Upon entry, Ren had to hold off from the whistle that begged to be set free. The place was spacious, boasting vaulted ceilings and a level of class he was sorely unaccustomed to. Everything looked as though it were placed just so for maximum awe effect, simple in its’ setting. Decor ran primarily in soft somewhat dull greens, with blue and black accents. It smelled great, too. With an open floor plan, he could see Elliott and Malcolm, one seated at an island counter and the other leaning over something in a pot.

Mal tilted his head as the door clicked shut behind them, nodding a greeting from where he was stirring the contents. “Ethan didn’t mention any allergies. I figured it’d be hard to be allergic to soup and sandwiches.” The gruff teen drawled out, gesturing over to the pile of the latter on a long plate. It was fairly domestic scene, and with a look towards the already disgruntled classmate of his, Ren decided to try and broach the subject as tactfully as possible.

“So are you guys together?” Aces, Ren. Aces.

Elliott coughed from his seat, abruptly setting down his cup of what smelled like tar strong java, and reaching for a napkin while he continued to clear what apparently went down the wrong tube. Even Ethan was staring at him wide eyed with surprise and alarm. For his part, Malcolm had only turned with a loud bark of laughter, setting aside the ladle to come pound Elliott on the back. “Me and Specks? Yeah right. He’s too much of a neat freak, and I can’t clean my room enough to keep his disdain from being visible.” He jerked a thumb towards the food and offered a shrug. “I’ve always been a natural in the kitchen, and since this workaholic forgets often enough to feed himself, if he’s not careful he’ll drop a pant size in a week.

“True enough.” Elliott wheezed out, clearing his throat one last time into the napkin before leaning to toss it into the nearby receptacle. “We found that combining our efforts in the more grueling of classes as well as after school seemed to benefit us substantially. Malcolm tends to make a mess of my kitchen and feed us lunch, and when time permits, dinner. I take the time during my research to explain things he perhaps misunderstood during one of our lectures. His father is top notch at his post, but he requires Malcolm to keep his studies up as well as his training if he wishes to take over.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense, my bad. Blame it on being the new kid, huh?” Best. Out. Ever. Ethan snorted, clearly amused and far less tense from the misunderstood situation of earlier. Ren’s gaze tracked between him and the upperclassmen, quiet in contemplation. That was twice he’d gotten ruffled seeing the two together. Jealousy? But for which one? Ethan never really showed any sort of tendencies, any attraction. At all. To find out he was likely attracted to one of his other friends, and male at that? Surprising, but not terrible or anything to be ashamed of. After all, he himself tended to look at anyone, no matter the gender.

“Nothin’ to blame, Ren.” He felt a brief pulse of happiness when Malcolm growled his name, if only because it was still new to hear it aloud. “Ethan probably didn’t even think to explain how close we all have been. Well, we were. I don’t doubt it’ll roll right back into that.” Sandwiches were set out on separate plates, bowls filled next. While He was busy with that, Elliott cajoled Ethan into helping him set the table and pour drinks, while Ren volunteered to carry out plates and bowls to each setting as they filled. “I’m sure than filled you in a bit on both of us, what the school rumors don’t mention. You got any questions? You can ask about the rumors too.” His wolfish grin was half alarming, half amusing. Was it wrong to feel both at ease and in danger at once?

“Well, why not get the lies out of the way? I keep hearing that you’re like, twenty three, and you keep having to repeat classes because you’re always tugged out of school for fights and sending kids to the hospital.” Might as well start with the immediate and most likely worst rumor of the bunch. “I don’t really believe most of them, but you have to admit, you look like you could send a few guys to the E. R.”

“Half true.” Mal replied easily as he dropped into his chair. “I have sent someone to the E. R., but that wasn’t all the fight was about. He came at one of girls the night after a party, still half drunk and pissed that she didn’t put out or something. I got no problem with putting someone down that tries to mouse a girl for consent issues.” Points to him, so many points. “I spent some time out of school for it while they debated how long to suspend me, and since I was out anyways, my dad ended up taking me out the rest of the year for some serious training with him while traveling with his various contracts. I’m seventeen, only a year older than El over here.”

“Dude. That’s way worth getting suspended. So like, I know your dad does security? Is that like if I ask more about it you’ll have to kill me?” The blond followed up with a big bite of his sandwich, melting as the spread settled on his tongue.

“I don’t know where you found the kid, but we’re keeping ‘im.” Mal murmured as an aside to Ethan, who merely shrugged and continued to slurp his soup. “It can be pretty confidential, and we get some high end customers that don’t like it known we might be around. But Dad makes sure we have the best of the best working for us, and our contracts are always happy with the work so. I don’t think it ever occurred to me to try for anything else, and he probably never expected me to anyways. I got two younger siblings, boy and girl. Leslie wants to follow in the footsteps of the firm, Danny would rather try his luck as an astronaut or painter or whatever is in his head this week.”

“I’ve no brothers or sisters, and also no inclination to stray from the family path.” Elliott carried the conversation on when Mal dropped back to eat, keeping the conversation flowing. “The only rumors I know of involving myself are that I have the personality of a bucket of lye soap. And something about secretly being engaged to Ethan.” This time it was Ethan that choked on his soup, sitting back with watering eyes as Ren thumped lightly on his back in a miniature copy of Mal’s earlier movements.

“Look, guys, I’m gonna start taking it as an insult if you keep choking on the stuff I make.” Malcolm grumbled good naturedly, tilting an eyebrow towards El. “You wanna share with the class? What would you say? ‘Elucidate’?”

“It is something of a combination of actions and whispers really.” Elliott began, wiping primly at his lips with his napkin before beginning. “At many a function, we naturally gravitated towards each other, considering old play dates and how often we attended the same things with our fathers practically business partners. Ethan has always been...distant with strangers, so that didn’t help when we tried to openly receive more into our group. So rumors started once we hit teenage years. It was laughable, truly, but apparently they never reached Ethan, only myself. They seemed to peter off when all three of us spent more time together. And now you’re in the group, who’s to say we won’t hear something far more colorful?”

“Are you kidding me? I mean. Considering all of well, this.” He pointed to the shorn fluffy hair revealed after his beanie came off. “I don’t think just a single rumor is gonna start. Are you guys even sure you want to get into this mess? I mean, no one really cares what Ethan does. He could shit scorpions and the entire school body would still fawn over him so he’s kinda untouchable. But I don’t want to run you guys through the mud or anything.”

His outburst faded away, leaving the room in an awkward silence, the other three teens centering their attention on him. Just as he was about to open his mouth and apologize, El held up a hand for quiet on his part. “This.” He motioned to the other blond. “This is nothing more than a rather drastic change in fashion sense. If we hadn’t wanted to associate with you, we’re likely not even be sitting in my home, having lunch together. Like it or not, you’re our friend as well now, and I know I speak for Malcolm as well when I say that not a damn thing a few teenagers say will have any weight whatsoever. In less than a couple of years, they’ll likely be pretending at adulthood partying their money away while some of us actually have lives to look forward to.”

“Damn El.” Ren breathed as he shook his head. “You’re savage.”