"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"

This mission was doomed. I thought so from the first moment Zechs walked into the building, and everything I have heard since has only worked to substantiate my reservations. First, there was the call from Zechs. He'd been psychoanalyzing Duo and was panicking in the face of Duo's put-on lunacy. I told him to be a man and hung up.

The next call came from Barton, who had just entered the asylum. Barton, my partner at work in the Preventer's organization, had always been a rational, thoughtful, and dependable man, if not a little too laid back, when compared to my penchant for strictness. Had he noticed Duo's split or altered persona, I asked? Yes, he told me, but, so far, it was UC mission norm. Nothing to worry about. Just his confusion with what is real and what wasn't, but since Barton swore he was pretty confused himself, I shelved the matter. Duo was fine, so why the call, I asked? Well, that began the longest soliloquy Barton has ever given, I'll bet.

"Well, Yuy, I met with Zechs and Maxwell," he began simply enough. "Maxwell wanted me to look over the monitoring equipment Zechs had setup. Damn, the crap that had been packed by the local agency dudes was Neolithic. I had to redo everything. Scanners, crap. Limited by frequencies and not one exceeding two GHz, and, they do absolutely nothing for subcarrier transmissions, because these are hidden 'under' the transmission that the scanner monitors. You ever use anything that lame?"

"Not to my knowledge," I said. He took my answer for encouragement. I should have limited myself to a disinterested grunt. Too late.

"Okay, then I found a couple carrier current detectors.When plugged into an AC line they demodulate any audio that the line is carrying, which tells you if the AC line is being used to carry sounds down the AC line. I checked the packing slip and we're being charged $1,200 for each of them. High, yes! They don't have a decent supplier or they're gouging us, which is more likely, 'cause if you use the receiving end of a simple Radio Shack baby monitor (that plugs into the AC line and sells for about $15), and then firmly knock on the walls of the suspect area, the sounds can be heard through the receiver. And, it won't matter what frequency the bug is on. You may not be able to clearly distinguish speech, but the knocking noise will come through as interference and will verify the existence of the bug and lead you right to it. I mean, I'm not letting these locals extort us for shit, so I'm ripping them out and sending them back, and billing them for my time. Screw Zechs' time."

"Sounds reasonable," I said.

Clearly, my partner was coping in his own way after discovering that he'd landed himself in a nuthouse. I let him run on and on, just like I would Duo. Everyone had their own way with coping, I guessed. I never would have though Barton to have been a complainer. He hadn't been in the past, but then maybe he just never talked to me. I'd never pretended to be a great listener before either.

"Okay, so when I found the spectrum analyzers, I nearly lost it. These things search for various frequencies in the spectrum and show spikes whenever transmitters are detected. Cool, sure, but they are extremely difficult to operate since considerable experience is required to analyze results due to the number of spikes caused by the proliferation of legitimate transmitting devices used these days. You can spend hours trying to analyze a spike that may turn out to be an operating micro-wave oven fifty feet away! Oh, and they charged us $7,000 for one and $15,000 for the other!"

Once or twice, I could recall having to tell Duo to shut up. It was during the war and I had my head on back-ass-wards. I had told him, reasonably, as always, "Two ears, two eyes, but only one mouth-- it seems a simple enough design for people. It means it is more important to listen or read than to just babble incessantly."

Duo had thought that was funny. I can see now that it was. As it was, with Barton on the line I was all ears, an image I thought that was pretty funny. In fact, I could see what I'd said to Duo was very funny, if not astute of me to point out, seeing as I was all of fifteen at the time I said that 'two ears' line. I may have chuckled thinking about the incident.

The line had gone quiet. I was expected to comment, so I grunted, "Hn," which satisfied my listener.

"Don't get me started on the rest," Barton warned me, and I wasn't going to, but he decided he had to dump on someone, and he had my ear, because, as I said, I was all ears.

