Memento [Part Two]

It was tender, tender enough to be considered cooked and yet tough enough for an exquisite chewing experience. It was, as the Italians called it, al dente. The perfectly shaped, large grooved rigatoni was ready to be mixed in with the thick lamb sauce he was preparing. The smell of the onions, rosemary, thyme, plum tomatoes and nutmeg was enough to make anybody's mouth water. He would have began eating dinner himself but he was waiting for his guests.

Trowa covered the pot of his latest hearty lamb sauce creation with a lid. It was currently simmering, wafting its smell throughout his home. He suspected that when his door finally opened, he would be greeted with great enthusiasm. It may have been conceited of him but it wasn't really far from the truth.

"Dear god!" he heard the greeting, as predicted, coming from his front door. "Let me in Trowa."

He chuckled, satisfied with the reaction and lifted the lid off the pot. Before going anywhere near the door, he allowed the steam from the pot to travel a long distance to the door if only to irritate and at the same time entice those in waiting.

"I'm coming," he said and smirked when he heard the sounds of irritation from the other end of the door. He was getting the reaction he wanted.

He unlocked the door and opened it to find his three guests in different states. Heero was as impassive as always, leaning on the doorway with a bored expression on his face. Wufei was just as quiet although his silence seemed to be more in awe of Trowa's ability to tempt them with his superb dishes. Duo, on the other hand, was almost frantic as he launched himself on Trowa.

"I love you!" he screamed in jubilation. "Please marry me!"

"What would Hilde say?" Trowa asked while trying to release Duo's hold on him.

"She'll marry you too. She doesn't mind sharing. Three's always better than two!"

"Get your mind off the gutter," Heero said as he effectively plucked Duo out of the tight embrace. "Nice to see you're cooking us something special for tonight," he continued before going in and hauling Duo with him.

"Look who's talking. Anyone who'd interpret it that way's the one with his mind in the gutter," Duo muttered all the way to the living room. Wufei just watched with disinterest.

"Smells immaculate," he said next, making sure to comment as well. "I'm guessing it's lamb?" he asked, coming in and waiting for Trowa to shut the door.

"As you suspected," he answered and went back to the kitchen. "Make yourselves at home."

"You don't have to say that twice... Heero, my good man, could you get me a beer?"

"No."

"Pretty please."

"Get it yourself."

"But I love you too."

"Too bad because I'm beginning to hate you."

Trowa heard some muttering before he looked back from the stove to find Wufei cursing and opening the fridge to retrieve the cans of beer the other two were arguing about. Although the constant banter was a constant source of entertainment for Trowa, he found that Wufei did not appreciate it as much as he did. Because of that, he ended up as the in-between man, the person that ended up doing whatever the two didn't agree on - the poor guy.

"I will staple both their mouths closed one of these days," Wufei stated as he left for the living room. "Tell me if you need any help. I think that my assistance here would be much more appreciated."

Trowa nodded and looked back at the pot. He added a little salt to the mixture before adjusting the flames to a lower setting and leaving it to join the other three. It had become customary for them to have each other over in their homes. After discovering their lack of enthusiasm for preparing meals and their lack of ability to cook themselves something healthy seven days a week, it was agreed upon that they would each take turns cooking each other's meals. Not all of them cooked like Trowa did but then again, anything was better than canned soup and instant noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Duo was the most fortunate, of course. With Hilde's love for fattening them all up, his turn to actually cook any meals was limited. Usually it was T-bone steak dinner, homemade hamburgers and fries and buttered mashed potatoes with whatever chunk of meat was being served when they ate over at his place. It was the type that usually left them running for the gym in hopes that the fat would not settle in. It was going to be a pain to explain to Une how they've lost shape over the years and that their downfall resulted from dear Hilde's capable hands.

"What are we watching tonight?" Heero asked as Trowa came in the living room. He found that they were settled in and that Duo was surprisingly beginning to doze off. The loud ruckus that was there earlier was replaced by eerie silence.

"Whatever's already in the VCR," Duo replied although half asleep. "By the way, what's for dinner tomorrow night Wu?"

"Some kind of vegetable to neutralize what you fed us yesterday," Wufei said, drinking his beer.

