The sound of George Michael's singing blasted out of Heero and Duo's window, echoing around on the patio. The blinds to their suitemate's room was closed and even though Duo had valiantly tried to peer in, it had done him no good.
"Before this river! Becomes an ocean! Before ya throw my heart back on the floor!" Duo sang wildly from where he stood on the railing, shifting his hips back and forth and dancing lithely along, still dressed in his gym shorts and tank. "Oh, when that love comes down with...out devotion! Well, it takes a strong man, baby, but I'm showin' you the door! 'Cause ya gotta have FAITH!" Quatre grinned at Trowa. "So. How many of the new students will be completely and totally in love with him before the day is out, do you think?" he whispered close to Trowa's ear. Since they were in public, they were sitting far enough apart so that there could be no question of their friendship but no one could dare to accuse them of being the lovers they so obviously *were*, either. A smooth baritone interrupted Duo's impromptu solo and made him stumble and fall over almost directly into Heero's lap who gave a muffled "omae o korosu!" beneath his breath. "Mr. Maxwell. I see that you are up to your usual highjinx. I didn't doubt it one bit."
"Khushrenada-kouchou!" Quatre smiled brightly (if a bit nervously). "What an honor for you to visit!"
Treize raised a ginger eyebrow and smiled solemnly. "Of course, Quatre," he murmured politely. "I was simply coming to check on our newest student and make sure that our Mr. Maxwell had not run him off yet with his exuberance."
"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Duo muttered just loud enough for Heero to hear as he finally managed to untangle his limbs. "I ain't run him off yet, Khushrenada-kouchou! That's not 'til next week!"
The soft open and close of the door leading outside drew all eyes to the solemn innocence of the face of the subject of their current conversation.
"Wu-chan!" Duo exclaimed extravagantly, eyes taking in the clothed form of his suitemate for the first time. "Man, you gotta get OUT more! I haven't seen you since..." He stopped to contemplate, violet eyes narrowed. "...since you burst in on him in the shower," Heero supplied calmly.
"Yeah!" Duo said. "Since I burst on on ya in the shower!! Where ya been hidin', boyo?"
"I've... been reading!" Wufei answered, black eyes wide and face flushed as he glanced at the gathering on the porch, including the man that really had *ought* to be familiar, he was sure... almost certain, anyway...
"Reading!" Duo shuddered. "That stuff's bad for your health, Wu-chan, I gotta tell you. Come on out, get some sunshine, do a little boogie with the rest of us, hm?" He tilted his head to the side, genuinely smiling, a rarity, in fact, though no one would realize that was so with his usual exuberance.
"I suggest that you not listen to our resident delinquent," the large man chuckled, drawing Wufei's eyes again, "else I fear that you shall meet our disciplinary professor and his paddle sooner rather than later." The words were amused, making that meeting sound inevitable.
Duo ignored the sudden wide-eyed glazed expression on Wufei's face as he rubbed his ass. "He ain't jokin, either, man! That Marquis-sama... owwwwch!" he muttered sulkily. "How is it you two ALWAYS know when I'm up to something, Kouchou? Is it a magic mirror?" He grinned almost flirtatiously. "Nah, if it was that, I'd probably NEVER be out of trouble and NEVER get to sit down!!"
With care, Quatre stood and sidled over to pat Wufei's arm sympathetically. "Don't worry," he said with a smile as Duo drew attention away from the embarrassed boy. "Duo and Heero just seem to magically draw Marquis-sensei's paddle to their bottoms. It's a dorm joke, in fact! So you don't have anything to worry about, I'm sure."
Trowa gave one of his own serene smiles at that blonde head nestled so close to the black one, their new "friend" still looking extraordinarily flustered and confused. Kind of sweet, really. Shame about his sister, but maybe they could figure out a way to patch that up, too. He'd met Meiran and he HAD to admit that he thought he knew to whom all the brashness of the twins' personalities had gone and it wasn't to the brother! Still, she talked about him in glowing terms and seemed terribly lonely without him... Hmmm...
"Chang Wufei." His name said properly made him turn from the golden boy beside him with uncertain expression. "I would introduce myself, for surely you have met these others, yes?"
