Warnings: Language, Adolescent OCs, Some Angst
Disclaimer: I have nothing, I own nothing
NOTE: Paragraphs betweem ======= are FLASHBACKS. It might get a little confusing but for some reason
FFN wont let me post .docs or .html files so I can't use italics for some reason. I dislike this
service greatly at times.
The Game
Part Four
"We need to go over the plan."
"What's there to go over?"
"There's a lot to go over."
"Pfft. Infiltrate, stay alive, get the dirt on Tech, find out where he's crashing, who's guarding him, get in, kill 'im, get out. Simple."
Heero began to massage his temples as he glowered at the other man. "Okay, it's not going to be that simple, you realize that, right?"
Duo rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette as he lounged on one of the stools at the breakfast nook. "Of course not. There's bound to be a few kinks here and there, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"'A few kinks'? Duo. We will possibly have to fight each other and we will definitely have to fight other people before we get to him. That's more than 'a few kinks'."
Duo exhaled smoke and eyed Heero. "We'll get to that when it comes to it. For now just tell me what you think you know about The Game."
Heero sat back and folded his hands in front of him. "The Game is sponsored by Quinton Thomas, alias Quinton Tech, founded in AC--"
Duo waved a hand to cut him off. "I don't want a fuckin' history lesson here. Just give me the stats on The Game. Who's gonna be there, what kind of security Tech has, how many people go and so on."
"Several key players of the criminal underground attend The Game each year, but we were not able to obtain a credible list of who will be in attendance this year. The Game is big in the underground but only the most elite are allowed to place 'official' bets and collect winnings. The Game goes on for days and consists of no more than fifty of the best street fighters in the world, chosen by each of the players."
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you have?"
Heero raised an eyebrow in return. "What does that mean?"
"Okay, first of all what the hell was Une thinking sending you here alone? Is she fuckin' going batty again or what?"
"Trowa, Wufei and I are the only ones qualified for this mission and sending three ex-Gundam pilots to The Game is very risky. It is common knowledge that we are Preventers now and it is more likely that three of us would be discovered before one of us would. There will be Preventers stationed on the Island but they will not be participating in the actual game. When I have Tech in custody I'll be contacting them."
Duo shook his head. "Obviously you people don't know what the hell you're getting in to. First of all, Tech is always surrounded by a squad of goons, even when he's in the box watching the fights. He's practically untouchable and if you go in there trying to be all bad ass flashing your gun and a badge, you're just gonna get shot. The Island is a zoo during The Game and it's confusing as hell to find anyone unless you know who you're looking for and where you're going. Lowlifes from all over the world come to watch and place their own little bets with each other. All kinds of shit goes on there and unless you're prepared, you're gonna be overwhelmed. The fighters go after each other even when they aren't in The Cage and if you're a favorite, you better be fucking armed at all times cuz you're gonna be on the hit list of every other fighter and betting man on the island."
Heero's eyebrows knotted and he folded his arms over his chest. "How did you get this information?"
"The Preventers can get their official reports all nice and typed but the street talks and will brag to anyone willing to listen if they think you're one of them. It's the best way to get information cuz you're talking to people who were really there and who really know what's going on." Duo smirked and put his cigarette out in the glass astray that sat near his arm. "So, you still think you're all cocky with your cute little plan and mission outline?"
A low growl escaped Heero's throat and he shoved the empty plate away from him. He was getting angry. Angry because his information had been inadequate, angry because his plan was shot to hell and angry because Duo was making him feel like an idiot. "What do you suggest?" He snapped. "We just go in there and play it by ear? Is that what you want me to do?"
"That's exactly what I want to do, because we won't know exactly what we're getting into until we see it with our own eyes. How were you planning to get there?"
"Wufei wanted me to travel there with the other agents at first but we decided that it was too risky. I was planning to take public transportation, unless you have a better idea."
Duo thought for a moment. "I can get a car and we can drive there, then there's a boat that takes us to Hart Island on the first day of The Game."
Heero raised an eyebrow. "Get a car?"
Duo smirked. "I don't steal everything, you know! Not anymore, anyway. I know a guy. He hooks me up from time to time."
"Uh huh," Heero said dubiously.
Duo hopped off the stool and began stacking dishes in the sink. "Don't worry about people seeing us together; fighters often form alliances with each other even though 9 out of 10 times, they stab each other in the back in the end." He smirked at Heero. "You should know about that."
Heero ignored the comment. "I wasn't worried about that in the first place. According to one of the house keepers, I'm 'your type' so people will probably assume that we are lovers." He watched Duo, waiting to see his reaction and wasn't disappointed.
Duo's back stiffened and he spun around; glaring at Heero for all he was worth. "Well people can think whatever the hell they want, but I'm not pretending to be your fucking lover."
"The thought never crossed my mind."
Duo glared at him for a long time before he turned back to the dishes. He had a peculiar expression on his face but Heero didn't know if was a disappointed expression or an annoyed one, or both. Maybe he wasn't as good at reading Duo as he remembered. There was an uncomfortable silence and Duo finished washing the dishes before he sat down again. "I just want to make something clear, Yuy. When we get a hold of Tech, he's mine and if you have a problem with that, I suggest you say so now, because we can go our separate ways right now."
Heero stared at him for a moment before answering. "Why do you want him dead? If you want this to work out, you need to tell me. I need to be able to trust you."
"You don't need to know that. All you need to know, is that the fucker is mine. All you need to do is trust me to get the job done and you know I'm more than capable of taking out a few scumbags."
