Author's note – One more chapter to go after this…

A Night to Remember – What Happened Next.

Chapter 6

For a long time Duo couldn't respond. Still smiling, Relena looked him up and down, taking in his ripped jeans, creased t-shirt and messy hair, half in, half out of its braid with apparent delight. Her expression of condescension was fully realised when he folded his arms across his chest revealing the extensive tattoo on his right arm.

"You look… well."

Self-consciously smoothing over his messy hair he tried to decide which of the million and one questions he should ask first, eventually settling for: "How did you get into my flat?"

Relena smiled sweetly. "I persuaded one of your neighbours to let me in at the main door and then, well… let's just say it's not just gundam pilots that are taught to pick locks. Just in case I get kidnapped don't you know," she finished, sounding mighty pleased with herself as she showed him her tool of the trade.

"You do realise that's breaking and entering," he replied coolly, walking past her and going into the kitchen. She stood quickly and followed after him.

"So try and get me arrested. Who in their right mind would think the queen of Sanque would be breaking into someone's home?" She wrinkled her nose distastefully at the dirty dishes and used teabags on the counter. "Let's face it; a burglar would deserve a medal for finding anything worth stealing in here."

Duo glared at her as he grabbed a mug and succeeded in toppling a stack of pans which clattered loudly on the metal draining board. He switched on the kettle and stood staring out of the window as he restacked the pans, wishing she'd just go away and wondering again how she'd found them. "Well excuse me, but I don't recall inviting you in so why don't you do me a favour and piss off?"

"I think you know why I'm here."

Duo stopped what he was doing and turned to face her, his hand on his hips. He tried to gauge her expression and concluded that obviously she knew what was going on. "Maybe I don't. Isn't this just a social call? I thought you perhaps wanted to say thanks again to me for saving your butt during the wars."

"Don't be facetious, Duo."

"By 'facetious' you of course mean devilishly handsome?"

Relena glowered at him darkly, hating the way he could still infuriate her completely.

"You won't win, Duo," she said after a moment's silence. "He's mine and he always will be."

Something strange was going on, Duo decided. How had she found them and why was she not surprised to see him?

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly. He wasn't going to be the one to break the news of his and Heero's relationship, if it was news. His suspicions were confirmed when she laughed.

"You think I don't know about you two?" she drawled condescendingly. "Oh God, Duo, don't be so naïve!" She closed the distance between them, her mouth curled into a devilish smile. "I knew about you two long ago. Why did you think I turned up at Heero's college? You didn't think that was a coincidence, did you? You had what I wanted and I wasn't about to let you win. You've always gotten in my way, Duo Maxwell, always but I always seem to win in the end, don't I? Even when Heero started to look for you I managed to use my power and influence to keep him away from you." Her expression was angry as she studied his handsome face, trying to understand why Heero would choose him over her and all she had to offer. He was about to reply when the squeak of the hinge on his bedroom door told him that Heero was up. Relena heard it too and they both left the kitchen together.

"Duo, I…." Heero started to say, his arm still pressed to his stomach as if the wound would burst open and his entrails would fall out if he didn't. When he saw Relena, his previously sleepy half-lidded eyes went wide.

"Relena, you're…"

"Here? Yes, I know," she replied, studying his drawn features and shuffling gait. The Machiavellian twinkle in her eye, reserved entirely for Duo and other people she felt were beneath her, suddenly disappeared and she rushed forward and embraced the Japanese man gently.

"Oh darling, what happened to you?"

"It doesn't matter," Heero replied, meeting Duo's eyes as he gazed over the top of her head. "Relena, we need to talk."

She pulled away and the innocence of her expression made Duo want to retch. "If this is about Duo coming to the wedding then I really don't mind…"

"It's not," Heero said quickly, "Because there isn't going to be a wedding. I'm sorry, Relena, but I just can't go through with it."

Her eyes, those wide pools of blue, suddenly filled with moisture. Crocodile tears, Duo thought darkly.

"I… I don't understand, Heero. Everyone has last minute nerves…"

"No," he said, shaking his head firmly. "This has nothing to do with nerves. This is about me being true to myself and stopping living a lie."

Relena stepped back from him and turned to face Duo, her expression suddenly angry. "Is this about him?" she said, pointing at the man in question. "Has he told you not to do it? He never liked me Heero; he never thought I was good enough for his best friend."

