"In The Stars" Chapter 28

!*Author Notes: Sorry for such a long wait for this chapter. The holidays and winter break kind of killed my typing time. So yeah, here is a late Christmas and New Year's gift. Hope everyone had a great holiday and thanks for the wonderful reviews, they've kept me going this long. ^^*!

"Is that anyway to greet someone who came to see you?" Duo asked with a huge grin as he stood on the porch beside Heero.

"Still doesn't tell me why you're here, shouldn't you be at home," Wufei replied sifting his weight.

"Aren't we in a sour mood, are we interrupting anything?" Duo asked with a snicker

"No," Wufei said quickly remembering just what had happened before Duo and Heero had shown up.

"Oh darn, well we decided to come for a visit, spend New Year's with you," Duo finally explained the reason they were standing there.

"New Years isn't for another week or so," Wufei pointed out a bit perplexed.

"Wufei, who is it?" Treize asked from the stairs interrupting whatever Duo might have said. The older man stepped up behind Wufei to see who he was talking to. "Oh, hello gentleman. Wufei, why didn't you invite them in from the cold?"

"Um," Wufei said in reply. "Why don't you guys come in?"

"Oh well thank you," Duo said stepping into the warm entryway followed by Heero who nodded his head in thanks.

Duo followed Treize into the front room where the fire had yet to be started that morning, leaving the room cooler than usual. Treize stopped in the archway between the kitchen and living room turning back to their guests. "Have a seat, would anyone care for something to drink?"

"Thanks, that would be great," Duo said sitting down on the couch. Heero took the spot beside him, leaving room for one more person.

Wufei moved the large bear that was still seated in the only chair available, only to get up again when he heard the soft meows of Stormy. He picked her up as Treize reappeared with a tray of drinks for everyone. Treize set it on the coffee table before taking the seat Wufei had just vacated a moment before. Wufei stood behind the couch with Stormy tucked under his arm, her purring vibrating through his chest.

"What brings you guys here?" Treize asked sipping his mug of hot tea.

"Decided to visit Wu, plus we brought the rest of his stuff. It's all out in the back of the car," Duo answered turning slightly to look at Wufei.

"Oh, thanks I'll go bring it in," Wufei said turning to head for the door.

"Ah don't worry about it, we can get it all later," Duo said stopping him.

"How long were planning on visiting and where are you going to stay?" Treize asked regaining Duo's attention.

"Through New Years, we were just going to rent a hotel room."

"Nonsense you can stay here, we've got plenty of room. They can use your room," Treize offered with a smile.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to kick Wu out of his bed," Duo declined shaking his head.

"Believe me, you won't be," Treize said looking over at Wufei who gaped and blushed deeply.

"Are you sure/" Duo asked looking at Wufei to see the bright red cheeks.

"Positive," Treize answered for the dark haired young man.

"Well all right," Duo finally agreed with a smile. "Is that Stormy?" Duo asked with a nod of his head toward the bundle curled up in Wufei's arm.

"Yeah," Wufei replied noticing the questioning look Treize was giving him.

"Oh, I can't believe I forgot," Duo said moving to stand up. "I have to see this ring!"

Wufei looked over at Treize the questions growing in the older man's eyes. He turned back to Duo as the braided man was reaching for his right hand that hung limply at his side. Duo whistled as he examined Wufei's finger where the gold band rested.

"Absolutely beautiful, it looks absolutely perfect on you," Duo said examining the only piece of jewelry Wufei owned.

"Um, thanks," Wufei mumbled pulling his hand away. "What about your ring?"

"Oh yeah, have a look," Duo said reaching into the neck of his sweater. He pulled out a thin gold chain with a beautiful solid gold band ring dangling from it.

"Why aren't you wearing it on your hand?" Wufei asked looking at the dangling ring.

"I will when we actually get to the alter, but right now I think it will be better if I just wear it like this," Duo answered with a smile before slipping the chain back inside his sweater.

"Oh," Wufei replied like he didn't really quite understand Duo's logic.

"I'd explain it but it would probably bore Treize, and I wouldn't want to do that," Duo said glancing over at the older man.

"I don't mind, I need to go prepare lunch anyway. Would you gentleman care to join us?" Treize said standing up.

"No thank you, we already ate on the way over," Duo explained looked over at Heero.

"All right," Treize said before looking at Wufei. "Wufei, could you come in here for a second?"