"What's he got on you? What's he done to you? You need to tell me, Duo." Heero leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart. "I'm here for you, whatever it is." Their eyes locked and for a moment, uncertainty was visible on Duo's face. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed convulsively and his eyes flickered over Heero's face as if he were searching for a sign that he really could confide in the man. "Just trust me, Duo. Please."
The uncertainty faded and a bark of laughter escaped Duo's throat and he stared at the other man incredulously. "Trust you? You're kidding, right? The only thing I trust about you, Yuy, is that you won't stab me in my sleep and even that is kind of shaky considering all those death threats you delivered during the war." There was silence for several moments and the tension in the room was practically tangible.
Heero sat back in his chair and cleard his throat, trying to ignore the disappointment that coursed through him. "You can't kill him."
"The *hell* I can't," Duo retorted.
"You're not a Preventer anymore. You're a civilian."
"So say you did it. I don't mind if you take the credit."
"I don't shoot unless shot at."
"So tell them he had a fucking gun, for God's sake. Jesus Christ, Heero use some imagination here!"
"Unacceptable."
Duo stood up and the stool scraped against the linoleum. "You don't get to tell me what to do, Yuy. You're not my superior officer and you never were. I don't give two shits about your badge and you know it."
"You know Duo, you're lucky I don't haul your ass in right now with all the stuff you've been doing in the past two years. Don't push your luck with me because I'm running out of patience."
A slow smirk crept up on Duo's impish features. "Oh stuff it, Heero. The only time you'd cuff me is if it's to your bed and you're practicing your little bondage fetish." A flush slowly made its way up Heero's neck and Duo laughed out loud. "Thought I forgot about that, didn't you?"
Heero glared at the other man and didn't deign to answer.
"Does Relena let you tie her up?" Duo wondered.
The Japanese man nearly choked. "That's enough, Duo."
He shrugged, faking indifference and turned his back on Heero. "Oh, sorry. I should have known better than to talk about the Princess in such a way. You have my humblest apology." He muttered bitterly.
Heero sighed inaudibly. "Duo..."
"Well anyways, you're staying here until we leave." Duo said hurriedly, determined to cut off whatever Heero had been about to say.
Dark blue eyes regarded the other man incredulously. "There's no reason for that. I have a place, a --"
"A motel, yeah I know the place. It's a real shithole. You're staying here."
Heero flattened his palms on the counter and leaned towards Duo. "You don't take orders from me and I don't take orders from you. The motel is perfectly adequate and there is no reason for me to stay here; all it will do is draw unnecessary attention from people and make the situation increasingly uncomfortable for both of us."
"I didn't say you were sleeping in my bed so calm the hell down. I don't trust you, Yuy and I want you where I can see you. I'm sure you feel the same way about me since you probably have it in that head of yours that I'm up to a bunch of no good shit just because I'm not playing confession and telling you every single thing I've been doing lately. Besides, it's more likely that we'll get 'unnecessary attention' if we're traveling all over Chicago to meet up; especially since the Meat Market is near the motel you're staying in. Not only that-- but any dickhead knows that the walls of motels have ears and it's not safe to talk there. I tell you-- you Preventers must be getting sloppy because this is the shoddie--"
"Shut up, Duo." Heero began massaging his temples again. "This is a difficult mission and I knew that when I took it. The informants we had were obviously defective or misinformed and it's very hard to get accurate information on people who don't legally exist; who don't have any government records or information."
Duo crossed his arms over his chest. "Well... I'm not trying to say that the plan was all bad, it's just that you're missing a lot of crucial details that could make or break t--why the hell am I reassuring you?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You staying or what?"
"Not if you're going to be an asshole for the entire time."
"What does *that* mean?"
"If you're not going to be focused and if you plan to badger me about the past through the whole mission, I'd prefer to stay where I am. I don't want to hear your sarcastic comments or whatever you have to say about Relena. What happened between she and I, is between she... and I. It's no one else's business and it has nothing to do with Tech, this mission or you."
Duo clenched his jaw and shrugged stiffly. "Whatever you say, man. No one else is on this floor so we can talk freely. Take the spare bedroom down the hall, but I warn you, the furniture in it is used... including the bed. So if you wake up with a rash on your dic--"
"I get the picture," Heero cut him off with a roll of his eyes. He stood up and looked at the neon green numbers on the microwave clock. To his surprise two hours had already passed and they hadn't seriously argued for the entire time. "I'm going to have to retrieve my belongings from the motel."
Duo smirked and stood up. "Ah... that's being taken care of as we speak."
Heero's eyebrows knotted and just as he opened his mouth to question that statement, someone banged loudly on the front door and an adolescent voice yelled: "Duo! Open the fricken' door already! This crap is heavy!" Duo shrugged innocently at Heero's narrow eyed expression and gestured at the door, indicating that he should go open it. Heero stood up slowly and eyed the other man suspiciously. The grumbles and complaints behind the door grew louder and finally the Japanese man walked over and flung it open.
Jules and two other ragamuffins stumbled in. All of them were extremely scrawny and they were all laden with heavy looking duffle bags. The boys dropped the bags as soon as they stepped foot in the door and something clattered loudly as the bottom struck the floor. One of the boys looked up sheepishly. "Whoops! Ya didn't tell me there was fragile stuff in there..." He trailed off when he saw the murderous look that Heero was sending in his direction.
"Who the hell gave you permission to touch my things?!" His head snapped around and he glared at Duo angrily. "My laptop, my tools... my weapons! You let children handle weapons?! Are you out of your mind?" He knelt down and began rifling through his bags as if to see if anything was missing or broken.