"Okay, one more. They sent a time domain reflectometer! No fucking shit! Undoubtedly one of the most publicized and useless pieces of 'equipment' ever designed for counter surveillance purposes. If you can believe it, this unit actually requires an initially 'clean' line. In other words, you have to first have readings on the line that you 'know' are clear of unauthorized devices. You need these readings for comparison purposes. And, the only way in the world that you could possibly know if the line was initially clean is if you were actually there looking over the shoulder of the telephone installer when the telephone was first installed! This 'wonderful' counter surveillance device was billed to us for $35,000!"

"Hn."

"Right, you get my point! Now, the non linear junction detector can be a very effective piece of equipment. It transmits microwave frequencies that are reflected by junctions of various components, which reflect back harmonics. It will actually detect transmitters that are concealed in walls even when the transmitters are inactive. Of course, it has no way of differentiating between inoperative components (that may have been placed there twenty or thirty years ago) and fully functional eavesdropping devices. And, it cannot determine whether positive readings have detected a bug or simply some electronic item such as a burglar alarm component, etc. But, the non linear junction detector can perform functions that no other piece of equipment presently can. And, if you are concerned about a non transmitting transmitter, you can lay out the $30,000 it costs and put a non linear junction detector in your inventory. However, a transmitter that isn't transmitting can't really do anybody much harm, can it? And, once it does start transmitting any of our transmitter detectors will immediately detect and pinpoint it. Sending back that piece of crap, too."

I had heard enough. I made up my mind to pay Zechs and his inmates a visit. I tucked in my ears and opened that singular mouth of mine.

"You brought your own surveillance stuff on an airplane?" I asked to move us on.

"Yeah, but I took a Winner private jet. It helps to have lovers in high places."

"Duo was in Antarctica once, does that count?" I asked, and we shared a much-needed laugh.

When he started on the new "GPS-4 Miniature Self-Contained Weatherproof Motion-Activated Magnetic-Mount Battery-Powered GPS Vehicle/Personal Logger for the car," I told him I'd hang up if he continued. Even I had a limit to my interest in techo-babble.

"I brought the infrared cameras," he said in conclusion.

"I'll bet that pleased them both."

"Yes, they were delighted."

"Been clubbing?"

"Yes. I met this filth named Gunter and gave him Zechs' business card advertising Wind's porn sites. I think I'll collect a few of those cards to take home. Make a cool joke to distribute them around the agency."

We both laughed, and came up with a few corny website names of our own, like: ZechxyHotNudeTwinks-o-Rama . com. It was a good thing I got a laugh in then, because the next thing he had to say was not funny at all.

"The dude slipped Maxwell some drug in a drink, and still it got past all the anti-drug serums we've been given and made Maxwell pretty sick and... receptive. We got him out of there unharmed. I'm sending you a blood sample for testing."

"Mark it 'Attn: Chang'," I told him, although I was angered to hear Duo's life had been endangered already. "He's directing the drug connections. So, Duo's okay?"

"Yeah. Maxwell just argues with Zechs about making the next move. Zechs says wait and Maxwell wants to take action." Barton sighed. "Oil and water."

"I'm coming to check things out. If it exists, I'll bring any new serum for them to try."

"Zechs won't like your interference."

"I won't interfere."

"Okay--" Barton said, chuckling.

"But to hell with him anyway."

I left Commander Une a cryptic message about being out of town for a few days on mission business. She trusted me implicitly, rarely questioning my decisions and usually rubber-stamping my expense reports after a cursory glance. I made flight and car rental arrangements for the next plane out, and then called Chang.

"I haven't got any leads yet, but the name Gunter is not on our list of crime lords or in the hierarchy of any of the known drug cartels or one of the many syndicate movers-and-shakers," Chang said with a huff of disgust at his poor performance.

"But you'll keep at it," I said.

"Of course. I will warn the labs to gear up for the blood sample. What kind of garbage is this Gunter into that can avoid deactivation by the serums? Maxwell is so pumped up now, he couldn't have an operation. I hope he avoids getting hurt." Chang sounded edgy, annoyed, and worried.

