July 27th: A Sequel
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Title: July 27th: A sequel to July 26th (Original, ne?)
Author: Genji
Part: 2/2
Warnings: AU, Angst, unrequited love, slight Trieze bastardization
Disclaimer: I don't own Trieze, or Zechs, and most sadly,
Duo...*drools*...however, if you would like to give me rights to
anyone of the characters, I'd be more than happy to oblige. Take 'em
off your hands...
Notes: Trieze is bastardized because it is Duo's POV, and therefore
he sees Trieze as evil. But Trieze isn't evil, just made a mistake
and he does what he does so that Zechs doesn't blame him for all of
it (Trieze is still in love w/ Zechs...just doesn't realize it)...I
won't ruin it, so I'll shut up now.
Duo's POV
==================================================================
Replay:
"Sorry about last ni-" he froze, and I sleepily wondered what was
wrong. Why was my lover standing there with his mouth hanging open.
I hadn't done anything wrong, had I? I had spent the night making
love to him, didn't he remember? I tried to sit up, but two arms
clasped around my chest stopped me.
"Zechs, sto-"
I looked to the doorway where Zechs was standing. I looked down at
the two arms embracing me.
"Shit. You can't be two place at once. What the hell happened?"
"Why don't you ask him?" Zechs said evenly, on the verge of either
laughing or crying.
I turned around to see who held me. Under ginger bangs, cool blue
eyes opened half way. They didn't see me as the man remarked, "Good
morning, Zechs."
-------------------------- (onto the new stuffers!)-----------------
Normally, under such circumstances, one would expect me to try and
apologize for what happened, try to explain that it wasn't my fault.
But when your head is pounding in time with a hummingbird's heart,
you don't think of normal things. My only thought was to stand
underneath Niagara Falls, and hope that the dryness in my mouth was
somehow assuaged.
So I loosed myself from Trieze, who was now slowly realizing that I
was not, in fact, Zechs. That blond had quickly surveyed the
situation, and was now glaring, full force, at his old commander. I
should have noticed that such was occurring, but you aren't logical
at these times. Then you look back and kick yourself. Retrospect is
always 20/20.
I stood under the shower until the water grew frigid. Had it gotten
any colder, there would be icicles forming on the showerhead.
Toweling off, I returned to my room, realization slowly dawning on
me. I expected to be met with a massacre, with either Trieze or
Zechs lying on the floor bleeding to death. But the sheets were
still white, a little mussed, but that was it. Neither was in sight,
and so I got dressed in the drowning silence. I grabbed some clothes
from the closet, which were suitably black. I had the unsettling
premonition that someone or something was going to be visited by
Shinigami.
I padded down the hall to the kitchen. Zechs was standing by the
counter, pouring coffee into his cup. Trieze was situated at the
kitchen table, also imbibing the bitter brew. Zechs looked at me
with sad eyes, but I knew that there was still a chance...still a
chance that this could be worked out if everything went my way.
Trieze himself looked slightly ruffled, but slowly his slick
façade
was repairing itself. He wasn't smug, maybe a bit bashful; he had
obviously thought that I was his old lover. A lover that he had
betrayed.
Where did this guy get off? Cheating and hurting one that was
faithful only to return when the same has been done to him?
Personally, I would have liked to give Wufei some sort of medal.
True, I didn't agree with what he did, but I don't think he had a
clue that Trieze was already taken. It would be just like that SOB
to lead a double life, even though I didn't know Trieze
intimately...until last night, and I don't think that counts.
I helped myself to some coffee and leaned against the wall, apart
from both of them. I told myself that I wasn't involved, that this
was between Trieze and Zechs. Of course, that pretense was shattered
when Trieze turned his head and looked me square in the eye.
"Ah, Duo. Would you be so kind as to enlighten my dear friend about
what happened last night? He seems to be under the misconception
that it was I that seduced you, and forced what happened last night
to occur. I understand that he sees me as the traitor and therefore
refuses to believe otherwise. Could you give an accurate account of
the affair?"
BAM! I was sunk up to me neck in shit. There was no way I couldn't
become involved, and Trieze was just looking at me, the picture of
innocence.
I wanted to slap him.
Of course, that would have required me to walk across the room, and
right then my legs had the same chance of making it, as there was the
likelihood of permanent peace in the Middle East. So I just stood
there, gazing into my reflection that shimmered on the surface of the
liquid in my cup. Zechs moved uneasily, waiting for my reply.
In all my life, I had never hated Trieze as much as I did then.
During the war he was just an opponent, another soldier who just
happened to believe in single combat. Now he was the force that
threatened to tear apart the tenuous happiness I had enjoyed for such
a short time.
//I run, I hide but I never lie...Duo Maxwell// my conscience yelled
at me. Any thoughts of pointing fingers back at Trieze dissolved. I
couldn't lie, not to save my relationship.
I looked up, not meeting anyone's eyes, just staring out the window.
It would have been so much easier to run, but I didn't.
"It was a mistake..." I began, forcing myself to believe that old
mantra: 'The truth will set you free.' It's a pile of crap if you
ask me.
Zechs caught my eye, his own were begging me to tell him that what
Trieze had said early wasn't true. I quickly looked away--I could
offer no such comfort. I didn't want to say what that bastard was
forcing me to.
"He came in...woke me up...I was drunk..." I hesitate
uncharacteristically, trying to prolong the inevitable. "He kissed
me..."
"Did you kiss back?" Zechs asked, putting down his cup and glaring at
Trieze.
I hate leading questions.
"Yes. I thought it was you."
"My hair isn't that short," he remarked bitterly
"I was drunk. I wasn't thinking. What'd you expect me to do? Push
him away just because his hair was short?"
Zechs remained silent.
"He screwed me. I thought it was you, end of story. I didn't mean
it. It meant nothing to me--nothing at all. I said I was sorry..."
He continued to stare straight ahead, his beautiful face not
registering any emotion. But he was hurt, and it was all my fault.
All my fucking fault.
"Look, it was a mistake. What do you want me to do?" I asked,
practically begging him to let me know how to make amends.
He turned to me, steeled resolution in his face, and I knew what he
was going to say. He'd been cheated on too many times to be giving
anyone a second chance. Regardless of whether or not it was my
fault, this was the end.
"Get out. Both of you get out. I don't want to see either of you
anymore. Duo, I'll send your stuff by. Get out," he ordered
quietly.
And it was over. I walked away from the one man I had ever truly
loved, and he, once, had loved me in return.
My possessions came in the mail, right down to the shampoo I always
used. It was then I realized that you could kill someone without
actually stealing away his life force. Chalk another one up for
Shinigami.
I have seen him since July 27th...that was two years ago. Last night
he was at the bar I work at, talking to no one in particular. I
waited on him, but he didn't recognize me. Chopping off your hair
can totally change your appearance. He said that he thought his
boyfriend was cheating on him. And I listened, and it hurt. I
wanted to take him in my arms, and tell him that I still loved him.
But I couldn't. All I could do was stand there, wiping down a glass
as he sat there, spilling out his life story. He'd had three others
since me, and was now on his forth.
And it destroyed me to see him walk out at closing time, resolved to
continue with the broken relationship. I wish he had done that for
me.
You really can kill a man without actually touching him.
~owari~
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© 2001 by Genji. Please do not remove without permission.