"Children!?" The tallest one sputtered angrily. He put his hands on bony hips and glared at Heero for all he was worth; pale blue eyes flashing. "I resent that! I was hustling before I could even walk!"
Duo snorted softly at that and went to help Heero with the bags. "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration, Jimmy?"
Jimmy scowled at them and crossed his arms over his black t-shirt. "My ma used to sew bags of Nitro into my diaper when the feds raided our apartment," He said sullenly.
Jules rolled his eyes and toed one of the bags with his sneaker. "That's cuz your ma is a fricken' crackhead." He stopped toeing the bag when Heero practically growled at him.
Jimmy glared daggers at the other boy before smirking meanly. "At least she ain't a piece of ass like *your* ma."
Jules' back went ramrod straight and he looked about ready to pounce on the larger boy, when the quietest of the three grabbed the back of his t-shirt and held him back easily. "Both of you shut the hell up." He glared at his friends from under a messy fringe of bangs. "Now." The other boys shot each other dirty looks but instantly fell silent. "Sorry about your stuff, Mister. We didn't do nothin' but put it in the bags and haul it out." The apparent leader of the trio said to Heero.
Duo waved the apology off before Heero could comment. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. He'll just blame me for whatever damage you did anyway." Heero shot him a look that clearly stated that he would be doing just that.
"I have a name, you know." The kid muttered in an annoyed fashion.
"I know, kiddo," Duo said teasingly as he hoisted the heaviest bag onto his shoulder and began carrying it down the hall. Heero shook his head and carried the last two bags easily as he followed Duo to the spare room. He was still visibly irritated.
"I know your name, Smithie," Jules offered helpfully.
"Suck up," Jimmy muttered.
"Hey, you guys can get the hell out now," Duo said with no little amount of amusement in his tone. "Heero hasn't ripped my head off yet so I'm guessing you didn't break anything."
Smithie raised an eyebrow and held out one hand. "Pay up."
"And none of that two dollar jip business, either!" Jules put in.
Once again, Heero walked in just as Duo was walking them to the door. He was extremely annoyed at Duo but he didn't want to argue with the man in front of the kids. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as they joked back and forth. Duo's face began to soften and his eyes began to shine with genuine amusement and good cheer. The angry scowl was nowhere to be seen and for the first time since their reunion, he looked like his old self.
Heero remembered when he was the one who could put that sparkle in Duo's eyes; when he was the one who could make him happy. Now... now all he did was bring the longhaired man bad memories and anger. As he stood and watched, he began to feel less irritated and more wistful. Wistful and empty. When he had foolishly lost Duo... he had lost a part of his heart forever and now, now Duo was within reach but it was obvious by the way he acted with Heero, all guarded and angry, that things would never be the same.
"Do you treat all your friends like this?" Jimmy was complaining as Duo closed the door. "Nope!" The older man responded with a grin. "Only the special ones!"
========
His lips curled into a sly smile and Duo leaned forward; extending his finger and nudging it between Heero's parted lips. "Eat up," He cooed teasingly.
Heero regarded the other boy through half opened eyes and licked the digit clean. "Is this how you treat all your food tasters?"
Duo laughed and his eyes twinkled as he gazed fondly at his lover. "Nope. Only the special ones," he murmured and leaned in for a kiss.
========
Heero blinked and shook his head slightly. He didn't need to be remembering these things now. He didn't need to be *thinking* these things now. He was supposed to be professional, all business with no feelings or strings attached.
Duo sighed and leaned against the closed door; all humor seemed to be drained out of him. "Is all your shit intact?" He asked somewhat wearily.
"Yeah." Heero cleared his throat. "I'm going to go shower, if that's okay with you."
"What, you're not going to rip me a new one? Tell me what a fuck up I am for letting innocent little babies carry around guns?"
"You just said all that needs to be said." Heero said flatly. Duo winced but Heero couldn't bring himself to feel bad. He didn't care if these kids had been to hell and back; Duo knew better than that.
"Smithie will be sixteen in a few months and Jimmy isn't too far behind him. Jules is the youngest but I really fucking doubt that Smith let him handle any weapons. Knowing you, they were in cases anyway so I don't see what the big damn deal is. We were blowing shit up when we were younger than they are now. You just look for any excuse to come down on me, don't you?"
Heero sighed and wiped a hand across his face; keeping his back to Duo. "Think whatever you want, Duo. I don't feel like arguing anymore." He didn't wait to hear the snappy comebacks or angry retorts; he just wanted to clean up and get some rest.
He continued on his way to the bathroom and after he was completely stripped of the uncomfortable pants, he got in the shower and let the surprisingly strong spray wash over his body. He was sore as hell and covered with old sweat and dried blood. The hot water was doing wonders for him at the moment. He pressed his palms flat against the wall and hung his head as the water slid over his body. This was so frustrating; everything was when it came to Duo. He still managed to say all the wrong things to the longhaired man and every time they seemed to make some kind of headway, the anger and the bitterness crept out and everything went downhill. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't professional and that he should just think about the mission, the plan... but they weren't in wartime anymore and he knew that the more he ignored it, the more it would bother him.
He closed his eyes and let memories and emotions wash over him with the water. Things had been so good between them, once upon a time. They had been best friends and lovers, they had shared so many things and then Heero had screwed it up. Screwed it up because he was stupid and confused and just a kid at heart.
=========
"Heero! You home? Sorry about dropping in unexpectedly but I left some files here the other day!" Duo's voice called from the foyer.
Heero's heart stopped and he shot the closed, bedroom door a panicked look. "Shit!" He jumped out of the bed and began yanking on his pants as his heartbeat started again at a sickeningly fast tempo.
