Two Sides of a Triangle

________________________________

“I’ll talk to Trowa and let you know.” When he received no response, he bid the Deathscythe pilot goodbye and let himself out.


Duo just sat there in some sort of funk. He didn’t really know what he was feeling, didn’t know what he was supposed to be feeling. He was upset, sad, and almost lost with the realization that this won’t work. Even with Quatre knowing it would be a threesome between them, he was completely focused on Trowa.

To the point that he was defensive about Trowa having any sort of attraction to Duo.

But Duo supposed that was Trowa’s fault. Quatre had been completely enamored with the stoic man for so long only to find out that Trowa was in love with someone else.

Which was a complete lie! Trowa had lied to Quatre. On what planet did that guy think it would be ok to base this relationship on a lie?!

Ok, Duo had a pretty good idea what to feel now. He was pissed, and he knew exactly why. Standing, he made his way to the vid phone. Trowa was about to get a piece of his mind. He had to look up the number in the employee directory, but soon was connected to the coordinator of the whole mess.

The call went through, but the screen stayed dark. “Barton.”

“Put the vid through.” Duo spoke through clenched teeth; he wanted to see his face as he told him where he could shove it.

“Duo? Yeah, hold on.” After some rustling sounds, the vid came up. Barton was pulling a cut-out shirt on; his hair was dark with sweat, and there was dust speckling his face and neck.

His curiosity did not outweigh his anger. “You lying son of a bitch.”

Barton sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and sat back in his chair as Duo unloaded on him. “You told him you’re in love with me?! That was your great plan to get us all together? Do you realize what you’ve done? He’s so defensive about you having feelings for me that it’ll never work, and he’s still completely focused on you, even knowing its supposed to be the three of us. Quatre’s an emotional wreck; I’m pissed as hell, and you just sit there on your smug ass while we fall apart! You’re a complete tool, Trowa Barton.”

Trowa tipped his head back a bit, giving Duo full sight of his face. “Are you done?”

“What? You heartless bastard. You…”

But the acrobat held up a hand for silence. “Because if you are, there are things you need to know from my perspective, but its rude to interrupt so I want to make sure you have spoken your piece before I start.”

Duo could feel his jaw hanging open, could feel the desire to clench his teeth together in anger, but only insults were ringing through his head. There were no more points to make that he hadn’t already said, so Duo just rested his elbows on the desk in front of him, put his chin on fist, and motioned with the other hand to go on.

Trowa took a deep breath and began. “First, let me preface this with the fact that my job, my entire life up to this point is based on reading people, manipulating them into saying what I want them to say, doing what I want them to do. And I am very good at it.”

Duo felt the anger renewed within him. Trowa was basically confessing that he was or is manipulating the two of them.

The stoic man continued despite Duo’s growing anger. “Knowing that, do you really think I am delusional enough to think any relationship with ‘Duo, I may run and hide but I never tell a lie, Maxwell’ will survive any amount of time if I lie to you or Quatre? Give me more credit than that. I never told Quatre I was in love with you; I said enough to make him think that, but I never lied to him. It’s a method you use often enough, isn’t it Maxwell?”

His face had never changed in that whole sequence. The talkative pilot was beginning to see how Trowa had been so successful in infiltration, how he hadn’t been caught yet.

Duo, grudgingly, had to nod. “What did you say?”

“I believe my exact words were ‘increasingly infatuated,’ and that is truth.” There was a small curl to his lips when he said it.

He was a little flattered, but Duo wasn’t falling for it. “Q knows the difference between love and infatuation.”

“And he also knows I am a man who doesn’t speak lightly of emotions. Me speaking of love would make him more suspicious than me downplaying the feeling. Its much more effective if I let my eyes change, have a small smile across my lips as I speak of you. He read more into it and turned it into love.”

He was covered from every angle. “You’re the devil, and you really hurt him.”

For the first time, Duo saw a change in Trowa’s demeanor; there was real pain echoing throughout his entire body language. “I know, but it was the only way to make him open up to the possibility of having you in the relationship. He is very convinced that he can change to make me happy.” Trowa’s face was hidden amongst his hair, but Duo could hear, in his voice, how tight his throat was as he spoke.

“I don’t want him to change.” Duo’s voice had softened as well.

“Neither do I.”

“Did you have any problems talking to him last night?” Trowa was still hiding, and Duo was trying to bring him back. He was still not right with the situation, but he did realize that this wasn’t completely as it seemed to him earlier.

