Fate Part 3

Heero frowned at the device in front of him. It should work. He'd double-checked everything! So why wasn't it working?

"Love?" Duo's voice pulled him out of his contemplation of the damned thing. He turned to find Duo leaning against the doorframe, smiling at him. "Is something wrong?"

"It's not working," Heero explained, turning his attention back to the device. "I don't know why- it should work-"

Duo's footsteps echoed across the floor as he came to stand beside Heero. "It looks okay to me," he offered, still smiling, one hand going up to touch the back of Heero's head. "Don't glare at it, lover, you'll just give yourself a headache."

Heero huffed. "I know- but it's driving me crazy." He tilted his head back a little as Duo's fingers rubbed the tension away.

"Feeling okay today? Do you have a headache?"

"No," Heero gave Duo a smile. "No headache. I haven't had one for-" He paused, trying to remember. When was the last time he'd had a headache? How long ago was the accident? A month? No, two? Had it been that long? It couldn't have been that long... He frowned a little.

"I know," Duo kissed the back of his neck. "You're doing much better."

"Except for the memory thing," Heero sighed. "Nothing seems to be coming back to me- I know Trowa said to be patient-"

Duo turned Heero away from the workbench. "I know, love, I know. It's frustrating. But it's not all bad, is it?"

"No of course not-" Heero turned his head just enough to catch Duo's mouth for a satisfying moment. "I just know it has to be frustrating for you- having a lover that doesn't even remember how he met you- who had to relearn-"

"None of that matters. I'm just glad you're here with me." Duo stopped Heero's protest with another kiss. "I'm sure I've mentioned that?"

"Once or twice," Heero agreed. Duo's mouth was distracting. He was tempted to pull Duo down on the floor- but the concrete wasn't that comfortable. The workbench though- that had worked out well last time...

Duo pulled back a little and smiled. "Come and have some lunch. I finished my article so I made some sandwiches. Maybe being away from your workbench will help."

"All right," Heero let Duo tug him into the kitchen where the sandwiches were already on the table. "Is your mother still coming over tonight?" He asked as he sat down.

Duo groaned as he opened the fridge. "Don't remind me. I had managed to block it out."

Cautiously, Heero asked the question that had been bothering him for a while. "Why don't you like her Duo?" He was a little jealous of the fact that Duo had relatives who wanted to see him. None of Heero's relatives had ever contacted him after the accident- so whatever had driven him away from his own family must've been bad. He wondered what it was.

"Other than the fact she drives me crazy?" Duo shrugged as he put a soda can down in front of Heero. "Well, she wasn't very nice to my dad."

"Where is your Dad? You've never mentioned him."

"Dead," Duo sat down, frowning slightly.

Heero winced internally. Another thing he'd probably known once and forgotten. "I'm sorry-"

"It's okay."

"So, they didn't get along?"

"That's an understatement." The frown deepened. "Dad always warned me about her. I guess I should've listened."

"Warned you?"

Duo lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "Yeah. He always told me not to let her talk me into any of her schemes. Said it would wreck my life."

"And you think she's coming over tonight to get you to agree to a scheme?" No wonder Duo wasn't enthusiastic about her visit.

Duo sighed and picked at his sandwich. "I already did."

"What is it?"

"Nothing I really want to admit to," Duo was looking down at his plate, his bangs hiding his expression from Heero. "It's very bad."

Surprised, Heero studied his lover. Whatever it was- Duo didn't want to tell him. And Duo usually told him everything. What was so bad that he couldn't trust Heero to understand?

"You know you can tell me. I'd forgive you anything."

Duo made a faint noise and Heero reached out a hand to him, alarmed. "I don't want to risk it." Duo caught Heero's hand in his and pressed it tightly. "Please don't ask me, Heero. Please." Caught off guard by Duo's reaction, Heero couldn't think of the words to reply. What was this scheme? Why was Duo so nervous about it?

"Duo-"

Duo's fingers tightened on his. "I promise I'll tell you someday- but not now. Not with her visiting tonight."

Ah, Heero thought, relieved. It's because she's coming over tonight and he doesn't want her to know that he told me. "All right," he said and squeezed Duo's hand. "I'll wait."

Duo's smile was shaky when he finally looked up at Heero again. "And don't let her talk you into anything- no matter how small it seems- say no."

