Disclaimer: We own nothin'
Pairings/Warnings: 2x3, mentioned 1x2, 4xR (other's may feature), m/m sex, angst, some fluff/sap, major character deaths prior to story… may add more to this as we go
A/N: A while ago Clara and I discussed working together collaboratively on some fics and we planned on starting an epic 1x2x3… but this little idea ended up demanding to be written so this is our first joint fic! Trowa will be written by me and Duo will be written by Clara. We're going to try and update weekly but as both of us have so many fics we're working on and RL we'll see how we go. Anyway, enjoy! – Miss M
Marking It Down to Learning
Chapter One
As the yellow cab wound its way through the busy mid-morning Chicago streets, Trowa idly looked out of the window at the looming skyscrapers and thought about all the other times he'd met Duo Maxwell.
The first time had been the engagement party. Quatre and Relena's. Quatre Raberba Winner had been Trowa's best friend through college, a fellow Economics student and they had ended up roommates by serendipity. At first things had been rocky as Trowa had stupidly tried to kiss the cute blond guy, assuming his overly handsy-ness was a sign of sexual interest but soon Trowa learnt Quatre was straight and they resolved the one time awkward encounter. They always joked about it. Or they had.
Quatre had come from a world of privilege compared to Trowa's scholarship but that never mattered. As despite the fact Quatre was wealthy – wealthy beyond Trowa's wildest dreams he never flaunted it, never was flashy and their friendship was one that led him into encounters with Duo Maxwell.
Of course, Quatre was going to marry some debutant, some society girl, some politician's daughter and that daughter was Relena Darlian. And she came with a best friend – a best friend who ran promotion for clubs, who wore tight suits and even tighter shirts with buttons undone.
Trowa had met Duo at that engagement party and rolled his eyes in disgust as he'd brought his plus one – a guy with tanned skin and blue eyes who he'd proceeded to make out with most of the night and then slinked off with only to return ten minutes later looking considerably more dishevelled. A few of Quatre's sisters had teased him – teased Trowa about being more "out" than he was, more like Duo Maxwell but while Trowa was quite happy for anyone to know he sucked dick, he didn't go around making it obvious.
The second time he met Duo had been the wedding – the wedding of the damn century and Trowa had been thrust into it. Quatre had taken over his family business in the aftermath of his father's death and the whole "young billionaire" and the "society girl" wedding was all over the news for weeks. He'd been best man, having to deliver a speech, one that was without humour as the only funny stories he could think of regarding him and Quatre were their own embarrassing kiss and the time when Quatre walked in when he was banging some dude. It wasn't appropriate. So instead, he told one story about Quatre being locked out of a hotel room in his boxer briefs and left it at that.
Duo upstaged him. Always was. As Duo had an important role, one that had put them in every picture together, made them sit at the same table during the meal. As Quatre had a lot of sisters. Trowa barely remembered half of them and due to that Relena had been given a tricky choice regarding bridesmaids and the maid of honour. Instead of making the difficult choice of which of Quatre's sisters should be included in the bridal party and which shouldn't, Relena opted for choosing Duo as her "maid of honour" or "man of honour" or whatever he wanted to call himself.
So instead of upsetting any bridesmaids, Relena unconventionally picked her best friend. Who had then delivered some stories that had made Relena blush after Trowa's own best man speech and made all the guests laugh. Including Trowa. Even though he'd decided he didn't like him.
Trowa remembered a lot about the wedding, the way Quatre looked so in love when Relena walked down the aisle, the smell of the lilies, the taste of expensive wine and the dancing into the night. But most of all he still remembered how Duo had come alone, no plus one this time, and how they'd ended up jerking each other off in a coat closet, kissing, rutting together, coming together and returning to the wedding after cleaning up. And after that, Trowa had only seen him one more time. A time when any mention of "hey, remember when you jerked me off?" was entirely inappropriate.
At the Christening of Olivia Katharine Darlian-Winner. When they were both called, when they were both announced as godparents three weeks after her birth, both of them pledging to care for this small bundle of white lace and silk alongside Iria, Quatre's sister and VP of his company.
And after, at the party at the palatial Winner home, Trowa had held Olivia, clutching her in his arms, feeling her tiny fingers wrap around his little finger, feeling her scant precious weight and cooing soothingly to her. Until Duo had demanded to have a hold of his "godkid" calling her "Liv" already which irked Trowa and he'd been forced to spend most of the rest of the party talking to Quatre, reminiscing about how their old lives were truly over now one of them had a child.
