"Robot Lover"

Written By: Artemis

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. I make no money with this fic.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Romance, Angst, Humor

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 13x6, 5xR

Note: My initial inspiration for this story came from the live drama series "Zettai Kareshi" (Absolute Boyfriend) based on the manga by Yuu Watase.

Summary: Heero Yuy risks his job for a chance at love when Duo Maxwell orders an Ideal Lover robot from his company.

First place winner in the 2010 Moments of Rapture long fic category!

"Robot Lover"

Level Eight

Heero opened his eyes to a beige room and the sound of steady beeping. He was still groggy, but was aware of tubes and wires, and once he realized he was in a hospital room other things slowly came back to him. Duo had been kneeling in front of him, panic-stricken. Sirens had echoed around them. Chaos, and then fear had gripped him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

He turned his head expecting to find Duo at his side. Instead, Trowa was slumped and asleep in the bedside chair.

"Where's Duo?" His throat was dry and sore, but his voice was clear enough to wake his friend.

Trowa sat up. "You're awake."

"Duo?"

"He's not here."

"He was hurt…"

"Nothing serious. You needed surgery and I stayed behind."

"Behind?" He didn't understand, but maybe it was the effects of the drugs. "There was blood…"

"You were stabbed, but no organs were damaged. The doctor said you'll make a full recovery."

"No, Duo was upset about the blood." He remembered it now. "He must've realized…"

Trowa leaned forward and placed a hand on Heero's forearm. "He still thought you were a robot and tried to convince the doctor to let me fix you."

That relaxed him a little, but then why wasn't Duo here? "Did he go home?"

"Yes, with Quatre."

Trowa was hiding something. He could feel it.

"He has to know," Heero said. "Robots don't have surgery at hospitals."

Trowa's brow creased. "He insisted you were a robot to the point that the doctor thought he had a head injury."

"The doctor?"

"Yes, he told Duo that you're not a robot."

Heero closed his eyes, and the heart monitor's beeps quickened. "No."

"I'm sorry."

He looked at Trowa to see the truth in his eyes. "What did you say to him?"

Trowa sagged back in the chair. "He asked if you were human. What could I say after the doctor told him?"

"But you went after him. You told him that I love him, right?"

"I'm sorry, Heero," Trowa said, shaking his head. "There was no talking to him."

Heero sat up and his head spun, but he didn't care. He had to get to Duo. He had to explain and tell him how his life was nothing without him.

Trowa was at his side, pushing him back to the bed. "You'll open the wound."

"Damn it! I have to get out of here." He shoved his friend aside, and the motion pulled the oxygen tubes from his nose, and an IV from his arm.

Trowa pushed the call button and a nurse responded over the speaker. "Yes, may I help you?"

"Nurse… Heero's pulled out the IV. He's agitated and trying to get up…"

Heero struck him again, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. There was a sharp pain in his side, and he was disoriented, but he had to keep moving. Duo must hate me. He must think I'm one of those low lifes that used him in the past.

A nurse rushed in and with Trowa pushed Heero back down onto the bed. "Everything's all right," she said, calmly but firmly. "You need to lie back or you'll injure yourself."

"I demand to be discharged!"

"Heero, you just had surgery twelve hours ago," Trowa said. "You're not healed."

"It doesn't matter… nothing matters without Duo."

A second nurse arrived, and the attending nurse said Heero was a risk to himself. There was a prick in his arm and heaviness overcame him. He struggled, but his body was so heavy. He felt the heartbreak spreading from his chest through his entire body and then darkness engulfed him.

~ ~ ~

Quatre's penthouse was a comfortable safe haven for Duo, but he knew he couldn't remain here long. Eventually, he would have to go back to his apartment and face the painful task of removing the memories, but right now he was content to sit paging through magazines.

It was late morning and several hours since they had received the fax from the hospital. Duo had hesitated to read the confidential patient information, but he wanted to know more about the real Heero Yuy, or whoever he was. It turned out that was his actual name, but the shocker was that he worked for AR Industries.

