Chapter 64: No Answer

"You sure you're good?"

Duo looked to Trowa, who was putting groceries away in his kitchen. It wasn't the first time Trowa made himself at home at his place. The last time around he also did grocery shopping and stocked the kitchen, but it still felt strange to witness. For all the years he lived there, Trowa was the only other person to fully make himself at home.

Duo wondered what that said about him.

Wufei was comfortable, but they usually quickly went out together.

And Heero? He preferred his place for the couch and the bed.

That Trowa insisted on carrying the bags and putting everything away when he was, in his own eyes fully capable, mildly annoyed Duo. But for now the others were treating him delicately while his arm was in a sling. It was irritating, though also sweet. He tried his best to let it slide given the circumstances of his injuries and the bit of guilt he felt for covering part of it up.

Everyone was horrified that he'd been shot in the dead center of his chest. Twice. But their reaction may have been augmented by how he conveniently forgot to tell anyone, even the medics, about that specific injury.

Quatre found out two days after the summit when he helped Duo out of a shirt he'd wiggled into and couldn't manage his way back out of. There was no hiding the bruising on his chest, and Quatre knew at first glance the cause. The argument that followed was short and very loud.

Trowa heard them from halfway across the house. And then, just like now, he was quiet, supportive, and a little scolding, all while being completely easy going. He didn't freak out like Quatre. He didn't get angry like Wufei. He just got a look in his eyes that said do better to take care of yourself next time and then he did what he needed to make things easier. Duo often bristled at yelling, but those looks from Trowa, accompanied by genuine helpfulness, made him actually want to do better.

"Yeah, should be just fine on my own. Thanks for takin me home. And thanks for havin me for so long."

"You're welcome back any time."

Duo believed him. Even with the ups and downs with Quatre, he felt welcome with Trowa. There were times during his stay at their house when Duo was certain Quatre would keel over and die listening to the way he and Trowa talked. At one point he pulled Trowa aside and asked how he managed to live with Quatre when he seemed so… proper. The answer surprised him.

Somehow, after so many years of knowing each other, no one ever told Duo how Quatre ended up with Rashid and his crew. He was under the impression, for the longest time, that Quatre's upbringing was the opposite of his own. And while that was true for many basic and tangible necessities, there were surprising ways in which their lives ran parallel.

Duo had no idea that Quatre, with his huge family and a living parent, grew up thinking he was unloved and unwanted. Having no reference point for what a stable home and family felt like he'd made broad assumptions about Pilot 04 when he was 15 and never really questioned them. To learn he was taken as a hostage by Rashid and then apparently imprinted on him and his Maganac crew like a duckling was mind blowing. Never in a million years would he guess Quatre was so starved for a family connection that he'd eagerly leave the comforts of his upbringing and join a private army in the hope of finding affection.

Over the years he did wonder how Quatre, the only son of a disgustingly wealthy family, ended up piloting a Gundam. He just never dug deep into those thoughts. In the war there wasn't a lot of time to ask questions beyond who was his enemy and who was his ally. And after? Their relationship was never good enough to ask anything too personal.

Sharing some of the same feelings of loneliness and abandonment didn't make things magically okay between them, but it did allow Duo to see Quatre with new eyes. It also made things between Quatre and Trowa more sensible. He long thought the pair was too mismatched and that Trowa was just accepting a relationship based on physical attraction rather than an emotional understanding. But he was now willing to admit that maybe he was wrong about them, and maybe he'd underestimated Trowa.

It was difficult to know what was going on in Trowa's head at times. He still kept a lot of his cards hidden and struggled in certain instances to convey his feelings, but he'd grown enough to sometimes trick others into believing he expressed himself freely.

Duo saw through him easily. He wasn't always able to read his friend, but he always knew when something was amiss. For Duo, that was the cornerstone of their friendship. That silent understanding when something was wrong or being held back was what kept them together. It was why Trowa came to him when he was heartbroken and ready to talk to another person, even though they'd hardly spent time together in years. They were both of the mind set that no matter how long two people were separated, if they didn't have a falling out they were still friends, identical to before.

