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"The Boy Next Door"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Teenage Romance, Fluff, angst, sap,
eventual lemon, underage partying! Pairings: Eventual 1x2, 1+4, 2+3, 2+5, 3xOCs leading
to eventual 3x4 (they don’t know each other at first), mention of
(brief) past 3xHilde , 3+2, 3+5, eventual 5xM, 5+2, 5+3 Summary: This is the story of 4 teenage boy’s who grew up in the same neighborhood and the events following Quatre’s introduction to their school in which they learn some of the confusing and sometimes hard lessons of life. Beta'ed by Mechante Fille" ^-^ *snugs* "The Boy Next Door"
Ch 3 Henry Higgins was a simple man, born and raised in Fairfield Heights. His wife had passed away three years prior leaving the eldery gentleman to live out his days in the home she had helped him build. Most of their friends were either deceased or living with far away relatives. Some had moved into homes as their health no longer permitted them to live independently but Henry knew he’d stay in his home until the day he died. He knew because Ellie had promised; she’d made him understand before she left that nothing could ever keep them apart. Not time nor distance nor even the grave as she’d promised to wait for him by the old elm in their back yard, a place they had spent many summer afternoons picnicking in their youth. He moved slowly through the kitchen, his tired, old bones protesting at the first signs of cooler weather. The cup he’d used to wash down his medications was rinsed and returned to its place behind the sink before he stepped over and flipped the light out. He was just about to wander into the living room to watch Letterman when he caught a slight movement through the window. Quietly he inched forward, his aged heart beating faster at the prospect of a possible intruder but there was nothing but the midnight breeze in the grass. After a moment’s fear, curiosity replaced it when he saw a dangling bit of white in the old elm. For a moment his heart raced at the thought that Ellie had finally come for him but the truth was revealed when Duo leaned forward to retrieve the rope. His first instinct was to shout his indignation but before his hand fell against the window pane his heart understood. ~ Duo gripped the rope between his teeth pulling the last wrap over the two by four splint a little tighter. The branch had been badly broken but fit back together nicely with a little effort. He’d read up on it while Alice was dozing earlier in the evening. His mind drifted back to days not so long ago when old Mrs. Higgins would laugh at his adventures, sometimes spraying him and Trowa with the garden hose when they got out of hand. He sniffed in the cold that was trying to drip from his nose, the chill stinging his eyes as he made another tight wrap just like the website said he should. The old coot had loved that stupid tree, always had a tizzy fit whenever they tried to sneak in and climb it but then she always had lemonade and cookies for them to eat while they dried off. Duo hadn’t known until days after the funeral that she had died of a heart attack in the middle of the night. Later he’d heard Cookie say that she’d passed away in Mr. Higgins’ arms. There was a heart carved in the trunk of that old elm, one that read EH HH 4 ever. Duo didn’t believe in spirits, no more than he believed in God but he did believe in death, something he’d seen with his own eyes often enough. One day old man Higgins would catch up with his wife and they’d both be gone but the elm would live on, a testament to the undaunted commitment of two hearts that had chosen to become one. ~ Henry Higgins watched as the young man dropped silently to the ground, leaning back to make sure he wasn’t seen peering out from the darkness of his kitchen window and smiled. ** “Did you hear about Professor Banes?” “Oh my god! You’re serious?!” “His wife left him.” “Facing charges…” “I wonder who she was.” “…think it was really a student?” “Molly Crabtree said he tried to make her blow him…” “Attention please!” Duo looked up from the doodle of an enormous war machine slicing off bits of a pitiful robot with the name ‘Banes’ emblazoned on its forehead. “Professor Banes will not be attending class,” Mr. Nichol informed them, looking spry for a fight with anyone who inquired as to why. “This is Ms. Noin,” he continued, indicating a lovely young woman by his side who brought happy smiles to most of the boy’s faces. “She will be your new instructor for the remainder of the year. Ms. Noin.” “Thank you,” she smiled, nodding as Mr. Nichol took his leave. “Hello,” she addressed the class of twenty eight as she set her case down on the desk. “I understand this is an advanced class.” “Above average,” Paulie, this year’s aspiring football hero grinned. The class laughed lightly. “Paul Turnbutton right?” Noin smoothly intoned. The large boy flushed angrily, retorting in a clear voice, “Trunbower.” “Right,” she nodded, coming around to lean her shapely hip against the desk. “As I was saying…” “Are you married Msss. Noin?” Trenton interrupted. “Most people over the age of five have been taught a modicum of manners,” Noin casually commented while examining the cuticles of her right hand. Her eyes came up in an icy stare, directly