"In The Stars" Chapter 22

Wufei awoke the next morning a lot still floating around in his head. Treize had finally been able to calm him enough that he could get some sleep. Pulling himself from the warm bed he regretted it instantly as his bedroom was cold enough to chill him. He took a long hot shower to help warm back up, only to rush back into his room and into some jeans and a sweatshirt. He left his wet hair down allowing it to air day before he would pull it back.

He slowly made his way downstairs the hardwood cold against his feet reminding him that he'd forgotten to grab his slippers again. Wonderful, strong aromas assaulted his senses the moment he got downstairs. He found Treize cooking breakfast while whistling to the Christmas song playing on the radio. The man looked contented as he worked, making Wufei wish he hadn't said anything last night. He didn't want to disturb Treize so he just stood there watching, when the older man suddenly turned around.

"Wufei, why didn't you say something?" Treize asked approaching him. "Go ahead have a seat; breakfast will be ready in just a minute."

"You're not mad?" Wufei asked cautiously as he sat on one of the stools on the other side of the island.

"Mad, what would I be angry about?" Treize asked over his shoulder as he went back to cooking.

"The... the way I acted yesterday..." Wufei explained wanting to bite his tongue when Treize set the spatula down.

The older man turned to face him before moving to stand on the opposite side of the island. "Of course not, you had a very stressful day yesterday. Nothing you did made me angry; I understood you were upset and having problems dealing with all that without lashing out. Wufei, I will never be angry with you for expressing how you feel."

Wufei leaned against the counter winded by Treize's words. "I'm sorry..."

"Yesterday is over and nothing we do today will change anything that happened then. So lets move forward and try not to repeat our mistakes," Treize said turning back to the stove.

"Still, I'm sorry if I hurt you," Wufei whispered staring at his hands on the counter. He was startled when Treize's larger ones came into view, taking hold of his. His dark eyes jumped up to meet Treize's blue.

"You never hurt me, I was worried, deeply worried about you," Treize explained his fingers caressing Wufei's.

"How can you say I never hurt you? After all that crap I said," Wufei wanted to scream but didn't. "I accused you of not knowing or understanding, yet you seem to understand me better than I understand myself. I'm afraid soon I'm going to say something I could never take back or you could never forgive."

"There is only one thing you could do that would cause that," Treize said holding Wufei's eyes, "if you walked out my door without even telling me why."

Wufei stared at him surprised by the response, but also how the words seemed to clam his raging mind. It was like Treize was telling him it was okay to kick and scream as long as he didn't just give up. "Thank you, maybe I needed to hear that."

"Then I'm glad I said it," Treize said turning back to the stove to plate the breakfast he'd been cooking. He set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Wufei before setting out a fork and knife. Treize stepped around the island to sit down beside the younger man with his own plate of breakfast. "I love you."

Wufei almost choked on the egg he'd been about to swallow before Treize's declaration. He turned away coughing, using it to hide his blush. Treize's hand gently pat his back trying to help him regain control only to make it worse. "I'm okay," he finally wheezed still not meeting Treize's eyes.

"Are you sure?" Treize asked in concern.

"Yes, positive," Wufei replied staring at his plate as his coughing finally ceased. His dark eyes widened when Treize lifted his chin, forcing him to look at the other man.

"I do," Treize whispered moving closer. "I love you very much." He pulled Wufei into a warm simple kiss, his fingers sliding to cover Wufei's cheeks.

Wufei's fingers fisted in Treize's sweater, neither pushing nor pulling as the kiss took him by surprise. His body seemed to be enjoying the contact as he found himself wanting to move closer to the older man. When Treize pulled away Wufei caught a whimper in his throat before it could escape. "You... just surprised me," Wufei eventually said forcing his fingers to uncurl from Treize's sweater that he'd had in a death grip, "that's all."

"Maybe I should do that more often, you have such cute reactions," Treize said a large smile on his lips.

