Disclaimer: I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

Warnings: Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

A/N: I really do appreciate reviews, but if you can be as specific as possible with praise or criticisms that would be best. I would really like to grow as a writer and so constructive criticism is the most beneficial form. Also, if the last chapter left you wanting more, I am going to apologize and say that I won't be writing smut or anything sexually explicit (not that I don't love those types of stories, because I do, it's just not my style of writing). Thank you for understanding. Onwards to Chapter 9!

Maxwell

Chapter 9: So I Run, Hide, & Tear Myself Up

Capricorn (A Brand New Name) - 30 Seconds To Mars

They laid in bed afterward, quietly, the only sound being their breathing, simultaneous and relaxed like they'd just blown off steam that had been residing in both of them for the past three years. Hell, apparently they needed a good lay after all.

In the past they might have reveled in the bedroom company, held on to each other, talked, or just slept in the comfort of one another. But they were not touching, just laying there, no words, no emotions, no comfort. Like it was all fucking business and nothing else.

Duo pictured the telltale scar in the recess above Heero's hip and was at least thankful that the man he had 'made love to' was at least the real, living, breathing Heero Yuy. Shit, at least there was that.

And so, even with the warmth residing under his skin from the recent activities, a chill found its way across Duo's body. He had the undeniable urge to get up, walk out the door, and not look back. Hell, he was still so messed up about things with Heero and the man's naked body next to him certainly wasn't helping with the confused set of emotions running sharply down his spine.

"We should get dressed."

Duo turned to face Heero, his words ever fucking logical and blunt. He sat up on his elbow, glancing at the wide open doorway just past the man's dark blue eyes. He grinned, trying to let any humor of the situation override the uncertainty he felt. "Yeah, this might be fucking hard to explain, huh?"

Heero's eyes flicked upwards in a quick roll and then back towards the braided man, a feeling of near offense residing in their dark blue depths. "Not that hard."

Duo laughed uneasily. Heero was being so oddly open that it was turning him on yet again and he didn't know quite what to make of it. Though they still weren't touching, no contact offered at all. But the man was right, clothing did need to go back on soon considering their other companions had been gone for over an hour now and would surely be returning any minute. Begrudging as Duo was about that.

"I need a smoke anyways."

Heero watched as Duo pulled himself from under the slightly wrinkled top sheet and began to retrieve his clothes that were haphazardly scattered about the room. "You shouldn't do that."

Duo pulled on jeans that were probably a little too tight and then stuck arms through a fresh, black button down from his bag, forgoing the buttons and letting it hang open provocatively revealing his toned body. "Do what?"

Heero fixed him with a pointed look. "Smoke."

Duo pursed his lips. "That coming from you, 'Ro? You jump out of fucking buildings and self-destruct and shit. Don't tell me what I shouldn't be doing."

Laughing, Duo found his bag and pulled out a nearly full carton of cigarettes and a small, silver lighter. He didn't smoke to the point of bad habit, hell he'd been trying to quit actually, but sometimes he just damn well needed one.

"I can't tell you what to do, but I can suggest what not to do, Duo." Heero's words were quiet, as if he felt uncomfortable chastising his companion. Shit, Duo knew the man was all about treating his body like a fucking temple. That was pretty obvious, he was gorgeous after all, but still some habits die hard, even little ones like an occasional smoke.

Duo nodded towards Heero. "I know, I know. Don't worry, I only smoke when I've got a lot on my mind." He pointed a finger up to his temple. "And right now, there's a fucking lot." He smiled, though he knew the statement was heavy in the air, and turned to walk out onto the room's adjoining patio.

Sliding the glass door shut behind him, Duo let out the deep sigh he had been holding in. Dammit, what had just happened? How many hours had it been since he'd thought Heero was dead? And now they were fucking and his mind was a blur. This wasn't right, was it? And to do it in the room he and Wufei had been sharing...shit he really didn't want to think about that.

