"Defying Gravity"

A Romance in Three Parts

Written By: Kaeru Shisho

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: AU, yaoi, some language

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3

Summary: A multi part story of romance starting with a turning point vacation, developing throughout a dangerous UC mission, and moving ahead through the unexpected challenges of a summer vacation.

"Part Two: It's Back to Work"

Mill and I left the club shortly after Gunter did. None of the boys at the table left with him, and I was thankful for that. Strangely, I'd sleep better that night not knowing who the creep was molesting. Anyway, Gunter left the club alone. As soon as we had made it to the Jaguar, Mill had closed up and not spoken another word. He pulled into the garage, shut the Jaguar off, and as he started to get out I touched his shoulder lightly.

"Mill?"

"Yes, Scythe. You don't have to let me know time and time again that this is nothing but a job for you. I heard you loud and clear."

He got out, slammed the Jaguar's door, and then slammed the door to the house, and then I guess for good measure, he slammed the bedroom door when he went through it. I made my way into the house and kicked my shoes off at the door. Since we now had a couch and two futons—the guest room bed would arrive from the store tomorrow, maybe—I wouldn't have to take the floor again. I didn't know if my back could have taken another night of floor business.

I chose the black futon and closed my eyes, determined to get to sleep, but all I could see was Mill's face. I could see the hurt that I'd so plainly given him throughout the day, and it bothered me. It made me nauseous, and it made me want to take him in my arms and apologize. For what? He was the one overstepping the boundaries. He was making serious moves on me. Or was he? It probably took a lot of mental game play for a straight, married man to pretend he loved younger boys and act on it.

The more I thought about it, the more I figured I'd read him wrong. Maybe I hadn't heard him right. I know, I don't think I could pretend to take on a lover four years younger than me. I did the math and my stomach recoiled. That was just plain sicko. Okay, so it wasn't quite that bad for Mill. I was of legal, consenting age, but still. For him this had to be a stretch. He was clearly going to be wretched at it, go overboard, and overdo. That's what it was.

My eyes flew open and I took a deep breath. "God help me, I'm playing 'psychoanalyzing a shrink'."

I had been staring at the ceiling for nearly an hour. At some point last night I'd fallen asleep, but in place of the war-torn dreams I'd had my entire life, I'd dreamed about Mill. Aside from his touch, I dreamed of his feelings. The knowledge that I had hurt Mill—while he was maybe a little out of line but just doing his job getting into character in his own stupid way—had haunted me all night. I had made a decision of sorts between pacing the patio in the back yard and trying to lie still and go to sleep.

I realized that the next two months didn't have to be completely unbearable. I understood what Mill had meant when he said that he had a hard time differentiating between real and believable, and knew this would happen. I just had to center my thoughts on my new home, my buds, and on my boyfriend, Heero. He'd be waiting for me when this was over. He'd be part of the extraction before that. Heero would be my anchor.

Still, dancing with Mill the night before, even though it was for show, was wonderful. Never mind that I couldn't dance for shit being all distracted and nervous. I knew that his touch, his firm yet sure and gentle caresses, and his soft-burning kisses were things that could not be real. Heero was real; this was deep undercover. Still, it was hard to fight the testosterone coursing through my body fanning desires, demanding that I get laid, and soon.

Taking a cleansing breath, I found some clean clothes and dressed. The door to the bedroom gaped wide open, inviting me in. I heard water running and assumed that Mill was in the shower. But when I crossed the doorway to the bathroom, he was standing at the sink, shaving. The towel around his hips was way too small to cover his assets.

I leaned against the doorway with my hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans. I just couldn't seem to take my eyes off of him. His back was perfectly muscled, as were his arms, his shoulders were broad, and his hips lean, with a tight muscular ass and gorgeous legs. And his hair was nearly as long as mine and shimmery, white-blond. Damn it, I couldn't help but look.

Mill's eyes met mine in the mirror a few seconds before he spoke. "What? Think of something else that you failed to mention yesterday or last night?"

"Actually, I did think of something," I said hoarsely.

I wanted to forget it all and leave it like it was, but I just couldn't. Mill hadn't deserved all of the anger I'd pushed over on him. I walked towards him, forcing my feet to move across the floor.

