Title: School Tales (Senior Year #34) Poetic Beauty
Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xD
Warnings: AU, Heero POV, angst, humor, sap, fluff, shounen-ai/yaoi,
Rating: R (for language and lemon)
Fujisaki High School
Monday, 8.30am:
“WHAT?!”
“You heard me,” he mumbles, now walking a bit faster and ahead of me. Still
trying to digest this new piece of information, it takes me almost a full
minute to gather my wits before chasing him down. I grab his arm and force him
to face me, staring into his flushed but tightened features, as if daring me to
laugh at his latest bombshell. To be honest, I’m not sure if I ought to laugh
or cry or…
“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” I finally say in as normal a
tone as I can manage.
“You think I’d make this stuff up?”
“But Duo…it’s Monday! Why didn’t you tell me this since Saturday?!”
“What difference does it make?! Maybe I’m still trying to digest the news
myself! I mean hello? My mom just might be marrying the enemy here…!”
“Good morning, Duo-ni!”
Duo actually gives a shudder as we turn around quickly at the sound of Kamui’s
cheerful greeting. Sure enough, standing behind us, looking as pleased as a cat
with a bowl of milk; was Kamui Teruo with his current love interest – some
scrawny kid I’ve never seen before. I wonder what happened to Maiku.
But geez…Duo-ni? Already?
“What the hell did you call me?!” Duo screeches, a look of absolute horror on
his features.
“Du-o, niichan,” Teruo explains calmly, still grinning from ear-to-ear.
“Duo-ni, for short, since you’re going to be my big brother now…”
“Can we talk for just one minute?” Duo cuts in, dragging Kamui away from us to
have a little brotherly chat. Unfortunately, that does it for me and my weak
attempts at stopping my laughter, finally falls through. I have to turn away
from them so Duo doesn’t see me. I have a feeling he’s not going to appreciate
my sentiments at this time.
“…but I’m telling you not to go about telling everyone in the entire school
that we’re going to be brothers, you moron!”
So much for keeping his voice down.
“What’s going on?” Quatre asks as he and Trowa approach us. I shake my head,
unable to get the words out. I can only point toward the ‘brothers’ behind me
and grief! That only gets me going again.
“Someone’s been sniffing the glue this morning,” Trowa says dryly, eyeing Duo
and Kamui over my shoulder. “What’s with them?”
“Duo is…Kamui is…they’re…they’re…”
“Ah, I get it now!” the scrawny freshman suddenly says as he pounds a fist into
his other hand. We gawk at him, watching his features light up as if he’s
finally discovered the secret to eternal life or something. “Kamui was telling
us this morning about his father getting re-married and that Duo sempai was
going to become his big brother because of it. Ah, so that’s what he meant.”
Good God, but the kid is slow on the uptake, isn’t he?
“Are you serious?!” It’s Wufei’s voice that finally cuts through the stunned
silence. Neither of us had even heard him walking up to us.
“I don’t believe it,” Quatre whispers in awe. “I don’t know if I ought to
congratulate him or cry for him.”
“I say the former,” Trowa says, now smiling as the two boys approach us.
“Congratulations, Duo! You’re going to make a lovely family.”
Duo flips him the finger, leading a red-faced Kamui back to his boyfriend or
friend or whatever the hell he is. “Hardy har har,” he says, noticing that
we’re all grinning at him. “Laugh now, okay? Because it’s not going to happen.
There’s no way in hell my mom’s going to marry that guy. She’s just going
through a phase that’s all. In no time, she’ll snap out of it and get back to
her senses…”
“But this could be true love,” Quatre says, snickering and throwing an arm
around Duo’s shoulders. “You can’t fight it if the two of them really feel for
each other.”
“And look at this face,” Trowa adds; now cupping Kamui’s flushed cheeks. “How
can you resist having such a cute little brother?”
“You guys…” Duo looks like he’s about to pop a blood vessel.
“All right, everyone,” I interrupt quickly, reaching out for my flabbergasted
boyfriend to pull him closer to me. “Fun’s over! Let’s just go back to class
and try to have a normal a day as possible. I have the feeling that if we keep
the brothers together for too long, they’ll never want to be apart…”
“I hate you all!” Duo cries out and stomps away, leaving us to keel over with
laughter. Poor guy and yet I guess its karma – if you believe in that sort of
thing. We thought we had gotten rid of Saito for good and yet it comes back to
bite us hard in the ass – at least for Duo.
