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"Entanglement"Written By: Clara Barton Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following
is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said,
these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask
before reprinting. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Angst, language, sex Pairings: 2x3, 1x2x3, past 1x4, past 1x5 Summary: It was supposed to be one night, a threesome with a complete stranger to celebrate their anniversary, but things got complicated. Sequel to: King of Hearts, Defeated and Brand New Day A/N: I wrote Defeated as a one shot, but then
I wrote King of Hearts (actually a prequel to Defeated) for the 2014
Smut Off with Miss-Murdered and I've just fallen in love with these
characters so I wrote Brand New Day. Entanglement is a multi-chapter
fic of the events taking place after Brand New Day. You definitely
need to read those three one shots before reading this. "Entanglement" Chapter Three Heero stared out of the windows of his office and he wondered just how much force it would take to break them and hurl himself out of his office and onto the pavement below. He hated himself for that thought, however fleeting, and he fingered the thin, faded scar on his wrist from his suicide attempt at the age of fifteen. This was not as bad as that, he reminded himself and drew in a deep breath, straightened his tie and buttoned his suit jacket. As he opened the door of his office he could hear the low, distant hum of chatter and louder laughter breaking through. You can do this, he firmly told himself and stepped out into the hall. He decided to take the long way to Darlian's office and he walked towards Duo and Trowa's offices. He had expected them to be empty, but as he neared Trowa's office he looked through the open glass wall and saw Duo and Trowa, bodies silhouetted in the dark with only the lights from the city illuminating them. Heero was brought up short. Duo had Trowa pinned against the wall of his office, one hand wrapped around his head and the other braced against the wall by Trowa's waist. Trowa's hands were wrapped around Duo's waist, fingers clutching the fabric of his jacket tightly. And they were kissing, Trowa's head angled down and Duo's tilted upwards to make up for the difference in their heights and Heero abruptly realized it was the first time he had seen them kiss. He had expected to see this every day in the office - but six months after he had been hired, this was the first time he had actually seen them kiss. Duo eased away slowly and Trowa tried to follow him, but finally allowed the kiss to end. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment until Trowa nodded. As he did so, he looked past Duo's head and spotted Heero in the hallway. Duo saw that his attention had drifted and turned, catching sight of Heero as well. Who now felt like a voyeur. Duo arched an eyebrow. "Avoiding the party?" Heero gave him a look and Duo's lips tipped upwards, he turned back to Trowa. "Now, Tro, why would Heero Yuy possibly avoid a birthday party for Thomas Darlian, who has worked so hard to make him happy here at MLG?" One corner of Trowa's mouth lifted, but there was something about the expression, his face and his body language that spoke of tension and anxiety. Heero wondered what was going on. "Maybe he doesn't like the cake?" Trowa hazarded. "Hm. He does seem to have discerning tastes. Probably doesn't care for the champagne either?" Trowa nodded in agreement. "Very funny," Heero growled. Duo stepped away from Trowa, though the other man was slow to release him, and Heero was again struck by the fact that something was clearly wrong. He saw Duo run his hand down Trowa's chest and give his tie a faint tug. It earned an equally faint smile from Trowa, but it seemed to calm him somehow. He stood up to his full height and straightened his clothes. "Well, we can't all avoid the damn party or they'll send someone after us." Heero frowned. "Why are you two avoiding the parties?" "Trowa's allergic to assholes," Duo mumbled. Heero looked over at the green eyed man, but he wouldn't meet Heero's gaze. Something was definitely going on. Over the last six months he and Trowa had spent nearly every weekday morning working out together, and while they didn't have thirty minute conversations, they still talked and Heero thought they had actually become close, despite all of the sexual tension they had to wade through every time they saw each other. Even with Duo, over the last two months as they worked together on the YSI case, Heero felt he was finally getting to know, finally earning the other man's respect and working past his enmity. But they were clearly both upset and both reluctant to say what - or who - had upset them. Duo threw an arm around Heero's shoulders. He had started doing that recently too, and Heero found himself leaning into it some. It was silly, but he would take whatever comfort he could get - even if it was just a friendly, meaningless gesture on Duo's part. "Heero, buddy, you should be looking forward to this. I mean, it's been what? Nine months since you last saw Relena? Just think of all the time she's had to plan out your dream future together. You know, since it's her Dad's birthday, she'll probably say that as her gift to him she'll make room for you in the London office and you two can -" Heero stepped away from him and glared. "Don't even joke about that." Duo's lips twitched as he fought