FIVE

Sutoomu

Well, here is the fourth chapter. I have to say, I am so incredibly happy with the response this fic is causing! I've gotten 30 reviews in three chapters. That is so amazing for me. It's the most reviews I've ever gotten. I'm insanely giddy about this all! Thank you!

Here is my reviewers thank you again! Thank you Kerrilea, and HeeroDuo4eva, and RandomFanGirl247, and hanahanachan, and Cosmosno Shinkon, and Aquarius, and Roxie Faye, and phoenixfirekitsune, and silvertwighlight, and Lotus Pixie, and anissa32, and noname, and jes me, and Amy Hirosaki! Great thanks to my old readers and my new ones! I love you all/huggles all her reviewers/ And the gundam boys want to thank you to for reading/huggles her gundam boys/ Huggles for everyone/huggles her chibi gundam boys/ Oh, I'm so happy! Thank you! Arigatou!

I shall delay you no longer. Please, read on and enjoy the fourth chapter, and review at the end, please! I'll reply as always! 'Cause...

REVIEWERS ARE SPECIAL! YAY!

Ahem...read and review, please!

Wufei continued to protest half heartedly as the four boys took him back to the apartment they shared, but he was actually really glad Quatre was insisting. For a rare moment, he was feeling happy and content, despite the aches he distantly felt in his body. Heero and Quatre's arms supporting him were full of warmth and Wufei liked the close touch, and Duo's braid swinging behind him as he ran excitedly ahead of them was a hypnotizing sight, and he often met Trowa's eyes, which were filled with support and caring and wisdom. Trowa also smiled, and Wufei didn't know why the sight touched him so deeply.

He had been slightly surprised to learn they all lived in an apartment, but they quickly explained how Quatre was a little rich boy and they were all orphans like Wufei, so they had decided to move in together a few months ago since they didn't have parents to live with. Wufei understood their logic and he had to admit the place was rather nice. He was set on the couch and had his feet put up and was made comfortable by Heero and Trowa while Duo and Quatre went to get him soup and chocolate milk and cookies. They were all so persistent and endearing, Wufei barely protested once he was sat down, as the softness of the couch wrapped around his sore bones. A cup of hot brown liquid was placed in his hand and he sipped it, becoming even more drowsy because of their ministrations. He was in a haze by the time the soup was set before him, and he remembered rather hungrily that he hadn't eaten at all today except the cookie, and had barely eaten the other two days because of the pain that took him when he moved.

He took a spoonful of soup and his eyes widened. "Fuck, that's delicious!" he exclaimed, making Quatre blush, Duo laugh, and Heero and Trowa smile. They all sat around him as he focused only on eating the taste teasing soup, talking amiably about anything. Wufei learned as he listened that Trowa worked part time at a circus with his half sister and brother, Catherine and Triton Bloom, Quatre was in training to run his deceased father's business, WEI, under his older sister, Iria, Duo worked part time at a scrap yard under Howard, his boss, with their good friend, Hilde Schbeiker, since he was good at mechanics, and Heero tested various computer programs for a large company, since he was incredibly adept at them. These four had carved their own lives among themselves. They earned money themselves to pay for rent and food, yet still attended school and kept their education going. They were a lot more responsible than yoru average grade elevens. A lot more responsible.

Wufei set the empty bowl down on the table and blinked sleepily, looking at them. "You're all amazing," he smiled, then yawned.

"And you're tired," Trowa said, helping him stand and guiding him to a bedroom. A split second thought of 'warning, bedroom, gay guy' was hushed as Trowa slipped him under the blankets and then Quatre began to tuck him in efficiently. Once he was all bundled up, the arabian placed a short kiss on Wufei's forehead and left the room, turning the light off and closing the door so Wufei could sleep. Wufei's eyes stayed open, however, as he replayed Quatre's lips brushing his skin lightly over and over. For some unknown reason in Wufei's head, it felt like it was normal. He was supposed to be here, and he was supposed to be kissed and tucked in to sleep, and he was supposed to be cared for by these four. It felt natural, like it was the most perfect thing in the world. He was content, he was warm, he was safe. His uncle couldn't hurt him here, he was safe. No pain here.

With that thought, Wufei slowly drifted asleep.

/> /> /> /> />

Wufei's eyes slowly cracked open, looking in disarray around him. He sat up sharply, looking at the room he was in, the bed he was in. This definitely wasn't his bed or his room. Where the hell was he? Voices floated in under the door, suddenly, quiet but familiar. Wufei untensed and relaxed as he remembered this morning, having come here at Quatre's insisting. He stood up, found his one missing sock in the sheets and slipped it on, then walked and opened the door, absently brushing his bed hair down. Four pairs of eyes turned to look at him and he met them with his own groggy black eyes. Trowa was trying to teach Duo how to play chess, which the braided boy obviously wasn't getting that well, and Heero and Quatre were in the kitchen area, cooking something.

"Mornin', 'Fei," Duo chirped brightly at him. "For a while there I was thinkin' you'd sleep through the night, too."

"How are you feeling?" Quatre asked as Wufei came forward and dropped into a soft chair, pulling his feet up.

