Hey everyone! Back again for another installment of the story you love to read. Heh I guess you love to read anyway, thanks everyone for all the reviews! (camillion, abyss, Fox loves Shinigami, Slate Grey, Fluffy's Brevis, guess, Solo-chan, Cheery Fantasy, and Sailor C. Ryoko.)

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Everything I Wanted

Chapter 7: Cat and Mouse

Softly we tremble tonight,
picture perfect fading smiles are all that's left in sight,
I said I'd never leave you'll never change
I'm not satisfied with where I'm at in life.

Am I supposed to be happy?
With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
Am I supposed to be happy?
With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
You said, you said that you would die for me...

Some people say running away from your problems is cowardly; it's an avoidance of an issue. But who are they to judge?

Duo sighed contently as the cool breeze whispered through his hair and over his skin. His ribs still ached and his muscles twanged as he stretched, but that was to be expected with only have 2 weeks to heal. Amethyst eyes opened lazily to survey the clear blue ocean sprawled in front of him. 2 weeks of healing, 2 weeks of hiding. Duo almost smiled to himself, Howards ship wasn't the most secretive of places to run away to, heaven knows Quatre had been there twice and Heero three times looking for him. It hadn't been that hard to hide from them when they did come, because that's what he did best.

Something soft brushed against his cheek and Duo turned slightly to smile softly at Bast as she came to settle next to him on the deck of the ship. He absently petted the cat as he let his thoughts wander. They couldn't stay hidden on Howards ship forever, Duo knew that for sure, but there was no where he really wanted to go. He was still confused, Heero and Wufei had talked about returning to Relena, but then Heero had kissed him. Had looked at him in that way only Heero could. Duo touched his lips as if the act itself would make the memory less confusing, less painful. He didn't understand, Heero had come looking for him, multiple times even but he had never said anything, only grunted when Howard said Duo wasn't there then silently stalked around the ship until he concluded that Duo was in fact not there.

And what about the Chinese boy? Wufei had never come to look for him, at least of what Duo knew of. What was Wufei doing, what was Wufei thinking? Duo almost sighed as he realized he was thinking of them again. With a groan he sad up and scratched his head. He needed to get away, somewhere where everything didn't remind him of them, somewhere with no TV, so he would never see her.

Duo stood and stretched, working the kinks out of his system. A demanding meow made him look down and smile.

"Where would you like to go now Bast?"

We made plans to grow old,
believe me there was truth in all those stories that I told.
Lost in a simple game cat and mouse are we the same people as before this came to light?

Wufei almost growled in frustration, the injustice! That man Howard was hiding Duo, or at least knew where his run away lover was. Though the Chinese man had never gone to pester the old man himself reports from Heero and Quatre told him all he needed to know. That old conger was playing a game he didn't like. Onyx eyes snapped in frustration as Wufei started out the bay window of Quatre's Florida mansion, if only they cold meet with Duo, talk to him, explain everything. But what if he wouldn't believe them? Being hypnotized into lusting for someone he didn't want, the mere thought made him shudder at his own weakness.

Warm arms encircled his waist and a head leaned on his shoulder, chocolate locks gently brushing his cheek. "What's wrong dragon?" The words were gently, uncommon when you think about who they came from. But they still made Wufei smile and lay his hands over the arms holding him.

"I was thinking…about him."

'We'll find him." The determination in Heero's voice made Wufei's heart skip a beat. Yes, they would find him, but what would happen after that? They had pushed him away so hard, so painfully would he ever take them back, would he ever get to see Duo's mischievous smile again?

A tan hand lifted to turn his face so he was staring into clear cobalt eyes. Lips skimmed across his cheek, trailing a path of fire. "You think you much dragon. We will find him, and we will tell him everything."

"What if he runs?" Wufei's voice was a breathless whisper as Heero licked the sensitive junction of his neck.

"We follow."

Am I supposed to be happy?
With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.