Wufei looked at Duo then back to Treize, he slowly nodded before moving to follow the older man. Treize reached into the refrigerator as Wufei stood on the other side of the island. "When did you tell Duo?" Treize asked grabbing a pan from one of the cabinets.

"What does that matter?" Wufei asked looking surprised.

"It doesn't, I was just curious," Treize answered looking back at Wufei over his shoulder.

Wufei held Stormy close as he stood at the counter; he hadn't even considered Treize asking him about that. He never had told the man about his phone call on Christmas day to Duo, he wasn't sure why but he didn't seem to want to either. If only Duo hadn't just shown up now asking about it.

"Wufei," Treize's voice interrupted his thoughts, "if you don't want to tell me that is fine. Like I said before I was just curious. Why don't you go keep our company, company?"

Wufei nodded moving back toward the living room, Stormy still held close. He stopped in the archway to see Duo and Heero had removed their coats ad were sitting closely on the couch, speaking quietly with each other. Wufei noticed how they seemed to be leaning even closer as Heero rested his hand on one of Duo's knees. It seemed like they were talking and listening at the same time. Wufei wondered if all people interacted in such a manor.

"What's up?" Duo asked surprising him. "You didn't tell him about ---?"

"Shh," Wufei hushed interrupting Duo as he moved closer to the couch.

"Wu, I know it is hard for you to talk, but you sometimes really need to talk to him about what you're feeling. Especially when it has something to do with the both of you," Duo said with a sigh.

"I know," Wufei whispered sitting on the front edge of the chair. "It is still hard and I had just forgotten about it."

"So why not tell him now, that was only a few days ago," Duo suggested.

"Because... why bring up the past like that, it wouldn't accomplish anything," Wufei replied keeping his voice low.

"Maybe," Duo conceded before thinking a moment, "then again, is it really in the past? Have you really dealt with the issue that we had talked about or are you just bottling it up and shoving it to the back?"

Wufei looked at him a moment, he shouldn't have been surprised by Duo's directness, yet he was. "Yes I have," he snapped feeling utterly stupid by the four year old response.

"If you say so," Duo said with a shrug.

"It is the truth, I have dealt with it, it isn't an issue anymore!" Wufei snapped angry at Duo's subtle accusation.

"What has been dealt with?" Treize asked startling Wufei, who sent a glare toward Duo. Duo had known the ma had been standing there; he'd purposely goaded Wufei into that outburst. "I came in to tell you lunch is ready, Wufei. You both are more than welcome to join us."

"Actually we need to head into town," Heero spoke up standing and grabbing their coats off the back of the couch. Wufei watched him guide Duo almost forcibly out of the room and house.

"Guess that was a no," Wufei said hoping to divert Treize's attention from his earlier comments.

"Yes I'd have to agree, now what was that comment you said earlier about," Treize questioned dashing Wufei's hopes.

"It was nothing important," Wufei dismissed walking past the older man.

Treize wrapped his arm around Wufei's waist stopping the smaller man and pulling him close, careful of Stormy in Wufei's arms. "Seems like something more than nothing." Treize observed resting his chin on Wufei's head.

"It really is nothing," Wufei replied trying to remove himself from Treize's embrace.

"Wufei is there something going on?"

"It's nothing," Wufei persisted, "now we better eat before the food gets cold and they get back."

"Wufei," Treize started to say before sighing. "I won't force you to talk to me, just know I'll always be here to listen." He kissed the top of Wufei's head before releasing the younger man and started for the dining room table where he'd set their meal out.

Wufei felt utterly guilty as he watched Treize walk away from him. "I'm sorry," he whispered causing Treize to turn back around and face him. "God, I'm sorry... Duo knew because, because I called him on Christmas day, when I had gone upstairs. I called him to ask him things I should have just asked you... but I couldn't. You looked so happy, I just didn't want to ruin that, and now... now it seems like that's all I've done."

"What did you ask him about?" Treize asked gently, stepping closer.

Wufei held Stormy closer as he began to speak again, "The ring, I... I thought it might have been a mistake that I'd accepted it. I just... but you seemed so happy that I had and so I couldn't bring myself to say anything to you about it."

"Wufei, you know you can talk to me about anything, no matter what," Treize replied tilting Wufei's chin up away from Stormy's purring body. "Did Duo help you work it out? We can discuss it now if you'd like."

"I... it is fine, I've already come to terms with it," Wufei replied looking at Treize's chest.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Treize asked concern lacing his voice.

