Soul Mates – Chapter 9 Current day
Duo watched the parade of Europe's elite glide in and mingle about the Parisian auction house with distaste. "Look at them Wu, they're like well dressed vultures." He muttered under his breath.
It had been over a decade since his link with Wufei had broken but he had yet to break the habit of talking to the long dead man when he was alone. He supposed it was wishful thinking on his part that somewhere, someway the love of his life was still listening to him even though Duo couldn't hear him anymore. On some days it was the only thing keeping him alive. That and Wufei's damnable promise.
The weeks after Wufei's death were a complete blank to Duo. God could have come down from the heavens and divulged all the mysteries of the universe to him and he couldn't have repeated a single word because he was too trapped in his grief to properly function in the real world.
He knew it must have been bad because one day he just sort of woke up, and the first thing he saw when he came around Hilde was feeding him oatmeal like he was a baby and looking very worried. Even when he did become aware of his surroundings, he didn't act like a normal person. He only ate when someone forced him and he couldn't bring himself to say more than half a dozen words to anybody. At the time he didn't care. He didn't want to live. Every day was like living with a giant gaping hole in his soul.
When he turned sixteen and reached the age limit for the kids under Sister Helen's care, Howard offered him a room and allowed him to return to his job. On the day he moved in the old man sat him down and yelled at him that Wufei would never have wanted him to spend the rest of his days wasting away. For the first time in months Duo felt something more than emptiness. Pissed to the point where he was visibly shaking, he was about to yell back and tell Howard he didn't know what the hell he was talking about when he finally remembered his promise to Wufei to live his life. Instead of telling Howard to mind his own business burst into tears and bawled like a baby.
The next morning he woke up pulled his ratty long hair into a braid like Wufei always wore and promised that he would always wear it that way so he could never again forget his promise to his soul mate.
Even after that it still took many more months for him to even return to a shadow of his former self. He didn't want to keep his promise, there were times he was furious at Wu for forcing him to make it, but he would never let Wufei down.
The summer after he graduated, he kept another promise. He came to visit Quatre in Saudi Arabia and took Quatre's virginity. Technically, it was his first time having sex as well, but he didn't feel it was an issue since the one he really wanted to have sex with first would never be possible.
At some point Quatre might have sensed his feelings or perhaps he came to the conclusion that their chance had passed, because he didn't try to pursue a deeper relationship with him. After the couple of great weeks they spent together, the two of them parted as good friends that still emailed each other regularly.
The last he'd heard, Quatre was deliriously in love with a Japanese guy whose picture alone intimidated Duo. He couldn't help but grin when he recalled the picture he was taken aboard Quatre's yacht. The pair were leaning against the railing with their arms loosely about the other Quatre was beaming with happiness while the other guy, Heero Quatre called him was scowling at the camera as if to say 'He's mine, if you even think of coming near him I will kill you.'
After that, Duo decided to use the language skills that Wufei had left him with to work while traveling abroad. He'd travel to sites and cities he knew his friend would have loved to see commenting all the while to the non-existent companion that he'd wished was there with him.
"It looks like they're in full force this time." A familiar voice said to him in Italian.
"And then some." He agreed answering in Japanese before grinning at his companion. Trowa returned his grin "Do you know what all the excitement is about?" he asked the green eyed man while switching to Cantonese.
The constant shuffling of languages was a standing game between the two men. The game originally started as a way to talk without having any of the clients catch on to what they were saying. The difficulty and fun came from the both of them being weak in the other's specialty.
As expected, Duo skills ran more to Asian languages whereas Trowa was fluent in several European ones. The rule was the first one unable to keep up had to buy dinner afterward. In the beginning Duo lost out more than he stumped Trowa, but he was gradually catching up through hard work.
Grinning, Trowa answered back in German "Apparently the guy's family wasn't too happy about his 'life choices'."
Raising a brow he looked directly the man whose face was almost completely concealed by the heavy fall of hair. Switching to the very weak Spanish he'd been practicing he asked, "By life choices, you mean…" leaving it hanging open.
