Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Pain of Life ❯ Chapter 18

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing at all. If I did, I’d be a very happy person. However, since I am a sad individual, it must be proof that I own nothing.

Pairings: Same old, same old. Oh, though you will find 13x4. ^_^

Rating: Just R.

Author’s Note: I know, it’s been like forever hasn’t it? I figured I had better stop procrastinating and get this over with. So here’s another chapter. I'm sorry that it took so long.

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What had happened in the past had been pushed aside it seemed as two brothers sat, talked and laughed together in a small diner in downtown Manhattan. They had abandoned the ritzy place on the Upper East Side and had settled to feel a bit more comfortable in a place where they wouldn’t be snarled at. There was still an air of uncertainty, but it was also ignored. They had no time to do anything other than enjoy each other’s company. Today would be the last chance they had to make up for the years of pain.

Wufei listened intently to his older brother, who at the moment was giving a detailed description of the small farmland he had lived on before traveling here. It would seem that it was owned by their grandmother, who Wufei learned was still alive, and Duo was heading back there this evening. The older boy seemed quite excited to be returning to his first home and it left Wufei wondering if he’d ever have the chance to visit it himself.

“And, Fei.”, Duo called, starting to wind his tale down, “It has the most beautiful view of the ocean. There’s nowhere in the world more beautiful than Ireland. I can’t believe that I’m actually going back; I didn’t think I ever would. I can’t wait to see Nana again.”

Wufei smiled at his brother’s excitement, though he himself was a bit unhappy that Duo was leaving after he just found the brother he’d always wanted. He knew that there was always a chance that Duo would come back, again. It wouldn’t be soon, but he would come back. He watched Duo glance down at his wrist, the braided-man swearing before catching himself.

“Sorry.”, he apologized, Wufei only shrugging, “According to my watch, we have exactly five minutes left. Since I don’t own a cell phone and Noin has no idea where we are, I’ll have to meet her back at her office. You have to head back, too.”

Wufei watched Duo stand and he stood as well, adding a dollar to the tip pile, since Duo had paid for everything. Silence accompanied them on their way to the door and it stayed as they looked at each other outside of the restaurant. This was their final goodbye and it would seem that neither wanted to say it. Duo decided to take the honors, moving forward and resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He gave him a small smile, Wufei faltering at first but managing a smile of his own.

“I guess this is good-bye. I’d walk you home, but I’m late as it is.”

“I know my way home.”, Wufei assured him, “I can get there on my own.”

“Oh. Well. . . uh. . . I’ll see you around.”

He was ready this time and he welcomed the embrace that Wufei gave him, his arms wrapping around the younger boy. As the boy gave him a good bye, his voice showing he was trying not to cry, he pulled back smiling down into watering eyes.

“Hey, I’ll come back.”, Duo promised, “You’ll just have to give me time.”

Wufei nodded, wiping his eyes dry before he could actually begin crying. Though Duo wasn’t as violent at the sight of tears as he was before, he still found it a bit embarrassing to cry in front of him. He allowed himself to be pulled into another hug, this one shorter and he watched as Duo slowly started to go his separate way.

“Bye.”, was all he could say, Duo smiling back at him.

“Goodbye, Fei.”, his older brother told him, before hailing a cab, “I’ll write you.”

“Okay.”, was all he could say again.

As Duo waved good bye, he did the same, watching as his brother climbed into the cab. It drove off and he watched it until it turned a corner and was out of his eyesight. He then turned in the opposite direction, heading for the nearest subway. He could walk home, but that would take far too long.

Wufei opened the door to the apartment only to be greeted by Quatre’s laughter that came from the kitchen. He let the door gently close, not wanting to disturb the man if he had company and he headed for the stairs, intent on getting to his room. However, he was only partway up the steps, when Quatre called his name.

“Wufei, you’re home.”

Turning back to face him, Wufei offered him a smile, his eyes catching site of a taller, ginger-haired man in step behind him. He slowly started his way back down the stairs, his eyes connecting with brilliant blue.

