Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Happy Trails ❯ Chapter 9

Warnings and disclaimers in first part


It was after dark by the time Duo got back home. Trowa immediately noticed how quiet the other man was and how cobalt eyes stayed on him warily when he moved. Staying clear from the smaller man, Trowa gestured to the table, “Sit down. I fixed supper.”

“And I still have a house? You’re getting better.”

“I didn’t cook alone. Sara came by with some packages for you. She said she put them in the usual place. I asked for her help.”

“I can just imagine the rumors going around already.”

Pulling a casserole from the oven, Trowa paused, stunned how badly the words hurt. “I told her I wanted to do something for you because you’ve been so nice to me, Duo. I didn’t say anything that would make her think we’re lovers.” He had wanted to; even more, he had wanted it to be true.

Keeping his body turned away so the other man couldn’t see the ache he was sure was written on his face, Trowa moved slowly as he transferred a scoop of casserole from pan to plate. Hands on his hips had him jerking in surprise, dropping the spoon and spinning around to look down at Duo. “I didn’t mean to sound like a jerk. There will be rumors, Trowa. No one’s ever stayed here overnight and definitely not for a week. I’m still a bit…raw from earlier, I guess. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“Are you raw because of Cal, or what I did?” When Duo turned his head, Trowa took a risk as he gripped Duo’s chin and made him turn back. “Are you upset with what we talked about or how you felt when I kissed you?” he asked bluntly, blinking and releasing his grip when the small man leaned forward, resting his forehead on Trowa’s chest.

After a moment he heard a sigh as Duo’s arms dropped. “Both, I guess. There are days lately when I get up I’m so confused I don’t know what to do.”

It wasn’t hard to figure out he had become a source of confusion for Duo and he was cheered by the thought. If Duo was confused, that meant he was thinking about Trowa. Leaning down, he put his mouth near the other man’s ear, “For now, we eat dinner. Everything else will sort itself out in time.”

The rest of the night was quiet and with little conversation. Trowa was surprised when Duo agreed to watch some television with him and then entranced when he realized the braided man was sound asleep on the opposite end of the couch. For a long time he sat and looked at Duo, confused by the need he felt to protect Duo from everything, especially his former lover.

Duo was a mystery to him, but he was beginning to figure out the puzzle of the man that had always been drawn to crowds, yet was now more comfortable as far away from people as he could get. He knew Duo was attracted to him, but was determined not to act on that attraction. Duo said he didn’t want to anger Quatre, yet thumbed his nose at the blonde at every turn.

The tenderness he felt as he carried Duo up the stairs was no longer a shock, although it still frightened him. Not wanting to wake the sleeping man, Trowa lay Duo on top of the blankets fully dressed, gazing down at him for several minutes before heading for the door with a sigh.

“Trowa.”

Assuming he had made some noise to wake Duo up he turned, intending to apologize. Words stuck in his throat when he saw Duo was still slumbering, one hand stretched out across the surface of the bed as if he was searching for something in his sleep.



When he came down the stairs the next morning he found Duo and Mick in the kitchen and got a cup of coffee, no longer surprised Duo had gotten a mug out for him. He had only been in the room a minute before he felt the tension, aware it was coming from Duo rather than the large man that was already finishing his breakfast.

Sitting down, he glanced at the man beside him, seeing Duo was pushing his food around his plate rather than eating it. Voice calm, he turned to Mick, “Will you go tend the horses? Duo and I need to talk.”

As expected, Mick’s eyes went to Duo, who nodded without looking up. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. You can brush Shin as long as Evie and Scythe don’t mind.”

Face creased in a smile, the huge man left the kitchen seconds later. Trowa waited until the door shut fully, “What is it, Duo?”

“It’s good news,” the long-haired man spoke in a tone that said the news was anything but. “The part for your truck arrived this morning. It’ll be fixed by tomorrow night, so you’ll be ready to go the day after that.” It was impossible to see what the expression on Duo’s face was, the long hair unbraided and concealing the other man’s features.

“I want to stay here until we can figure out who is causing you trouble.” He actually wanted to stay for good, but didn’t think Duo was ready to hear that.

“I’ve been dealing with this for a while on my own; I’ll be okay. You should be happy, Trowa. You get to go back to your life. That’s the important thing, isn’t it?”

Unfortunately, Trowa was beginning to see what was important was right in front of him, in the form of a man that refused to look at him. “Let me stay for a few more days. Until the weekend,” he suggested, knowing it would only give him three more days, but hoping that would be enough time to discover Duo’s tormentor. It would also give him time to convince Duo he had no desire to leave.

“I’m sorry, Trowa. You can stay tomorrow night so you won’t be driving in the dark, but I want you to leave Thursday. You’ve been here too long already.”

