Author: aomurasakiai
Warnings: Cross dressing, Shounen ai, Fluff, Sap, Angst, AU, OOC-ness
Pairings: 1+2+1
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13
*Everything above may be
subject to change*
Twirling his pen around his finger, Duo glanced sideways for the umpteenth time at Aiko who sat next to him. So far, in four out of six classes, the teachers had placed her beside him. It seemed quite intentional, now that the braided boy thought about it. He remembered back in History class; Leiko-san was moved from her seat adjacent to him towards the back so that Aiko was able to sit beside Duo. It also happened in this class as well, with Mika-san.
//Strange…//
Judging from this pattern, it was likely that Aiko would be placed next to him in their remaining two classes together as well. Just what were the teachers thinking anyway? It was as if they *wanted* to torture him!
Heero peered at the human beside him out of the corner of his eye and caught Duo looking at him, *again*. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance. This was starting to get old. Just what was he staring at?!
"Nani?" he whispered in irritation to the braided teen. Duo jerked up guiltily and a faint blush spread over his cheeks.
"No-nothing. Gomen," he said in embarrassment, before turning his attention to the front again. Heero half-glared at him for a moment longer before facing the teacher as well.
Finally the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch. Almost immediately the noise started as students filed out into the hallways, chatting with their friends. Duo and Aiko followed suit but were silent until Duo turned to the shorter girl and smiled.
"Ne, are you hungry Aiko-san? You want me to show you where the cafeteria is?" Heero blinked.
//Hungry?// He shook his head despite his incomprehension of the word and walked away, leaving the surprised teen behind. Duo raised his hand, wanting to chase after Aiko but stopped before he called out her name. If she wasn't hungry then he couldn't force her to eat.
Heero strode swiftly down the hallway and turned upon coming to a staircase. He was quite familiar with the Moriyama High School and knew that the stairs would take him to the roof. At least he could do a quick check on his Vigil Sphere up there. Reaching the top, he glanced around. There was a stonewall surrounding the roof's perimeter, that reached up to his waist. A tall, chain link fence had been built on top of the wall for further protection against accidents.
"Perfect," he whispered after making sure he saw absolutely no one. However, just to play it safe he closed the metal door and locked it securely so nobody could open it from the inside. Turning from the door, he waved his arm in front of his body and his white apparel replaced the female uniform. Holding his hands out, palm up, he closed his eyes briefly as the Vigil Sphere appeared above them. Lowering his hands to his side, Heero watched as the Vigil Sphere provided him with various still pictures of Japan. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary and so with a quick sweep of his hand, it disappeared.
Changing back into his uniform he walked towards the fence. Down on the school campus, near the cafeteria, he saw the familiar chestnut braid swinging in the strong breeze. Staring at the laughing boy, Heero lifted his hand to the fence and loosely grabbed onto the chain links. He murmured the reason he was down there on Earth in the first place.
"Duo."
The said boy suddenly stopped laughing and looked up.
"Ne Duo-kun? What's wrong?" Mika asked. Duo merely laughed again.
"Nan demo nai. Don't worry about it!" he said, biting into his sandwich while still glancing upward inconspicuously. It was then that he spotted someone on the roof. Someone… a girl…? Nearly choking on his mouthful, he stood up quickly.
"Duo-kun?"
"Be right back!" he blurted, a hand over his mouth. He grabbed his lunch bag and backpack and all but sprinted across campus.
"K'so," Heero cursed to himself quietly. He pivoted on his heel, inwardly glad that he'd thought of changing his clothes back and made his way to the metal door. Unlocking it, he quickly made his way down the stairs. But about a floor down, he heard the thumping of hurrying footsteps below and he knew it must be the braided American. Slowing his pace, he waited as the braided teen came into view, panting.
"H… Hi. I thought… it was you," he said with a smile, still catching his breath.
"Aa," Heero nodded. He waited but the other boy didn't continue, nor did he make a move up or down the stairs. The unruly haired teen tilted his head to the second, asking the silent question, 'what?' Violet eyes blinked in understanding and then sparkled as a grin stretched thin lips. Duo held up his lunch bag.
"Are you hungry? I still have an extra sandwich if you want it," he said, still grinning. Heero blinked once again at the word. Sure he knew that being "hungry" meant that humans must consume something to satisfy and fuel their bodies' needs, but he never exactly had the feeling of hunger before.
"Iie I'm not," he said, hoping that Duo would accept his answer this time. But the violet-eyed boy frowned.
