Disclaimer: Don't own the boys, never will etc.

Tease Me

Duo pushed his way through the unyielding crowds in the cafeteria, ignoring the dirty looks and tugs on his braid until he found what he was looking for. His two friends sat in the corner, picking at a small pile of wobbling food. He shoved through the packs of chattering students impatiently and dragged his bag behind him - it never failed to break up the clusters of people that refused to budge. An indignant squeal and exaggerated sigh of disgust followed soon after and he broke into a large grin. Third time today, now for the manly boyfriend to defend h-

"Hey Maxwell!"

Duo smirked. Right on time. But he continued walking- another sure way to piss a jock off.

"Yo freak, I'm talking to you!"

Duo froze, instantly regretting it.

"Yeah, you," The jock laughed in what he hoped was a menacing laugh "What the fuck d'you think you're doing?!"

The other turned, an expression of boredom plastered on his face.

"Walking. It's where you put your right foot infront of your left to move a step forward, then move your left foot infront of your right to move again." He grinned at his fuming opponent, "And now to demonstrate, I'll walk over there by doing exactly what I said."

He marched to the table with feigned surprise, shouting behind him "Oh my God! It actually works! This walking thing is a miracle!"

He plopped down on the bench by Heero and Trowa, laughing to himself. "Man, he's a complete asshole."

Heero glanced over Duos shoulder subtly "You're lucky his friend's holding him back."

Duo shrugged, eying the tower of food infront of him hungrily.

"I could take him on any time."

Heero nodded "I don't doubt that. It's having to take on half the football team as well as the wrestling team that gets worrying."

He looked back to the struggling jock with amusement. It was a regular feature to see them trying to pick a fight with Duo, himself or Trowa and it usually ended with the humiliation of the footballers, wrestlers and so on. They never learned.

"And he had the cheek to call me, me of all people, a freak!" Duo clambered on to the table and spread his arms out.

"See anything wrong with this fine specimen of me?" He asked rhetorically, twisting into revealing postures before his friends. Trowa shook his head

"You're vain."

"No I'm not. Ooh yeah, I am so hot."

A paper ball hurtled through the air and hit Duo on the back of the head accompanied by a shout.

"Get off the table Maxwell, you suck!"

The braided teen pouted, pulling his hoody up seductively and he reached for his silver nipple ring.

"Hey Aaron baby" He purred across the bustling room, "you know you want me."

Aaron blanched, his face filled with horror and disbelief, and retaliated the only way he knew how to.

"You fucking fag!"

Heero snaked an arm out and caught Duos sleeve, yanking him off the table.

"Don't start, you know what he's like."

"Fine then." He muttered, fixing his clothes. He reached for a muffin balancing on the top of the food tower constructed by Trowa. "But I don't know what their problem is."

Trowa paused, an emerald eye narrowed in question, the other hidden by a curtain of hair.

"What's whos problem?"

Duo jerked his head to a bright and cheery table.

"Those, the oh so popular ones who make life hell for us. I'm not all that weird. So what if I wear a hoody and slightly baggy jeans, dunno how they can wear those really tight trousers. That has to be uncomfortable, I mean, I'd hate to be a rape victim of my own wardrobe. At least I don't have to go on a mining expedition for my jeans."

Two heads slowly swivelled towards a pensive Duo.

"How long did it take you to think up that rant?" Trowa quirked an eyebrow at his friends indignation.

"I'll have you know it only took ten minutes."

"Maybe the piercings don't help your image."

Duo frowned. "But a lip ring doesn't hurt anyone."

"And a nose stud." Heero chipped in

"Eyebrow bar too" countered Trowa

"I'm sure a septum piercing can't hurt anyone either."

"What about all the earrings - "

" - And the safety pins you use instead of hoops?"

Duo held his hands up defensively. "Okay okay! Maybe I don't look that chirpy, and having a metal face isn't the norm. But when you look as good as I do, people should automatically fall at your feet in their undying declaration of love."

Trowa shook his head, pulling his turtleneck higher. "Flattery gets you nowhere, even if you throw the comments at yourself."

He studied the tower and carefully began to dismantle it. Heero snagged a random apple and bit into it.

"Don't worry about it too much 'cos it's not going to change anytime soon. We'll always be the outcasts no matter how normal we seem. Then again, you're not exactly normal."

Duo cringed. It wasn't easy having purple eyes, long ass-length hair and a certain mutant ability - topped off with abstract tastes and defiant beliefs of equality. Heero observed his friends reaction.

"Sorry, didn't mean it in a bad way."

"I know. Forget about it."

"Forget about what?" Trowas soft voice interjected.

"Do you ever listen Tro?"

He stared back blankly. "What?"

Duo laughed "It's okay Tro, just leave it."

The green-eyed teen still looked confused. "What?"

Heero snickered behind his apple.

"You shut up Yuy."

"Is that a threat I hear from the peaceful Mr. Barton?"

"I never threaten, I just ask nicely and it's done."

Heero leaned forward, a challenge burning in his eyes. "Really? Explain."

Trowa smiled, cracking his knuckles. "Watch and learn."

Duo fell into thought as his only two friends argued good-naturedly between them. They really were his only two friends, best friends at that. He remembered back when he first started the school. He stood awkwardly in the corner as the more gregarious of his year took centre stage, and he only extended a greeting to Heero who had ventured close enough. Then again, Heero had just moved from Japan and didn't understand much English. But he made the effort. He found Trowa in the library reading Dickenson's poetry - a common ground for both of them. Though Trowa was more reclusive and took some time before he would initiate any conversations. Now nearly five years later they were going strong, all three of them against the hierarchy of popularity.