"I will be at the house in a few hours."

"Zechs has requested you?"

"Not exactly. I won't stay long. The pill transmitters are in packaging currently. I'll pick them up on the way out."

"I wouldn't trust them to delivery either," Chang said. He was giving me his approval for the unexpected visit he knew was as much to connect with my lover as anything else.

"I'll keep you informed," I said, ending the call.

I didn't call Winner until I was already at the airport. I knew he'd been aching to join up with the others at the house, his boyfriend in particular, and I certainly could no longer blame him. That I wasn't at my desk waiting obediently for an invitation, I knew, would be certain to exasperate him. His red hair bothered him, making him more self-conscious than ever around Barton. Once his boyfriend had left, he was so disturbed by the questioning glances at the office that he'd moved out to one of the Winner estates to work, preferring to conduct his labors inconspicuously. This was a guess on my part, since he betrayed nothing to me personally, but Chang didn't disagree with my assessment.

"You wouldn't have done this during the war," Winner said, sighing long and hard when I called.

"Not likely," I agreed.

"Shows how a few years and a personal reason to protect the one you love changes a person."

"Yes," I agreed again. It was best to let Winner have his say and not argue. Arguing logic against his emotional reasoning would only drag out the conversation and end up exasperating us both.

"Duo might not like your meddling, but Mr. Peacecraft most definitely won't. He will believe your being there is dangerous and impulsive. You endanger the mission if you inadvertently expose the undercover operation. You will need an inarguable justification for being there."

Ah, the diplomat at work. Winner rarely missed targeting the human-issue angle. He understood subtle manipulation better than the rest of us. I, however, saw this coming.

"I thought of that. I will bring Duo the transmitters he needs. He will understand that the devices are too sensitive and the house too deep under cover for anything but my acting as carrier. I will be circumspect and not stay long."

"I want to go, too!" he whined.

"One at a time, or we will draw attention. I will call when I know my departure time."

"I'll arrange to arrive right after you leave, no matter what orders are," he decided. "That Peacecraft man has kept me in a holding pattern long enough."

I agreed and ended that call. I would not call and warn either Duo or Zechs and take the chance that Zechs would contact Une to terminate the trip. He might call to complain to me, but he did not want me to show up on his doorstep. Instead, I called Barton back with my itinerary and to get directions to "the refuge of the damned," as he called it. After that, there was nothing more for me to do than to collect my things and head out before someone got wind of what I was doing and stopped me.

(o)

Barton let me into the house, took my overnight bag, and motioned me to follow him surreptitiously. I could hear Duo's raised voice from another room.

"Oh no," he said in a growl. "Those boys are all coming out, whether I have to do it legally or illegally!" Duo shouted.

Zechs' voice was even and controlled. "Fine sentiments, but we are supposed to be sellers, not buyers. And, even if we tried to buy these boys out, that still leaves others in the chute somewhere down the line. We still won't know who is paying for them or where they go from there. All we get are a few boys and no punishment for the offenders or end to the entire process."

Duo sniffed and pounded his fist into his hand. I could tell that Duo knew Zechs was right, but he didn't like knowing that. I admired his control as he switched gears out of full-throttle attack-mode to become a more reasonable tactical planner.

"I just think more could be achieved if I could just put my mind as well as my heart into the matter," Duo said.

"I won't let you just waltz into that house," Zechs said, missing the point.

"I wouldn't DO that! I'll find another way," Duo said.

He came stomping out of the back room and into the hall where he looked up and saw Barton, then me. It took him a full minute to identify who I was; at least it seemed that long before he ran down the hall and into my arms.

"Heero! You just get in? Whoa, I wasn't expecting a conjugal visit!"