Duo hadn't met Heero during his one visit to the company's headquarters. That left him with a big question mark as to how and why he had chosen to pose as Duo's robot lover. Knowing that Heero worked for Treize clarified the conversation at the art festival and Heero's reaction. He'd blown a fuse all right, but not because of malfunctioning neurotransmitters, but because he had nearly gotten caught in his game.

Duo paused in turning the pages of the men's fashion magazine. What made a person go to those lengths to pretend to be a robot? Was it a turn-on for him? Had he done it before? That possibility hurt Duo the most. Had there been others that Heero had pretended to love?

"Did they fall in love with you, too?" he asked aloud.

Just then, he heard Quatre's footsteps coming from the other room. They had both taken the day off, but Quatre was in his fierce, CEO mode. Once they'd discovered where Heero worked, Quatre had suggested that Duo sue AR Industries. Duo agreed that he had a strong case for breach of contract, but he wanted to focus on the issue of Heero first. Either way, a lawsuit and possibly a criminal charge were imminent.

"Would you like anything?" Quatre asked. He was treating Duo like an invalid, but Duo appreciated the attentiveness.

"Not right now, but thanks."

Ring, ring. Ring, ring.

Quatre spun on his heel to look in the direction of the front door. "That's the lobby phone. Must be the concierge."

"Expecting a delivery?"

"Could be… I'll be back in a sec." Quatre scooted away, walking quickly across his parquet floors and sliding a little in his slippers.

Duo listened, not to be nosey, but because he was bored. He was tired of this hurt and sadness, and wanted to do something about it. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to hide at Quatre's.

"I don't want to see you…" Quatre's voice was suddenly loud and agitated. "And Duo certainly doesn't want to."

Duo shot up from his chair, the magazine falling to the floor. "Is it Heero?" He raced towards the door, and halfway there realized his heart was pounding. He stopped just feet from Quatre, and was tempted to grab the phone from his hand. "Tell Heero he's got a lot of nerve coming here."

Quatre shook his head and mouthed, "It's Trowa."

Duo's heart sank. It wasn't Heero? But of course, he was still at the hospital. He felt the pain well up inside him again like someone was pounding a stake into his heart. Everything had been ripped away from him, and he was only hanging onto sanity thanks to his best friend.

"Just hang up," Duo said.

Quatre held up his hand, signaling Duo to wait. "I don't think he wants to hear that right now," he said into the receiver.

"Hear what?" Duo's heart was beating fast again, fluttering wildly. He pressed his hand against his chest, unfamiliar with this feeling. Was he having some kind of an attack?

Quatre saw the change in him and pointed to a chair. "All right, all right. Five minutes, but that's all." He hung up and rushed to Duo's side. "What's wrong?"

"My heart… It's beating like crazy."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

Quatre kissed his forehead. "It's stress. Just take slow deep breaths." He returned to the phone and called the concierge, informing him to let their visitor come upstairs.

"What does Trowa want?"

"To explain." Quatre shook his head. "It's against my better judgment…"

"But you love him."

Quatre sighed.

"I'm sorry I've been so focused on my own problems that I haven't asked how you're doing."

"It's okay, Duo. What you're going through no one should experience."

Duo had certainly never felt this way after any of his other failed relationships. Those could be described as mishaps and blunders, this… Well, Heero had left him reeling in disbelief and shock. His brain still couldn't wrap itself around the truth of Heero's humanity, and the depth of his deception.

They barely had time to regroup when the penthouse's doorbell rang. The sound made Duo's gut tighten in knots.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Duo asked.

Quatre gave a nonchalant wave. "Don't worry about me." He stepped to the door, but waited until Duo nodded before opening it.

Duo was standing in the living room, thirty feet away, as a precaution. He wasn't sure of himself just now. How would he react to seeing Heero's accomplice?