Duo rolled his eyes, almost wanting to laugh at this innocent act she was putting on. Heero however clearly believed it.

"Relena, I think we should sit down. I need to explain a few things."

The young woman stood frozen for a moment before she petulantly went and sat back down on the couch. She looked first and Heero, then at Duo.

"Don't you think you should leave?" she snapped. "Give us some privacy?"

Heero responded first. "Duo stays."

"Fine," Relena huffed and folded her arms across her chest defensively.

Clearly in pain, Heero edged over to the armchair and lowered himself into it gingerly. He sighed, wondering how he could minimise his fiancée's pain with how he phrased what he was about to say. In the end, he decided to start at the beginning; hoping that Relena would see that this wasn't just a spur of the moment decision.

"At the end of the Mariemaia incident, when the gundams were destroyed, I had no idea what I was going to do with myself. I thought being your bodyguard would fill that void but it didn't and as you know I took off, searching for a new life. The guys were worried about me and Duo insisted that I come and stay with him for a while, until I got myself sorted out. As you know, I eventually started at college."

Relena nodded, remembering her delight at being close to Heero again.

"What you didn't know," Heero said, glancing across at the American, "Was that me and Duo were more than friends."

Relena did a superior job of looking stunned. "Wha… what do you mean? Lovers?"

Heero gestured in the affirmative. "I'm ashamed that I was too embarrassed to admit it at the time. I loved Duo and he loved me but I believed other people's opinions when they said two men being together was wrong." He stopped suddenly and cast Relena an angry glance. "I don't recall you saying any different either."

For a moment Duo thought Relena was about to argue back but her expression changed to one that indicated she was verging on tears. "Well I guess we're both guilty of letting peer pressure get to us then, aren't we? Do you know how hard it was to fit in when people know who you are? At least you had anonymity. I'm not against homosexuality, Heero, but I agreed with them because the majority of my friends were. I'm sorry."

She looked so genuinely contrite that Heero felt bad about snapping at her. Duo however wasn't fooled, but he sensed it was wise to stay out of it for now. Not that keeping his silence was easy for the young man who had always made a point of saying what he thought.

"Well anyway," Heero continued. "I pushed Duo away because I thought we were doing something wrong. He left and moved away, making sure that I couldn't find him and I deserved that, I know. But last night, I found him purely by chance and… well it's made me realise that I haven't been true to myself for a long time now." He looked up from his hands and forced himself to meet Relena's wide eyes. "I'm so sorry, Relena, but I can't live a lie anymore. I love Duo and… I want to be with him."

Relena immediately turned to glare at Duo, who was managing to retain a neutral expression despite his feelings of triumph towards a woman to whom he owed nothing.

"You," she said viciously. "What have you done to him? You've warped his mind and made him sick, like you! Why can't you bear to see him happy?"

So much for tolerance, Duo thought, unable to stay quiet any longer. "Oh, give it a rest, Relena, and stop acting all surprised. You're not fooling anyone so why don't you piss off back to Sanque where you belong?"

"Duo!" Heero said, shocked. "Try and be a bit compassionate. This can't be easy for her."

"Heero, wake up for Christ's sake! She knew exactly what was going on. She's playing you for a fool."

Relena stood quickly, as if she was about to square up for a fight. Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. "You say he loves you and this is how he speaks to you, Heero! Have you lost your mind?"

Duo opened his mouth to shout something back before he glimpsed Heero's deathly pale face and reined in his anger.

"Look," he said calmly, "this isn't the time for yelling at each other. Heero needs to rest."

"He should be in hospital but I suppose it was your idea to bring him here."

Duo rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in frustration, knowing it was pointless trying to reason with her. "I think you should go."

"Fine," she snapped, jabbing her finger in Duo's direction. "But I'll be back. And then I want a decision." Heero was about to speak, tell her it was unnecessary because the decision was already made, when she continued. "Heero comes home with me and forgets about this ridiculous affair… or the anonymity of the five pilots will no longer be upheld."

She waited to check they understood what she was saying but the message was loud and clear.

"Oh, wonderful," Duo growled, violet eyes flashing with anger. "Blackmail! That's really original, Relena."

Relena stepped closer to him and gave a sly smile that Heero couldn't see. "I take it by 'original' you of course mean stunningly beautiful?"

"Out." Duo said calmly, pointing at the door.

