Author's Note: For more on Maxwell's Mortuary, you need to read "Greeting Cards," by Kaeru Shisho. Sorry this chapter took so long. Life's been complicated and exhausting. And all I want to do is write. I wish there were more time for the one thing that really makes me feel happy and complete!
"I could have sworn I saw Eliza the other day, working out in her garden like she'd done so many times. I guess I'm getting old; maybe even senile. She looked just like she did the first summer we lived here, with wisps of hair blowing loose from her braid and framing her face, and a rosy glow to her cheeks. So much better than my memory of her pale, drawn features when she fell ill and died. I've told Samuel all about his grandmother, and a little about his parents. I can't bring myself to mention Aaron, though. Perhaps after I'm gone, he'll read my journals and find out for himself. I've thought of destroying these books, but can't quite bring myself to do it. I've saved so many treasured memories here..."
--excerpt from the private journal of Ephraim Barton
Smoky Hills Part 40
Progress at Last
"So--how'd it go?" Trowa called from the kitchen even before Heero closed the door and tossed his keys onto the side table in the hall. "Did you finally tell him you're hot for him?"
"No, I did not," Heero said flatly, joining his brother in the kitchen. "But I did let him know you and I are related."
"At last!" Trowa blurted dramatically. "Progress!"
Heero gave him a slightly malicious grin. "I also told him you like his boss, but are too shy to make a move."
"You what?" Trowa's eyes widened in horror. "Heero--!"
"Relax. He said you and Quatre are 'two peas in a pod.' Apparently his boss harbors similar feelings for you."
"Oh." Trowa went back to chopping lettuce for a salad. "Oh!" he added as it sank in. "That's good then. Right?"
"Yes, Trowa. It's good." Heero walked up beside him and joined in the dinner preparations.
"Quatre and I were making a bit of progress on our own anyway, you know," added the green-eyed man defensively.
"I'm sure you were."
"No, really. When I brought him lunch at the post office, we had a very nice conversation."
"And I'll bet it centered on Duo's situation, rather than your budding romance," Heero guessed. "Right?"
"Well--you know how Duo spent the day. Of course Quatre was concerned about him."
"To the exclusion of all else."
"No! He was really glad I was there to help out--bring him lunch and stuff," Trowa asserted. "He kept telling me what a life saver I was."
"Not that you were drop-dead gorgeous and he wanted to have wild sex with you?" Heero shook his head in mock dismay. "You're losing your touch, Tro'."
"Am not." Trowa jabbed a carrot at him accusingly. "And you're no better! Wasting a perfectly good opportunity to tell Duo how you feel about him. You should've been asking him where he got such incredible color eyes, instead of when was the last time they were focused on his ex-lover."
"I'll get around to that," Heero said firmly. "In my own time." He washed off a tomato and started slicing it to go in the salad. "I'm picking him up tomorrow afternoon to take him to the dump site." At Trowa's raised eyebrow, he added, "He wants to see where the body was found."
"Is that allowed? I mean, with an investigation going on?"
"It's actually part of the investigation," Heero said carefully.
Trowa leveled a suspicious gaze on him. "You aren't suggesting Duo--?"
"No!" Heero retorted with a scowl, refraining from pointing out that those closest to the victim were most often involved in a homicide. He didn't want to debate it with Trowa, especially considering he mostly agreed with him. "I'm not saying that. And considering the level of intolerance in this town, Stevens might have had plenty of enemies. It's too soon to even speculate on a suspect."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," Trowa said coolly. "Because Duo is a really nice guy, and if you started talking like he was a murder suspect, I might have to belt you one."
"Hey, you aren't the only one who thinks he's nice!" Heero replied defensively. "Before I'd consider him a suspect, I'd have to know for sure it was a murder and that he had motive and opportunity. I wouldn't just assume he'd done it."
"Well, good. I'm glad you feel that way," Trowa said gently. "Maybe when I'm hanging out with Quatre I can find out if Duo's as into you as you're into him."
"Don't you dare ask--!"
"I wouldn't come right out and ask," Trowa scoffed. "I'm more subtle than you are--obviously. But I'd sure suggest the four of us get together socially, and see if he thinks it's a good idea."
Heero grimaced slightly. "I think I'd rather not have you shooting significant looks at me on my first date with Duo, Tro'. Let me approach him on my own, okay? I promise it'll be soon--no matter how this Stevens thing plays out."
