Chapter 21

By wednesday lunhtime the staff were getting seriously worried. The conversation was hushed.

"What's up with Art?" Glances we cast nervously to where Art was sat in a corner of the staffroom, idly drawing in his sketch book.

"Since when has he actually spent time in the staffroom?"

James Rothborne, supposedly the closest to Art, but only beacuse they were closest in age, called across, "Hey Art, what's up?"

Art looked up, "Nothing." he muttered, and turned back to his drawing,

"What are you drawing?"

"Nothing."

James frowned, "You must be drawing something,"

Art stood up as the bell rang, "Well, must go, I do have to teach you know."

Art wandered over to take another upper sixth class. When he walked in Phillip and Thomas had nicked Eagle's sketch book, and were flicking through it, mocking every single page. Art didn't even notice, "Alright guys, sit down now."

Stunned that he wasn't protecting Eagle, the two boys sat down with the rest of the class.

"Ok guys," Art wandered over to a book shelf and picked up a book, "Today we're going to learn about a particular artist." He sat down on the edge of his desk, leaning forwards slightly, as if to draw them into what he was saying, "How many of you have heard of Jack Vettriano?"

A few people raised their hands,

"He was scottish,"

"Uh, Art?" Thomas asked, "Why are you teaching us all of a sudden?"

"It's my job, I'm a teacher,"

"But we normally just do Art."

To everyone's complete and utter horror, Art didn't snigger, "Well not today." A knock on the door made him look up.

In the doorway stood a twin, he couldn't work out which. The green eyes sparkled at him, a freckled nose wrinkled up as the boy grinned. Chances were it was Fergie, but he was pretty sure Tor could act like Fergie when he wanted to. "Shouldn't you be in lessons?"

"I uh," the twin stuttered, not expecting that, "I said I had a headache, I needed to give you something." he looked nervously around the classroom, "Can I give you something?"

Again, Art didn't snigger, just stared at the boy, "Only if you tell me who you are."

"How about I don't." he grinned,

"Do you want to come in?"

The boy sighed, "Fine, it's Fergie." he scowled at Art, "Bloody hell, the things I do for you."

Art grinned, "What do you want Fergie?"

Fergie wandered in, and Art noticed the peice of paper in his hand, "Did you tear that out of a sketch book?"

Fergie grinned, "Yes, and the owner doesn't know I did. I commissioned it, effectivly, well, I asked him to do it, cause he doesn't think he's worth anything. It's for you."

Art frowned slightly, and took the peice of paper.

It wasn't the yaoi that Fergie had been expecting, it was however, by Seiji. A simple picture of Art and Seiji, standing back to back, dirt streamed faces, and underneath in Seiji's handwriting was scribbled, the background was covered in words. It took Art a while to realise what the repeated message was.

Art

I'm sorry

Please forgive me

Art looked up at Fergie, "Does he mean it?"

"Hell yeah, he says he's really sorry."

"Sorry?" Art frowned, "What did he do? I was the one who fucked up."

"Uh, the whole him and your sister thing?"

"Oh right, that." Art shook his head, "Are you free for the rest of the lesson Ferg?"

Fergie nodded uncertainly, "Uh, sure, only the mechanicals are needed, it's drama, so I kinda ran away, why?"

Art grinned, "Do me a favour, just sit here for a while."

Fergie grinned, "ok"

"Is Seij still in Drama?"

"Yuhuh,"

Art turned to his class, "Change of plan, we're going to do portraits from life, not memory. Fergie will sit here, you will draw him, you can ask him questions if you like, I have something to do."

Fergie obediently sat down, on the teachers desk, he grinned at the upper sixth, "Wow," he laughed, "I always wondered what it felt like to be a teacher."

"And?" Eagle grinned

"You guys are really intimidating, I feel really sorry for Art,"

Thomas laughed, "You're the twin playing puck, right?"

Fergie nodded, "And our dance teacher says I have to dance with Mara, who's my brother's girlfriend, he's not pleased."

Eagle laughed, "Is it true what the guys said you did on monday?"

Fergie grinned, "Maybe."

"I thought you were gay?"

Fergie shrugged, "Torin's meant to be straight, but he screws me, and plus, if we have the same thoughts, I've got to think Mara's cute, right?" he noticed with a shock that they were actually all subtley drawing him, "Ok, this is really scary."

"Where's Art gone?" Phillip asked

"To find Seij, and say sorry probably, they had a big falling out."

"Ooh." one of the girls looked up, "Whose fault was it?"