He tapped the carton and pulled out a single cigarette, letting it rest between his lips while he put the box into his back pocket and flicked the lighter to conjure a flame. He took a few thoughtful puffs and let the cigarette burn between his fingers while he leaned on the railing with his forearms.

Could he and Heero really be slipping back into their old ways so quickly? Or was this something more than just adolescent hormones? The last time they'd done this they'd been teenagers. Hell, Duo may have still acted like a teenager, but even he knew better about these things now, at least he'd like to think he did.

Fuck. Things couldn't possibly get more complicated, could they?

As Duo gazed out across the parking lot of the hotel and across the street towards a cluster of shops and restaurants in a small strip mall, his eyes nearly deceived him. He mentally groaned at himself for thinking too soon; apparently things could get more complicated.

Sitting in a Crown Vic parked fairly obviously across the street was an ordinary looking man with light, cropped hair, a garbage bag taped across his window, his face shaded slightly, but still recognizable with a splint across his nose. Sean Davis.

"Shit," Duo grumbled, reaching down to stub out his half finished cigarette on the cement of the patio. He left the butt laying there, unconsciously hoping that it would provoke the Preventer he was sharing the room with. That man's body was a fucking temple too, it seemed.

He pushed open the glass door and watched for a moment as Heero pulled on the white, collared shirt he'd been wearing earlier tucked into slacks, the man choosing to redo his own buttons as opposed to Duo.

"You might be in trouble, Heero."

Heero looked up from his buttons, but his face was unreadable. "Why?"

"That Preventer's parked across the street."

"The same one?"

"The one and only. I think you fucking broke his nose."

"Did he see you?" Heero finished the last button.

Duo shook his head. "I don't think so. But obviously he knows we're here."

"What is he doing?"

Duo folded his arms and fit Heero with a serious look. Shit, why did things have to be so complicated? "He's just sitting there. Like he's waiting for something."

When Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre returned they found their two other companions sitting on the couch, just where they'd left them. Though there was something different, less sexual tension, but more confusion now.

Wufei was the first to speak, staring pointedly at Duo's casually open shirt. "You're still here."

Duo screwed up his brows. "No I'm a fucking optical illusion," he deadpanned with immediate venom in his voice. "Why the hell wouldn't I be here?"

Wufei shrugged. "When we left it was just...tense."

"What? You think I was gonna run out because things got a little fucking more complicated? Geezus, have some faith 'Fei." He knew the man was doing it just to get a rise out of him, and hell he sure couldn't resist. He'd been fucking craving that running dialogue for a while now, hadn't he?

Heero's hand surprisingly found its way onto the braided man's knee in an attempt to calm him. Wufei stared at the touch for a moment too long before turning away.

"What did you find out?" Heero asked, choosing to address the question towards Quatre and Trowa.

Quatre handed him a manila folder filled with papers. "Addresses, history, occupations, family, the usual things," he answered evenly.

"Did you happen to see our little friend outside?" Duo asked, also choosing to ignore the Preventer now standing behind the couch, not in his direct line of sight.

Trowa nodded. "He was there when we left. Still there now in the same position."

"Yeah, I fucking noticed him when I was out...getting some fresh air." Duo decided to leave the part about smoking on the balcony out of his statement in order to avoid more chastising that would surely come in the form of an infamous Quatre Winner lecture.

"And what did Une have to say?" Heero wondered, his gaze finally finding its way back to Wufei.

The Chinese man stared at him hard for a moment before answering. "As far as I can tell the investigation is still open and she knows we're all back together now." He shrugged. "I don't know if she knows you're alive yet."

"Hn." Heero averted his eyes. "She'll find out eventually. Then what?"

"Then the investigation is closed."

"Not necessarily," Quatre spoke up. "When you were gathering data she asked me some peculiar questions regarding Winner Corp. Something about new research opportunities, but I told her I hadn't been informed of any new projects." His brows furrowed. "She seemed suspicious."

