The Tow


"You've got to be fucking kidding me?!" Duo smacked the center of the steering wheel with his hand and groaned, easing the car to the side of the road as another shudder came from the engine. He looked down at the gauges, and his gas tank was over half full, but his temperature gauge was all the way to 'H'. "Fuck!" He smacked the steering wheel again for good measure and turned the engine off.

There was no steam pouring from under the hood, no sign of overheating at all other than the shuddering he felt coming from the engine and the telling gauge. Waiting a minute, he turned the key in the ignition again and turned the heat on full blast. Nothing. Shutting the engine down for the last time, he got out of the car and looked up and down the narrow mountain road, running his fingers through his bangs in agitation. When was the last time he'd seen another car? He couldn't remember, he'd been so wrapped up in his own head - his mind playing evil tricks on him about the move - on his decision to pack up everything and move to the middle of nowhere to teach. What was he thinking again?

Reaching under the steering column, he popped the hood, and after a moments thought, the trunk. His trunk was packed full with his worldly possessions, so it was no easy feat to feel around and under the bags and boxes to find a rag to keep from scalding his fingers. Once, a few months after he'd gotten his license, his car had overheated and he had burned himself pretty badly attempting to remove the radiator cap. He was a lot of things, but a slow learner wasn't one of them.

After crushing his fingers painfully under one of the boxes, he managed to snag the edge of a rag and pull it free. The rag was covered in oil, but it would serve its purpose just fine. Out of habit, he looked over his shoulder for cars before moving around to the front. He was a city boy really, and it freaked him out somewhat to be out in the middle of nowhere. Of course it was kind of nice to be dealing with a broken down car without the fear of being crushed by a semi, but he was still here in Eastwest Bumfuck all by himself.

He propped the hood up and took a minute to look at the engine. Everything looked the same as it did when he checked the fluid levels before he left. Very carefully, he used the rag, and opened the radiator cap, stepping back instinctively to avoid the escape of steam, which was remarkably absent. He could feel the heat coming off the engine, but it looked like his radiator was bone dry.

"Must be a leak," He mumbled to himself, heading back to the trunk and the gallon of water he kept for such purposes. He hoped the gallon would be enough to get him to the next gas station, or at least a hint of civilization, however far that may be. Uncapping the water, he walked back to the radiator and carefully poured it in ... and watched it pour directly onto the ground.

"No," he groaned, trying different angles to see if a hose had come free but couldn't see anything out of order. He wasn't completely clueless when it came to cars, but standing at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with no tools made him feel pretty helpless. Throwing the empty water jug on the ground, he kicked it for good measure and started to laugh with an edge of hysteria. Maybe this is the fates telling me to turn the fuck around and go back -

Go back. Go back to what exactly? Go back to his ex-boyfriend who fucked everyone he made eye contact with - in Duo's bed no less - only to blame it on Duo when he'd been caught in the act? Go back to that horrible high school with the security fences and the metal detectors to teach kids who'd rather beat him up than listen to him?

There was no going back.

"Nothing worth doing comes easy," he said to himself, crossing his arms and leaning against the car to stare at the empty road. Woods encroached on the pavement on one side, and continued to slope downward on the other side of the guardrail. Despite being stranded, Duo took a deep breath and grinned at the smell of pine that filled his nose reminding him of Christmas. At least I don't have to start my new job for another week - bright side, Maxwell, bright side. Of course he'd been hoping to have time to move into his new apartment and get settled before school started, but it was all good ... right? With a sigh, he forced motivation and leaned into the car to grab his cell phone off the passenger seat. One look at the screen and his bright side sprouted shadows and he had to resist the urge to throw the phone into the road and stomp on it.

"No fucking signal. Why am I not surprised?" Pulling the keys out of the ignition, he slammed the door shut and started to walk. If he were lucky he'd either get a signal or find some help before he walked 20 miles. He wasn't feeling very lucky.

Trying to remember that it could be worse, he set a fairly brisk pace and forced himself to relax. The sky was blue, and the sun was still fairly high in the sky, and he had to admit that it really was gorgeous out here. The mountains really did take his breath away, and he couldn't get over how clean the air smelled. It was good for him to get away from the crowds - he needed a break from chaos, and hopefully this would be the last milestone getting there. Every few minutes he looked at his cell phone and willed the little bars to appear. The road started to slope downward, and he could see into the distance - not a single sign of civilization. With my luck I'll get mauled by a bear.

He walked for over an hour before his cell phone chirped and informed him that he had messages. The sound surprised him as he'd been so caught up in the almost eerie quiet of his surroundings and the chaotic internal monologue that was making him doubt every decision he'd ever made up to this point. He was hot, sweaty and thirsty but the sound of his cell made him forget all that. Reaching for his wallet, he pulled out his AAA car and dialed.

