Sincerity and (In)sanity
Chapter One; A. C. 205; Seven Years Later; January 1st:
Duo stood up from his office chair and stretched his muscles after his client walked out the door. A large yawn escaped his lips as he tried to get his muscles to move, although they seemed reluctant to stretch as far as they should be able to go. For the last hour, he'd been sitting in his chair behind his desk, listening to his client talk about a bunch of stuff that was anything but the real reason she was there. Why were people so reluctant to speak of their troubles, even when it was around someone who was specifically there to listen? It just didn't make sense. Then again, there were quite a few of his clients who were just plain good at not making sense.
After five years in college, Duo had finally managed to get his doctorate in psychology. He was a psychologist at Maxwell's Orphanage and Group Home. While he had been studying in college, his professor had taken a shine to him. That shine had caused him to ask Duo if he'd want to be the resident psychologist at an orphanage he had just recently opened. At that time, it had been called Saint Benedict's Orphanage. While Duo had no trouble with the name, he had let his professor know that he had once come from an orphanage, a long time ago on L2, and once he had realized that Duo was the sole survivor of the Maxwell Church incident, he had renamed it in honor of the man who had made Duo's professor want to open an orphanage in the first place.
"Duo?" a deep, baritone voice called from beside his glassed door. He looked up to see his former professor standing in the doorway, a warm smile on his lips.
"Hey, Andrew. What brings you all this way?" Duo asked, an answering smile on his lips.
"I was wondering if I could drag you away for a late lunch," he said, his forest green eyes bright. Andrew Laurens was forty-five years old, just twenty years Duo's senior. Yet once they had began getting to know each other, they had become more like father and son. Many people actually questioned if they weren't related. While Duo had long chestnut brown hair and violet eyes, Andrew had long golden blond hair that fell to the middle of his back and forest green eyes. Each one of them looked at life with a smile and they always seemed to come back with the same thing when someone was being stupid. They also knew a lot about the human mind, and how it worked. It was what made them such well sought after psychologists.
"Actually, I just saw my last client for the day, so I suppose you can." Andrew laughed, and shook his head at Duo's antics.
"Is that the way a well known psychologist is supposed to talk?" Andrew asked. Duo smirked at him.
"Hell no, but it's how I talk when I'm off the clock. And right now, ya don't get more off the clock than calling it a night. Unless, of course, one of the kids needs me. If that's the case, they have my cell number, they can reach me at any time." Andrew placed a fatherly arm around him, a short bark of laughter escaping his lips.
"You devote a lot of time to this place, Duo. I'm kind of surprised you aren't looking for a nice girl to settle down with. Always helping with the children here instead of focusing on your future." Duo snorted.
"Um, Andrew, I thought I told you I was gay? I seem to recall saying that to you on a number of occasions." Andrew nodded, dropping his arm.
"I remember, so then you find yourself a nice boy, instead of a girl. So what. What matters is that you settle down, enjoy life while you have it." Duo chuckled and Andrew soon joined in. It wasn't often that they were able to get together any more. Usually, Duo had a client or Andrew had a class. Yet today was one of those rare days. One of those days when they could spend some time in each others company.
"How's class? Anyone stand out?" Andrew shook his head.
"No. You're still the brightest student I've had in all the years I've been a professor." Just then, Duo's cell phone began playing 'Gentlemen Prefer Blonde's' Duo chuckled, losing the tie around his neck and undoing the buttons on his navy blue suit jacket before answering it. It was Quatre. It was the ring tone Duo had set aside just for him.
"Yo, Q-bean, what can I do for ya?" Duo asked, his voice cheerful. Andrew smirked as Duo smirked. It was always interesting to listen to Duo talk to his friends from his time before the wars. He was always so cheerful and excitable when he talked to them.
"Hey Duo! I'm glad I seemed to catch you off the clock. Or are you actually between sessions?" Quatre was the only one of the former pilots who knew what Duo did for a living. He had found it so funny that he wanted to allow Duo to tell the others, although none of them ever bothered to call him to find out. As long as they knew he was all right, that was all that mattered. That didn't bother Duo. In fact, not hearing from Heero kept him from losing it entirely. After all, that letter he left was kind of mean, in a way.
"Actually, I'm just on my way to lunch with Professor Laurens. But I'm always free to talk to you as long as I'm not in a session." Quatre laughed softly in reply to his words.
"That's good. I was planning on holding a reunion for us former pilots. You were the first one I thought of to call." Duo felt a warm smile on his lips at that. He had really missed his friends during the years he was working at becoming a psychologist. He had also sprung up like a weed once he turned twenty. He was now a steady six foot tall and his classic braid fell to a little past his ass. His feminine, almost girl-like features had smoothed out into the smooth lines of an adult male. Now, while it was true he was still slender and lithe of build, it was more obvious that he was male now, even with the long hair. His navy blue dress suit was perfectly tailored to his form, making him every woman's wet dream when he walked down the street. Andrew was dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt. A white lab coat acted like his suit jacket.
