AN: A story drawn from my real life experiences. (except for the yaoi part) Yes, this will be a shounen ai/yaoi fic, but there's actually a *reason* for that. It's vital to the plot.

Important Warning: This story will involve religious concepts. Stuff about how gay relationships relate to religion. Don't like it, don't read.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and like it

To Find a Way


"Duo! Are you finished with your schoolwork?" Mrs. Maxwell called from the kitchen. The clanging of her pots and pans muffled her son's response. Not realizing it, she became angry. "Duo! You answer me when I asked you a question or you'll be grounded!"

"Grounded from what?" Duo asked himself in his room. "It's not like I have very much friends anyway, because your too busy signing me up for things I don't want to do." He grumbled he silently reminded himself that he'd have to do a couple more minutes of prayers tonight to make up for talking about his mother like that behind her back.

Duo rolled off his bed, straightening his shirt and undershirt and jogged into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry mom, I'll talk louder next time." Duo mumbled, "I said I finished my schoolwork." Mrs. Maxwell grumbled something incoherent, and continued her cooking. Duo fiddled nervously behind her, playing with the end of his long, chestnut braid, a sure sign that he was nervous.

"Hey mom, uh, I can go outside and hang with Quatre?" He asked. His mother frowned as she turned and glared at him with beady little blue eyes. Duo's mother wasn't exactly the picture of perfection. She almost never smiled, rarely laughed, and could scare off any girls that did so much as *look* in Duo's general direction. She was shorter than her son, a bit overweight, and had hair even longer than Duo's. It was dark gray and stringy, and she almost always had it pulled back into a loose ponytail or braid. Duo liked to wear his hair down, but his mother didn't let him. She said it was too feminine. Now Duo was just grateful his mother let him keep his hair so long.

"Why wasn't Quatre at church today?" Mrs. Maxwell asked, completely ignoring Duo's former question. Duo blinked, shifting nervously from foot to foot, hands shoved in his jeans pockets.

"I don't know, Mom. You know Quatre though, always having to watch his Sunday morning cartoons." Actually, that wasn't like Quatre at all. Quatre was the shy, sensitive type that never rotted his brain with cartoons or any TV for that matter. He was Christian, like Duo and his family, and was expected to go to church every Sunday except if he was ill. But lately, Quatre had been hanging out with the "wrong gang," as put by Duo's mother. He had befriended Trowa, a neighborhood kid from down the street. At eighteen, he was a couple years older than Duo and Quatre. Trowa was the strong, quiet type, tall, muscular, looked like he could take down a couple of kids Duo's size in a second. Trowa got into a lot of fights, often, and Duo's mother suspected that he done illegal drugs. So, of course, Duo wasn't aloud to go within ten feet of Trowa. However, Mrs. Maxwell didn't have that kind of control over Quatre.

"Be back by 6:30." Duo's mother finally said, and Duo grinned and headed to the front door. Shutting the screen door behind him, Duo jogged up the Winner's driveway next door and slammed the door knocker twice. A couple of seconds later the door opened half way and Quatre's face appeared, topped with his trademark blond hair. He smiled.

"Hey Duo." When Duo frowned at him his smile disappeared. "Uh...how was church?"

"You'd know if you were there. Where were you this morning? Did your dad go?" Duo questioned. Quatre and his dad lived alone in their little house. Quatre's mother had died giving birth to him. As close as they were, Duo and Quatre never talked about Quatre's mom. Duo was too afraid to bring it up and Quatre had no need to.

"I'm sorry Duo, but Trowa invited me to go to breakfast with him." He said quietly. Anger briefly flashed through Duo, but he dismissed it quickly. 'Remember to always forgive,' his mother's words repeated themselves in his mind.

"Your dad let you get in Trowa's car?" Duo asked. His mom would never let him get in a car with anyone unless they were a responsible adult. Trowa was technically an adult, but he was far from responsible.

"Well...actually...I.." Quatre's voice trailed off, and he started playing with his hands, a nervous gesture. Duo waited for him to continue. "I told my dad I was getting a ride to church with you this morning." He blurted out quickly. Duo blinked, staring unbelievingly at his friend.

"Hey! It's bad enough you lied to your dad about something like that, but why'd you have to drag *me* into it?" Duo said, exasperated. Quatre shrugged, giving Duo an apologetic look.

"It was the only excuse that fit." He muttered. Duo made a mental note to himself to include Quatre in his prayers tonight. He looked over his shoulder at Trowa's house. His parents hadn't kicked him out yet. But everyone in the neighborhood new they were going to.

"I just don't know about that guy, Q." Duo said sadly. He turned to look back at his friend, "Hanging with guys like that can change a person." Quatre frowned.

"Trowa is really nice guy. You're probably just jealous because you mom won't let you hang out with him." Duo winced.

"That's not true." He said evenly. Quatre just sighed, shaking his head. He stepped out onto the porch, looking around, trying to focus on anything they could talk about rather than Trowa. Duo could get very protective of him sometimes, and it wasn't that Quatre didn't appreciate his concern, it just bugged him how Duo thought he was in control of his life.

Suddenly, his eyes focussed on the house next-door. It had been abandoned for months now, after the couple with the four, big dogs moved out. He blinked, noticing the "For Sale" sign had been taken down.

"Someone must be moving in." Quatre spoke both boys' thoughts. Duo nodded.

"Guess so."

"Wanna go over to Wufei's?"

"Sure."