"Completely gay." Trowa said in very broken Japanese.
Duo surveyed the gathering of people that were beginning a feeding frenzy over the late Treize Kushrenada's belongings. "Is that why they were in such a hurry to sell off his estate?" He asked shifting languages again.
"Actually, this is only a fraction of his total worth. The rest he left to his lover." Duo watched Trowa scan the crowd. Although his face didn't betray his feelings, Duo could tell the man was just as unimpressed with the people gathered as he was.
"When he was younger his family disowned him so he went into business for himself. And what better way to get back at the family that disowned you than to make more money than them?" Trowa explained while still watching the large gathering of people hoping to cash in on the sudden death of a family member they didn't even like.
Switching topics and languages, Trowa turned towards him and asked. "Do you want to get a drink after work?"
Duo knew full well what the man was really asking. When some people asked to go out for drinks, they meant drinks. Anything else that happened would just be a bonus. If Trowa really wanted to go out, he would have asked him to dinner or coffee. Asking to go for drinks meant that Trowa would rather spend the night in someone else's bed.
That was another game he and Trowa played. Friends with benefits. Duo didn't kid himself, he liked Trowa a lot and the sex was good, but he didn't love him. He couldn't love him. It was only in his lonelier moments that he thought about trying to have a relationship with him. The problem with that –other than the fact he couldn't love him- was that Trowa seemed just as guarded and scarred as Duo when it came to love.
He never bothered prying into what happened before they met but he got a strong feeling it was bad. It would take a lot of time and effort to unwrap all of the protective layers around the man's heart. And Duo felt that anyone who tried to breach Trowa's heart should be prepared to love him like he deserved.
Still, that didn't mean he was against getting some tonight. "I think I'm up for that." He answered with a grin then gave an exaggerated sigh when he saw the Chinese business man who had hired him arrive. "Guess I better get to work."
Duo wandered through the items on display with only half interest trying to look busy. His client Mr. Ling had come to the auction because he'd heard of the late Mr. Kushrenada's extensive collection of antique weapons but left disgusted when he'd found that the few items from China were replicas and the originals had been left to Kushrenada's lover.
Now Duo was left trying to kill time while he waited for Trowa to go out for 'drinks'.
Bored, he passed a display case with swords almost dismissing it as being replicas when one of them caught his eye and he froze. Closing in on the case, his chest started to ache like he was stabbed and his breathing became uneven. He actually felt like he was having a heart attack.
Shaking, he leaned in to the point of almost plastering his nose against the glass. It can't be. He thought, taking a very long look at a dingy looking antique sword laying unobtrusively next to three other far more attractive swords.
Dingy and aged though it may be he knew the sword, knew it like the back of his hand. It was the Chang family sword. Wufei's sword. The same one he died with.
In a desperate panic, Duo eyed the sword like a parent whose child has just been found. If it weren't for the fact that security would throw him out on his ass and away from Wufei's sword, he would have embraced the display case. It was with extreme effort he forced his mind to focus. He couldn't help being excited though; the thought that he could touch some bit of Wufei even a molecule left from his sweat was making him giddy. How it ended up half way around the world in a Paris auction house Duo could never guess, but there was no way he was leaving without it.
Holding back the bubble of hysterical laughter that wanted to creep up his throat he spied the little card next to the sword and almost exchanged impending laughter for impending tears. What the hell did that mean 'Item Unavailable'? What the hell was it doing here if it wasn't for sale? Maybe it was already bid on and he'd missed it? What if he tried to buy it from the new owner?
Shit. He was going to have to dip into the money Quatre gave him for this. It was pride that wouldn't allow him touch the money his friend had given him because it felt too much like charity. Looking again at Wufei's sword his need to have some part of his love close to him kicked his pride's ass.
Hands still shaking, he waved frantically at the blond woman while struggling to remember her name Dorothy something. The dead guy's cousin if he remembered correctly.
"Yes?" she asked him politely in French but her accent sounded more German.
Trying to keep his voice steady, "Is there any way I can talk to whoever won this sword?" he asked pointing to the one he wanted.