"Mill..."

I started to speak and as he turned to look at me, my breath caught in my throat. He was so beautiful in that moment. I thought that I'd never breathe again. My brain detached from my body.

"What?" he asked.

I could see that he was just waiting for the next harsh words to come spewing from my mouth. My next action I think surprised me more than it did him. Unable to resist touching him, I raised my hand and grazed the pad of my thumb lightly over his lips.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such an—"

"Unprofessional."

"Uh, that, too. I was thinking 'asshole.'"

"Covers all the bases." He smiled and gestured at his very large bed. "Care to share? I promise not to touch you."

"Looks inviting, but no thanks. Futon's cool."

"Fine then."

"Yeah, but no more head games with me. You're straight and I'm, ah, well, it gets to me, that's all."

His expression was quizzical like he wanted to ask more questions, but he returned to his friendly business demeanor. "Groceries today. I could use more towels and some decent wine. And then we should open the crates from the agency and get set up."

"Yeah, cool."

I had to admit the thought of grocery shopping was not high on my list of priorities in life, but the fact that the agency was footing the bill helped—so was the fact that Mill was letting me drive his fancy-ass car today. We quickly made use of the agency's generous allowance and ended up buying things that we never would have touched before. I informed Mill that I was accomplished in the kitchen, which surprised him, I'm sure. Still, he had the balls to simply take it in stride as if all Gundam pilot kids were naturally multi-talented. I loaded the cart with spices, utensils, and the staples we hadn't picked up before.

"Hey, how about some enthusiasm here," I said in mock anger this time, hoping he could tell the difference. "I'm not kidding. I'm a damned great cook and you are one lucky man to have me."

He blushed and smiled. "I am grateful. We won't have to starve after all. I can make tea, with a microwave."

As I pulled the car into the garage, I noticed a basket sitting beside the front door. We both got out and eyed it suspiciously. Mill plucked the card out of the envelope and then held it gingerly between his fingers. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Look at that, we didn't even have to make first contact."

"Oh, shut up. You sound like a knock-off from some old sci-fi episode." I leaned over and whispered into his ear, "beware of the gift horse."

"Ah..." he muttered, nodding in understanding.

After the groceries had been brought in we had to do a little thinking. With the basket on the kitchen table, a Pavarotti CD - not mine!-- belting it out from the disc player, and us in the bathroom with the water running, we made a plan for going through the basket and dropping it in something liquid. I just knew there was something funny about it and now, hopefully, the agency would be able to have a hard set of fingerprints from our Alric Gunter, via the card.

"We have to take that basket apart," I insisted.

"I know. I don't really think that there's anything in it but fruit, wine, and cheese, but I guess we do have to make sure."

I leaned close to him so I didn't have to shout. "We'll have to get a notepad from the bedroom so we don't have to go through Pavarotti and an un-godly amount of water when we want to talk."

Mill nodded and turned the water off as he headed out of the bathroom. After I relieved myself, I followed him into the dining room, where I watched Mill don a pair of gloves and begin his examination of the basket's contents. He picked through the items, putting each interesting tidbit on the table.

"Isn't this nice?" he said holding up a cheese for me to 'ooh and ahh' over. "Looks like whoever sent this took the time to hand-wrap each thing in... such smart paper and coordinating ribbons!"

I giggled. Hell if I was eating any of it, and I thought my partner here had just turned into a girl. He picked up the bottle of wine and examined the cork area. Nothing looked like it had been tampered with, but I shook my head. Mill grabbed a box of chocolates from the bottom of the basket and I grabbed his hand. It was my turn to gush.

"Oh, Wind!" I remembered to use his codename, which drew a puzzled look on his face until he caught on to what I was doing. "How wonderful! I love those chocolates!"

He raised his eyebrow at me like I'd lost my mind, probably the exact same look I'd given him. I pointed to the bottom of the basket, doing little charade act to hint at the obvious false bottom. I let go of Mill's hand and nodded to him.

"Open the package and I'll open the wine."

"Don't you want to wait till later?" Mill purred seductively.