“I want you to meet, Treize.”, Quatre said as Wufei reached the landing, “He just returned from his trip to Russia. Treize, this is Wufei, the one I told you about.”

“The one you won’t stop telling me about.”, Treize corrected with a smile, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Wufei.”

“Same here.”, was all the boy said as he took Treize’s hand in a hand shake, “I’m sorry I wasn’t home to welcome you.”

“No need to be.”, Treize assured him.

They were distracted by the apartment door opening and were greeted by an extra excited shriek, followed by a flash of hair that instantly attached itself to the now laughing gentleman.

“I picked up Nalini, her mom said that she was throwing a fit about seeing Pops.”, Zechs announced as he closed the door behind him.

“Papa!”

At Nalini’s loud welcome, Treize lifted her in the air, the two going on as if there was no one else in the room. It took Quatre’s plea for quiet before the two calmed down, Nalini never touching the ground as she was now held in her Papa’s arms. His eyes looked to the door where Zechs stood, tha boy's eyes watching as if he had no interest in the man’s return.

“No hello?”

“So you’re back.”, Zechs said with a shrug, “Big deal.”

He walked closer, greeted both Wufei and Quatre before he made his way past them to the stairs. He was stopped however, by the call of his name and he looked back to Treize, the boy trying to hold back a smile. As the man put Nalini back to standing on her feet, Zechs returned to give him a hug, pulling away to rub at his abused skull that had received a knock to the side of it.

“Okay, okay. I thought I was free from abuse.”, Zechs said with a laugh.

“That wasn’t abuse. It was a mild reminder that you’re an idiot.”

“Now I’m getting verbal abuse?”, Zechs asked, avoiding another tap to the side of his head, “So what did you get me? Something shiny I hope.”

Treize rolled his eyes as Quatre gave a scoff. It wasn’t a surprise that Zechs’ mind was on the souvenirs; he always was more interested in that most. Leading them all to the living area, Treize seated himself on the single chair, pulling his husband to sit on his lap; the two ignoring Zechs gag as they shared a brief kiss.

“Come on, enough old geezer love!”, Zechs cried, receiving glares from both adoptive parents, “We want gifts! We want gifts!”

He was able to drag Nalini into chanting with him, Wufei only watching the two as if they were crazy. He had thought that Zechs was childish; he didn’t know that he was an actual child. At Quatre's demand for quiet, the two fell silent, eagerly waiting as Treize took to opening a small suitcase.

“I believe I shall start with Nalini.”, he said pulling out a box in wrapping paper, “She is my favorite daughter after all.”

“She’s your only daughter.”, Quatre corrected, Zechs scoffing.

“Actually she’s not really his daughter, you know.”

He objected loudly as Wufei’s foot connected painfully with his leg, Quatre thanking the ebony haired boy for his assistance. With a scowl set on his face, Zechs let his attention fall once again to Nalini who was busying herself with ripping off the wrapping paper. As she finally made it to a cardboard box, she hurriedly opened it, her eyes widening as she found what was inside. Her squeal of happiness was all they needed to know she liked her gift before she was joining Quatre on Treize’s lap, hugging the man with her new porcelain doll in hand.

“Thank you, Papa! Thank you!”, she cried happily, jumping down to show Wufei the doll, “Lookie, Wuffie! Papa got me a new dolly!”

Wufei barely had time to say anything to her before she was squealing again, running off to her room to go and play. They jumped as the door slammed closed and their attention returned back to each other. However, the door to Nalini’s room opened and from the top of the stairs, they heard the girl shouting.

“I love you, Papa! Oh yeah, I love you too, Daddy!”

They flinched as the door was slammed again, Treize looking to Zechs as Nalini’s muffled laughs were heard from upstairs.

“So, what did you get for me?”, Zechs asked impatiently, “Come on, I want to know.”

“Fine.”, Treize said reaching into the suitcase instead, “Here you go, brat.”

Zechs mouth fell open as he was handed a small box, looking back to the ginger-haired man with a disappointed face. Treize knew that whining and complaining was bound to come, so he held up a hand to stop it early.

“Open it first.”

