On solar breezes we sailed

A blue planet beckoning

A distant glimmer in a sea of velvet

Our hearts filled with love for this new world

But when the night sings its siren’s song

And the diamonds of light begin the dance

Faint memories fill the souls

Our eyes, forever driven towards the heavens

And so we seek the stars eternal…

Longing for home.

-2oo2 (Stardust)

Three:

It was Odin Yuy that broke the silence with a wide grin and a wave of his hand. “Ah, Mr. Maxwell! I am so glad you could join us! Come! Come! Come! And make yourself at home, why don’t you? You can sit beside Trowa.”

Duo couldn’t trust himself to move for several seconds, but by some force of nature, he found himself walking towards the well-dressed young man who was eyeing him curiously with his piercing green eyes. Sitting on his right, was a smiling blond, who waved lightly and beside him was a young girl with hair the same chestnut color as his, but with smiling blue eyes and a sweet smile. Hikari Yuy sat at the other end of the table with a charming smile as well on her beautiful visage. With eyes of piercing cobalt and chocolate colored locks that were well coiffed and flawless, she looked absolutely stunning. Sitting at the other side of the table were two distinguished-looking guests as well. Duo couldn’t help comparing the man to a blond Santa Claus, while the young woman at this side was just as sweet looking as Hikari. He didn’t need a genius to tell him that they were the parents of the girl.

“Thank…thank you very much,” he managed to croak out with a small smile as he sat on his designated seat.

“Let me make the introductions then,” Odin enthused. “On your left is Trowa Barton; next is Quatre Reberba Winner, right next to him, my lovely soon to be daughter-in-law, Relena Peacecraft.” This introduction brought a dark blush to the girl’s face and light laughter from the others as Duo felt his heart rate pick up.

Soon-to-be daughter-in-law? Did this mean that…?

“And over here is of course, Mr. And Mrs. Peacecraft, very good friends of the family and last but not least, my lovely wife, Hikari.”

“It’s a pleasure to get to meet the man that will be teaching our son.”

Duo blinked and tightened his hands on the napkin that had been placed on his lap by a silent servant. She was talking as if he had already accepted the job. “Well…I…”

“Don’t make him feel too uncomfortable, sweetheart,” Odin chided with a light chuckle. “He is clearly overwhelmed by everything he has seen so far. So tell me, Mr. Maxwell…I hear you are an alumni from Harvard, is that correct?”

HARVARD?!

Duo could feel the sweat break out on his skin as he stared at the white wine that was being poured for him. Was the air suddenly becoming too thin in here? He could hardly think or breathe for that matter. What in the world was going on?

“A Harvard alumni,” Mr. Peacecraft drawled lazily as he sipped on his beverage. “Quite interesting. What was your major, young man?”

“Edu…education…”came the breathless squeak.

“Now, now, Mr. Maxwell. There is no need for you to be so modest,” Hikari said with a giggle as she placed a hand on his arm. “Your resume clearly stated that you graduated with honors in political science.”

“I did?!”

Shit!! Wufei!! What the hell did you send to them?!

Trowa finally spoke up dryly. “What party affiliation do you associate yourself with, Mr. Maxwell?”

This question seemed to have everyone holding their breaths for an answer and Duo wracked his frazzled mind for the right one to give them. According to a tabloid he had read, the Yuys had donated a lot of money to the…

“The Independent Party.”

His answer seemed satisfactory for Odin guffawed in mirth. “That’s my boy! A young man with principles and a degree in political science. What this country needs is more young men like you, Maxwell!”

Duo joined in the laughter with a weak one of his own. His head was beginning to ache and he swore to kill his friend as soon as he got out of here. This was what he got for allowing the Chinese boy to work on his resume for him.

“Maxwell…are you the son of the Maxwells that own the brewery division in the Mainlands?” The one named Quatre asked which sent Duo breaking out into a cold sweat again. He didn’t even know his own parents, for crying out loud!

“Eh…no…no, I am not,” he finally sputtered out with a blush. “I am from the city.”

