Author's Note: This fits with chapters eight and nine of Witness.
Diary of a Protected Witness Part 5
Cooperation
I knew Khushrenada meant business the moment the shock wave of the explosion threw me back into Quatre, who ended up sort of sandwiched between me an' Trowa. The three of us were sprawled on the sidewalk, with debris raining down and ears ringing from the sound of the blast, even as the sirens began to wail in the distance.
Fucking Hell!
The day had started out so nicely, too. I'd woken up in Trowa's arms, feeling deceptively safe and secure.
We'd grabbed a shower and a bite to eat, and then headed to Quatre's office.
Trowa owned an old clunker of a car, and I teased him about it pretty mercilessly. It ran like a dream, because he an' I both enjoyed tinkering--but it didn't look like anything special.
While I hadda have my sleek crotch rocket--my best friend was content with a nondescript, reliable two-door sedan.
That's probably for the best, considering what happened to it.
Anyhow--when we'd gotten to the office, and Quatre laid eyes on Trowa, I swear, I saw a trickle of drool slip out the side of his mouth.
Well, well...the little blonde angel was smitten, unless I missed my guess.
And a quick, sidelong glance at Trowa showed me the interest was mutual.
Hm. My stomach made a curious little twist, as I wondered if Trowa was just looking for a taste of the hot blonde, or maybe something a little more--serious. Was this what jealousy felt like? If so, it was a fuckin' unpleasant feeling. I'd never been the jealous type, and didn't want to become that way now...on top of which, Trowa wasn't mine...had never been mine.
Like I said, we'd never been exclusive. Trowa had dated, and presumably fucked, other guys during our time together, and I'd done the same--although in the months just prior to my hooking up with Zechs, neither one of us had sought any "outside entertainment." Why should we, when we had each other close at hand and willing?
Besides, Trowa had been hurt pretty badly once, before I met him--by a guy he'd really fallen for, who dumped him when he found out what my buddy did for work--outside of the circus, that is. He was kind of gun shy after that, and it was probably part of why he and I kept our relationship casual. As long as no promises were made, neither one of us risked the pain of rejection. We were just kind of there for each other--unconditional friendship and sometimes sex for recreation or release, or just plain comfort.
Even after I started seeing Zechs, Trowa and I were still fuck-buddies--until it got serious enough that Zechs actually asked me to be exclusive. And I sure as hell didn't make that commitment lightly. I made sure Trowa supported my decision before I made it--that he was okay with us being just friends and skipping the sex, since it seemed to matter so much to Zechs.
But, shit. Catching a wistful gleam in Trowa's eyes the likes of which I hadn't seen before, I found myself glaring at the lawyer, wondering if I was gonna have to protect my friend's heart, should it come to that. I didn't care who Quatre was, or how much pull he had; if he screwed over my friend, I'd make sure he paid for it in spades.
"--and you are?"
"Trowa Barton. Duo's friend."
"Ah, good. Maybe you can help me talk sense to him."
"It's never worked before."
They had a laugh over that, and I glared harder. "Look, Quat, I fuckin' hate cops. I'd refuse to cooperate just on principal. But seriously, I don't trust them to watch my back. I'm better off just takin' off on my own until things cool down. Khushrenada will eventually realize I'm not gonna rat him out--and whether he thinks I was in the penthouse or not, he'll have no reason to try to shut me up."
"I'm afraid that's not how he'll see it, Duo. As long as he believes you can bear witness to what he did, he'll want you silenced--permanently."
"Yeah, well--he's gotta catch me first."
He tried to convince me; I'll give him that. And Quatre Winner certainly had a silver tongue. (Naw, I didn't let my thoughts stray there--not after seeing the way Tro' was lookin' at him. Far be it from me to cock-block my best friend, let alone try to steal someone out from under him.)
But woe to Mister Winner if he thought he could charm my buddy, love him and leave him! That wasn't going to happen on my watch either. I guess it kind of depended on what Trowa wanted from the pretty blonde lawyer, and I figured I could pry that out of him later.
Meanwhile, I took a possessive grip on Trowa's arm as we left the office, eager to show the attorney that the guy he was ogling had someone who cared about him--and who owned a sizeable knife collection.
~*~
And then the world exploded.
Well, actually, it was just Trowa's car--but from the force of the blast, I'm surprised it didn't take out a building or two.
I lay there dazed on the sidewalk, waiting for the world to come back into focus, and felt something running into my eyes.
I reached up to my forehead only to have my hand come away sticky and red, and Quatre rolled me onto my back, his blue eyes concerned.
"You're bleeding, Duo! Lie still."
"Tro'?"
"He's--unconscious, I think. His head might have hit the sidewalk. Just lie still--I hear sirens. Someone must have called for an ambulance."
"You okay, Quat?"
"I'm fine. I think Trowa broke my fall."
