Disclaimer: I don’t own them. If I did, I would have a lot more stuff.
Pairings: 3+2
Warnings: Lite lime and a touch of angst, nothing major
AN: As always, thanks to my wonderful beta reader, TanithNight. Thanks for always finding my constant comma errors and run-on sentences.
Opening the door, dark blue eyes frowned at the man on his doorstep; green eyes revealing a mixture of horror, embarrassment and humiliation that Heero didn’t understand, “Trowa, is everything okay?”
When the tall man ran a nervous hand over his hair, Heero narrowed his eyes. “Everyone’s fine. Why would you ask that?”
Standing back, Heero silently gestured for his friend to enter, “It’s after eleven and we both have to work tomorrow. I assumed something was wrong.”
Trowa’s gaze jerked to his watch, hissing as he looked at the time, “I didn’t realize it was so late. Sorry for disturbing your sleep; I’ll go now.”
Heero took a closer look at the other man. He had never seen Trowa so anxious and keyed up, not even during some of the worst battles of their lives. Trowa had always been self-confident, silently offering support for his teammates. “I wasn’t asleep. If I go to bed earlier than twelve, I’m up in the middle of the night.”
“Genetic enhancements?”
“Yes, I’m unable to sleep more than four or five hours.” More comfortable in his home than anywhere else, Heero gestured to the couch, “I was having a glass of wine before I went to bed. It’s one you and Duo recommended,” he added, noting how Trowa jerked at the long-haired man’s name as he sat. “Would you like a glass?”
“Please; I really am sorry that I showed up so late, but I needed…to talk to someone.”
Returning from the kitchen with two half-full wineglasses, Heero snorted, “I’m not overly qualified at talking, Trowa. Would you like me to call Duo?” he inquired in a casual tone, waiting to see how the other man would react.
The reaction was over-the-top as Trowa jerked again, nearly spilling the liquid in the glass he had just taken, “Why would you call Duo?”
“Because the two of you are closer than the rest of us,” Heero pointed out in a rational tone. “You spend most of your free time together so I thought you would be more comfortable talking to him.”
“Not this time. I think…I think I might have messed everything up.”
Realizing his friend needed to be prompted, Heero lifted an eyebrow and waved slightly with one hand, “Tell me what happened.”
Trowa’s shoulders slumped, seemingly weighed down by resignation and a fear that had nothing to do with physical harm, “It’s a long story, Heero.”
“I have until seven tomorrow morning,” the blue-eyed man shrugged with one shoulder, the motion so small that the wine in his glass didn’t move at all.
“You’re aware that Duo and I eat dinner together a few nights a week,” Trowa began, swallowing hard when Heero nodded.
Everyone in their small circle of friends knew about the dinners. Heero had been surprised after hearing the meals were Trowa’s suggestion; Duo had been more likely to search out companionship in hopes that he wouldn’t spend time alone. Heero’s surprise had faded once he had seen the way Trowa looked at the braided man when he believed no one was watching.
“The last few weeks, he’s been on edge. He doesn’t talk as openly as he used to and he won’t meet my eyes. I’ve asked him what’s wrong, but he won’t tell me. He says he has a lot on his mind.”
Lifting his drink to his lips, Heero hid his smile. He had a feeling he knew what had made Duo so reluctant to speak, though he was stunned the braided man hadn’t talked to Trowa about it yet. “Did something happen tonight?” He knew Trowa had been at Duo’s apartment; he had seen the tall man entering the building as he had gotten home from work. With Duo having an apartment only four doors down the hall from Heero’s, the blue-eyed man was well-aware of how many evenings his friends spent in each other’s company.
“We had Chinese food for dinner, one of Duo’s favorites,” Trowa stated in a tone that said his mind wasn’t in the room with Heero, but remembering the time spent with the long-haired man. Heero didn’t even have to strain to hear the longing in the green-eyed man’s voice. “Duo acted normal then, while we were eating. He told me about work and some of the ridiculous requests people made in anticipation of the week. Everything seemed like it was back to normal again.”
When the tall man fell silent, Heero studied Trowa’s face, hiding another smirk at the soft smile on Trowa’s lips. Once he was certain his expression revealed none of his amusement, he cleared his throat, unsurprised to see green eyes suddenly focus on him as a blush stained the other man’s face. “I’m assuming something happened after you finished eating?”
