Author's Note: Holy cow! I never expected such a response for the prologue! You folks definitely know how to motivate me. No pressure right? Uh-huh. Yikes. I promise I'll do my best to live up to expectations. And I trust you to let me know if I fall short, so I can improve! With that in mind, here goes...
The Academy Part 1
Reunions
When the bus pulled up outside the MSC Academy gate, only one person got off. He was a slender teenage boy, with a face slightly on the pretty side, but by no means girlish, and large, expressive indigo eyes. His hair was pulled back into a braid that reached to the thighs of his worn jeans. He wore a faded leather jacket over a black tee shirt with "bite me" in white letters across the front, and he carried a government-issue duffel bag and wore government-issue army boots.
Hiking the bag up over one shoulder, he started up the long driveway.
It was a gorgeous day, and the road led up a sunny hillside before winding between rows of stately oaks and maples. The bus driver had said it was a mile to the campus, and Duo decided he was actually grateful for the walk. After having been cooped up on a shuttle for several hours and then bounced around in the back of a bus for a few more, he was in dire need of a good stretch and a little exercise.
It also gave him time to calm down and steady his nerves. He had to remind himself, he had as much right to be here as anyone else did. He'd passed the tests, completed the training, and graduated with flying colors from boot camp. There was no reason he should feel undeserving of his place at the prestigious Academy; he'd earned it fair and square.
He was spared his lengthy self-examination, when he heard the sound of a car coming up the driveway behind him, and stepped off to the side to let it pass.
But instead of passing, it pulled up alongside, and screeched to a halt. "Duo! Oh, Allah, you made it!" Quatre yelped in delight, vaulting over the side of the convertible and throwing his arms around his teammate.
"Hey--Quatre!" Duo replied, hugging back and grinning over the blonde's shoulder at the auburn-haired boy behind the wheel of the car. "Trowa? You the new chauffeur, or is this your ride?"
Trowa smiled wryly. "It's Quatre's car, but he asked if I wanted to drive and I couldn't resist," admitted the green-eyed boy, patting the dashboard of the sleek car affectionately. "How come you didn't let us know when you were flying in? We could've picked you up at the shuttle port."
"I flew military stand-by...didn't know my arrival time until I was enroute." He shrugged carelessly. "No problem, though. I took the bus out here. Got dropped off at the gate just a few minutes ago."
"Well hop in!" Quatre urged, tugging at the duffel bag.
Duo tossed his stuff into the back seat and jumped in, sliding forward so that he was leaning on the back of the front seat between his two friends. "Are you just getting here?"
Quatre shook his head. "We got here yesterday and checked into our dormitories."
"How are they?"
"Nice," Quatre asserted. "There's kind of a common area in each dorm, with individual rooms down two hallways and upstairs. It's got a laundry area, vending machines...all kinds of conveniences."
Duo laughed aloud. "Conveniences? Quat, on L2 we'd have called those luxuries. Fuck, having a roof over your head was a luxury back there."
"How was it, going back?"
Duo shook his head. "Not so bad, since I stayed with Howard."
"And did you talk to the cops, like Captain Chang wanted?"
The braided boy nodded, smiling wryly. "Yeah--that was an experience."
"What happened?"
"Well, the first cop I ran into in the station was Carpo--and we had, um, history."
Trowa chuckled at that. "So how many times had he arrested you?"
"Enough that we nicknamed him 'Crappo' on the streets," Duo smirked. "He was a thorn in the side of most of us street kids." He shook his head, snorting derisively. "He figured I couldn't possibly have a legitimate reason to be at headquarters, so he was just about to shove me against the wall and pat me down for weapons, when his captain came out to see what the fuss was about."
Trowa smiled grimly. "Shit, Maxwell. It figures you'd get into trouble."
Duo spared him a brief glare. "I didn't, Tro'. Honest. I kept my cool. I was gonna let the stupid officer get me all the way to booking if he wanted, and then flip out Chang's card and tell him to take it to his boss. But the boss got to us first. And as soon as I dropped Chang's name, he treated me like fuckin' royalty...invited me into his office and pulled up a chair for me."