“His resume is impeccable,” Odin said with a light nod as he chewed on his steak. “I can find no fault in him and I cannot wait until you begin to teach my son. He really does need…guidance.”

Trowa and Quatre exchanged another small glance before lowering their gazes to their meals, while Duo’s curiosity got the better of him. Where was this son of theirs to begin with?

As if on cue, a calm and deep voice broke through the soft conversation. “I am sorry, I’m late. I had a report to finish up.”

Duo lifted his head quickly, to find himself staring into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen – eyes that now seemed to look a bit shocked and surprised as they met his. He found himself gripping his fork even tighter as the wind was sucked right out of him. The almost effeminate features that would have had one believe that the young man before him might have been a girl, was betrayed by the well-toned body that was outfitted in a tailor-made dinner suit that highlighted his strength in each sinewy muscle.

Oh god…please…please tell me he is just another guest…

But there was no denying the resemblance between he and Hikari. This was going to be his new student and with a small sound of dismay, Duo wondered just how he was going to carry out his teaching duties without giving away a part of him that was never supposed to be shown to anyone else.

“Heero! You finally made it,” Hikari gushed happily as she rose to her feet to place a soft kiss on her blushing son’s cheek. “I was so worried about you…”

“You really shouldn’t take too long to come down for dinners, Heero,” Odin chided with a barely concealed scowl. “You knew we were having guests tonight.”

Heero gave a light bow and smiled weakly. “I apologize father. It will not happen again.” He walked over to his seat, which was right across from Duo’s and without looking at the young teacher, began to place his napkin onto his lap.

It was a miracle he was still able to act as if nothing was happening even though his heart was racing-a-mile-a-minute. He had heard the new voice of the guest as he had walked down the stairs, but he hadn’t put too much stock in it. His assumption had been that it was yet another old geezer ready to take over the reins as his new teacher and was resigned to spending the evening discussing mundane issues with him or her. However, his shock could barely be contained as he had stepped into the room.

It’s him! The boy…my….fantasies…

With hands that trembled ever so slightly, he raised the drink to his lips and being careful not to give away that he was staring, he eyed Duo carefully. In his fantasies, the boy had long hair…but the color had been a bit unclear to him. Heero wasn’t sure if he should feel disappointed that Duo’s hair was chestnut like Relena’s, but that didn’t stop him from imagining what it must feel like. The eyes…sweet Kami, the eyes were simply breathtaking. Just as he had imagined them in his dreams, they were right here in front of him. Although they looked a bit confused and wary, they were still the same amethyst depths he had drowned in night after night. Heero couldn’t be sure of what Duo’s body looked like, but he was sure that it was just as good as he had seen in his dreams. And those hands…

He gulped and began to chew his food, tasting nothing as his mind whirled with thoughts of those lean fingers brushing against his skin – as images of both of them writhing between the sheets, hot, sweaty, naked and having the best time of their lives…

“Heero, sweetheart. Don’t you want to introduce yourself to your new teacher?” Hikari asked softly.

He coughed lightly and took a deep breath, before lifting seemingly bored eyes to the handsome visage before him. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Maxwell. I hope we will be able to work well…together.”

Duo could feel the heat rise to his cheeks at the sentence and kicking himself inwardly for allowing this kid to affect him so much, he waved lightly and tried to laugh off the tension he felt. “No, no problem, Heero. Oh, and you can call me Duo if you like. I don’t mind at all.”

“But I do mind,” Heero remarked softly, before turning his attention back to his meal and promptly ending the conversation. Calling Duo by his first name was going to make things even more complicated. It would seem as if they were on intimate terms and they weren’t.

The braided man blinked in surprise at the cold treatment while Hikaru blushed in embarrassment and smiled wanly. “Please forgive my son…he…he…”

“He is just a spoiled brat that’s all,” Odin finished with a snort as he glared at his oblivious son. “Perhaps you would like a tour of the house when we are done here, Maxwell.”

“Of…of course.”