Wufei stared at him in utter amazement before trying to bumble out some kind of response. "Not cute, anything but cute... I refuse to be described by such a word."

"But it is such a perfect word," Treize sighed dramatically the smile still in place.

"No, no it isn't!" Wufei denied shaking his head.

"Yes you are cute, beautiful, hot, and everything in between," Treize said surprising him again with not only his words but also moving in for another kiss. This time he put more pressure and desire behind it, moving it beyond anything they'd shared up to that point. Wufei gasped surprised by the delicious attack of Treize's lips against his.

Wufei honestly felt like he was melting as Treize continued to kiss him, stealing all the air from his chest. Finally Treize pulled back allowing them both to breathe their own air as they regained their bearings. "That... that was..." Wufei blushed deeply, quickly turning away.

"Too fast?" Treize asked a hint of concern lacing his question.

"I don't know..." Wufei answered slowly. "Do it again and I might know for sure."

Treize smiled before gently pulling Wufei's face back to his. He pressed their lips together, just like before. His fingers slid through Wufei's loose hair, cupping the younger man's head in his palm. Wufei's own arms moved to wrap around Treize's neck, pulling the older man closer. Wufei's stool suddenly slid out from under him, breaking the kiss and pitching him forward into Treize's chest. The older man reacted quickly his arm wrapping around Wufei's waist and his other hand grabbed the counter to keep them both from falling.

Wufei buried his face in Treize's maroon sweater, the color of his cheeks rivaling it. He was so embarrassed by the whole incident it took Treize forcibly lifting his chin to make him realize the older man was talking to him.

"Are you all right? These stools aren't all that stable," Treize asked.

"I'm morbidly embarrassed but I'm not physically hurt," Wufei whispered unable to meet Treize's eyes.

Treize smiled at the admittance finally seeing the younger man was becoming more comfortable about taking about his feelings. "And yet you are still ---"

"Don't say it," Wufei cut him off regaining his feet and pulling away from Treize to pick up the fallen stool.

"Cute," Treize finished unfazed by Wufei's words.

"Never call me that horrible word again," Wufei said standing the stool up, "or I will not give you anything for Christmas."

Treize put on his best hurt expression only to cause Wufei to burst out laughing. The younger man tried to regain control seeing the question in Treize's eyes. "I swear you looked just like Duo..." Wufei quickly said before running from the room with Treize in pursuit.

"How could you ever compare me to him?" Treize demanded his longer legs giving him an advantage. He grabbed Wufei's arm in the hallway before he could reach the stairs. Treize easily pinned him to the wall waiting for an answer only to see Wufei laughing again. "Oh that is it!"

Wufei was quickly silenced when he was hefted over Treize's broad shoulder. The older man carried him into the living room and dumped him on the sofa. Yet Wufei didn't have a chance to get up as Treize straddled him, effortlessly pinning the smaller man in place. Quick, large fingers savagely attacked his vulnerable sides causing Wufei to burst out laughing every harder than before and squirming to get away from a torture he couldn't escape.

"Now," Treize started to say seeing Wufei's eyes watering, stilling his fingers a moment, "tell me how you could ever compare me with him?"

Wufei smirked suddenly, knowing he'd regret what he was about to say but he couldn't stop himself. "You both make such wonderful puppy dog eyes."

Treize immediately went back to work on Wufei's sides. Wufei tried to push the large hands away as he squirmed under the larger man but his movements were far too clumsy. Then Treize stopped again, Wufei using the moment to gulp air into his burning chest. "I'd watch what I say," Treize warned with a devilish smile.

"But it is true," Wufei choked out still trying to regain his breath.

""Well, I imagine he doesn't do this," Treize replied leaning forward to cover Wufei's smaller frame and caught the open mouth in a deep kiss, yet he kept his tongue back refusing to push the younger man.

"I bet Heero would beg to differ," Wufei said when Treize broke the kiss, but didn't pull back very far.