‘Define problem’ was playing through Trowa’s head, but he knew what Duo was asking, and he really didn’t feel like speaking of his breakdown, especially when he was so close to letting tears fall again. But he wouldn’t, not in front of anyone else. “No, but it was a script. I had worked it out before I went.”

“Script? That’s why you went last night instead of the night before; you were working out what to say.” There was a lot more to this situation than Duo originally realized, and Trowa still wasn’t looking at him.

The head of auburn hair just nodded.

“So, what now?” Duo saw his shoulders straighten, though his head was still bowed.

“You said he was still focused on me; we’ll just have to make him see you.” One green eye rose to Duo’s face.

The braided man hid the shock at seeing the strain of holding tears back etched across that normally stern face, so he wasn’t completely heartless. Then what he said sunk in, and Duo snorted. “How exactly do you intend to that?”

“We can try words if you want, but if all else fails, it would be very easy to make him see you during sex.” His features had settled back to normal, and Duo was sorry to see it.

This whole thing made Duo feel uneasy. “This just doesn’t sit right with me.” Duo shook his head and glared at the quiet man. “How do I know this whole thing isn’t some giant act, that Q and I aren’t being played as fools?”

Trowa froze, becoming very still. “If I remember correctly, it was you bursting into my office that started everything.” Duo recognized it as a defensive posture. But was he being defensive because Duo was right or because he had been hurt by the question? Shit, this whole thing was messed up.

“And since then?”

“Then it was you manipulating me up against a wall.” Trowa had half his face hidden, and Duo could tell he was weighing his words carefully.

Duo couldn’t help but flush a bit, angry at the fact that Trowa knew and embarrassed for being caught. “You’re such a master at it that you so graciously let me manipulate you?” His words were biting.

Trowa smirked. “Not at all, I didn’t realize it until that night when I got home. I told you, its very easy to use sex in such a way, and you’re good at it.”

Duo nodded reluctantly then grew quiet. The silence between them grew, and both knew this conversation had resolved nothing. So Trowa decided to try to assuage Duo’s fears more.

He spoke very slowly at first. “I’m not so skilled at manipulation as you’re giving me credit for, Duo. I have to put time into creating scripts in my head. Its what I’m doing constantly while I’m in the field. I can twist things on the spot, if needed, if my life depends on it, but its not always guaranteed to turn out the way I want it, which is very dangerous while undercover. So as far as this relationship is concerned, to be the puppet master that you’re making me out to be, I would have to take the time to plot things out.”

Duo still looked hesitant, and Trowa shook his head, dropping his eyes away. “I don’t like manipulating people, Duo. Its just something that comes to me easily. Its like fighting in the wars. I didn’t like it then, but I was good at it, so I did it. It helps me put dangerous people behind bars, so I do it. But I don’t like it, and I don’t want to come back to that kind of situation between jobs.”

Violet eyes were piercing as they scanned his half-hidden face. “Truth?”

Trowa turned to fully face him and let him see the sincerity in the statement. His eyes were tired, his face tense. “Truth.”

Duo glared hard. “You do know that if at any time in the future I find out that you are manipulating either Quat or me, it ends.”

“I will not consciously manipulate you or Quatre in any manner, you have my word, for what its worth.” Green eyes held violet as he spoke.

After a moment, the braided man nodded. “Quatre’s planning to call you to set up a meeting with all three of us.”

“So he’s still in the dark about us talking?” As righteously pissed as Duo seemed to be about the ruse, Trowa had expected him to tell Quatre about their communications, but if Quatre still thought he was playing the matchmaker between 02 and 03, then obviously not.

“Yeah, it was a relatively short guys’ night.” Duo tried to make the statement chipper, but he was still unsettled by the whole evening.

“We’ll get him to see you, Duo.” And for some strange reason, that simple reassurance went a long way towards settling him.

“Thanks, Trowa.” Duo felt a weak smile paint itself across his mouth.

Trowa gave him a warm smile.

Duo’s eyes scanned the image in front of him, taking in the sweat-stained shirt, the damp, matted hair, and a dusty film covering all exposed skin except a raccoon’s mask of clear skin around Trowa’s eyes. “What the hell were you doing when I called?”

“I’ve been remodeling part of my house.” He flicked one of the bigger flecks of sawdust from his forearm as he spoke.

“You look like you’ve been through a saw mill.” Duo was smirking at him.

“That’s what happens when you use a power-sander, but I want hard wood floors, so it has to be done.” Trowa shrugged.

Duo waggled his eyebrows. “Power tools, huh? Sounds hot, do you do your hunky carpenter bit with or without a shirt?”

Trowa shook his head, lips curled in a half-smile. “Do you ever stop?”