Relena looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong with you? Why does he still have a key?" She reached for her bra, which had fallen on the floor and started to get out of the bed, but the door burst open.
"Heero, you--" The sentence trailed off and Duo froze in the doorway. Stunned indigo eyes slowly took in Heero's panicked expression and unzipped pants, Relena's naked form and finally, the messy bed. He blinked several times and shook his head slightly. "What the.. What the fuck?"
"Duo--"
"What the fuck is this!?"
Relena stared at him and a horrified expression slowly appeared on her face as realization set in. "You didn't tell him!?" She yelled at Heero.
Heero stared at both of them helplessly and opened and closed his mouth several times. "Duo I--"
"Holy shit," Duo uttered, it came out strangled sounding and pained. "Time apart, huh? Time my fucking ass!" He snarled and spun on his heel, storming out the bedroom door.
"Duo!" Heero shouted after him and started to run forward, but Relena grabbed his arm. "You said he knew! You said he knew and he understood! How could you do this, Heero?!"
Heero stared at her with wild eyes and yanked his arm out of her grasp. "Later," He growled and ran out the door, just catching Duo as he got into the elevator. He stood in the way of the door as it started to close and stared at his partner desperately. "Please listen to me, Duo--"
The longhaired man looked furious. His face was twisted into a hateful mask and his eyes were glittering in the dangerous way they used to during the war. His breath was coming fast and hard and his eyes were red rimmed. "Get the fuck away from me, you son of a bitch."
"I didn't know how to tell you! Godammit, Duo just listen to me!"
"How long have you been fucking her?"
Heero shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. "What!?"
Duo's hands clenched into fists. "How long have you been fucking her and then spending the night with me? All those times you had to stay at the office late, all of those bullshit body guard missions, it was all a fucking lie, wasn't it?!"
"I--"
"WASN'T IT?!"
"It wasn't like that; if you'd just listen to me-- I can explain!"
"Explain what, Heero?! What the fuck is there to explain?! You could have at least been... been man enough to tell me."
Heero slammed his fist into the wall. "I tried to tell you!" He roared in frustration.
"What an idiot, I was," Duo went on as if Heero hadn't said anything. "I trusted you, I actually fucking *trusted* you. I thought I fucking *loved* you. I knew... I always knew.."
Heero stared at him disbelievingly "You never told me!"
Duo was shaking now, his eyes were moist and his lips were trembling. "Get away from me, Heero. I'm warning you," He whispered softly, bowing his head and allowing his bangs to cover his eyes as he let loose a shuddering sigh.
"Duo--" He started to reach for the other man, but Duo exploded into a flurry of motion and his fist slammed into Heero's face. Heero fell backwards and landed on his back.
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Duo screamed and stared at the fallen man with tearful, angry eyes. He slammed his fist against the close button.
Relena ran into the hall just as the elevator doors slid shut and she took in the scene before her. She looked down at her lover and shook her head sadly. "Oh Heero... what have you done?"
Heero looked up at her with dazed, sad eyes. "I... I don't know."
=========
Heero slammed a hand against the shower wall in anger. What had he been thinking? How could he have betrayed him like that? What an idiot he had been...
=========
The door slammed open and smashed against the wall; glass shattering as an enraged ex-Gundam pilot appeared in the entrance. "You bastard!"
Everyone looked up and stared at Duo. "Agent Maxwell this is highly inappropriate and--" Noin started but Duo cut her off with a venomous look.
"So first I'm not good enough to keep you from fucking that bitch and now I'm not good enough to be your partner?!"
Heero stared at him with an unfazed expression on his face. "I can't trust you to watch my back anymore. I can't have a partner that I can't trust."
Duo stared at him in disbelief, looking even more betrayed than he had that night several weeks ago. "That's real funny coming from you."
=========
"You wanted to see me?"
"It's about Agent Maxwell." Une sat behind her desk, the ultimate picture of professionalism as she watched her best agent grimace.
"What did he do now?" Heero asked in a voice that was more disgusted than anything else. Duo had become a real screw up after they had broken up. Couldn't keep a partner, couldn't stay out of trouble, couldn't--
"He's missing."
Heero's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"As you know, he stopped coming to work last week. I had Agent Donald and Agent Drake stop by his apartment last night and they said it looks as if Duo just picked up and left. Apparently nothing had been touched in more than a week. He left no clues as to where he was going and his bank account has not been touched."
"He could just be blowing off steam, you know how Duo I---"
"He's gone, Heero."
=========
After Duo disappeared, Heero had been really messed up. Angry at the world, surlier than ever and in an extreme state of regret and downheartedness. The Preventers had searched for Duo for months before finally giving up, and when they did, Heero had fallen into an even deeper depression. It had served to drive a permanent wedge between him and Relena and that's actually when things had started to go downhill. He knew now that things could never work out between the two of them and that they could be nothing more than good friends. Sleeping with her had been one of the biggest mistakes of his post-war life... and it had ruined them all.
Heero opened his eyes and raked a hand through his wet hair. In a sudden moment of clarity it finally set in that Duo Maxwell, the man he had been in love with for years and the man he had dreamed about for the past two, was really in the next room. He was really here, really alive and he was as breathtaking as ever. All of the practiced speeches that Heero had prepared in the early months of Duo's disappearance came rushing back and suddenly he had a renewed hope; a renewed drive to make things right. He didn't care if they never got back to the way they used to be, but if he could make the light that used to brighten Duo's eyes come back... that would be enough.
