If you want the 1x2, you've come to the right place, if not, please go back to chapter 7, and reread the message in the middle. I will not be held responsible if someone reads the wrong coupling by accident. This whole thing is taking too long as it isJ.
Not that I really mind.
"Heero!" Duo jumped off the couch, rounding it before his brain had a chance to catch up to his mind. "You're back!" Whether it was surprise that allowed the braided man to lock his arms around the other, or an unwillingness to back away or react, it took Duo several seconds to realize that, yes indeed, he was hugging the blue-eyed young man as if his life depended on it. A second later, and the other had withdrawn, not only from his arms, but across the room, placing the scant furniture between them. "Sorry."
Heero shrugged, his face blank, his mask unaffected by the unexpected embrace. "What are you making?" His dark blue eyes held a strange guarded curiosity, as if the words themselves had slipped out before his mind had a chance to rethink the danger of saying them.
"I'm making curtains. The blinds are alright, but I'd like to have something more…homey...." His voice trailed off questioningly. "Of course, that's just me. I always like to be able to glare at something a little more than white blends when the sun gets me up in the morning." Five minutes ago, he would have sworn that the apartment was empty, and now he could almost feel it humming, as if a large presence had filled the room, bringing with it a certain amount of warmth that he hadn't realized had been missing.
Heero merely looked at him for a moment longer, and then looked around the apartment. "What happened?"
"Me, I guess. Some guy showed up last night, and demanded that I give him four hundred thousand dollars. Not a small sum of money. He made it sound like someone else's life depended on it, and I couldn't refuse. He's coming by tonight at six." Violet eyes flickered to a clock on the wall. "I'm sure he'll be prompt, so he should be here in about twenty minutes."
"Go back to what you were doing. Pretend that I'm not here." Heero moved stealthily to the bedroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Duo to stand in confusion in the living room.
"Great. Now I have two guests that I wasn't planning on twenty-four hours ago. I have a feeling that things could get ugly, real quick."
~~~~~_____~~~~~
"Hello and welcome back." Duo put the sewing aside for the second time that night and stood up. Violet eyes met green. "The money's on the counter. I'm pretty sure that you need it in a hurry." The gunman nodded, and turned toward the briefcase. A slender hand reached for the leather handle.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Two pairs of eyes, one surprised, the other bland, turned toward the doorway. Heero cocked his gun back, his face blank. "Take a step back and away." The intruder raised one red-brown eyebrow, but did as instructed.
"Heero, this is my nice friend…" He waited for the intruder to take up the slack. When he didn't, Duo sighed. "What's your name, handsome?" Green eyes flickered to his with surprise, while Heero rolled his. Inside, he felt his gut tighten a little, but passed it off to the way that the braided idiot was acting so carelessly.
"Keep your libido in check, Maxwell. This guy has a gun you definitely don't want to play with." That gave the braided man a pause. He frowned at the stranger, and then looked at Heero.
"Why, Heero, I didn't realize you were such a hentai." That earned him another eye roll and an exasperated sigh. Duo simply smiled at turned back to the other. "What's your name, stranger?"
"Nanashi."
"That's cool, but do you have a name that normal people call you?" Green eyes flickered to him with disgust. "Sorry if you like it, but a name is normally something that other people use to identify you. I can't really see walking up to Meiran or Quatre and telling them that I met this odd guy named 'Nanashi'. It's a little weird, even for my taste."
"Duo, shut up." Heero rubbed at his forehead with his freehand, the other holding the gun unwaveringly. "What's going on?"
"Well, our good friend Nanashi here had to borrow some serious cash. And you know me, when someone else is at stake, it tends to get me motivated. Of course, I really couldn't have done it without Quatre, but that just shows what a great guy he is. And then, of course, there's always…"
He heard a slight rustle of clothing, and then winced as a gun was cocked and pointed at his head. Green eyes stared at him, then looked to Heero. "Does he always talk this much?" Duo refrained from comment, violet eyes closing tiredly.
"Heero, he can take the money. There's more to stake than me losing some of it, and I really don't mind. If someone needs it this badly, they're welcome to it." He opened his eyes. "As for you." He turned to 'Nanashi'. "Take the cash and leave, but don't forget that you owe me one. I'll see you back here tomorrow at noon. If you can't make it, you know where to leave a message. Gentlemen, it's been a long day, and I'm going to bed. Let me know how things work out. Tomorrow."
He stressed the word as he walked between them to his room, blocking Heero's aim and leaving himself open for an attack by the stranger that never came. His door shut a few seconds later, leaving the gunmen with each other for targets. After a moment, Heero lowered his weapon, and moved to take a stance by the closed door. He sat down beside it and crossed his legs, glaring at the other until he took the briefcase and left, very obviously, by the front door.
Heero slumped backwards, reaching back to tuck the gun into the holster under his jacket. He had had a feeling that Duo Maxwell would attract trouble like honey attracted flies. Too bad he'd been right. He should have stayed away before, or, barring that, he shouldn't have returned this time. Coming back to Duo's territory could be very bad for his health. For some reason, the prospect hadn't moved him from his guarding position.