"Okay," Heero agreed and Duo seemed to relax at last. He turned the subject to the article he had just finished and Heero let him do it, willing to let Duo get his mind off the coming visit.

"Anything occur to you about why your project's not working?" Duo asked as they cleaned up.

"Not a damn thing," Heero admitted as he stuck the plates in the dishwasher. He'd been thinking more about Duo than about his problem.

"Then maybe..." Duo pinned him against the counter. "Maybe I could persuade you to waste some time with me?" His lips touched Heero's throat. "Just a little bit?"

"It's never a little bit," Heero tilted his head back obligingly. "It's always hours."

"Are you complaining?"

"You know damn well I'm not." Heero shivered as Duo's hands slid under his shirt. "As long as we get to the bed soon."

"Beds are overrated," Duo purred against his throat and pushed Heero a little more firmly against the counter. "Let me demonstrate..."

~*~

Duo's mother sat down on their sofa and smiled at Heero. "How is my son treating you?" She asked archly, crossing her legs and leaning back against the cushions.

Smiling back, Heero pushed his lover down into the armchair. Duo was nearly visibly humming with tension- ever since his mother arrived he looked ready to snap.

"Very well of course." Heero replied. "May I make you a drink?"

"Martini if you have it."

Heero nodded and headed towards the kitchen resolving to make Duo one too. He wasn't sure how else Duo was going to make it through the evening. What was it about his mother that upset him so? What had she asked him to do? He mixed the drinks, his mind still turning over the problem.

Once he finished, he headed back out to the living room. It might not be a good idea to leave Duo alone with his mother for too long.

Pausing at the door, he heard Duo:

"No! Like I told you when I sent that thing back to you- it's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, lovey. You just need to know how to ask."

"It has nothing to do with asking. If you force this, I'll lose him."

Lose who? Heero looked down at the drinks he carried. Who was Duo talking about?

"You're over reacting sweetie. I've been very patient, but it's been months and we had a deal. Besides- you can't tell me that you're still interested in him? After all this time? Please. You were born fickle."

Duo? Fickle? But-

Heero pushed open the door when Duo didn't reply right away. He cast a look at Duo who was hunched over in the armchair, looking miserable. He wanted to ask what they'd been talking about, but he didn't dare. Forcing a smile, he handed out the drinks. Duo took his with a faint smile, his fingers wrapping tightly around the stem. Heero hoped he didn't break the glass.

Duo's mother smiled at Heero. "Sit down," she said and patted the cushion beside her.

Once he was settled, Duo's mother leaned forward a little. "My son tells me you have quite the workshop going on. You and that Winner boy have sold a few things?"

"A few, yes."

"You must be very talented- just like your father." Startled, Heero looked up into her eyes. She looked amused. "Ah, that's right, you won't remember him of course, but he was very talented. He made me the most amazing piece of jewelry once- but I broke it. I don't suppose you could fix it for me?"

"I could try," Heero said automatically and heard Duo draw in a sharp breath. Ah, right he wasn't supposed to agree to anything. But what harm could it do to fix a piece of jewelry?

She looked away from him and smiled at her son. "Luckily for me, I have it right in my pocket." Pulling out a golden chain she held it out to him. "You can fix this, can't you?" She dropped the chain into his palm.

Pain shot through his skull, blinding pain, and he clenched his fists, the chain biting into his skin, as he doubled over in agony.

"I told you!" Duo was beside him suddenly, his arm around Heero, steadying him as his fingers sought to pry the jewelry free of Heero's grasp.

"It's not supposed to work like that! He shouldn't react-"

"Well, he does! Make it stop, Mother, now!"

"I didn't go through all this trouble-" he heard Duo's mother shrill.

"You-" he heard Duo start.

A boom rattled the room and then another voice broke in:

"So here is my son! Deceitful woman! What have you done to him?" Heero managed to crack his eyes open enough to see the man standing beside the door. Was this his father?

"Ungrateful child!" His father's fist slammed into him, knocking him backwards...

And in that memory of pain- Heero remembered.

"What have I done to him?" Duo's mother snapped. "You're the one that broke nearly every bone in his body! I helped him!"

"Helped him! You call this helping? Giving him to one of your offspring as a toy?"

"Better a toy than a punching bag!"

"I never hit my son until you showed up! This was your fault! You tricked me into striking him and then hid him from me for months! I bet you didn't think I'd still have eyes on you but I did! I knew you'd lead me to him!"