When Trowa stepped into the entryway, his appearance was decidedly cautious and a little disheveled. He was dressed in the same clothes as the previous evening and it looked as though he hadn't slept at all.

Quatre ushered him in, a bit coldly. For his part, Trowa seemed to recognize that he was walking into the lion's den. He nodded as he came to stand about fifteen feet from Duo. Quatre gave his ex a wide berth, circling around him to sit in a chair at the far end of the living room. His posture was rigid and his lips tightly closed.

"I came to apologize," Trowa said.

Duo gave a "tsk" of disapproval.

"I'm sorry that I've hurt you. Quatre, you especially."

Quatre sighed heavily. "You've been caught in your con game."

Were they foolish for letting Trowa in? If they'd learned anything last night it was that Trowa Barton and Heero Yuy could not be trusted.

"Maybe you should go," Duo said, belatedly.

"Not before I explain how this got out of hand."

"You mean your little prank went too far?" Duo asked.

Trowa shook his head. "It wasn't a prank. Heero had fallen in love with you the moment he saw you."

Duo looked to Quatre with his mouth agape in disbelief. He turned back to Trowa and glared. "Is that how you do things at AR Industries? If your buddy sees someone he likes you put him in the crate and ship him instead of the robot?"

Trowa took a breath, seeming to try to calm himself in the face of animosity. "I'm sure you've imagined all sorts of things since you discovered that Heero's not a robot, and if he wasn't lying in a hospital bed, he'd be here to explain it himself."

"Oh, he's got some explaining to do and he'll be doing it to the police!"

"You're pressing charges?"

"You bet your ass I am!" Duo hadn't made that decision yet, but with Trowa trying to pass this off as some misunderstanding, Duo's rage flared. "And you might want to start shopping around for another job, because when I sue AR Industries for breach of contract you're gonna be toast."

"I don't blame you," Trowa said, quietly. "By all means you should prosecute to the full extent of the law, but before you do, please hear me out."

Duo flinched. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. This anger felt good and he wanted to take it further like right into Heero's face.

"Go on," Quatre said, sounding oddly sympathetic.

Duo practically got whiplash he turned so fast to verify that Quatre had actually said that. "You kidding?"

"I'd like to know, wouldn't you?"

Duo very nearly said "no," but he relented and sat himself down on the couch. "By all means, enlighten us," he said sarcastically to their visitor.

Trowa remained standing. "When Heero woke this morning after surgery, I told him what happened… that you had learned the truth."

"You mean that he's a man and not a robot?" Duo sneered.

"Yes. He became agitated to the point of trying to leave the hospital to find you. It took two nurses, myself and a sedative to subdue him."

It sounded like Heero had gone a little crazy, but then the ruse was up. "He's obviously afraid of what I'll do to him."

"He's afraid, because he loves you and thinks you won't want to see him again."

Duo barked a laugh, even as his chest tightened, but for some reason he let Trowa talk. The tall brunet stood facing them like a man pleading for his life. He explained how he had learned what Heero had done—their conversation on the elevator, the argument over ethics, the consequences, and at last why Trowa had decided to help his friend.

"I could see that you were in love," Trowa said. "I didn't want to be the one to break that up."

Duo gritted his teeth as his emotions spiked inside him. Why did he have to say that? "And now we know it couldn't have been love." His voice cracked at the end, but he held Trowa's gaze intensely.

"I can see my words have had no effect, probably because you do think I'm a con man." He turned to go, took several steps, stopped, and turned back to them. "I wouldn't have come here, except that Heero was so desperate for you to know that he loves you."

"Get out," Duo said, standing. His fists were clenched at his sides as he barely contained his anger. One more word from Trowa and he swore he'd beat the living daylights out of him.

Trowa nodded passively and turned for the door. Quatre followed at a distance and paused when Trowa grabbed the door handle, but hesitated to leave. His shoulders slumped a little before he looked back at them one last time. "You're right, of course, to feel this way, but have you even stopped to think that Heero saved your life last night?"