“Wait for me,” I finally manage to blurt out, as I run to catch up to him. “Aww
come on…”
“Don’t touch me!”
“Duo niichan…”
“I’ll break your nose, Heero. I mean it…stop laughing for God’s sake! Fuck, and
just for that, you’re going to be bottom for the rest of the month!”
“Hey!”
Lunchtime:
…and the girls seem to take the news in stride. They actually gush in pleasure
at the annoucement.
“I think it’s sweet,” Hilde says, moving around a prawn in her lunch box with
her chopsticks. “Kamui needs someone like Duo in his life.”
“But wait a sec…isn’t Teruo still married?” Relena asks with a puzzled frown on
her features. “He didn’t get a divorce or anything, did he?”
“I think Kamui said they had separated or something,” Wufei mutters, while
trying not to scowl as Dorothy steals a slice of meat from his tray. “But damn,
that would be awkward if Kamui’s mom was to show up.”
“Duo’s mom is a tough bit…woman. She’s not going to take no for an answer if
she’s really determined to have Saito,” I say, not really eating much. I guess
now the initial fun and jokes at Duo expense is over, I’m beginning to feel a
bit sorry for him. He’s not joined us for lunch and I have the feeling that
he’s somewhere sulking and feeling sorry for himself. I rise to my feet and
give a nod to the others.
“I’m going to find him.”
“Please do,” Relena says. “I still need him for an interview for the school
paper. We’re doing a section on athletes and their motivations and the sooner I
get his opinions down the better.”
“Will do.” I excuse myself from the group; make my way to the lunch line to get
something for Duo before beginning my search for the elusive boy. Fortunately,
I’m used to his ‘disappearances’ and it doesn’t take long for me to find him.
“So predictable,” I mumble as I toss him the sandwich and carton of milk, which
he catches adeptly. It’s much cooler up here and as I walk to the ledge, I look
at the students below, feeling like a ruler staring down his at his
midget-sized people.
“Gee, shouldn’t you be with the others laughing at me?” he grumbles, peeling
away the wrap around the sandwich to bite into it hungrily.
“Okay, okay, sorry we laughed, but you’ve got to admit it’s kind of funny.”
“No, it’s not.”
I roll my eyes at his petulant behavior and walk up to him to wrap my arms
around his shoulders from behind. I place a tender kiss on his hair, smiling
softly as he tries to shrug me off again, but I’m not going to let him.
“So what if Kamui’s going to be your brother, hmm? Besides, you’re not going to
be seeing much of them anyway when you leave for college…I mean when we travel
and then you get to take over Merck. Maybe this is what your mom needs. She
must be lonely after all these years, Duo.”
“Hmph.”
I chuckle and trail my lips down his cheek, flicking out my tongue to lick off
bits of his food from his lips. “Or is it that you perhaps have some sort
of…Oedipus complex…?”
“Oh, that’s it, Heero! I do NOT have the hots for my mother! That’s just sick!”
He pushes me off and turns to glare at me and for the first time, I can really
see just how much this affects him. I feel a pang sear through my chest at the
brief look of suffering that flickers behind those eyes before he lowers his
gaze to the ground.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he whispers. “How could you? It’s not that I don’t
want her to be happy, Heero but…I mean…my dad just died, you know? She could at
least wait a few more months before jumping Saito’s bones! It’s almost as if
she didn’t really love my dad at all.”
“That’s not true, Duo and you know it,” I reply. He lifts his gaze to frown at
me.
“Your mom and dad officially ‘divorced’ years ago,” I continue, knowing that
it’s going to hurt to hear this. But it does need to be said. “Your father
remarried…”
“That’s because he didn’t know where Eleanor was!”
“…and had kids of his own and lived a whole new life, Duo! And all this time,
your mother was alone, working her ass off to get a better life for both of
you…”
“Shut up…”
“If she wants to have a man in her life, then who are you to stop her?!”
“I said, shut the fuck up!”
I should have expected that blow, but it doesn’t stop the sharp pain
nonetheless. I hold my stinging cheek, feeling something warm fill my mouth.