Duo rubbed the back of his neck. Something broke his thoughts and it didn't feel right, it wasn't there before. He mentally went through his checklist of 'reasons for weird feelings.'

1 - New piercing? … nope

2 - Been in a fight recently? … nope

3 - Had a fantastic night with Mr. Depp that he couldn't quite remember? … nope …unfortunately

And then his reason walked through the doors. His jaw dropped at the vision before him; messy auburn hair framing burning red eyes, a mischievous grin that promised more. A long trench coat hung on the lean six-foot frame, barely hiding the muscled torso outlined by the tight black t-shirt. Heavy boots crawled up to his calves, combat trousers pooling around the top of them.

"He's fucking hot."

Heero and Trowa craned their necks to see Duos new found love.

"Not bad."

Duo snapped around. "What d'you mean 'not bad'?! Finally, I have someone who can match my pure sex appeal, he's a God!"

Trowa noticed the rest of the students. "Apparently they think so too."

"What? He can match my sex appeal?"

"No, he's a God."

Heero leaned back against the wall. "You might be in luck Duo, his eyes are…different. Purple isn't that obvious to black sclera's and red pupils."

The unknown person strode to an empty table in a corner and took out a pack of cards.

"Maybe he got some cool contacts, it doesn't necessarily mean he's mutated too."

He reverted his attention back to the beautiful creature now dealing a one-sided poker game.

"… still, it would be nice if there was someone else just like me…"

A flash of colour caught his attention and a blond girl rose from the table in the centre of the room, picking her way delicately across the piles of bags and discarded wrappers. Her blue eyes focused in determination on the newcomer. Duos face paled.

"Shit, Relena's making a move on my man!"

His mind raced quickly "Sorry Hee-chan, forgive me."

He jumped from his seat. Heero looked to Trowa for help. "What?"

"Dunno."

They followed his path towards the girl.

"Relena!! Hey waitaminute!" His shout bounced around the cafeteria and Relena hesitated politely.

"Yes…" She fumbled for a name as those with too much on the social agenda do, hoping that the person would realise that taking time to learn a few syllables of a lesser persons name was a trivial and degrading task.

"Robert, or Rob." Duo supplied.

"Yes Robert?" She beamed icily as the stranger began to move.

"D'you know Heero Yuy?"

"Heero?" Her tone changed and she risked a glance to where the card player was. He disappeared. No point dwelling on losses.

"Oh I know Heero very well." She flashed a flirtatious smile

"You do?! He wants to see you." He lied, pointing in the direction. Relena sped towards him and Heero looked like a deer caught in a truckers headlights. He bolted from the bench, managing to break into a full out sprint, and zagged through the mess of tables to the welcoming doors of freedom. Relena stopped, confounded by his reaction. Handsome men didn't usually run from her, but this one did. She returned to her group, passing Duo on the way and explained.

"He forgot something, very urgent business. Could you pass a message to him Ronald?"

"Robert."

"What?"

"Sure, what d'you want me to tell him."

Relena smiled dreamily, a faraway look playing in her eyes. "Tell him to meet me at noon tomorrow under the cherry blossom tree, the one beside the fountain."

"We're in class at noon tomorrow."

"That's where we first met." She replied, not really listening to him, "And where he first realised he loved me."

"And you think I'm the freak?"

"Sorry?" Relena snapped out of her trance.

"Oh that is so neat!" Duo covered, hoping she wouldn't hear the original comment.

"It is neat," She agreed, "And don't forget to tell Heero. Thanks Ronald."

"Robert."

She laughed stiffly while returning to her friends. "That's funny."

He watched her retreat back to her pseudo world with puzzlement, sighing as Trowa quietly perched on the table top beside him.

"I really don't get them, Tro."

His friend sat in silence, not knowing what to say until something struck him.

"What was funny?"

"I don't know, she stopped listening half way through the conversation."

Trowa nodded wisely, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Who's Ronald?"

"That's me."

"Why's she calling you Ronald?" Trowa habitually pulled his turtleneck higher.

"Because I told her my name was Robert." Duo answered, as if it would explain the entire situation. It would suffice for now.

Chatter flowed around them, drowning out whatever silence there was and the bell rang for the start of class.

"You do know Heero will kill you."

Duo shrugged. "Nah, I can handle Hee-chan."

"Heero's been getting stronger lately, he's using dirtier moves too. You'd want to watch out."

Duo patted Trowa on the back amicably as they left the cafeteria.

"What would I do without you Tro?"

"Pine away."

"Yup. Now what's next?"

Trowa rummaged through his bag for his timetable.

"We have … Pastoral Care (1)"

"Oh goody. More whining because somebody couldn't find the latest Versace outfit. Well, suppose that's a nice sleep class for me then."

"Just don't snore this time."

Duo smirked, "I can't promise anything Tro."

"You never can."

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(1) Pastoral care is where you spend 40 minutes talking about your feelings/teenage drinking and drugs. It is undeniably the best class to go to sleep in because some select people turn it into a "I love guys with nice bodies and that's it" class. I do listen, outta respect, but it gets repetitive.

Random note: You could probably find characters like Aaron all over Dublin or where I live. They have a tendency not to like me or my friends for the pure reason that: we have different tastes and a big vocabulary they can't understand. They also start fights like what I wrote(or what's in the next chapter) and there's no way of avoiding it. You walk away, they follow. Ignore them, they hit you for doing so. Talk back, they twist your words into insults then nothing is ever good enough. It may seem like I have some issues about this, probably because I do. It's not all people though, just some.

Just a friendly warning - If you ever decide to visit Ireland and go to Dublin, DO NOT visit O' Connell street or Templebar late at night/during the day without being armed or in a group. Don't go to Limerick either.