"Triple A, this is Tricia, how may I help you?"

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice, Tricia. I need a tow."

"Could I have the name and ID number on the card please?"

"Sure thing. It's Duo Maxwell, and the number is 6129-7865-07."

"One moment please." Duo could hear the woman's fingers typing on the keyboard. "I'm sorry Mr. Maxwell, it appears your card has expired."

"Expired? But it says good until September 2007." Duo ran his free hand through his bangs, his hand coming back damp with sweat. I will not snap. I will not snap. "Well, can I renew it?"

"Of course, Mr. Maxwell, you'll need a credit card."

"Hold on a sec." Duo leaned against the stone wall that at one point had replaced the guardrail at the side of the road and fished his wallet back out of his pocket, pulling out his credit card. "Okay, ready."

"Type of card?"

"MasterCard."

"Number?"

"4660 6798 1210 4560"

"Expiration date?"

"06/08"

"One moment please while I run the card."

"Sure thing." Duo muttered into the phone, wondering how many more hoops he'd need to jump through before he could get a tow.

"All set, Mr. Maxwell, now I need your location in conjunction with the nearest main thoroughfare."

"I'm on route 16, in ..." In where? He tried to remember the last town he passed through, or the last sign at least. "I passed through Hartford, New Hampshire about 14 miles back I think. I'm heading north on 16."

"Can you give me the nearest main thoroughfare, please?"

"I haven't the faintest," Duo said with a small laugh. "I'm out in the middle of nowhere, as it is I had to walk about 4 miles from my car just to get a signal."

He listened to more clicking keyboard. "Hartford is the nearest town?"

"Um, I'm not sure. It's the last town I remembered passing through as I drove north on route 16."

The woman on the phone cleared her throat, and typed some more. "Is there a phone number where I can reach you."

"My cell phone number is 774-555-1212, but if I head back towards my car I lose the signal."

"Could you hold for a moment, please?"

"Sure." Duo sighed irritably, sitting properly on the stone wall with his legs dangling slightly. He was losing hope that a tow truck would actually come, envisioning himself sleeping in his car and starving to death.

"Alright, I've contacted the nearest driver, he should be there within 45 minutes."

"Should I go back to the car and lose the phone, or will you need to reach me again?" Duo asked, suddenly realizing how thirsty he was and kicking himself for not bringing water on his impromptu hike.

"The driver will be coming south on 16, I've asked him to keep his eye out for you and pick you up. Please stay where he can see you."

"Thank you." Duo said with a smile she couldn't see. "I appreciate your assistance."

"Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"That's it, thanks again." With that Duo ended the call and slipped his phone in the front pocket of his jeans. Resisting the urge to walk back to his car for water, he stood up and moved to a portion of the wall in the shade of a large oak tree and sat back down. With his luck the driver would go right past him and he'd be stuck out here all night.

Turning, he straddled the wall facing north so he'd see the tow truck coming, and he took the time to enjoy the scenery. It really was gorgeous despite the unsettling quiet. The road was set into the mountainside, and the southbound side was against a steep embankment of trees and brush. A stone wall ran along the edge of the northbound side as far as he could see, and on the other side of the wall was a field sloping downwards towards woods. The field was mostly tall grass ready for haying with trees cropping up at odd intervals. He scanned down the mountainside and couldn't see a single rooftop in the distance.

"I really am in the middle of nowhere." He whistled, taking a deep breath of clean air and laying down on the wall to stare up at the clouds floating across the sky. Bright side, Maxwell, bright side - you could be stuck on 128 during rush hour.

Duo was at 459 bottles of beer on the wall by the time he heard the rumble of an engine in the distance. It absolutely floored him that the entire time he'd been stranded on the road he hadn't seen a single car, and he hoped that the sound of the approaching vehicle was the one he was waiting for. Sitting up, he swung his legs back over the wall and kicked them idly as he watched the truck moving towards him. As the truck slowed, Duo jumped off the wall and gave a small wave to the driver who was rolling his window downs.

"Mr. Maxwell?" The voice of the driver was music to his ears, the rich timber an extra added bonus.

"That's me." Duo trotted over to the passenger side of the truck, opened the door and climbed in with a smile. "You can't believe how happy I am to see you."