"Be nice Wu or else I'm telling Hilde that you're beginning to look a little malnourished," he half-said, half-yawned in response.

"Duo," Trowa interrupted, looking suspiciously at his sleepy friend. "I don't want to know what keeps you up at night... better take a nap in my room before dinner. I don't want you snoring on your plate later."

"So does that mean we're officially engaged?" Duo perked up.

"Shut up and do what the man says," Wufei said, exasperated.

"Yes sir," he said in a mocking tone before heading up the stairway. It was a little while after they heard the door close and heard the springing on Trowa's bed. The word 'heaven' was heard before Duo was finally silent, most probably sleeping by then.

Trowa settled on the couch and exhaled as if exhausted from raising his impossible child. He didn't notice when Heero took the remote control and when he pressed the play button to find out which movie was currently inside the VCR.

"...ike I already told you. I don't want to stir the honey in with the tea. When the honey settles to the bottom, there's always that good stuff waiting when I finish the drink."

"You're just a sucker for sweet things."

"I'm just making up for your neutrality... Trowa, why don't you put that camera down? You've been taping me all day."

Heero raised his eyebrow upon viewing part of the so-called movie and Wufei looked like he was ready to follow Duo up the stairway and into Trowa's room. It wasn't very often that the topic was brought up but whenever it happened, the two always ended up in a heated discussion. Trowa would state his beliefs and Heero would counter the other's false hopes with a more rational and reality-bound argument. Wufei didn't care to talk about it and neither did Duo. They were there as buffers, as the ones who stopped the fire. It was up to Wufei to handle it this time around.

"Been watching them again, huh?" Heero asked after a short pause. "So tell me, why wallow in self-pity and continue to torment yourself with those videos?"

Trowa just sat and took it, nonchalant, as if the question did not concern him.

"You've decided to act deaf too," he added.

Trowa sighed but did not answer as Wufei watched the conversation, knowing where exactly it was headed. He was going to wait until it was time to cut in. He might have easily slipped out of the crossfire but he looked more determined to stop whatever fire was starting.

"Leave it Heero. I don't want to talk about it," Trowa said.

It was quiet for a few moments as the sounds from the TV speakers continued to play, the long since absent voice of their friend filling the silent void.

"Trowa put it down! Duo's going to be coming soon and we don't want him anywhere near that thing. Who knows what he'll do when he sees you with it?"

The voice sounded happy and content, just as they were a few years ago. Trowa closed his eyes, basking in the sounds that filled the air, the sounds that were false and yet were so close to the truth that he could almost believe in it.

"We're not going through this tape," Heero said before pressing the stop button and turning off the television. "You're getting delusional Trowa and that's the last thing we need right now."

Trowa didn't protest but he didn't open his eyes either. He didn't want to talk about it although he knew that Heero was planning to bring him back to reality soon. That reality just hurt a little too much.

"His records indicate that he's 'deceased'. Leave it at that and get on with your life."

Trowa's face was neutral and so was his voice as he stated exactly what was on his mind.

"Until the day you're forced to pry his cold, dead body off my fingers, I will consider him simply missing."

It was at that point that Wufei cut in to halt any further arguments. They were able to say what they wanted after all. It was no use going on when all sides, even himself who was still grieving and Duo who was secretly listening was feeling the misery of the loss.

"I think you've both had enough. Why don't we just eat dinner and then pick another movie."

"Duo was the last to see him, if you remember," Heero said, ignoring Wufei's earlier suggestion. He didn't feel like stopping yet. If they were forced to live with it then Trowa had an obligation to Quatre to do the same. "The last spot he saw him in was three hours later covered in his blood. Let go of it. There's nothing else to look for."

"It was two and a half Heero, not three," Duo called out in a muffled voice from the still closed door of Trowa's room. "Quat's going to get pissed off if he finds out you've been fighting."

It was an already known fact that Duo would find any possible excuse to sleep over in Trowa's room whenever he came over. It was the room that held the little things that helped him remember. They all had their issues and they all had their own ways of dealing with it. The only difference was that they left Duo alone. Trowa was a different case.

"You better check what you're cooking," Wufei interrupted again, hoping that this time, Heero would listen and that Trowa would be wise enough to leave the topic alone.