When she saw which sword he was pointing to, she grimaced. It was a disturbing expression with those forked eyebrows. "I'm sorry there was an error when we were sorting through my cousin's things after he died. A few days before his accident, Treize had sold this sword to a friend of his. After he died my grandfather err, accidently shipped the wrong sword and this one was brought here."
Duo had caught the small pause before she'd said accident as well as the sour look and could tell she doubted it was accidental at all. Either the other sword was a replica that wouldn't sell for much, or the friend was of Treize's gay friends, maybe both.
"Well is there any way you could get me in contact with that person? I would really like to try and buy it from them." He asked trying to charm her with his best smile.
The woman smiled at him which was also disturbing. Those eyebrows really did nothing for her looks. "I doubt it; he was hounding Treize for years to buy that sword. However he is supposed to be here today to return the other sword and pick up his. I'll let him know you wish to speak with him."
For the next hour Duo never strayed more than a few steps away from Wufei's sword unwilling to let it out of his sight for even a minute. At one point Dorothy returned and told him she'd spoken to the new owner and advised him the man had no intention of selling the sword to him.
"Are you kidding me? It's just a sword! It can't possibly mean as much to him as it does to me." He ranted then realized that he probably wasn't making much sense to the woman. After all how could he explain the sentimental value of something that until recently belonged to her cousin?
"Look everybody's got to have a price right? Tell him I'll pay double whatever he paid for it."
Dorothy looked at him as if trying to measure his sanity at the moment but he chose to ignore it. He didn't care if he sounded desperate or crazy he had to have that sword. The woman nodded to him and disappeared into the crowd. Because he refused to leave the sword, he couldn't see who she was talking to so he waited anxiously for her return.
When she did reappear her expression was so closed that Duo couldn't tell if it was good news for him or not. Dorothy had almost made her way completely across the room when she was waylaid by a pretty blond woman.
Because he was so close he could easily hear their conversation He was doubly glad now that he'd been practicing French so hard. "Relena! Hello! You didn't have to come today. I could have handled things myself."
The two women clasped hands and exchanged air kisses. "I know you could have but Milliardo felt he needed to be here. So I came as moral support." The darker blond gave a watery smile.
"How is he?"
"Coping. You know how he is. He keeps his feelings concealed from everyone but I can tell how much he misses Treize. He's speaking to William right now who seems to need comforting more than my brother right now. What happened?"
"Grandfather sent him a replica instead of the one he purchased." Dorothy answered, her face betraying more of her belief that the oversight was not accidental at all. It seemed the other woman Relena agreed with her because she made an inelegant sound of disapproval at the back of her throat.
"He came by to pick it up today, but it seems this gentleman insists on trying to buy it now." Dorothy told her waving her arm in Duo's direction.
Duo regarded them openly. Not the least bit ashamed that he'd been listening to their conversation. "Is there a problem ladies?"
Both women leveled cool looks at him "I'm sorry Mr. … ah?" she paused realizing she'd yet to ask his name.
"Maxwell. Duo Maxwell. You were saying?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Maxwell he's just not interested in selling at any price." She answered, but she didn't look the least bit apologetic. Curious maybe, about why he was so insistent.
Frustrated with everyone's stubborn and uncooperative behavior, he asked "The guy's name wouldn't happen to be Chang would it?" Dorothy and Relena gave him an odd look, and shook their heads at the peculiar question.
For a moment he had a fleeting thought that maybe a descendant recognized it and was trying to reclaim their lost heirloom. But that was impossible. Wufei's line ended with Wufei.
Rubbing his face with his palm he scrambled around in his head to think of a way to get the sword short of stealing it. "Alright, I know you've already spoken to him and what he's said to you but is there any way I can talk to him directly? If I could only get a chance to explain to him what this sword is…"
"The sword would still not be for sale." A rather irritated voice interrupted him from behind speaking in English with a perfectly cultured British accent. Turning, Duo had the second heart attack of the day. Even bigger than the one he'd had when he'd seen Wufei's sword.
It was Wufei.