Chapter Four

"Hey, Quat! Kitty-Kat! Yo, Q-man! Hello-o? Yoo-hoo, Quat-man-du?"

"Huh?" Only the last statement caught the yawning boy's attention. "Nani? Duo? What did you call me?" Quatre was feeling fuzzy minded, but he was fairly sure he heard Duo call him yet another absurd name.

"Uh, nothing, just wanted to grab your attention."

"Consider it grabbed. So what did you want?" Quatre tried to soften the snap in his voice, to little avail it seemed as Duo still flinched at his tone. "Gomen. I'm kind of tired."

"What did you do last night" Duo asked in a sly voice. "Or should I be asking *who*?"

"Duo!" Quatre raised himself into a sitting position and lightly punched his friend on the arm. Duo laughed at the feeble attempt of the exhausted boy. Quatre decided to satisfy his anger by merely poking his tongue out then pouting. "That was mean," he snarled adorably and snuggled his way back into his former position of using Duo's abdomen as a pillow. Duo, leaning back against their usual tree, put an arm around the dozing angel and held him closer.

"Sorry Quat, I couldn't resist." They sat in a contented silence for a while, golden red leaves falling gently around them and adding to the serenity of the scene.

"Hey Duo? Quatre asked, remembering something. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Doesn't really matter."

"Can't remember ne?" Quatre smiled and Duo laughed at himself.

"You know me too well Kitty-Kat." There was another contented silence as the two of them watched the game before them and the usual comings and goings of the other students. Relena and Hilde waved at them from the other side of the grounds, but didn't come over, being occupied by playground gossips.

"I think this has got to be a record for you."

"Hm?" Quatre interrupted Duo's daydream about a certain Japanese spandex wearing basketball player. "What do you mean Quat?"

"I mean, I've never seen you stay silent for this long before. If it goes on any longer I'd think you were sick, or possessed by an alien or something."

"Oh? Is that so? Well, let me ask you something. How long do you think you'll last after I start to do this!" Without warning Duo twisted his friend around, jumped on top of him and started tickling him mercilessly.

Quatre squirmed incessantly, trying not to open his mouth and give Duo the satisfaction of winning, but very soon after the braided boy had started on his blond friend he had the great pleasure of seeing his friend laughing out loud writhing beneath him, tears streaming down his face.

"Duo, no please … stop! … Come on … stop! … Please?!" Quatre kept repeating this between chortling laughs and huge gasps of breath until Duo finally stopped and let the smaller boy finally catch his breath.

Quatre panted loudly, gulping in air. "You … are … so … evil."

Duo smirked. "I know." He pounced on his friend again, giving Quatre little time to recover from his last onslaught. Neither noticed the people nearby looking at them in amusement.

Trowa turned his attention back to the game with a small smile on his face, however, he was distracted again by the arrival of Heero. Trowa walked over to him and someone else took his place on the court. "Heero? You okay?" He didn't look it. His hair was even more wild than usual and his eyes were slightly red, he looked like he hadn't slept very well.

"Hn," Heero grunted in reply, not even bothering to look up at his friend. He tried to push past Trowa, but noticed something out of the corner of his eye: Quatre lying comfortably once more on Duo's abdomen. Heero's eyes narrowed at the sight. "I've gotta go do something," he said coldly and walked off, not caring that this was the first game he'd missed since coming to this school.

"What was that about?" Odin came over to Trowa after seeing Heero walk away.

"I don't know." Odin shrugged at his answer and turned back to his bottle of water. Trowa was still staring after Heero worriedly.

"Fucking fags." Trowa whirled around in surprise and anger at the obscenity to see Odin glaring at the peaceful tableau of Quatre sleeping on Duo's stomach. "They're pathetic and disgusting."

Trowa got a bit angry. Duo and Quatre were none of his business. "Why should it bother you?"

"It should bother any normal person." Odin started to move over to them, but was halted by a restraining hand resting firmly on his arm. He glared at Trowa. "What's your problem?"

"Leave them alone Odin, they're just good friends."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Now back off."

Odin smirked. "Fine. They'll get what's coming to them eventually."

Trowa ignored the threat. "What did they ever do to you?"

"Maxwell's filth, you know how much I can't stand him. For that reason alone I'll get him. Now, the innocent angelic Quatre? What could anyone possibly have against him?" Trowa snarled at the sarcasm dripping from Odin's words. Odin smirked again. "You think he's really an angel? You think you know him Trowa? I know something about him that would you away in disgust, just wait, he'll get what he deserves just because of who he is."

"Odin," Trowa growled. "I'm telling you right now to back off, or do you think you can take me in a fight?" Trowa merely glared and Odin took a few steps back.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you about the angel, you can deal with your discoveries by yourself." Odin flashed Trowa that smirk again and moved back onto the court, ignoring the glare that Trowa still sent his way.

/Why would he turn against Quatre? I know that he doesn't like Duo, but why should Odin hate Quat? He's such a nice guy and not too bad to be around./ Trowa shifted his gaze to the sleeping beauty. /What exactly did Odin mean? Are they really …? They could be, but really, why should that bother him, or anyone for that matter? How could anyone think of hurting them in any way? Odin's just an asshole, why do I even hang with him?/ Trowa watched as Duo gently brushed Quatre's pale blond fringe from his eyes and couldn't help the small smile that came to his face. /They look so happy and at peace. It shouldn't matter what their relationship is, Quatre's too beautiful and nice to be scorned. He deserves his happiness./ Trowa didn't wonder about what his last thought could imply, just at how true it seemed.

He turned back to the game, but was distracted again by Heero, who had returned and was now standing in the shadow of a tree nearby. Trowa walked over to him again, feeling unusually persistent. "Heero, you really should tell someone what's wrong."

