Category: Angst, AU

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4

Rating: R (?)

Disclaimer: Standard. You know them all by now so I won't bore you with a repeat.

Notes: This takes place in a world of my own making, where things can and are twisted into strange things. So what doesn't seem possible is. There are M/M relationships in this fic (I'm very much a 1x2/3x4 fan.) so if boys being together (and I do mean together) bothers you don't read.

Twisted Fates Part Fifteen
By SilverLady

Duo was just pulling the pan of roasted meat from the oven when he heard footsteps approaching. At first he thought it might be Trowa returning, but after a moment realized the sound wasn't right. These footsteps were slow and careful.

"Supper should be done soon," he commented, not turning around.

Silence met his comment.

After a moment he turned. "What's wrong?" He knew there was someone in the room with him. He could hear the person breathing.

"You never lie, but you are good at twisting the truth." Heero's voice was low and harsh.

Duo stiffened. "What do you want?"

Heero moved slowly and carefully around the counter. "You said there was no women."

"There wasn't."

"But you didn't mention that there was no men."

Duo blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"How much money did you stash away from you 'job'? Obviously plenty."

Duo turned back to the counter and proceeded to lift the meat onto a serving platter. "You came all the way down here, on a leg you are supposed to stay off of, to continue a conversation that was going no where."

"I found out about your little secret."

"What secret?"

"About you and your son. That there was no woman to bear him. That you did it."

Duo closed his eyes. "Yes I did."

Heero suddenly moved up behind Duo, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. "And I bet you have no idea who the father was, do you?" he snarled.

Duo was shocked. Heero still didn't get it. "I don't believe you. You're still a hardheaded bastard, aren't you? You haven't listened to one thing I've said. Though that shouldn't surprise me. You never did."

Duo straightened himself up and looked right at where he hoped Heero's face was. "There was never anyone else. I didn't even go to the taverns anymore after we became lovers."

"Then who the hell is your son's father!?" Heero shouted as he grabbed Duo's shoulders and shook him.

"You! You are Ken's father you stupid bastard," Duo shouted back. Jerking back, he pulled himself from Heero's grip and moved away. Gripping the edge of the counter he lowered his head.

Heero glared at him. "That's impossible," he said coldly.

Duo didn't lift his head. "You are Ken's father. It probably happened that last night."

"No." Heero interrupted. "I am not that boy's father. I can't be."

Duo slowly rocked back and forth. He couldn't believe Heero still refused to believe him. "Why not?" he whispered.

"I can't father children."

"And who said that?"

"My wife never got pregnant. Not in all the time we were married. They said it was me not her. And when she died she was pregnant with her lover's child. You do the math."

Duo slowly shook his head. "Then they lied or didn't know what they were talking about. You are Ken's father. I'm told all you have to do is look and the resemblance is very apparent."

Heero stared at Duo, the meaning of his words slowly sinking in. He was a father. He had a five-year-old son he had known nothing about. All those years of mourning what couldn't be, wasted. "You took my son away from me."

Duo heard the hurt and anger in Heero's low voice. "You didn't give me any other choice."

"You kept my son from me," Heero's voice grew louder and harsher.

Duo spun around. "My son," he snapped. "He is my son. I carried him for nine months. I gave birth to him. I took care of him and raised him. Me. Not you. Ken is my son."

Heero grabbed the counter behind him, his knuckles turning white. "You walked out and took my child with you."

"I was going to tell you. When I found out what was happening to me my first thought was to tell you. But then I realized it wouldn't change a thing. It would only make things worse. How the hell was I supposed to explain to my child when Daddy had to leave? And why he didn't spend very much time with us? I wasn't going to put my child through that kind of a life.

"Here he's happy. He doesn't have to wonder if he's loved, because he knows he is. He's growing up with a home and a good life, something I lost. I won't let my son think he is unwanted."

Heero could feel his anger mounting once again. "You denied me any chance of knowing him. You thought of yourself and nothing of me."

Duo glared. "I think you've got that backwards. My actions were for Ken, not me and certainly not you."

"You fucking bastard."

Duo suddenly spun away. He wanted no more of this conversation and now seemed like a good time to leave. But in his hurry, he miscalculated where he was and crashed into the small table.

Heero was stunned when Duo turned around and proceeded to walk into the table. Before he could move though, Trowa came into the kitchen. "I thought..."

If he was surprised to find Heero in the kitchen, he didn't show it. "Are you alright?"

Duo nodded. "I'm fine. You can let Wufei now that supper is nearly ready. Is Quatre joining us?"

"I think so." Trowa frowned. The tension was so thick in here you could cut it with a knife. "You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I just forgot where the table was."

Trowa glanced over at Heero for a minute. "All right. I'll get the others."

"Good."

Heero waited for Trowa to leave. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You," Duo snapped.

"I never knew you to be so klutzy."

"I'm not. I didn't realize I was standing so damn close to the table."

Heero frowned. "Why not? It's right there. Any dummy can see that."

Duo's anger boiled over. "I can't see you stupid ass! I can't see the damn table or you or my son or anything else! So I walked into the damn thing!" Duo spun around and slammed his fist into the table. "You want the whole sob story. I am a twenty one year old man with a five-year-old son and another baby on the way. I'm blind and I'm trying my damn best to make a decent life for my family and myself. And to top everything off, the one man I loved more than anything waltzes back into my life and calls me a liar and a bastard and a whore." Duo sank slowly into the chair, grateful there was one actually there. "So as you can tell, I've been having a really fucking great day."

"What about the father?" Heero's voice was flat.

"That's another one of those great cosmic jokes. I have no idea who the father is. You have your choice of eight men."

"Eight?"

Duo slowly nodded. "At least I think that was how many there was. I'm not sure. I quit counting after the fifth one." He slowly turned his head. "You tend to do that when you feel like your body is being ripped apart." He gave a small laugh, but there was no humor in it. "The first time in almost six years that I have sex and it's a gang rape that leaves me pregnant. Ironic, ain't it?"

Heero said nothing as he stared at Duo. He didn't know what to say. Duo had just taken all his convictions and shredded them into little pieces. All his self-righteous anger drained away as he looked at the bowed head of the man he had once sworn to love forever. Had he really been such a cold bastard, to chase away the one ray of light in his life? To make him feel that even the announcement of the impending birth of their child would not change things. What twist of fate had brought back into this man's life? And why, instead of getting down on his knees and thanking the gods for giving him this second chance, had he dared to consider himself the injured party? Now it seemed as if he had ruined any chance he might have had.

Duo finally stood back up. Resting his hand on his stomach he glanced over to where he guessed Heero was. "So like I said before. I'll stay out of your way until you go home." Turning, he moved slowly from the room, his shoulders slumped as if he carried a great weight on them.

Heero watched him go. "But I have no home," he whispered.