"Nice change, was it?" Trowa smirked.
"Totally blew my mind." Duo reached forward to fiddle with the radio dial, looking for a good station. "Anyhow, I told 'em all about the murder I'd witnessed, and drew them a picture of the tattoo. The captain told me my story fit the evidence perfectly, and that they could probably review the case and find something solid to back it up. He was guessing K.'s brother might have kept some kind of souvenirs from his relationship with the murderer, and that if they went through the list of his belongings, they'd find something. Same thing in reverse--K.'s old partner's stuff is still in storage since his suicide."
"Suicide?" Quatre asked, eyes widening.
"Oh. I forgot--you guys didn't hear the rest of the story, did ya?" Duo flopped back in his seat. "Yeah. Come to find out, a few months after the murder, K.'s partner offed himself. They thought it was 'cause he was upset about the case--not catching the perp. Now it looks like it was because he was guilty." He shook his head. "How the hell do you kill your lover?"
Quatre glanced fondly at Trowa. "Couldn't do it in a million years," he said warmly.
"Me neither," Trowa agreed.
"God, that reminds me. Any sign of Heero yet?" Duo asked hopefully.
"We haven't seen him here on the campus," Quatre told him. "Have you heard from him since boot camp?"
"I wish!" Duo replied fervently. "Not a word. It's been a month since we touched base with each other."
"Don't you mean made a 'home run?'" Trowa teased slyly.
Duo rolled his eyes. "Your mind's as filthy as ever, Barton."
"Ditto, Maxwell."
All three boys grinned, settling into the comfortable camaraderie they'd worked so hard to achieve during their boot camp.
"Now--can we talk about more interesting stuff, like when we're gonna get to strap into a real mobile suit?" Duo suggested, draping himself over the back of the front seat again.
"Can't be soon enough," Quatre chimed in, smiling and running a hand back through his silky blonde hair. "I guess it depends on how well we do with our training."
As they went through a second gate that brought them onto the main campus of the Academy, Duo's eyes widened in awe.
"Holy fucking shit," he murmured under his breath, gaping at the sight of the rows of stately buildings. He felt that recurrent urge to tuck his tail between his legs and run back to L2.
"It's a lot less intimidating once you get a map and can find your way around," Quatre promised.
"Is that hangar at the end of the field there for mobile suits?" Duo asked, pointing to a long, domed structure.
"Yeah," Quatre replied in an awed voice. "Supposedly we'll get a tour of the place during the first week of training. We'll get to see the latest suit designs and everything!"
The boy from L2 leaned back against the seat, taking a deep breath. "Un-fucking-believable," he sighed. "All I need's Yuy back in my arms, and life will be perfect."
Trowa gave a wry snort, and Quatre smiled warmly. "He's probably here already. But we haven't seen Captain Chang, so we can't be sure."
Duo's indigo eyes lit with amusement. "Yeah, I gotta look up my dear foster dad and make sure he brought Heero back all in one piece." He squirmed a little on the seat, picturing his lover's intense blue eyes and the messy hair across his face...the way he smirked just before he leaned in to steal a kiss. God, he missed him! "Where do I have to go to check in, anyway?"
"I'll take you!" Quatre volunteered, as they pulled up outside a building that was bustling with activity.
People were entering and leaving the administration building in a steady stream, paperwork in hand. A few gave the three boys in the convertible a brief glance, and then one broke away to jog over.
"Maxwell? Barton--Winner!"
"Ben!" Duo hopped out of the car, grabbing the newcomer's hand and shaking it firmly. "Good t'see you. Any of the old gang with you?"
"Adam and Troy are at the mess hall having lunch, and I saw Austin and Jase this morning."
"Austin and Jase, as in--together?" Duo asked with a smirk, trying to quell a wisp of jealousy that the boy who'd had a crush on him in boot camp had moved on.
Ben nodded. "Speaking of which, where's your pal Yuy?"
Duo shrugged, his glance sweeping the busy courtyard. "Haven't seen him yet. But I just got here. Quat and Tro' found me walking up from the bus stop."