Christ! But the boy’s stronger than he looks. I shake my head slowly, now
feeling angry myself. Duo can be so damn stubborn when he wants to be and this
time, someone’s got to smack some sense into him.
Moving quickly, I drive my fist into the left side of his face, watching with
dull fascination at the look of surprise that flickers in his eyes at the
sudden attack. I guess he expected me to just take it without fighting back.
Well, he’s got another thing coming.
I don’t have time to admire my handiwork, noticing that a trickle of blood is
oozing out the corner of his mouth, before he dives for me and sends us flying.
I hit my head against the cold floor, my cry of pain getting lost in the flurry
of blows Duo’s directing at me. Growling in fury now, I try to push him off me,
managing to get a good one on his ribs. His low grunt of pain is enough for me
and as he tries to roll off, I move quickly to pin him to the ground, sitting
on his lower back and holding his arms trapped behind him.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?!” I yell, spitting out a wad of blood. There’s
a cut on my forehead and I can feel another warm trickle almost getting into my
eyes. “Jesus, Duo! Calm down!”
“Get the hell off me!” he grunts, still trying to shake me off despite his
position. He doesn’t look any better. I’ve given him a cut on his left cheek
and it makes me sick to my stomach.
“Duo,” I groan. “Come on, this isn’t like you. If there’s something else
bothering you…”
“Get off me, Heero!” he bellows. “I swear if you don’t I’m going to rip my arm
off to get rid of you…!”
That hurts. I don’t know why, but that really hurts like hell and coupled with
my anger and irritation at him, I release him and rise to my feet, turning away
to say bitterly. “Then get the fuck out.”
“Oh you bet I will,” he pants breathlessly. I can hear him rising to his feet
and brushing off his uniform. “Fuck this!”
“You’re acting like a goddamn child!” I yell, turning around to watch him walk
away from me. God, why does my heart ache this much? I don’t want him to leave
and yet I can’t stop the words from spilling out of my fucking mouth. “Go! I
don’t give a fuck where you go! Just don’t expect me to come begging you to
return!”
He shrugs and picks up his blazer and without a second look back, he leaves me
standing on the rooftop, feeling even colder than a winter’s afternoon.
Student Council Meeting:
2.15pm:
Damn you, Duo! Damn you! Damn you to hell and back! I can’t believe the
things you do sometimes!
“…uum…Yuy? Sir?”
Someone nudges me and I look up quickly, staring into ten curious pairs of eyes
which stare at me with mixed looks of amusement and curiosity (in Kenzo’s case,
mild irritation and confusion). I shake my head a little, trying to remember
the last thing that had been said.
“About the funds for the school festival…?” Kenzo says slowly as if speaking to
a child. Damn, with the way I feel right now, I’m more likely to punch that
smug look off his goddamn…
“I…I…eh….I think we should just ask all class presidents to collect the money
from each student,” Akira says quickly, perhaps noticing that I’m not in a very
good mood. “Like they did last year.”
“Yes, but then again, remember what happened to several classes collected
fees?” Kenzo replies with a roll of his eyes. “Missing bags? Money not
accounted for? We can’t afford to be careless this year…”
“Then the class president should be more responsible for what happens with the
money,” I finally snap coldly. That gets their attention and seeing the brief
look of fear in Kenzo’s eyes gives me a dull sense of satisfaction. “I will
have a meeting with them after school tomorrow, so make flyers or announce it
to them first thing in the morning. Kenzo, you’re in charge of that.”
“But…”
I look at him and he withers.
“Yes, sir.”
“Meeting adjourned,” I say quickly. I’m having a damn headache and I just want
to get the hell out of here, find Duo and pound him into a pulp. It’s a good
thing I have extra pairs of uniform in the office. I managed to change quickly,
apply some bandages to my face and avoid having people ask me a million and one
questions about what happened to me. Saying ‘I fell down the stairs’ as an
excuse is becoming a bit tiring.
Luckily, the others (Trowa and the gang) had only looked at me and kept their
mouths shut. They know better than to ask me any questions when I’m in a pissed
off mood like this. And as if my afternoon couldn’t be any worse, a cold
drizzle starts up as I leave the school to head to the bus stop. I lean against
the steel pole, and pull my jacket snugly around me, knowing it’s not doing
much to help or keep me warm. Stupidly, I remember the moment I had met Duo at
the bus stop – the first time I had actually noticed him – sneezing in the rain
when he gave me his handkerchief. An offer of friendship and so much more with
that one little gesture.
