Elitist Theory

Chapter Ten

Enjoy

X-_X-_X

"You thought you'd find me here?" asked Trowa dryly. He lowered his sketching coal and stared at the silver haired man guilelessly. The door closed with a sharp snap behind Zechs.

"Yes," Zechs replied simply. He moved to the other side of the room, his long strides both reminiscent of nobility and the large cats Trowa worked with during the summer at the circus he employed himself part time at.

"I'm sure your intentions were the best," Trowa murmured under his breath, shaking his head slightly. He returned an eye to the easel in front of him, but couldn't help but keep an eye on Zechs' movements as well.

He was rummaging through one of the photography stations, seemingly without a care. He certainly didn't act like he had come there for the express purpose of speaking with Trowa. In fact, Zechs didn't even look at him as he did so.

Trowa narrowed his eyes, returning both of them to his work, and then very specifically began to sketch hard, dark lines vertically across his canvas. He was very determined to not let the older student deter him from his purpose.

Throughout the next few moments Trowa continued to sketch his outline, and Zechs continued to flit about the room, apparently meaninglessly.

Although, he did have a purpose.

"Wufei is a very studious man," Zechs muttered out into the openness of the art room.

Trowa paused in his stroke. "Seriously?" he muttered to himself. Reminding himself that this was a time that Quatre would be kind and polite in, Trowa attempted to do the same.

"Yeah, he is."

"Do you think he prefers a more…solitary approach to academics?" Zechs air was nonchalant, but Trowa was willing to bet all his meager possessions that it was nothing but a façade.

Trowa's green eyes flicked over to Zechs thoughtfully. He made a small humming noise as a different theory formed in his mind. "You're asking if he's a guy that wants to approach academics alone?"

"Yes," Zechs reiterated "Academics."

Trowa laid down his coal pencil, smug. He crossed his arms and leaned somewhat to the right so that he could see Zechs' form better. "Wufei prefers to be alone."

One of Zechs shoulders slumped downwards, and his fiddling with the camera in his arms ceased.

Trowa continued "However that doesn't mean he likes being alone."

Zechs met his gaze.

"Wufei thinks that he needs no distractions, that he needs no interruptions or obligations," Trowa said "However, Wufei wants to allow himself a distraction."

"A distraction from academics?" asked Zechs.

"Yes, of course," Trowa replied, arching one brow "Because we are talking about academics after all, we couldn't be talking about anything else."

"Do you think Wufei would allow himself a distraction?" Zechs bypassed Trowa's blatant tease about their subject, already knowing that Zechs wasn't inquiring simply as a classmate, or as a study partner, but as something much more.

"A distraction? No," Trowa replied with a shrug of his own.

Zechs' blue eyes narrowed on the form of the lithe boy across the room. It seemed he was content to jerk him around.

Trowa grinned "Wufei wants much more than a distraction. He just has to let himself."

Zechs looked down at the camera in his hands, extracting the film in one swift movement. The dim lighting of the room wouldn't affect it in the slightest. "You're a coy man, Barton."

"And you're a fool, Marquise."

Zechs couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He turned and went into the adjoining black room, his film gripped loosely in his hand.

Trowa picked up his coal again, surprising himself when he felt a chuckle rumble its way from his throat. "Wufei, you're in for a surprise my friend."

Trowa eyed a burgundy paint he had mixed, and then continued sketching with a renewed vigor. It would fit together perfectly.

X-_X-_X

"How were classes, Quatre?" Quatre turned at the sound of Relena's dulcet tones, and smiled back at her politely.

"Stress free, thank Allah," he replied, laughing politely with her as she did so. Relena had never stuck him as a superfluously frivolous girl, as she did many of his other friends. He found her level headed, in most cases wise, though he was among the first to admit that she had a single minded determined streak about her.

It would be a great help in politics, not so much in institutional learning.

When Quatre returned her question and received her answer they both sat at the conference table in the middle of the room. The Student Government Association was a great group to be a member of, and Quatre was wholly glad that he had made it in the beginning of the year. It certainly served to soften over some of the other concerns of school with his father.

"Maybe we can finally settle the curfew argument," Relena whispered to him as things quieted down. She rolled her eyes at the problem that had yet to be taken care of, even weeks after its emergence.

Quatre returned her sentiment with his eyes, rolling them in turn when their long winded President stood to call the meeting to order.