"It sounds wonderful, Q-bean. I really want to see the whole gang again." Andrew gave Duo a thumbs up sign and Duo smiled in return. "When and where is this amazing event?"
"Next week, up here on L4." Quatre's voice answered. Duo's smile faltered and the sparkle left his eyes.
"Next week?" Duo questioned. Andrew found himself frowning as well. It appeared that what had began as a bright conversation had soon become a sad one. "I can't make it, Q-bean. I've got four Speaking Engagements next week that I've already been putting off for a month now. I can't put them off any longer. I'm really sorry, Q-bean. I would go if I wasn't so busy." Duo could hear Quatre sigh.
"It can't be helped. Perhaps we can come up with something where we can come listen to you speak. If anything, at least Trowa and I can see you next week after the reunion." Duo's smile was back full force once more.
"Really? That'd be really cool. I'd love it. See what you can do cause I'd love to see ya. It's been a really long time."
"Well, I'll definitely come down and see you, even if I can't convince Wufei and Heero to come along." Duo smirked brightly. That was just like Quatre. He didn't include Trowa's name because he knew that where ever he went Trowa went with him.
"Well, which ever happens, even if it's just Tro-man and yourself, that's fine. I just want to see someone. I'd even settle for Relena." Quatre chuckled at that.
"That's not fair, Duo. Relena's not that bad."
"Depends on who you're talking to, Q-bean." Andrew began laughing at that. He had been privy to some of Duo's tales of Relena's adventures. Although the braided man didn't really dislike Relena, he was still a little put off by the fact that in the end Relena had won in the battle for Heero. Duo was still glad that he had been Heero's first, and that was something Relena would never be able to claim, unless she got technical and began saying she was the 'first woman' Heero had ever slept with. Yet Duo didn't really believe that Heero had slept with her, after all, she was a job at the moment. Heero never mixed business with pleasure, mores the pity.
"Agreed. Anyway, I'll let you get to lunch. I'll keep in touch."
"All right. Take care of yourself."
"You too, Duo. You've got my love, brother." Duo smirked at that. That was Quatre to a tee. He was just like a brother to Duo and vice versa. They saw each other as family and Trowa knew it. That's the only reason why he never got jealous when Quatre said he loved Duo.
"Luv ya too, Q-bean. Send my love to the others as well." Andrew smiled at that. He was only recently one to receive Duo's brand of love. It was something anyone who earned it should cherish, for he loved whole heartedly without ever holding back.
"Later," Quatre said.
"Later," Duo answered before the phone was hung up. He turned it off and looked up at Andrew.
"Come on, Duo. We need to get you some food." Duo chuckled softly and nodded his head. His stomach then rumbled, causing them both to begin laughing.
"My stomach agrees with you. Let's go. You're treat, right?" Andrew groaned but nodded his assent.
"Yeah, I guess I better before I lose my only psychologist at the orphanage." They laughed together and headed off to the nearest place to eat, knowing they had an unknown amount of time before something happened to call Duo back to work.
Quatre hung up the phone, a sad expression on his lips. Trowa and Quatre had also grown up. Trowa was now six foot two while Quatre was a simple five foot ten. Wufei had grown to be five foot eight and Heero was five foot seven and a half. Heero was the shortest of the rest of them due to his Japanese heritage. Other than height change and Quatre appearing a bit more feminine, they were just the same as they looked seven years ago. The only other difference, that was almost unnoticeable, was Heero's hair. It was just a bit longer than he used to have it. His bangs fell to the tip of his nose while the rest of it almost fell to his chin. To Quatre's frame of mind, he looked really good.
"So?" Wufei questioned, sitting across from Quatre in the Winner Industries CEO office. Trowa stood off to the right of Quatre, looking serious. Heero was behind Wufei, his expression, as usual, unreadable.
"He can't make it. He's got too much work to do." Trowa frowned along with Quatre while Heero only flinched slightly.
He's not coming because of me, Heero thought to himself.
"So what kind a reunion is this without him?" Wufei questioned. Quatre looked toward Trowa, who simply nodded, knowing exactly what his lover had planned.
"I want to move the reunion to Earth. Only trouble is, I don't know if Heero can make it, seeing as he has to guard Relena while here on L4 that week." Heero looked at them for a moment before shaking his head.
"I'd be a day late. Relena is returning to Earth the day after the reunion was to begin. Since you had it planned for three days, then I'd be there for two of them." Quatre smiled.
"Does this mean we're all going to him?" Quatre asked, hope shining in his eyes. Wufei smiled while Trowa nodded.
"Whatever you want," Trowa answered.
"I suppose it's up to us seeing as Maxwell can't manage to keep himself with some free time. When was the last time he had a break from that job he managed to acquire?" Quatre choked back his laughter while Trowa's single emerald eye shined with mirth. They really should have asked what Duo did for a living. It was bound to surprise them once they find out.
"Good. Then next week, on Earth. It's all agreed?" Everyone nodded.
"Mission accepted," Heero said, his lips slowly curving into a smile. This way, no matter what, Duo couldn't avoid him. They would have to talk, and when they did, he'd ask why he never bothered to call, in all the time they had been apart.