back a laugh at Heero's tone but then he nodded. "Okay. Now, come on, we need to go smile and shake hands and think dark, homicidal thoughts for at least an hour before we can get the hell out of here." Trowa drew in a deep breath and led the way, Heero and Duo falling into step behind him. Heero looked at Duo and arched an eyebrow in question. Duo looked prepared to say something, but then he frowned and shook his head. Whatever the problem was, Heero still wasn't trusted or liked enough to know about it apparently. Unless, of course, he was the problem. As they approached Darlian's office the sound of the party grew louder. Duo nudged his shoulder against Heero's. "It's going to be fine. I heard she's shacking up with some Duke or Baron or something over there these days - she's probably completely forgotten about you by now." Heero gave him a look and Duo smirked. "Okay. She probably hasn't forgotten about you, because you're damned impossible to forget, but she probably won't try to kidnap you or tie you up in the copy room and have her way with you." "Thank you for that lovely mental image," Heero growled. Duo slapped him on the back. "Any time buddy." He drew in a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "And now it's time to go and shake hands with the scum of the earth, Treize Khushrenada." Heero frowned. Duo and Trowa had mentioned Treize Khushrenada, the mysterious senior partner who managed the London branch of MLG, over the past few months, but always with disdain or anger. However, it had never approached the level of loathing Duo's voice now had. Heero looked over the assembled group of lawyers and secretaries and wondered just who - Standing beside Thomas Darlian, a champagne glass in one hand and a thin sneer on his face, was a man Heero had never thought to see again. Tall, fit, with short blonde hair and chiseled features - it was a body and a face that Heero had only seen once, one night years ago in Amsterdam. The man laughed, throwing back his head and the sound of that laughter set Heero's teeth on edge. He remembered that laugh - remembered the way he had laughed that night. The man's blue eyes landed on Heero and sharpened. The laughter left his face and a slow smirk spread across his lips. Heero swallowed hard and tried to fight off the urge to just run away, but the man left Darlian's side and started towards him and Heero gave in, turning on his heel and walking away. "Hey - Heero!" He could hear Duo calling after him, but there was no way he was going to stop - no way he could be there and see him and who the hell was he and why was he here? Memories of that night flooded Heero's brain and he barely made it to the men's room and a toilet before vomiting. "Jesus. Heero - Trowa, hand me a wet towel." He could feel hands - Duo's firm hands - pushing back his hair and holding his tie away from the toilet and he knew he should feel embarrassed, should push him away, but he couldn't. Eventually Duo eased him back from the toilet, letting go of Heero's tie and pressing a warm, damp towel into his hands. "Here, just, you know, you've got a bit on your mouth." It was clear Duo was trying for levity, but there was concern in his voice and on his face. One of Duo's hands was still in Heero's hair and Heero reached up to gently brush him away. He tried to sit on the ground, but Duo dragged him up. "No way. You're not going to sit down beside your vomit toilet. Get up. Sit on the sink counter if you have to." He obediently followed Duo's order and left the stall and leaned against the sink counter, close to where Trowa stood looking at him with a concerned frown. Duo flushed the toilet and then walked over. He put his hands on Heero's shoulders. "Heero - what the hell just happened?" "Who was that man? Beside Darlian?" "That was Treize Khushrenada. We've told you about him." Heero nodded. "I know him. I met him ten years ago." Duo arched an eyebrow. "Okay...oh. Let me guess. He tried to proposition you and -" "Duo," Trowa spoke up, his voice a quiet warning. Duo looked over at him and sighed, then stepped back from Heero. "Sorry," he mumbled. "He did proposition me," Heero said. He wiped his face with the towel and felt completely disgusting - physically and mentally. "I was in Amsterdam for a semester in college. My... boyfriend was Romanian and we - he -" "Heero. It's fine. Just calm down." "It's not fucking fine, Duo. My entire life is fucked!" He hadn't meant to raise his voice, but he could hear it echo off the tile in the bathroom and Duo and Trowa shared looks of alarm. Duo held his hands out, palms out, as though Heero were a wounded animal he was trying to soothe. "Okay, let's just... talk this out. Your life isn't fucked, Heero. I promise." Heero glared at him. Duo didn't even know, couldn't even comprehend just how disastrous one night had been for Heero. "We pretended to be prostitutes. Treize paid us to have sex while he watched us." Duo swallowed hard. "Well, that sounds like something the bastard would do. But, Heero - that was ten years ago. In a different country and he probably doesn't even recognize you." "He recognized me," Heero said, remembering the look in Treize's eyes. He sighed. "It wasn't just the sex. It was - we did a lot of cocaine, Quatre and I, and Treize watched that too - watched us do lines off each other's bodies and -" "Did he do any? Did he offer you any?" Trowa asked, his voice clipped. Heero swallowed hard and shook his head. He gave him a rueful smile. "No. Of