“Excellent! So, do you have your luggage with you?”

Duo felt as if the world was beginning to spin around him at a dizzying speed. “My…my luggage.”

“Why yes, of course! Don’t you have any?”

Hikari patted his arm gently. “There really is no need for anything really. You can stay in one of the guesthouses and we will give you an allowance to do whatever you want with it, which includes buying new clothes. Books are already provided so there will be no need for you to buy anything.”

“Of course you get to teach him five days a week and you have your weekends off. You will also receive a month off as a vacation leave and still be paid for that,” Odin chimed in.

“So, do you have any other questions?”

Duo glanced from one eager face to the other, knowing that saying ‘no’ would not be an option in this case. He was apparently hired and his interview process had not been that painful at all. Things were already looking up and with a wide grin, he gave an enthusiastic nod.

“No. I have no questions to ask as of right now. I am ready to go!”

The next few days seemed to go by in a breeze for Duo. In less than a day, he had packed up his belongings and had paid Mrs. Denver his month’s rent with the advance pay he had gotten from the Yuys - a whopping sum of $10,000 just for showing up at their doorstep the very next day. With some of the money, he had treated Wufei and Merian to a pre-wedding dinner at a fine restaurant downtown, much to the Chinese man’s chagrin and to his future bride’s delight. He had used some of the money to also shop for decent looking clothes since he had no intentions of wearing Wufei’s suit forever. He also made sure to buy a little gift for Sandy; after all, none of this would have been possible without the tip.

And now, five days later, he was sitting on his comfy leather couch, flipping through the channels on the large flat-screen TV that was surrounded by a state-of-the-art stereo system that he would never have dreamed of possessing. His new place wasn’t that bad at all. It had an air of an island beach house and most of its furnishings were made to look that way. Its predominant color being white, Duo had accented it with several of his personal belongings. Instead of the boring old painting that had been hanging in his bedroom earlier, a poster of his favorite rock band now hung in its place. He could still remember the way he had bounced upon his bed in giddy happiness as he had laid eyes on it. There was also a kitchen with a well-stocked fridge, a bathroom with both a shower and a tub and then right outside his backyard, the large outdoor pool that he had shamelessly skinny-dipped in the very night he had settled down here. He only hoped that none of the owners had spied on him.

As for his new student, he had barely seen Heero since that night at dinner. Once or twice, Duo could have sworn that he had seen the boy watching him as he had moved into his new home, but he figured that it was just his imagination and thought nothing of it. Sessions would begin in earnest on Monday morning at exactly eight and would go on until around two in the afternoon with an hour’s lunch break in between. Duo had already set out notes and had taken some time to look through the books he was to use to teach the young heir. He had already visited the library, which was to become their classroom and was impressed by the amount of books that filled its shelves. It was a reader’s haven and Duo had almost lost all sense of time as he remained in there reading to his heart’s content.

Yawning and bounding to his feet - deciding that a little outdoor exploring was in order, he changed into his comfortable pair of jeans and an old t-shirt before making his way out of the house and down the azalea-lined driveway. He waved at several maids, servants and gardeners that he came across as his feet led him towards the tennis courts, to another large swimming pool that looked like something out of the Playboy mansion with its hidden coves and waterfalls, and to a large pasture that seemed to go on forever. Duo leaned over the stiles and watched the beautiful horses dancing in the late evening shadows. Grinning at the sight, he was just about to make his way back, when the kind voice stopped his tracks.

“Do you like horses, Mr. Maxwell?”

Duo spun around to stare blankly into the smiling visage of the blond boy he had sat next to at dinner the other day. “Don’t tell me…you are…Winner, right?”

“Please…call me Quatre.”

Duo chuckled. “Sure thing and you can call me Duo. No need for the formalities here. You make me sound like I am fifty or something.”

The blond laughed and stood upon the stiles as well. He was dressed in a riding outfit and it did more to show his well-toned thighs on his slim build. Duo kicked himself for staring and stubbornly averted his gaze away from the young boy. The last thing he needed was to be thought of as a lecher.