“I want to do something for you, Duo.”

“Then leave Thursday.”

“That’s not what I meant, damn it.”

“I know it’s not, but it’s all I’ll ask of you. You have to leave, Trowa.”

Something in Duo’s tone had Trowa frowning. Turning on the bench seat, he moved the hair away from the other man’s face, stunned when he saw tears silently tracking down Duo’s face. Putting his face to Duo’s hair, he whispered, “Please let me stay. I want to stay.”

“Trowa…I can’t. You have to go.”

Before he could reply to the tearful statement, Duo was up and gone, leaving him with empty hands, dirty dishes, and a heavy heart.



“Heero, have you found anything helpful?” Trowa answered the phone with a frown after he heard the familiar voice on the answering machine. Fortunately, Duo had shown him how to work the phone so he didn’t have to fumble for the right button this time.

Dark blue eyes studied him for a moment. “Are you okay? You don’t look happy.”

“I’m okay, but I’ll be leaving here Thursday morning. I’d like to be able to give Duo some answers before I leave.” He was far from okay, but he didn’t think Heero wanted to hear he had developed feelings for the man Heero himself had once wanted. “Duo is worried it’s someone around here, but he can’t think of anyone that would be angry with him.”

“You don’t think it’s someone there, do you?”

“It has to be someone that’s close, but I don’t think they belong here. It wouldn’t be difficult to hire someone to cause problems for one particular rancher, especially one that’s been forcibly cut off from his friends and anyone that could really help him.”

Shaking his head, Heero frowned, “We really did let Duo struggle on his own, didn’t we? Instead of wondering why he left so suddenly, we assumed he didn’t want to deal with us anymore. At least that’s what I did. I let my own hurt feelings override my common sense.”

“You can’t blame yourself for any of this, Heero. I’m sure you had some help thinking the way you did.” When the other man frowned, Trowa explained with a sigh, “Was there any gentle persuasion to forget about Duo? Did someone tell you he must have left because he didn’t care?”

Clearly annoyed, Heero hissed, “Damn it, I didn’t even realize it at the time. It was so subtle and I was already upset so it was easy to blame Duo.” After a long sigh, he added, “I guess it doesn’t really matter now, but I’ll try harder to mend the rift between me and Duo.”

Concealing how much the idea bothered him, Trowa nodded, “I wish you luck. Why did you actually call?”

“Remember the pictures you asked me about?”

Somehow Trowa had forgotten the satellite he had asked Heero to hi-jack for a little while. “Did you get any good shots?”

“I took quite a few and found a few things I didn’t expect. I’m going to send them to you now. Is there anything else you needed?”

“Were you able to talk to Une?”

Heero smiled and after a long explanation, Trowa was smiling as well, glad something seemed to be going right. He blinked when the other man spoke suddenly, changing the subject, “Why don’t you stay there a little longer? There’s nothing here that won’t wait. You seem to like it there.”

“I do like it here. It’s…peaceful.”

Heero looked at him for a few long seconds before smiling slightly, “He loves strawberries and wine, Trowa. When he came to visit, it was the only thing I saw him express excitement over.”

“That’s not important. I need to help him with his problems.”

“I can’t say I loved him,” Heero continued as if Trowa hadn’t said anything. “We were too young and I didn’t understand what the word meant, but there was the possibility of it.”

“Heero…”

“Shut up and listen.” Trowa blinked at the order, inclining his head in understanding. “If we had been given a chance, I think I would have loved him and he could have loved me, but because of someone else’s interference, Duo lost that chance and so did I. I’ve been able to have relationships during the last nine years. Duo probably hasn’t. He’ll be afraid of letting anyone close, Trowa. He wouldn’t want to risk losing someone else again. You have two more nights with him. I suggest you make the most of them.”

For a moment Trowa considered arguing. Duo had said they wouldn’t be involved and was determined to keep that vow. He also recalled the use of the word ‘can’t’ instead of ‘won’t’ and knew he couldn’t leave without learning if the braided man felt anything for him at all. “Does he prefer a specific type of wine?”



Sitting on his bed, Trowa studied the satellite images Heero had sent, more than a little disturbed by what he saw. When his cell phone rang he answered it absently, cursing silently when he heard the familiar voice on the line, “You seem to be busy. Did I call at a bad time?”

Refusing to turn on the small screen, Trowa rolled his eyes, “Actually, you did.”

“I had assumed you would have left Duo’s already. Why aren’t you on your way to Heero’s by now?”

Through the saccharine sweet tone Trowa could hear the underlying anger and was perversely pleased. “How do you know I haven’t already left?”

A hesitation had him smiling as Quatre realized he had made a mistake. “It’s too quiet. If you had left that backwater hellhole, there would be more noise in the background.”