With a scoff, Zechs opened the box halfheartedly, a scowl on his face. He frowned as he pulled out a small guitar pick, looking to his father with an annoyed look.

“A pick?”, he asked, Treize shrugging, “Honestly Pops, you couldn’t do better than this?”

“I figured you could use it.”

“On what?”, Zechs asked incredulously, “It’s not like a have an electric guitar to-”

He stopped short as Treize gave him a smile, his eyes looking back to the pick before rising to the man again. He then looked to Quatre, the blond man only shrugging. Then it hit him.

“No fucking way.”, he muttered, standing from his place on the floor, “You didn’t!”

Wufei watched as Zechs took off, heading up the stairs. His footsteps could be heard running to the music room. They waited as the door opened, hearing nothing from the older boy for a long while; then it happened.

“No fucking way!”, Zechs’ voice repeated, his footsteps running back, “You got me a guitar!”

He ran halfway down the steps, new guitar in hand, his face showing his excitement as he looked back to the two men he knew as his parents.

“Did I get anything else?”, he asked, the two men groaning.

Leave it to Zechs to want more after getting the most expensive gift out of them all.

“Go away.”, was all Treize told him and Zechs scoffed.

He mumbled under his breath as he headed back up the stairs, his disappointment plainly shown on his face. Not that he wasn’t happy he received the guitar, he was thrilled, he just also wished he at least got more. He stopped on the stairs again, looking to the ginger-haired man.

“Not even an amp?”, he asked.

“It’s in your room.”, Treize told him.

With those words Zechs ran up the stairs, the two men laughing as the teen’s excited shouts and whoops echoed down the stairs. With two children out of the way that only left. . .

“Wufei.”

At the call of his name, Wufei looked up to Treize, the man standing as he now held a box in his hand. He wasn’t expecting a gift; he didn’t think that he deserved one. He had only met Treize today.

“I-”

“Here.”, Treize said, cutting him off, “This is for you.”

Hesitantly taking the box, Wufei looked to Quatre, who wordlessly urged him to open it. He looked down to it, not quite sure what to expect. Slowly he opened the box, his hand moving tissue paper out of the way to reveal white fabric. He lifted it out of the package, his eyes widening as he recognized it to be a Chinese traditional suit. The box held another, this one red with gold trimming. He was speechless as he looked back up to Treize, the man sitting beside him on the couch.

“Why?’, he finally asked, now removing the red suit from the box.

“Quatre me told that you have grown out of your old one.”, Treize answered in a matter of fact tone, “I thought you could use these. The red I bought to remind you to stop mourning and the white for you only to wear on the anniversary of your mother’s death.”

He looked to the white suit, letting his fingers feel the silk. He had worn his other suit almost everyday, that is until it began to get too small. Now it had been replaced and he was only allowed to wear it once a year.

“I don’t deserve this.”, he finally said, replacing the suits and closing the box. He held it out for Treize, the man only gently resting it back onto Wufei’s lap.

“It’s my gift to you, my welcome.”, he explained, “You’re a part of this family now, Wufei. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Quatre, who had made it to the two on the couch, rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder to comfort him. He wasn’t sure if the boy needed comfort, he also hoped that it was assurance that Wufei was here to stay. They wanted him to stay. Opening the box again, Wufei smiled as he looked down at the red suit before his smile was directed at Treize.

“Am I to get married then?”, he asked holding it up, the man laughing.

“No, that you would wear tomorrow night at dinner. Red’s the color of celebration as well you know.”

Wufei smiled, replacing the suit before he leaned toward Treize to give the man an embrace. It had shocked him for only a moment, before he was hugging the boy as well, returning the smile that Quatre was giving him. As they pulled away he urged Wufei to stand.

“Go on.”, he said shooing him in the direction of the stairs, “Go try it on.”

“Thank you.”

With that said, Wufei did as was told; the two men watching him disappear. Turning to his lover, Quatre seated himself on the couch, his arms wrapping around him.

“And where’s my gift?”, he asked, receiving a kiss that he gladly accepted.