"No," I said as I got out my knife and began to pry the bottom of the basket apart. "You know how I am about chocolate. It's kind of like most drugs, one taste and I'm hooked."

Mill made quite a bit of noise crinkling the paper as if removing the shrink-wrap. I was thankful for the cover noise as I popped the bottom open and saw that there was a tiny black transmitter on the inside. I shook my head, wondering why they would bug a gift basket. There was no way that Gunter could know that we were watching him or who we were. Was this the way that he found new victims or friends? I shuddered to think so.

Mill shook his head and grabbed the bottle of wine. "Let's open the wine shall we?"

I took it and opened it, pouring some into a glass and a little more on the transmitter. "Damn! Wind, would you get me a towel? I spilled a little wine into the basket."

Mill looked at me and rolled his eyes. "You didn't! I liked that basket. Now, if I want to use it for anything, it's going to smell like mildewed wine."

"I'm sorry. You know how I can be."

"Do I?" he said, wincing as I grabbed my knife and aimed, punching right through the middle of the transmitter. I held it up to him and removed it, dropping it into the glass of wine. It was safe to talk freely now.

"This sucks you know."

"I know, Duo."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You're not going to ask me what sucks?"

"Okay, what... sucks?" he said, although the last word did not come naturally to his royal tongue.

"I think this is how he finds his friends." I put everything into the basket and went to the sink with the wine, emptying the bottle. "He probably listens to the kinds of conversations that go on behind closed doors and decides if they're his type or not. We need seedier conversation, and I don't know if you can do that."

He didn't disagree. "We also need to get that equipment up and running, the alarm and security system installed, as well as the computers all patched into the networks." Mill ran his hands through his silky, white-blond hair. "I don't want to have to worry about what we say in our own damn house. We have tools in one of those crates to sweep the place."

"Our house, huh?"

"For the next few months it is." Mill turned and started down the hallway. "It's supposed to be the other way around; we're supposed to be watching them. I absolutely hate this."

I stood there in the kitchen knowing exactly how he felt and remembering that all of the groceries still sat on the counter. I put everything away and sat down at the table, staring at the transmitter sitting in the glass of wine.

I was suddenly motivated to action. I ripped the seal off the nearest crate and found state of the art ultra-directional microphones. These are like the microphones seen on camcorders, or carried by sound technicians and receive signals only from one direction. The most high-tech directional microphones can eavesdrop on conversations from a hundred meters away or more, and these were those, I could tell.

Deeper in more bubble wrap, I found laser microphones. These were very expensive and highly technical to operate. One of the crates I expected would contain our computer to control all this monitoring equipment. Which reminded me to install Heero's latest anti-trojan horse virus checker so someone else wouldn't be able to acquire access to the microphones connected to computer.

The most sensitive equipment we got could scan for magnetic fields or for the characteristic electrical "noise" emitted by the computerized technology in digital tape recorders. However, if the place being monitored had many computers, photocopiers or other pieces of electrical equipment installed, we might not be able to filter out the interesting from mundane. Older analog equipment would be even more difficult to detect.

Another method of snooping used very sensitive infrared camera to detect waste heat of a bug, or different thermal conductivity of a place where it is hidden after briefly chilling the surface of the object with eg. liquid nitrogen, but I hadn't found any of those cameras in the box. And Heero had promised!

I located the phone line security, tap detectors, nullifiers, radio frequency detectors and scanners, hidden camera detectors, and few pieces of counter surveillance equipment I didn't recognize. I smiled. These were like toys for a bored kid, and with just one hot-looking male companion for entertainment, I was in dire need of diversion.

I checked a second crate and found more monitoring tools of the trade. In the third were the computers and networking tools needed to complete the package. I would be very busy for the next few days.

In three days, we managed to get the alarms, the security system, and a few surveillance cameras up that covered the entire perimeter of our house. This I would have to sweep at random times because the whole process is not foolproof. Advanced bugs can be remotely operated to switch on and off, and some even rapidly switch frequencies according to a predetermined pattern in order to make location with sweepers more difficult. A bug that has run out of power may not show up, which means that the sweeper will not be alerted to the surveillance. And if Trowa were doing this, he could have come up with a dozen more problems that regularly crop up.