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Duo shouted, taking off at a run towards him. Trowa opened the door and was gone before Duo got across the room. He would've pursued him down the hall, but Quatre blocked his passage.

"Don't," Quatre said, holding Duo by the shoulders.

"We can't let them get away with that!"

"Duo…" Quatre pushed back until Duo relented. "I don't want you fighting."

Duo snorted. "Think I might hurt your boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend," Quatre said with a frown.

"Geez…." Duo put his arms around his friend in a hug. "That was stupid of me."

Quatre welcomed the hug. "We're a pair, aren't we? Neither of us is lucky in love."

The comment got Duo to thinking that he had lost his last chance for love. The Ideal Lover Program had been his best hope, and it had burned brightly for a short time like a shooting star, and now was as dead and black as the remains of a meteorite.

They went into the living room and sat down.

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Why a guy like that would come up here."

Quatre nodded, but said nothing.

"You think they had that conversation on the elevator?"

Quatre shrugged.

"That Trowa was going to tell me the robots had been switched, but he saw the way we looked at each other and couldn't do it?" Duo snorted in a meager attempt at laughter. Trowa's visit had troubled him, but maybe that was the point, to throw him a curve ball and make him second guess things. "You're awfully quiet."

Quatre gave a wan smile. "Something's bothered me all along… I didn't know what to make of it until last night."

"What is it, Q?"

"You know sometimes I pick up on people's emotions?"

"Yeah, even when we were kids you talked about that."

"When I pay attention to that gift, it's useful, but in this case I dismissed it."

Duo cocked his head.

"There were some strong emotions coming from Heero."

Duo blinked. "When?"

Quatre shook his head and was beginning to look upset.

"Don't wig out on me now, buddy. I'm looking for the truth."

"All I can tell you is that he felt very strongly about you."

"Like he hated me?"

Quatre shook his head emphatically. "It was a strong, positive feeling. I thought I was imagining it, since he was a robot. Well, we were both wrong about that, but that's why I didn't tell you."

Duo blew out a long breath that ruffled his bangs. "Damn. I think I need a nap."

"I'm sorry, Duo. I should've told you."

"No, don't be. I think we need a break from all this…."

Duo got up from the couch and went into the guest room, closing the door softly behind him. He stared at the bed with its pretty coral and sea foam quilt. He was getting to hate that bed. He went over to the lounge chair and sat down with his legs draped across an arm. He tilted his head until it rested on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

He didn't know what to make of the new information. Trowa had pleaded his case, but it could have been lies. For all Duo knew, Trowa and Heero had concocted the elevator story that morning. Trowa, tell Duo I did it for love or he'll put me in jail. Yeah, Duo knew how criminal types worked. It was all about them with no regard for other people's rights and feelings. But then, how was it that Quatre had sensed "strong, positive feelings" from Heero?

"Damn," Duo said, tapping his head lightly with his fist. "I may never know the truth."

The next day, Duo dressed in his Armani suit, which Quatre had sent out for dry cleaning and pressing. Quatre took him down to the police station to make a full statement about the attack. Frank Nick was still in jail, and Duo wanted him to stay there. The detective working on the case said that Nick had confessed to going home to grab a kitchen knife after confronting Duo outside his office. That gave Duo chills. He was trying to help the guy and he'd turned on him. It was the first client that had snapped on him, but not the first time he'd been bitten. That was the story of his life, though he thought he had started a new chapter with Heero. He might've laughed if it wasn't so damn pathetic.

Afterward, Quatre dropped Duo at his law office, and acted like a mother sending her kid off to his first day of school.

"I'll be fine, Q. Call me later if you need to check on me." Duo gave a wave as he closed the passenger door.