"But it's not healthy to skip any meals, even though you're not hungry." Duo reached into the bag and pulled out the second uneaten sandwich wrapped in foil. Unwrapping it and taking a napkin, he gently ripped it in half and handed the piece to Heero.
"Here Aiko-san," he said, the smile back on his face. The guardian angel hesitated. It was already bad enough that he was on Earth, where it was forbidden for *any* guardian angel to go. Guardian angels were expected to perform their duties in the sky because it was considered "going against destiny" if they interacted with the humans.
Heero sighed, exasperated in his mind. It wasn't like he could do anything to make Duo forget about him now; he was already in hot water when he'd sat next the braided teen that morning… probably even before that.
"Arigato," he said while taking the half sandwich from the other. Duo's smile, if it was possible, brightened even more and he took a couple of steps up before stopping.
"Ne Aiko-san? Let's eat on the roof. It's a nice day out," the American said hopefully and picked up his pace. Heero just watched the swinging braid for a moment before following suit. Upon reaching the top, Duo had already found a place to sit on the low wall and was leaning his back against the fence. Heero just stood a few feet away, silently chewing on Duo's sandwich and once again feeling violet eyes fixed upon him.
Duo smiled as he gazed upon the Japanese girl. She had a kind of tomboyish look but even that couldn't hide the radiance that Duo continued to see. There was just something about her… something beautiful, yet mysterious that attracted him. Aiko was a girl of very few words, hardly like any of the other girls he'd met so far in his life. All day long, she hadn't even tried to make friends, despite the *whole* school walking up to her, finding any excuse just to talk. Instead she'd just stayed with him most of the time.
The butterflies in Duo's stomach fluttered at the thought.
//Why me?//
"So Aiko-san, how do you like Moriyama so far?" he asked. The said girl paused in her eating before answering quietly.
"Aa. It's… acceptable." Duo blinked at the strange answer.
"Well uh, did you transfer here from a different school?" This time Heero hesitated a little longer before answering.
"Hai."
"Really? From which school?" The guardian angel pushed himself from the wall.
"Lunch is over. We must get to class," Heero said, avoiding the question, right before the bell rang. Duo blinked again, this time in surprise.
"Aa… right." Duo got off the wall and although still confused at Aiko's answers… or rather the lack of, he led the way back downstairs to their next class, which was Art. They both walked side-by-side down the hall to the art department and into Ayame-sensei's class. The said teacher looked up and waved in greeting. Duo gestured the girl next to him.
"Ayame-sensei, this is Aiko-san." The young woman smiled kindly.
"Hajimemashite, Aiko-san."
"Yoroshiku."
"So kind of you Maxwell-kun to help Aiko-san find her way here," Ayame-sensei continued happily. She softly clapped her hands together. "Since you two know each other already, why don't you sit together, ne? You have an empty seat next to you, Maxwell-kun, if I remember correctly."
Duo stood there, slightly shocked. That would be *five* out of six classes!
"That's settled then. Maxwell-kun will show you to your seat." Duo glanced over at Aiko, who nodded in agreement. He managed a smile, albeit a nervous one, and led the disguised guardian angel to the back of the class. They sat down as the other students began filing into the room. There were some people sitting around them who noticed a new face. They waved politely and Heero just nodded slightly to acknowledge them.
The butterflies in Duo's stomach fluttered once again as he watched the interaction between his friends and Aiko. When the girl turned to look at him inquiringly, he just smiled, glad to be the one who knew her and could introduce her to his friends.
"Ok, as some of you know we have a new student in the class. Stand up please Aiko-san." Heero resisted the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance and stood. He clenched his hands as he felt all the eyes in the room watching him closely.
"She is Aiko Kohana and will be in our class starting today, so please give her a warm welcome." Heero quickly sat back down as everyone started to clap for him. He despised being the center of attention.
"Now today I'm going to give you your semester project that your grade will mostly be based on. Even though it isn't due for another 4 months, don't procrastinate. Do your best," Ayame-sensei said while handing out the said project. Once Duo got one, he glanced over it quickly and smiled. It was a full body portrait on a person of his choice. Duo just grinned some more, ideas were already forming in his mind, all of them in regards to a *certain* person.
Heero set the paper he received aside without looking at it. It wasn't like he was going to do the project anyway because once he discovered the mystery of Duo Maxwell, he was never coming back to Earth again. He guaranteed that he would finish before the semester was over so he wouldn't have to worry about keeping up "Aiko's" grades.
tbc…
Notes: I am not sure how the Japanese education system works so bear with my mistakes.
(Please check out my xanga link in my FF.net BIO if you want to know about my fanfic status and upcoming ideas.)