Quatre had joined Duo on the sidewalk, while Trowa drove off to park the car. "Lucky we were just coming back from town, or you'd have had a pretty long walk."
"Not so bad," shrugged his friend, hefting his duffel bag and looking towards the brick building in front of them. "Is that where I'm supposed to go?"
"Yeah," Ben told him. "You check in at the admin desk, and they'll give you a packet of information with your room assignment, meal schedule, and course load." He smiled happily. "Can't wait to see you guys around campus...at classes and stuff. If I see Jase again, I'll tell him you were asking about him, Duo." He winked slyly and walked off.
"So long as he doesn't tell Heero you were asking about Jase," Quatre mumbled rather uneasily.
Duo gave him a dauntless grin. "Heero knows I'm all his, Quat. An' if he's got any doubts at all, I'll lay 'em to rest the minute I get my hands on that boy...and a little privacy."
"Agh! Too much information!" Quatre lamented, pretending to clap his hands over his ears.
They started walking towards the office. "Speaking of that," Duo said with a sly sideways glance. "How're things with you and acrobat-boy?"
"Wonderful," came the wistful reply. Quatre gave his friend a long look. "I picked him up a week ago and we drove all the way out here together. It's been great."
"You tell your dad about you and Trowa yet?"
"Not yet," admitted the blonde, ducking his head rather sheepishly. "You'd think the number of times we talked on the phone would've been a dead giveaway; but my father's trying to pretend I'm not gay, so he conveniently overlooked it."
"Did he know you were picking Tro' up for your little road trip?"
"Again--he didn't ask too many questions. He doesn't really want the answers." Quatre shrugged. "Maybe he's hoping I'll outgrow it."
Duo laughed at that, shaking his head. "Sorry 'bout that shit. But hey, you got all that time with just you and Trowa...lucky sonofabitch."
"Well maybe my luck's contagious. You've got Heero, a clean record, and an education for the taking." Quatre grinned widely. "I'd say we're all four pretty lucky."
Duo hung onto that thought as he checked in at the main desk and was given instructions on where to proceed. When he turned back to Quatre with his folder of information, the blonde smiled reassuringly. "I should probably leave you here to get squared away," he suggested. "It takes awhile. Trowa and I can meet you at your dorm in an hour or so and take you on a tour of the campus."
The braided boy frowned slightly. "Y'mean, we're not in the same dorm?"
"Probably not," Quatre replied. "It's done alphabetically, I think."
Duo scowled at that. "What about the teams we had back in boot camp? Aren't we gonna be together any more?"
"Sure we will," Quatre assured him. "Just--they don't have teams like we did at Camp Peacecraft. It's more like a regular college campus...only with military training."
"Oh." Duo tried to quash a tiny upwelling of discontent at the thought of not rooming with his friends from boot camp.
Quatre clapped him encouragingly on the back. "Don't worry about it. Trowa and I will hang out near the dorms until you get there. We'll watch for you."
"Sure. Thanks." Duo walked away, looking around him a bit uneasily as his street instincts kicked in. It happened every time he was in a new place--a new situation. He scanned faces as well as his surroundings, trying to determine potential threats, noting escape routes, and getting a feel for the place in general.
"Hey, Maxwell!"
Duo turned around sharply, to see Corporal Carter leaning in the doorway.
"Carter? Hey, how ya been?"
The former liaison officer walked over to shake Duo's hand. "I've been fine. Did you forget you'd see me here? I help teach weapons classes."
"So all the liaison guys will be here," guessed the braided boy. "Y'know, it just didn't sink in. I thought you'd be working with a new group of recruits."
"I will be. Next summer. They've decided to save the boot camp program for a yearly group of recruits." He gave a rather conspiratorial smile. "I think it'll take them that long to find as promising a bunch as you guys were."
"Aw, love ya too, Carter," smirked Duo. "So, you wanna point me in the right direction here? This place is huge."
"Sure. Matter of fact, I'll go along with you."
They headed down the hallway, and Duo was surprised at the number of students who greeted the soldier walking with him. "Does everybody here know you?"