"Are you happy?" Quatre had asked Trowa.
As Trowa didn't have someone – he had his job teaching Economics and his students but he didn't have someone. And he would – one day, but right now he was happy in his own way.
"Yeah… you?"
"The happiest a guy could be," Quatre had answered with the enthusiasm and delirium of someone who had not slept enough.
"Fatherhood suits you."
Fatherhood did. Or it had. And Trowa stopped thinking about those final conversations he'd had with his best friend as he already felt emotional and raw having only stepped off a plane a few hours ago.
Trowa had received two calls that made his stomach sink within the last twenty-four hours. The first was his sister telling him to turn on the news. He was at a conference on economic stability in the Middle East in the mid-west and he'd turned on the television in his chain hotel room to see the news running across the bottom of the screen.
QUATRE RABERA WINNER AND RELENA DARLIAN WINNER CONFIRMED DEAD.
He didn't quite remember anything else after that, knew he'd ended up curled up on the floor at the end of his hotel bed, listening to the reports about the plane crash, about them being dead. The only reassuring part, if it was scant, was that Olivia had been with Iria. She wasn't dead.
The second call he'd received was summons from a lawyer demanding his presence at a will reading at Khushrenada and Partners. When he'd asked why and who was attending he'd been informed it would be himself and Duo Maxwell and that had puzzled him further. But he'd had no time to think. Only booked his flight, boarded his plane and travelled back to the city, as he was now, in the back of a cab.
When the cab pulled up, Trowa felt a dead weight in his stomach and he over-tipped the driver as he hadn't spoken a word since the airport. Which was just what Trowa needed. He didn't have it in him for conversation, tired, grief-stricken, running on coffee and sugary donuts.
Grabbing his carry-on bag, not having time to get home, he walked into the lobby to find the office he needed. The building was large and impressive, glass and chrome and marble and Trowa tried not to be awed by it. He was a simple college professor. And this was the world of the ivory castle. Quatre's world. Quatre's lawyer.
He went to the reception, confirmed his name as Dr. Barton and then was directed towards the elevator, pushing the button to the thirteenth floor and exiting there, walking along a corridor to find a waiting area and a desk of what must've been Khushrenada's secretary. When he arrived at the waiting area he saw him.
Duo Maxwell.
He was sat, hunched over, his head in his hands and Trowa could see the exhaustion and grief in his posture as he approached. He saw the braid, that distinctive hair, fall down to the floor, he saw some grey and black t-shirt, some scruffy jeans and he guessed like him, Duo didn't care how he looked. Not now.
"You look like hell," Trowa said and Duo looked up then, getting to his feet with the smallest of smiles.
Looking at his face, he saw stubble and red rimmed eyes and Trowa didn't think of anything of it when they met for a hug. Maybe he would've before… but when he had Duo in his arms, he just let his overnight back fall to the floor and hugged back as Duo knew what this felt like.
"I can't believe they're gone," Duo said into Trowa's shirt.
Neither could Trowa. It had been only a few weeks since the Christening and they'd been happy. A family. So damn perfect and now…
"I mean, think about Liv, Tro'."
That's what Trowa had been thinking about. Olivia. Not growing up with a mother who doted on her. Not growing up with the father who would've treated her like a Princess and Trowa swallowed something in his throat. She'd looked like them too – well as much as a three week year old could when they were still crinkly from being born, still a little squished – but her eyes were so blue and her skin was fair and her hair was blond. She was theirs so completely that it was hard to imagine her without them.
"I know."
With that, the two men parted and Duo looked away, taking a moment to rub at his eyes for some reason. A reason Trowa understood.
"You know what this is about?" Duo asked.
Trowa shrugged. "Just told me I was needed for this hearing of the Will. I expected some family."
"Me too."
It seemed they both as in the dark, not sure why they were here and instead of taking a seat, Trowa stuffed his hands in the pocket of his dark trousers and paced the small waiting area, ignoring the obnoxious "modern" art and the "lifestyle" magazines on the table.
After what seemed like an eternity, the clip clop of heels was heard and a woman with a severe bun and glasses approached.
"Mr. Khushrenada is ready for you now."
Duo got back to his feet as the woman walked off and he gave Trowa a light shoulder bump.
"Guess we see what this is about, right?"
"Yeah," Trowa answered.
Trowa wasn't sure why, why the two of them, why straight away after their deaths but Trowa didn't have time to speculate – he could only follow the woman and Duo, ready to hear what his best friend wanted of him after death.