"In The Stars" Chapter 10

Wufei fidgeted in his seat beside Treize as they drove through a town he'd never seen before. The street was lined with pubs, shops, and small restaurants. "You've probably never visited town," Treize offered as conversation. "Maybe one day we can just walk around, give you a little tour, it's not very big."

"Yeah," Wufei agreed still staring out the car window. Wufei was surprised when they left the small town. "You don't live in town?" He finally turned and looked at Treize.

"No, I live about a mile out of the city limits," Treize answered with a smile.

"Oh," Wufei said looking back out the window to watch the trees slide past.

"I gave Duo the address so your friends could visit," Treize said glancing over at Wufei.

"Oh, that's cool," Wufei replied still looking out the window.

Treize decided trying to pull Wufei into a conversation was a lost cause. He turned down a small but paved road, following it through a canopy of large tall trees. The leaves had mostly fallen already allowing the afternoon sun to touch the road. Wufei started when a large two story, colonial style home came into view. "Is that where you live?"

"Yes, but I didn't buy it, I inherited it," Treize answered as he pulled up the long driveway and around the house to a three car garage. Wufei opened his door to get out as Treize cut the engine.

Wufei looked around the large field behind the home full of trees and finely cut grass. He slowly followed after Treize into the house through double French doors. Wufei found himself in a nice sized kitchen and dining area. An island split the two, hiding the dishwasher where drawers should have been. Several bar stools sat on the other side between it and a large dining room table with six high back chairs. The kitchen was full of cabinets but also an iron cast stove. Wufei guessed it went unused because of the modern electrical stove he saw beside the double door refrigerator.

Treize led him across the tile floor to an open doorway. On the other side was a large carpeted front room, with a huge bay window facing out the front of the house. A sofa and two chairs sat around a glass coffee table, but the real focal point of the room was the large fireplace and mantle. Wufei wandered down the long hallway between the two rooms. He found a large room that was probably at one time a bedroom but had been converted into a study. A large bathroom was across the hall from the study with a double sink, toilet, and a freestanding shower.

"Wufei I'll show you to your room," Treize called from the living room.

Wufei reappeared to follow Treize up a flight of stairs near the front door. The wood floor of the entry hallway matched that of the steps. Arriving on the second floor the hall was split by the stairs. Treize pointed to the left, mentioning the large bathroom and linen closet. There was another door but Wufei couldn't even guess where it might have led. On the right were two doors across the hall from each other. Treize opened the one on the left allowing Wufei to enter first.

The room was huge, bigger than his dorm room. A large double bed was the center of attention against the back wall, an end table on both sides. A dresser sat against the wall beside a large window. The inside walls were empty, making the room feel so much bigger.

"My room is across the hall, so I'll never be too far away," Treize said as Wufei took it all in. "I had the closet removed from this room several years ago, that's why that wall is empty."

Wufei wondered why but chose not to ask. He saw a couple of his duffle bags sitting on a large chest at the foot of the bed. Going over to them he discovered they were empty.

"I already put your stuff away, thought you might find it difficult," Treize offered as Wufei had opened them.

"You didn't have to, I could have managed," Wufei finally said, his first statement since getting out of the car.

"It was no big deal, your books are in the study on the desk," Treize replied. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really, had lunch at the hospital," Wufei answered looking around again.

"Well okay, I'll let you get settled then. I'm going to go back downstairs if you need anything," Treize said turning to leave, only to stop at the door. "I'm glad you decided to stay here."

Wufei watched him go, slightly startled by the comment. He sat down the edge of the made bed, maybe he was surprised that Treize lived alone in this huge house. He wasn't sure how he felt, he'd been nervous the entire ride over. He hadn't known what to expect, but he never thought this. Duo's jaw would probably drop the first time he came over, he wasn't sure how the others would react.

Wufei turned to look out the window before deciding to walk over to it. He gently pushed the thin but tasteful curtains aside to get a better view. The yard was as spectacular as the house. He sat back down to take his shoes off, leaving them tied, and put them aside. When his sock covered feet touched the fluffy carpet he was shocked at how nice it felt as opposed to the unpadded one in his dorm room. He padded out of the room and down the hall back to the stairs. He became curious when he saw the door Treize had failed to explain. He approached it slowly his right hand reaching for the brass handle.

"Wufei I forgot to tell you a few things," Treize's voice carried up the stairs ahead of the man.

Wufei turned from the door not wanting to be caught snooping. He was a guest here; he should at least act like one. Treize appeared at the top of the stairs the moment Wufei had arrived back there.

"Oh," Treize seemed surprised to see him there. "I spoke with your other professors about you staying here the rest of the semester. They said it would be fine to email them your assignments and I imagine you can get the lecture notes from Duo if you ask," Treize finished getting over his surprise, but in the end surprising Wufei.

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble, I could have talked to them myself," Wufei said gruffly.

"How is that?" Treize wondered looking at him.

"I could have emailed them," Wufei said heatedly. "I know how to contact my professors."

"I didn't mean to make it sound like you didn't, I thought you meant face to face," Treize explained his question.

"Can I use the phone?" Wufei asked deciding to just forget it.

"Sure, there is one in the kitchen," Treize answered leading the way back downstairs.

He went to pick up the cordless but Wufei grabbed it first. "I'm fine and perfectly capable," the younger man said moving toward the dining room. He held the phone in his palm allowing him to dial the numbers with his thumb. "Hey Duo," he said when the other end connected.

He was quite for a minute before speaking again. "I'm fine, I got here just fine. Actually I was calling to see if you'd packed my CD player----oh and some CDs---- great. Nope, I was just wondering-----Well you'll have to come visit to find out. You are going to right?---- Tomorrow, oh okay----sure they can come, I don't think he'll mind.---- Yeah, so I'll see you guys tomorrow--- around three okay.---- Yeah, later and hell no so don't ever ask that again! Bye."

Wufei hit the phone button to hang up and set it back in its cradle on the kitchen counter. He saw Treize sitting in the living room with several papers spread out on the table in front of him. "It is okay if the guys come over tomorrow around three?"

"Tomorrow is Friday, yeah sure that is fine," Treize said looking up from a paper he was reading. "You're welcome to have a seat."

"Uh, okay," Wufei said sitting in the chair opposite the one Treize sat in. "Grading?"

"Yes, an essay I had your classmates write. I'll excuse you this one assignment," Treize said looking back at the paper in his hand.

"Um thanks, but it isn't necessary to do that," Wufei said gaining Treize's attention.

"It is fine, you have other classes to worry about and I think you understand this topic all to well," Treize explained before returning to his grading.

"Do you like your job, teaching I mean?" Wufei asked but stared at the carpet.

"Yes very much, I enjoy giving my students knowledge and ideas that might lead them to more, better ideas about our world," Treize answered yet his eyes never strayed from the paper in front of him.

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