Author's Notes- Here I am again, delaying the commencement of yet another chapter… But how could I not, after the plethora of pleasant reviews the last chapter received? Dearie dearie me, I was quite shocked. I had expected quite a few disappointed comments on (what I considered) the rather rushed and jerky content of the last chapter… Perhaps I judge myself to harshly? Then again, this was more than likely a one-time mistake on my part… or you readers overestimate my skill. I even received one review claiming that I was to be the future J.K. Rowling! (Quite flattering, I assure you, and worry not; I will refrain from killing off well-loved characters. Ahem.) And then, of course, I often think fondly back to that one particular review in which I was informed that I had converted a reader whose original intention was to flame me for my obvious affection for FredxGene. It brings a metaphorical tear to the eye. Yes, I'm quite aware at the lack of relevance here, but I simply had to bring such ego-boosting comments to light. I apologize profusely. Therefore, without (much) further ado, I give you chapter nine. (Nine already? Goodness…)

Disclaimer- … digs around in pockets Well, let's see… some change, a rather worn movie stub from "Hero", and a mint whose age is, at the moment, undetermined. Unless you can find some long-lost ties between any of these items and Outlaw Star, I'm afraid that I remain out of the club which owns said anime.

Warning- Again, I find myself unable to resist… Will we reach that ever-looming lemon THIS chapter? Or is that question in itself merely the harbinger of further frustration and delay? And, of course, there is that possibility that this serves only to spark the reader's interest… A shame that we live in such skeptical times.

Note- Again, since this chapter begins immediately after the end of the previous, I find it in the reader's best interest to repeat the last few lines. No need to thank me. … And you, yes you over there with the rotten fruit, do be kind and put it away, or I shall have to delay longer in light of your interruption.

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"Now, get your hand off of me, or I swear I will forcibly remove your ability to create offspring."

"Big words, Luo. I'd like to see what a pansy-ass like you could do to back up that threat."

"Oh? Well then, I'd hate to disappoint." Raising his knee, the navy-haired young man made an educated guess, and then kicked out backwards with as much strength as he could muster.

Feeling his foot connect with something soft, Fred heard the incredibly satisfying sound of a man who has just been painfully corrected. Kenneth's hand dropped from his shoulder as the over-muscled blonde collapsed, reduced to a rather pathetic crouching position, knees crossed and hands placed protectively over his groin. Fred grinned rather nefariously.

"I'm terribly sorry, but you did ask for it, you know. Both literally and figuratively." And that was when he felt the fist connect with his back, sending him rather forcefully to the ground. In hindsight, he more than likely should have waited to gloat until all three men were hunched up and whimpering.

"That was low, asshole." The taller of the two sidekicks, as Fred had decided to call them, drew back his arm to deliver another blow, this time to the vocalist's stomach, but the navy-haired student had just enough time to roll to the side, and therefore managed to keep his intestines intact. The attacker grimaced as his fist connected with the hard wood of the stage floor, but ultimately did not have a great deal of time to dwell on the pain in said area.

Managing to stand, Fred moved quickly, delivering a sharp kick to his momentarily impeded foe, successfully sending him out of the realm of consciousness. But, of course, since there was absolutely no justice in the world, that forgotten third offender made himself forcefully known with a rather unpleasant blow that just happened to land on the side of Fred's skull.

"Oh… shit…" Having to make a serious effort to fight off the blackness that was threatening to overcome his mind, the vocalist felt himself collapse, wincing just slightly as his body slammed into the ground for the second time. A warm trickle ran down his cheek, but the vocalist didn't bother wasting valuable energy to wipe the blood away. Three-to-one was not a good ratio in a fight, it seemed.

A foot connected with his side, knocking the navy-haired student over on to his back. Fred grimaced as he was hauled up by his shirtfront, not really liking the direction in which this encounter was going. Brought face to face with his current attacker, he ran through his very limited list of options that might prove useful before that very threatening fist happened to connect with his face.

Well, old tricks always were the best ones, weren't they?

Managing to raise half of his mouth in a grin, Fred quickly brought his leg up, connecting the rather solid bone of his kneecap with his assailant's stomach. When he was dropped to the floor once again as his attacker collapsed, the navy-haired student wondered whether or not his plan had truly been wise. Now his left leg throbbed; he seemed to have landed on it in an interesting way. Although, in truth, it was certainly better than a broken nose, wasn't it?

Now, if only he could manage to stand again…

The combined pain in his left leg and the searing pain in his head that was still threatening to remove him from the land of consciousness was making the seemingly simple task incredibly difficult.

But the fact that a recovered, quite angered Kenneth was heading his way made it mandatory.

