Don't tell.
One.
"It's cold out here, man. It's still too damn early and I'm freezing. Who the hell decided that this was a good hour to patrol outside? It's winter for fucks' sake! I don't feel much for ending up like a popsicle, damnit. I swear, I can't even feel my fingers! Oh, and have I mentioned that it's too damned early to be outside in the middle of winter?"
A deep, exaggerated sigh came in answer before silence fell, only to be broken by the male's voice again.
"Hey, sigh all you want, buddy, but I'm still out here freezing my perfectly tight buns off while you're in bed all snuggly and - God knows what else - with Quatre. I have every right to call and bitch all about it, understood?"
"Understood," a sleep-laced voice responded, "and now that you are done with calling and... bitching, I declare this conversation to be over. Do not call me again, unless necessary or you will be answering to Quatre and his impatience when it comes to snuggling and 'God knows what else', understood, Duo?"
"Too much information, pal. Besides, we're partners, you can't just brush me off like some unimportant-"
"Goodbye, Duo."
"Hey! Don't interrupt a man when he's speaking! Damnit, Trowa, I thought Quatre would have hammered some manners into that big head of yours by now... Hello? Aw, hell, don't tell me you hung up on me. Trowa? Trrrowa!"
Glancing down at the display, Duo concluded that Trowa had, in fact, hung up on him. Great. So much for partnership and all the benefits. Not that he could actually stay mad at the guy. It was four o' clock in the morning, after all.
Shuddering slightly, Duo wrapped his coat tighter around himself and dug his frozen hands in his pockets as he kicked some of the snow on the floor around in sheer boredom. Duo hated being on patrol-duty. It wasn't interesting at all. Nothing ever happened and the insane hours he had to patrol in made it so that he couldn't even call anyone to distract him even in the slightest. They were all either sleeping or doing something with their family.
Family. Now that is exactly why Duo was the perfect guy for these kinds of duties. He had no family. Or, well, no real one. He kind of did consider his dog as a member of his very own, very unique, dysfunctional little family. Just him and Shi. Exactly like it has always been.
Sure, he did have partners and friends within the agency but that was far too work-related to actually count as anything different, no matter how much they would keep claiming otherwise. The truth was, he was perfectly happy with just Shi and himself. They were both easily happy and satisfied. It didn't take big actions or gestures like it would when concerning two human beings. Shi and Duo understood one another on a level that was beyond any other.
Making a mental note to remind himself to bring home some scraps for Shi after breakfast, Duo kicked against another pile of snow, shaking his boot to get rid of the snow that clung to it before he found another rather impressive pile that caused his leg to twitch into action. Boredom really did cause Duo to do some pretty childish things.
Though this time, instead of a pile of soft, powdery snow, his boot slammed against a more solid form. Frowning, Duo glanced down, immediately jumping back and reaching for his gun when the thing his boot had come in contact with appeared to be a human body. The lack of response after the kick Duo's boot had delivered as well as the almost blue complexion had the male reconsidering and reaching for his cellphone instead, dialling for an ambulance, security and finally his partner as he checked the body for a pulse. It was there, though very weak.
"If you're calling to tell me about how cold and early it is, don't bother, I already know."
Ignoring his partner's way of greeting, Duo crouched down next to the form, shrugging out of his coat and draping it over the unconscious form. "Trowa, quit trying to be funny and listen to me. I found someone on the premises. Male, mid-twenties, not really dressed for this kind of weather. He was covered with snow, so I'm guessing he's been lying here for a while. He's alive, though unresponsive."
Duo could hear the rustling of sheets and clothes as Trowa obviously got up and dressed himself. "I'll be there in fifteen. Don't let your guard down, Duo, it could be a trap."
"Psh, c'mon, what am I, some amateur?"
A huff was the only answer Duo got before the line went dead, causing him to scowl at the phone in his hand. "An 'ofcourse not, Duo' would have been nice," he muttered absent-mindedly as he slipped the object into his pocket, turning his full attention to the body in front of him again.
The guy looked like he had been in one hell of a fight, ugly bruises and cuts littering the most visible parts of his body and face, his mop of brown hair looking like it had been dragged through a sewage system multiple times. It smelled like it, too.
Pondering on what could have happened to the guy that had him ending up in a place like this wearing hardly anything and looking worse for wear, Duo couldn't help but jump when his cellphone rang. Digging the loud thing out of his pocket, Duo flipped it open and put the speaker to his ear, barely managing a "Duo Maxwell speaking" before he suddenly found himself face to face with a pale-looking guy with blue lips and wild eyes. Eyes that were open. Eyes that were open and glaring at him.
Immediately dropping the phone, Duo reached for his gun instead, not being able to keep the surprise off his face when not only the guy seemed to be awake and aware but he seemed to also be responsive and fast enough to actually duck forward and grab the gun before Duo could even blink.
"Wha-..."
Finding himself staring into the barrel of his own gun, Duo couldn't help but gulp nervously. So, this was how it was all going to end. Shot upclose by some punk he didn't even know the name of while on fucking patrol duty. Patrol duty. Ofcourse. There was no freaking other way for him to go out. No blazing guns. No heroic act... Fate was one cruel bastard.
"Don't tell."
Duo almost missed what the guy was saying, his mind so focused on the gun pointed at him that he hardly even noticed the guy's lips moving. Once he did realize, however, he couldn't help but frown. Okay, now that was unusual. What didn't he want Duo to tell?
As if reading the other's mind, the boy spoke again. "Don't tell anyone that you saw me."
Duo couldn't help but scoff. "Sorry, buddy, but it's a little late for that. Ambulance is already on its way and so is security. They should be here any minute now."
Just as Duo finished talking, the sound of sirens could be heard in the background, causing the brown-haired guy's eyes to widen to impossible levels, prussian blue eyes showing a hint of what Duo recognized as panic.
"Just put the gun down, okay? I don't know what kinda mess you got yourself into but we'll work it out. Just give me the gun and let the medics patch you up and then we can go inside where it's nice and warm and I'll make you some hot chocolate. Warm you right up. That sound good?"
The boy looked as if Duo had just uttered plain gibberish before he took a small step back, gun still pointed at its target.
"Don't... Don't follow me," the boy said then, taking another step back and surprising Duo when he suddenly turned around and bolted for the fence, climbing up and dissapearing over it with such ease Duo had to wonder if the kid really was a human being at all.
He frowned. But the kid was really injured! How the hell could he manage to escape with injuries like that?
Rubbing his hand over his face in frustration, Duo scowled at his empty holster.
Great. Now the kid was injured and armed. With his weapon!
He suddenly dreaded having to face his partner.