TBC
AN: I really dislike this chapter. *cough*
Disclaimer: I have nothing, I own nothing
NOTE: Paragraphs betweem ======= are FLASHBACKS. It might get a little confusing but for some reason
FFN wont let me post .docs or .html files so I can't use italics for some reason. I dislike this
service greatly at times.
The Game
Part Four
"We need to go over the plan."
"What's there to go over?"
"There's a lot to go over."
"Pfft. Infiltrate, stay alive, get the dirt on Tech, find out where he's crashing, who's guarding him, get in, kill 'im, get out. Simple."
Heero began to massage his temples as he glowered at the other man. "Okay, it's not going to be that simple, you realize that, right?"
Duo rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette as he lounged on one of the stools at the breakfast nook. "Of course not. There's bound to be a few kinks here and there, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"'A few kinks'? Duo. We will possibly have to fight each other and we will definitely have to fight other people before we get to him. That's more than 'a few kinks'."
Duo exhaled smoke and eyed Heero. "We'll get to that when it comes to it. For now just tell me what you think you know about The Game."
Heero sat back and folded his hands in front of him. "The Game is sponsored by Quinton Thomas, alias Quinton Tech, founded in AC--"
Duo waved a hand to cut him off. "I don't want a fuckin' history lesson here. Just give me the stats on The Game. Who's gonna be there, what kind of security Tech has, how many people go and so on."
"Several key players of the criminal underground attend The Game each year, but we were not able to obtain a credible list of who will be in attendance this year. The Game is big in the underground but only the most elite are allowed to place 'official' bets and collect winnings. The Game goes on for days and consists of no more than fifty of the best street fighters in the world, chosen by each of the players."
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you have?"
Heero raised an eyebrow in return. "What does that mean?"
"Okay, first of all what the hell was Une thinking sending you here alone? Is she fuckin' going batty again or what?"
"Trowa, Wufei and I are the only ones qualified for this mission and sending three ex-Gundam pilots to The Game is very risky. It is common knowledge that we are Preventers now and it is more likely that three of us would be discovered before one of us would. There will be Preventers stationed on the Island but they will not be participating in the actual game. When I have Tech in custody I'll be contacting them."
Duo shook his head. "Obviously you people don't know what the hell you're getting in to. First of all, Tech is always surrounded by a squad of goons, even when he's in the box watching the fights. He's practically untouchable and if you go in there trying to be all bad ass flashing your gun and a badge, you're just gonna get shot. The Island is a zoo during The Game and it's confusing as hell to find anyone unless you know who you're looking for and where you're going. Lowlifes from all over the world come to watch and place their own little bets with each other. All kinds of shit goes on there and unless you're prepared, you're gonna be overwhelmed. The fighters go after each other even when they aren't in The Cage and if you're a favorite, you better be fucking armed at all times cuz you're gonna be on the hit list of every other fighter and betting man on the island."
Heero's eyebrows knotted and he folded his arms over his chest. "How did you get this information?"
"The Preventers can get their official reports all nice and typed but the street talks and will brag to anyone willing to listen if they think you're one of them. It's the best way to get information cuz you're talking to people who were really there and who really know what's going on." Duo smirked and put his cigarette out in the glass astray that sat near his arm. "So, you still think you're all cocky with your cute little plan and mission outline?"
A low growl escaped Heero's throat and he shoved the empty plate away from him. He was getting angry. Angry because his information had been inadequate, angry because his plan was shot to hell and angry because Duo was making him feel like an idiot. "What do you suggest?" He snapped. "We just go in there and play it by ear? Is that what you want me to do?"
"That's exactly what I want to do, because we won't know exactly what we're getting into until we see it with our own eyes. How were you planning to get there?"
"Wufei wanted me to travel there with the other agents at first but we decided that it was too risky. I was planning to take public transportation, unless you have a better idea."
Duo thought for a moment. "I can get a car and we can drive there, then there's a boat that takes us to Hart Island on the first day of The Game."
Heero raised an eyebrow. "Get a car?"
Duo smirked. "I don't steal everything, you know! Not anymore, anyway. I know a guy. He hooks me up from time to time."
"Uh huh," Heero said dubiously.
Duo hopped off the stool and began stacking dishes in the sink. "Don't worry about people seeing us together; fighters often form alliances with each other even though 9 out of 10 times, they stab each other in the back in the end." He smirked at Heero. "You should know about that."
Heero ignored the comment. "I wasn't worried about that in the first place. According to one of the house keepers, I'm 'your type' so people will probably assume that we are lovers." He watched Duo, waiting to see his reaction and wasn't disappointed.
Duo's back stiffened and he spun around; glaring at Heero for all he was worth. "Well people can think whatever the hell they want, but I'm not pretending to be your fucking lover."
"The thought never crossed my mind."
Duo glared at him for a long time before he turned back to the dishes. He had a peculiar expression on his face but Heero didn't know if was a disappointed expression or an annoyed one, or both. Maybe he wasn't as good at reading Duo as he remembered. There was an uncomfortable silence and Duo finished washing the dishes before he sat down again. "I just want to make something clear, Yuy. When we get a hold of Tech, he's mine and if you have a problem with that, I suggest you say so now, because we can go our separate ways right now."
Heero stared at him for a moment before answering. "Why do you want him dead? If you want this to work out, you need to tell me. I need to be able to trust you."
"You don't need to know that. All you need to know, is that the fucker is mine. All you need to do is trust me to get the job done and you know I'm more than capable of taking out a few scumbags."