I managed a weak smile for him, reaching blindly out until my hand found Trowa's, and I could slide it down to his wrist and check for a pulse. It was strong and steady, in spite of everything, and I let myself relax and feel the aches begin to settle in.
The next couple of hours were kind of a blur...the rush of feet as an ambulance crew arrived on the scene...more sirens...and Quatre's calm, steady voice explaining what happened...insisting we be taken to a hospital.
When we got there, I was whisked away to an examining room, poked, prodded, and felt up, until I told the docs I'd have to start charging if they got any more personal. I got a laugh from an intern; but I think I pissed off the medic who stitched the cut on my forehead.
And then I was settled into a hospital bed, and totally ignored.
I tried to get the nurses who popped in every once in a while to tell me how Trowa was--but they weren't talking. They just shushed me and told me I'd be able to see my friend later, but that tests were still being done. Bitches.
But finally Quatre came, and I was never so happy to see anyone in my life.
At least until I looked past him and saw the two cops from the night before. "You! Get the fuck out!"
But I wasn't going to be rid of the scowling cop that easily. He was gonna make an issue of the car bomb, whether I wanted it or not. And there was no way I could dodge Khushrenada if I was in lockup.
I still gave Quatre an argument; I really hated cops, and cooperating with them just made me feel like I was selling out Solo, and the rest of the Reapers.
It was Trowa who finally made me see reason. When he suggested that the kids at the orphanage could be hurt if I stuck around and Khushrenada tried again, it was more than I could take.
"Okay, Quat. You win. I'll tell the cops what happened, and I'll be their witness in court."
If I'd known how much that was going to entail, I might've changed my mind right then and there--but I didn't. And when Yuy looked at me with that triumphant gleam in his eyes, I pretty much knew I was hooked.
My head was killin' me--but I couldn't resist teasing the cop about having sex with Zechs the night he was killed. Well, I didn't really get to talk about it; he cut me off too fast. But I definitely enjoyed the way it made his eyes widen and a faint blush creep up his cheeks.
And I think Winner kind of got a kick out of it, too.
Then I settled down to business and told him how Zechs died.
When his jaw nearly hit the floor, I realized he'd been thinking all along that it was one of Khushrenada's lackeys who did the deed. But finding out it was the big man himself nearly gave him a coronary.
And it made him real protective of me all at once.
Well, wasn't that a switch? Cops worried about my sorry little ass? The world was just a topsy-turvy place these days.
After he got over the shock, and Quatre calmed me down--yeah, talking about Zechs choked me up; so sue me--Yuy said something about lining up protection for me. I think that was when it all started to get very real.
I was going to run and hide--something I was pretty good at. But it wasn't going to be on my terms. I was going to be in police custody--with police protection and supervision. And that notion didn't appeal to me at all.
It appealed to me even less the next day when I was told it was Chang and Yuy who were assigned to escort me into hiding.
Bad enough the Chinese cop talked to me like I was stupid--but Yuy! I mean, the fucker'd had the balls to ask about the "kids" Trowa mentioned. As if it was any of his business. I coulda had a dozen kids floating around out there, and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to the cops, so long as they could use me against Khushrenada. That bullshit about duckin' out on child support was just that--bullshit. He wanted to pry--wanted answers. And I didn't feel like explaining myself to him, or to his uptight partner.
I almost refused to go with them. I was ready to bolt; but Quatre was having none of that. He more or less strong-armed me into picking up my duffel bag and placing myself in the hands of two men I despised.
The hug from Trowa at the door was probably what got me through the first, and hardest, hour of that trip. He pulled me into his arms at the door, and whispered that I'd be okay.
"You're a survivor, Shini. You made it through gang wars and starvation and abuse. And you can make it through this. You know I love you like crazy--and I'll be thinking about you. I'll be here for you when you get back. So you're not alone--not ever."
The fucker nearly made me cry with that one. What a speech! But at least I knew that if I could stay alive and come out the other side of this, he'd be there for me. Not like Zechs was; Trowa wouldn't want to try to fill that kind of void. But he was my best friend, and a gentle and thoughtful lover, and someone who'd make sure I never felt alone.
It was kind of funny--and I thought about it on the way to the parking garage. I'd noticed a connection between Trowa and Quatre the previous day at the lawyer's office, and again just then at the hospital. I could see the potential for something to happen between those two. But I was no longer jealous about it.
I knew if something did happen, that Trowa wouldn't shut me out of it. Not that I could picture the three of us in any kind of relationship. I was a little too possessive to consider a threeway romance. But you never knew what could happen. If it came down to it, the blonde was a really pretty guy, and in spite of being a lawyer, he had a gentleness about him that was soothing and reassuring. I thought I could probably get to like him enough to share Trowa with him...or maybe share Quat with Trowa.
I'm just sayin' that I wouldn't be left out in the cold by those two. Somehow I knew that for certain. And it was comforting--especially as I climbed into a car with two men I knew despised me.
OWARI
Back to Snowdragonct's Fanfictions Page