Chapter One
"Come on Quatre, we're going to be late!"
Quatre grumbled darkly under his breath at Iria's harried yelling. He pulled on his vest and grabbed his bag before quickly exiting his room. "Bye Tousan, bye Rashid." Rashid was his father's closest friend and one of Quatre's closest confidants. Rashid was almost like a second father to him.
Quatre jumped the stairs two at a time and glared at Iria who bounced impatiently by the front door. "What's the big deal Iria? School doesn't start for ages." Iria bustled him out of the front door.
"I know, but I promised Cathy that I'd pick her and Trowa up for school for the rest of this week while her car is in the shop."
"Trowa?" Quatre had a moment to stop and look stunned then raced to the kerb and jumped in the car before Iria had moved two steps. "Iria? What are you waiting for? Get in the car. Weren't you the one who said we were going to be late?"
Iria suppressed a knowing smirk and buckled herself in. She turned the ignition and drove off.
Ten minutes later they were at her best friend's house. Catherine came running out, her hair messy and her jacket not on properly. Her arms were full of books and other school stuff and her mouth was occupied by breakfast. "See ya mum, bye dad," she called out between bites, spraying her younger brother with crumbs. He grimaced slightly then his face returned to it's impassive and mysterious norm.
/Gods, he's gorgeous,/ Quatre thought for perhaps the millionth time that week, and it was only Thursday. From inside the car, Quatre sighed lustily at the sight of the tall brunette, trying to come up with adequate adjectives to describe the perfect shade of green that Trowa's eyes were. (Or rather the eye that was visible.) As the door opened, Quatre caught himself staring and looked away, blushing slightly.
Trowa didn't notice, but Iria did. She smiled slightly then greeted Catherine cheerfully.
"Hey there Trowa," Quatre smiled nervously.
Trowa looked at him and nodded. It was the typical silent greeting that everyone got from him.
The two boys sat in silence in the back seat for the rest of the drive to school. The two seniors in front didn't notice though. Iria and Catherine gossiped more than enough to make up for the lack of sound from the back seat.
When the arrived, Trowa got out without a word and headed off to his friends, the cool crowd and the game of basketball that was in action. Quatre sighed, his dreams that he and Trowa were meant to be once again squashed under the heavy weight of reality. The link between himself and the gorgeous boy of his dreams was tenuous at best: they barely knew each other. Trowa was his sister's best friend's brother, and that's all he'd ever be to Quatre.
Both Iria and Catherine heard his melancholy sigh and stared at Quatre as he watched his crush walk off. The looked at each other and smiled. Quatre was so kawaii when he was longing for his love.
"Kitty-Kat!" Quatre barely registered the yelled nickname before he felt a huge weight glomp him.
"Ack! Duo! I need to breathe to keep living!" Quatre felt the weight leave and looked around to see the buoyant braided baka known as Duo Maxwell beaming at him.
"My, aren't we looking preppy today," Duo smirked as he eyed Quatre and his outfit up and down with his sparkling violet eyes. They started walking.
Quatre snorted. "You're one to talk. Did you rob a presbytery or something? Or are you training to be a choir boy?"
"Ha ha. Your comments somehow manage to get wittier and more humorous with time," Duo replied with evident sarcasm.
"Hey Heero!" Quatre waved to the messy haired boy as he stretched before the daily pre-school basketball game.
"Hn. Quatre. Duo." He nodded his head then moved onto the court.
"Wow, he must be in a good mood today." Duo shook his head in wonder. "Miracles will never cease. Hey Quat?"
"Hm?" Quatre was already engrossed in the game ... or at least one of the players.
"I was going to suggest we watch the game, but I guess you beat me to it." Duo settled himself down against a tree and studied the players on the court. Quatre still hadn't moved from his spot, he was mesmerised by Trowa's every sleek and graceful movement.
Duo snorted. Sure Trowa was cute in a dark, handsome and mysterious way, but Duo didn't know what Quatre saw in him beyond that. Even Duo wasn't that shallow. He leaned back, made himself more comfortable and studied the only other player of any interest to him.
Heero Yuy was a lot like Trowa Barton in many ways. They were both the strong and silent type and good athletes, qualities that endeared them to the more popular people of the school. Duo watched the Prussian eyes, spandex clad wonder and thought a bit more. Heero's deep eyes held something in them, slightly dangerous, yet exhilarating. Duo had wanted desperately to find out what it was and share it with him ever since Heero had came to the school five months ago. It would be something that tied them together, something that couldn't ever be broken.
Duo frowned as he analysed what he had just thought. /Damn. I promised I wouldn't do this to myself. He has no interest in me, so I shouldn't even bother. If I keep this up I'll be as bad as Quat./
Duo glanced over at his closest male friend. Actually, now that Wufei was gone too, he was Duo's only real male friend. /That's kind of pathetic,/ he thought wincing. The, Duo caught sight of his other two friends and smiled. /I may not have as many male friends, but I wouldn't give up those two girls for anything./
"Hilde! Relena! Over here!" The pair smiled as Duo called out and they made their way over to the two boys. "So, how are you two lovely ladies today?"
Hilde giggled. "Duo you're such a —"
"Charmer? Stud? Gorgeous hunk of —"
"Ugh!" Relena shoved him playfully. "Make me gag why don't you!"
"Oh come on. You know you were thinking it. Sorry to disappoint, but you should probably know my deepest darkest secret."
"Oh?" The two girls chorused together in unison, their right eyebrows raised as the played along. /Man, that's actually kind of creepy,/ Duo thought nervously.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah, unfortunately for you, I'm in love with the most deliciously sweet piece of ass that ever graced the earth."
"Duo, you're making me blush." Quatre winked saucily, joining in finally.
"So, you've decided to abandon your foolish desires for the unattainable Trowa Barton and sensibly feast your eyes on the magnificence that is Shinigami?" Duo raised his eyebrows suggestively and licked his lips.
Quatre leaned in close so they were nose to nose. "In. Your. Dreams," he whispered and kissed Duo's forehead.
"Every night Kitty-Kat." Duo grinned and the two burst into laughter. Relena and Hilde both looked a little red, but they joined in too. Duo and Quatre's shenanigans were a regular part of their daily lives.
Most of the school, however, wasn't used to his sort of behaviour. Heero among them. As he passed the ball to someone on the court, his eyes drifted over the four friends under the tree. As luck would have it, Heero had glanced up just as Quatre leaned in close to Duo.
From Heero's angle of view, the gesture didn't look as innocent or playful as it was in reality. Heero was so stunned that he actually stopped in the middle of the game until he saw the four of them fall over, laughing uncontrollably. He turned back to the game with a slightly puzzled look in his eyes.
The bell rang and everyone moved off to class for first period. Heero had a free period, so he decided to shoot some hoops for a while. Trowa joined him.
"Trowa?" Heero asked after they got tired of shooting and wet for a drink. "You know Quatre, right?
Trowa looked at him, curiosity and confusion in his eyes. "Sort of."
"Do you think he's gay?"
Trowa merely looked at him again. Heero met his gaze calmly, one of few people who could do that without getting nervous. "Why do you ask?"
"Just thinking about something I saw earlier." Heero grabbed the ball and dribbled.
"Him and Duo under the tree" The ball stopped bouncing on the concrete.
"Hai, are they —"
"Don't think so."
"I wouldn't know. I'm still new here." /I never would have thought it of Duo, though,/ Heero thought, bouncing the ball again,/he seems so ... I don't know, I guess I never really though about him much before./ Heero passed the ball to Trowa in an effort to get these thoughts out of his head. "One on one?"
Trowa's answer was to run around Heero and score two points.