"I'm fine..." Wufei started to say knowing it was a lie. Why couldn't he just tell the man the truth, all Treize cared about was his wellbeing? His shoulders slumped as all the feelings he'd been pushing back came rushing forward. "It's... not fine..." he cried feeling the tears prick at his eyes.

"Shh," Treize soothed pulling Wufei close. He easily lifted Stormy from the younger man's arms before leading him over to the table. "Sit down and we'll talk about this."

Wufei slumped into one of the chairs while Treize deposited Stormy on the floor before sitting across from him. He sat patiently waiting for Wufei to speak. Wufei rested his head in his hands trying to pull himself back together. He then laid his head in his arms that were folded across the table. "I just," he started to say his voice muffled by the barrier of his arms. "When you said it could lead to marriage, I guess I freaked. Yet I said yes because I saw how happy you looked as you explained it. Deep down I was still freaked, and then you gave me Stormy and I just couldn't understand it. Then when I went upstairs you had said that you were so happy, and it tore at me that I just couldn't let the feeling go. That was why I called Duo, I thought he'd understand and.... and tell me I was just acting stupid. He didn't, tell me I was acting stupid, but he did help me talk through it. I thought that had done it, but just now all those emotions from before came flooding forward again. Maybe I had just been fooling myself before."

"Wufei, look at me," Treize requested his voice gentle.

"I... I can't, I can't face the disappointment," Wufei said into his arms.

"How do you know what I'm feeling without even looking," Treize offered his fingers coming to comb through Wufei's hair, pulling it from the tie he'd used to hold it back, "Wufei."

Wufei slowly lifted his head, his eyes peaking over his arms to be surprised by the look on Treize's face. The older man was smiling, even his eyes seemed happy, not disappointed. "Why... how can you smile like that?"

"Because you are talking t me about this, even if Duo had to get you started, you still told me and that makes me happy. Wufei, you could never disappoint me," Treize replied brushing the loose strands from Wufei's face.

"But I feel like I'm just throwing this ring and everything it stands for back into your face. You should be disappointed and angry, so why aren't you!" Wufei demanded finally fully lifting his head.

"Simply because I can see how hard you are being on yourself," Treize replied surprising Wufei. "You're tearing yourself apart because you think I'll be disappointed an angry. You try so hard to keep anything you think I'll see as a flaw hidden. So let me say this, nothing about you is flawed, you are just like the rest of us. Being sad or scared or even happy is not a flaw, everyone feels those things at some point if not a lot."

"How can you know me like that?" Wufei asked in awe.

"It is all in your eyes, sweetheart," Treize explained.

"My eyes?"

"As I've told you before they can keep no secrets, more expressive than even your body language," Treize said with a slight smile.

"I never... no ones ever said that before," Wufei said looking at the table.

"Then they weren't paying very much attention," Treize replied surprising him again.

"I don't think they really cared," Wufei mumbled surprised when Treize's arms wrapped around his hunched shoulders. He looked up into startling angry eyes, was Treize angry with him.

"That is there loss then, I love looking into your eyes. If they couldn't see it, they never deserved to," Treize said making it clear he was angry with the world Wufei had left and not him.

"We were fighting a war, things like that didn't matter," Wufei replied defending them and his own actions.

"They should have, wars are meant to initiate change not just destroy everything and end lives," Treize replied reminding Wufei of his lectures in class.

"We did as we were ordered, nothing else mattered!"

"Do you really believe that?"

"I didn't know what to believe, I thought were doing the right thing by defending the colonies, but they didn't seem to really care in the end."

"It must have mattered to someone or you wouldn't have been fighting," Treize pointed out.

"Maybe," Wufei conceded resting his cheek against Treize's arm.

"All right, I can see you would rather not discuss this any longer that is fine. Why don't we eat before your friends get back since they were kind enough to leave," Treize offered beginning to pull away from Wufei.

"Yeah Duo would most likely get his hands in even if he wasn't hungry," Wufei commented causing Treize to laugh.

"I could see that."

"Why did you invite them to stay here?" Wufei asked forking some food off his plate.

"You don't want them to stay?" Treize asked looking a little surprised.

"It's not that... Duo can just be so..." Wufei couldn't even find the right word for it.

"Ah, I think he'll play nice since I'm here too," Treize offered only it didn't really reassure Wufei's true concern with them staying.

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