Fuck it.
I lift my gaze to the heavens and take a deep breath, fighting back the burning
sting of unshed tears in my eyes. There’s no way I’m going back to the
apartment now. I know he’s probably long gone since he left school before me
and the thought of being all alone…
I think I’ll just go walk around town for a while.
The Public Library
8.45pm:
“We’re about to close in fifteen minutes,” the woman whispers to me and I nod
slowly, trying to muster a smile at her.
I begin to pack up my books, somewhat glad that I was able to concentrate long
enough to get most of my assignments done. There were times when it was
incredibly hard to get through a page. My eyes would get misty and I’d have to
blink several times to control myself. Of course, cursing out Duo in my mind helped
a bit. I had to gather up enough anger to feel a bit better.
“Just acting like a goddamn baby,” I mutter as I make my way out of the
building. The last bus should be arriving in a few minutes. I think I can make
it through the night alone. I’m guessing he must have gone back to Eleanor and
why shouldn’t he? His mother would make him much happier, wouldn’t she?
“Yuy?”
I turn around quickly, bracing myself for the person who had called out to me.
For a second, I’m not really sure of who he is, but as he takes off his helmet,
I blink in confusion at the man sitting astride the motorcycle.
“Andre?” I croak in disbelief. Of all the people to show up now.
“Yo.” He smiles a little and gives me a mock salute. “Permission to say you
look like hell, Yuy. How’re about we go for a drink. My treat.”
“I’m underage,” I say quickly and kick myself mentally for saying that. It only
makes me sound like a little kid. “I mean, I don’t drink.”
“Ah, how can I forget your drunken tendencies?”
I scowl and turn away; trying hard not to blush at the memory of the last time
I had gone drinking with Andre. That was when Duo had revealed he had posed for
the artist and having had a few too many cups of sake, I had almost lost my
mind with jealousy. I think I ended up sleeping in the alley that night or
something.
“Anyway,” he says (and by this time, I’m really beginning to pray the bus shows
up. The last thing I want to do is talk to this guy). “Are you and Duo…fighting
or something?”
“What?” I turn to look at him again, my heartbeat now racing a mile a minute.
If he knows…then does this mean that…?
“I’m just asking,” he replies, holding up his hands in surrender. “I saw him
earlier today…just wandering the streets, you know. He looked like he had been
through hell…except he still had the scars and all.”
An image of Duo walking down the road with his bloody uniform and swollen face
has me cringing. “I…”
“Don’t worry. He didn’t come crying to me to help him or anything like that.
Although I wish he did,” he added in a mumble. “But I asked him about you –
just shooting the breeze and all – and he kinda clammed up on me. Wouldn’t say
a damn thing.”
I remain silent, not sure of what he wants me to say.
“But…” he continues, now smiling warmly at me. “I just wanted you to know that
if indeed you two aren’t hanging out anymore, I really don’t mind being with
him. My feelings for Duo haven’t changed.”
You son-of-a-bitch.
“…and I’m sure he’ll be much happier with someone who understands him.”
He chuckles and reaches out to pat my shoulder, just as the bus makes it way
toward us. “Just wanted to let you know, buddy,” he says before placing the
helmet over his head. “I would offer you a ride home, but I fear for my life
now.” He laughs and then revs up his engine, giving me another mock salute
before peeling down the street with a cloud of smoke behind him.
Damn son-of-a-bitch!
“Hey, kid! You coming in or what?!” the bus driver yells at me.
“Yes, I am,” I reply quietly, although my insides are churning with jealousy
and anger. Throughout the drive, all I can think of is Duo being with Andre,
how well they seemed to enjoy each other’s company and how easy it could be for
Duo to move in with the artist after all this time. Becoming even more agitated
with each passing second, the bus finally stops at my destination and I get off
quickly. I try to tell myself that I don’t give a damn what Duo wants to do. If
he wishes to walk off the ends of the earth, then that was his problem. If he
wants to go be with Eleanor, then it’s his problem too! And damn it! If he
wants to fuck Andre that badly, then he can go find the artist and screw his
brains out for all I care! In fact, I don’t really give a damn what that
stupid, stubborn, pain-in-the-ass ex-boyfriend wants to do even if it kills me
to think –
Huh?