Relena ignored him and moved to stand in front of Heero. "Please, darling," she said, crouching down to bring them eye to eye. "I don't want to have to do this but I don't want to lose you, Heero. I'll give you time to think but I'll be back tomorrow and I want an answer. I won't be made to look a fool."

She looked so hurt that Heero nodded numbly. Seeing his agreement, she stood and walked towards the door, shooting Duo an angry glare as she passed. When she'd gone, Duo crossed the room and knelt in front of Heero.

"Come on," he said smiling gently at his lover to try and ease the unbearable tension in the room, "You should get back to bed now the Wicked Witch of the East's gone." He reached out to touch Heero's cheek but the Japanese man pulled away.

"Don't…."

"Heero…?"

"She doesn't deserve this, Duo."

Duo felt his heart sink, certain that he was about to be hurt again. "Are you saying you've changed your mind?"

"No!" Heero said fiercely, shocked that Duo would think that after the promises he'd made him mere hours earlier. "I love you, Duo, but I don't want to hurt her."

Duo looked down at his hands for a moment and sighed, knowing it was pointless getting angry. "She's going to blackmail us, Heero, or did you miss that part of the conversation?"

"She won't…"

Duo raised one chestnut eyebrow, clearly not so sure. "She looked pretty serious."

Heero did a slow blink. He wasn't in any fit state to making life changing decisions so Duo didn't push the issue any further.

"Come on, bed."

The Japanese man didn't argue as Duo helped him to his feet. Once he was back in bed with a further dose of painkillers he seemed to come to slightly, watching Duo as he moved around the room putting away clothes, his features etched in a permanent frown.

"Talk to me, Duo," he said softly.

The American put down the pair of jeans he was holding and sat down on the floor near the top of the bed.

"What d'you want me to say? You heard Relena, Heero. She said 'the five pilots'; she's bringing the others into it."

"Because she knows what they've got to lose," Heero replied quietly. "Quatre and Trowa would undoubtedly lose business. Even those that supported the gundams would be unnerved to find out that they'd been deceived for so long about the Winner name."

"What about Wufei? At least the Preventers know his history."

Heero sighed deeply, wishing it were so straightforward. "Wufei's a field agent. If his identity's public knowledge then his role is compromised. Relena knows what damage it will cause us them. She's using our friendship as a bargaining chip."

Duo dropped his head into his hands, a muffled curse emerging from between his fingers. "We can't do it to them, Heero. This isn't their problem."

"I know, but…"

"But nothing," Duo said flatly. "You'll have to go home with her."

Heero looked horrified at the suggestion. "I… I can't, Duo. I want to be with you."

"We'll work something out," Duo replied, pushing his braid over his shoulder and standing quickly. "Maybe after a few months of marriage, Relena will choose to let you go when she sees your heart isn't in it."

"But…"

"Just get some rest, Heero. Like I said, we'll work something out."

Duo left the bedroom and wandered through into the living room. He went to the window, half expecting Relena to still be there but the street was empty, aside from a man sitting on the wall opposite the property Duo lived in. When he saw the twitch of the blinds, the man casually folded up the newspaper he was reading and sauntered away. Duo frowned and stepped away from the window. His thoughts then turned to work and he picked up the phone and dialled his friend's number.

"Greg?" he said as it was answered. "It's Duo."

"Oh hey," Greg replied, anxious that Duo might be mad at him for giving out his address. "How's things?"

"They're okay but I've got a bit of sore throat so I won't be in work tonight."

"Really? Your voice sounds fine to me."

Duo sighed. "Yeah well, that was a lousy excuse. Cover for me okay?"

"Sure. So did he find you then?"

"Who?"

"The Japanese guy."

"Oh yeah…. Yeah he did."

"Are you mad with me?"

"No. Honestly I'm not. But I've got stuff I need to work out so will you tell the boss I'm sick?"

Greg said that he would and they ended the call. Several hours passed with Duo pacing the flat in something of a stupor. The couch made a 'whoosh' sound as he eventually flopped onto it and he made a similar sighing noise, as he tried to straighten out the events of the last twenty four hours in his mind. Heero, then the guys, then Relena; it was as if his past had finally caught up with him and wasn't prepared to let him go. He was half expecting Howard and the Sweepers to walk through the door at any moment so when the doorbell rang, Duo jumped at the coincidence and although he wouldn't have minded seeing his old war buddies again, he was slightly relieved to find the three pilots stood on his landing when he opened the door.

