Chapter 49: The Meeting

Things were looking up for Duo. Though Wufei's evening at Dragon Kwoon didn't solve all of his problems it did alleviate a substantial amount of emotional weight he was carrying. His mood was instantly improved, and he began to smile more. Heero immediately noticed these changes. He also immediately noticed the bruising on Duo's arms and face and required some talking down to prevent him from yelling at Wufei.

Any war between those men was the last thing Duo wanted. After all, Wufei called him family.

Family.

It still brought a dopey smile to his face every time word popped in his head. The designation was extra meaningful because Wufei grew up in a large extended family, raised along with a cousin he considered like a brother. He knew the weight of his words and yet he spoke them with conviction.

You're the family I've been missing since L5.

He thought it would be scary to let someone else get close enough to be called family. After Solo died he was certain he'd never have another "brother" again, and part of that stemmed from the fear of losing someone so vitally important to him. Never would he come out on his own and tell Wufei he thought of him like a part of his own blood. He couldn't even describe it to himself in a way that consistently made sense because he never actually cared about blood ties.

What if he confessed he felt like Wufei was the closest thing to a brother he had, and he got laughed at for not knowing anything about what a real brother was like?

What if he explained further that Wufei wasn't really a best friend or a brother to him, but kind of an extension of himself, wildly different but the same in all the core ways that mattered, and Wufei just shrugged it off?

They'd grown close. They had a way of communicating that typically just clicked. They could leave gaps in spoken words and understand each other. If one explained something poorly the other knew what he meant. To call them two peas in a pod was reductive but not wrong. And none of that would've happened if Duo hadn't shown up for Wufei and just been there for him on the anniversary of L5's destruction.

As convinced as he was that finding his friend and showing his support was a moral imperative, he was terrified the whole gesture would be met with hostility. He didn't want to make Wufei feel worse but he couldn't stomach the thought of Wufei feeling alone. Miraculously, their entire friendship rapidly grew out of that one day. Sometimes Duo wondered if maybe Wufei was as starved for connection as he was. Though he had people who were good friends, and he had Sally, Wufei didn't appear to have the type of deep and often playful friendship they shared with anyone else.

Having a close friend was different than having a life partner. For as wonderful as Sally was, she couldn't substitute a best platonic friend. It was the same way Heero could never fill that role for Duo. Once sexual and romantic attraction factored into a friendship, and especially once they were acted upon with intensity, there was a strong risk of dynamic shift. Some friendships are never the same again after romantic declarations or casual sex. It didn't always mean they were better or worse than before. It only meant they were different.

The scary part was how Duo didn't recall ever having such a strong connection with a friend, and he wasn't certain how much of that came from his age and experience. He loved Solo, but they were children trying to survive. There was no comparison. And Hilde... he had feelings about the strength of their friendship he was too scared to admit outside of his own head. Wufei was different from everyone, and Duo realized the depth of their connection when he began to make little toasts to Sally while cooking.

To the woman who puts THAT SMILE on my friend's face!

To Sally, who brings him so much joy!

He felt like an idiot but he couldn't help himself. His friend's happiness ignited a fire within him. He was genuinely thrilled, and the feeling was wildly new. How could someone else's joy mean so much to him? How could he feel so much positivity so intensely when for years he conditioned himself to feel nothing?

At one point, back in December, he tried to parse out if he was jealous. While he acknowledged Wufei was a good looking guy and objectively might even be his physical type, he didn't actually feel physical attraction to him. This didn't appear to make logical sense, but that's how he felt.

Still, he thought about his feelings in general a lot before agreeing to try a relationship with Heero again. Was he unknowingly holding a torch for Wufei, and mixing up his own signals? Was he interpreting a romantic attraction that couldn't be acted upon as a platonic one? And would that be fair to Heero?

The answers were, unequivocally, no, no, and not applicable.

He loved Wufei to the colonies and back but in no way did he want anything close to a romantic or sexual relationship with him. He just loved him and enjoyed having him in his life. Period. And that conclusion was thrilling. It freed him to unabashedly feel for his friend without fear of any added complications from attraction.