“About time you got back.”
He slams the door to the bathroom and I’m left standing by the front door, my
mouth open in surprise and yes, admit it Heero Yuy, a relief and happiness so
profound, I feel my knees weaken. I have to lean against the door to control
myself, cursing softly as a single tear finally escapes and trails down my
cheek. Wiping it away quickly, I take a deep breath and force myself to feel
angry, knowing he’s not going to get off the hook that easily especially after
putting me through so much mental anguish today.
I stiffen as the bathroom door opens and he steps out. That long hair trailing
down his naked back, the black sweatpants, hanging low off his hips, giving me
a teasing view of his ass and light fuzz of hair below the drawstring…
Goddamn it! This isn’t the time to be thinking of how sexy he looks!
“What are you…?”
“I made dinner,” he interrupts, walking into the living/bedroom. His voice
floats to me from within. “You had better eat it while it’s still warm…”
“What the fuck are you doing?” I finally manage to blurt out as I force my feet
to move. I stand at the doorway, watching him settle into bed with his
literature textbook.
“Studying,” he replies with a shrug, not really looking at me. There’s a band aid
on his cheek and I can see a faint purplish bruise on his ribcage. I wince at
the sight, knowing that I’m the cause of that. “What does it look like?”
“But I thought…you said…I thought you said you were leaving?”
He says nothing and I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. Goodness
but the boy can be an enigma sometimes.
“Duo!” I finally cry out in near desperation. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
“I changed my mind, all right,” he finally says, sitting up to look…well to
look at a spot beside me. He still can’t look me in the eyes for some reason.
“And if you don’t want me around, then I’ll go. I was a…I was just being a jerk
this afternoon,” he adds in a low mutter. “I…I’m sorry.”
He flops back to the bed and covers his face with the book but his reddened
features only brings a smile to my visage. “Maybe you have some anger
management issues,” I say, kicking off my socks and peeling out of my wet
clothes.
“Fuck you, Yuy,” he mumbles. “I still haven’t forgiven you for saying I have an
Oedipus complex.”
“But I was only kidding,” I reply, sliding into bed beside him. I feel his body
tremble against mine and I chuckle with delight, unable to believe that he’s
still here with me. Andre can kiss my ass.
“Aaaah, don’t do that,” he whimpers as I place tender kisses on the bruise, my
hands slipping into the sweatpants to stroke the already hardened flesh trapped
within. “Heero,” he says weakly. “I’ve got a test tomorrow.”
“Then I’ll help you study,” I mutter, my hand movements picking up its momentum
as he turns to curl his trembling body into mine in that graceful motion of
his. “What were you reading?”
“By…Byron,” he gasps and thrusts his hips in tandem with my strokes, his hands
reaching out to grab my shoulders, holding on tightly for dear life. “She…ah…she
walks in beauty…”
“Go on,” I whisper in encouragement. My lips find his taut nipples to suck on
gently, grazing the hard nubs with my teeth before trapping them within my
mouth again.
“…ooh…li…like the night…of…of cloudless climes and starry skies…ah…not so hard,
Heero…” he pants, arching into me, his fingers now sinking into my hair as I
continue to feast on him.
“Keep going,” I demand, trying not to smirk at how helpless he sounds. “We
don’t want you failing your test tomorrow.”
“Damn you…ah! And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her
eyes,” he says in a rush, literally quaking against me now as I feel his hot,
sticky cum coating my fingers. I release his wet nipples and trail a fiery line
of kisses along his neck to his jaw.
“Good job,” I say with a warm smile, “but we’ve still got work to do.”
Hardly giving him a moment to think, I slide down quickly to tug down his
pants, revealing his throbbing cock to my hungry gaze.
“Oh, God, Heero, I won’t be able to concentrate if you do that…fuck!” He arches
off the bed as I engulf him whole, relishing his heady taste as he fills me
completely. I toy with his balls and squeeze them gently, forcing him to
continue with his literary piece.
“Aaah…oh God…where…where was I?”