Trowa looked at him for a long moment as if assessing his sincerity. Then he shrugged. "Have it your way, 'Ro. If you miss out, and I end up with both the hot guys, don't blame me." He gave a cheery grin and leaned to pat Balder, who'd walked over and looked up hopefully for attention. "So if you aren't taking Duo out in the woods to cross-examine him, what's the point?"
"I need to know more about Solo's last few weeks. I'm hoping Duo can recall more details after he has time to think back on it, and that walking in the woods will help him reminisce."
He didn't bother adding that while they hiked to the dump site, he'd be watching to see if Duo acted like he knew where they were headed. Not that he suspected the braided man; he hadn't been making that up for Trowa's benefit. But he didn't dare conduct a sloppy investigation, either. People's actions often spoke louder than their words.
"Reminisce, eh?" Trowa teased. "Sure you aren't hoping for a bit of romance--all alone out in the secluded forest?"
"There is nothing romantic about examining a crime scene," Heero said curtly. "If I want to seduce Duo, I'm sure I can find better places to do it."
"If--?" Trowa scoffed. "You know you want him."
"Yes, and I also know he's an emotional wreck right now. I'm not planning to take advantage of that."
"He seemed fine to me," Trowa pointed out, nibbling a slice of carrot and letting his gaze sweep the kitchen. "He was pretty chipper, all things considered."
Heero pondered that for a moment, and then gave a short nod as he dropped the tomato slices into the bowl. "He's a resilient young man. You know, he grew up in an orphanage in town."
"Ouch," Trowa said with genuine sympathy. "No family?"
"Just Solo. Only he got adopted out and Duo never did." He picked up two forks and began tossing the salad. "I can only imagine how much that rejection must have hurt--"
"Ah, Heero--" Trowa threw an arm across his shoulders and gave a squeeze. "You are gonna be so good for Duo."
Heero looked at him in confusion, and Trowa smiled warmly. "You're a sweet, caring guy, Heero Yuy. And if I weren't your brother, I'd be dating you myself. Duo's lucky as hell we ended up here in Smoky Hills."
"And what if I feel like the lucky one?" Heero replied just as seriously. "He's beautiful, Trowa. He's sensitive and kind--" He quirked a wry smile. "And he loves dogs."
"Now to get him to love you," Trowa urged. "Although, that might be the bigger challenge. Thor's got those big, brown eyes and that soulful expression."
"Yes, but I'm the right species," Heero defended himself.
They finished their dinner preparations shortly thereafter and had a peaceful meal out on the screened porch, before Heero went to review the case file and Trowa returned to his journals.
~*~
Meanwhile, Quatre had closed up the office in record time that evening, and hurried home to find Duo grilling chicken out on the back deck.
"Hey--you should be resting!" he accused, stepping up beside his roommate. "I didn't expect you to make supper after you spent all day at the police station."
"No problem," Duo said, waving a spatula cheerily. "After bein' cooped up all day, I'm enjoying the fresh air."
Quatre walked over and hugged him tightly. "I was worried sick, you know."
"I do know," Duo assured him. "And if Heero hadn't shown up when he did, you might've really had something to worry about. I was this close to assaulting a police officer." He pulled back and frowned at his friend. "Ralph fuckin' accused me of killing Solo, y'know."
"Oh, Duo--" Quatre hugged him again, even tighter. "I know you didn't--and so does anyone who knows you at all."
"Hell, even Heero knows that," Duo pointed out. "And he's known me all of what--a couple months?"
"Speaking of him--how'd he get you out of jail? You didn't give me details when you called. Is he a lawyer?"
"Naw--a cop," Duo said brightly. "And a way bigger cop than li'l old Ralph and Alex. He's the head of the Homicide Department in Sanc."
"Seriously?" Quatre's blue eyes went wide. "What on earth is he doing here in Smoky Hills?"
"Aside from investigating Solo's murder the way the Smoky Hills cops should've eight years ago? Nursing his brother back to health," Duo said with a smug smile.
"His--brother?"
"Yup." Duo turned back to the grill, flipping the chicken over and brushing on more barbecue sauce.
Then he heard a "yessss" behind him. "I knew it!" Quatre insisted. "I told you they weren't together!"
"Like you knew that," Duo drawled skeptically.
"Well not exactly," Quatre admitted. "But I told you it didn't seem like they were." He gave a frustrated sigh. "I wish Trowa had just come out and said something to that effect. It would have simplified things."
"Consider them simple," Duo suggested. "He's available, and according to Heero 'quite taken' with you."