“Your gift you will receive later on tonight.”, Treize told him with a smile, “After Nalini is taken home and our two boys are out of the house. I’ve been waiting for months to give it to you.”

Quatre chuckled at the words, his lips connecting with Treize’s, showing his lover that he was just as eager to receive his gift as the man was in giving it.

“Hey guys, can you wait until after we’re gone to start the dirty talk?”, Zechs’ voice asked from the top of the stairs, “We’d like to keep our sanity.”

Quatre scoffed, snuggling closer to his husband as the man wrapped his arms tighter around him.

“I told him that he listens too hard.”, Quatre said, Treize only chuckling.

“No I don’t!”

At Zechs’ voice, Quatre sighed, not bothering to shout an answer back. All he had to do was wait for seven o’ clock. Then the house would be empty and he and Treize would be able to gain some time alone.

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Wufei watched impatiently as Zechs preened himself in front of the mirror for what had to be the one hundredth time. He had already assured the boy that he looked fine, but Zechs had insisted that fine wasn’t good enough. He had to look damned sexy. Wufei had only rolled his eyes, returning to getting himself ready. They were awaiting Trowa’s arrival, since the boy had to head back into Queens to borrow his mother’s car. Wufei stood to examine himself without the mirror, since Zechs was hogging it and he smiled in satisfaction. He had managed to let Zechs talk him into buying a pair of black jeans that “hugged him in the right places”, or at least that’s what the older boy had told him.

The shirt was also Zechs’ idea, the black t-shirt holding a red design of a dragon. Wufei had found that for a t-shirt it was a bit tight, but his new fashion advisor had informed him that he was hot. If that was true, then it meant that Trowa would like it and if Trowa liked it as much as Zechs had, he would most definitely be able to get some long deserved action tonight.

“Okay, I need an honest opinion.”, Zechs said, finally stepping away from the mirror, “Should I keep the leather pants or lose them? And if I keep them does the shirt go? Hair in a tail or out? And am I sexy or what?”

“The pants look good so keep them and the shirt as well. Hair stays out and if by sexy you mean you look like a grade ‘A’ slut then kudos, you fit the bill.”

“Flattery will get you no where.”, Zechs said returning to the mirror, Wufei only groaning as he began praising himself.

The doorbell caught his attention and Wufei stood from his bed to make it out of the bedroom door.

“That could be Trowa.”, he pointed out, noting that Zechs hadn’t heard.

Turning away he headed out of the room, leaving the idiot behind.

“You’re so narcissistic.”, he mumbled as he left.

“And still you love me.”

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Trowa was surprised when he was greeted at the door by a man he did not recognize. He could only stop and wonder if he had come to the right apartment. A quick look to the number on the door confirmed that he rang the right doorbell and he returned his attention to the man in front of him.

“Uh. . . hi. Is Wufei home?”

Watching as the sharp blue eyes studied him for a bit longer, Trowa sighed in relief when he moved to the side to let him in.

“Wufei, you have a visitor.”

As Trowa stepped in, the door closed behind him, his nervousness growing as he heard the lock fall into place. He shrank under the man’s gaze as he took to standing beside him as the boy waited for Wufei to descend the steps. At his boyfriend’s sudden appearance he felt relieved.

“Hey.”, Wufei greeted.

He would have given his boyfriend a hug and a kiss, but he watched Trowa take a step back as he took a step forward. His eyes then looked to Treize, who watched on intently, obviously wanting to know who Trowa was and why he was here.

“Uh. . . Trowa, I’d like you to meet my dad. Well, my other dad. Treize, this is Trowa.”

As Treize opened his mouth to speak, Zechs took that moment to finally come down the stairs.

“Is everyone ready to go?”, he asked, a grin on his face, “I’m ready to party!”

“Party?”, Treize asked, his arms crossing, “What party?”

“Didn’t dad tell you?”, Zechs asked him, the man frowning, “He said we could go if we dropped Nalini home first.”