Mill had been in the attic all morning working on wiring and concealing the cameras that were directed at the target's house. I heard him cursing and shuffling tools around again, wishing he'd thought to have Trowa show up sooner to do the work at which he was an expert.

I laughed to myself and kept working on the codes to patch everything in to my laptop as well as his. I knew Trowa would redo all the work Mill did anyway, but saw no reason to tell the poor dude and ruin his sense of accomplishment.

A few minutes later, I heard Mill in the kitchen rattling dishes. Checking the codes again, I brought up the feed from each one of the cameras except for one, the one he'd been having problems with. I sighed and shook my head, getting up to go find Mill. He met me in the doorway of the office with a glass of ice tea.

"I hate to tell you this Mill—"

He cut me off and said, "Yes, I know. We need a new camera. I've done everything I know how to that one and just can't get it to work."

"It's okay. We'll manage with what we have until your next report back to the agency. Heero and Wufei are supposed to be getting some thermal imaging and night vision cameras as well. I think they'll be better in the long run anyway. Trowa can pack it with him when he moves in."

Mill nodded, agreeing with me. "The thermal cameras are absolutely necessary, I agree. As the weather gets cooler, it'll pick up body heat signals really well. I'll be sure to let them know what we need."

He walked to the desk and pushed a few buttons on his laptop. He stared at the screen, reading a few lines of codes I'd entered. I knew he was about to ask me about encryption, or at least I hoped that he was about to. A good agent would assume, but ask to be sure.

"Yes, I encrypted the feeds," I said as I moved up behind him. I reached around his arm and pulled up another set of codes. "These are for the alarms. The motion sensors all double as an optic unit once they're triggered, so we'll be able to get an immediate visual on what tripped it."

Mill smiled. "Your friends really know how to set you up."

"This stuff? All agency crap. Trowa will bring the real deal."

He turned and leaned against the desk, looking at me. "That equipment cost more than your salary for the entire war, I imagine."

"Lots more. I wasn't paid."

"Nothing?"

"Not a dime. Did it for love, baby. Didn't anybody tell you? All you need is love... Love makes the world go 'round... make love not war..."

I was on a roll, but he interrupted me. "But you understand why I was so pissed about you kicking around the crates?"

I leaned against the desk, standing shoulder to elbow beside him. "I'm sorry about the other day Mill. I know we've been really busy getting everything set up, but I needed to tell you that."

"Are you sorry you did it at all or sorry because you feel guilty?"

"I'm sorry that I treated you that way, but not sorry for keeping it real."

He bumped my shoulder with his. "I see."

"Let's go out tonight," I suggested.

He raised an eyebrow. "Out where?"

"To the movies, to a bar, the theater, something...just anywhere but here. I'm starting to feel like I'm at work and can't escape."

He shook his head. "It's going to get a lot worse."

"I know it is. I just need to get out of here for a while. I've done nothing but think about codes and bugs and evil men, and since there's nothing to do here but think and work, I'm going crazy."

"No bar. I think that if I stepped one foot in one at this point, you'd have to carry me home," he said, smiling ruefully.

"Yeah, I guess me, too." And I knew that to be the truth. If I had one beer or one shot right now, it wouldn't be enough. As it was, I'd been through five six-packs in three days. "Movies?"

"Sounds good to me," he laughed. "I don't think I've been to the movies in four years at least; that is, one that didn't have a "G" rating and a hall filled with children. Last time I saw an adult-only film, I was on a sting. You look tense, Scythe."

"I'm fine." I said quietly.

In the next second, I cried out and flinched as he massaged a knot under my shoulder blade. "Son of a bitch that hurts!"

He raised my shirt and took it off as I fought to keep it on. "Your shirt's in the way and keeps bunching up. Get over it. Sit!"

I sat on the bed and he pushed me over, stomach-side down. He restarted the work-over and after a few minutes the pain was beginning to recede.

"Shit, Mill, it feels better already. You do have some hidden skills."

"Yes, well, Preventer's paid good money for me to go to school for massage therapy a few years ago. At least their money didn't go to waste." He pulled me closer and wrapped his hands around my bare stomach. He began kissing my neck and then along the middle of my back. I could feel his chest pressing into my back. "But, some things I had to learn all on my own."