Oh dear… Fred struggled, squeezing his eyes shut in an effort to block out the pain as he braced himself with both hands. He had to stand, that was not an option. Unless, of course, he actually wanted to see exactly what color his insides were. Shit.

"Bet you think you're pretty tough, don't ya?" The vocalist found it quite disappointing that his attacker's voice wasn't a few octaves too high. Where was the justice? True, he had had ample time to recuperate from the blow to his genitals, but still… Life in general was being very unfair at the moment. "You took Peter out, I'll give you that…" Fred assumed this Peter character was the one lying on the ground a few yards away. "But you're sure as hell gonna regret it, you fucking jackass."

"I'd hardly call that appropriate language." The navy-haired student blinked once. Wonderful, instead of passing out, his cranial wound was making him hallucinate. There was no way that the owner of that particular voice could be here. "But hell, once I get a look at you, it certainly seems to fit." Fred didn't dare open his eyes, he knew that no one would be there, that this was his injured brain cells playing tricks on him. But then, why hadn't a fist been implanted in his face yet…?

"Who the hell are you?" Well, that was reassuring. At least Kenneth was hallucinating too. "His boyfriend or something?"

"You might say that." Fred risked opening his eyes. The comment was just too tempting. Turning his head slowly towards the sound of the new voice, he managed a small, relieved smile. "I'd ask you nicely to get away from him, but I have a feeling you won't listen. Luckily, I have no qualms about inflicting a few injuries today."

"You two are both full of talk, aren't ya?" In spite of the haughty comment, Fred saw Kenneth's fist clench. "Just try it, you red-headed pansy."

Gene grinned toothily, and the vocalist found it quite astounding that he hadn't grown fangs to accommodate such a threatening expression. "Don't mind if I do." In seconds, Gene had closed the distance between himself and Fred's attacker, aiming a punch towards the man's stomach.

There wasn't even a hitch in his rhythm as the redhead's blow was blocked. Obviously prepared for such a reaction, he made the fist he had in reserve painfully evident by planting it forcefully into Kenneth's face.

"Son of a bitch!" The burly blonde clutched at his face, trying to stem the flow of blood spurting from his mess of a nose. "You fucking broke by dose!" (1)

"Give me an excuse, you bastard, and I'll break a whole lot more." Gene rubbed his knuckles absently, eyes sharp and cold as he glared at the other man. He didn't seem to notice the as-of-yet unnamed crony lumbering up in as threatening a manner as he could muster.

Fred nonchalantly stuck out his foot at the right moment, sending the third man flying. Bad balance was a terrible thing to have, especially when the result was such a sickening thud. The vocalist, however, couldn't help but grin, wondering vaguely if it broke some sort of rule to be his savior's savior.

Watching his last henchman collapse in a crumpled heap, Kenneth began to re-think his strategy. He looked for a moment as though he meant to say something, but soon gave up on the idea and made a hasty retreat.

"Bastard." Gene glared in the direction the blonde had exited a moment longer before deciding that such a withering look would serve it's purpose better if the recipient were in the general vicinity. Sighing quietly, the redhead turned, kneeling down beside Fred, who had managed to sit up without causing the world to spin all that much. "Are you all right?"

"Well, more or less…" The vocalist smiled slightly, careful to keep the expression minimal, lest he irritate his head wound further. "I do think there's something wrong with my leg, but…" Well, when he thought about it, the limb's angle wasn't all that odd. "I'll be fine."

"Shit…" The swear was quiet. Carefully, Gene touched his roommate's face, fingers coming away darkened with blood. "I should have gotten hear earlier…"

"Oh, you insult me." Fred considered laughing, but decided not to risk it. "In case you hadn't noticed, the two bodies on the ground are my doing, thank you very much." Th other man blinked once, then smiled softly in reply.

"I apologize." Reaching up to wipe away some blood that threatened to drip into Fred's eye, Gene shook his head slightly. "I underestimated your ass-kicking skill." The redhead rubbed his fingers together absently, dying them red while he kept his eyes locked with the vocalist's. "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing I'm not used to…" Fred winced slightly at a new wave of pain, shifting his balance to bring one hand to his blood-dampened hair. "I've learned to protect myself over the years… It's just rather unfair when they gang up on me."

"Mm." Sliding one arm under the other man's shoulders, Gene began to stand slowly, allowing Fred to adjust to the position shift gradually so as not to exacerbate his rather ugly-looking head wound. "You've been attacked before…?" He kept the inquiry quiet, not wanting to push.

