean good afternoon, gardenia. Late afternoon. We spent our good morning to better use."

"Oh, it was very, very good."

Feeling both incredibly pleased and embarrassed, Wufei pulled Trowa out from under a twisted sheet and cradled him on his lap. "I'm glad you found it worthy of your long wait. No pain at all?"

"None. It was better than I imagined. And I imagined frequently."

"Oh did you now?"

"Only when you were exercising, when you let me play with your hair, when you were caught up in a rant, when you were covered in honey, when you were grumpy at your desk, when you were sleeping, when you were pillow fighting with me…" Trowa nibbled at Wufei's earlobe teasingly when he noticed the Chinese man's grin. "Don't get cocky. It wasn't all of the time—just most of it."

"I wish I knew sooner. I was blind never to notice."

"You had your own love life to deal with. Though, after last night, I can't see how Sally could stand to leave you."

"I was surprised to find that you stayed. You said you'd be gone when I returned."

"I was angry, so I said what I didn't mean. Do you really think I'd leave you after going through such means to finally have you? We had a fight. We made up. We did a great job at making up, if I do say so myself."

"As pleasurable as it would be, we can't solve all our arguments through sex."

Trowa mock pouted, resting their foreheads together. "That's sad news. But really, Fei, we've solved an argument before through compromise. Of course, you fell through on your end of the bargain on that one…"

"Let me explain, please."

"No need. With Quatre's help, I've come to understand. I'm content this time to know that you broke your promise because you love me so much. Just never, ever do it again. Or you'll find yourself missing a couple inches, and we'll both be dissatisfied."

Wufei laid a protective hand over his threatened manhood, wondering how in the hell Trowa managed to pull off Heero's piercing glare without his vision completely restored. "Understood."

As Trowa nearly purred under the gentle caressing, Wufei's mind wondered back into years past, the days of his young marriage to a girl he barely understood. She and Trowa were different in so many ways—fire and ice, zealous and logical, warrior and soldier. She thought him to be weak, challenging him when she believed he had no honor. Trowa thought him to be strong, challenging him only when he believed Wufei was acting beneath his honor.

He wondered with an unexpected sadness if he would have grown to be a good husband. He realized suddenly he wanted a second chance to find out.

Startled by the thought, he held Trowa closer to him, burying his face into the slender man's shoulder. He had never wanted to marry again, to be forced into a weak institution simply because of tradition and expectations. With Sally, he would have been satisfied to have spent their lives together as live-in lovers, nothing more. He thought that was all that was needed. Titles about such matters were trivial to him. But as Trowa sighed blissfully, sending a warm breath of sweet air across his cheek, he could not push away the desire for more.

Wufei didn't know if he could stand another ceremony, so with swift decisiveness characteristic of his nature, he decided he would go about marriage his own way. And since he had come to this conclusion, there was little point in waiting. "I have to go."

Trowa pulled back, peaceful state violently broken. "Alone? You're leaving me the morning after?"

"There's something I need to do. It's not another mission, but it is just as important." He pressed his lips to Trowa's forehead, trying to lessen the sudden frown on his boyfriend's face. "It's a surprise."

Scooting off his lap, Trowa stalked around the room for his clothes. "I don't need surprises. I need you, Wufei."

"I need you as well." Walking over to help to upset ex-mercenary button his pants, Wufei attempted to kiss away the still present frown. "You deserve a medal for putting up with me."

"You really have to go?"

"I promise you'll understand when I return."

"Alright. But if you break this one, I swear you'll regret it."

Not going to forget Trowa's earlier threat any time soon, Wufei nodded before walking towards the bedroom door, thoughts full of frantic half-conceived plans.

"Wufei?"

"Yes?"

"Get dressed first."

"…Right."

"And take food with you. You're running on pure sugar."

Wufei opted not to tell his significant other he sounded exactly like his overprotective, overbearing sister. "Yes, darling."

"And kiss me goodbye."

"Gladly, my gardenia."

Leaving the house fully dressed and stuffed full of instant oatmeal, Wufei drove directly to the bank, taking out the rest of his meager savings. Although doing so would result in tighter times for them in the future, he knew as an ex-mercenary, Trowa would appreciate the price placed behind a gift. Trowa needed to know he was worth more to him than money. Or anything else in the galaxy, for that matter.

Driving next to the outdoor mall—a place he had previously avoided like disease before—he stood in front of the jewelry store. Gazing into the window, he tried to figure out which ring Trowa would like the most. He'd never seen Trowa wear any such trinkets before. The French man would appreciate a ring with the symbolism it carried in Western romantic culture, but Wufei wanted to give his love something truly from the heart. Something that would prove beyond words just how deeply he felt for him.