"Really?" Quatre practically squealed, his voice rising an octave or two.
Duo gave a melodramatic sigh. "Really."
Quatre tugged at his sleeve, trying to drag him away from the grill. "I want to hear it all, Duo. You're going to tell me everything, from Ralph's bullshit, to Heero rescuing you, and how you got on the topic of Trowa liking me."
"Then go set the table and grab the veggies out of the microwave. The chicken's just about done, and I'll be bringing it right in." He gave his eager boss a wink and a grin. "We'll talk then."
Over dinner, Duo filled Quatre in on everything from the all-day grilling at the police station, to Heero's timely arrival and the subsequent trip out to the Barton farm, ending with his return home.
"So--he's going to show you where they found the bones buried? Wow." Quatre shook his head. "I thought you didn't want to go there."
"That was before I found out it was Solo," Duo pointed out. "Now--I feel like I need to see it."
Quatre frowned at him. "It might be more upsetting than you think, Duo."
"Doubt that," replied his roommate, sipping his drink. "I expect it to be plenty upsetting." He gave a brief, rueful smile. "But I also feel like it's important. Maybe I need some of that 'closure' they always talk about."
"I'm not sure you'll get that from a burial site."
"Why not? Going to the cemetery on the anniversary of the orphanage fire seems to work well enough."
Quatre rolled his eyes. "If it gives you closure, why do you need to keep going back?"
"Out of respect," Duo said firmly. "Father Maxwell and Sister Helen took damn good care of me--of all of us kids. They deserve to be remembered, even if it's only once a year."
"You remember them way more often than that," Quatre pointed out.
"True. And I sure don't need a headstone to sit by to remind me of Solo. But--" Duo's voice trailed off and he got a pensive look on his face. "Hey, I wonder what they'll do with him after they're done investigating." He cast a troubled look at his friend. "They won't just get rid of the bones, will they? Or keep them or something?"
"No," Quatre said firmly. "Normally I think they'd send them to a next of kin for burial."
"Solo didn't have anyone but me," Duo reminded him. "The Stevens don't count, because once they found out he was gay, they pretty much treated him like shit anyway. And their biological kids got the house after they died, so he ended up out on the street, more or less. If it hadn't been for Howard letting him rent the place above the convenience store, he'd probably have had to come back to the orphanage." Duo frowned deeply. "He wouldn't want to be buried in the Stevens family plot--that's for sure."
"So he won't," Quatre asserted. "I'm sure we can buy him his own place in the local cemetery. Maybe there's a spot near Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, if that's where you want him laid to rest."
Duo thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "Not sure he'd like that. He wanted out of this town so badly--"
"So have him cremated and take the ashes somewhere he'd like," Quatre urged. "Maybe you could ship them down to Howard and have him find Solo a warm, sunny place in Florida."
Duo couldn't help grinning at the mental image of Howard on a lounge chair on the beach with a box of ashes beside him, toasting Solo with an ice cold beer. "I might just do that," he said.
They turned their conversation to the less morbid topic of work, and finished their meal chatting about their next camping trip, and where they might go for a summer vacation. By the time they'd cleared the table and done dishes, Duo's rough day had caught up to him, and he was ready for a shower and bed.
He tried not to worry about the next day's outing, and instead let himself dwell on how nice Heero had been to him, and the fact that Trowa had talked about him visiting again--with Quatre. Now that he knew Trowa had the hots for Quat, it made more sense. He just wished he knew for sure that Heero was also gay and available.
"He did say he wanted to know more, didn't he?" Duo muttered aloud as he stripped out of his clothes and stepped into a nice, warm shower. "That oughta indicate something."
He shook his head as he let the water soak his long hair. "You're a chicken shit, Duo Maxwell. So screwed in the head over thinking Solo left you, that you're afraid to take a chance with your heart again."
He squeezed his eyes shut and let the water run over his face. "Solo'd kick your ass for that, y'know. Tell you to 'man up' and go for it."
He finished his shower in record time, more eager for sleep than anything else, and in spite of his nervousness over the upcoming field trip, he was out like a light almost the moment his head hit the pillow.
~*~
The next morning, Quatre slipped out without waking Duo, and it wasn't until the phone rang in mid-morning that the tired mailman dragged himself out of bed, stumbling downstairs just quickly enough to miss a call from a telemarketer.
"Fucking bullshit--" he groaned as he heard the cheery babble on the answering machine.