My heart beat heavy against my chest and he was giving me chills, not to mention the hard-on that I was accumulating. "You have to stop Mill."

"Why?"

"Because there's no one here to stop this, but us."

I knew that if he didn't stop, things would go farther than either of us had ever intended. I wanted to be touched and kissed, but I wanted it to be Heero and not my work partner. I was scared as hell of what to do.

"I don't want to stop this Duo. It feels so fucking right, I just want to hold you and not let go."

His hands eased up my chest, his fingertips grazing my nipples.

"I never needed anyone on these missions, Wind. I gave myself the safest thing I knew and that was solitude. I went into the Preventer's because I could bury myself in my work. People there don't question the way you swing. Sex was never an issue. It was being the toughest and the best, doing my job, and doing it well. But I have to tell you, until my vacation just before I got this assignment, after being with someone... special. I never knew just how much being alone really sucks. I found someone, my someone."

I twisted around and kissed his forehead. "And as much as my body is screaming 'more, more' at me right now, I'm not risking what I know is waiting for me at home. I know you got something great back home waiting for you too. We can't let this job destroy any of that for either of us. I don't know if I'd get a second chance. For me, having a real relationship is all just too new a thing to jeopardize."

We lay there in silence for several minutes. Mill broke it first.

"I can't believe that Une put us on this case. We're supposed to act like we're interested in young, teenage boys, great art, and getting high. We are both in committed relationships, is seems, and we don't do drugs. I guess I know art, but I'm no expert."

I shrugged and locked eyes with him.

"This is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done," he admitted. "And when it's over, I'm going to need a really long shower because I'm going to feel like the biggest slime-ball on the planet."

"Well, there was a time when I thought you were," I quipped.

Mill smiled. "And you were such an obnoxious thorn in my side."

"I think, though, I should tell you—"

"You actually are a druggie?"

"No, Mill. Unlikely with all the blood work they do on me, that I gotta pass with flying colors in order to carry the guns I do. No, that's not what I was getting to." I drew a deep breath, then another. "Here goes... See, I do like teenage boys, well, one in particular, my boyfriend. Um, that's the relationship I've got going."

I didn't wait to hear his response to that, but kept right on going in true Maxwell style. "But, everything you and I do is a front, and we both know it, even if we might sometimes lose sight of that fact—it is not real. This is not real."

"Um, what else?" I said to myself more than to him. I didn't want to give him the chance to react to my confession. "Oh! The porn web-site is already together thanks to the techie guys, and when we manage to make contact with one of the boys, he's ours, he's out, and he's safe. That's what's important. We already know what they think we're going to do with them, but that doesn't matter. I even got the business cards for it!"

"Do I know him?" Mill asked quietly.

"Him? Oh, um... I'm not going to tell you who, so don't pressure me." I laid my head back on the pillow. "At least we get to get high without getting high." I looked over at him. "Have you ever actually been high?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Oh, this is funny. I've watched enough of the undercover tapes to get an idea of what most drugs do to a person over the past years, but I've never been high a day in my life. Seriously drunk, but not high."

Mill leaned down and kissed me, biting my lip gently, sending chills over my body. "It's a good thing the agency developed that serum for us UC's. Otherwise, we'd never be able to go in and snort, shoot and smoke that shit, and still be able to think straight. The damn drugs are neutralized as soon as they enter our bodies."

"Yeah, I got it mostly covered the first time as a Gundam pilot with all kinds of anti-drug and toxin treatments, but Une made sure I kept my boosters up to date, or did the first year."

"That reminds me," he smiled at me. "Our latest injections were brought by the pizza delivery guy. We should eat before the movie."

"Oh, the Preventer's is a smart bunch of fucks," I said with a groan.

Mill laughed. I rose up and pushed him back on the pillows, kissing a line down his throat. He looked as if he was expecting me to do more, in spite of my little speech, so I punched him in a friendly way and jumped up.

"I'm going to eat that pizza first," I told him.

"Hey, don't eat it all. It's for us to share!"

"Yeah, right," I said, laughing. "Tell that to a street rat!"

Chapter 6

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