Treize’s eyes narrowed suspiciously on his eldest son. Zechs had given him the “Dad said I can go” line before. Now Wufei was involved and he wasn’t so sure if he could trust the boy in Zechs’ company. Not that he didn’t love the boy; he just knew what he was capable of. His eyes then narrowed to Trowa, who visibly stiffened under his gaze. He didn’t much trust him either.

“You’re not going.”, was Treize’s next words and he said them with finality.

“Oh, come on!”, Zechs whined, his face clearly showing his disapproval of the decision, “Dad said we could go. I’m going to that party!”

“I. Said. No. And that’s final.”

Turning to the stairwell, Zechs stormed off in its direction, looking up as he stood at the bottom of it.

“Dad!”

If Wufei hadn’t known that it was only coincidence that had Quatre appeared on the steps at exactly that moment to escort Nalini down, he would have thought the man was actually answering the boy’s beckoning.

“What is it, Zechs?”, Quatre asked, leading a sulking five year old down the steps.

“Pops said we can't go to the party!”, the boy exclaimed, following the blond man as he walked in the direction of the door, “Even after I said that you gave us permission. He’s being unfair!”

With a sigh, Quatre rested Nalini’s backpack down, rubbing the side of his temples for relief. He had just finished calming Nalini down from a temper tantrum brought on by her having to leave her Papa and go home. He did not have the strength to deal with Zechs’ whining brat routine. The boy could be worse than Nalini when he wanted to be. Looking to his husband, Quatre gave him a pleading look.

“Honey, I said they can go. Please, just let them go and have fun.”

“They can have fun at home.”

It didn’t help his oncoming headache that Treize could be as stubborn as the kids.

“I promised them that they could go.”, Quatre explained, “Just this one time. They’ll come home safely. Trowa’s driving them, he can be trusted.”

“How can you be so sure?”, his husband asked him, blue eyes focused on the Latino.

“He’s Wufei’s boyfriend.”, Quatre revealed, Treize’s eyes looking to the youngest of the three teenagers, “He’s taken him places before and returned him in one piece. You have nothing to worry about.”

Treize studied the three boys for a few moments longer before he finally gave in. He would let them go, but he wouldn’t be happy about it. They also had to follow a few rules while they were away.

“Fine.”, he announced, Zechs cheering, “However, there are rules.”

“What!”

At Zechs question, Treize narrowed his eyes on him, the boy glowering back at him.

“You heard me.”

“Fine. What are the rules?”, Zechs asked, giving in.

“To start off, there will be a curfew.”, Treize announced, stopping Zechs before he could complain, “I want you in by one, one thirty the latest. There will be no drugs and there will be no drinking. I want you two in each other’s sight at all times and there will be no sex whatsoever.”

The last line was directed to both Wufei and Trowa, the taller of the two nodding as Wufei blushed in embarrassment. Zechs’ complaining was ignored and Treize held out his hand, Zechs glaring at him as the man silently demanded something over.

“Milliardo, give them to me.”, was all he said.

The use of his given name meant that Treize was serious. Zechs stubbornly held out for a few more minutes before he was given the look that promised a month’s worth of being grounded if he didn’t do as told. Mumbling under his breath, he pulled out a chain of foil packets from his pocket, depositing them into Treize’s hand. The man then turned to Trowa, who obediently gave up his own foil packet with a flush of embarrassment on his face.

“Are you happy now?”, Zechs asked, his voice hinting that he himself was far from it.

“Thrilled.”, the ginger-haired man answered sarcastically.

He let Quatre take the packets away from him, the older blond frowning at the amount that Zechs had planned on taking. He knew that these were most likely only some of what his son was carrying, meaning that Treize’s “no sex” rule was going to be ignored. He wasn’t happy, but at least the boy was practicing safe sex.

“Can we go now?”, Zechs asked impatiently, having been speaking for all three of them.

The other two were too nervous to talk, since it seemed that Treize had his eyes mostly on them. For a man he had only met earlier this evening, he had gotten protective of the young Chinese boy very quickly.

“Go.”, was Treize’s single order and Zechs rushed to the door, “Remember that you drop Nalini off first and you get in by twelve thirty.”

“You said one!”, Zechs cried, his father frowning.

