Fate Part 4
Duo pounded on the door again, hoping that someone was home. He swayed on his feet, dizzy and tired. How long had he been walking? He shouldn't feel like this. Why didn't anyone answer the door? He knew it was late, but-
The door swung open and Trowa blinked at him. "Duo? What the hell?"
"Can I crash on your couch?" He managed and Trowa reached out a hand to him.
"Of course. Are you ill? You don't look well. Where's Heero?"
Duo laughed as Trowa pulled him inside. "I don't know. My mother- came over tonight-"
"What did she do now?" Trowa led him to the couch and pushed Duo gently towards the cushions. Quatre appeared, sleep-mussed and rubbing his eyes.
"What happened?" He asked, blinking at Duo.
"Heero got his memory back." Duo put his head down on the cushions and closed his eyes.
"And it didn't go well," Quatre guessed.
"That's putting it mildly." Duo wished they'd go away and let him sleep. He didn't want to think about this anymore. Didn't want to remember that look on Heero's face...
"Was he angry? Did he hurt you?" Trowa reached out and gripped Duo's arm. "Duo?"
"He was angry- but I'm the one who hurt him."
"He'll get over it." Quatre soothed. "Give him a few days and then go talk to him. I'm sure it will be all right."
It was a faint hope, but he'd seize any bit he could find. Better than thinking that it was over- that Heero would never forgive him, that he'd lost everything, he'd never get Heero back-
Despair washed through him, followed by a wave of dizziness, and he clung to the sofa cushions. He heard Trowa take a harsh indrawn breath.
"Quatre- did you see-"
"Yes. It shouldn't be surprising. You know his lineage." Quatre's breath brushed over Duo's ear. "Don't give up, Duo. Not so soon, okay?"
Duo wanted to answer, wanted to tell Quatre that he wasn't going to give up, but it seemed like too much effort. It was easier to just slip into sleep...
~*~
Rubbing his eyes wearily, Heero glared at the device on his workbench. The damn thing still would not work. How long had he been tinkering with the infernal thing? He looked up at the window, noted the slant of the sun's rays. It was morning. Nearly time for Duo to...
No. Duo wasn't here anymore. He'd left...
Heero wanted to turn back to his workbench, to try and forget the night before, to try and forget that Duo had been lying to him... but he couldn't do it forever.
He sat down on the floor, leaning against one of the workbench's legs and rubbed his eyes. He'd been angry last night. Angry and hurt by Duo's betrayal.
But had it been that much of a betrayal? Duo said that he'd needed his mother's help to heal Heero- and that his mother had been the one to take Heero's memory. His mother had been the one who wanted that damn piece of jewelry fixed. What had Duo gotten out of the whole thing?
"I wanted you. Right in that first moment. Do you remember?"
Was that really why he'd done everything he had? Taken Heero in? Made the deal with his mother to heal Heero? All the affection he'd given, the time he'd taken... it seemed stupid to think that it was just because his mother forced it. He'd told Duo last night that none of it had been real... but... maybe some of it was.
And now Duo was gone.
Heero got to his feet. There had to be a way to find Duo- to talk with him- Would Duo even want to talk to him? Heero wouldn't blame him if he didn't- but... he had to try. He'd find Duo and apologize- somehow...
He went back into the house, wondering how he would even go about starting to find Duo. He didn't know how to reach Trowa- but surely there was some way- he could even contact his father if he needed to- he at least would know how to get a hold of Duo's mother- not that she'd be helpful- but-
The martini glasses were still in the living room, one of them overturned beside the couch. Heero reached down to pick it up, and paused at the glint of gold half-hidden under the couch.
So the damn thing was still here?
Cautiously he reached out a hand, expecting the pain- but there was only the coolness of the metal in his palm. His whole life turned upside down for this piece of jewelry. All because She had wanted it fixed.
Heero's fingers closed tight around the belt, the links digging into his fingers. He was tempted for a moment to destroy the damned thing.
But Duo was her son...
And if he fixed this, then maybe... Maybe he'd have a bargaining chip.
Hurrying back to his workbench, he pulled out the needed tools, cleared a space and set to work.
~*~
"Duo?"
Duo turned his head away from the window and looked at Trowa who was hovering in the doorway.
"Duo- your mother's here. She wants to talk to you. Quatre is stalling her-"
"It's okay." Duo looked back out the window. "Let her in."
Trowa didn't leave at once. He stepped further into the room, checking the still full plate by Duo's bed. He sighed and touched Duo's wrist. "You need to eat something."
"I will." The response was automatic, not quite a lie.
"It's been three days. Why don't you call?"
"I did. No one answered. He might not be there anymore."
"Then you should go to his father-"
"Tro-" Duo cut him off softly. "I can't." Slowly, he lifted his hand up, and Trowa saw the sweat bead on his forehead. "I can barely do this-" His arm dropped and Trowa blanched, as for a moment, the indigo blanket was visible through Duo's hand. Duo's eyes half-closed. "I'm tired-"
Before Trowa could answer, Duo's mother appeared in the doorway.
"There you are, darling." She moved closer, leaning over the bed to drop a kiss on Duo's cheek. "Why are you in bed? You aren't ill are you?"
"Yes," said Trowa.
"No," said her son, and looked out the window again. His mother frowned and looked at Trowa.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He's lost his heart." Trowa replied and slipped out of the room.
"What nonsense is this?" Duo's mother perched on the edge of the bed and touched her son's face. "You're fading," she said in a different tone, her expression darkening. "Why are you fading?"
"I'm your son, Mother." Duo covered her hand with his. "And I lost him."
"Then he didn't love you enough. So stop this-"
"I can't." Duo looked back at her. "It doesn't matter if he never loved me at all. I love him- I can't stop-"
"Then do something about it!" She snapped. "Go and get him back!"
"Even if I could go- I don't know where he is- He could've gone home for all I know-"
"He's not with his father." His mother blushed and looked down at the bed. "After we left your house, he and I talked and- well... I'd know if your lover returned there."
Duo's eyes widened for a moment. "You reconciled? After all this time? After all the things-"
"Yes." She smiled. "So- there is always hope. And can the son be so different than the father?"
"Maybe not," Duo smiled back at her, his eyes closing. "Maybe there is some hope."
She watched as he fell into sleep, a frown marring her perfect features. She turned as Trowa stepped back into the room.
"We need to find that boy."
"I sent Quatre out."
She looked back at her son and frowned. "It may be too late already..."
TBC...
Back to Merula's Fanfictions Page