"All the sophomores, at least," replied Carter. "Like I said, I help with freshman weapons classes."
"So I'll have you for a teacher."
Carter shook his head. "Actually, all you kids from camp are starting with sophomore courses. Boot camp covered the freshman curriculum and then some. Add that to your simulator scores, and at least half the kids who passed Peacecraft got shoved into the accelerated training program."
"Meaning?"
"You'll have some regular sophomore classes, a few advanced classes, and immediate placement in the mobile suit piloting program."
Duo didn't know whether to be glad or terrified. While their trainers' faith in the recruits was flattering, it was also daunting to be thrust into what was sure to be an extremely challenging training regimen.
Carter nudged him with an elbow. "You'll do fine, kid. I've seen you in action."
Duo smiled wanly as they stopped by a door labeled "admissions." "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Carter. I hope I don't screw up too badly."
"Maxwell, after the undercover ops you and your teammates pulled? You've got nothing to worry about."
"Thanks," came the genuinely grateful reply, as Duo felt some of his unease slip away. "See you around campus then?"
"You betcha." The corporal slapped him on the back of the shoulder, opening the door and gesturing him in. "So long, kid."
Duo entered the office, taking his place in the line at the main desk and dropping his duffel bag with a thud.
A boy in front of him turned to look, and his eyes widened as they traveled the length of the chestnut braid.
Duo narrowed his eyes just slightly, but pasted on a polite smile. "Duo Maxwell," he said, holding out a hand with more confidence than he felt.
The other boy took it with a suggestion of a smile. "Rev Archer." His hazel eyes again took in the worn jacket and the long hair. "You new here?"
"Kinda," Duo replied noncommittally. He tilted his head questioningly. "Gonna tell me there's a regulation for haircuts?"
"Uh--not that I know of," replied Rev. "But I guess you'll find out."
Duo's next smile was less guarded. "Already have. Major Merquise and Captain Chang okayed the hair."
The other boy's look became skeptical. "You've met Merquise?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Uh, not that I'm callin' you a liar or anything, but the Major's kind of legendary around here. Hardly anyone's actually met him face to face."
"Well I have. And frankly, it'd be pretty hypocritical of him to tell me to get a haircut," Duo asserted.
Rev laughed at that. "Yeah, I s'pose it would." He glanced past Duo as a group of boys stepped into line behind them, and the boy from L2 followed his gaze.
The newcomers were joking among themselves and appeared to be a close-knit bunch of friends. The apparent leader, a dark-haired boy with a rectangular face and square jaw caught sight of Rev and Duo and gave a slight sneer.
"Archer."
"Darlian."
"Who's your friend?"
"We just met. He's--"
"Duo Maxwell," Duo cut in, preferring to make his own introductions--and fight his own battles. He hadn't been through the juvenile justice system for nothing; he could read belligerence all over the newcomer. So he straightened slightly, donned his most forbidding expression, and put a hand on his hip. "You want to introduce yourself, or just get right into it?"
The other boy stiffened, his expression turning wary. "Listen, you little punk freshman...before you get mouthy, maybe you want to know who's who around here."
"Oh believe me, I do," Duo said earnestly. "Rev introduced himself already. As for the rest of you, I can already tell you aren't anybody I care to know."
"I'm Reginald Darlian."
"Reginald?" Duo blurted, unable to contain a laugh. "Well that explains everything."
"Huh?"
"With a name like that, no wonder you go around picking fights." Duo heard a muffled snicker from Rev, but he kept his attention focused on Reginald, who clearly was used to being the top of some sort of pecking order. "Look--I got no beef with you, Reginald. I just wanna get checked in and meet some friends at my dorm. So how 'bout you just leave Rev and me alone for now, hm?"
"You--"
The other boy's retort was interrupted when the secretary at the desk called for the next person in line. Rev moved up to check in, and Duo angled into a position where any action on Reginald's part would be clearly visible to the uniformed woman.
Rev turned his head almost unobtrusively towards Duo. "You might not want to antagonize Reggie and his pals," he muttered under his breath. "They're on the football team--big shot jocks, y'know."
