This chapter is dedicated to Renee, who incuraged me to get back at
my fanfics again. Thanks Rabid, I owe ya one. It's also dedicated to
Shinigami's Stalker, who wanted to see Heero. Hope this meets the
standard, S.S! Thanks a bunch for all your support, all of you!
Duo sighed as the warning bell for first period rang, and he made his way to the gymnasium. Being in the public education system, he had to follow the curriculum. But since he didn't have the qualifiers to go into any other first period course in Gr. 11, he had to take Physical Education.
"I think the Principal hates me, I really think he does." Duo thought aloud as he walked the increasingly familiar halls towards the gym in his red and white Phys Ed clothes.
Phys Ed was a nightmare. Not only did Duo have to learn about human health, and "How to keep in Tip-Top Shape" as last week's video had proclaimed, but he also had to compete in the various activities that Phys Ed teachers so often force on their students. Duo had known from day one that it might be a problem, and he didn't mind not using his wings for basketball and other things like that; the rules were easy to pick up on, and Duo was naturally good at aiming. It was when the second week had started yesterday, and the class began the unit on wrestling that a problem arose.
In order for Winglies to fly, there had to be three main factors present: very low body fat content; a slim, small frame that was aerodynamic; and hollow bones. All in all, Duo weighed about 60 pounds, and even that was a bit large for a Wingly. Duo was built for flight and speed; not for grappling in hand-to-hand combat with hulking brutes twice his height and three times his weight and more.
It was the last factor that Duo had to explain to the teacher, who, while understanding enough, made Duo sit on the side bench and watch. Which lead to questions from the others in the class why Duo was sitting out. Which lead to the coach explaining something he knew next to nothing about. Which lead to a frustrated Duo enlightening the class of the finer points of the Wingly body.
Which meant that everyone in his gym class knew how easily they could put him out of commission, maybe even kill him...
'If they could catch me.' Duo thought wryly to himself as he nudged open the twin doors to the gymnasium. The gym was large and spacious, with the school mascot – a wild cat – on a wall mural in red and white, the school colours. The snarling feline graced the floor as well, right in the center of the gym. Both the mural and the floor painting were big enough to fit four people lying down comfortably. Duo bared his teeth to the cat on the wall, mimicking its fierce expression.
He looked around and saw no one in the gym. He sighed with relief, and spread his wings wide, stretching them out and even flapping them a little, to see how they lifted. He was pleasantly surprised when he felt a resistance. He was almost done molting, (did he ever get a lot of grief about stray feathers from his host family) and wouldn't have to worry about it for another three months. He hated not being able to fly, but he needed new primary feathers every once in a while or he wouldn't be able to fly at all. Duo smiled and flapped harder, lifting himself a few feet off of the ground. Even if he couldn't really fly yet, it felt good to use his wings again.
Duo heard the door opening behind him, and quickly dropped to the ground, spinning as he did so he could face the intruder.
He was surprised and a little relieved to see a new, but friendly face. Duo didn't recognize all the students who went to the school, not by any means, but he knew the ones in his gym class, and this face was certainly a welcome change from the pimples of the hulking brutes.
The intruder was small, almost as small as Duo, 'But a little heavier,' Duo thought to himself. He was dressed in the regular white t-shirt and red gym shorts, which did absolutely nothing for anyone, but Duo could tell he was wiry and built. The most striking feature, however, was the newcomer's face.
There was only one word to describe the boy: beautiful. He wasn't handsome, cute, or even hot; he was beautiful. He had a strong chin, flawless skin, full lips, small but shapely nose, dark brown hair that stuck out in every direction but the way it should go; and eyes, oh those eyes. Expressive, but forbidding pools of dark blue; drawing the looks of admirers and potential dates only to scare them off again with the barely contained anger thrashing in their depths.
Duo took this all in the moment he landed, but stopped dead when he looked into those eyes. Never before had he seen eyes that vivid. The only colours that Wingly eyes could be were black or violet, in varying shades. And dear Quatre's pale aquamarine were no match for this sea-storm variant. Duo gasped softly without knowing when he saw the stranger. And Duo didn't know it, but he was the first one in a long time that had dared to look the stranger in the eyes.
Duo quickly looked somewhere else as he realized he was staring. Finally, after an awkward pause, Duo grinned impishly at the boy and stuck out his hand.
"Hey! My name is Sololo-Du-Maxuwelluo-Shin, but you can call me Duo! I'm the resident Wingly; I'm sure you've heard about the "Winglies are People Too!" campaign a few months ago. Well, for some reason, they picked me to come to this school that didn't even want me, really, although there are a few really nice people here, but there are lots of bad people here too, like the Principal, but my friends that hang out in the band room, they're fun and don't care who you are...but..." Duo chuckled nervously 'Why am I nervous?' Duo thought to himself fleetingly.
"I'm rambling, aren't I?" Duo mentally smacked himself for sounding like an idiot, painfully aware that his hand was hanging in the air.