"Hey," Wufei said in greeting as the three trouped through into the flat. "I got Yuy some clothes."

"Great," Duo replied glumly.

"Duo, what's wrong?" Quatre asked, seeing the other's downcast expression.

"We've had a visitor."

"Who?" the three said almost simultaneously.

"Relena."

Their expressions ranged from shock to worry as Duo closed the door behind them.

"I knew it was strange that she stopped calling," Wufei growled, his dark eyebrows knitted together.

"What did she say?" Trowa asked. "Did she see Heero?"

Duo nodded but didn't answer until he had stuck his head around the bedroom door to check that Heero was sleeping.

"She was her usual bitchy self," Duo said, making no attempt to hold back his bitterness. "She pretended she had no idea about Heero and me and that I was just trying to put Heero off marrying her because I didn't like her."

Quatre frowned. "But I thought she didn't know about you and Heero?"

"Didn't we all? But she just told me as much. How she'd followed Heero to college with the intention of getting him away from me and how she'd stopped Heero from tracking me down after I left."

"By Allah, Duo," Quatre exclaimed. "What did Heero say about that?"

Duo let out a short bark of humourless laughter. "Oh, she wasn't stupid enough to say all that in front of Heero. That was for my ears only. Heero told her about us and I'll admit it, her reaction was very convincing. If I hadn't known different, then I'd have thought she'd only just found out about us too. He was more worried about hurting her."

"So then what?" Wufei asked, knowing that the question of what happened next was still unanswered. The hesitancy of the response told them Duo was battling with his 'never tell a lie' policy and they waited patiently, knowing that despite his reluctance, he would tell them anyway.

"She gave us an ultimatum," he said eventually.

"Which was?" Wufei asked ominously, glancing at the other two pilots.

Duo sighed. "Heero goes home with her and forgets any of this ever happened or… she'll tell the world who the gundam pilots were."

"What?"

"She wouldn't…."

"Oh, Allah…"

Duo nodded, wishing it wasn't true. "Heero's told me what that would mean to each of you so we've decided to agree to her demands." He smiled sadly. "We'll try to keep in touch and Heero will do his best to try and push her away so that she lets him go eventually. Maybe we'll be together again one day."

"Oh, Duo," Quatre said, as he stepped forward to pull his friend into a firm embrace. "This seems so unfair."

"Yeah… shit happens I guess." Duo pulled away, his attempt at bravado never reaching his expressive violet eyes that glistened with sadness. "I'd better go and check on Heero." He paused before his next comment but decided to say it anyway. "I'm gonna stay with him tonight. It might be the last chance we get to be together for a while."

He didn't look at the others as he turned and headed towards his bedroom but he could hear them talking quietly as he lay down beside his lover. Heero stirred, his arm instinctively coming to rest across Duo's chest.

"We need to work out what we're going to do," he said sleepily.

"Ssshhhhhhh," Duo replied, turning slightly and stroking Heero's pale cheek. "It doesn't matter. Let's just make the best of the time we've got left."

Duo was surprised to see a tear squeeze from between Heero's tightly closed eyes. "I don't want to let you go, Duo. I can't be without you. Not again."

"I've told you, we'll work something out," Duo whispered, battling to keep his own tears at bay as he wiped the moisture away. "She can't win forever."

Eyes closed, their lips met; a delicate dance communicating tender emotions unexpressed for too long. Despite the separation, their knowledge of each other was still intimate, negating the need to explain what they wanted from each other. Only when their darkening desire demanded more physical participation did Duo pull away.

"You're recovering, Heero. I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't care. If I'm not going to be with you for a while then I need to be with you now."

Duo couldn't say no. His heart and his body longed for Heero and he knew instantaneously that he wouldn't deny his soul the pleasure. Soon their actions were the height of intimacy, with Duo controlling the motions as they moved together in perfect harmony. Their lovemaking was tender and surprisingly unhurried with only a matter of hours before they were due to be separated again. In that moment however, nothing seemed to matter other than each other. Relena couldn't truly come between them. Eventually they fell asleep, sated and content in a tangle of limbs. There was a slightly unrealistic feel to their situation; as if while they were reaffirming their love the world had ceased to exist beyond the confines of the bedroom door, and as he drifted towards his dreams, Duo drew a sense of comfort from it, happy to stay in this somnolent half-life if it meant he could be with Heero.

TBC…