“We were just about to go riding, Duo,” Quatre said with a grin. “Would you like to join us?”

“Us?”

“Heero, Trowa and I. Relena couldn’t make it. She has dancing lessons this evening. So, would you like to join us?”

Duo blushed lightly and shook his head. “I think I will just watch you guys. I don’t…eh…I haven’t ridden in years.”

Quatre giggled and jumped off the stiles. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s like riding a bicycle. Once you know it, you never forget. Come on, I am sure Harris will be able to find a suitable horse for you.”

Duo winced and wondered why in hell he had had to lie about not riding a horse in years. He had never been on one before…ever!

Great. Just another way to embarrass myself in front of them.

With a resolute sigh, he followed the chattering blonde like a man going to his execution.

Trowa stole another glance at the stoic boy with a barely concealed smile as he noticed the strained and forced movements. Heero was even more morose than usual and as he patted down his horse with skilled hands, Trowa could tell that there was a whole lot more on his friend’s mind than he let on.

Deciding to test his theory, he began to speak quietly as he too began to brush down his ride. “He seems to be much different from the rest, don’t you think?”

Of course, he wasn’t expecting an answer and Heero proved him right by not saying anything in return, but that didn’t deter Trowa for he continued amiably. “He is much younger than the rest. Quite handsome too, wouldn’t you say?”

The sound of a brush dropping to the floor brought another smile to his lips as he heard the muffled curse. So, Heero hadn’t been so blind after all. “I wonder if he is…into guys. He looks like he is. That would make things so much easier, don’t you think?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Heero finally asked curtly as he glared daggers at his friend’s back.

“Nothing,” came the flippant reply. “I am just saying that it would be nice if he was single and looking for another man, that’s all.”

Heero snorted and continued to brush the horse’s mane, trying hard not to show just how much Trowa’s theory had sent his hormones into overdrive. “Don’t be ridiculous. He obviously has girlfriends and would not be interested in any man. And besides…he’s old.”

“He’s only twenty-one, Heero. Just four years older than you.”

“So fucking what?” came the rather agitated reply as Heero stubbornly continued to scrub the same spot over and over again. The horse neighed in protest and the heir sighed softly. Resting his forehead against the silky mane, he caressed the beast gently and mumbled. “Forget it, Trowa. He is my teacher and I don’t have time to think about such things, okay?”

The Barton heir nodded in agreement and began to lead his horse out of the stable. “You are right, Heero. You don’t have to keep thinking about it. Let’s go…the sun is almost going down.”

They led their horses out of into the yard, only to blink in surprise as they noticed the familiar smiling blonde and the teacher they had just been talking about heading towards them. Heero felt his heart stop and he faltered in his step as he found himself almost hiding behind his horse so as not to make eye contact with the man that had filled his dreams for the past few days.

“Hi guys!” Quatre greeted with a cheerful wave as he led Duo towards the couple. “As luck would have it, Mr. Maxwell was just loitering around the premises and I invited him over to join us. He is a good rider, so we should have no problems having him ride with us, right?”

He turned hopeful depths to the silent dark-haired heir, while Duo was still wishing that he was anywhere but here. Hoping that Heero would say something like ‘No, we don’t need an old guy like him around’, he was stumped into speechlessness as the cool voice responded.

“That sounds fine with me. Let him ride with us.” Spinning on his heels, he motioned for one of the stable hands to come over. “Harris, please prepare a horse for Mr. Maxwell.” And with a light smirk, he added softly. “Get him Black Beauty. I am sure a man of Mr. Maxwell’s caliber should be able to handle him.”

Trowa and Quatre exchanged worried glances, which Duo was quick to notice and feeling something churn in the pits of his stomach, he swallowed tightly and glanced towards the stables, waiting with abated breath for what kind of monster he was supposed to ride.

Somewhere at the back of his mind, he knew that Heero was doing this to test him and for some odd reason or another, Duo knew that he would have to pass this or things were bound to get ugly from here on out.