Wufei shook his head slowly in a quick negation. "Not.. exactly?" he replied hesitantly, glancing at all of them. The smile that curved the large man's sensuous mouth drew one in response and he glanced shyly at each of the other boys in turn.
The first to pounce was the one with the braid. Now how had he known that it would be *that* one? "Oioioi! I'm Duo! Duo Maxwell! An' this here's my roommate, Heero Yuy! He don't talk much and stuff, well, ok, so sometimes he talks TOO much but usually just when he's complaining about the mess our room is in! Say, you aren't a neat-nut like him are you? I..."
Heero's hand over his mouth cut off his speech. "...he talks constantly, never shuts up, even in his sleep, and to be messier than him would be an accomplishment." He held out his other hand as Duo struggled to remove the first from his mouth. "It's nice to meet you, Wufei."
"A... aa," Wufei answered, still watching in bemusement as Duo fought to release his mouth.
"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner!" the little blonde at his side murmured huskily, his smile bright and sweet. "And this is Trowa Bloom. We lived in your room last year! Be careful. Duo will leave pizza boxes under your bed should he ever bring one in but he's terribly good-natured and likes to share! ...Anou, Heero, Duo is turning BLUE..."
A stuttering gasp escaped Duo as Heero let loose. "Man! Hee-chan, you gotta stop doin' stuff like that!"
"Don't call me that," Heero said as if by rote.
"Yeah, yeah." That bright grin was catching and Wufei smiled at the other boys shyly. "Anyhow, the man standing over here is Treize Khushrenada and he's the principal. Say 'hi' to the nice principal, Wufei!" he chuckled.
"Mr. Maxwell... !" There was warning in that tone and Duo sidled a bit closer to Heero.
"Yes, Khushrenada-kouchou?" he asked innocently.
Treize-sama sighed. "Try not to frighten the poor boy beyond bearing, hm?"
"Ok, Khushrenada-kouchou!" That agreement was gained almost too easily before Duo turned, tilting his head as he looked at Wufei. "Hey, man, you want some pizza?"
"Pizza...?" Wufei asked shyly, tilting his head to the side and glancing around the small patio. Two pizza boxes were stacked, one on top of the other, and he nodded slowly. "Yes, please?"
"COOL! Hey, I'll bet Wu-chan likes anchovies!" Duo announced, sticking out his tongue at the others.
Heero snorted as they headed towards the boxes. "No one likes anchovies, Duo!"
"C'mon, Hee-man... !"
Khushrenada-kouchou cleared his throat. "Wufei, are you settling in all right?" he asked politely.
"Y...yes, sir," Wufei replied, hands lacing together as the flush on his cheeks intensified. "I'm settling in just fine." He didn't mention his unbearable shyness.
"Good." There seemed an almost audible thrumming purr beneath that voice that Wufei found strangely... well, strangely something, even if he couldn't lay his finger on it just now! "I'm glad to hear that. We like to know that our students are happy here." /That you're happy here,/ Treize thought, eyes lingering momentarily on the obviously unbearably shy boy.
Teal blue eyes met pensive emerald orbs and an unspoken thought passed between them.
"Yes, sir," Wufei replied in what was barely a whisper.
A slight nod of that ginger head and Treize murmured, "Good," once again.
"Wu-man!" Duo carolled. "Here's your pizza! Hey, you like anchovies, right?"
Obsidian eyes blinked in surprise. "Well... no! They're awfully nasty," he replied.
"I win," Heero said coolly. "You're a cheese pizza guy, aren't you?" he demanded.
"Yes, I... "
A quiet chuckle interrupted him. "And on that note," Khushrenada-kouchou murmured, "I believe I'll leave you boys to your afternoon."
Several shouts of, "Goodbye, Khushrenada-kouchou!" echoed out from the patio and over the lake, scaring a few of the geese...
...but a pair of black eyes watched him until he was out of sight before returning to getting to know the boys with him. Meiran would be so proud!
The End
Tzigane -- Please send feedback to the author at: wufeinomiko@crosswinds.net
(:./knm/wilmington3)