"Hungry," Wufei mumbled with half his attention.

"Would you like to stay for an early dinner?" Quatre offered. "We're having Heero's pasta tonight."

"Pasta," Wufei licked his lips. "Yes, pasta for dinner."

"You're obviously only half awake," Heero mentioned.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Six hours," Trowa said, eyes focused on the game, thinking about his move. "It's just past three thirty."

"It is?" Wufei's eyes widened, and his senses came back to him on full alert. "Damnit!" He jumped out of his seat and ran to the door, slipping his shoes on. "Fuck, I'm gonna be late for lessons," he muttered angrily to himself.

"Lessons?" Duo inquired curiously.

"Traditional chinese clan lessons from my uncle," Wufei explained hastily, his eyes searching. "Where's my coat?"

"Here," Quatre walked over and handed Wufei his coat from the chair. Wufei slipped it on. "We'll see you tommorrow, right?" he asked with a shine of hopefulness on his face.

Wufei paused in his rush to look at Quatre seriously for a moment, thinking. "Yeah, I should be there tommorrow. If I'm not, then don't worry. I will be, eventually. I never miss school for very long."

"See you, then, 'Fei!" Duo called.

"My name is Wufei, Maxwell," Wufei corrected as he disappeared out the door. He heard Duo laughing behind him as he rushed out of the apartment building and set out at a steady run for his house. "Please don't let me be late," he prayed silently. "Please let me make it on time." After ten minutes of hard running, Wufei panted up to the door and stepped in. He immediately took his shoes off and set them nicely to the side and hung up his coat, then rushed up to his room to change. Taking all his jewelry off and wiping away the makeup, he quickly brushed his hair back into a tight ponytail and changed into his outfit for lessons. He then rushed downstairs, recieving a 'hurry, Dragon' from aunt Taia as he passed her, and made it into his uncle's study with a minute to spare.

Tao Shen turned in his chair to observe Wufei with dislike. "You are not late, Wufei, but you are very close. See that it doesn't happen again."

"I apologize, honorable uncle," Wufei bowed deeply.

"Close the door. Come," Tao Shen snapped impatiently. "You have much to catch up on."

Wufei swallowed, steeled himself, then shut the door behind him.

/> /> /> /> />

"Is he there?" Duo asked, peering across the street, trying to pick out Wufei among the other students.

"I see him," Trowa said, his sharper eyesight locating the chinese boy of their affections. "He's meditating again." Trowa's eyes narrowed slightly. "And someone's watching him."

"Who?" Heero asked.

Trowa focused for a moment, then he began to glare. "Rafael, Charlie, Mitchell, and Joseph." Trowa recited the names of the the school's worst bullies. Those four boys had been the worst persecutors once their foursome gay relationship had been revealed. They were, in fact, the four who tended to gang up on anyone who was different than them, purposely tormenting them because it was amusing. The interaction between Heero's group and Rafael's group, as they had been called, wasn't amusing at all for the four students. For, while Rafael and his boys were jocks and had big fists with strength behind them, Heero and the others were much more skilled.

So, one day, in the middle of lunch and with a crowd of students watching, they had demonstrated their skills after the four bullies began 'getting up in our faces', as Duo had said. Rafael had quickly learned that Heero was damn well impossible to take down, much less land a hit on, Charlie had been the recipient of Duo's street style fighting, Mitchell had been taken on by Trowa and his acrobatic skills, and Quatre had shown his speed and strength to Joseph. Needless to say, since that episode, rarely anyone had bothered them again, at least not to their face. Most were too scared to even look at them, since they had accidentally sent the four boys to the hospital with broken limbs and noses. And after the fight ended and the four attackers were lying on the floor, moaning in pain, Heero had praised his lovers on 'holding back', and thanked Quatre and Duo for keeping their knives sheathed.

The group of lovers instantly upped their pace, heading straight for Wufei and their past attackers, which were standing in a circle around them.

"Stand up, faggot!" Rafael was snarling in Wufei's face when they got close enough to hear. Wufei's eyes opened calmly and he looked at his approaching friends, conveying a message of 'do not interfere'. Heero nodded, having recieved it, and set an arm around Duo to hold him in place. Trowa did the same with Quatre, as both Duo and Quatre of them were very protective and loyal of their friends, and would not hesitate to jump in.

"Could you please go away?" Wufei said calmly as he stood up, facing Rafael. "I don't know you and you don't know me and we obviously dislike each other, so could you please fuck off and leave me alone?"

"You fucking fag!" Rafael cursed, shoving aganst Wufei. Wufei absorbed the push and didn't stumble, simply setting one foot behind the other for balance. "You think you can just come in here and fuck everything up with your wierd gay ways. We know you've been hanging out with those fairies of Heero's!"

"Ah, so Heero's the surrogate leader," Wufei mused at this information. He had suspected as much.

"Those fuckin' pansies should leave town, you tell 'em that for me," Rafael snarled. "And you can take your queer chinese ass with 'em. Go back to your fuckin' shit hole country! Go back to whatever prostitute gave birth to you and fuck her..."