imprisoning one Trenton Myers before she added, “Perhaps we should have your mommy come and reevaluate yours?” Trenton shook visibly as he stuttered an anxious, “N…no Ma’am!” The general air in the room shifted from one of open curiosity to one of growing respect until Noin’s gaze sought out the wide grin on Duo’s face and all went perfectly still. “Mr…?” she addressed but the stern tone did nothing to deter the enormous smile. “Maxwell,” he supplied since his name hadn’t been on the roster, this being his first day in the class. “Have you something to add?” He kicked back a little, daring to fold his hands behind his head as he smiled in deep satisfaction and clearly intoned, “Welcome to Mechanical Science, Ms. Noin.” She eyed him carefully but was unable to detect any malice before turning back to the lesson. ** “We have a new student today, class,” Iria announced draping an arm over the blond boy’s should. “This is Quatre,” she smiled a little too softly. “Quatre Winner and yes, before you ask, he is my little brother.” “How do you do,” Quatre addressed the class of seventeen, though his eyes kept straying to one particular boy whose singular emerald eye seemed to devour him. “Why don’t you find a seat and we’ll get started,” Iria suggested and no less than five desks were suddenly offered by the ladies in the room, all save one that stood promisingly beside Trowa, whose hand rested temptingly on the back of it while he sported his best come hither smile. Quatre returned the smile then headed to the opposite side of the room, smirking quietly when Trowa’s smile disappeared. ** “Point!” Wufei snapped to his feet so fast their young referee had to dash sideways but there was no way he was laying down today. Not considering the healing split in his lip. “Point!” He paused, letting the sting of failure seep into his shoulder. The blow hadn’t really hurt anything but his pride but it served to demonstrate how off balance he had become. “Do you need a minute?” Hiiro asked. Wufei turned to regard him sternly, his confidence and lack of perspiration challenging his sense of fair play. It certainly wasn’t Hiiro’s fault he had allowed his concentration to slip, albeit the lack of mental focus was due to events involving the strong, Japanese boy. In the end, Wufei knew it was up to him to reclaim his peace of mind and center himself. “Come,” he ordered, preparing for the next attack which came swiftly and with great precision. The jab was easy enough to avoid but past experience had long since taught him to be wary of his sparring partner. He just managed to avoid being swept off his feet again, the following strike at his rib cage less successfully dodged but opening a momentary opportunity he quickly took advantage of, lashing out. The thrill of victory lasted no more than an instant as Hiiro turned the blow, using its momentum to twist Wufei’s thin frame in the air and slam him to the mat below, his left hand gripping his throat in a death hold, his right nearly breaking his arm, making it impossible for him to move. “Yield,” Hiiro evenly intoned. Wufei grimaced as the anger in his gut demanded his refusal but something in the Japanese boy’s eyes alarmed him and he suddenly understood the game wasn’t so much of a game anymore. A quick nod and he was released but his eyes strayed after his opponent, the embarrassment of having lost the practice match to his best pupil overshadowed by concern. It wasn’t every day Hiiro got serious and certainly not during a practice session. “Have I done something to offend you?” he asked in the relative quite afterwards. He knew something was definitely up when the usual grunt was not forthcoming but Hiiro chose not to speak until the last few members of the afternoon class had moved toward the exit. “You’re responsible for Professor Banes’ disappearance,” he stated bluntly, turning to face the now sullen Chinese boy. “Aren’t you?” Wufei left the question verbally unanswered but revealed the truth by asking one of his own, “Did you know no less than five girls have come forward to confess having had forced affairs with him?” Far from placating him, Hiiro’s eyes grew quickly cold, his tone an icy thread and his control obviously as thin as rice paper as he asked, “And Duo?” Comprehension dawned instantly on Wufei’s face as he realized what Hiiro must’ve been thinking. “No,” he chuckled. “He may look good in a dress but I doubt Banes would’ve missed Charlie hiding in the bushes.” It took a second before Hiiro’s stony mask slowly eased but the new expression didn’t help his grumpy expression all that much. “Some joke.” “He was trying to extort sexual favors from Cathy,” Wufei confessed, draping his towel over his shoulder. There was a long silence while they packed their bags, each tending to their own thoughts until Wufei slung his pack over his shoulder and turned to leave. “He didn’t… touch him?” Hiiro tentatively inquired. Wufei paused, turning back to discover his companion was unable to pull his gaze from the interior of his bag and smiled. “No,” he replied absently, cataloging it with the countless other times the Japanese boy had asked after their long haired neighbor over the years. Hiiro had never spent much time with anyone, choosing solitude as his preferred companion, but he was always there