Trowa turned a darker shade of red, “I…grabbed his hand while we were cleaning up dinner. I didn’t let go of it right away, as I should have.”
“Duo’s a very affectionate person, Trowa; I doubt he was upset by a fleeting touch.”
“But…he was.” Trowa drew in a shaky breath, rolling the glass between his hands. “He looked at me like I had slapped him, Heero. His eyes were wide and shocked and then when I apologized he gave this laugh…it was painful to hear.”
“What did he say after that?”
“Not a damn thing. When he didn’t say anything, I asked him if he wanted to watch a movie, like we had planned. He agreed, but he closed himself off from me. In the span of ten minutes, he was back to avoiding me the way he has been.”
It wasn’t difficult for Heero to imagine. The accidental touch and the wide-eyed look that anyone could easily misidentify as disgust or fear when it was actually hope. Trowa’s hasty apology had caused Duo to retreat into the shell he used to keep from being hurt.
That could have been enough for Trowa to search Heero out, in desperate need of understanding, but Heero felt there was more the tall man hadn’t told him yet. “You watched the movie?”
“Duo watched the movie; I watched him,” Trowa glanced up as if expecting Heero to blow up.
“I’ve been aware of your feelings for Duo for a while, Trowa.”
“You aren’t angry?”
“Why would I be?”
It was easy to see how uncomfortable Trowa became as he shifted on the couch, “I thought…you felt the same way about Duo that I do. I thought maybe the two of you…and that was why he wouldn’t talk to me…thinking I’d be mad.”
Heero almost lied to ease Trowa’s mind, but what his friend needed was honesty. “I feel things for him, but that’s only natural. He was the first person I felt I could fully trust. My feelings really don’t matter.”
“That’s not true. Your feelings are important…” Trowa winced and looked at the floor.
“In this case, they aren’t. Even if I told Duo how I felt, Duo can’t reciprocate. The only thing such an admission would do is put a strain on our friendship and I won’t let that happen.” Heero smiled when Trowa looked at him again, “Duo could never feel that way about me, not when he already…” quickly swallowing the word loves, he substituted it for something else, “…cares for someone else. I won’t get in the way of that.”
Trowa nodded slowly, “I thought there might be someone; I actually hoped it was you. At least then I would know he was being taken care of.”
“What happened, Trowa? There has to be something else.”
“I did the dumbest thing I could ever imagine.”
“You threatened to shoot him?”
The green-eyed man sighed heavily, closing his eyes, “Far worse. I kissed him. Out of the blue, with no warning at all, I turned to him on the couch and saw him watching me. Before I realized what I was doing, I was pulling him to me and putting my mouth on his and…” he broke off with a shudder.
“Was it good?”
“It was everything I dreamed it would be…until I realized he wasn’t kissing me back.”
This had to be what had caused Trowa to seek out someone. The seemingly unspoken rejection would have left the tall man turned inside out and hurting, blaming himself for ruining a very close friendship. “What did Duo say?”
“I don’t know. I think he might have called my name, but I ran out of the apartment. I stayed on the roof until I thought he’d stopped looking for me.”
“If you were in such a hurry to leave, why didn’t you leave?” Unlike Heero and Duo, Trowa lived several blocks away in a small house. Heero didn’t understand why the two usually chose to spend evenings in Duo’s apartment, but assumed it was because the long-haired man’s home was comfortable and had personality while Trowa’s was plain. It could also have been because at the apartment, they were surrounded by people, although those people weren’t in the same room; it would have been a pretty good deterrent for someone that coveted privacy.
“I would have, but I left everything in Duo’s apartment; my keys, wallet, and jacket are all sitting on a chair beside the damn door.”
Heero stifled laughter, knowing the other man wouldn’t understand what was so funny, “Would you like me to get them for you?”
“What if he’s already in bed?”
It was highly unlikely. Duo went to bed late like Heero and probably would still be trying to locate the tall man that had fled so abruptly. “I have a key. He has one here, too, in case one of us needs something,” he explained softly when Trowa jerked. “I can let myself in and not disturb him in case he’s sleeping.”
“That’s the best idea, I guess. I made such a fool out of myself. I don’t know if I can face him again.” Trowa sighed again, “He probably doesn’t want to see me again.”
Setting his glass down, Heero retrieved his key for Duo’s apartment, “This will work itself out, Trowa. Duo cares too much about you to lose what the two of you have.”