Wufei's eyes narrowed at this, and he tensed, anger flaring in his eyes. "Why don't you tell Heero that for yourself," Wufei said in a low voice, gesturing to where Heero stood, visibly restraining an enraged Duo, with annoyance in his own cold, steel blue eyes. Trowa had his arms crossed on his chest and a deep frown on his face, an extreme show of expression for him, and something distinctly sharp and metal kept flicking in and out of Quatre's hand.

"Fuck!" the boy called Mitchell swore, and took off running. Joseph and Charlie were right behind him, and Rafael turned to run with a look of horrow on his face when Wufei's hand reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"I know more than one hundred ways to kill a man with my bare hands," he said, facing ahead with his eyes closed and a smirk on his face. "But, unfortunately, I'm not allowed to use them except in extreme cases of self defense. That doesn't mean, however, that I can't hurt you a bit." Wufei let go of Rafael's arm, jumped, and spun before the boy could blink, slamming his hard soled shoes into Rafael's chin and face. Rafael stumbled back from the blows, but Wufei grabbed his arm, twisted it so Rafael cried out, and threw him over his shoulder, pressing the still twisted arm hard into his back and leaning into his spine with a knee. Rafael gasped for air in this position, crying out in pain as blood leaked heavily from his nose.

"If you ever so much as mention my mother with a look I don't like on your face ever again," he said firmly, with anger in his voice. "I will not hesitate to kill you slowly and painfully. Understand?" Wufei applied pressure until Rafael nodded violently, unable to speak. Wufei stood up and stepped back, Rafael scrambling to his feet awkwardly and breaking through the wide crowd of students who had stopped to watch.

"Wooh!" Duo whooped, pumping a fist in the air. He ran forward and hugged Wufei excitedly, but being careful this time. "You showed his sorry ass, 'Fei!"

"Down, boy!" Wufei gasped, trying to breath again.

"Do you really know a hundred ways to kill someone with your bare hands?" Duo asked, releasing his hold.

Wufei nodded. "Most of them are ancient, though. It's a part of my lessons at home. Martial arts is one area I learn, meditation another. Self defense, basically."

"Well, you can be sure they won't bother you again," Quatre smiled.

"That was some impressive fighting," Heero mentioned. "High quality."

"You have to know how to protect yourself if you're like us," Trowa explained. "So we know when someone has skill and talent instead of brute force and luck."

"Thank you," Wufei nodded, then looked at Duo. "Got a cookie?"

"Yup!" Duo grinned crazily and handed over the round treat to Wufei. Wufei bit into it just as the bell rang. "You gonna skip again, 'Fei?" Duo asked.

Wufei shook his head. "No. I have gym today, and I need the chance to stretch my muscles. And my name is Wufei."

"Right, right," Duo laughed, and ran ahead to the doors, then waited for them, bouncing on his feet.

/> /> /> /> />

Over the next two weeks, Wufei met them under the large oak tree in front of the school every morning, and they tackled school together. They discovered that Wufei had at least one, most often two, of them in his classes and he began sitting next to them instead of alone in the corner. The only class he didn't have with them was gym, which the four of them often skipped their class just to come and watch their friend and, for now, secret love break a sweat as Wufei threw himself fully into the games. There were no more disturbances of any kind, and no one even dared come near Wufei or the others anymore, which Wufei didn't mind. Spending the amount of time as he was with Heero, Trowa, Duo, and Quatre, whether alone with one or two or all together, he dreaded the thought of someone interfering.

He generally went to their apartment after school or to 'Food Fracas' for a meal and a quick chat before rushing away home for his four o'clock lessons with his uncle. He made sure he was always on time for the lessons and tried his hardest, not wanting his uncle to punish him for slacking off or tardiness and minimizing the time he could spend with his friends. The apartment was his home away from home, a place where he could escape his routine life and have that feeling of belonging. Every time he was with them or at the apartment, he felt safe and secure, warm and loved. He knew for sure that they had felt a calling for him and truly loved him, as they didn't neccesarily even try to hide it, and he slowly opened up, being more free for hugs and closer contact, but not quite overstepping the line between friend and boyfriend quite yet. It was hovering on the edge of his mind, no doubt about it, and he basically knew he was in love with them, all of them. It had happened again in the group. Wufei felt a pull towards them, something attracting him to their presence, and after Quatre desribed the calling in detail to him one day, he was sure he felt the same thing inside him. He was simply taking his time, making sure. He didn't want to take the chance and be hurt not only once, but four times if they rejected him.

But that fear was dissapating in his mind daily, and he smiled and laughed more, enjoying playfully bantering with Duo and getting cookies from him every morning, and discussing books with Quatre, who was an excellent conversationalist. Trowa was an incredible chess player, equal to Wufei, and he was a very good listener with simple replies. Heero had these smirks and looks that just twisted Wufei inside, and the stoic boy was very protective of his group of loves, being the unofficial leader.

Wufei couldn't recall a time when he was happier than he was with these four unique boys.

Well, what'cha all think of the fourth chapter? Please review and tell me! Fifth chapter is coming out as soon as I get some reviews! And the next chapter is a big one. Something major happens...

Storm