Secrets and Lies Arc 2 Part 3
As he saw the taxi approaching the hotel, Heero visibly pulled himself together. He refused to let his son see him like this. Sasame had never seen him cry and he didn't want him to ever know what this visit had cost him. It was amazing what a parent will go through for the love of a child. Stopping in a lobby restroom, Heero rinsed the remaining traces of tears off his face and planted a small but genuine smile on his lips.
Sasame would need to see his smile. He always smiled when he came home from even the shortest trip. Showing his I.D. to the attendant he entered the small but secure daycare on the hotel's first floor. Looking for his child, he turned his head when a familiar shout was heard.
*****
"Okaatousan!" Sasame's special name for him didn't even raise a few brows. Those who heard didn't recognize the child's grammatically incorrect mesh of the Japanese words for mother and father.
Seeing the happiness light his baby's violet eyes made his lips relax into an even sweeter smile. Even if Duo... hated... him. Damn that was so hard to acknowledge, even in the solitude of his thoughts. Even if he did there was no way his ex-lover could hate their son.
"Okaatousan?"
"Hai Me-chan?"
"Is it... okay?"
"Of course Me-chan, I will take you to him tomorrow morning before our flight back."
"Just once... but..."
Unfazed by the puppy dog look he received, that reminded him so much of Duo's one, Heero gave a kind but firm frown.
"Oi, little one. Remember our deal?"
"Ha... Hai." Came the subdued response.
"Awww don't frown at me Sasame, when we get back to our room, you can play with my laptop."
"Honto ni?"
"Hai, but no more hacking into secret government files for fun. Though I didn't agree with that lady at the old play center saying those things when you told her I was your mother, or for slapping you, that was no reason to arrange a drug raid on the facility. Those people had no idea what hit them."
"Hai Okaatousan. You know? I never figured out how come the police and DEA found so much evidence against there."
Heero hid a satisfied smirk. Call him an unnatural slut and hit his son and watch what happens to your life.
"Don't worry about it baby. That bad lady died in a freak car explosion on her way to court."
*****
"Maxwell." It had been seventeen hours since Heero had left, Duo hadn't expected the call to come so soon.
"Wu-man." For once Wufei didn't bother to object to the mangling of his honored name.
"I have an address."
"So what is it?" Duo's face was impatient he was planning on bolting as soon as he knew where to run to.
"I have thought it over. I never interfered during the war when I saw the two of you destroy yourselves with subtle cruelty. I only watched in silence. I never said anything as the wars ended, and Heero disappeared while you faded. When I should have. It was wrong of me... of us all to keep silent while such a special thing died in our presence. We were a team, some of us lovers, but our friendships were forged in fire we were closer then brothers, yet we did nothing to help you two."
"Wufei is right." Quatre said as he appeared on the screen joining in the conference call. All of them were in separate areas using their unique connections to find one person. His aquamarine eyes were suspiciously bright as he continued speaking.
"I knew something was wrong after that mission. It was an easy job, it should have taken the two of you mere hours but you came back days later. Neither of you spoke of it, but there was so much pain between the two of you, and you were so broken inside, Duo. It was like shattered glass all sharp jagged edges and bleeding points where you use to hold your heart. But you started to heal so slowly... then that other mission. Heero came back with such a mixture of pain and fear and happiness. You came back empty. I felt nothing from you for so long. But today this pain, this curiosity, this joy and fear are so real!"
Trowa finally spoke up. "Do not tell him the address Wufei."
"WHAT?" Duo shouted and three shocked gazes fell on Trowa's image on the phone.
"I'm not trying to be mean guys, but there was nothing we could have done, this was between Heero and Duo. Heero came to Duo of his own free will, when he was ready to yesterday. Then he left of his own free will. Tracking him down like a lost dog will accomplish nothing. It won't make him stay and once he notices what's going on, he'll bolt then we'll never see him again. He will return to Duo on his own when he is ready. I would do the same with Quatre. It's hard to stay away from your beloved."
"Even if Quatre told you he hated you?" came the bitter retort.
"Of course, I would know he was lying."
"I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of that confidence Trowa. Now Wufei I ne... Wufei? Wufei?" It was too late the line was dead. Apparently Wufei agreed with Trowa. Giving Duo a sad look, Quatre too hung up too. How could his friends do that? How would he find Heero now? Staring at the piercing green gaze of the only one left on the line, Duo croaked out, "Why?"
"I'm sorry Duo, I couldn't betray one friend to another." He looked to the bed behind him and Duo recognized the sleeping form of his love before the screen went blank.
TBC...
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