We kissed for a long, long time. Zechs wasn't in sight, so I indulged. I did not lick him so much as I slobbered, leaving a trail of glistening, Pavlovian satisfaction wherever I had journeyed. He felt so good. He looked like a living, walking, talking wet dream with his loose hair, skimpy t-shirt, and ripped jeans. I did not want him out of the house looking like that. I didn't want anyone fantasizing about what they'd like to do to, or with, my boyfriend. Possessive did not adequately cover how I felt. I was suddenly jealous of Zechs' convenient proximity and my overprotective tendencies kicked in. I tightened my grip in his shoulder, unwilling to remove my arm for any reason.

"Hey," Duo said to me, squirming a little to loosen my hold. "Come take a look at the setup in the office. I'll show you what's going down across the street."

He went to work on one of the computers. For years, I knew he'd been a hacker; as one hacker to another, we were tight. Even officially, we were both renowned for our expertise. Duo was eager to talk, so I listened. I could listen to his voice forever. I don't know why I thought it ever bothered me in the past. I vowed never again tell him to shut up.

"I remember getting exposed to computers for the first time by Professor G and stumbling across a site that gave tips for getting into other computer systems. That got me started on the path to evil," he said with a grin as he typed away. "Not only did I want people's information, I wanted the inside information that most government agencies held back even from their higher-ranking agents. I wanted case files and evidence records that had been sealed for one reason or the other. I was an information hound and most of the time I knew just how to get it. I learned so much in such a short amount of time, and memorizing all of the codes seemed to have been a gift. Too bad that I'm on the good side of the law now, huh?"

I caressed his cheek and kissed him. All I wanted to do was take him to bed and make love. Nothing more. However, I had to wait out Shinigami's determined state of mind. After two hours of working non-stop, together we were finally able to get into what we believed was Gunter's home computer, setting an internal bug to monitor the activity. Any activity on Gunter's computer from this point on would be transmitted back to Duo's laptop. I think he might have continued searching into his files if I hadn't dragged his sorry butt of the chair.

"I want you. Now. Where's your bedroom?" I asked. I felt another presence enter the room.

"Well, sometimes that futon," he said, pointing to the one in the office with a blanket draped over the back.

"He shares the master bedroom, with me."

I raised my eyes to meet the steely gaze of ex-OZ lieutenant Zechs Marquise, Zechs, Wind, or whatever the fuck he called himself these days. I stood between Duo and that gaze.

"That is a bad idea. Duo needs his own room; Duo needs down time—"

"Maxwell needs less Mill-er time," Barton added softly from the door behind Zechs.

"I order you to leave immediately," Zechs said to me.

"I will go, but not tonight." I turned to Duo before he could become defensive. "I did come for a purpose, and it wasn't to check on you."

"Entirely," whispered Barton.

Duo nodded but said nothing, waiting to hear my explanation. I reached into my jacket pocket and withdrew a heavy, insulated bag. "These are your transmitters."

Duo's face lit up, providing me all the thanks I needed. "'Ro, you're the best. This will make getting kids out and collecting evidence so much better. Hey, Mill, can we borrow your room for awhile, to, ah, talk, ah, privately?"

"Until tomorrow," I said.

"That wouldn't be wise."

"You don't think your cover will be blown over this, so what's the problem? We are...close," I said with a little hesitation. "We would like to speak in private."

I did not want to reveal more about our relationship than Duo had already told him, if anything. I knew he wasn't comfortable being gay, no matter what he said aloud. I wasn't going to out him to Zechs, certainly. Couples working together were frowned upon. Barton and Winner knew their time working in the same building was coming to an end, and I didn't wasn't to add pressure to them either.

Zechs disagreed. He got in my face. I shoved, he pushed, I punched, and he over-compensated ducking my fist, losing his balance. I only nicked his jaw, and he hit the edge of the computer desk on his descending arc, landing hard on the coffee table in a groaning heap. Barton was instantly in the fray, pushing me backwards into Duo's arms.

"Take Wing to my room, Scythe. I'll take care of Wind."

I didn't understand Barton's use of our code names, but I didn't argue or fight our withdrawal. Barton was giving us his room, and that was very, very nice of him. We sat, fingers entangled on Barton's bed, speaking softly, reassuring one another that everything was fine, when Barton entered.