Fergie frowned, "I think that was what the fight was about."

"Can you stay still?"

"Uh sure, sorry."

For a few minutes there was just the sound of pencils on paper, when phillip looked up, "What's that scar on your jaw."

Fergie's hand reached instinctivly to his face, "This one?" he asked, "It's one from a bottle, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, it feels more like a bottle cut,"

Eagle looked shocked, "Rather than?"

"Knife."

"Uh," Thomas looked slightly scared, "How did you get it?"

Fergie shrugged, "David, my step dad did it. He was probably drunk."

"Probably? You don't seem to be able to remember much about it."

Fergie grinned, "You expect me to remember every cut I ever get?" he laughed, "I can't remember them all. Ask my brother, he knows, he remembers them."

Art knocked on the door to the drama studio, "Can I give a message to Seiji?" he said, very teacher like.

"Sure," Andi grinned, knowing all about Seiji and Art.

"Seij?" Art grinned, "4 o'clock, Art room, Drawing lesson, yes?"

Seiji shrugged,

"And don't sulk, it doesn't suit you." he folded up a peice of paper in hand into a paper airoplane, and threw it at Seiji. Purely by chance it managed to land in his lap. Art laughed, "I've gotta get back to lessons," he turned to Andi, "Thanks." he smiled, before leaving.

Ally shook his head, "He seems cheerful."

Seiji unfolded the peice of paper, to find the drawing he had done, underneath his message Art had scribbled,

Love you more than all the world

I'm so sorry

Forgive you, if you forgive me.

Seiji smiled.

Art practically danced back into the Art room, "I'm back!" he laughed, "But you can carry on drawing Fergie, cause he's cute."

Fergie grinned at Art, "You really should watch out, I could tell him you said that, and then you'd be in trouble all over again."

Art laughed, "I think we're good now," he turned to the class, "Carry on drawing for another few minutes, then we'll go onto analysing them, and let little Fergie escape."

Only Art didn't notice Fergie wince at the 'little Fergie'.

Art got out his sketch book, "I'm gonna draw too," he laughed, "So you can see how it's properly done."

For a few moments there was only the scratching of pencils on paper, when Art half looked up, "How's the whole Tor/Mara thing going,"

Fergie scowled slightly, "I don't like it, but I guess they're happy."

"Mara found out about you two swapping over yet? Why did you do that?"

"No. I did it cause Tor doesn't do apologising,"

Ariadne snorted, "That's so selfish, everyone has to learn to say sorry,"

"Not really, I always say sorry for him."

"And what happens if you two fight?"

Fergie sniggered, "He doesn't exactly say sorry, it's more what he does,"

Art laughed, "You two are so twisted."

Fergie raised his eyebrows, "And you're not?"

Art laughed again, and ignored the question, "Is everyone just about finished?"

"Yup,"

He grinned at Fergie, "Alright then, you can go."

As Fergie stood up to go, Art grabbed him by the hand, "Thanks."

"For?"

"Sitting here, bringing me the note from Sei,"

Fergie grinned, and shrugged, "For you? Anything," he joked,

Art put a gentle hand on Fergie's cheek, and leaning down, kissed him softly. "You really are cute you know."

Fergie shook his head, and laughed as he walked out.

Eagle heard the door click shut, and through the glass panel on the door saw Fergie slide down the wall, grinning, biting his bottom lip. Eagle turned to Art, "You bastard."

"What?" Art looked towards him, amused,

"You know how much he fancies you."

Art shrugged, "He really is cute though."

Eagle shook his head, "You never learn, do you?"

Art let the upper sixth go five minutes early. At four o'clock, on the dot, Seiji turned up, and knocked tentativly on the door, "Uh Art?"

Art turned and grinned, "I'm sorry,"

"Dammit," Seiji scowled, "That was what I was going to say." he walked over to Art, and gently put a hand on the back of his neck pulling him towards him, he kissed him gently, "I need you," he murmered into the older boy's neck,

Art grinned, "I love you too." he kissed the top of Seiji's head, "But we have drawing to do."

Seiji grinned, "Aww, I wanna do Art." he laughed,

"Drawing," said Art firmly pushing him down into a chair, and placing a peice of paper infront of him, "Got any idea's for this portrait yet?"

Seiji grinned, "Yep, I have it exactly, taken from life,"

"Who is it?"

"You, of course."