The driver just stared at him a moment and quirked his eyebrow at Duo's declaration before putting the truck in gear and continuing down the road. Duo cleared his throat and watched the trees passing by on his right for a moment before risking a glance at the driver. Man, the scenery around here was gorgeous - ALL the scenery. He remembered the last time he needed a tow - he'd been stuck in an active breakdown lane during rush hour and the guy who finally came to tow him looked like he'd been driving for two weeks straight and was missing most of his teeth. Driving in that truck to the nearest garage had been a horrible experience too - the guy had smelled like he hadn't bathed in two weeks either and he wouldn't let Duo put the window down. But the eye candy currently in the drivers seat made up for breaking down, for the four mile hike, for just about everything.

Pretending to look at the scenery on the driver's side of the truck, Duo snuck glances and tried to keep from grinning. The man was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt that was snug enough for Duo to know he was fit. Very fit. From the unruly brown hair, to the grease in the creases of his knuckles, the driver was fine. Duo recognized the bend in the road, and pointed out the windshield. "My car's around the bend on the left."

Just as Duo finished speaking, his car came into view, the hood still propped up and looking abandoned. The driver didn't say a word, quickly making a three-point turn and backing up to the front of Duo's car.

"I'll take a look at it first." The driver said, getting out of the truck without so much as a sideways glance.

By the time Duo had closed the truck's door and walked to the side of his car, the driver was looking under the hood. "Did you try adding water to the radiator?"

"Yeah, it just ran straight to the ground. It didn't seem to be leaking from the radiator though." Duo was standing next to the bent figure of the driver, his arms crossed and trying not to be annoyed - it's not like he didn't know anything about cars.

"Probably a hose." The driver said matter-of-factly, straightening up and looking at Duo with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. "Unfortunately I don't have what I'd need to fix it in the truck, so I'll have to tow it back to the garage."

"What garage do you usually tow to?" Duo asked, remembering the last fiasco with a tow truck, and the guy towing him to a garage that tried to take advantage of him.

"My garage is the closest, but I could tow you somewhere else if you'd rather."

It took Duo a moment to realize that this wasn't a AAA truck at all. "I'm sorry, I thought you were from AAA, your garage would be fine."

"There's not much around here, so AAA routes the calls through to the closest establishments." The driver looked at Duo for a moment, and the close scrutiny almost made him squirm. He was about to ask if something was wrong when the driver turned and headed back towards the truck. "Close the hood and get what you need out of the car before I hook it up."

Duo bristled for a moment, before turning and slamming the hood shut. Who did this guy think he was, first sizing him up and then ordering him around? He really was in Easwest Bumfuck, this guy had absolutely no social skills whatsoever. Opening the door, he leaned into the backseat to grab his backpack, which had rolled to the floor at some point. He backed out of the car with backpack in hand and straightened, turning to find the driver standing right behind him.

Duo jumped and laughed nervously, this guy was seriously weird.

"I'll need your keys."

The driver's expression was serious, but a glint in his eye made Duo think that he enjoyed sneaking up on him. "Sure." Duo pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them over before stepping around the driver. He walked around the back of the car, and leaned against the stone wall, watching the man work. At least the show's worth watching.

The driver worked quickly getting Duo's car hooked up to the truck. Brushing his hands off on his jeans, he jabbed a thumb towards the cab of the truck. "Ready?"

Duo didn't say anything as he climbed back into the cab and closed the door, setting his backpack on the floor between his legs. He noticed his cell phone was jabbing uncomfortably into his leg, and lifted off the seat enough to fish it out of his pocket, ignoring the amused look of the driver. He bent down and slipped the phone into the side pouch of his backpack. "So, how far to your garage?"

"It's about a 45 minute drive, maybe a little longer towing the car." The driver started the truck up and pulled onto the road.

45 minutes alone with this guy? Duo's mouth started working to make up for the sudden awkward feeling that filled his belly. He wasn't sure if the fates were smiling on him, or making him a laughing stock as he became more aware of the raw masculinity of the man next to him. "Doesn't anyone use this road? I mean, I've just spent the last 3 hours here and haven't seen a single car."

"Most people just come this way during the fall to see the foliage." The driver said with a shrug. "Although it seems a little deader than usual."

The conversation died much like the road, and Duo tried to focus his attention out the window and not towards the driver. The sun was starting to reach the treetops, and Duo realized it was later than he'd thought. Damn, there was no way he'd be getting to his new apartment tonight.

"I didn't realize it was so late. I guess there's no way you'd be able to fix the car today. Is there a motel or something in town?"

The driver didn't answer for a minute, and Duo was just about to repeat himself when he spoke. "I'd be willing to fix it tonight, but I wouldn't be done until well after dark. How much farther are you going?"

"Lewiston. I think it's another hour from here if my directions are right. It doesn't matter, I've already missed my chance to get the key."

"Key?" The driver asked, his voice filled with honest curiosity.