"What's he got on you? What's he done to you? You need to tell me, Duo." Heero leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart. "I'm here for you, whatever it is." Their eyes locked and for a moment, uncertainty was visible on Duo's face. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed convulsively and his eyes flickered over Heero's face as if he were searching for a sign that he really could confide in the man. "Just trust me, Duo. Please."
The uncertainty faded and a bark of laughter escaped Duo's throat and he stared at the other man incredulously. "Trust you? You're kidding, right? The only thing I trust about you, Yuy, is that you won't stab me in my sleep and even that is kind of shaky considering all those death threats you delivered during the war." There was silence for several moments and the tension in the room was practically tangible.
Heero sat back in his chair and cleard his throat, trying to ignore the disappointment that coursed through him. "You can't kill him."
"The *hell* I can't," Duo retorted.
"You're not a Preventer anymore. You're a civilian."
"So say you did it. I don't mind if you take the credit."
"I don't shoot unless shot at."
"So tell them he had a fucking gun, for God's sake. Jesus Christ, Heero use some imagination here!"
"Unacceptable."
Duo stood up and the stool scraped against the linoleum. "You don't get to tell me what to do, Yuy. You're not my superior officer and you never were. I don't give two shits about your badge and you know it."
"You know Duo, you're lucky I don't haul your ass in right now with all the stuff you've been doing in the past two years. Don't push your luck with me because I'm running out of patience."
A slow smirk crept up on Duo's impish features. "Oh stuff it, Heero. The only time you'd cuff me is if it's to your bed and you're practicing your little bondage fetish." A flush slowly made its way up Heero's neck and Duo laughed out loud. "Thought I forgot about that, didn't you?"
Heero glared at the other man and didn't deign to answer.
"Does Relena let you tie her up?" Duo wondered.
The Japanese man nearly choked. "That's enough, Duo."
He shrugged, faking indifference and turned his back on Heero. "Oh, sorry. I should have known better than to talk about the Princess in such a way. You have my humblest apology." He muttered bitterly.
Heero sighed inaudibly. "Duo..."
"Well anyways, you're staying here until we leave." Duo said hurriedly, determined to cut off whatever Heero had been about to say.
Dark blue eyes regarded the other man incredulously. "There's no reason for that. I have a place, a --"
"A motel, yeah I know the place. It's a real shithole. You're staying here."
Heero flattened his palms on the counter and leaned towards Duo. "You don't take orders from me and I don't take orders from you. The motel is perfectly adequate and there is no reason for me to stay here; all it will do is draw unnecessary attention from people and make the situation increasingly uncomfortable for both of us."
"I didn't say you were sleeping in my bed so calm the hell down. I don't trust you, Yuy and I want you where I can see you. I'm sure you feel the same way about me since you probably have it in that head of yours that I'm up to a bunch of no good shit just because I'm not playing confession and telling you every single thing I've been doing lately. Besides, it's more likely that we'll get 'unnecessary attention' if we're traveling all over Chicago to meet up; especially since the Meat Market is near the motel you're staying in. Not only that-- but any dickhead knows that the walls of motels have ears and it's not safe to talk there. I tell you-- you Preventers must be getting sloppy because this is the shoddie--"
"Shut up, Duo." Heero began massaging his temples again. "This is a difficult mission and I knew that when I took it. The informants we had were obviously defective or misinformed and it's very hard to get accurate information on people who don't legally exist; who don't have any government records or information."
Duo crossed his arms over his chest. "Well... I'm not trying to say that the plan was all bad, it's just that you're missing a lot of crucial details that could make or break t--why the hell am I reassuring you?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You staying or what?"
"Not if you're going to be an asshole for the entire time."
"What does *that* mean?"
"If you're not going to be focused and if you plan to badger me about the past through the whole mission, I'd prefer to stay where I am. I don't want to hear your sarcastic comments or whatever you have to say about Relena. What happened between she and I, is between she... and I. It's no one else's business and it has nothing to do with Tech, this mission or you."
Duo clenched his jaw and shrugged stiffly. "Whatever you say, man. No one else is on this floor so we can talk freely. Take the spare bedroom down the hall, but I warn you, the furniture in it is used... including the bed. So if you wake up with a rash on your dic--"
"I get the picture," Heero cut him off with a roll of his eyes. He stood up and looked at the neon green numbers on the microwave clock. To his surprise two hours had already passed and they hadn't seriously argued for the entire time. "I'm going to have to retrieve my belongings from the motel."
Duo smirked and stood up. "Ah... that's being taken care of as we speak."
Heero's eyebrows knotted and just as he opened his mouth to question that statement, someone banged loudly on the front door and an adolescent voice yelled: "Duo! Open the fricken' door already! This crap is heavy!" Duo shrugged innocently at Heero's narrow eyed expression and gestured at the door, indicating that he should go open it. Heero stood up slowly and eyed the other man suspiciously. The grumbles and complaints behind the door grew louder and finally the Japanese man walked over and flung it open.
Jules and two other ragamuffins stumbled in. All of them were extremely scrawny and they were all laden with heavy looking duffle bags. The boys dropped the bags as soon as they stepped foot in the door and something clattered loudly as the bottom struck the floor. One of the boys looked up sheepishly. "Whoops! Ya didn't tell me there was fragile stuff in there..." He trailed off when he saw the murderous look that Heero was sending in his direction.
"Who the hell gave you permission to touch my things?!" His head snapped around and he glared at Duo angrily. "My laptop, my tools... my weapons! You let children handle weapons?! Are you out of your mind?" He knelt down and began rifling through his bags as if to see if anything was missing or broken.