"On the ninth of October we're beginning the meeting with an agenda of…"

Quatre's attention remained on the President as he summarized their agenda for the day, and then had their Secretary, Relena, summarize the last meetings progress, however his focus wandered. There were fourteen students in total. Of those fourteen there was an even split between students who self-proclaimed themselves conservative, and those that self-proclaimed themselves liberal.

Relena and Quatre were the youngest students there, the rest were in grades above them; however it wasn't surprising when Relena had secured her position. The President was a conservative student, but interestingly bipartisan when it came to most matters. However he did have the fault of being easily swayed.

He studied the students across from him with only mild interest, waiting for the meeting to really start. Across from him was the star couple of the school August Septum and Dorothy Catalonia. They were a striking pair, but conservative and cunning to the bone. They were seemingly always at odds with Quatre.

"First we'll discuss the problem with the curfew," The President, Trant, finally finished his opening remarks. However it wasn't like the first order of business was a startling one. It had been the opening of every one of their meetings since the second week of school.

A third year further down the table opened his mouth and leaned forward to speak however Dorothy Catalonia cut him off with one smooth movement. "I thought we had an excellent solution prepared last meeting."

Trant nodded, straightening the unnecessary tie that he always wore to their meetings "You wanted to solve the issue by having the campus wide curfew be set at nine o'clock for all years?"

"Yes," Dorothy was anything but the demure image she presented, her smile was more dangerous than a shark's.

"Upper classmen are more inclined to have duties necessitating a later hour," Relena protested smoothly from across the table. "A fair number have jobs off campus."

Quatre was in agreement "A ten o'clock curfew for residence halls and an eleven o'clock curfew for the school grounds to be locked down seem reasonable. In this students that have employment off campus can obtain further permission to be out past the ten o'clock mark to the eleven o'clock mark."

"You're support of menial employment is admirable," Dorothy said dryly, and sarcastically. Trant eyed her once. "However the majority of the students at this institution have no need for employment, no need to traipse about town after hours. It presents a bad image for this school."

"Dorothy," Relena said "The school's image is not the issue;" Relena looked down the rest of the table smiling fetchingly "We need only agree on the hour of curfew."

Quatre's gaze had gone icy during Dorothy's statement. He wasn't quite as adept at looking over slights as Relena was "The majority of this school is not the entirety of this school, Miss. Catalonia."

Dorothy's falsified smile widened at Quatre's still and cold tone, however she simply listened to him continue "We must do what is best for all students."

"Of course," she agreed softly. Quatre didn't believe her.

"Quatre's plan is strategic and logical," Relena sat forward on her seat, obviously anxious about finally putting the issue behind them.

"Your loyalty to your fellow students is most commendable, Relena," August Septum interrupted from across the table. The President remained silent, waiting for the majority ruling.

When he said no more Relena inclined her head politely. However Dorothy's bright eyes turned to Quatre once more. "As is Quatre's," she said softly. However her voice was heard by all the students, and she had the faithful popularity of the school to back her confidence. "We all know where he lays."

Her innuendo was obvious. When Quatre's hand stilled on the top of the table, his mind whipping with the possibilities of rebuke, she spoke again.

"Where his loyalty lies, of course, is what I mean."

Quatre wasn't the only student to doubt that. He heard Trant cough lightly.

Relena cut of the exchange. "President Trant, if we can put this to a vote finally?"

Trant nodded, said the necessary lines to make the vote official according to the Student Government bylaws, and then cast the vote. Dorothy, August, and two other students were the only ones to oppose his plan, however the good news and victory did nothing to allay the heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

As the other students congratulated themselves, and exchanged words of joy at the matter being finally put to rest Quatre and Dorothy didn't stop staring at one another. Quatre's bangs fell forward in his face, and he lost his diplomatic façade when he let a grimace of ill will show on his face.

Finally Dorothy laughed, the sound getting lost in the din of the surrounding students, and turned her attention elsewhere.

X-_X-_X

"It was freaky, I'm telling you," Duo assured Trowa, taking an overzealous bite into the pizza he had brought into the courtyard with him "Like I had eyes on me all day."

Trowa made a noise of understanding for a moment, his eyes creasing just the slightest. "Who would want to watch you though?"

Duo rolled his eyes "That's what 'Ro said," he shook his head exasperatedly "Does no one understand the captivation that my ultimate good looks have over this school or what?"