Duo let out a breath of relief as he set down the last box in his new apartment. The gleaming wood floor was piled with large cardboard boxes, stores of stuff Duo kept in storage as he moved around. The apartment was large, on the 3rd floor overlooking the beach in North Carolina. Due to custom it had more windows then walls, which suited Duo just fine. He liked his places large, with lots of exits in case the need arise. He had so much left to do, drawing a black baseball cap out of a stray duffle bag he pulled up his hair to snuggly fit inside it. Amethyst eyes were one things but a 3 foot braid was way to recognizable but the boy couldn't bare to get rid up it.

"Bast I'll be back later!" Duo called to the slinky cat currently adjusting herself on the couch. As Duo exited the apartment he noticed the only other housing on the floor was still for sale. He shrugged it off, it was a newly built building, he'd get a neighbor soon. More importantly right now was getting a job.

Duo slipped a pair of sunglasses on as he stepped onto the busy sidewalk. People milled around him and swept by like pulled by a current. Taking a deep breath he started moving with the crowd, his eyes scanning windows and doors for tell tale "Help Wanted" signs. He could work at a big company, he could be a computer programmer but those were too obvious for someone looking for him. And he didn't want a job that came with walls and suits and ties, he wanted freedom.

In his musings he had almost missed it, the black and orange glaring sign surrounded by so many other colorful designs in the window. Duo's eyes widened a little in surprise as he stared at the tattoo parlor window. Of coursed he had seen tattoo places before but had never had the time to actually go in. A smile crept its way onto his face, what signified freedom more than a tattoo? Duo wasn't so sure about his drawing abilities and he had never contemplated giving someone a tattoo, but it was worth a shot anyway. With his trademark Duo Maxwell grin in place he strutted through the door.

You said, you said that you would die for me

"Howard where is he?" Heero grunted out through gritted teeth. He was so frustrated he felt like throwing the grinning old man over the edge of his boat. Howard just silently smiled at him, if his sunglasses were off Heero was sure he would have a twinkle visible in his eye.

"Well Sonny, he was here I can tell you that. But he's already moved on." Howard wasn't feeling very generous with these boys, he had seen the hidden pain in Duo, was close enough to even feel it.

Heero clenched his fist trying to control his anger. He knew Duo would go here, he knew it but this foolish old man had hidden him!

"Where is he now?"

"Why do you need to find him?" The older mans calm question startled Heero. Slowly he unclenched his fists, relaxing all his tense muscles. Anger and force wouldn't get through to this protective old man.

"Because we need him." The words were quiet.

"You didn't a couple months ago."

Heero's head shot up in anger. "You think you know everything! I know we made a mistake; we need to atone for it. I want to see him; I want to explain it to him!'

Heero was almost panting in the effort to not throttle the old man now grinning at him. What was that old geezer so happy about, he reminded Heero to much of those annoying doctors and their meddling ways.

"It's about time you last your cool boy." Howard said patting the tense boy on the back. "How about you come inside and explain this to me and I'll tell you where my boy Duo has gone."

Lost in a simple game cat and mouse are we the same people as before this came to light?

Duo stared at himself over his shoulder in the mirror, astonished at how a simple tattoo can change his whole outlook. An elegant white feathered wing extended across his left shoulder blade while a sinfully dark feathered wing extended over the right shoulder blade. Underneath was a line in both Chinese and Japanese.

"Cat you did an amazing job!" Duo exclaimed turning to smile at the thin dark haired woman next to him. Tattoos covered her arms and any visible skin, her face held elegant spots and whiskers.

"Well you know Duo, anyone who works in a tattoo shop has to actually have a tattoo." The 28 year old said with a smile. Owner of the shop known as Infinity she had hired the boy on the spot, liking his personality and charm.

"Come on Cat I'm only working the desk and taking peoples orders, and cleaning and helping out. Its not like I'm doing tattoos."

"Oh you will Duo, you will." Duo made a face at her but couldn't help when it broke out into an even bigger smile. He had found the perfect workplace, and this was only the beginning. He patiently waited as Cat put the protective gauze around his back and smoothed it down.

"By the way Duo, you never told me what the writing says, you wrote it out and never told me."

Duo smiled gently knowing she couldn't see him. "It's message that's very important to me."

You said, you said that you would die for me...

You must live for me too

End Chapter

That's the end of this one folks! Get on with the reviewing so I can get on with the writing!