"It was as if she made it a point to talk with him confidentially," Trowa added from beside the petite man. He wore a thoughtful expression, wheels turning behind his green eyes.

Duo scratched the back of his head. "She never mentioned anything about those damn photographs or our new friend outside?" It was a question not directed at anyone in particular.

Wufei shook his head. "She doesn't believe they have a relevance in this particular case. And that we can't legally touch Davis without probable cause." His eyes flickered to Heero for a hard second.

Duo turned to face the man with a glare, his frustration with Preventer being immediately channeled towards Wufei in regards to his first statement. "Like hell they don't! They are the fucking case, Heero isn't dead!"

Wufei just stared at him, expressionless. Duo clenched his teeth. Stupid, fucking Preventer.

Their odd stare down was cut off by Trowa's voice, his thoughtfulness turning into an air of possibility. "Think about it from Preventer's perspective. They find and ID the body of Heero Yuy. Or at least a body with his fingerprints. He's an ex-Gundam pilot and does freelance work for the Vice Foreign Minister, making him quite a target," he paused, as if to let this new information sink in. "But they know that all of his old allies are still around the ESUN somewhere. It's not the first time we would have attempted killing one of our own."

"Preventer suspects us?" Duo wondered incredulously.

"No," Trowa shook his head. "I think they dismiss us as suspects, but when they get nowhere after that they decide to use us to their advantage. One of us is a Preventer after all and even if we don't believe so, they have to have been tracking us all these years." At this Duo snorted with a nod, his eyes flicking to Wufei who stood with his arms stiff across his chest, listening.

Trowa went on. "They've got a freelance investigative team sitting right under their nose. So they put Wufei on the case, they send us those pictures, they round us up because they know how to get at each one of us. After we are back together they know we're going to look for answers, one of our own is dead after all. Preventer knows they can watch us and piggy-back on whatever we do or find."

"That's ridiculous," Wufei bit out, still wearing his Preventer issue jacket.

Duo hated to admit it but, shit he was with Wufei on this one. He narrowed his eyes. "All that just to find one guy's fucking murderer?" Heero shot him a look that made Duo smirk and hold back a few chuckles. "No offense, Yuy."

Shrugging, Trowa nodded. "It does seem like a long shot, but we don't have much else to go on, other than those names." He gestured towards the envelope in Heero's hands. "We have a Preventer tail, it just seemed logical to think they were involved more than we think."

Hell, Trowa always was the calculating, logical thinker, wasn't he? Duo clenched his fists. It did sort of make sense, it was plausible, but it did seem like a fucking lot of work for Preventer just for one measly case of murder that wasn't even murder. Of course, they didn't know that.

Quatre sighed. "Maybe it's not just about that murder. Une seemed very invested in finding out about Winner Corp research. Though I really couldn't give her any answers, she seemed somewhat satisfied with us just having the conversation."

"Trowa does make some sense," Heero said, nodding in the tall man's direction. "I'm still here and not being charged with assault because Preventer figures a broken nose is the price of doing business."

Duo stared at him with wide eyes. Hell, it made complete sense when Heero put it that way. A smile found its way onto his lips as he stared at the man with appreciation for his logical input. He thought of how Preventer had tried to 'hire him on' as if they 'desperately needed him' and wondered if maybe the organization was playing at something bigger than they'd originally thought. "Only one way to find out. Take a walk and talk to Davis," Duo said, turning to the others.

Wufei nodded curtly. "Quatre should go, he wasn't with us when we attacked him so the guy probably won't shoot him."

His humor was dry and Duo appreciated it, as he always did, nearly having forgotten their bitter words earlier that day. "I'll go with you, Quat. Just in case you need some back up."

"I can't say the same for you, Maxwell. You probably will get shot," Wufei said in a complete monotone, though their was a hint of mirth in his voice.

Duo glared at him. "Hey, I'm not the one that gave him a fucking busted nose!"