"Fine."

Trowa didn't feel like arguing either but he was a little more than frustrated. He turned off the flames from the stove and opened the lid to find his hearty lamb sauce in just the right consistency and ready for serving. He retrieved the still warm rigatoni from the strainer as well and mixed the sauce in with it. Finally, he topped the dish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and brought it to the table where the plates were already set. To complete the meal, he took out the garlic bread from the oven and reached for the already tossed Caesar salad.

He signaled for the two to come to the table where dinner was to be served and climbed up the stairs to retrieve Duo, who by now they knew was already awake. He wasn't surprised to find that the other was staring off to the far corner of the room. It was a mistake to bring it up when Duo was within hearing distance. Without making mention of anything that might disrupt their temporary stalemate, he tapped Duo on the shoulder and motioned for him to join them for dinner. Duo obliged him and before long, they were all at the table.

Something still agitated Trowa to no end, so much that he looked like he needed to do something about it. Before Heero could even sit down, he approached him and grabbed his collar, their height difference making him look all the more intimidating.

"You know what his last words were to me?" he asked as he looked Heero in the eye. His voice was even and cold as ever. He didn't know why he was asking but he just felt like letting out some steam. "He said 'Don't worry about the ugly politicians, love. I'll handle them for you. Besides, I'm sure that you'll love the pasta I'm cooking you for dinner tonight."

The other two couldn't help but look at Trowa who had his steady gaze on Heero.

"Now Heero, it's time for you to sit down, leave me alone in wonderland and eat your damn pasta."

There was tension in the air as Trowa went to his chair to sit down as well. When all of them were seated, it was Duo's turn to talk.

"Trowa, you're giving me the creeps. I think we better resolve this before you totally go nuts. So, what else do you have to say to Heero?"

Although there was still the lingering anger within him, Trowa felt a little guilty. His lips twitched upward before he looked at Duo and then at Heero. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Good," Duo said with a smile. "And Heero, what do you have to say to that?"

"I shouldn't have provoked you," Heero said immediately, not sounding warm but at least looking sincere.

"Our children," Duo said with a motherly tone as he reached for Wufei's arm. "Aren't they growing up so fast?"

"They'd grow up faster if their mother was more mature," was Wufei's retort.

"I resent that," Duo said. "I'm filing for a divorce."

Watching them content after the earlier arguments made Trowa realize that if it weren't for each other, all of them would have most likely gone crazy. Each of their strengths and weird quirks was what kept them together. They controlled each other in a way that nobody else understood. His only regret was that Quatre was not there to share it with them. Soon enough, he would find his missing husband but for now he was happy enough to live with what he had without giving in to hopeless despair.

His thoughts were suddenly diverted when he heard a gunshot going through his window and into his bowl of rigatoni in hearty lamb sauce. The first shot was immediately followed by several others. Instincts taught all four of them to duck and take cover. The table was turned over and none of them left their spot until they were certain that the perpetrators had fled.

Ever since the Earth sphere alliance anniversary a week ago, there had been several attempts on somebody's life, which person exactly, they did not know. All they knew was that Trowa always seemed to be there at the exact place and the exact time. His home was starting to become a target for trouble as well. It wasn't certain why anyone would be after him. Out of all of them, he was the one with the least connections. They were going to have to find out why soon enough.

A few minutes of waiting and Duo's voice suddenly cut through the silence.

"No!" he screamed to the top of his lungs. "The bastards killed my pasta! I was dead hungry too."

Trowa stood from his place behind the fallen dinner table and proceeded to the fireplace. Something clicked in him as he lifted the broken frame from its original place. He took out the broken glass carefully before addressing Duo.

"There's frozen pizza in the freezer."

"No!" Duo wailed again. "Anything but frozen junk after smelling your cooking all night."

"...and I think I know who they're after," Trowa added between Duo's wails of agony. That was enough for him to keep quiet and enough to catch all their attention. They watched his back, waiting for the name of the target.

Trowa didn't say anymore as he stared thoughtfully into the blue-green pools that were looking back at him from the broken frame. For some reason they looked so alive, more so than usual. It might have been a trick of the light but he couldn't really tell. They were telling him something and he knew then that he was going to see Quatre again soon.