"Idiot! You've ruined all my hard work!"

As they argued, Heero felt gentle fingers on his, coaxing his hand to open. "Let me have it, Heero, please." He let go of the chain and the pain in his head began to fade.

"Hard work! You don't know what work is! You're always blaming someone else-"

"STOP IT!" Duo's voice rang out and Heero winced. "Have the both of you forgotten last time? Are you trying to make Him angry with you both again? Get out of my house if you are going to argue- I don't care to be struck by a thunderbolt!"

"I'm not leaving without my son!"

"He promised-"

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the voices fell silent.

"Go," Duo's voice was softer now. Heero heard the door open and close. Lifting his head he found Duo looking at him fearfully.

"Do you remember?" He asked and Heero blinked at him.

"My father hit me."

"Because you got in between him and my mother. Because you knew what would happen if they started fighting."

"And you dragged me out of there-"

"I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to move you- but by that time I was sure we were in for a thunderbolt. I took you to Trowa."

"But- he couldn't do everything..."

"No. He's like us- only a demigod-" Duo shook his head, "and you were a mess. So my mother offered to help."

"Because she wanted that thing fixed."

"Yes."

Heero slid away from Duo and got to his feet. His old memories were warring with the new. What had he been doing all this time? "I never lived here with you."

"Yes you did." Duo corrected, not moving from his place on the floor. "For these last six months you lived here with me."

Six months? It hadn't felt that long...

"But not before."

"No," Duo shook his head, his face hidden behind his bangs. "Not before."

Heero closed his eyes. Duo had been lying to him all this time. He remembered waking up in the bedroom that first time and feeling out of place. Feeling surprised to find Duo there.

"It always did seem too good to be true." He said and saw Duo flinch. For a moment he wanted to reach out and pull Duo close- but he couldn't. Duo wasn't really his. He never had been.

"It felt that way to me too." Duo's voice was soft.

"Why-" Heero started and then stopped, trying to sort through the questions in his head.

"I wanted you. Right in that first moment. Do you remember?"

Heero did. Duo standing in his mother's shadow in the doorway of the workshop...

"Then our parents started fighting- you stepped between them- " Duo shuddered. "You were so badly injured- I had to do something. Even bargain with Mother." Duo looked up, his eyes dark and shadowed. "I didn't think past the first part. Didn't think about what would happen afterwards. Didn't realize what she'd ask of me-"

"What did she ask?" Heero was afraid he already knew. To keep Heero with him- pretend to be his lover until that thing was fixed?

"To get you to fix her belt- that damned piece of jewelry your father gave her. She took your memory to make you more amenable to it- just in case."

"You never asked me-"

"You couldn't touch it without pain. I think it was tied to the memory of your father striking you- but it was impossible to get you to fix it. I tried to tell her so."

"But- if it was just for that-" Heero shook his head. "If it was only that- then why this whole charade? Why pretend that we were lovers?"

Toy, his father had said. Fickle, Duo's mother had said. Was it true? Had Duo just been amusing himself?

Duo got to his feet, met Heero's eyes. "It wasn't pretense."

"But, we hadn't- I didn't even know you! It was a lie."

"I didn't lie. You woke up and asked me what I was. I told you the truth. I'm yours." He sighed. "I tried not to lie. I never wanted to. I just- didn't say everything."

That was an understatement. "But you aren't mine- you never were-"

"Before," Duo reached out and grasped Heero's shoulders. "Before I wasn't, I know. But can you honestly say I wasn't yours these last months?"

Heero couldn't. He tried to search for the words to make Duo understand how he was feeling. "You were- but- I didn't know- I mean- it wasn't real..."

Duo flinched, his hands dropping away from Heero. "It was real to me." He turned towards the door, his back to Heero. "I can't ever apologize enough." He laughed- a harsh sound that made Heero involuntarily reach out a hand to him. "I knew you wouldn't forgive me for this, no matter what you said. I knew it was going to end like this- and yet," his voice dropped. "I'd do it all again."

"Duo-" Heero managed, the words tangled in his mouth. He was angry, he knew that. But- at the same time- he was afraid-

"The house is yours. Don't go back to your father. Work on your inventions- not his. I'll make sure my mother leaves you alone." Duo opened the door.

Before Heero could find the words to stop him- before he knew for sure that he wanted to stop him- Duo was gone.

TBC...

 

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