"To my new apartment." Duo answered, taking this opportunity to examine the driver's profile. "I'm starting a new job teaching at the elementary school in Lewiston."

Silence filled the cab again for the next ten minutes. Duo contented himself with watching the sun set below the trees, bathing the sky in glorious color. When the driver spoke again, it caught Duo off guard.

"There's an Inn."

"Huh?"

"You'd asked if there was a motel or something in town. There's isn't a motel, but there's a small Inn."

"Oh." Duo nodded, trying not to laugh at the peculiar flow of the conversation.

"Where are you coming from?" The driver's eyes narrowed on the road, almost as if asking a personal question embarrassed him.

"Boston," Duo answered, straightening in his seat. "From one extreme to the other, right?"

"I wouldn't know, I've never been to Boston," the driver replied.

Duo was about to say more when they came around a bend and entered a small town - well, if three buildings along a stretch of road could be considered a town. Duo could see the garage on the left, and remained silent as they drove into the yard and the driver cut the engine. The driver got out of the truck and Duo followed suit, grabbing his backpack before he closed the door. The lone streetlight in front of the garage went on, illuminating Duo's car on the back of the truck.

"I'll take a look at it tonight and make sure it's just a hose, and if that's all it is I can have it ready tomorrow before noon, Mr. Maxwell."

Now that they were standing in front of the garage, Duo thought the guy looked more at ease, noticing a slight curve to his lips. Could that be a smile? "Please call me Duo." Duo offered a hand and was pleased that it was immediately accepted.

"Heero, Heero Yuy." Heero's handshake was firm, and Duo liked the feel of the calloused skin against his palm. The contact was over far too quickly, and in the next moment Heero had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.

"Thank you, Heero, I really appreciate you working on it for me." Looking down the street, Duo tried to find the Inn. "Is the Inn on this street?"

"It's on a side street a couple of blocks down. Let me get your car off the truck and then I can take you there."

From Heero's tone it wasn't an offer, and Duo was surprised with himself that he wasn't offended. If just about anyone else took such a tone with Duo, he would be telling them 'no thanks' and finding the Inn on his own. Is it so wrong that I want a little extra 'ogle the eye candy' time? But it was more than that; something about this guy had piqued his curiosity.

" - to go?"

It took a moment for Duo to notice Heero was talking to him, and he felt incredibly stupid. "I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind lately." Duo smiled, trying to cover his embarrassment. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were ready to go?" Heero smiled, and Duo had the overwhelming desire to embarrass himself again just so the man would keep smiling - it was stunning.

"I'm ready." And willing. Duo turned to look towards the mountains in attempts to hide the grin on his face. This was the first time since his horrible break up that he felt even remotely attracted to someone and was bummed it had to happen under these circumstances. He adjusted the strap of the backpack on his shoulder, and followed Heero as he started down the street. As soon as they left the circle of light from the lone streetlight, Duo suddenly noticed how dark it was. "So how did you manage to get the only streetlight on the strip?"

At first Duo was afraid he'd insulted the man as Heero turned to look at him with a serious expression. "It was a lottery and I'm very lucky." Before Duo could try to backpedal, Heero grinned and shrugged at his joke. "It's always been there, I have no idea why there's just the one. Ask Betty, I bet she'll have an answer."

"Betty?" Heero's grin was contagious, and Duo couldn't help his as he tried to figure out what the man was talking about now. This guy was weird, yes, but Duo thought it was charming in a way.

"She owns the Inn." Heero turned them at the corner and pointed to the sign a few houses down. "She's been running the Inn since before I was born, and makes a point to know pretty much everything that goes on around here. By tomorrow everyone in town will know about 'the teacher whose car broke down', so you might want to be careful what you chose to share."

The michievious sparkle in Heero's eye made Duo's stomach tighten pleasantly. If he were a few years younger he might've blushed, but now he just chuckled and shook his head. "Sadly I don't have much dirt to share, I hope she won't be disappointed."

"Oh? I figured there had to be something gossip worthy to make you leave Boston."

Heero's teasing caught Duo off guard and he wondered if this were the same stoic guy who'd picked him up for a tow. "Pitiful, yes, but sadly not gossip worthy."

"I- I didn't mean -"

The genuine concern in Heero's eyes made Duo unexplainably happy. He shook his head and touched Heero's arm lightly. "Don't worry about it, I'm not." Duo left his hand there for a minute, feeling the light hair over Heero's forearm and absorbing the heat radiating off of it. Heero didn't pull away, and Duo offered a small smile before taking his hand back. "I really appreciate all you've done for me."

Heero shrugged slightly and cocked his head towards the Inn. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Betty."

++++

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