course not - that would be too easy." "Fuck." Duo ran a hand through his hair. "It's not - Heero, it's none of my business but do you still do coke? Because the drug policy at MLG is pretty fucking strict and Tro and I aren't going to rat you out but -" "No. I haven't touched it since Amsterdam. It's not - I only ever did it with Quatre." Duo looked relieved. "Okay, that's good. And we're still talking ten years ago. In a foreign country. Treize would have to implicate himself for solicitation to even bring this up with Darlian." "Who said he would bring it up to Darlian?" Trowa asked, his voice low and angry. "You know him, Duo. He's going to try to manipulate Heero and -" "Okay. Fuck. Fucking, fucking fuck." Duo seemed furious, and it drew Heero out of his self-loathing. "Duo. This isn't your problem." Duo glared at him. "Oh just fuck right off. Of course it is. I'm not going to let that bastard near either one of you so just - just calm down and let me think." Heero looked over at Trowa and the other man met his eyes and sighed. "Treize used to work here, before we opened the London office three years ago. When I was an associate he... suggested that the only way I would make Junior Partner would be if I sufficiently impressed him." Heero didn't want to ask, but he wanted to know. Trowa nodded. "It was one time. I didn't - I couldn't - I had to." He finished and Heero could understand. Trowa, just out of law school and saddled with all of that debt, would have likely been fired if he took a sexual harassment complaint to a new employer. He would have been just as likely to lose his job if he had turned down Treize. Heero looked over at Duo. He was pacing, one hand over his face. Now that scene in Trowa's office made more sense. "Okay," Duo came to a stop and looked at them, his features set in grim, determined lines. "We have to go out there and wish Thomas a Happy Birthday. We have to say hello to Treize - and Relena, though I imagine she is the least of your worries at this point - but then you two are going to be Vandy's best friends for the next hour. Then we can go and not look like rude assholes." "What are you going to do? While we become Alex's best friends?" "Well I'm sure as hell not going to hang out with you and Vandy," Duo muttered. He sighed. "I'll keep Treize occupied. God knows I'm not as sexy as either of you so I can't flirt with him, but the bastard never turns down a chance to make me feel like shit." Heero opened his mouth to protest but Duo held up a hand. "Shut up. This is the plan. Now, rinse out your mouth and let's get this over with." He wanted to resent the way Duo had stepped up and was ordering him around, but Heero was frankly relieved. He was still convinced this was going to end in disaster - he could only imagine what Treize would try to do to him, how he would use the past against him, and he felt furious over the fact that Treize had forced himself on Trowa. He looked over at the green eyed man, but his face was impossible to read. "Hey." Duo spoke to Trowa. He stepped forward and kissed him on the mouth. "It's not going to happen again. Not to either of you. I got rid of him before, I sure as hell can do it again." Duo looked over them, straightened Heero's tie, and nodded approval. "Okay. Let's go." Trowa and Heero trailed after Duo like scared ducklings, and he imagined that wasn't far off from how they both felt as they approached Thomas Darlian and Treize Khushrenada. "Hey!" Duo greeted Darlian brightly, a smile plastered on his face. "Happy Birthday old man! Just think, this is just one year closer to your retirement and the day I get to take over!" Darlian chuckled warmly as he shook Duo's hand. "That's only if your husband or your new partner don't beat you to it!" Darlian said, looking at Trowa and Heero. "Oh, nah, we've got a whole system worked out to share power." Duo waved a hand in dismissal and then turned to Treize. "Haven't seen you on this side of the pond if a few years, Treize." The blonde man shrugged. "I had some things to attend to and being here for Tom's birthday was an added bonus. And of course, I've been dying to meet this new Junior Partner he keeps raving about." Treize focused on Heero. "Yes!" Darlian jumped in. "Heero Yuy, Treize Khushrenada." Heero drew in a deep breath and held out his hand. Treize's fingers were slightly cool, long and firm and he caressed the inside of Heero's wrist and their hands shook. "A pleasure to meet you, Heero," Treize murmured and the look in his eyes - the amusement, the knowledge, the lust - had Heero swallowing back bile. He pulled his hand away, angry and just the slightest bit actually afraid when Treize momentarily refused to release him. "And Trowa, you're looking well, as always," Treize smoothly turned his attention to his next target. "Treize. Good to see you again." Heero had never heard Trowa's voice sound like that and he hoped he never did again. The look of complete blankness on his face was also deeply unsettling. Treize smirked, pleased with the reactions he had earned. "Yeah, about seeing you again - I actually had a few questions about this case I'm working on, if you don't mind Thomas? Can I steal Treize for a few minutes?" Treize looked shocked, but then his lips curved into a smile that made Heero's stomach turn. "Of course," Darlian said and waved Duo and Treize away. He turned back to Trowa and Heero. "Thank you both for the birthday presents - very thoughtful and much appreciated. Now - go have