They skipped Prep, and Chapel, and supper, Seiji sitting, sketching, doing practises for hours. Art simply sitting there, gazing at Seiji. At 9:00 Seiji dropped the pencil, gently blowing on his tired fingers, "I think I've got it." he muttered

Art didn't look at the peice of paper, he knew it would be brilliant. He picked up Seiji's fingers and put them in his own mouth, sucking them gently, "Alright," he murmured, slipping his arms around Seiji, "You've done drawing, now you can do Art,"

Seiji laughed, "You know, much though I want to screw you, I'm gonna say you can't till later."

"Why?"

"You're too demanding,"

Hand in hand they walked back to the dorm. Art pushed open the door, to reveal complete and utter mayhem. Eagle and Raven were going through their lines together, Alex lay on his bed, staring wistfully at Raven, Fergie sat, for once on his own bed, picking out chords on his guitar, Ash and Nienna were painting each other's nails, Tor had his hand up Mara's top, and was kissing her repeatedly.

Art laughed, "Tor?" he grinned

Tor looked up, "I know, I know, no straightness."

Art shook his head, "It's not that, and I know this will sound really hypocritcal, but my neck is on the line with this whole mixed dorm thing, so just be careful, ok?" he winked at Fergie, "besides, I don't think your gorgeous brother likes it so much."

Tor scowled, "Why does everyone like Fergie?"

"Why do you like Fergie?"

At half nine, Andi stuck her head around the door, "Art, you coming to the pub?"

Art, who had his arms wrapped around Seiji, thought about it for a second, "Don't think so, no."

Andi looked shocked, "You? Not drinking?"

Art sniggered, "I have more important things to do."

Seiji laughed, for once being twisted, "Don't call me a thing."

Andi shook her head, "Well can you put my year to bed then?"

"Course," Art said sweetly, but his sweet smile turned to an evil grin as soon as Andi had shut the door, "Shall we have some fun terrorising the upper sixth?" he said to the rest of the dorm.

At 10 they went on a mission, the L6 hiding behind the doors, while Art "Put the upper sixth to bed." First he went to the girls dorm, and knocked very politly on the door.

"Come in."

He opened the door, and shook his head in disgust, "Matt. Bed. Now."

Matt got up and scambled out of the door, where Eagle caught him around the waist, "Come with us," he whispered.

Art flicked out the lights, and went to the boys' dorm. He opened the door without knocking, and stood leaning against the doorframe. "Bed time gentlemen."

"What are you doing here?"

"I've been asked to put you to bed." he sniggered, "Unfortunatly I don't think Sei would like it, so I've just come to tell you to go to bed." He grinned, "Go on then."

For a few seconds, no-one moved, "Aren't you going to go, so we can get changed?" someone asked.

Art grinned, "Nope."

Phillip scowled at him, "Perv,"

Art laughed, "Yep. You wanna know something really harsh?"

"What?"

"I'm letting the lower sixth stay up for another hour or so."

"What!"

Art laughed, and stepped inside the dorm, closing the door, "They're just outside, and I don't want them to hear this. I'm making you go to bed earlier, because I don't like you." He glanced purposfully at Eagle's bed, "You're a bunch of wankers, you know that?"

"So we take the piss out of the teacher's pet? So what?"

"No," Art scowled, "You're bullies, leave him alone, and I might stop hating you lot, then again, it probably doesn't mean that much to you."

"Just cause you screw him."

"No, because he's a sweet kid," he laughed, "I'm turning over a new leaf anyway." he opened the door again, stepping outside, and flicking out the light, "Night boys," he grinned, and then he grabbed Seiji by the collar, pulling him to where they could see him, "And say thank you to Seiji."

"Why?"

"Because if it weren't for him, I'd have done alot worse." he sniggered, "Or better, depending on your point of view."

Seiji shook his head and slipped his arms around Art's waist, "Can we go to bed now?"

Art laughed, and turned to the lower sixth, "Lights out about 11ish, ok? make sure no-one catches you. And Tor? No screwing of your girlfriend, ok?"

Tor laughed, "What about screwing my brother?"

"Thats fine." Art laughed and grabbed Seiji's hand and tugged him towards the stairs, "Come-on Sei,"

"What do you say?"

Art shook his head, "Please," he muttered.

Seiji smirked, "Alright then," and the two of them, laughing, ran up the stairs, by the time they had reached Art's bedroom door they were both very nearly naked.

Afterwards, Art slipped his arms around Seiji's slender body, "I love you Sei," he muttered, pressing his lips against Seiji's shoulder,

"Yeah," Seiji grinned, "And guess what I remembered?"

"Oh darn it," said a voice from the window ledge.

Art's head turned slowly towards the window, "Sir?"