Taking a moment to flip a switch on his phone, Trowa narrowed his eyes. “If you think it’s such a backwater hellhole, why have you come out to visit Duo? He’s told me he’s seen you several times in the last few years. It’s just odd you never mentioned it to the rest of us. We’re all supposed to be friends.”

“Anything Duo’s told you is a lie. You can’t trust him, Trowa.”

“If you don’t trust him, why did you tell me to stay with Duo while my truck was being repaired? You are friends with Duo, aren’t you?” he inquired with a touch of confusion in his voice. “I don’t see why you would tell me to come here if you weren’t.”

“I didn’t speak of him because I didn’t want you thinking about him. The only reason I told you to stay with him is to remind him of what he’ll never have.”

“Quatre, you and I aren’t together anymore. As far as I’m concerned, I’m single and can do whatever, and whoever, I want.”

“You belong to me, Trowa. It would be a good idea to remember that.” The kind tone Quatre had always used was gone, replaced with ice. “If you don’t remember that, I’ll make Duo’s life more difficult than I already have. Maybe I need to anyway. It seems he’s forgotten the favor I did for him. Perhaps it’s time for a small reminder.”

“You mean the favor when you set Duo up for murder then rushed in to save him at the last minute?”

“If that’s what Duo told you, he lied,” Quatre’s tone was superior and smug.

“He didn’t tell me anything about it. I saw a picture of him and your cousin Calvin together and got curious. It didn’t take long to find the death certificate or the police report; it’s a matter of public record. I have one question, though. Did you murder your own cousin or did you pay someone to do it for you?”

“I never considered Calvin my cousin. The Winner Family does not have such low-class people in it. I wouldn’t go near him, especially not in a low-rent apartment building like the one he lived.”

“So, you paid someone else to kill him.”

“Not at all; I simply paid someone to give him the drugs he craved. It’s not my fault he used too much.” Trowa was stupefied when he heard the pleased laugh. “It was perfect when Duo was arrested. It wasn’t what I had planned, but it indebted him to me.”

“Right, because no one would ever question Quatre Winner if he said something.”

“Not if they wanted their life to be easy. No one crosses me without discovering how hard life can be. You might want to remember that, Trowa. Apparently, Duo has forgotten.”

“Leave Duo alone; he hasn’t done anything. If you want to know the truth, I’ve tried to seduce him several times, but he’s turned me down each time.”

“Then I’ll leave him alone, for now. I suggest you don’t push me anymore, Trowa. I won’t be happy about it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Quatre. I have to go now. I’m working on something important at the moment.”

“I assume Duo is there with you?” hissed the blonde, clearly angered by the idea.

Trowa smiled, wondering if he had ever really loved the blonde. “He’s outside somewhere. He spends most of his time outside. There are a lot of things to do and he’s having additional problems with an intruder.”

“An intruder? Really?” As Trowa had expected, there was no surprise in Quatre’s voice, although there was more than a little smugness and satisfaction.

“Really, though it’s more of an annoyance than anything else. I’m convinced it’s someone with a low IQ. The issues have no imagination behind them.” The abrupt silence had him smirking, imagining the expression of rage on the blonde’s face. “I really do have to go. Perhaps we’ll talk again soon,” he added, having no intention of speaking to the blonde in the future.

“I promise we’ll talk soon,” Quatre said softly, the threat clear.

After hanging up the phone, Trowa ejected the small disc; gratified he had opted to buy a new and more expensive phone before making the trip to Heero’s. Though his number had remained the same, the recording option hadn’t been included on his old phone. With a smirk, he held the disc between his fingers, nodding to himself when he heard voices in the lower level of the house. Unaware of the recording device, Quatre had just sown the seeds of his own downfall.

Halfway down the steps, he recognized the sheriff’s voice from calls on the phone. Duo had spoken to the man several times in the last few days and Trowa wasn’t quite sure what to expect. He walked in and was pleased to see Duo standing near the fridge, the sheriff seated at the long table with a cup of coffee in his hand. Intelligent brown eyes studied him for a moment before he was offered a nod of greeting. “I came by to tell Duo we haven’t had any luck finding the person behind the crimes. I’m Sherriff Gibbs. You must be Trowa.”

“I am. I already knew who you were, sir. I’ve heard your voice enough to know it. As to Duo’s problems, I can provide some assistance if you don’t mind getting aid from a concerned citizen.”

“Trowa worked with me before, Bruce. You can trust him. He also used to be an agent with the Preventers.” Trowa blinked when Duo spoke up for him, aware of the cobalt eyes on him. “He knows what I was during the war, Trowa. He was a supporter of the Gundams.”