"How is he?" Duo asked.

"Report?" Barton raised one eyebrow and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. I think he was amused by the entire encounter. "Zechs' got bruised ribs that need medical care. I'll ask them to check his jaw, too... possibly a CAT scan. I'll see if I get them to throw in a transplant," Barton said, pausing for effect. "He's in the garage now, waiting for me to drive him to the hospital." He shook his head and chuckled. "You got a couple days, Yuy. Enjoy."

I did, too. Duo and I connected, really connected so that I knew he was okay.

Duo led us to Barton's room. He flipped back the spread and top sheet, got a towel from the bathroom, and started undressing me. We started kissing and I couldn't stop so it took us awhile to get each other naked. We got in bed and hugged and kissed some more. He sucked my nipples. The feeling sent jolts of lust to my groin, so I did the same to him, but he stopped me after a few seconds saying he was too close to coming for me to do that any more.

He kissed, licked, and sucked his way down my chest and stomach, and then he took me into his mouth. All of my six inches fit perfectly into his mouth, and he licked and slurped and sucked until he sent me to outer space, complete with super novas. His was longer and thicker, definitely a challenge to deep throat. I never really pulled it off right, but he never complained. What we needed after that was skin-to-skin contact for forever, but we got two hours.

Barton brought us Instant Ramen Noodle bowls for dinner.

"Zechs' is resting at the hospital. He'll be there two more days, guaranteed, after I showed them the 'no matter how much for how long' insurance package he had and informed the doctor that some thugs were out to get him. They might like to keep him for a week, but I'm sure two days is all Zechs will stand for."

"Thanks," I said.

"My pleasure," Barton said with a nod, and then said "goodnight" and left the room.

The next morning I woke up with 135 pounds of Duo Maxwell draped over me. It was terrific. I woke him up with some serious tongue kissing, which led to sex, which led to a shower. I followed Duo into the master bedroom, not remembering where my clothes were. He started getting underwear out of his drawer. Then he turned to me and said, "Fuck it. Let's stay naked."

We did for awhile, but in a moment of daring, we decided to go out that day and get matching nipple rings. He called it "mating marking." Barton promised to watch the feeds and told us to have fun, knowing I was giving Duo what he needed most to return to his job. A break.

We pulled into a little strip shopping center that had a coffee shop, among other small stores. He got coffee, great strong German coffee with a dollop of whipped cream, and I got a coke. We both had large pieces of apple dumpling pastry to go with them. When we finished our snack, Duo asked the waiter about tattoo parlors in the funniest broken German I'd ever heard. The guy understood him all right and recommended one that was part of the complex.

"What made you ask him? How did you know he'd even know?" I asked.

"When he bent over to pick up the fork he dropped," Duo told me, "I saw one on the small of his back. Right here." He showed me where on his own back. "And where there's tattoos, there's bound to be piercings, too."

"Oh."

"Have you ever thought about getting one before?" he asked me.

"Not a tattoo or a piercing. Not really seriously. I think tattoos are cool, although, they age badly."

"Yeah, and the needles, ugh," he groaned, shivering.

The shop was close. We looked around at the designs that were posted on the walls, while accessing the place. It looked very clean and sanitary, thankfully. Some of the designs were very elaborate, and very expensive.

"This is what I like," Duo said, pointing to simple Celtic, design. "If I ever get one, it's gonna be one of these."

I told him I liked the design, too. It was unadorned and very masculine, all black but with lots of open space for skin color to show through. It looked like the type that wouldn't blur with age.

"Check this out," Duo said.

He leafed through a book with photographs of the artists' work. There was another book showing piercings of various kinds. We looked through it, and found gold rings we liked that weren't too expensive.

"Shit, I'll bet that hurts like hell," he said.

I knew he meant the picture of a pierced cock. The guy had a ring at the tip, and it looked like it came out the piss slit. I winced.

"You gotta know it," I replied.