“I can make it eleven if you’d like.”, Treize threatened.

“Fine!”

Grabbing Nalini’s backpack up from the floor, Zechs stormed out of the door, leaving the rest behind. As Nalini bid her fathers goodbye, she took hold of Wufei and Trowa’s hands, leading them to the door. Trowa was glad to be leaving, aware of Treize’s eyes on his back as he left. As they finally closed the door behind them, Quatre turned to his husband, an eyebrow raised in question at the man’s behavior.

“What?”, Treize asked innocently, Quatre only scoffing.

“You know exactly what.”, was all Quatre said before walking away.

“At least I let them go.”, Treize said in his defense watching his lover ignore him as he walked to the stairs, “I could have let them stay home.”

“And then you and I wouldn’t be alone.”, Quatre reminded him, looking over his shoulder to the still scowling man.

At the familiar look in Quatre’s eyes, Treize watched as his blond lover silently urged him to follow as he headed for the stairs. He had forgotten that he and Quatre had wanted them to leave. As his husband beckoned him with a finger, he obediently followed. He had gone months without his small lover and he remembered promising to give him a gift earlier, one that Quatre was now making quite clear that he was ready to receive.

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"Can you believe we actually have a curfew!", Zechs ranted, scowling in the back seat of the car.

They had long dropped off Nalini and were now headed to the party. Trowa was still a bit shaken by the stares Wufei's new father had given him and he ignored Zechs as best as he could. Wufei only scoffed, looking to the back seat where Zechs was still sulking.

"At least he let us go.", he reminded him, "Be gateful for that much."

Zechs scoffed himself with a roll of his eyes, before he was smiling again, his mood switching.

"I can't wait to get there.", he announced, with a whoop, "I'm going to get me some well deserved ass. Oh, hold on."

Wufei stumbled in catching what was thrown at him and he stared in wide-eyed disbelief at the box of condoms that now sat in his hands. Where on earth had Zechs been hiding these? Trowa chanced looking to what Zechs had thrown and he grew even more nervous than he already was.

"Didn't your dad say that sex was out of the question?"

"He also said that I couldn't get a tattoo and that didn't stop me.", Zechs muttered.

Wufei looked to him in shock, his face frowning in disbelief.

"You have a tattoo?"

Zechs shifted, pulling the hem of his pants down to show the beginning of black and red angel wings on the small of his back with pride.

"When the hell did you get that?", Wufei asked, unconciously pocketing the condoms.

Zechs only smiled at him, knowing that he would never tell, and he leaned back into the seat.

"You want one?", he asked.

The car swerved and the two looked to Trowa, who seemed about ready to faint.

"Tro, you okay?", Wufei asked.

"You can not get a tattoo.", the Latin teen told him with a shake of his head, "Your dad would kill me."

Zechs was unable to stop himself from laughing and Wufei smiled himself, reaching out to rest a hand on Trowa's shoulder. If Treize had wanted to scare Trowa, it had worked. Hopefully it didn't mean that he'd neglect giving Wufei what they were going to the party for.

"You're so whipped, man.", Zechs laughed, nudging Trowa's shoulder, "My old man's got you scared shitless. He's all talk, don't let him get to you."

Trowa relaxed just a bit and Wufei squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Come on, Trowa, drive faster!", Zechs urged, "I want to get there before the booze is gone."

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A couple of cars behind them, Heero followed in his own beat up civic, something he had managed to borrow from a friend. Well, not really a friend per say, more of an aquaintance. Okay, he had stolen it, but he intended to put it right back where he found it. As Trowa's car began to exit off of the freeway he followed, sure to keep a good distance away. When they all had reached their final destination, he had to find a way to get Wufei alone. He and Duo's brother had some catching up to do.

T.B.C.

Oh, you hate me don't you? It takes me years to update this damn thing and when I finally do, it's still not done. Don't worry, it'll be finished with another chapter and a prologue. I have every intention of finishing this and I apologize for taking so damn long. I'll see you in the next chapter, where I give you a lemon to make up for all the waiting. Okay, so maybe just a lime. -_-' Until next time.