"Oh, yes." The navy-haired young man leaned the entirety of his weight against his roommate's shoulder, grateful that the redhead was strong enough to support him. "Not surprising. I am gay, after all, or hadn't you noticed…?" Gene shook his head slightly, amazed that the other could still tease while injured.

"That's… horrible." The guitarist began to walk, taking great care not to jostle Fred.

"I suppose… It got me to take self-defense classes as a child, though." Eyelids drooping, the vocalist rested his head against Gene's shoulder. "I'm bleeding on you."

"I don't mind."

They continued on in silence for a while, Gene not wanting to pry and Fred not feeling very up to conversation. However, soon, the redhead felt the other man shaking slightly. Worriedly, he glanced at his roommate's face, and was puzzled when he saw the smile on his face. "Fred…?"

"Oh, it's just…" The vocalist opened his eyes a little. "No one's ever saved me before."

Gene almost halted at the emotion behind those words. It amazed him how, suddenly, he realized that, if it was needed, he wanted to be the one there to save this man. It hurt him to see what had happened to his roommate, and, of course, it dragged him that much closer to admitting to himself that it was something more than mere 'like' that was clenching his chest so.

"… Ah." He really couldn't find anything else to say.

"Mmhmm…" Fred closed his eyes again, wondering if his sudden fatigue was due to his previous adrenaline rush or the blood that was slowly leaking away from his body.

Feeling the other man sag further, Gene paused in his trek. Carrying Fred this way was both uncomfortable and inefficient. But the only other way… Well, Fred wouldn't object, would he? … If he did, too bad.

The vocalist blinked as their slow but constant forward motion came to a stop. "Hmm…?" Before he realized what was happening, he was being shifted around until his chest was pressed up against Gene's back, the redhead wrapping both of the other man's arms around his neck from behind before hoisting his thighs up around his waist. Confusion now reigned supreme. "Gene…?" Incredulous, the navy-haired student attempted to look around into Gene's face.

"It's easier to carry you this way…" It seemed as if the redhead wanted to add on to the statement, but ultimately decided that what had been said was enough. Remaining still only a moment longer to fix his grip on Fred's legs, he once again began to walk towards their shared dorm-room.

"Oh…" Smiling slightly, Fred decided that even if he was injured, he was certainly going to enjoy this to it's full extent. It wasn't every day that he got a piggy-back ride from Gene, after all… Resting his chin against the other man's shoulder, the vocalist hummed his satisfaction at his current location. "You're so strong, Ge-ene…" His voice was quiet, but his roommate heard him clearly. "I'm taller than you, and you can still carry me…"

"Well, you are pretty thin." The redhead grunted slightly. "And I admit that my arms and back will be sore for a week or so… but this is still easier than just dragging you along."

"Mm, I see…" Fred considered pressing his lips to the other man's temple, but ultimately decided against it. Gene was quite easily startled, after all, and he certainly didn't want to add a bruised tail-bone to his list of injuries. Instead, he settle for rubbing his cheek gently against the soft strands of Gene's hair. "Such a sacrifice for me… I'm truly touched." Unknowingly (although that matter may be up for debate), the vocalist wrapped his legs tightly around the redhead's waist, taking no heed of the fact that the guitarist already held his lower body securely.

Gene jerked slightly, but managed to continue on without further incident.

"So I guess your leg's not broken, then." Fred exhaled quickly, his newly-discovered injured form of laughter.

"Guess not…" He moved his thigh, attempting to roll his hip, and not at all trying to rub against Gene in entirely inappropriate ways. That was just a nice bonus. It hurt, yes, but it wasn't the excruciating, sharp pain of a snapped bone. "… but I don't think it's entirely well either."

"Mm." Gene swallowed thickly, trying to ignore how certain parts of Fred's anatomy were pressing against him. "Well, I'll bandage up your head, and then take you to a doctor, all right?"

"Sounds lovely…" Turning his head, Fred laid the less-bloody side on Gene's shoulder, no longer even trying to keep his eyes open. "Mmmm…"

"Fred?" When he received no answer, the redhead felt the first touches of panic. "Fred?" The vocalist groaned softly, but otherwise remained silent. "Oh come on, you can't quit on me now…" Pausing, he jostled the other man as much as he dared, trying to rouse him.

"… hmm?" Fred managed to open one eye. "'m so sleepy, Ge-ene…"

"Yea, well, it's be convenient if you stayed awake." Relieved, Gene began to walk once more. "It's kinda hard to carry a sack of beans, you know."

"Mm, couldn't you have thought of… a nicer… metaphor for me?"

"No."