But since he was awake, he availed himself of the coffee Quatre had made, and a quick breakfast of toasted waffles, before trudging back upstairs to get dressed and ready to face the day.
The phone rang again as he was washing up the breakfast dishes, and he scowled at the unfamiliar number on the caller i.d. Another bloody telemarketer--?
"Maxwell's Mortuary," he answered snidely. "You snuff 'em--we stuff 'em!"
"Duo?" asked a hesitant voice.
"Oh, Heero!" he blurted, blushing to the roots of his hair. "Sorry 'bout that. Telemarketers, y'know?"
There was a brief, dry chuckle, and then, "I see. Does that discourage them?"
"Naw--but it entertains the hell out of me," Duo explained. "If you'd been an actual telemarketer, the greeting you just heard would've been followed by--" He stopped his imitation of the Emergency Broadcast System recording and laughed. "Sorry, 'Ro. Ignore my babbling; I'm barely awake here. Quat snuck out without waking me, and I kind of slept in."
"You probably needed the rest," Heero pointed out. "Yesterday must have been exhausting. And I probably didn't help matters by making you answer so many questions."
Duo snorted. "I expect to have to answer a lot more before we're through," he pointed out. "Seems like we barely scratched the surface."
"That's very perceptive of you," Heero commented. "And you're right. Maybe on our trip up to the burial location you can elaborate on some of the stuff you told me last night."
"Anything," Duo promised. "If it'll help you catch the bastard who killed Solo, I'll tell you anything I can." He paused, twisting the phone cord around a finger. "He was killed, right? I mean, you said there were no clothes buried with the bones--so someone must've killed him. It couldn't have been a weird accident, right?"
"That's highly unlikely," Heero admitted. "And once Doctor Chang returns a definitive cause of death, I expect to be able to fill in a lot of blanks--such as where the murder occurred, and under what possible circumstances."
"And that'll help you find a suspect?"
"Almost certainly."
"Good."
Heero hesitated, and then cleared his throat. "You do know that just finding a suspect won't necessarily ensure a conviction--"
Duo scowled vaguely and tugged at the end of his braid. "Yeah, I s'pose not."
Heero caught the undertone of tension in Duo's voice, and continued in a sterner tone. "You can't jump to conclusions either, Duo."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't want you getting into any trouble," Heero said frankly.
"Trouble?"
"Look--you mentioned those two apes from the convenience store right away when we talked about Solo," Heero reminded him. "What would you do if I found evidence that implicated them?"
"I'd fuckin' tear them limb from limb," Duo said promptly.
"No, you wouldn't," Heero scolded. "First off, because it would get you into huge trouble. But secondly, because I'm not going to tell you if the investigation turns up evidence leading to them. You won't be privy to any information concerning suspects or evidence--understand?"
"Solo was my boyfriend!" Duo said hotly. "He was my best friend, too. If you think I'm staying out of this--"
"That's exactly what you'll do," Heero told him.
"Then why are you takin' me to the place Solo was buried?"
"For several reasons," Heero said with a sigh. "For one, it seems important to you."
"It is. And so is finding out who killed Solo."
"You will. At least--you will if I'm able to solve the case," Heero said carefully. "With this many years elapsed between the murder and Thor's discovery of the body, it's going to be very difficult to scrape clues together. That's another reason I'm taking you to the dump site; you may notice things that I overlooked. You knew Solo better than anyone, and could tell me what he might have been doing in that area, or who else might have had reason to go there. I need your help."
"You've got it," Duo assured him. "I just don't see why I have to be kept in the dark."
Heero sifted through all the reasons--legality, impartiality, guilt or innocence--and finally settled on the right thing to say. "Duo--I've seen the Smoky Hills rumor mill in action. I can't afford to tell anyone anything about the case until and unless I have a very good lead. If it's any consolation, Ralph will know even less than you do about it."
Duo chuckled at the conciliatory tone. "Ralph knows less than I do about almost anything," he quipped. Then, recalling all he'd thought about in the shower the night before, Duo gathered up his courage. "Hey, Heero--if you wanna come a little early to pick me up, I'll make you some lunch. It'd give us more time--to talk about Solo, I mean."
"That sounds great," Heero answered, unable to keep the grin out of his voice.
"Yeah," Duo agreed. "So, c'mon over whenever you can."
"I'll be on my way as soon as I take Thor and Balder out for a short walk."
"Great."
It was only after he hung up the phone that Duo looked around and realized he had company coming over--company he sort of wanted to impress--and the place was a mess.
"Shit!"