Duo knew where he stood. And he knew Wufei was not into men, so they were in the clear. But he still held back from verbally expressing how he felt. He had no problem showing his love, he just couldn't say it. Words were difficult, especially when they were tied to closely held feelings. He hated to say them first, and thought his own cowardice would leave their connection unlabeled and undeclared forever.

And then Wufei just came right out and said it. I love you, you dumbass. You're the family I've been missing since L5.

The two words that Duo thought would fill him with anxiety, love and family, instead powered him and gave him life. He wasn't worried about losing Wufei like he lost Solo. He didn't even register that as a possibility. You can't lose part of yourself. That he so easily reciprocated, that he was compelled immediately to tell Wufei he loved him back, was monumental for Duo. As the words tumbled out he could physically feel his walls coming down and his heart opening up again.

As a result he was living in the moment, overjoyed to have confirmation he meant as much to his best friend as his friend did to him. It didn't even faze him when Heero was working long case hours in town again and they didn't see each other. Something switched on in Duo, and he was needing Heero less. The process occurred over several days, but it was everything he wanted. He slowly no longer felt the need to distract himself with disconnected sex or rely on Heero to sleep well.

Yes, he technically still slept better with Heero nearby. He didn't feel that would change anytime soon. But he wasn't staying over at Heero's every single night because he had to in order to get any rest. The time he spent in his own home rejuvenated him. He spent time with Heero because he wanted to.

Every day he felt more ready to face Une at HQ and move forward. He felt stronger, more confident. He made an appointment to see her in a week, giving himself extra time to enjoy the perks of his current schedule.

While his relationship with Heero had taken a few steps backwards on he physical side of things, they were actually starting to connect in the ways they needed. Duo was allowing himself to be present, and Heero was eating it up. One night when Heero came home from work to find Duo in his kitchen, making eggs and rice for two and humming to himself, there was nothing in the world brighter than Heero's smile. It seemed the happier he was, the happier Heero was.

Gone were the days of being clingy. They spent more time apart but the quality of the time spent together was infinitely improved. He was feeling healthy for the first time in ages and actually allowed himself to enjoy it. In a lot of ways he was experiencing a reset, and by extension so was his relationship with Heero.

They were building a real foundation for themselves.

Heero didn't need to say he thought they should stop having sex until they were emotionally in a good place. When he ceased to initiate Duo knew his intentions. He wasn't so insecure to think Heero lost interest. The man stuck with him through a massive depressive episode, doing his best to be supportive and never pushing his own agenda. If that wasn't a sweeping romantic gesture then Duo didn't know what was. He could live with a little abstinence, especially if when they reconnected it felt more like it used to. He really did miss the sex they had out of desire rather than distraction. And he knew, deep down, Heero felt that too.

Overall things were looking up. At his lowest point, after the breakup and after Hilde, he carved out a position with Une to keep himself occupied. The goal was to prevent him from building roots anywhere, and maybe even decommission him before he got too old to keep fighting like he was. At the time it hadn't occurred to him that he might have a future within his grasp worth slowing down for, and now he could taste that future. There was no comparing his life to how it was just before Quatre found him in a hospital bed. He had friends, a romantic relationship, and things to look forward to. Life was less of a duty, and more of something actually worth living.

Though he hated to admit it to himself, without Quatre's tenacity his life would be as lonely and obsessively work driven as before. He didn't particularly want to thank Quatre for how his life turned around, but he couldn't ignore how much he owed the guy.

Duo was trying to enjoy his new situation and figure out his future. His life was changing, and the lingering doubts in his head related to his self control gave him something to think about before lunging back into work. He enjoyed the feeling of making a tangible difference, but Heero, Trowa, and Wufei made a tangible difference, too. And unlike him, they'd taken roles mixing dangerous field work with the safety of administrative work. He wasn't sure how he felt about that for himself, and he was terrified of the pay cut involved, but the prospect of shifting his role into something less likely to kill him and less likely to keep him traveling most of the year would mean more time to explore this new life he was positioned to have.

That was how he found himself outside on a beautiful April afternoon, taking advantage of the cool temperatures and bright sun before field work sent him who knows where. He intended to take a long lunch break from online work and consider his options for the hundredth time.