"Children!?" The tallest one sputtered angrily. He put his hands on bony hips and glared at Heero for all he was worth; pale blue eyes flashing. "I resent that! I was hustling before I could even walk!"
Duo snorted softly at that and went to help Heero with the bags. "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration, Jimmy?"
Jimmy scowled at them and crossed his arms over his black t-shirt. "My ma used to sew bags of Nitro into my diaper when the feds raided our apartment," He said sullenly.
Jules rolled his eyes and toed one of the bags with his sneaker. "That's cuz your ma is a fricken' crackhead." He stopped toeing the bag when Heero practically growled at him.
Jimmy glared daggers at the other boy before smirking meanly. "At least she ain't a piece of ass like *your* ma."
Jules' back went ramrod straight and he looked about ready to pounce on the larger boy, when the quietest of the three grabbed the back of his t-shirt and held him back easily. "Both of you shut the hell up." He glared at his friends from under a messy fringe of bangs. "Now." The other boys shot each other dirty looks but instantly fell silent. "Sorry about your stuff, Mister. We didn't do nothin' but put it in the bags and haul it out." The apparent leader of the trio said to Heero.
Duo waved the apology off before Heero could comment. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. He'll just blame me for whatever damage you did anyway." Heero shot him a look that clearly stated that he would be doing just that.
"I have a name, you know." The kid muttered in an annoyed fashion.
"I know, kiddo," Duo said teasingly as he hoisted the heaviest bag onto his shoulder and began carrying it down the hall. Heero shook his head and carried the last two bags easily as he followed Duo to the spare room. He was still visibly irritated.
"I know your name, Smithie," Jules offered helpfully.
"Suck up," Jimmy muttered.
"Hey, you guys can get the hell out now," Duo said with no little amount of amusement in his tone. "Heero hasn't ripped my head off yet so I'm guessing you didn't break anything."
Smithie raised an eyebrow and held out one hand. "Pay up."
"And none of that two dollar jip business, either!" Jules put in.
Once again, Heero walked in just as Duo was walking them to the door. He was extremely annoyed at Duo but he didn't want to argue with the man in front of the kids. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as they joked back and forth. Duo's face began to soften and his eyes began to shine with genuine amusement and good cheer. The angry scowl was nowhere to be seen and for the first time since their reunion, he looked like his old self.
Heero remembered when he was the one who could put that sparkle in Duo's eyes; when he was the one who could make him happy. Now... now all he did was bring the longhaired man bad memories and anger. As he stood and watched, he began to feel less irritated and more wistful. Wistful and empty. When he had foolishly lost Duo... he had lost a part of his heart forever and now, now Duo was within reach but it was obvious by the way he acted with Heero, all guarded and angry, that things would never be the same.
"Do you treat all your friends like this?" Jimmy was complaining as Duo closed the door. "Nope!" The older man responded with a grin. "Only the special ones!"
========
His lips curled into a sly smile and Duo leaned forward; extending his finger and nudging it between Heero's parted lips. "Eat up," He cooed teasingly.
Heero regarded the other boy through half opened eyes and licked the digit clean. "Is this how you treat all your food tasters?"
Duo laughed and his eyes twinkled as he gazed fondly at his lover. "Nope. Only the special ones," he murmured and leaned in for a kiss.
========
Heero blinked and shook his head slightly. He didn't need to be remembering these things now. He didn't need to be *thinking* these things now. He was supposed to be professional, all business with no feelings or strings attached.
Duo sighed and leaned against the closed door; all humor seemed to be drained out of him. "Is all your shit intact?" He asked somewhat wearily.
"Yeah." Heero cleared his throat. "I'm going to go shower, if that's okay with you."
"What, you're not going to rip me a new one? Tell me what a fuck up I am for letting innocent little babies carry around guns?"
"You just said all that needs to be said." Heero said flatly. Duo winced but Heero couldn't bring himself to feel bad. He didn't care if these kids had been to hell and back; Duo knew better than that.
"Smithie will be sixteen in a few months and Jimmy isn't too far behind him. Jules is the youngest but I really fucking doubt that Smith let him handle any weapons. Knowing you, they were in cases anyway so I don't see what the big damn deal is. We were blowing shit up when we were younger than they are now. You just look for any excuse to come down on me, don't you?"
Heero sighed and wiped a hand across his face; keeping his back to Duo. "Think whatever you want, Duo. I don't feel like arguing anymore." He didn't wait to hear the snappy comebacks or angry retorts; he just wanted to clean up and get some rest.
He continued on his way to the bathroom and after he was completely stripped of the uncomfortable pants, he got in the shower and let the surprisingly strong spray wash over his body. He was sore as hell and covered with old sweat and dried blood. The hot water was doing wonders for him at the moment. He pressed his palms flat against the wall and hung his head as the water slid over his body. This was so frustrating; everything was when it came to Duo. He still managed to say all the wrong things to the longhaired man and every time they seemed to make some kind of headway, the anger and the bitterness crept out and everything went downhill. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't professional and that he should just think about the mission, the plan... but they weren't in wartime anymore and he knew that the more he ignored it, the more it would bother him.
He closed his eyes and let memories and emotions wash over him with the water. Things had been so good between them, once upon a time. They had been best friends and lovers, they had shared so many things and then Heero had screwed it up. Screwed it up because he was stupid and confused and just a kid at heart.
=========
"Heero! You home? Sorry about dropping in unexpectedly but I left some files here the other day!" Duo's voice called from the foyer.
Heero's heart stopped and he shot the closed, bedroom door a panicked look. "Shit!" He jumped out of the bed and began yanking on his pants as his heartbeat started again at a sickeningly fast tempo.