“Do you want me to?” His expression was still flirty, but there was an edge to his words that Trowa knew was completely serious.

“No.” There was no loss of that amused expression, no hesitation to the answer, and Duo felt like he could definitely fall for this man. And it seemed like Trowa’s ice shield was melting the teeniest bit when faced with Duo’s charm.

He sighed; too bad Quatre was so oblivious to it.

“I’d better go. I need to take a shower before Quatre calls…We’ll make it work, Duo.” He nodded in response to Trowa’s words.

“Sure thing, Trowa. Have a nice shower.” The braided man leered at him, the flirt overruling the part of him that still worried about the situation. He was really glad he wasn’t doing this alone. Who would have thought Trowa Barton could be so supportive?

Trowa shook his head as he cut the call. Unsure whether the blond would call as soon as he got home from Duo’s apartment or not, he hurried to wash the dirt and grime from his body, and then threw on a t-shirt and jeans to wait for Quatre to call.

But Quatre didn’t call, and Trowa grew bored. Never one to sit idle, he wanted to continue working on his renovations. He had built this house himself, picked the location, bought the lot, drew up the plans he wanted. Trowa hired help where needed, but now that the gut work was done, he was doing everything. It had taken a long while to get to this point, but when you’re only working on weekends and about three hours on weekdays, it takes a while.

But if Trowa went back to work, he’d get grimy again, so he grabbed a book off of the bookshelf in his room and sat in the recliner that was temporarily housed in his bedroom until the den was finished.

He had the master bedroom, bathroom, and part of the kitchen the way he wanted it, but the main living area, the guest room, and the guest bath needed some attention. And once had was done with the interior, he wanted to build a sundeck. His house was in the midst of nature. There was a creek about a mile to the east, and there was a subdivision being carved out of the wildlife about ten blocks over to the south, so, eventually, he would have neighbors, but it would be some years.

Quatre called a little after dinner time. His eyes were bright, and Trowa felt an ache in his chest. It never failed to amaze him at how beautiful Quatre could be when he was happy. “Hello, Trowa.”

Trowa nodded. “Quatre.”

“You’re looking well.” He smiled as he said it.

“And yourself. Was there a reason you called?” The quiet man was looking Quatre full in the face without fear of exposure, for the first time in so long. It felt good, maybe there was finally hope.

He looked a bit nervous. “I spoke to Duo, and he agreed.” Fair cheeks pinked the smallest bit. “But we do need to come together and talk some things over to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

“Agreed.” Trowa spoke when it was apparent from the silence that Quatre wanted an answer to the statement.

“Would tomorrow evening be a good time for you?”

“That’s fine. Where?”

Quatre chewed on his lip before answering, and Trowa was mesmerized by the slight darkening of the flesh from the abuse. He was so close to being able to fulfill his desires to hold him, kiss him; his heart rate sped with the thought, but he had to be careful. Quatre wasn’t his, yet. He would have to share him, but that’s more than he had ever even dreamed possible. And he was grateful.

”You have a house, right?” He was fidgeting.

Trowa nodded.

“Do you think we could do it at your place? Duo’s apartment is a bit small for three people, and I didn’t want the staff to be privy to the conversation.”

“I’m still in the process of finishing the interior. Most of the house isn’t done, and I don’t have many places to sit, but we can meet here if that’s what you want.”

“If you have three chairs, it’ll work.” Quatre was smiling brightly.

“I don’t have any dishes or cookware unpacked except for the bare minimum. If you’re coming for dinner, you’ll have to give me ample notice.” Trowa warned.

Quatre waved the concern away. “How about Duo and I meet you about six, and we’ll bring food, disposable dishes, and anything we want to drink besides water?”

“That will work.”

His face was radiant with joy, and Trowa was beginning to see the boy he fell in love with come back out for the first time in years. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Trowa.”

“Goodnight, Quatre.” Trowa cut the feed before he began to feel drunk on the thoughts of the blond beginning to come back to himself from the obsessive man he had become.

Tomorrow evening Duo and Quatre would be coming over to discuss a three way relationship. Duo was already on board, and they were getting along well. Quatre seemed to be regaining some of his old strength. Maybe this could work after all.

But there was one thing he knew for sure, he wanted to clean up some before they came, which meant he wasn’t getting much sleep at all tonight. Trowa put on some of his old, work clothes again and got to work; it was going to be a long night.
_______________________________

Not too much longer now. XD Anywhoo, I'll get review responses posted in the next few days, sorry about the delay, but thems the breaks.

Hoped you liked the new addition! Drop me a line if you get the time. X's and lots of O's to my readers.

A