That same connection was what clued Duo into Trowa's current feelings of awkwardness. He knew, looking at his friend, that there was something he wanted to say beyond an invitation to return to Quatre's during his recovery. But Trowa wasn't able to verbalize what he wanted to add.

Duo smiled at him, small and understanding, and he saw Trowa's shoulders relax a little. A smile was all it took to break the ice and declare I know you have something more to say.

After a moment of hesitation Trowa stepped away from the kitchen and was back at Duo's door, putting on his shoes.

"I'll see you later."

Automatically Duo responded "later" and he watched as Trowa took his leave. With a small sigh, he pulled his phone from his pocket and held it in his hand. He didn't want to miss Trowa's text. Often, when things were difficult for him to say out loud, Trowa would retreat into texting. It wasn't always about distance, either. There were times Trowa texted him when they were in the same room. He suspected the comfort of this form of communication came with the pace, and the ability to think through what was written and read his words to make sure they were conveying what he wanted.

A few minutes later he felt his phone vibrate.

I'm worried about you and Heero.

That was… much more succinct than Duo was expecting. He waited to see if more was coming, but when it appeared that was all he responded.

Elaborate?

Duo grabbed a drink from his fridge and some pain pills. Thinking better than to flop on his sofa, he gingerly laid down in the hopes of getting comfortable. It was difficult to find a good position with his arm, and he laid in the opposite direction from his usual so that his left side was cradled by the back of the couch. The added support helped. When his phone vibrated he realized that laying flat and texting one handed was going to be too much trouble. He took the time to stand and change his position, leaving his couch and getting comfortable with his armchair instead.

Trowa's reply was much closer to what he was initially expecting.

Your injuries are such that they're best managed with help. You can be overzealous, and I fear you'll push yourself too hard and stress your injury. A lot has happened. I don't think you're really talking to your friends, but you likely need to. You don't need to close yourself off. Heero is my partner at work, and it has not escaped me the pain he's going through being separated from you again. I know you forgave him but I hope you give him a little more time to come to his senses. It is obvious you love each other and it is difficult to see my friends in pain.

With a great sigh, Duo dropped his hand into his lap and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. The directness of Trowa often felt like getting cut with a knife. It wasn't his style to hold back his punches, especially with friends. Until now it was mostly Wufei who tried to get him to open up, and he was grateful for that. He knew how to handle Wufei, how to open up enough to satisfy the man while not really saying too much. He wasn't overly confident he could do the same with Trowa.

Eventually he raised his hand and began to compose a reply.

I've gotten good at managing my injuries. Even before I disappeared it was necessary that I take care of that on my own.

He looked at that message for a while, considering if he should send it. In some ways it was a reprimand of his friends, and of Heero. After the wars they weren't close enough to be there for each other, and Heero was so focused on keeping their relationship a secret he didn't even show up in the hospital for him under the guise of checking in on his Preventers partner. The memory still stung. Not necessarily Heero's actions, but how the nurses commented on his absence. Duo was, according to them, the only agent whose partner never showed up for him. He hated their pity.

Duo hit send. At this point he didn't care what Trowa did or did not read into his wording.

Suddenly he felt restless. Looking around, he realized that the time he spent at Quatre's made his home feel small. Logically he knew it was, but it never felt small before. Maybe it was his injury that was causing him to see things differently. Neither the couch nor his chair were particularly comfortable compared to the large bed and copious pillows Quatre provided to allow him the least amount of pain when trying to relax or sleep. Quatre had chairs that fully reclined into beds. They even adjusted the heights of the arm rests for maximum comfort.

He sank a little lower into his beat up chair. Perhaps it was time to look into an upgrade. Or maybe he just needed to install a harness on his chair like the one he had in Deathscythe. No matter how injured he was in the wars he felt comfortable in the cockpit of his Gundam.

Maybe Howard could send him the specs?

Once again the device in his hand vibrated.

You are avoiding discussing Heero.

With a growl he tossed the phone out of reach onto his couch. Of course Trowa would just come out with it like that. He could teach his friend a thing or two about avoidance. He could avoid their entire conversation and just take a nap. That would show him.