~*~
Duo spent the next hour frantically tidying things up. Not that it was as bad as his panicked mind had decided it was--but there was laundry piled on one corner of the kitchen table, and the last thing he wanted was for Heero to see his underwear lying around. And the lawn mower engine he'd taken apart for repair needed to be moved from the coffee table in the living room.
The multiple little tasks that kept cropping up had Duo busy right up until he heard a knock on the door, and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Coming!"
He nervously smoothed the front of his tee shirt, and glanced at a mirror to make sure his hair wasn't all frazzled and that he didn't have a piece of breakfast stuck in his teeth, and then he went to open the door.
Heero looked as somber and serious as ever--right up until he smiled. It was almost as warm a smile as the one Duo remembered from the night he'd brought Thor home.
"Hey." He opened the door wider and gestured for Heero to come in. "Hope you like chicken. I've got leftovers from dinner I was gonna make sandwiches out of."
"That sounds delicious," Heero assured him, walking in and glancing around at the tidy kitchen. "This is a nice house. Do you and Quatre own it together?"
"We rent," Duo said with a shrug, pulling the chicken out of the refrigerator and laying it on the counter. He had a moment of déjà vu, picturing Heero having gone through the same motions to make his sandwich the night before, and couldn't help smiling as he grabbed the bread. "I don't think I'd want to own anything in Smoky Hills," he added as an afterthought.
"Why not?"
"I don't like it here," Duo said flatly. "Spent most of my life trying to figure out how to get away from the small-minded, judgmental old fogies in this place."
"Why not just leave?"
Duo sighed, turning a troubled look on Heero. "Lots of reasons--money being at the top of the list. I've saved up a little, but not enough for a fresh start somewhere else."
Heero smiled slightly, and gave a small shake of his head. "You don't need as much as you think. When I settled in Sanc, all I had was a job lined up, a security deposit and first month's rent on an apartment, and a couple of hundred in pocket money to tide me over until my first paycheck."
"Yeah?" Duo asked, genuinely interested.
"Yeah." Heero walked up beside him and started helping lay out the bread for sandwiches while Duo sliced chicken.
"I s'pose you need some education, though, to get a job that'd support you in Sanc," Duo mused.
"It helps." Heero glanced aside at him. "You never went to college?"
"Naw--back in the day, I was never that big on school, and there wasn't really any money for college, so I got the job at the post office and took a few correspondence courses--some on-line stuff." Duo shrugged nonchalantly, slicing off another piece of chicken and laying it across the bread. "Figured if I ever got the money together to go somewhere and try to get a job, I could at least show I'd been studying something. Want mayonnaise or mustard?"
"Mustard. And do you have any lettuce?"
"Sure. Quat's a bit of a health nut--keeps lettuce in the lower left drawer in the fridge." Duo was suddenly very glad Quatre had cleaned the refrigerator just a few weeks earlier, as Heero went over and snagged a few leaves.
"What did you take courses in?" asked the Japanese man, as he rinsed the lettuce and passed it to Duo to add to their sandwiches.
Duo smiled to himself, enjoying the feeling of teamwork, as he placed the greens over the chicken. "Mostly basic stuff--Math an' English, so I could pass any entrance exams a college required. An' some Forestry."
"Forestry?" Heero gave the other man a startled look.
Duo had paused, realizing he had more lettuce than he needed. "What? Didn't figure me for a tree-hugger?" He teased, shoving the extra leaf into his mouth and chewing.
"No," Heero admitted. "I don't know why; but I'd have expected you to be into Liberal Arts, rather than the sciences."
"Hm--like your friend Mister Chang?" Duo commented. "He's the science wiz, right?"
"He's a forensic anthropologist."
"That's what I said," came the smirking reply. "A science wiz." The indigo eyes fixed a steady, searching look on Heero. "When you said you worked with him, you meant on cases like this?"
Heero shook his head. "Nothing like this," he said firmly. "The cases we investigated were more--timely."
Duo grimaced. "Meaning the corpses were fresher?"
"Much."
"Head of the Homicide Department--" Duo mused. "You must've worked hard to get there."
"I did," Heero said tightly, not liking the direction the conversation was taking.
Duo missed the change in tone, as he finished putting the sandwiches together, sliced each one diagonally, and set them on plates. "Here ya go," he said brightly, passing one to Heero. "What'll you have to drink? We've got iced tea like you an' Trowa, or milk, beer, soda--"
"Tea's fine." Heero carried his plate to the table, while Duo brought drinks, putting tea in front of Heero's place and soda at his own.
