22-Apr-2000
Warnings: yaoi, lemon (done and over with!), AU, language, death (sort of)
Feedback: always appreciated. Luv y'all! ~TB
Quatre made sure the teacher wasn't looking; then he leaned forward and poked Trowa in the back with his pencil.
A pale, elegant hand casually dropped from the desk-top to the chairleg; then two fingers beckoned. Hurriedly, Quatre kicked the note about a metre forward, straight under the waiting hand--which scooped up the folded bit of paper and deposited it in a denim-clad lap before the instructor ever turned around.
Duo, who had seen that stunt performed thousands of times, made an ungentlemanly noise and buried his nose in his book.
Trowa masterfully had the note opened and fitted perfectly inside the crease of his Lit textbook in under ten seconds. He tilted the edge of his book up just slightly, and studiously bent over his "assignment".
*Dear Trowa*
Duo casually kicked his bookbag. Immediately Trowa turned the page as the teacher walked by. When it was safe again, he turned back and continued scanning the note.
*Dear Trowa,
Pick me up a salad at lunch, okay? Please? Thank you! Me and Dorothy Catalonia are going to go to the library after this period to work on the research project for Physics, so I won't be able to make it to the lines in the cafeteria in time. In other news--
How's Catherine? I haven't seen her in a long time. Is she liking college? When is she coming back? She hasn't got a boyfriend, has she? Because I've heard that college guys are all jerks and I don't want her getting involved with someone who can't make her happy.*
The note continued on that earnest vein for quite a while, making Trowa smile. It was no secret to anyone who knew Quatre--though Quatre fondly imagined he was discrete--that the only Winner boy had the crush of the century on Trowa's older sister. He skipped the next couple of paragraphs, sharp eyes seeking and finding the next snippet of actually pertinent information.
*So anyway, this weekend I want to steal Duo away from Wufei and go to the beach. You'll come, right? Of course you will. It'll be fun, I'll ask Rashid to make us a picinic lunch. Of course Heero's coming too, I know it, especially now that he's over that weird cold. I'm glad he didn't give it to one of us--*
Once again, Trowa skipped a few lines. It was amazing to him that someone so thoughtful and concise in speech could be so scatterbrained in writing.
*Did you know that Duo skipped on Tuesday?*
Trowa frowned.
*I couldn't believe it either. I bet he was with Wufei. I wonder where they went? Duo swears up and down that he didn't skip but I know he did. He spends too much time with Wufei. I'm worried. Maybe Wufei isn't a good influence for him. What do you think?
~Quatre*
Trowa picked up his pencil from the edge of his desk, and checked for the teacher's whereabouts. Then he wrote: I think you're not Duo's caretaker. If there's a problem, Duo should handle it on his own. Don't worry. He takes care of himself.
He slid the note back to Quatre.
He could practically hear the blonde boy pouting.
Duo giggled as he shoved Heero off the bench. "Stop tickling me!" he shrieked.
Wufei scowled. He wished strongly for another cigarette. He was out.
Heero began a calculated attack on Duo's ribcage, producing a new range of delighted howls. The Japanese had a slightly manic grin on his face, and when Duo flung himself over Heero's knees in a panting surrender, he actually laughed.
Wufei's scowl deepened. "Sickening," he muttered.
"What was that?" Quatre asked, taking another sip of cold tea from his thermos.
He glanced over at the radiant little blonde. "Nothing." He forced a smile, and reached over to tug the collar of Quatre's shirt. "Man, pink is *so* not in."
"Not in what?" Quatre asked, confused.
Trowa answered. "He means 'in fashion.' Ignore him. You're fine the way you are."
Wufei tossed a simpering look Trowa's way, then went back to glaring at Heero Yuy.
Duo squirmed frantically in Heero's lap, trying to find a comfortable way to lie down and inhale his lunch at the same time. "Say, Wu?"
"Don't call me that," Wufei replied. "What?"
"We're going to go to the beach this weekend. Wanna come?"
Heero immediately lost his smile.
Quatre glanced at Trowa, who shrugged quietly.
Wufei grinned widely.
He grabbed the tuft end of Duo's braid and used it to haul Duo's head around just a little roughly. "Why not?" he asked, looking Duo in the eyes from mere inches away.
"I can think of a few reasons," Heero muttered.
Blushing faintly, Duo extricated his braid and resettled--*beside* Heero. "Great," he said, and stuffed a huge bit of pizza into his mouth to prevent any further conversation.
Lunch ended in silence.
End Part 8
(:./erin/rising8)