Also? He was kind of tired and in pain, and that meant he could avoid a lot if he dozed off. It was, in his opinion, a brilliant plan. No one could possibly fault him or get mad at him for going incognito for a few hours if he passed out from his meds and got needed rest. He was a genius.

Three hours later his plan didn't seem so brilliant.

Duo was startled awake by loud knocking at his door. As he came to he jumped up, forgetting how tense his muscles would become after napping in a strange position. After two weeks the bruising on his chest was no longer dark, but his skin was still discolored to an odd yellow-brown shade. He assumed his upper back looked about the same. The impact there left large bruising, which he didn't confirm until Quatre examined him fully after discovering the bruises on his chest. He got yelled at for the injuries to his back and shoulders, as well.

Basically, Quatre read him the riot act.

But he also insisted on hiring a massage therapist, which Duo adamantly refused. He hated being touched like that. After another argument, Quatre directed him to a massage chair tucked away in one of many living rooms of his house. It did wonders to remove his tension. He was already missing it.

Feeling a thousand years old, he hobbled over to his door. The knocking was persistent, and he heard a very familiar voice calling for him. Unlocking and swinging the door open in dramatic fashion he asked "What the hell is so important, Wufei?"

Before he knew it he was being pushed aside and Wufei was inspecting his living room and having a small fit.

"Are you okay? Trowa called me. Trowa rarely calls anyone! He said he dropped you off but you were acting a little strange and then ignored his texts. And I didn't think too much of that until Zechs called me."

Duo was stupefied.

"Zechs?"

"Yes! Zechs called! I do not know of a single time that man has called me, and he was going on and on about how you weren't answering your phone."

"Zechs?"

"Yes, keep up, Duo."

The comment earned Wufei a glare.

"He asked me to check in on you. He knows you're off field work and he couldn't imagine any scenario where you'd ignore him in the middle of the day on a day like today."

Wufei wasn't making sense, and Duo was still drowsy from his medication. He yawned and turned away from his friend, seeking his couch and stumbling upon it as though he were a little hungover. Running his good hand over his face he asked "what the hell is so important about today?"

The look he got from Wufei when he dropped his hand was priceless.

"You didn't check your phone?"

With another yawn he couldn't hide forcing his eyes closed, Duo pawed blindly for his phone. It was still on his couch, and he knew it should be within arm's reach. He found the edges with his fingertips right when his yawn ended, and he looked to Wufei as he stretched a little further to grasp the device in full.

"I got it." He waved the phone in the air. "I just passed out is all. Couch must've absorbed enough of the vibration that it didn't wake me."

An odd smile spread on Wufei's face.

"You don't know."

Duo blinked, trying to shake off his sleepiness.

"Know what?"

The smile grew, and Wufei looked beyond amused. "Read your damn texts, Duo."

Confused, Duo unlocked his phone and began to scroll. He could feel Wufei's eyes on him as the man patiently waited for him to get to whatever message was so important. There was one from Howard, several from Trowa that he ignored, knowing they'd be too poignant for him to deal with at the moment. A text from Wufei telling him he'd be coming by if he didn't answer his phone, and…. Eight texts from Zechs. As he read his eyes got wider.

"Holy shit!"

"Told ya."

"Wait, is this real? Is this a joke?"

His best friend looked smug as he replied "Not a joke. So please text him back."

He didn't need to ask twice, Duo was already dialing Zech's number. It struck Wufei as a little odd. Duo called other people less frequently than Trowa. He texted all the time but an actual phone call was not in his wheelhouse to place. In the months during which they became close all of their voice correspondence was initiated by Wufei. Duo almost always answered when he called, and always sounded happy to hear from him. But he didn't instigate. He could tell the moment Zechs picked up his phone from the look in Duo's eyes. The light shifted and he looked excited.

"Fuckin' congrats, man!"

Duo was all smiles, listening to something on the other end of the line.

"Dude you can yell at me all you want, I don't care. I took pain meds, it wiped me out, and my phone was across the room. But that doesn't matter one bit! So quit worrying, Dad. How's Noin?"