The words didn’t seem to console the tall man at all, Trowa sliding down on the couch a bit further, sinking into the cushions. After one last glance at the forlorn man on the couch, Heero shook his head and went out the door, his bare feet quickly taking him to Duo’s door.
The key had scarcely scratched the lock when the door was yanked open. “Trowa, don’t you dare do something like…Heero?” Duo blinked at him, obviously confused by his appearance.
“I don’t think I’m that bad of an influence,” Heero stated as he took in the condition of Duo’s face and hair. Obviously, the braided man had been running hands over his head, the braid falling apart from multiple touches. Duo’s cobalt eyes were red-rimmed, possibly from crying, a rare occurrence that only happened when the long-haired man was tremendously upset.
“What? Oh, no,” Duo frowned as he thought of what he had said and Heero’s response. “You aren’t suicidal anymore, so you’re cool. Trowa and I had a…misunderstanding and he took off. I don’t know where the hell he is and he’s not answering his cell phone. What if he’s hurt or something? What the hell will I do then?”
Spotting Trowa’s belongings right where the tall man had said they were, Heero began to gather them up, rolling his eyes when he saw Trowa’s cell phone among the items, where Duo would have seen it if he had been paying any attention at all, “Don’t worry about him; he’s at my apartment. I know what happened, Duo. He told me everything.”
The worry in Duo’s eyes altered to clear relief as he sighed, “Thank Shin. I was getting ready to go look for him.” That would explain the odd choice of pajama pants, boots, and a heavy flannel shirt.
“He’s okay, physically.”
“What’s wrong? Did he get hurt or something?” Duo was back in full-blown worry mode, grabbing Heero’s arm and shaking him. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“He’s depressed and worried that he’s done irreparable damage to your friendship.”
“Why would he think that?”
The braided man’s clear bewilderment had Heero chuckling again. “Duo, he kissed you and you didn’t do anything. He did what most people would have and panicked.” As an afterthought, he added, “Trowa believes you are involved with someone. He thinks that would explain why you’ve been so distant lately.” Heero absently realized that he was beginning to sound like someone that was writing a column in a women’s magazine, giving advice to random strangers.
“Why would he think any of that?” Duo shook his head. “I would have told him if I was dating someone, Heero. I’ve been a bit distant because…”
“I know why. Trowa kissing you was probably a shock, like a dream you didn’t want to wake from.” It wasn’t difficult to imagine how he would have reacted if Duo had kissed him when he had still had hopes for a relationship with the braided man.
Duo jerked before narrowing his eyes, “What do you know, Heero?”
“I know that Trowa’s more than a friend to you. I know you never said anything because you were afraid of losing what you have with him.”
“What else do you know?” the cobalt eyes were studying Heero’s face, looking for some reassurance, some validation that what Trowa had done hadn’t been on the spur of the moment.
“I know he feels the same.”
The long-haired man let out a slow breath between his teeth, sounding like someone letting the air out of an over-inflated tire. “Are you sure about that?”
“If I hadn’t already suspected, I would have known for certain after he told me a little while ago.” Heero still held Trowa’s things, waiting to see what Duo would do.
“I need to talk to him, Heero.”
“I can stay here, give you two some privacy.”
Duo smiled at the offer, a gleam appearing in his eyes, “Nah, I need you to stand at the door and run interference if he tries to take off again. Leave his stuff here, man.”
With a smile of his own, Heero set the things down, “Are you going to ask him to come back here with you?”
“Yeah, I’ll ask…and then I’ll drag him back by his damn hair if he hesitates.”
It only took a minute to return to Heero’s apartment. One look at the couch had all the fight leaving Duo in an instant, eyes softening as he studied the back of Trowa’s bowed head. “Did you get my stuff? Was Duo still up? Does he hate me?”
“I didn’t bring your stuff, but I brought something else,” Heero stated as he gave Duo a push toward the living room. When cobalt eyes looked back at him, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the closed door.
After giving Heero a grateful expression, Duo moved closer to the other man, stopping when he was a foot behind the seated man. “Trowa?”
Trowa moved so fast that Heero was glad the glass was gone from his hands or wine would have gone all over the room. Green eyes were wide and stunned as he stared at Duo, mouth working for several seconds before sound finally came out, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“Trowa, stop apologizing. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You surprised me, that’s all.”
Trowa looked afraid to hope, “You aren’t mad at me?”
“I’m mad as hell for you taking off like that without talking to me, but not about what happened before.”
