It was a nice, quiet evening in the Maxwell household. Mister and Future Mister Maxwell were quitly having a little welcome back dinner in Richard's honor, when Richard told Duo the purpose of his trip, for he had not before.
Angry fists banged in a fragile wooden table, leaving cracks and two noticable dents.
The air in the spacious kitchen was suddenly full of tension. Richard jumped up and looked back towards the open doorway, planning an escape route just in case Duo got physical, like the last time they had an argument.
"You saw Wufei? BEHIND MY BACK-What the fuck is the matter with you?" A threatening Duo said, looking up to his partner, who had shot out of his seat as soon as he saw a frown forming on his face, and was now backing away from their kitchen table, toward the living room.
"Do you actually try to piss me off on purpose sometimes?"
"I was not aware of your relationship-" Richard said, terror marring his face as he realized the magnitude of his mistake.
"Do you see this scar?" Wufei finally said, after a thick silence.
"Yes…"
He leaned over his desk toward Richard.
"Your fucking Duo gave it to me." He whispered and sat back in his seat.
Richard gasped at the change of tone. Then he remembered a story his boyfriend told him about a previous lover who had broken his heart and left him for a doctor. He remembered the bitter laugh that had escaped Duo's lips as he recounted how he slit the man's face and left him for dead. "Don't worry, he's still alive, the fucker. Gundam pilots are kinda hard to kill." He had then looked at him with a strange look in his eyes and said "But you ever pull a stunt like that and I would make sure you're dead before I leave the room. Yah hear me? "
"And WHAT the fuck were you seeing a neurosurgeon for?"
"F-f-for the tu-tumor that-"
Duo stood so fast, toppling his chair. Richard backed in the wall. The doorway was now inches from him.
"What tumor? What the fuck are you talking about? You have a brain tumor? Since when? Why the fuck didn't you tell me? Doesn't that sound like something I should know? "
"That's why I am telling you now!" Richard yelled, getting a bit irritated.
"…A couple of months before our fucking wedding? GOD! What the hell is wrong with you?" Duo exploded.
"Well I told you that I had problems when I was younger, you remember-" Richard said, holding a hand in front of him, trying to calm himself, and hopefully Duo, who looked ready to either hold him or pummel him to the ground.
"Yes." Duo softly sighed, sensing that there was no point in him getting angry, since no one was at fault there, right? No one did anything.
Right…
Breathe, breathe Duo.
"T-too much brain fluid, a-and after I had my first surgery they said I was fine but there is a tumor." Richard stuttered, trying to think of a way to break the news gently.
"How bad is it?" Duo lowered his arm to his side and looked at his lover, who was now leaning against a wall and holding himself.
'Bad, Duo, very bad.'
"Dr. Chang is… very good…" He chuckled weakly and flicked a limp wrist "- and I want him to operate now so that in a month or so I would be fine enough to get the wedding preparation started-"
"How bad is it?" Duo said, sensing there was something wrong.
"I have to get the operation now."
He frowned.
"You're not answering the question." And you are stuttering. This means you are lying.
"…If I don't get it out now, then I wont be healthy enough for the wedding…"
No.
"What are the odds that it would work?"
"I don't k-know…I-it can work!"
He's stuttering.
"You're lying to me, Richard." Duo said, quietly, almost in a whisper and walked towards him.
"I-I am…I-" Duo stood in front of him, his hands in the back of his jeans, shoulders squared, and his strong face inches from Richard's softer one.
Richard noticed the strength in Duo's arm as he was wearing nothing but…
A wife beater… normally I wouldn't have complained but I wish he wasn't wearing that…oh, he has no shoes on…Painted his toenails black…such nice toes…
"How bad is it, Richard. Tell me." He waited, then jumped back, surprised, when Richard suddenly lost it in his face.
"I'M DYING! OK!" He pushed against Duo's chest, making him stumble. "HAPPY? THERE! I SAID IT! MY BRAIN IS ROTTING AWAY! AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT! OK? NOTHING!" A sob escaped his lips. "I have a stage 3 cancerous tumor, Duo. I am as good as dead." A tear slipped from his eye and he walked out of the kitchen.
Outside, near the window, a bodyguard coughed.
The water faucet was dripping. Richard had probably left it on…he always does that.
Duo turned on his heel, walked to the sink, and shut it off. He then left the kitchen, and went to the bathroom.
Glass case, yes…Blue and red.
His hands shook slightly as he picked the cup that now had a permanent place near the sink, and filled it with water.
He wanted to go back to sleep, but instead, went to the living room, toward his coffee table, where his computer was waiting, still on. He had not turned it off.
He sat on the couch for a while, looking at nothing.
Then he picked the laptop and plugged it to the intercom outlet. He had a phone call to make.