He looked to Wufei and silently mouthed "twins!" before his attention was back on the call. He looked… stricken. He cut eye contact.

"Are you joking? No, really. Are you pulling my leg here?"

The change of tone gave Wufei pause. Duo looked back up and locked eyes with him again. His voice was quiet.

"Seriously? That's what you want?"

A short pause.

"Okay but what are the duties?"

A slightly longer pause.

"And who's…."

Surprise and understanding crossed his face.

"Gotcha. No, it's not… yeah. Of course. Yeah, man. It'd be an honor. Okay. Sure. Give her my best."

Stunned, Duo made his way to his couch and fell onto it. He dropped his phone and ran both hands through his hair. Wufei waited patiently, knowing when he was ready he'd tell him what happened. From their phone call earlier he already knew that Noin delivered a health pair of twins. They'd kept the twins part a secret just to surprise their friends.

He also knew there were complications and she hadn't planned on a c-section, but modern medicine made fatalities during birth a rarity. Even with complications, she was never in real danger. She could've given birth on L2 or a remote Mars outpost and still been very safe. He wondered what could be said in that call to shake Duo so badly, because he was confident it wasn't news about Noin's health.

Duo looked up at him.

"How the fuck did I end up godfather to The Spawn of The Lightning Count?"

Wufei shook and immediately doubled over with laughter. That was the last thing he expected to hear. He watched his friend causally drop into the armchair in his living room, the elation on his face evident.

"I'm surprised he asked you, when you won't even call him Milliardo."

Duo groaned. "The guy has too many names and he hates the way I pronounce Milliardo. Says it's not Spanish, but no matter how many times I try I can't adjust. It's right there. I tried calling him Agent Wind and he seemed to dislike that from me. He's fine with it from other people, but from me it's too formal or something." Abruptly, Duo's expression changed. "Hey! You call him Zechs, too!"

Wufei smirked. "Only with you and the guys. Old habits. And you're right he doesn't care one way or another. But to his face and to others I call him Milliardo."

With a pout, Duo slouched. "Yeah, I guess that tracks. But... I dunno, Wufei. He and I are friends, but I also never quite feel like I'm doing anything right by him."

"Well you must've done something right." Wufei smiled, and Duo instantly recognized it as trouble. He also realized, slowly, that Wufei looked comfortable. "So the godmother..."

"NO!" Duo threw a couch cushion at his friend, who caught it easily. "Don't even fucking say it, Wufei! It's not her! Noin's got an old friend of hers lined up, do not for a second picture me and—" he shuddered "Relena as co-godparents!"

"What? You don't want to be joined in holy godparent duties with Relena?

Groaning loudly, Duo buried his face in his hands. "No! I do not!" He leaned back, feeling defeated. "I kind of feel sick at the idea. At least he told me my only job was to show the kid how to be cool, if anything happened to them."

Without a word Wufei got to his feet and walked to the kitchen. Duo watched as he opened a cabinet and grabbed two cups, then took his kettle and began to fill it with water.

"What are you doing?"

"Making tea with honey. One of the herbal blends I brought you after your stunt at HQ should calm your nerves."

Duo frowned. "I'm fine. And I don't like herbal tea, especially not that one."

"Yeah, but you're my friend so you still have it in case I want it, anyway." He ducked into a cabinet and triumphantly showcased a small tin in his hand. "Told you!"

As he prepared their tea, it occurred to Duo that maybe Trowa wasn't the only person comfortable at his place. Wufei certainly looked right at home. He even knew where the honey was located. It felt nice to have that sort of familiarity. It made him feel rooted down in a good way, like he belonged somewhere, like he was accepted somewhere.

It felt great right up until his friend proposed a most heinous idea.

"I don't know much about godparents, but I once read that centuries ago, in pre-colony times, the godparents were often also in line to be guardians of the kids if something happened to their parents. So be extra glad Noin has friends. Can you imagine the horror of you raising children with Relena?"

Duo blanched.

"Okay now I really do need that tea. I think I'm gonna be sick."