Turning away, he grimaced as the ominous rows of outlet and specialty stores outlining the busy street. One of them had to hold such an item. He refused to go home empty handed.

As Wufei was out scouring the town for the right gift, Trowa took a long shower and cleaned up the vanilla stains from the beige carpet as best he could. Settling downstairs with 'breakfast', he debated on whether to mope or to float around the house.

Deciding his body remained much too sated for the former, he sent Quatre an email thanking him for the ice cream—it had been put to excellent use.

When Wufei returned home as the shadows were lengthening outside, he found Trowa curled up in the armchair wrapped up in their comforter. The news station playing on television was switched off when he cleared his throat. Trowa straightened in the chair, letting the thick blanket fall to his sides. "Welcome home."

"Nice to be home. I am forgiven?"

"Hard to stay mad at someone so sexy. So what's the big surprise?"

"I have something for you." Wufei handed a jeweled flower to Trowa, who took it with cautious fingers and held it close to his eyes.

"Is this a gardenia? It looks like one, but it doesn't feel like one. It feels hard." Trowa tapped the green stem, caressing the item in his hands.

"The petals are made from white quartz, the leaves and stems from jade. When your sight fully returns, you'll be able to see a diamond in the middle of the petals."

Trowa felt his throat tighten, causing his voice to waver when he was finally able to speak. Throughout his life during the war, he had owned only what was essential for war or survival. Afterwards, he accumulated a few possessions he prized simply for being unnecessary—sentimental, even. His picture of Catherine. The clown mask he wore during the circus. The flute he bought to play with Quatre again. But none of those had been a gift. He was shocked Wufei thought him valuable enough to entrust him with an item so beautiful and expensive. "You really got this for me?"

"And this. A last minute thought." Wufei plopped down a yellow and orange object in Trowa's lap. When Trowa picked it up, the object quacked.

"It's a rubber ducky!" Trowa couldn't help but laugh out loud, caressing the smiling plastic animal to his cheek. He laid the duck and the flower on the coffee table, reaching for his love's hand, kissing the palm warmly. "I love them, Fei. But why?"

Wufei sat on the edge of the low table, keeping his hand in the taller man's. "First off, because I adore you. Secondly, because I know you'd find an engagement ring out of place coming from me. Honestly, I don't want an engagement."

"Wh…What?"

"I love you. We haven't been together very long as a romantic couple, but we've been friends through war and perhaps worse. You've already become so central to my life, giving it purpose and light. You're smart and considerate and strong—"

"Wufei, are you proposing to me?"

"In a way, yes."

Trowa stood up suddenly, bringing Wufei with him as they were still joined by the hand. Unbelieving, he stared into the Chinese man's face, trying desperately to distinguish the expression there. "You're serious. A wedding? Those things with all the dresses, tuxedos, cake, guests?"

"I don't want any of that. I know you're the one I for me and I know I'll do my damned best to make you happy. No wedding can determine if you're my spouse or not, no more than can my words and my passion. My heart and my spirit tell me I want you to be my husband. Starting right now."

"Right now?"

"Right now. Will you?"

"Are you kidding? Yes!" Trowa threw his hands around his lover's neck, laughing again when Wufei twirled him around the room happily. "Mr. Trowa Chang. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?"

Wufei kissed his new husband deeply. "Sounds perfect."

"How are we going to tell everyone, Fei? This is insane! Wonderfully so, but insane."

"We'll have to change the personal information in our records, as well as your last name officially. This shouldn't be difficult, considering you don't have a name legitimately. They will undeniably discover the truth then."

"You realize they'll demand some kind of celebration. Not a wedding, but some kind of gathering. My sister especially. Our sister."

Wufei's gaze flicked to the ornate gardenia, unease in his voice. "We may have to wait awhile for a celebration, unless the 'bride' side of the family would be willing to pay for it."

Chuckling, Trowa nuzzled against Wufei's shoulder. "We're broke now, aren't we?"

"Thoroughly."

"I'll go back to work next week. Even if I can't see one hundred percent, I can begin setting up a training course." Trowa ran his fingers through silky onyx hair, never again to be bound up beyond his touch. "We can save up for next year, then we can travel to what used to be Ancient China. You've always wanted to go."

"Very much so. But would you enjoy such a trip as well?"

"I always enjoy being with you, minus the times we're arguing. Although, I must admit, having you loving me in return has been much more enjoyable than when you were pretending."

Wufei smiled, scooping Trowa up in his arms and carrying the slender man up to their bedroom. "I assure you, this time it's real."

Owari!