Heero glanced at him. "It's not your business Barton."

"I'm making it mine. You've been acting weird all morning, what is it?" Trowa looked closely at his friend, who didn't answer. "Fine, I'll guess." Trowa thought about Heero's actions over the last few days. He'd started acting a bit strange yesterday. Trowa looked around and spotted the tableau again. "Don't tell me you have something against them too!" /First Odin, now Heero. What is everyone's problem?!/ Trowa was quickly getting fed up with all of this.

Heero looked away guiltily, knowing exactly who Trowa was talking about. "Iie, I don't really have a problem if they're …"

"Friends? Heero … Duo and Quatre have been really close friends since kindergarten. Am I the only one who pays attention or even cares about these things?" Trowa was definitely agitated, his voice was still quiet, but his monotone had been replaced by a cadence of frustration.

"Trowa, you have to admit, it does look a bit suspicious. The way the act around each other and everyone else —"

"Doesn't prove a thing and shouldn't matter anyway. Why do you care?" Trowa watched curiously as Heero looked away again, slightly flushed. /This is unusual. Heero's normally so composed./ "Heero? What's wrong?"

"Trowa, you really don't care about that sort of thing?"

"No. Why?"

"Because I think I —" Heero was cut off by the first bell.

"You what?" Trowa grabbed Heero's arm before he could run away from him. "Heero, tell me."

"I …" Heero turned away. "Iie, I can't. Not yet." He pulled his arm from Trowa's grip and walked off, his stoic composure back in place.

Trowa sighed. "This is what happens when I try to talk," he muttered sourly. He walked back to the court to grab his bag, not noticing the pair of violet eyes that had watched the exchange between the two boys.

"I wonder what's up?" Duo murmured to himself.

"Hmm?" Quatre asked sleepily. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing Quat. Go back to sleep. We don't have class until next period."

"'Kay." Quatre closed his eyes then sat up and opened them wide again. "Iie! I told Mr. Weaver I'd help him with something this period. Gomen Duo, I gotta go." Quatre leapt up and dashed off.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" Duo sat thinking for a while before the sound of a basketball bouncing on the asphalt court in front of him finally registered. Duo looked up and saw that oh-so-familiar weaving his way gracefully down the court alone.

His decision made, Duo got up and walked over to Heero. "Hey."

Heero looked up at him then finished the shot he'd lined up. Grabbing the ball after it fell through the hoop, he passed it to Duo. "Ready for that game?"

Duo grinned and rolled up his sleeves. "Sure." And he was off flying.

After twenty minutes and a surprisingly minor win by Heero, both boys sat in the middle of the court, panting and gulping down water.

"You're really good," Heero commented Duo admiringly once he had finally gotten his breath back. "No one but Trowa has ever given me that good a work out before."

"Thanks." Duo finished off his first bottle of water and groaned, thinking he would have to get up. Then he smiled as an idea came to him. "Hey Hee-chan? Could you pretty please go get my bag for me?" Duo gave his companion his best puppy-dog eyes.

Heero's own eyes widened at the nickname and was about to refuse his request when the full force of the adorable eyes hit him. /Hee-chan?/ he thought as he grabbed both of their bags. /I'll have to get him back for that one. Although, I really don't mind him calling me that. It fits. But *only* him. I'll kill anyone else who calls me that./ "Here." he handed Duo his bag.

"Thanks Hee-chan. You know," Duo started before Heero could tell him off, "you really should take this as a compliment. You were so good that I'm too exhausted to move." Duo grinned as Heero choked on his water when he heard that last comment. The implied meaning behind it coupled with his recurring thoughts from last night had Heero gasping for air. "You okay Hee-chan?" Duo asked with a glint, knowing exactly why he was choking.

"I'm fine. And don't call me that."

"Sure thing, Hee-ro." Duo drawled the name out annoyingly.

Heero glowered. "Your friend Relena used to say my name like that when I first got here. It was quite annoying. She used to follow me around calling my name and never give me any peace."

Duo grinned. "I know. She used to do it to make Dorothy jealous. Dorothy got the hint after a month, that's why she stopped." /I probably don't want to know,/ Heero thought and shook his head at the idiocy of some girls as Duo got a second bottle of water out of his bag. Unnoticed by Duo, a small piece of paper fell out as he retrieved the bottle. Heero picked it up and started to read what was on it.

"Solo Maxwell." Duo's head shot up at the mention of the name. "What's this?" Heero was stunned as Duo snatched the article from his hand and shoved it in his bag along with his water. Duo didn't bother to say anything before he got up and ran off.

/Damn, not again. I'm not letting him do this again./ Heero grabbed his stuff and chased after him, finally maneuvering and cornering Duo in a bathroom.

Duo slumped his shoulders in defeat when he realised he was trapped and turned to face Heero. "What do you want?"

"Why did you run off?"

"Why are you so interested in me all of a sudden?" Duo shot back, his normally happy-go-lucky facade gone and replaced with anger. "Why is the great Heero Yuy interested in *me* all of a sudden?"

Heero had no answer for that. /Why am I so interested?/ he asked himself half-heartedly. He already knew the answer to that. His memories of last night showed him exactly why he was so interested in Duo. Instead of answering the question, Heero opted to glare at Duo trying desperately to ignore the thoughts flashing through his head.

Duo snarled. "Fine, be like that, run away from the question."

"Like you do?"

"Look Heero, I'm seriously starting to get fed up with this. You're acting too strange for me to deal with properly, so until you figure out exactly what your problem is and what the deal is between us, I won't be seeing you again." Duo started to walk past him, but was halted by Heero's hand on his arm.

Before he could o or say anything, Duo felt Heero's lips covering his own in a passionate kiss.