when someone needed help or protection, particularly for Duo. Hiiro nodded his acceptance of the information, returning to his usual, distant air before leaving. ** It had been an entire week since the blond bombshell had come to Fairfield High and Trowa had yet to so much as offer his name. It was so frustrating! Every time he thought to approach the sweet blond boy some twittering female would inevitably get in the way. He had to be careful not to give the new boy the wrong idea; it was much harder to woo a perspective prize if they had access to previous trophies before hand. So far he’d managed to keep most of his ex lovers out of the equation but it was becoming harder as time passed by. He wanted the blond more and more each day, his shimmering, golden hair and enormous aquamarine eyes beckoning, his smile, sometimes so very inviting. Of course his newest endeavor didn’t stop him from working on his current affairs, one of which decided to join him for lunch at a most inopportune moment. He’d just finished filling his tray and locating the miraculously alone Quatre when Elliot, a young man relatively new as well and one Trowa had pegged as a fairly easy mark early on, stopped by his side. “Hi, Trowa,” the boy smiled, blushing softly In spite of his disappointment the taller boy’s eyes traveled down his thin companion’s shapely frame, the memory of their short time together in the west wing broom closet bringing a mild leer to his gaze. “Hey, Elliot,” he smiled but turned his eyes back toward Quatre who was now openly watching him. Pretending there was nothing between them seemed a lost cause considering the adoration in Elliot’s eyes so Trowa opted for another tack, draping an arm around his shoulders that brought the boy’s blush up a notch. “Is that all you’re eating?” he asked, flashing Quatre a half smile in the hope he’d get the message that he was not only interested in guys but a sought after commodity. “Well,” the boy stammered nervously. “You know, every little bit counts.” “You can’t tell me you’re worried about your weight,” Trowa chuckled, leading him toward a table with some empty seats. Quatre, much to his disappointment, had returned his attention to his meal. “It never hurts to watch what you eat,” Elliot smiled, setting his tray beside Trowa’s. The taller boy grinned mischievously, leaning down to purr in his ear, “Maybe you’re just eating the wrong things.” Elliot giggled uncertainly, tentatively reaching for his meal but left it untouched beside Trowa’s as the taller boy led him into the outer hall. A quick glance back confirmed that Quatre had been joined by one of his many female admirers. Some of Trowa’s excitement drained away seeing the lack of concern over his behavior but he found the storage space under the stairs was as good a place as any to coax Elliot into some soothing consolation. ** “Where in the hell have you been?” Duo asked, regretting it immediately when he got a look at Trowa’s flushed color and happy smile as he plopped bonelessly onto the ground beside him. “Never mind.” “You should be more careful,” Wufei warned in his ‘I know you’re not listening to me’ tone of voice. “You’ll be expelled if you get caught.” “If they catch me I’ll just barter my way out,” Trowa grinned, letting loose a satiated sigh as he kicked back on the grass. “You would,” Duo grumbled, turning back to the book in his lap. “I didn’t mean with my body,” Trowa snickered. “Quit being a perv.” Duo took a moment to scowl at him but it was Wufei who spoke. “I doubt there is anything you could offer that would save you.” “Sure there is,” Trowa grinned, cracking one eye to peer at their long haired friend. “I’ll just offer them Duo… HEY! S…STOP! HA HA HA!” Trowa rolled as quickly as possible from beneath Duo’s flailing blows, only the braided boy’s respect for the text keeping him from seriously pummeling his cocky counterpart to a bloody pulp. He regretted his reluctance however, when the tussle ended with him lying on top of the larger boy, Trowa’s arms firmly encircling his waist while his legs straddled his hips. “Aren’t you Duo Maxwell?” Duo’s ears flared as he looked up into the questioning eyes of Quatre Winner, a boy that was more often than not found in the company of one Hiiro Yui which was, to his great embarrassment, the case at that moment. “Yes,” he groaned not even trying to explain as he dragged himself off his grinning friend. “What can I do for you?” Quatre smiled, giving Trowa a dismissive glance that brought a pouting crease to his brow where he still lay on his back in the grass. “Hiiro told me about the aeronautics club.” “Yeah?” Duo absently replied as he searched out tag-a-long blades of grass in his hair. “I was wondering if I might join.” “You fly?” Trowa butt in, finally rising to a sitting position. “I have a C level license,” the blond informed Duo, leaving Trowa to nurse his bruised ego. “Yeah, sure,” Duo nodded, getting to his feet. “That’ll put you in the first string, we only have three licensed pilots so far. Myself, Trowa and Wufei,” he indicated each in turn. “Maybe once you get the hang of it you could help out with the newbies,” he smiled, offering his hand. Quatre’s smile brightened considerably as he accepted and returned the gesture. Duo’s gaze momentarily flicked to Hiiro who stood