Author's Note
Hi, everyone! I'm really sorry I haven't been updating, like, anything, but I've had major writer's block. I guess I'm still suffering it. This is an angsty chapter to an angsty story, so ignore that. Um, yeah. Please read and enjoy!

After six hours of work, the screen remained hopelessly blank. The chapter was due at seven sharp, and it was two in the morning. Not a word, let alone a thought or sentence, had made it into the program. In five short hours, his life would be over. Over the course of his five-book contract, he was allotted fifteen push-back dates for his works. He'd used all of them, and he was only halfway through the first book. Yes, his life would efficiently come to an end.

His telephone rang. Rubbing his eyes tiredly with one hand, he reached over and picked up the cordless receiver. "Hello?"

"Duo? What are you doing up this late?"

He smiled faintly. "You just woke me up, Quatre. I have a deadline tomorrow, and you know how frightening Relena gets around deadline days."

"Liar," the voice on the other end of the phone breathed. "You're still awake. I can see the light in your window."

He stood and stalked to the offending casement. How could Quatre see him? He wasn't supposed to come home for another seventy hours, fifteen minutes and six seconds. Not that he was counting. "Where are you?" He peered through the inky darkness and tried to see through the windows across the street, but the curtains behind their obsidian glass refused to budge.

"Look down."

His eyes traveled down the face of the building until they met a street lamp, and from there continued to see the person standing in the oily yellow light beneath. Quatre smiled and waved at him, his blond hair shining in the foggy haze.

Duo grinned and clicked the telephone off. He leaned his hip against the glass and waved his fingers back, then tilted his head back, motioning Quatre to come up. Even through the mist of early-morning city streets, he watched Quatre laugh as he flipped his cell phone closed and began across the street.

A glance around the apartment put him to immediate shame. Launching himself into a last-ditch effort of a semblance of civility, he flung his clothing into the closet, swept the empty ramen cups into the trash bin and tossed the empty beer bottles back in the fridge. The rings on the desk and coffee table would have to wait—hopefully the blonde would be too preoccupied to notice. On his way to the door, Duo stopped by the mirror and finger-combed his unruly wavy chocolate locks into an orderly chaos and quickly braided the mass. Unfortunately all of his hair ties had been snapped at random objects around the apartment and were scattered to the winds, so he just left it alone. If it unraveled, oh well. Four days he's been gone and this place is back to looking like a college bachelor pad, Duo lamented silently.

There came a light tap at the door. Duo straightened his clothes and took a deep breath to steady his heart, then pulled the door open. A silly grin spread across his face, even as he tried to act nonchalant. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest. After a bold, appraising glance up and down, he said sultrily, "Can I say you look sinfully delicious?"

Quatre's forest-green overcoat accented his eyes while the slim cut highlighted the slimness of his waist. The black slacks that encased this legs were tight and yet comfortable at the same time. His loafers gleamed dully with melted snow from outside. His cheeks and nose were pinkened from the chilly wind outside.

The green-eyed blonde smiled a bit tightly and tipped his head to the side. "Can I come in?"

Duo stepped back, pushed on the defensive. "By all means. You're home early—not that I'm complaining," he hastily added as he reached out to take Quatre's coat.

The blonde gently pushed Duo's hands away. "About that. Duo, we need to talk."

Suddenly the brunet felt cold. Ice water replaced the warm blood in his veins and his heart began to pound. This was not at all how he'd imagined Quatre's homecoming. "Um, okay. Let's sit in the living room. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Quatre led them into the living room and elegantly sat down on the couch. Duo lowered himself onto the cushion beside Quatre. The blonde shifted a little uncomfortably, then as if unable to bear the immobility, stood and stalked to the adjoining kitchen. He glanced at Duo from across the breakfast bar. "Do you have any beer?"

"There might be some in there…" Now Duo was worried. Quatre never drank. He usually waited until Duo was good and sauced, then took advantage of the situation. That was more Quatre's style.

"All that's in the refrigerator is empty bottles. And a lot of them." Quatre straightened and closed the door with somewhat more force than necessary.

Duo winced. "Is everything okay? How was your conference?"

"The conference was fine. The most brilliant medical minds gathered in one place, it was absolutely enlightening." He smiled briefly. "Doctors from all over the country—there were even some representatives from other countries there. The speakers were truly inspiring."

The brunet relaxed ever so slightly and the cold inside him thawed somewhat. The worry, however, remained firmly in place. "That's good," he ventured timidly. "You've been waiting for this conference for months. I'm glad you weren't disappointed."

"Yeah…" Quatre glanced at the laptop computer still open on the desk. "Working? Isn't your deadline in the morning?"

"Don't I know it?" Duo grinned a little hesitantly. It wasn't like Quatre to change the subject. "Was your hotel not to your liking?"

"No, the hotel was fine."

He waited for Quatre to continue, but the blonde lapsed into another quiet spell. Duo cleared his throat. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything—really, I'm glad you're home—but if everything went well, then why are you home three days early?"

Quatre looked startled for a moment, then recomposed himself. "I, um… There's no easy way to say this." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Duo, I'm sorry."

The cold came back and doubled, wrapping its icy fingers around Duo's heart and squeezing. "Quatre…? Baby, what happened?" Duo crossed the room and took the blonde's hands in his.

Quatre turned his head to the side and stared at the floor.

"Quatre? Talk to me." Gently Duo turned his chin so they faced one another. "Whatever happened, it's okay. We can face it together."

"That's it—we can't." Quatre pressed Duo's hands together softly, then let them go. Quietly he said, "At the convention… I met someone."

"And?" Duo bit his lip. He didn't want to know the "and," and yet his dumb mouth had asked. Damn him.

"And… he asked me to move in with him…" Quatre stepped back. His eyes were still glued to the floor. "And I said…yes."

Duo felt his heart drop and his stomach melt. "But… you just met him… How can you just leave like that?" His eyes welled up and his voice came out the barest whisper of sound.. "What about the last four years? What about me? You never wanted to move in with me, what makes him so special?"

"His name is Trowa," Quatre explained. "He was one of the speakers at the convention. After his seminar, he invited me over for coffee to discuss my theories… then one thing led to another, and…" he faltered at the end.

"What the hell are you saying!" Duo felt the hysteria clawing inside.

"I'm saying I'm leaving," Quatre mumbled to the floor.

"Dammit, look at me when you're talking!" Duo screamed. He felt a sort of perverse pleasure when he saw Quatre flinch.

The blonde winced and slowly brought his eyes up to meet the brown eyes of the brunet. "I'm sorry, Duo. These last years have been…wonderful, magical, whatever word you want to use… but I have to follow my heart…"

Tears spilled over Duo's cheeks and the hysteria finally tore him to shreds. "Fine!" he screeched. "Fine! Get out! Just get out!" Furiously he snatched up the couch cushion and flung it at the blonde. "Get out of my sight! Go! Leave!"

Quatre nearly tripped over his own feet as he staggered to the door, dodging increasingly massive objects. "I thought I should tell you rather than just disappearing from your life! I'm sorry, Duo!" He stood in the doorway, and Duo could see the tears falling down his cheeks as well. "I really loved you…"

An anguished sob tore itself from Duo's throat and he half-heartedly picked up another cushion. This one he held tight to his chest as if using it to protect himself. "Just go," he whispered brokenly. "Please."

Quatre quietly closed the door behind himself. Quietly closed the door on their life together.

Duo sank to the couch and sobbed into his cushion. His life had ended earlier than he'd thought.

After six hours and five minutes of work, the screen still remained faithfully blank.