“I don’t mind telling you I was also a pilot, then.” Moving forward, he set the photos and disc on the table then moved to stand behind Duo, leaning on the counter while one hand touched the other man’s back, assuming the smaller man would remain where he was to conceal the touch. “I have a few friends that work in various government agencies. One of those friends sent me these pictures a little while ago. I thought you might be interested in taking a look at them.”

“What exactly am I looking at?”

“Satellite pictures of Duo’s property.” Trowa didn’t know if Duo jerked at what he said or the way he worked his hand under the flannel shirt to find skin, but he kept his voice composed as he trailed light fingers up Duo’s spine. “If you look closely you can see an area of land approximately one mile due east of where we’re standing. There seems to be someone camping there and I doubt they’re supposed to be. Even if they were simply trespassing, they shouldn’t have the wide range of equipment they have at that camp.”

The older man flipped through the photos until he saw a close-up of the camp. “What kind of equipment is this?” he asked, glancing up at Trowa. “I see a few tents and some other camping items, but most of this looks like electronics of some kind.”

“That’s what they are; there are infrared cameras, high-range binoculars, and long-range listening devices like a parabolic microphone. They have everything they need to spy on someone and I think that’s what they’re doing. I think they’ve been hired to watch what goes on here and are sending the information to someone else.”

“You think you know who would hire someone to cause problems for Duo? He’s been a big damn help to a lot of families around here and I don’t think they would do something like this. Most of the families around here couldn’t afford a set-up this expansive even if they did have a problem with a neighbor.”

“Duo said the same thing,” Trowa smiled at the braided man’s faith in his neighbors. “I know who is doing this. The recording on the disc will be inadmissible in court, but it’ll be enough to have the Preventers arrest Quatre Winner for a number of crimes, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.” This time he was certain Duo’s jerk was from astonishment. “Getting the remainder of the proof they need for these crimes shouldn’t be too hard; there have to be people that witnessed something off about Quatre’s activities.”

The Sherriff didn’t seem convinced. “Quatre Winner, one of the richest people in the universe? Are you crazy? Why would he want to harass Duo?”

More out of a need to prove his point than to make the other man trust him, Trowa pulled a disc-player from his pocket as he moved back to the table, taking note of the way Duo remained where he was. In seconds he had the disc playing the conversation between himself and Quatre, lifting an eyebrow when the seated man gasped. When the disc was over, Trowa slid it back out of his recorder and went back to Duo, his hand instantly burrowing under the soft shirt once again, fingers itching to touch the other man’s skin. “A copy of this has already been sent to the Preventers to help with the investigation they started against Quatre months ago. I found out about the investigation earlier today,” he added for Duo’s benefit, sharing the information Heero had offered.

“Why would they be investigating Winner?” the Sherriff narrowed his eyes, picking the disc up carefully between his fingers and staring at it like it was a poisonous snake coiled to bite.

“Apparently, Quatre has been involved with some business deals that weren’t strictly legal. The Preventers are trying to find everything they can. It won’t be easy to prove Quatre isn’t what he appears to be, but they’re determined.”

“Duo, do you know where this is?”

The braided man nodded instantly. “They’ll see you coming if you go straight there and have plenty of time to be gone. There’s an old maintenance trail at the bottom of the hill where their vehicles will be parked. By going from the south, we can catch them by surprise. You still able to ride?”

“Yup, you still got that Taku horse?”

“Nataku, yes; go tell Mick to saddle up her and Wing. I’ll ride Scythe.”

Gibbs eyed Duo warily, “You know there’s no horse that can keep up with that black bastard.”

“I know that. You don’t mind if I have a little chat with these assholes first, do you, Bruce? I have a few questions to ask. We’ll take Mick along.”

“Hell, boy, as long as I don’t see anything, I’ll assume they fell down…a lot.”

“Good to know; those trails can be tricky after dark. Go tell Mick to saddle up and get ready to ride.”

When the sheriff left, the small man turned around to look at Trowa, obviously confused. After a moment he backed away, forcing Trowa’s hands to fall away from him. “Thank you for helping me, Trowa. I’d ask if you wanted to go, but…”

“I can’t ride a horse. I understand. We’ll talk when you get back, okay?” Trowa couldn’t stop himself when he reached forward and brushed the hair away from Duo’s eyes. “I’ll still be here when you get back, Duo.”

With a nod, the smaller man turned away, only to turn back after a single step. Crossing the distance that separated them, he stated softly, “This doesn’t change anything,” before pulling Trowa down and fusing their lips together.

Trowa’s mind went blank as he felt the slim body against him, able only to react as his tongue was deliciously manipulated, a hand branding the skin under his shirt. When Duo pulled away, the tall man pried his eyes open in time to see the kitchen door swing closed, leaving him alone.