"Pity…"

Once more, there was a period of silence between the two men, broken only by Gene's occasional grunts as his muscles rebelled against the strain. He was quite happy to see the door to their shared dorm just ahead, even if his body's complaints had elevated from grumbling to shouting.

Managing to turn the doorknob quickly, Gene reached back to catch Fred's leg before kicking the door open. Not bothering to make sure it shut behind him, he turned around to set the navy-haired man down gently on his bed. Fred looked as though he was going to at least attempt to remain sitting up, but soon gave it up for a lost cause and managed to lay himself down slowly.

"Ah…" Opening bleary eyes to look down at the bedspread as Gene rummaged around for the first-aid kit, Fred frowned slightly. "I'm bloodying the sheets now."

"We can worry about that later." The vocalist smiled weakly when a loud clatter from the bathroom signaled that his roommate was losing the fight with the medicine cupboard. "Damnit, this thing is a fucking BOOBY trap…"

"Mmmm…" Sighing softly, Fred began to trace the bedspreads floral pattern lazily with his index finger. "…They say the most horrible things… but I hear violins…"

"What was that?" Gene emerged from the bathroom, sporting the small first-aid kit and mussed hair. "Didn't catch it…"

"Oh… nothing…" Fred felt blood running across his forehead, but didn't really have the energy to brush it away. "Just… a song…"

The redhead paused, then shook his head, smiling. "You're always singing, aren't you…" After pausing at the sink to wet a washcloth, he gingerly sat beside the other man, taking great care not to jostle him.

"Mmhmm…"

"… why don't you keep going?" Taking a damp washcloth from the top of the first-aid kit where he had set it, Gene began to dab at the dried blood on Fred's face. "I like your voice."

"So kind…" The vocalist inhaled slowly. ".. if you insist…" Wincing slightly as the washcloth pressed close to his wound, he continued. "When I close my eyes… I am at the center of the sun…" He paused again, humming softly as Gene's thumb brushed across his cheek. "And I cannot be hurt… by anything this wicked world has done…"

This time, he continued on, but his voice dropped so low that the redhead could not make out his words. When his voice came back into his hearing range, he was repeating what he had already sung. "They break the most beautiful things… But I hear violins…"

Gene continued to clean the blood from Fred's face, pressing as gently as he could for fear of hurting the other man further. He found himself being soothed by his roommate's soft voice, singing a song he had never heard before, and yet liked immediately, simply because it was Fred singing.

"Young boy in the market… sees the girl alone… and asks her, 'Have you lost your way home…?'" Fred's head rolled slightly as Gene applied a bit more pressure with the cloth. "She sings… 'You say the most beautiful things… Just like my violins…'"

The redhead paused his ministrations as he felt Fred's hand grasping lightly onto his free one. Biting his lip slightly, he returned the grip, sensing that his roommate's song choice was a bit more than what he had led on. "When I close my eyes… I am at the center of the sun…And I cannot be hurt… by anything this wicked world has done…I look into your eyes, and I am at the center of the sun…" Gene gave Fred's hand a final squeeze before releasing it to tie the bandage around the other man's head. The navy-haired student sighed softly, but didn't complain.

"I hear… violins…"

Running a hand gently over Fred's hair, it took Gene a moment to realize that he had finished. "That was nice…"

"Mm… one of my favorites…" Turning slightly, Fred managed to snuggle up to the redhead, burying his face in the other man's shirt. He said something else then, but the words were muffled.

"Hm?"

Fred pulled away slightly, looking up into azure eyes before repeating himself. "I love you, Gene."

The guitarist found himself unable to think of a response for that. "O-oh…" Coughing slightly, he tried to tear his gaze away but failed. "… Let's… let's get you to the doctor."

"Mm."

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(1)- No, those aren't typos. He speaking through a broken nose, remember?

Author's Notes- Hmm, nice way to end a chapter, wouldn't you say? Not a lemon, I admit, but considering, I think it's a nice alternative. …I can only guess how many people want to inflict harm upon my person for that particular opinion, dearie dearie me. Once more, I apologize for the delay… but such is life, yes? During the course of this chapter, I had finals (yech), stress, my typical Christ-less Christmas, and all of that loveliness. Consider this your New Year's present, hm?

Yes, I did manage to fit another song into this one, aren't you all so thrilled? This time it was Center of the Sun by Conjure One, quite a nice song if I do say so myself. A bit softer than my previous selections, but it fits rather nicely. Per usual, I recommend it for a listen… who knows, I might start a Conjure One cult to go with the Blind Melon cult spawned from the No Rain chapter. Goodness, I had no idea that my musical tastes had such sway over the general public.

Well, until the next chapter then, oh adoring fans.