Heero snorted and tugged on Duo's braid, getting the boy to turn towards him. "I don't doubt that," he quipped, softly so that the other two boys couldn't hear him, louder he added "It could mean trouble though."

"Like I can't handle some preps with a stalking problem," Duo evaded the worry.

Trowa looked to Quatre, who was seated next to him on Trowa's usual branch. Quatre smiled at him, intertwining their hands easily, however his focus and his worry was centered on Duo.

"Did you feel like that today as well?"

"Nah," Duo said, coming out mumbled with the mouthful of pizza he was speaking through. "We should actually celebrate that."

Heero thought he knew a few ways they could celebrate. When Duo smiled at him Heero knew the look in his eyes belied his thoughts. "Jesus," muttered Duo, a wide grin across his face "I've made a monster."

"You have," agreed Heero.

Duo used the cool fall air as an excuse to move steadily closer to Heero as he finished his pizza. Finally he ended up pressed up against Heero's larger shoulder, head back against the bark, and in Heero's opinion his delectably creamy throat bared to the world.

"Hey, Quat?" Duo rolled his eyes up towards the boys that were seated above them and waited until he had the attention of the blond before he continued "You on some sort of special project today or something?"

"No," Quatre responded, puzzled "Why?"

"You've been quiet."

Quatre shifted uncomfortably at the scrutiny that was directed to him from the other two after Heero's statement, avoiding Trowa's eyes most of all. "Just preoccupied with Student Government is all."

"Yeah?" Duo lost interest for a moment before remembering a tidbit that Quatre had spoken about the group earlier in the week. "How'd that meeting go yesterday? You get that curfew thing settled?"

Quatre nodded "Ten o'clock, eleven for students that gain permission to be off campus for employment reasons."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Duo, leaning forward. He looked over at Heero. "I can finally take that job at Antonio's that he's been offering me."

As much as Heero wanted to be glad for Duo and his luck in the matter…Heero had met Antonio, and he was fairly certain that he wasn't just offering him a part time job because he was an old friend. If Heero had to wipe the leer off the other boy's face where Duo was concerned he was confident he would.

"We should get something good for dinner tonight to celebrate," Duo suggested "Skip out of the cafeteria and go to town."

"Really, Duo?" asked Quatre "How can you think of food after you just ate?"

Trowa grinned "I think that's all he can think of actually."

"Hey!"

"Don't be ashamed at your shortcomings," mocked Heero lightly "We embrace them."

"Oh, 'Ro," Duo gained a positively wicked look on his face as he rebuked Heero's statement "That's a low blow."

Heero arched an un-intimidated brow.

"You better watch your back, buddy," Duo said crossing his arms and 'hmph'-ing. "I'll get you back when you least expect it."

Heero leaned over to whisper a smart remark into Duo's ear, the other boy spluttering and, as much as he was unwilling to admit it, blushing the next moment.

Duo was saved from telling Heero exactly what his whispered comment was good for the next moment as their previously missing friend arrived.

"Hi, Wuffers," Duo said at the same time that Heero greeted "Hey, 'Fei."

Wufei nodded to Heero, sending a half concocted glare to Duo, and sat himself at the base of the tree, extracting an apple from his bag and biting into it without further comment. Oddly enough by the look on his face his silence wasn't due to frustration or stress, it seemed that Wufei was basking in a peaceful happiness of his own.

"Where were you?" asked Duo "Getting some extra credit with Mrs. Morosely?"

Wufei ignored the leering quip. "I ran into Zechs in the hall, we chatted for a moment."

"What's sexy Zechsy want?" Duo asked. Heero snorted from his other side.

"He does pop up everywhere doesn't he?" Trowa said at the same time.

Wufei only looked slightly inquisitively at Trowa before answering Duo's question. "Nothing of importance, he just inquired after my morning classes."

"Hear that?" Duo asked Heero, turning and intoning his words with specific innuendo and widening his eyes. "Zechs wanted to know how Wufei's morning classes went."

Heero didn't have a response, just leaned around Duo to ask Wufei a question about the other boy's rooming situation. Duo leaned back against the tree to give Heero more room, grinning at Heero's flippancy towards his comment. He laughed slightly, catching Heero's eye when the other boy smiled in turn, and looked up at the cloudy fall sky.

X-_X-_X

"Didn't think you'd be one to practice with the others," Trowa's voice was quick to find Heero as the green eyed teen caught up to him. Trowa headed out of the gymnasium only moments after the Heero.