Treize smirked startling Wufei, who hadn't been expecting that reaction. "One would hope so, considering they are engaged, but that wasn't my point."

"Your point ---" Wufei's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "You two do make similar expressions," he offered trying desperately to change the subject. "Earlier you did look just like him when he makes that 'you hurt my feelings meanie' face."

"Have you learnt nothing about making such comments," Treize asked ominously as he pulled away to sit back up.

Wufei shook his head with a smirk. "I only speak the tru---"

The rest of Wufei's sentence was lost to rich laughter as Treize again began to tickle him unmercifully. Wufei thrashed under him unable to stop the assault on his vulnerable sides. He again tried to push Treize's hands away but nothing seemed to stop him.

The phone rang loudly just barely able to cut through Wufei's laughter. Treize stopped his torture to reach over and pick up the cordless off the coffee table where it had been left. Wufei attempted to just breathe as the other man answered the phone.

"Hello?" Treize said looking down at Wufei, who was still pinned under him. "Actually he's occupied at the moment. Okay hold on," Treize offered him the phone mouthing the word 'Duo'.

Wufei took several more deep breaths before putting the phone to his ear. "He didn't mean that the way it sounded," he quickly said scolding Treize with his eyes, the older man just smiled in response. "So what's up, my parents aren't coming back are they?"

"I bet he did and no," Duo said with a snicker. "I say go for it."

"Shut up, if I'd wanted your opinion I would have asked. So why are you calling?" Wufei huffed before being startled by Treize's fingers gently combing through his hair.

"No you wouldn't have," Duo disagreed with a laugh. "Oh yeah, well it is about your parents. I used to hate being the go between but I think in this case it a good thing. They called here to tell me, to tell you, to come get the rest of your stuff."

"Meaning what?" Wufei asked enjoying Treize's caress.

"Well um, your 'dad' disowned you," Duo answered his voice low.

"What?" Wufei said in surprise his eyes widening, causing Treize to stop and ask him what was happening.

"I'm sorry, this was probably the worst time for all this crap, he is such an ass for pulling this," Duo said anger in his voice. "I know they aren't your parents. Anyways if you want, Heero and I can go and get all the stuff that was left behind. Then we could bring it back with us, that way you won't have to deal with them."

"Um..." Wufei felt his throat constrict as tears pricked at his eyes. Even if they really weren't his parents, the idea that they wanted to just abandon him still hurt.

"Wu? Are you okay?" Duo called into the phone.

Treize took the cordless from Wufei's nerveless fingers seeing how distressed the young man had become over the course of the conversation. "Duo, this is Treize. What is going on?"

"I think Wu should tell you, tell him to give me a call later, I penciled my number in his address book. Bye," Duo said before hanging up.

Treize set the phone back on the coffee table before turning back to Wufei. "Wufei what did you guys talk about?" Treize asked seeing the unshed tears.

Suddenly Wufei tried to get up, pushing against Treize's chest. "Please, please let me up!" he pleaded tears beginning to fall.

"All right but we are going to talk about this," Treize agreed moving to stand up. Wufei quickly sat up his breath hitching with a repressed sob. Treize sat back down where Wufei's upper body had been and gently pulled the younger man closer.

Wufei collapsed against him his words pouring out. "That man, my supposed father threw me out, he disowned me. He told Duo to tell me, like he couldn't tell me himself. Oh God, I know they're not my real parents but they are just abandoning me, without even telling me themselves. I'm so worthless... what am I going to do now?"

"You are not worthless," Treize quickly said his hand tilting Wufei's chin up, seeing the tear tracks, "and you are going to do what you have been, live here with me."

"What if you decide the same thing they did?" Wufei cried.

"I won't, I will never abandon you," Treize answered without hesitation.

"Hold me," Wufei sobbed.

"I will always be here," Treize said tightening his grip and pulling Wufei closer.

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