Duo lowered his hand, took a deep breath, and tried again.
"So, what's your name?"
The reply was fast, curt and to the point. "Heero Yuy."
Duo sighed as the warning bell for first period rang, and he made his way to the gymnasium. Being in the public education system, he had to follow the curriculum. But since he didn't have the qualifiers to go into any other first period course in Gr. 11, he had to take Physical Education.
"I think the Principal hates me, I really think he does." Duo thought aloud as he walked the increasingly familiar halls towards the gym in his red and white Phys Ed clothes.
Phys Ed was a nightmare. Not only did Duo have to learn about human health, and "How to keep in Tip-Top Shape" as last week's video had proclaimed, but he also had to compete in the various activities that Phys Ed teachers so often force on their students. Duo had known from day one that it might be a problem, and he didn't mind not using his wings for basketball and other things like that; the rules were easy to pick up on, and Duo was naturally good at aiming. It was when the second week had started yesterday, and the class began the unit on wrestling that a problem arose.
In order for Winglies to fly, there had to be three main factors present: very low body fat content; a slim, small frame that was aerodynamic; and hollow bones. All in all, Duo weighed about 60 pounds, and even that was a bit large for a Wingly. Duo was built for flight and speed; not for grappling in hand-to-hand combat with hulking brutes twice his height and three times his weight and more.
It was the last factor that Duo had to explain to the teacher, who, while understanding enough, made Duo sit on the side bench and watch. Which lead to questions from the others in the class why Duo was sitting out. Which lead to the coach explaining something he knew next to nothing about. Which lead to a frustrated Duo enlightening the class of the finer points of the Wingly body.
Which meant that everyone in his gym class knew how easily they could put him out of commission, maybe even kill him...
'If they could catch me.' Duo thought wryly to himself as he nudged open the twin doors to the gymnasium. The gym was large and spacious, with the school mascot – a wild cat – on a wall mural in red and white, the school colours. The snarling feline graced the floor as well, right in the center of the gym. Both the mural and the floor painting were big enough to fit four people lying down comfortably. Duo bared his teeth to the cat on the wall, mimicking its fierce expression.
He looked around and saw no one in the gym. He sighed with relief, and spread his wings wide, stretching them out and even flapping them a little, to see how they lifted. He was pleasantly surprised when he felt a resistance. He was almost done molting, (did he ever get a lot of grief about stray feathers from his host family) and wouldn't have to worry about it for another three months. He hated not being able to fly, but he needed new primary feathers every once in a while or he wouldn't be able to fly at all. Duo smiled and flapped harder, lifting himself a few feet off of the ground. Even if he couldn't really fly yet, it felt good to use his wings again.
Duo heard the door opening behind him, and quickly dropped to the ground, spinning as he did so he could face the intruder.
He was surprised and a little relieved to see a new, but friendly face. Duo didn't recognize all the students who went to the school, not by any means, but he knew the ones in his gym class, and this face was certainly a welcome change from the pimples of the hulking brutes.
The intruder was small, almost as small as Duo, 'But a little heavier,' Duo thought to himself. He was dressed in the regular white t-shirt and red gym shorts, which did absolutely nothing for anyone, but Duo could tell he was wiry and built. The most striking feature, however, was the newcomer's face.
There was only one word to describe the boy: beautiful. He wasn't handsome, cute, or even hot; he was beautiful. He had a strong chin, flawless skin, full lips, small but shapely nose, dark brown hair that stuck out in every direction but the way it should go; and eyes, oh those eyes. Expressive, but forbidding pools of dark blue; drawing the looks of admirers and potential dates only to scare them off again with the barely contained anger thrashing in their depths.
Duo took this all in the moment he landed, but stopped dead when he looked into those eyes. Never before had he seen eyes that vivid. The only colours that Wingly eyes could be were black or violet, in varying shades. And dear Quatre's pale aquamarine were no match for this sea-storm variant. Duo gasped softly without knowing when he saw the stranger. And Duo didn't know it, but he was the first one in a long time that had dared to look the stranger in the eyes.
Duo quickly looked somewhere else as he realized he was staring. Finally, after an awkward pause, Duo grinned impishly at the boy and stuck out his hand.
"Hey! My name is Sololo-Du-Maxuwelluo-Shin, but you can call me Duo! I'm the resident Wingly; I'm sure you've heard about the "Winglies are People Too!" campaign a few months ago. Well, for some reason, they picked me to come to this school that didn't even want me, really, although there are a few really nice people here, but there are lots of bad people here too, like the Principal, but my friends that hang out in the band room, they're fun and don't care who you are...but..." Duo chuckled nervously 'Why am I nervous?' Duo thought to himself fleetingly.
"I'm rambling, aren't I?" Duo mentally smacked himself for sounding like an idiot, painfully aware that his hand was hanging in the air.
Duo lowered his hand, took a deep breath, and tried again.
"So, what's your name?"
The reply was fast, curt and to the point. "Heero Yuy."