"I wonder if you can fuck with one of those things," Duo blurted out, completely entranced by the picture or the concept, or both.

"Sure you can," a voice said. An employee joined us at the counter. "I've got one, and I can fuck anything that's got a hole to shove a cock into."

He laughed, and we kind of smiled to be polite.

"You speak English," I said.

The man nodded, "Ya," and laughed some more. "I'm colony born."

"Oh yeah? I'm L2," Duo said.

"L2, sector 5."

"Sectors 12, 7, 6, here and there, you might say," Duo said with a rough laugh.

"I hear ya. Tough districts. My folks pulled out during the war. So, what can I do ya for today?"

"Does it hurt?" Duo asked. His eyes were glued to that cock-ring.

"Some guys think it does. Mine didn't. We use a local anesthetic, so you don't feel anything while we're actually doing it. You've got to lay off sex for a few days, though."

"Do a lot of guys get those," I asked.

"Not too many. I probably do one a week. Sometimes two."

"It looks really... cool," Duo said with a little hesitation, "but I don't know about . . . ."

The guy and I laughed at the misery on his face at the thought of going without sex. "You interested today?" the man asked us.

"No!" We said that simultaneously and the guy laughed more.

I asked the guy about the nipple piercings.

"Piece of cake," the guy said. "And they're really worth the effort."

"I told ya, man," Duo said, jabbing me with his elbow.

"Why? You got one," the man asked.

"No, but I've heard," Duo said, his voice small.

"We'd like one each like this," I said, determined to mark Duo and be marked.

"Cool," the man said, pleased to have a sale, and led us into his sterile back room.

(o)

Back in the car, Duo pushed up his t-shirt and started playing with his nipple ring as he drove. The skin was pink and swollen slightly. I watched him, and it started making me hard. In a few minutes, Duo's pants were tenting. I could imagine him, hot and hard, underneath, and reached out and pressed along his zipper. He usually wore boxers, just like me, but he wasn't wearing any that day, and even though I knew nobody could see inside the car, I was a little embarrassed driving down a busy street with my hand on his crotch in plain view.

He unzipped and opened the fly. He was putting on a show to get me hot, and I paid more attention. We drove the rest of the way home with him in that condition and me wide-eyed mad with lust.

As he turned into the driveway, Duo asked me in this really sexy, husky voice, "Are you as horny as I am?"

"Yes," I said with a gasp of air. I could hardly breathe. "Yeah, I think I am."

The automatic garage door closed behind us. With privacy at last, I loosened my own pants. He looked at me and grinned.

"Oh, gods, 'Ro. Let's hurry."

We dashed straight past Barton, who was eating in front of the computer and waved. Duo slammed shut Barton's bedroom door as soon as we entered, and we had each other's clothes off seconds later. We kissed passionately standing in the middle of the room, our hard-ons dueling with each other

For the next hour, we rolled around on the bed, kissing, hugging, caressing, but avoiding our still-sore nipples. Just feeling him against me sent shock waves of pleasure through my whole body, and time and again I thought how lucky I was to be where I was at that moment. Duo moved down to suck me, and he worked on me for several minutes while I lay there in ecstasy.

Four orgasms in a little more than an hour were even too much for very horny eighteen-year-olds, and we were both deflated after the last time. There was cum everywhere, and almost all of it was Duo's. He seemed to have an endless reservoir. He grinned at me and then kissed me gently on the lips.

"Let's get cleaned up. My skin's crackling."

We weren't totally callous. We took Barton out for dinner and the next day we spared some time to interact with him, eating take out and watching movies. It ended with Duo and me in bed, but neither of us were up for another sex marathon. We didn't abstain either.

The next day I had an early flight to catch, so I left Duo in bed with a quick peck-kiss and "see you later,' to avoid any awful good byes. I was gone before Zechs returned or Winner arrived, as promised. As I boarded the plane for home, I was already planning for my next visit.

Next time I wouldn't be leaving without Duo.

Chapter 8

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