He was slightly relieved to have this break. He needed to think about something else, and while he and Quatre were together that was nearly impossible. Unfortunately, his staff jumped him the moment he walked into the reception area. The whole neighborhood was abuzz about the attack, which had taken place only a few blocks away.

"Are you okay?" Hilde asked. The others stood around her, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled up his shirt sleeve to show them the bandaging. "Just needed some stitches."

"What about Heero?"

Duo gulped. "Uh, he'll be fine. He needed surgery…"

"Surgery? You must be a wreck!"

"Yeah," Duo said, tentatively. "But it'll be fine."

Hilde's eyes narrowed perceptively.

"Weren't you scared for your life?" the receptionist asked.

"Well, it happened quickly. I think I was more in shock than anything." Boy, was that an understatement.

"When will Heero be released from the hospital?" Hilde asked.

Duo scratched his head and squinted like he was trying to remember. "Any day now. Well, I better check my messages." He scooted down the hall before they could corner him with more questions.

He stepped into his office and immediately took comfort in the familiar space. He spent the majority of his life in this room, come to think of it. It was his home away from home. Maybe he should spend more time here? By the looks of his desk with all the case files and mail, he could easily keep occupied well into the night. It was Friday, his catch-up day, and it certainly looked like he needed to do that.

He settled into his leather executive chair and had just begun to sort through the mail when Hilde appeared in the doorway. She leaned against the doorjamb with her arms crossed over her chest, looking very serious in her purple pantsuit.

"Spill it."

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Something's wrong. Is Heero really going to be okay?"

Duo sighed heavily, and waved her into his office. "Close the door, okay?"

She nodded conspiratorially and did as he asked, and then took up her perch on the corner of his desk. "So what's going on?"

"Look, as far as I know, Heero is going to be fine."

"As far as you know?"

"We kind of… broke up."

"What?!" She leapt off the desk. "Who breaks up with someone who's on their death bed?"

"He's not on his death bed, and it's a long story."

"And you're not going to tell me?"

"Maybe later."

Hilde gave a pout. "How can you do this to me? I won't get to see Heero again?"

"Oh, God." Duo flopped back in his chair. "Is that all you can think about? Maybe the guy was a jerk. How about that?"

"No," she said, stomping her foot. "There's no way he was one of those jerks you're so fond of dating. Heero was the real deal."

Duo did not want to hear this right now. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I've been witness to the parade of losers you drag in off the street. This guy had class, and only had eyes for you."

Duo shot up from his chair and pointed at the door. "Either you leave now or I'll toss you out of here by the seat of your pants."

Her eyes bugged out in complete shock. "Duo!"

"Please, Hil… I really need you to leave."

He could see that she was completely blindsided by his insistence, but she acquiesced. Later, much later, he'd tell her something, but right now he needed to gain some traction in his life.

~ ~ ~

When Heero had woken from the sedative, he had found himself restrained to the bed by soft wrist cuffs. He had shouted out in fear and anger, but his agitation and resistance only made the hospital's staff more concerned for his condition, and the chance that he would pull out the tubing again. He overheard the word, "altered," and wondered if he had truly transformed into a beast. Or maybe he was deranged. He had been playing at being a robot for weeks now.

Oh, Duo… How could he put things right with his beautiful Duo if he was trapped like this? He had to calm himself or a padded room would be next.

To their credit, the staff was professional and courteous. It wasn't until early Friday evening, just before Trowa arrived for a visit, that the restraints and tubing were removed. He was still on a cardiac monitor, but at least those leads were just stuck on his chest with stickers and not inserted somewhere.

Trowa eased his tall frame into the vinyl covered chair next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I need to get out of here."

Trowa frowned. "What did the doctor say?"

"That I'm very lucky no organs were nicked. The stomach is not a good place to be stabbed."

"Like you had a choice?" Trowa chuckled.

"Yeah." Heero sighed. "There's no sign of infection. They're moving me to another floor, probably in the morning."

"Not going home yet?"