"Big deal," yawned Duo, leaning on the counter beside Rev. "I've seen dozens like him. All talk. No guts."
"Yeah, but he's got numbers."
"So do I," Duo smirked. "If you feel like hanging around after check-in you can meet my friends."
Rev smiled, looking down at the counter. "Thanks for the offer. But for now I think I should stay on neutral ground." He glanced sideways at the braided boy. "You're anything but neutral, Maxwell."
"Well, it was nice to meet you anyway."
Rev took his paperwork, thanked the secretary, and then left without a backward glance, while Duo took his place at the desk.
"Your name?" asked the woman, raising a disinterested look.
"Duo Maxwell."
She scanned her clipboard, and then flipped a page, blinking in surprise before looking up. "You're in the Northeast Quadrangle...your dormitory is Mercury." She pulled a thick folder from a pile on her desk. "Your advisor is Lieutenant Wolfe."
Duo grinned at the familiar name, feeling renewed confidence. "Does your little clipboard list who else is in the same dorm?"
"My list is alphabetical by name."
"Oh." On sudden inspiration, Duo gave her a hopeful smile. "D'you know if Heero Yuy has checked in?"
She gave him a dispassionate look. "I'd have to check over two days worth of listings, Mister Maxwell. I'd suggest you just watch for your friend at the mess hall. Everyone ends up there sooner or later." She placed a list atop his folder. "There's everything you need to do to check in...pick up uniforms, stop by the med-center and see Doctor Po, and get your books. Here's the key to your dorm room."
Before Duo could try turning on the charm to get her to look up Heero's name, she shoved the packet of information into his hands and called for the next person in line.
Sighing, Duo turned away and picked up his duffel bag, sparing a single assessing look at Reginald, who was still glowering from among the safety of his friends. But fortunately for the pushy jock, Duo wasn't in the mood for a fight, and merely sauntered past him and out the door.
Quatre had been right; it took Duo almost an hour to go from collecting his uniforms to checking in with Doctor Po and finally picking up his books. By the time he found his way to the Northeast Quadrangle, he wanted nothing more than to locate his room and collapse for a few hours.
The quadrangle was comprised of six dormitories, forming a rectangle shape around a green. There were plantings and walkways through the green, creating an almost park-like atmosphere, with stone benches and even a fountain.
Duo grinned at the sight of the bubbling water, recalling Carter's prank and wondering how it might be improved on in the future.
"Hey, you made it!" Quatre came jogging over from where he and Trowa had been sitting in the shade. "Got everything?"
"God, yes," Duo sighed wearily. "It's worse than prison orientation for crying out loud!" He hefted his duffel bag, which was considerably heavier now that it was filled with uniforms and books.
"What dorm are you in?"
"Mercury."
Trowa had sauntered up behind Quatre, and gestured across to one of the buildings. "That'd be the one. I'm in Saturn and Quatre's in Mars."
Duo looked a little crestfallen at that. "I don't suppose we can request a change, can we?"
Quatre shrugged. "Between my family name, and you being Chang's ward, maybe we could pull some strings."
"Right," came the skeptical snort. "I think Chang probably planned it this way--keep us from getting together in the evenings and plotting."
"You haven't eaten lately, have you?" Quatre asked, grabbing Trowa's wrist as the auburn-haired boy started to reach in a pocket for a dog biscuit. "Real food, Trowa! Not Nanashi's leftovers."
"Hey, how's my favorite mutt, anyway?" teased Duo.
"Healthy as a horse," replied Trowa, smiling fondly. "You've seriously got to come to the circus and see him perform when we get a long weekend from this place."
"Sounds great."
"Getting back to the point," Quatre grumbled. "Why don't you go dump your stuff in your room and meet us back here in fifteen minutes, Duo? We can go to the mess hall and then take a walk around the campus before dark."
Duo nodded, fighting back his fatigue. "Sure, Quat. Be back in a flash."
He lugged his heavy bag across the quadrangle to the building Trowa had indicated, once again gaping in astonishment as he entered the foyer.