Heero grunted. "You held him for me. I'd say that makes you an accomplice."

Shaking his head, Quatre smiled at the other men's banter. "I'll make sure no one get's shot. Like Heero said, I don't think they are planning on harming us."

At that Duo stood, stretching his thin frame upwards and realizing his shirt still hung open, fairly provocatively. His fingers quickly found the buttons as he walked towards the door after Quatre.

But before they could make their exit, Wufei was at Duo's side, shoving the butt of a pistol that Duo remembered leaving in his duffel bag into his side. "Be careful, Maxwell. He may be a Preventer, but we still don't know who's side he's on at the moment."

Duo, nearly shocked by the actual amount of care in the man's voice, took the gun and stuck it in the back waistband of his jeans, hiding it beneath his shirt. "Yeah, okay, 'Fei."

As they entered the hallway and the door closed behind them, Quatre turned towards his braided friend with a slight smirk on his face. "I think we have quite a lot of catching up to do."

Duo groaned, rubbing two hands over his face, his emotions flying off the chart. "Fucking tell me about it, Quat."

By the time they made it downstairs and were walking through the hotel's modern lobby, the dynamic of their conversation had moved from fuck buddies, romantic interests, and emotional confusion to a subject Duo hated that everyone kept bringing up.

"Why do you always run, Duo?"

"I don't always run," Duo answered, turning to the blond with a scowl.

Quatre gave him a sad, apologetic smile as they pushed through the hotel's large, glass front doors. "You could have kept in touch."

Duo shook his head, the scowl not fading, though his eyes stared hard at his feet as they walked. "That's a slippery slope." He sighed. "If I kept in touch then I'd have to have some sort of fucking mailing address or phone number and that means bills and responsibility and filling out forms and shit."

"Most people do that," Quatre pointed out.

"Yeah, well I ain't 'most people,' Quat."

"Okay. You don't have to tell me why you run, but you could tell me who you're running from."

Duo stared at him. Sneaky little bastard! Instead of letting the question visibly irritate him, he smiled deviously and heaved his shoulders up and down once nonchalantly. "From being like 'most people,' I guess."

"I'm like 'most people.' I have a mailing address and a phone number. I fill out forms."

"To each his own."

"Duo." Quatre's voice was deeper now, like he damn well meant this was going to be a serious conversation and Duo better take it damn well seriously.

Duo put his hands in his pockets. They were almost across the parking lot now. "Fine. I'm running"

"From what? Being ordinary?"

"From how things used to be."

"Things are nothing like they used to be, Duo," Quatre retorted.

Duo narrowed his eyes. "Shit, things are getting more and more like they used to be every fucking day around here." He pictured Heero's bare chest in his mind and clenched his eyes shut, willing himself not to think about that right now.

Quatre placed a tentative hand on the man's forearm, stopping their trek to the Crown Vic for a moment. "Duo, what's really going on?" he asked, great concern in his aqua-blue eyes.

Duo stared at him, trying hard to hide any unnecessary emotion. Though he figured that would be fucking impossible around Quatre. It always had been impossible in the past. "Ever since we've all been back together I've been looking at you, and everyone else for that matter, and it's like this fucking thing in the back of my mind keeps telling me how shitty I must seem to you. You're all making it and, well, I'm just the same fucking guy from the war."

Quatre narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Duo that's not true at all."

Duo raised his brows and smirked. "Look at me, Quat."

Quatre shook his head and matched his smirk. "All that we've got that you don't are cell phones."

"But what have I got that you don't?" Duo countered, his eyes growing dark beneath unruly bangs. He ran a hand unconsciously over the shaved side of his head, feeling the scar tissue beneath his fingertips.

Quatre stared at him for a moment longer, but didn't have an answer. So the two kept moving towards the Crown Vic, their original mission flittering back to their minds and Duo's fingers moving from his head to behind his back to check on the loaded pistol. Just in case.