"Not for a couple of days… maybe Duo will have calmed down by then."

"Maybe."

Heero gave his friend a long look. "Do you know something?"

Trowa took a deep breath. "When I left here yesterday, I went to Quatre's."

"Was Duo there?"

"Yep. I wanted to apologize, and relay your message. I explained as much as I could."

Heero closed his eyes. "You don't have to tell me what he said. I can hear it in your voice."

"If you give him time—"

"He'll slip away." Heero's stomach tightened. "Duo's very passionate and he's been burned one too many times. The longer he festers on this, the less chance I have of getting him back."

"He was talking about a lawsuit and criminal charges."

Heero shook his head. "I'm surprised a deputy sheriff hasn't shown up to arrest me."

"I can try talking to him again."

"No," Heero said, emphatically. "It has to be me." He felt helpless lying in this bed; even with the restraints gone, he wasn't sure he had the strength to stand on his own two feet. Time was ticking. It had been nearly 48 hours since he last saw Duo. He hasn't come to see me…Is it already too late? "Can you help me get up?"

"Should you be doing that?"

"I need to pee."

"Then we should call a nurse."

"Just help me, okay?"

Trowa sighed and put his arms around Heero's waist and eased him to his feet. Heero's legs weren't as wobbly as he thought they'd be. That first time he'd tried to get out of bed after surgery, he'd nearly blacked out from a combination of pain, drugs and blood loss.

The leads on the cardiac monitor were long enough that he was able to get inside the bathroom without pulling them off. By the time he relieved himself and washed his hands, he felt more comfortable, though tired. He looked to his friend, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I need you to get me out of here."

Trowa looked at him like he thought Heero had flushed his marbles down the toilet. "You're still in ICU. I'll take you home when the doctor clears you."

"No, I mean now."

"I know what you meant," Trowa said, impatiently.

"They've removed the tubing and that damn urine bag… I'm nearly ready to go home now."

"Then the doctor will release you in a couple of days, so why not let them look after you awhile longer? You've been through a huge trauma."

"I can't do that." For starters, Heero wanted out of the hospital gown. He walked over to the dresser and found his clothes neatly folded in the top drawer, but as he pulled them out he frowned in consternation. "Where's my shirt and jacket?"

"Those were goners the minute they brought you into the ER. Cut them right off you."

Heero stared at Trowa in disbelief. "They cut an Armani jacket?"

"To shreds." Trowa chuckled. "At least you still have your pants."

Okay, so he had briefs, jeans and shoes. He thought he only needed Trowa as a driver, but now it looked like he'd need some of his clothes, too. He managed to wriggle into his briefs and jeans, and slip on his shoes without Trowa so much as lifting a finger. Maybe he wanted Heero to pass out and solve the problem for him. Well, he hadn't counted on Heero's determination. Yes, the stabbing had been serious, but the surgery was a success and by all accounts he was steadily on the mend.

"I'm gonna need your jacket," Heero said.

Trowa glanced at his suit jacket and then back at his friend. "You think they're just going to let you walk out of here?"

"No, that's why you're going to run interference."

Trowa rolled his eyes and got up from the bed. "What about that thing?" He pointed to the cords that ran from Heero's chest to the monitor.

Heero sighed and walked over to the cardiac monitor, searched for the power switch and turned it off.

"You can't do that!"

"I just did."

"You are serious about this." Trowa shook his head as though he understood they were way past debating this issue. He handed over his jacket and then walked to the door and looked both ways down the hall. "Make sure you don't collapse," he said as he headed into the corridor.

Heero followed a few steps behind, steeling himself for the moment when a nurse would notice him out of his room, but quickly realized this was a very busy place. The nurses were attending to other patients, or on the phone discussing treatments, and two were standing inside what looked like a break room, eating cake.

He and Trowa waltzed past them without a question or a glance. Once they were in the elevator, Heero leaned against the wall. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

"I have to see him." Heero swallowed hard against a jolt of pain in his side. Maybe this was stupid, and this exertion would hurt him, but he had to see Duo at any cost.