The small park near his home was full of people, mostly young children with their caretakers and some retirees. A few kids skipping school milled about, talking and using half of the basketball court to practice trick shots. Duo was using the other half, content with making another futile attempt to become half as good as Zechs at getting all net.

The few times in the past when he joined the ex gundam pilots for a game Zechs proved himself a sleeper cell of ungodly basketball talent. The man would hardly participate, generally remain apathetic in his movements, and then make a perfect release like he'd practiced it a million times.

All net, every time. Every single shot, no matter from where, was all net. It was maddening.

Duo was half an hour into a practice, having succeeded only twice in shooting like Zechs, when a man approached his half of the court and spoke.

"Are you the famous Mateo McCormack?"

Duo paused with the ball held high and glanced at the man standing nearby. It wouldn't be unheard of for someone in this neighborhood to call him Mateo. That was the alias he used when he moved here. But the use of "famous" threw him off and raised all the red flags in his head that screamed to hold to his alias. He was careful to keep a low profile in his community so this couldn't be a neighbor. He lowered the ball.

"Yeah, I'm Mateo."

The man smiled. He had an ease about him, a confidence not terribly common when the average person approached a stranger in public. He wore a well-fitting but plain leather jacket with an asymmetric zipper running from shoulder to waist. By all accounts he was well dressed. He extended a hand in introduction, and Duo tucked his basketball under one arm and instinctively shook the offered hand, applying a firmer grip than necessary and noting how it was met with equal force.

"Wonderful! I've been looking forward to us meeting. May I join you? I would love to have a short discussion. Maybe even shoot some hoops with you?"

Duo felt in his bones something was off, but he took a few steps back and passed the ball to the man. He nonchalantly began to toss the ball from his left to right hand and back, maintaining eye contact as he did. He looked relaxed.

"Mr McCormack, my name is Laron Chevalier. Do you know who I am?" When Duo shook his head the man looked a little surprised. "Oh, that's a shame. I've heard so much about you, I'd hoped you'd know about me." He began to slowly dribble the ball, the hollow sound when it hit the pavement rhythmically announced the passage of time. "I thought for certain my reputation would proceed me, given how well connected and informed you are. Perhaps you're more familiar with me from the texts I sent that you ignored?"

Internally Duo felt tension across his chest. He'd told no one, not even Heero, Wufei, or Une about those texts. Externally he maintained his neutral expression.

"Having never met before I can forgive you for rudely ignoring me, Mr McCormack. But perhaps you know me by another name? On L2 they call me Moustique."

He did know that name. And the steady sound of the basketball suddenly felt like stabbing in his ears, each sharp sound making him want to flinch. Duo did not. The name meant "mosquito" and he knew it well.

"When did you get out of prison?"

Without missing a beat the man joked "Did you think I'd stay locked up? I have connections and money. A man like me doesn't remain captive for long."

"You posted bail." It wasn't a question.

"That's right. Not many places still have a bail system, but of course L2 does."

"You were arrested on Earth."

"I have good lawyers."

Duo watched him carefully for any reaction when he next spoke. "Assuming you were moved into holding on L2 and then met bail, coming to Earth would violate the terms of your release. You're a wanted man. I could have you arrested on the spot and you could do little else but let me."

That affable smile found its way onto the man's face again. He looked delighted at Duo's words, and caught the ball with both hands, silencing it before slyly checking his watch.

"Mr McCormack…" the words were friendly, but his tone shifted and cut just like the sound of the dribbling ball seconds before. His smile turned slightly and hinted at a scowl. "I of course did not come to see you alone. There are six people in this park who are armed members of my coalition. If anyone makes the slightest move against me they will shoot, indiscriminately, into this crowd. Not at you. At the public. And we don't want that, do we?"

Duo knew better than to actually look around. The threat was enough, he didn't need to make a show of actually checking for enemies.

"What brings me here today is a proposition I have for you. And as you noted, I've forfeited a great deal of money to see you in person because you haven't answered my texts." His eyes flashed with intensity. "I want you to help finish the job you thwarted three months ago. I admit I underestimated Preventers because I didn't consider you." He smiled brilliantly. "What a thrill that was! What a twist! He drugged you and you still saved him!"