The braided man also grabbed a bag of chips off the shelf. "Y'want chips, pickles, or fruit for a side dish? We've got grapes and apples."
"Grapes sound good."
Duo brought a bowl from the refrigerator. "You are a health nut, aren't you?" he guessed.
Heero cocked an eyebrow. "What? Just because I run, and eat decent food?" he asked with teasing sarcasm.
"Don't have to be a detective to figure it out," Duo noted, dropping into the seat across from him. "Hey--" he commented, popping open his soda. "You said you were on leave before. They let you take that much time off just to take care of Trowa after his surgery? Talk about job perks--"
"Actually, there was a bit more to it," Heero admitted, wishing they hadn't stumbled back onto the touchy subject.
Duo cocked his head, looking expectantly at his guest as he nibbled on the edge of his sandwich. But when Heero didn't elaborate, he frowned slightly. "Define 'more,'" he urged.
"I intended it to be a permanent leave of absence.
Duo's eyes widened. "Why?"
Heero suddenly scowled, his natural defenses falling firmly into place. "That's none of your business," he said sharply.
Duo blinked, feeling as if he'd been verbally slapped, and wondering how he'd spoiled the moment. He focused on his sandwich for a moment, to the exclusion of all else, but dared a quick, searching glance across the table and caught a glimpse of the turbulence in those deep blue eyes.
Obviously Heero's leave of absence was a sore subject, and he'd blundered right into it.
However, while he might have been perceptive enough to dodge a conversational bullet now that he was aware of it, he was at a complete loss when it came to restarting the stalled discussion. And it didn't look like Heero was going to be any help on that score; he was staring fixedly into his drink.
"I'm sorry," Duo blurted, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. Then he recalled getting a similar reaction from Heero in the car the previous evening. What had they been talking about?
Oh--right! Heero's past. And here he'd gone and dredged it up again--only this time he'd actually pried a little bit.
While Duo was pondering all that, Heero was trying to formulate an answer to Duo's question--or at least a response to it. But he could hardly come right out and say he'd been put on medical leave for stress after killing a child in a shootout with a serial killer. And meanwhile, the mental image of a sandy-colored dog and a little girl made it so hard to breathe, he couldn't come up with any words.
"This was a bad idea," he finally managed, starting to stand up as if to leave.
"No! Wait a sec!" Duo pleaded, standing and facing him across the table. "I really want to see where Solo was buried--"
"Not that," Heero said with a sigh. "This." He indicated the table and their half-eaten lunches. "I said yesterday that I should keep things professional, and I was right."
Duo reached out and caught Heero's wrist when he started to turn away. "Wait!" he said quickly. "First off, we haven't done anything unprofessional," he pointed out. "Everyone's gotta eat. And I'm just returning the favor you did feeding me yesterday. There's nothing wrong with that."
He loosened his grip as the Japanese man turned back to face him and looked directly at him. "Secondly, you still have questions to ask me." He used the most apologetic expression he had. "I didn't mean to pry. I was just making conversation while we ate. But I seem to keep asking all the wrong questions."
Heero sighed, finally sinking back down into his seat. "There are things I just can't talk about," he said flatly. "And if that bothers you, I may as well just--" Give up.
"Stop!" Duo said sternly. "It's okay. I don't need your life history. It's just that you know an awful lot of my personal shit, and I wanted some equal time is all. But obviously your leave of absence isn't something with good memories for you. So, we won't bring it up right now, okay?" He looked searchingly at the other man. "Can't we just skip to something a little less--serious?"
Heero nodded, realizing his hand was shaking when he reached for his drink again. He picked it up anyway, taking a sip to swallow the lump in his throat.
Okay--Duo figured he could work with that, hoping if he continued the conversation it would give Heero a chance to shake off the mood that had seized him when he was asked the troubling question. "How 'bout what caused Trowa's knee injury that brought you to this godforsaken town?" he ventured. "Is that a safe topic?"
Heero finally managed a wry smile. "Very," he admitted. He launched into the story of how Trowa had been injured in a fall at the circus and needed reconstructive work on his knee, and managed to keep it entertaining enough to last until they'd finished their meal and cleaned up the dishes.
Then, as he wiped his hands off on a dish towel, he gave Duo a long, slightly worried look. "Ready to go see the burial site?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Duo admitted, running a hand back through his bangs and forcing a smile. "Let's get it over with, shall we?"
TBC...
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