I release him long enough to whisper around his swollen tip. “Thus mellowed to
that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies.”
“Ri…right…ah…one shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the
nameless gr…grace…which…which…aah…” He slaps a hand over his mouth and nearly
bucks me off the bed and in retaliation, I suddenly thrust two wet fingers into
his tight opening, grinning around his cock at the strangled sound he makes.
“…which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o'er her face,” I urge
thickly, pumping my fingers into him rapidly, enjoying the dirty sounds it
elicits and the smell of his musk with each breathe I take. Damn, but my cock
is burning with need now.
“I can’t…oh god, please don’t make me do this now, Heero…can’t think…”
I stop and withdraw my fingers and lips and his responding cry of dismay is
more than enough to have him going again.
“Ah…where thoughts serenely sweet express, how pure, how dear their dwelling
place…?” He looks at me hopefully and I grin.
“Good!” I lift his legs to stare at my handiwork, admiring his swollen organ,
which looks just about ready to explode and his pink-tinted hole which twitches
in anticipation and readiness for me. “Now prepare me…and don’t stop either.”
He gives a low moan and sits up a little to capture my cock in his mouth, his
darkened gaze meeting mine as he mutters around it. “And on that cheek…and o'er
that…aaah…brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent…mmm…” He gives it a final lick
and falls back to the pillows, breathless and trembling with need. No time to
waste anymore. Foreplay’s over.
I slid back down to his opening and slowly begin to thrust my way in, watching
his expression in slight awe. I can never get tired of seeing Duo’s face at the
point of entry. His eyes tend to widen, those violet depths becoming a darker
hue that’s almost mesmerizing to see. His cheeks flush with color and his mouth
becomes a cute, almost pout-like O that makes me want to kiss it and never let
go.
We moan in unison as I bury myself all the way to the hilt, feeling his inner
muscles trap and hold my cock prisoner as we try to adjust to a rhythm.
“Now,” he whispers and I begin to move. Slow at first, getting a feel of him
again, relishing this moment which I hope will last forever.
“The smiles… that win…” he pants, his arms moving around my neck to pull me
closer to him. Our thrusts begin to gather momentum as I move even closer, our
lips now mere inches apart.
“…the tints…that glow…but tell of days in goodness spent,” I mutter, pounding
into him with a ruthlessness I never thought capable. To think I had almost
lost him today over something so foolish and trivial. God, he drives me crazy
sometimes.
“Aaaah!” His cry is like music to my ears, his body going into spasms below
mine which has me shuddering in response. I can feel him tightening around me
and I know it’s only a matter of time before I explode.
“A mind…!” he begins to cry out, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes as
he stares into my face, “…at peace with all below…oooh! Heero!”
He finally comes against our stomachs, thick, hot and fast. With a strangled
cry, he sinks his teeth into my shoulder – not deep – but enough to leave a
faint mark later on and that sends me over the edge. My orgasm is as intense as
its ever been, my entire body stiffening as I send a hot stream of my seed into
his body. I rotate my hips a little and that has Duo crying out again as I hit
his already sensitive prostate over and over again. I can feel my cum trailing
down his thighs as I fill him completely and now too exhausted to move, I fall
upon him with a soft grunt, panting harshly as we struggle to catch our
breaths.
“A heart…” he says in a hoarse whisper, his hands now caressing my back in slow
circles. “…a heart… whose love is innocent.”
I smile at the last line of the poem, lifting my gaze to meet his tear-filled
ones. My heart feels so full at this very moment, that I fear it might lead to
a heart attack or worse.
“Don’t ever…ever fuck with me like that again, Duo,” I finally whisper, my voice
husky with emotion as he flushes and nods slowly.
“I’m sorry…”
“You had better be,” I try to say with as much sternness as I can muster but
the wicked boy stirs again and all hope is lost.
“I still have one more poem to study,” he whispers into my ear, causing me to
groan in growing pleasure. “And it’s a much longer one this time.”
I snicker and let him take over as he moves to straddle me with a knowing smirk
on his features. “What’s this one called?” I ask warily.
“Remind me not, Remind me not.”
Oh fuck. We are definitely in for one long night of poetry………not that I’m
complaining or anything. Who knew Literature could be so much fun?
~End Period Thirty-Four~