Heero smiled as Trowa took the first step to move around the couch, moving closer to where Duo looked up at him. It was a pleasant shock to see that Trowa was going to be the more forward person in the relationship, less afraid to reveal his feelings than Duo. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”
Duo’s smile was wry, “Because I’ve wanted you to do that for a long time. I didn’t think you wanted to be more than friends. That’s why I’ve been so quiet lately; I was scared I was gonna say things you didn’t want to hear.”
Seeing that neither man had any intentions of escaping, Heero went through the kitchen and back out into the hallway on the other side of the living room, giving the new couple some privacy. At his bedroom door, he looked back and smiled as he saw Trowa lean down to kiss Duo again, obviously having been given permission this time.
Carrying the last box from the moving truck into the house, Trowa paused in the doorway and simply stared, stunned at his good fortune. His entire life he had planned every move he had made, thought over every word he had said ahead of time, except for one occasion. That one impulse move had led to the culmination of his wants and desires, and after a long talk with the one person he had never thought to discuss his feelings with, he now had the ability to freely show how he felt.
The months between his talk with Heero and now had gone quickly, making him worry he and Duo were rushing into things at times. Duo’s response? That they had been dating for years without the benefits that came with being an actual couple. When put in those terms, Trowa hadn’t waited to ask the long-haired man to move in with him.
Duo had agreed without hesitation and was currently hanging up several framed photos he had brought from his apartment. Even with the small amount of decorations already set out, Trowa realized his house finally felt lived in…but it could have been Duo’s presence that made it feel like a home.
Hands still on the photo frame, Duo glanced over his shoulder, “Is this straight? I don’t want anyone wondering how drunk I was when I hung it up.”
Laughing at his lover’s concern, Trowa nodded, “It’s perfect. This is the last box. Where do you want it?”
“What’s it say?” Duo stepped back to eye the photo critically.
Reluctantly pulling his eyes away from the other man, Trowa frowned at the box, “It just has your name on it. I thought it might be personal.”
“Nothing I have is too personal for you to see,” Duo vowed softly as he crossed the room, nimbly jumping over a stack of clothes. Giving the box Trowa held a thorough look over, he shook his head, “I didn’t pack this.”
Instantly concerned for his lover’s safety, Trowa began to back away, “I should call the bomb squad. It could be dangerous.”
“Doubt it, that’s Heero’s writing,” Duo pointed to where his name was printed in dark black marker. “He must have put it in the truck when he was helping us load my stuff. Set it down so we can see what’s inside.”
Still unsure how to handle Heero’s confession of feelings regarding Duo, the tall man set the box down gently, “I’ll leave you alone to open it.”
“It’s just from Heero,” the braided man snorted as he crouched down.
Trowa’s intended argument was instantly forgotten when he heard the soft ‘snick’ of a switchblade being opened. “Those damn things are illegal, Duo. I’m a cop, remember?”
“How could I forget when you look so sexy in your dress uniform?” countered the other man, eyes shining as he held the knife up. “Are you gonna arrest me for having a blade?”
Aware it was a battle he wouldn’t win, Trowa gave in with a shake of his head, “Not as long as you keep it in the house.”
“Yes, sir! Now to see what Heero sent…” Duo applied blade to tape, slicing it neatly apart. “What the…?” he opened the flaps on the box and began laughing so hard he had to sit down.
Looking inside the open box, Trowa frowned at the objects inside. “There’s a note,” he commented when his lover calmed enough to close the knife.
Wiping tears of laughter from his face, Duo scooped the folded sheet of paper out and read it, and then began laughing again as he thrust the paper at the tall man.
Taking the sheet carefully, Trowa couldn’t understand the significance of the items Heero had meticulously packed. What would Duo need with a metal box, two metal rods, and a roll of duct tape? Opening the letter, he got his answer when he read the neatly printed words Heero had written.
Duo,
This is your housewarming present from me, in case you ever need help and I’m not around to offer it. Hopefully, they will help keep Trowa from doing something foolish again.
1. The lockbox is for his keys and wallet, since he can’t get far without them.
2. The metal rods are to put on your doors, to keep him from getting anywhere other than inside the house.
3. If all else fails, use the duct tape to keep him prisoner until you can talk things out.
Best Wishes to you both,
Heero
P.S. Keep the box. You can always hide his body in it later, if it comes to that.
End
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