silently as usual to the side. “You’re welcome to come along,” Duo offered though he was looking at Quatre again before the invitation was fully delivered. His eyes darted quickly back to Hiiro when he replied… “All right.” Wufei dropped his pencil while Trowa sat gaping and Duo tried to find a word in his mind that made sense. Hiiro had never joined them in anything before. “Wonderful.” Quatre beamed, seemingly unaware of the significance of the moment but before anyone could think of anything to say he and the stoic Japanese boy were moving away. “Tuesdays and Thursdays!” Duo called anxiously after them. “Three o’clock!” “Got it!” Quatre confirmed, waving amiably. “You think they’re bumping uglies?” “Trowa,” Duo groaned. “Why do you always assume everyone is up for grabs?” “He’s into it,” the taller boy grinned, watching Quatre’s hips sway hungrily. Duo considered and couldn’t really argue one way or the other so he chose a different tack. “Doesn’t mean Hiiro is.” “He kissed you,” Wufei smirked, retrieving his pencil. “Oh geez,” Duo grumbled, resuming his seat. “We were kids.” “Stole your first kiss,” Trowa grinned. “He thought I was a girl,” Duo reminded them grumpily. His tone turned somewhat distant when he commented to the pages of his book. “And he’s hardly spoken to me since.” His friends held their tongues, displaying a long history together by demonstrating their knowledge of knowing when to say when. ** “Nnng.” This was what made life a grand adventure. “W…wait.” “It’s ok,” Trowa breathed reassuringly. It had taken him almost three weeks to get Clarissa alone. Cathy had gone to see her boyfriend in Richmond for the weekend, leaving their shared, two bedroom house blissfully empty. It was the perfect opportunity to make his investment in the girl pay off. “Trowa,” she gasped, arching back into the steamy depths of the couch as his hand moved up the back of her blouse and released her bra with one handed precision. “We…shouldn’t.” “It’ll be perfect,” he coaxed; half crawling under the light sweater she wore in his effort to claim the prize. His mouth had just grazed one of the sensitive mounds, making her hiss wantonly just the way he had pictured when a small noise caught his ear. Groaning in both annoyance and determination he got to work on the panties, slipping his long fingers down the globe of her rounded ass just as another rock hit the window. “Trowa!” “What?” “It’s nothing,” the tall boy assured his date, hoping Duo’s quiet hissing might have been mistaken for a stray cat. “I’ll be right back.” “Where are you going?” she asked, raising up a little, her clothes rumpled and twisted as her big, dark eyes blinked heavily. He growled deep in his throat, forcing the throbbing between his legs to relent and swore to pull every last hair on Duo’s legs out one by one before commanding, ”Don’t move,” and heading for the kitchen. The quickest way to address the problem was by opening the window beside the dining table which was side hinged and low enough to speak to his soon-to-be deceased friend hip to eye. “What?!” he hissed the moment Duo’s chestnut head popped up out of the begonias. “Be nice, you prick!” Duo growled. “Do you have any idea how close I was…?!” “To getting your dick ripped off!” the long haired boy cut in. “Elliot’s on his…shit!” he gasped, diving in the bushes again when the slender boy in question danced up the front steps of the porch. “Oh shit,” Trowa echoed, neglecting to pull the window closed before racing for the living room. “Trowa?” “Sorry,” he chuckled nervously, pulling Clarissa to a sitting position. “Looks like we’ll have to cut our date short,” he explained just before the doorbell rang. “What?” she questioned, clearly not happy. “But I thought…”“Next time,” he promised, granting her a small kiss but his eyes wandered to the shadow moving about outside the door. “Trowa.” Now she was angry. “I’m sorry,” he told her, quickly turning her away from the window where Duo’s violet eyes were peeking in to get a look at the action. “But I forgot I promised to help a friend with his…biology report tonight.” She glanced at the door as the bell rang again but didn’t have the mind to ask why he was ushering her toward the kitchen door. The only question that appeared to be on her mind was, “Who?” “No one special,” he grinned, kissing her again as they reached the side door, his other hand stuffing her bag in her arms. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” “A…all right,” she nodded, thinking to straighten her hair as the bell rang again. “Call me?” “First thing tomorrow,” he grinned, pecking her lips before he shoved her out the door. He took the moment to shoot Duo’s laughing face the finger as he rushed through the house in his effort to get Elliot inside before Clarissa made it around the house to the steps. “Trowa,” the slender red head smiled, pinking his unique color of reddish orange. “Hi,” Trowa grinned, looking him over as he drew him inside, the form fitting, stretch jeans riding low on his hips serving to shift his gears smoothly from feminine to masculine receptor. “I missed you,” he smiled, pulling him into his arms to kiss him then smirking over his shoulder at Duo’s dumbfounded face as he moved him toward the still warm spot Clarissa had left in the couch.
~ * ~ tbc... |