Relena looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong with you? Why does he still have a key?" She reached for her bra, which had fallen on the floor and started to get out of the bed, but the door burst open.
"Heero, you--" The sentence trailed off and Duo froze in the doorway. Stunned indigo eyes slowly took in Heero's panicked expression and unzipped pants, Relena's naked form and finally, the messy bed. He blinked several times and shook his head slightly. "What the.. What the fuck?"
"Duo--"
"What the fuck is this!?"
Relena stared at him and a horrified expression slowly appeared on her face as realization set in. "You didn't tell him!?" She yelled at Heero.
Heero stared at both of them helplessly and opened and closed his mouth several times. "Duo I--"
"Holy shit," Duo uttered, it came out strangled sounding and pained. "Time apart, huh? Time my fucking ass!" He snarled and spun on his heel, storming out the bedroom door.
"Duo!" Heero shouted after him and started to run forward, but Relena grabbed his arm. "You said he knew! You said he knew and he understood! How could you do this, Heero?!"
Heero stared at her with wild eyes and yanked his arm out of her grasp. "Later," He growled and ran out the door, just catching Duo as he got into the elevator. He stood in the way of the door as it started to close and stared at his partner desperately. "Please listen to me, Duo--"
The longhaired man looked furious. His face was twisted into a hateful mask and his eyes were glittering in the dangerous way they used to during the war. His breath was coming fast and hard and his eyes were red rimmed. "Get the fuck away from me, you son of a bitch."
"I didn't know how to tell you! Godammit, Duo just listen to me!"
"How long have you been fucking her?"
Heero shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. "What!?"
Duo's hands clenched into fists. "How long have you been fucking her and then spending the night with me? All those times you had to stay at the office late, all of those bullshit body guard missions, it was all a fucking lie, wasn't it?!"
"I--"
"WASN'T IT?!"
"It wasn't like that; if you'd just listen to me-- I can explain!"
"Explain what, Heero?! What the fuck is there to explain?! You could have at least been... been man enough to tell me."
Heero slammed his fist into the wall. "I tried to tell you!" He roared in frustration.
"What an idiot, I was," Duo went on as if Heero hadn't said anything. "I trusted you, I actually fucking *trusted* you. I thought I fucking *loved* you. I knew... I always knew.."
Heero stared at him disbelievingly "You never told me!"
Duo was shaking now, his eyes were moist and his lips were trembling. "Get away from me, Heero. I'm warning you," He whispered softly, bowing his head and allowing his bangs to cover his eyes as he let loose a shuddering sigh.
"Duo--" He started to reach for the other man, but Duo exploded into a flurry of motion and his fist slammed into Heero's face. Heero fell backwards and landed on his back.
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Duo screamed and stared at the fallen man with tearful, angry eyes. He slammed his fist against the close button.
Relena ran into the hall just as the elevator doors slid shut and she took in the scene before her. She looked down at her lover and shook her head sadly. "Oh Heero... what have you done?"
Heero looked up at her with dazed, sad eyes. "I... I don't know."
=========
Heero slammed a hand against the shower wall in anger. What had he been thinking? How could he have betrayed him like that? What an idiot he had been...
=========
The door slammed open and smashed against the wall; glass shattering as an enraged ex-Gundam pilot appeared in the entrance. "You bastard!"
Everyone looked up and stared at Duo. "Agent Maxwell this is highly inappropriate and--" Noin started but Duo cut her off with a venomous look.
"So first I'm not good enough to keep you from fucking that bitch and now I'm not good enough to be your partner?!"
Heero stared at him with an unfazed expression on his face. "I can't trust you to watch my back anymore. I can't have a partner that I can't trust."
Duo stared at him in disbelief, looking even more betrayed than he had that night several weeks ago. "That's real funny coming from you."
=========
"You wanted to see me?"
"It's about Agent Maxwell." Une sat behind her desk, the ultimate picture of professionalism as she watched her best agent grimace.
"What did he do now?" Heero asked in a voice that was more disgusted than anything else. Duo had become a real screw up after they had broken up. Couldn't keep a partner, couldn't stay out of trouble, couldn't--
"He's missing."
Heero's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"As you know, he stopped coming to work last week. I had Agent Donald and Agent Drake stop by his apartment last night and they said it looks as if Duo just picked up and left. Apparently nothing had been touched in more than a week. He left no clues as to where he was going and his bank account has not been touched."
"He could just be blowing off steam, you know how Duo I---"
"He's gone, Heero."
=========
After Duo disappeared, Heero had been really messed up. Angry at the world, surlier than ever and in an extreme state of regret and downheartedness. The Preventers had searched for Duo for months before finally giving up, and when they did, Heero had fallen into an even deeper depression. It had served to drive a permanent wedge between him and Relena and that's actually when things had started to go downhill. He knew now that things could never work out between the two of them and that they could be nothing more than good friends. Sleeping with her had been one of the biggest mistakes of his post-war life... and it had ruined them all.
Heero opened his eyes and raked a hand through his wet hair. In a sudden moment of clarity it finally set in that Duo Maxwell, the man he had been in love with for years and the man he had dreamed about for the past two, was really in the next room. He was really here, really alive and he was as breathtaking as ever. All of the practiced speeches that Heero had prepared in the early months of Duo's disappearance came rushing back and suddenly he had a renewed hope; a renewed drive to make things right. He didn't care if they never got back to the way they used to be, but if he could make the light that used to brighten Duo's eyes come back... that would be enough.
TBC
AN: I really dislike this chapter. *cough*