New Haven

Chapter One: An Idea

~March 202 AC~

Duo Maxwell groaned in frustration. He had an idea to fix up the neighborhood. He just had to find someone who had the money to do it. (And the connections.) He finished the reps that he was currently doing on his left arm and switched to his right.

“You sound like a man with a problem that he needs to be solved.” A calm quiet voice from the bench beside him caught his attention.

The young paramedic turned to stare at the man. He was blond and gorgeous!!! He looked down hoping the other man hadn’t seen his blush. An image popped in his mind that said he had seen this man before but he couldn’t place where he had seen him.

“Yeah you could say that.” Duo finally told him in his raspy baritone that drove women crazy for all the luck they had in catching him. He flipped his braid over his left shoulder to keep it out of the way as he continued to do his workout. “You see I have an idea on improving this neighborhood and maybe bringing some of the better people back to it.”

Duo felt the eyes of the other man sharpen on him as he also continued his workout. “Really…” He murmured. Duo thought he heard some encouragement but wasn’t sure.

Duo shifted and unknowingly wiggled his ass at the people across the room. He leaned over to continue his long braid swaying with his movements and sweeping the floor beside the bench.

“Well,” The voice suddenly penetrated his concentration. “Are you going to pitch it to me or not?”

Duo blinked and dropped the weight. He looked up to see the man had stopped his workout and placed his towel around his neck to catch the sweat. ‘My God…’ He thought, ‘Does he know how gorgeous he is.’

“You did set yourself up beside me to do this, didn’t you?” He asked in irritation.

Duo stared at him blankly. ‘Why is he so angry all of the sudden?’

The man glaring at him suddenly blinked. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” He asked slowly.

Duo searched his memory to see if he did. “You’re an ER Doc at NY Gen., aren’t you?” He frowned in uncertainty. He shrugged and sat down to look at the man closer.

The man threw his head back and roared with laughter.

Duo growled. “Look,” He told the man. “I have an idea and I was thinking. Just because of that you don’t have to laugh at me.” He turned to grab his duffle and leave. A hand like steel wrapped around his arm. Duo tried to shrug it off and continue too the door.

“Look I’m sorry.” The man told him trying not to laugh at the younger man. “Let me introduce myself and you can pitch your idea and I’ll be honest about what I think. Okay?”

Duo stopped and looked at the hand on his arm. He had seen him in here before at a distance. He hadn’t tried to approach him because he seemed to be close to Preventer Yuy and the lieutenant from the fire station as well as the owner of the place.

The man let go and waited for Duo to decide. “I promise nothing. But I will see what I can do.” He reiterated.

Duo finally nodded and turned back to the bench.

“Okay.” The man settled onto the bench across from Duo. “I am Doctor Quatre Raberba Winner.”

Duo stared as the man held out his hand. “You’re…you’re…you’re…” Duo couldn’t help himself. “Well Shit.” He pushed his sweaty bangs from in front of his face. “No wonder you got angry. I honestly didn’t know who you were.”

Quatre Raberba Winner grinned. “I figured that out.” He said dryly. “Now tell me who you are and your idea.”

Duo gave a wry self conscious grin. “Well I’m Duo Maxwell. I am a paramedic first class.” Duo reached into his bag and pulled out the file he carried with him all the time. He handed it towards the man. “And this is my idea.”

Quatre accepted the thick file with a frown. It looked like the man had thought his idea thoroughly through. He read the first page and looked up at the man blinking. He flipped to next page and hummed.

Duo sat and watched anxiously.

When the man looked up across the room and beckoned someone he groaned. ‘Another one bites the dust.’ He thought. His shoulders slumped and he turned to zip up his duffle.

A hand reached out and grasped his arm.

He turned to see the blond still reading the file.

“Sit.” Was all he said. Soooo, Duo sat down.

He looked up as the owner of the Dojo/Gym joined him.

Quatre handed him the pages he had already read. Not even acknowledging the grunt of frustration as he continued to read.

The man was asian maybe of chinese descent. He pivoted and strode to the office at the back of the room. When he returned he was wearing wire rimmed glasses perched on his nose and reading the pages in his hand. He nudged the blond who promptly moved over and sat in the space that was freed.

The other two men’s curiosity was caught and they joined the two men.

Duo watched as the pages of his idea were handed from one hand to another. The occasional grunt and murmur were his only knowledge of what was going on.

*Twenty Minutes Later*

Quatre looked up from the information the man had gathered in astonishment. It was so detailed and informative. He couldn’t believe the young man had come up with it. It was perfect. And it was EXACTLY what this neighborhood needed to bring life back to it.

Duo looked at him anxiously. He was afraid to ask what the man thought.

“You thought of this yourself?” A cool tenor rippled across Duo’s nerves. That voice would always garner his complete attention. He looked up into onyx eyes and nodded stupidly. “Why haven’t you talked to the businesses in the neighborhood?”

“I did.” Duo said ruefully. “They all thought I was some punk kid in the neighborhood to cause trouble and wouldn’t listen.” He shrugged and looked down at his worn and capable hands. The hands that had taken lives and were now repaying his efforts by saving them. “I came from one of the worst neighborhoods on L2 you can ever imagine.” He looked up with a sigh. “I was recruited by Special Ops in the war and well, as they say the rest is history.” He reached out for the file.

Quatre stared. ‘That can’t be,’ He told himself. ‘There had to be more.’

The asian looked at the man who was hiding his face from them. He frowned in concern at the weariness on the man’s face.

“It will take some work.” A nasal voice informed him.

Duo’s face shot up to stare at the man the voice came from. His large violet eyes met cobalt blue ones.

“Hmmmm,” A soft tenor murmured. “It will. But I think Une will help.” The man turned to survey the young man. One eye was hidden by the fall of his bangs. “Iria would love to get her hands on this project.” He continued. “She’d probably try to employ it through the whole sphere and colonies.”

Quatre nodded as he watched hope bloom on the face before him. ‘Who is this young man and how can he be a first class paramedic at such a young age?’ He asked himself. He turned to look up at his two lovers and the asian. The question was on their faces as well.

He was a puzzle. A puzzle they would all like to solve.

Duo grinned lopsidedly. ‘I know who you all are now.’ He thought to himself. He looked at them and tilted his head slightly. “If that happened,” He said softly, “Maybe the sins of the war can finally be corrected.” He stood and grabbed his duffle. “I’ll let you guys take care of that and you can tell me what you need help fixing. I’m pretty good at carpentry and taking things apart to fix them up.” He turned back to see some stunned expressions on their faces. He gave a little smile and turned away. His shoulders firmed in their broadness as a weight lifted from them. His spine straightened him to his full height and his head was held high in his happiness as his long legs carried him towards the doors. He stopped for one last look as he reached them. He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.