"Hn," Heero said, choosing what he wanted to say in response. "I think it's best to let them see what they tried to keep out."

"So you do think it was intentional?" Trowa confirmed grimly "The slots weren't actually full when we tried to apply."

"I figured you already knew that, Trowa," Heero replied, he gripped his own foil, the dulled tip hitting against his calf lightly. It was the same type that they'd have to use during the tournament.

"I did," Trowa admitted. "I went to the faculty organizer instead of one of the student ones, they were curious as to why I thought all the slots had already been filled.

Heero nodded his head "Relena did seem to be able to make a spot quickly, it makes sense that they weren't full to begin with."

Trowa trotted slightly to keep up with Heero's long stride as they headed across the grassy mall to the school's fencing auditorium "Another perk of being an outcast at St. Gabriel's."

Heero didn't bother to reply, his agreement in the issue was not contestable.

The light was dim, the fencing auditorium was open to the tournament participants only the break between classes and dinner, so they only had the haphazard afternoon light to work with, much less preferable to the zenith of sunlight they'd have the Saturday of the tournament.

However, even in fading afternoon light Heero should have figured that Relena would have been able to spot him wherever he went.

"Heero!" Relena said by way of greeting, he figured it was predictable that she'd be there, as she was one of the student organizers "I'm glad I caught you before you got to the auditorium."

Heero's head whipped around to look at her, honestly not having heard her approach. Trowa looked incredulously back at the girl, slowing his steps as Heero's slowed as well. Heero spotted Andrew watching Relena, and obviously waiting for her further along the mall's expanse.

"Why's that?" Heero asked, directly and to the point.

"Well," Relena's voice sang the word out, drawing the syllable along. "I wanted to introduce you to a few people."

Heero looked at Trowa, his face a rough brow of unimpressed incredulity. Heero warily turned back to Relena, however he didn't say anything, hoping his silence was a stern enough 'no'.

Relena didn't take it as such "Great!" she clapped her hands together, and then took a quick step forward, moving to tug Heero after her "See you later, Trowa!"

Trowa thought it was rather forward of her to speak to him so familiarly, considering he may have spoken to the girl a grand total of two times, probably in the class setting when it required it of him. However he just watched her pull Heero to the field hearing her mention to him "People you should be introduced to."

He felt uneasy, and suspicious, but Trowa couldn't do anything else besides follow them, hoping that this wasn't a sign of foreboding.

X-_X-_X

Duo slamming the door, just a couple minutes after ten that night startled Heero into a sitting position on his bed. He had been waiting for the other boy, but had slipped into a lackadaisical half asleep state.

"Guess what 'Ro?" Duo demanded, he was grinning broadly. He put one hand on a hip and sashayed himself to the side of Heero's bed, not looking the least bit repentant at having disturbed him.

"You got the job?" ventured Heero anti-climatically.

Duo sighed "Spoil a good guess Heero," he said, then brightened "Of course I got the job!"

Heero nodded, stifling a yawn and stretching his back out "I'm sure Antonio is very pleased to have him work with you."

Again Heero was unimpressed with Antonio's involvement with Duo. Antonio was the long lost child of Duo's Uncle Howard (though the man wasn't the boy's actual uncle, Duo had told him that he didn't have any blood family left), but the familial connection didn't sweeten Antonio to Heero.

"You should be pleased," Duo replied, stabbing a finger into Heero's chest.

"I am pleased," Heero said, tugging Duo down into a sloppy kiss with one sharp tug on the long haired boy's T-shirt. "I am very happy and proud of you, as I will always be."

"Boy, Yuy, I really didn't know you were this much of a sap," Duo said around the kiss.

Heero felt the grin in Duo's statement and couldn't help but return one of his own. He pulled Duo down onto the bed with him, and into a proper embrace. "When do you start?"

"Saturday," Duo replied in between kisses.

Heero didn't say anything else, preoccupying himself with the activity at hand. He breathed in Duo's musky scent, how the smell of the outdoors and the fall pines clung to him, and felt many of the worries that had built up during the day melt off him.

X-_X-_X

Hello! I know I'm two months behind on your update, but ironically the free time I thought I would have transformed into unusual not free time. This is a little shorter than usual, but there's a lot of set up.

I hope you enjoyed reading, as always I would love to hear your thought.

-AnimeSiren