The dorm was an old building, but had been refurbished into a very cozy habitat. There was an entryway that led into a common area, with several couches and chairs for students to relax in. To the right and left were stairways leading up to a second story lined with individual rooms. Straight ahead was a laundry area and a small kitchen, and hallways led off to both sides for more rooms.
Rev was standing talking to another boy when Duo walked in, and he gave a wry smile. "We meet again, Maxwell."
"So we're dorm-mates?" asked Duo.
"Naw, I was just visiting Coop." Rev gestured to the boy standing with him. "Cooper Martin...meet Duo Maxwell."
Both boys nodded a greeting, and Duo jerked a thumb in the direction of the stairs. "So is room two upstairs or down?"
"Ah--that hallway there," replied Cooper, gesturing to the right. "Last room on the left. You got a corner room, ya lucky stiff."
"'Bout time my luck got good," Duo said firmly. "See you two around--I gotta dump my stuff and meet Quat and Tro' to go get some chow." He breezed past his two new acquaintances and hauled his duffel bag down the hallway, reflecting that lucky or not, the corner room was a long way down the hall.
When he got to his room, he sighed, opening the door and stepping inside, dropping his duffel bag with a thump. "Home, sweet home."
Then a pair of strong arms circled him from behind, and he automatically began to struggle, cursing aloud. But before he could break free, he was spun around and slammed into the wall, and lips covered his in a forceful, demanding kiss, while hands with a grip like steel pinned his wrists to the wall on either side of his head.
He started to go for a knee to his attacker's groin, but his startled gasp had allowed his attacker's tongue into his mouth in a deep, passionate--and vaguely familiar kiss.
Wait--I know the smell of that shampoo...
His knees went weak at the relentless onslaught, and he kissed back hard, pushing back against his assailant, who then maneuvered his hands over his head, pinning them with one hand while the other dropped to the front of his pants to stroke him through the fabric, making him moan into the kiss.
When the other person pulled back, finally allowing Duo to gasp for air, he found himself looking into amused blue eyes.
"God, Yuy--give a guy a heart attack, why doncha?" he said breathlessly, his voice husky.
"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind," came the low, sexy reply.
"Ah...I see. Let me lock the door, lover," Duo whispered. "An' then you can have your way with--aw, fuck!" Duo was tempted to bang his head against the wall. "You've got the worst fucking timing ever! I've gotta meet Quatre and Trowa in a few minutes, 'Ro."
"Now?" Heero demanded, almost panting with desire.
Duo nodded. "I was just s'posed to drop my stuff off and get right back out to the quad." He slid his arms around Heero's waist, pulling him close again. "Damn it, 'Ro. Where've you been, anyway?"
"Chang and I only arrived this morning," Heero told him, gradually regaining his calm exterior. "I got my things, and then had a meeting with Merquise and him." A vaguely smug look settled on his face. "Wait'll you see the suits we're gonna pilot."
"How come you got a private showing? Teacher's pet?" Duo teased.
"Education coordinator's childhood buddy," Heero corrected meticulously. He ran light fingers through Duo's hair. "You're the teacher's pet, Duo. Chang wants to see you as soon as possible and hear how it went on L2."
Duo leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and nearly purring with pleasure at the feeling of strong fingers stroking his hair and cheek. "Can you come back here tonight?" he asked hopefully. "Or do they do bed checks here, too?"
Heero smiled enigmatically. "I told you, Maxwell. There's a lot more freedom at the Academy than we had in boot camp. There are no babysitters or guards or wardens...just teachers and officers. I can spend the night anywhere I want."
Indigo eyes looked pleadingly at him. "Where d'you want to spend the night?"
"Didn't I promise you all night and a real bed?" Heero chided, his expression softening. "I think we can find both right here, can't we?"
"Damn straight!" Duo pulled Heero in for a searing kiss, and then pulled back just enough to talk. "Let's go meet the others and get food. You're gonna need your strength tonight, Yuy."
Heero grinned dauntlessly. "Mission accepted."
TBC...
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