He seemed genuinely delighted. Duo stood completely still as he watched the kind of man who gave L2 a bad reputation shift the basketball until he held it with one arm against his side. His pose was overly casual for someone who just threatened to murder innocent civilians and actually meant it. His smile stretched ear to ear, and Duo wondered if that was what he looked like when he hid behind a smile.

He hated it.

"It's not in my nature to leave loose ends. Not unless they amuse me. And you, Mr McCormack, amuse me greatly. You have one month to decide if you're going to help me, and if you do everything else is water under the bridge. But if you don't? You won't stop anything. But you will become just another loose end to take care of, like that so-called assassin I hired who snitched on me."

Duo's eyes narrowed and the man suddenly tossed he ball back to him. Though he caught it easily, the force behind the pass was significantly more than necessary.

"I know so much about you, Mateo. Be careful when you make your next move. It's in the best interests of you and your loved ones to keep my favorable acquaintance." He began to walk away and called over his shoulder, "A rain check, then, on shooting hoops!"

It was then that Duo's eyes darted about to look for signs of any entourage. Immediately he spotted four suspicious people trying to blend into the public, disappearing along with the man known as The Mosquito.

A dumb name, he thought.

He then pulled out his phone and scrolled down to the messages he received from that unknown number. There was only one text thread that man could possibly have referenced.

I know who you are.

Help me finish what I started.

You have every reason to hate him, too.

Don't ignore me.

We could liberate them all.

He's not your friend and never will be. But I could be.

Stop protecting him and answer me.

It's obvious he hates you or he wouldn't keep treating you this way.

They're protecting him like you don't matter.

He's our common problem. I have the solution. Answer me!

I'm running out of patience.

Answer me!

I know what you did at HQ. Very impressive.

Will you text me back already?

Stop punishing yourself and answer me!

Fuck you. Watch your back.

I'm coming for you.

The man called him Mateo, so it appeared Duo's cover was intact and effective. But he wasn't sure what he meant by loose ends. If that man was truthful, he was Duo's prime suspect in Quatre's assassination attempt, a man he only knew from the alias Moustique. He never saw a photo. Duo traced him through hours of interviews on L2 and meticulous stalking of his online presence. After he woke up in the hospital he never actually checked his suspect's file to see his mug shot. He considered the case no longer his problem, something from which he was free.

He paid for that freedom with blood. Lots of it. He wasn't interested in the follow up.

So far he kept the texts to himself. Without knowing who they were from he didn't consider them threatening enough to involve anyone else. Maybe it was time to let someone know what was happening. But first, he'd do some research on Laron Chevalier.

When he pinpointed his suspect in the murder plot against Quatre he didn't have time to go as in depth as he wanted building a dossier. He simply found the most likely suspect with ties to L2 and the resources to hire hitmen. In a meeting with Une and Trowa he presented "Moustique" as his prime suspect only days before heading to the cabin with Quatre.

Ideally he'd go to L2 and ask around, but given how the man showed up in the park while Duo was clearing his mind there was a good chance he was being watched. Some of Howard's guys might have useful and discreet connections on L2 who could provide information.

His phone lit up in his hand. Une was calling.

"Yo."

"I got word few minutes ago that the man hired to kill Quatre was murdered while in witness protection this morning. The case is developing. We tried to trace the whereabouts of Laron Chevalier, who you know as Moustique, but he's missing. We think he's behind the killing. Without that witness our case against him becomes much harder to prosecute. I've already spoken with Trowa."

Duo didn't say a word. This was what Laron meant when he talked about loose ends. If possessed the pull to murder someone turned state's witness, living under a false ID and monitored by law enforcement, he was a true threat.

"Duo?"

He snapped back to attention. "Laron is here on Earth. I just met him."

"What?"

"Do you have time for me to report in?"

"I'll clear my schedule. When will you be here?"

He thought for a moment. "Give me an hour. He won't make any more moves today. He's in this long term."

"See you then."

As he disconnected the call he couldn't help but wonder if maybe life wasn't looking as bright as he thought it was.