some cake and champagne!" Heero and Trowa walked away, but Heero had to look over his shoulder to where Duo and Treize were walking down the hall, towards Duo's office. He felt the urge to go after him. "He'll be fine," Trowa said. "He's been doing this for years." Trowa sounded dead and it pulled Heero out of his own depression. "Trowa, it was -" "Heero!" That voice. That damn voice that had had him idly contemplating suicide all day. He turned and there she was, dressed in a pink cocktail dress, wearing a pink diamond necklace and pink diamond studs and there was just so much damn pink. "Relena," he greeted her, alarmed by the bright smile on her face. "It's so good to see you! And here, in our firm!" She moved forward, arms open and clearly intent on hugging him, but Trowa stepped in front of Heero. "Relena, I think your father was looking for you - he said something about the Paris deal isn't going well?" The happiness immediately drained from Relena's face. She looked past Heero, towards her father, and then cursed softly before walking away. Trowa offered Heero a slight smirk. "Thank you," Heero said and sighed in relief. "How did you know - what Paris deal?" Trowa shrugged. "Allison - she knows everything and she mentioned something to Duo earlier today about it." Trowa sighed. "Come on. Let's go find Alex and let him numb our brains for the next half hour." It was closer to an hour when Duo and Treize finally reappeared at the party. Treize walked in wearing a confident smirk and Duo looked ready to kill something. He walked over to Duo and Trowa, deep in conversation with Alex about the Rangers, and nodded a brief greeting at Alex before turning to them. "Let's go." Alex looked confused and more than a little hurt that Duo didn't want to talk to him, but Trowa and Heero instantly retreated, following Duo out of the party. Uncharacteristically, Duo ignored literally everyone and it wasn't until they were in the elevator, briefcases and gym bags at their feet, that he spoke again. "I'm going to fucking bury that man," he muttered. "Duo -" "Don't you fucking dare apologize again, Trowa. It wasn't your fault and I don't - please. Stop apologizing for it." Heero watched Trowa swallow hard and nod. Duo sighed. "I need to drink. A lot. It's Monday?" Heero nodded. "Good. PhD should be packed. You coming with us?" It was the first invitation to spend time with them that Duo had issued since Heero came to work at MLG. He wished the circumstances were different - but in all honesty, he did not want to go home alone. "Yes." "Good. We can check our bags at the hotel desk." Duo hailed a cab for them and as they waited he loosened and removed his tie and his suit jacket so that he was just wearing a his vest, lavender button up shirt, and trousers. He opened the first few buttons and he looked... incredible. Heero saw Trowa staring at him as well, desire in his eyes, and Heero wondered if maybe he shouldn't back out after all. But then a cab pulled up and Duo ushered them into the back seat. Heero found himself between them, pressed against Duo and Trowa's thighs and it reminded him of that night. As Duo had predicted, the club was packed. Heero was glad that he had followed Duo and Trowa's leads and checked his jacket along with his brief case and gym bag at the concierge desk downstairs. Duo led the way to the bar, ordering drinks for them and then guiding them outside to one of the balconies, where there was at least room to breathe. Heero gratefully accepted the Old Fashioned Duo handed him. "Here's to that bastard leaving in three days," Duo said and raised his glass. Trowa and Heero touched their glasses against his, but Heero felt dread settle in his stomach. Three more days of Treize? Duo must have seen something of his anxiety. "Drink. We can think about it later." He instructed and emptied his own drink quickly. Trowa and Heero followed suit and then Duo took their empty glasses and set them down. "Come on." He grabbed both of their hands. "We're dancing." Trowa looked as uncomfortable with the idea as Heero felt, but Duo had a determined look on his face and he dragged both of them back inside, deep into the pounding music and pulsing bodies. It was too crowded to do more than move together, but that seemed to be exactly what Duo had in mind in any case. He put one hand around Heero's neck and dragged his close while he pressed his back against Trowa's front, grinding against him in time with the deep, throbbing bass of the music. Trowa's hands wrapped around Duo's hips, guiding his movements and Heero gave into the urge to reach out and touch them, putting one hand on Trowa's waist and burying the other in Duo's hair. Duo pulled him closer and if there hadn't been heart-pounding music, strobing blue lights, hundreds of strangers, alcohol and lust buzzing through his system, it would have felt like a hug. As comforting as it was, there was absolutely nothing platonic about it. Heero looked into Trowa's eyes, taking in the pain and anger still there. Someone bumped into Heero from behind and Duo's free hand drifted down to his waist, steadying him and pulling him even closer, eliminating all space between their bodies. He felt the warm, wet press of Duo's open mouth on his neck. It wasn't a kiss, but it was something and it sent a jolt of lust straight to Heero's dick. "He's not coming near you again," Duo shouted into Heero's ear, his words barely audible above the music. "I'm not letting him near you again." ~ * ~ |