Downstairs, he opted to wait for Trowa at the hospital's entrance. He played it off as a necessary precaution, but he honestly didn't want to re-open the wound and be stuck in this place for another week.

"Where to?" Trowa asked, once Heero was settled in the passenger seat. "Should we try Quatre's?"

"Drive by Duo's office first."

"His office?" Trowa gave a snort as they pulled away. "It's nearly eight o'clock on a Friday night!"

"He's a workaholic… there's a good chance he'll be there."

Trowa nodded and that was the last they communicated until they turned onto the block where the law office was located. Sure enough, Duo's black Audi was parked in the lot at the side of the building with a half dozen other cars.

"He could've left his car here from the other night," Trowa said. He parked his Range Rover several spaces from Duo's car to give them a good view of the front and side doors.

The three-story office building looked closed for the night. The reception area with its large windows facing the street was dark and still. Duo owned the building, and his law office was on the first floor, while he leased the other floors to an insurance firm and a realtor. He was very self-reliant, and Heero had a feeling that Duo would immerse himself in work. Maybe he was sitting at his office desk this very minute drafting a case against Heero.

Trowa turned off the car's engine. "Gonna wait him out?"

"That's one possibility." Heero wasn't sure how long he could impose on Trowa's patience. He stared at the front door willing Duo to come out, and then decided maybe he should have a look around. He was about to exit the car when Trowa smacked him in the leg with his hand.

"What is it?" Heero asked.

Trowa lifted his chin toward the side of the building. "See for yourself."

Heero's breath caught as he saw Duo coming out from the side door. He was wearing the Armani suit from the other night. Hadn't he gone home yet?

"Good luck," Trowa said.

Heero nodded, but he wasn't ready for this. He thought he'd have a few more minutes to compose himself before facing Duo. This was a different reality, one in which he was no longer in control. He'd never faced Duo as one man to another.

He stepped out of the car slowly, not because of Duo, but because of the damn staples in his gut. When he moved everything pulled and it felt like something might tear open. When he closed the car's door, Duo looked over at the sound and their eyes met. For a fraction of a second, Heero thought that Duo might be pleased to see him. Then the flames of rage appeared in his eyes.

Duo stalked towards his car while fishing the keys out of his pants pocket. "What the hell do you want?"

Heero reached the Audi about the same time as Duo, and stood by the front of the car. He didn't know what to say. Why was he so unprepared? "Give me a chance to explain."

"Your conspirator already has. Now beat it before I call the cops."

The hiss in Duo's words nearly toppled Heero with its ferocity. "Duo, nothing's changed. I love you as much as before."

Duo's mouth dropped open, and then snapped shut as his jaw clenched. "You expect me to believe that shit?"

"I know you're angry—"

"Oh, you haven't even begun to see how angry I am." Each word was enunciated and filled with such venom that Heero thought for a moment his angel had been possessed by Satan. Duo took his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. "You have three seconds to get out of here. One…"

"We can talk this through…"

"Two."

"Don't do this, Duo…"

"Three." Duo pressed three numbers and Heero knew they were 9-1-1 for emergency. "Yes, I need the police…"

Heero stepped back. As much as it hurt emotionally to take that step, he needed to find another way. Duo was deaf and blind to him now.

"Okay," Heero said as he retreated.

He turned and headed back to his friend's car and heard Duo's car door slam; the engine ignited furiously with Duo gunning the acceleration. He looked back just as Duo's car raced from the parking lot and onto the street. A wave of nausea overcame him, and Heero leaned back against the Range Rover to steady himself. In the next instant, Trowa was at his side with a hand at his elbow.

"I'm taking you back to the hospital."

Heero didn't care to argue. The agony on Duo's face made him want to drift into oblivion. "Make sure they sedate me when we get there."

 

Chapter 9

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