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"Witness Protection"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing
or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Rating: R Warnings: Warnings: AU , yaoi, swearing (lots),
some OOC (probably), violence, drugs, sex, a naughty Duo (i.e. he
has a potty mouth and is a bit, er, slutty)…if you are wedded
to the “pure, chaste” version of Duo, he might be a bit
dark and crude for your taste…ditto for the other characters
in here…hey, Quat’s a lawyer…how much lower could he
get? Pairings: 1X2 eventually, 3X4 also eventually, (past 2X3, 6X2) A/N: I’ll apologize in advance that Zechs is, well, deceased right from the start. I like him a lot, and there’ll be mention of him…but mostly in the form of discussing/investigating his murder. Sorry. Summary: When Zechs Merquise is found murdered,
detectives Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang are tasked with the unenviable
chore of keeping the only witness to the crime alive long enough to
testify against the leader of the Oz syndicate, Treize Khushrenada. "Witness Protection" Chapter Twenty Seven: Tangled in the Web Barton had taken the middle position on the couch, with Winner tucked in on one side and Maxwell on the other. Chang picked the rocking chair, and I had settled into a recliner, my plate full of pizza on my lap. After their long drive up, neither Winner nor Barton had a lot to say, so we all pretty much watched the shoot ‘em up action movie and stuffed ourselves with beer and pizza. And when the first movie ended, Maxwell sidled over and shoved another in, before returning to the couch to get cozy with his ex. By the time the second movie was well under way, Duo’s empty plate was on the coffee table, with the just as empty beer bottle next to it, and the braided man had his legs hanging over the arm of the couch and his head in his former partner’s lap. Not like that! They were both so deeply ensconced in the movie that there wasn’t any sexual overtone to their position at all…except maybe in my mind. Duo looked more like a sleepy cat, draped over both the couch and his ex-lover, his half-lidded gaze on the television screen. I kept glancing surreptitiously their way, vaguely unhappy with the way Trowa’s fingers idly stroked through Duo’s bangs, as if in a reflex gesture. My fingers twitched with the urge to do the same, and a memory came back, unbidden, of the way Duo’s skin had felt under my hands—the sleek, satiny muscles and hard, flexing abs. And of course, that was followed by the memory of how the rest of him had felt—the long, slender legs locked around my waist as he groaned in ecstasy—the tight heat around my—. Fuck! I seriously needed a diversion. “Aw—now that’s just sad!” Duo blurted, raising his head slightly and turning a rueful look to his friend. Barton smirked back. “Amateurish crap,” he intoned sagely. “What are you talking about?” Chang demanded. “The movie,” Duo said with a “well, duh” tone to his voice. “Those strippers are pathetic.” “Strippers?” I looked up at the screen, realizing I’d missed quite a bit of the movie while staring longingly—er—casually watching Trowa “pet” Duo. The scene in the movie was set in a nightclub, and sure enough there was a stripper on stage, twirling a fishnet stocking on one finger before tossing it out into the audience. It was a bit trite, especially considering I’d seen Barton’s act and knew it was a hell of a lot more erotic. Of course, the stripper in the movie was a woman, which certainly took away from the overall effect for me. “Fuck! I could do better than that when I was six,” Duo scoffed. “You were a stripper at six years old?” Wufei demanded, aghast. “No,” came the quick, rather snide reply. “That’s my point. That chick is so obvious it’s just pathetic.” “Nobody strips like that anymore,” Barton agreed. Chang pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe you two are critiquing a two-minute strip club scene in a B movie.” “If they’re gonna include it, they should make it authentic,” Duo insisted, sitting up and flipping his braid over a shoulder. “At the very least, they could use better music—and give her a few moves that might actually get a reaction from the guys watching the flick.” “How would you know what a man would find attractive about a woman’s moves?” Wufei demanded with a snide expression. “And besides, in this context, it’s not supposed to get a reaction,” he asserted. “It’s just background.” “Well if it were me, I’d get a reaction,” Duo muttered defensively, looking at Trowa for support. “Of course you would,” said his fellow performer, giving him a small, intimate smile and running the back of a hand down his cheek. “You could walk across that stage fully clothed and turn on more men than that cow.” Wufei snorted, shaking his head. I wisely kept silent, glancing at Quatre, who was glancing from the movie to the pair next to him on the couch, a speculative look on his face. Duo’s attention came to focus on my partner, and I almost winced at the wicked gleam in his eyes. “Chang-baby, if you’d ever seen Tro’ and me perform, you’d fuckin’ cream your pants watching us.” “Not in this lifetime,” came the cold, insulted response. Oh, no…not a challenge, Chang! You poor fool. Duo and Trowa exchanged an amused look, and Trowa nodded slightly. I sat up a little, suddenly interested in where this was going. “Hey, Chang—ya wanna make a little wager?” Duo asked. “On what?” “On whether Tro’ and I can get you hard just by putting on a little two-man show.” Oh dear God—did they plan to have sex right there on the floor? I didn’t know if Chang could handle it, but I knew fucking well I couldn’t. “Maxwell—.” Duo threw a glance my way, but it was more teasing than anything. “Relax, Yuy. We’re just gonna give you all a little sample of our act.” “We’ve seen it,” I said quickly, looking at Wufei for confirmation. He nodded rather frantically. “Barton was on stage when we visited The Jungle.” “I haven’t seen it,” Quatre commented with—a pout? Oh, he just could not be pouting at having missed the show! “In that case…” Duo said, standing up and grabbing Trowa’s hands, pulling his partner to his feet. “Gimme a sec to run up and grab one of my cd’s and a shirt, and then we’ll show ‘em how it should be done.” I didn’t know whether to panic or clap. Part of me was dying to see if Duo danced as erotically as Trowa—and part of me was terrified I wouldn’t be able to hide my reaction. There was no time to protest, as Duo dashed upstairs, returning with a boom box and a fistful of cd’s. And sure enough, he’d thrown on a tight, black shirt. He flicked off the movie and its cheesy soundtrack and plugged in the player. “Nine Inch Nails—Depeche Mode—or Lynch Mob?” he asked, smirking coyly. “Oh, definitely Lynch Mob,” Trowa said with a matching grin, as he turned down the lights as much as he could without turning them completely off. “Hot stuff.” “Tangled in the Web it is!” Duo replied, tucking a cd into the player and pushing the button to start the music. He leaned back into Trowa, who wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, nuzzling his neck teasingly. “Mmm…be gentle with me,” Duo purred. “I’m a little rusty at this.” That’s right—he’d traded stripping for playing bodyguard to the Sanc Palace girls how long ago? The first riff was slow, with electric guitar and cymbals in a sort of soft, sensuous intro. And while it played, Trowa’s hands strayed from Duo’s waist up to his chest in a smooth stroking motion that instantly had me so hard I had to relocate my plate of pizza to hide the reaction. Goddamnit—I knew what that chest felt like, and wanted to rip Trowa’s hands off for touching it. Even as the intro slowed to a momentary standstill, and Duo’s hands slid around behind him to clutch Trowa’s butt cheeks, I could feel myself holding my breath. And then a slow, steady beat with lots of brass and percussion started up, and both men began to sway their hips in perfect synch. Of course, with Duo’s ass pressed to Trowa’s groin, they’d have been hard put (no pun intended) to not be in unison. There’s a feelin’ Little left of Heaven Shook me when you looked my way… Barton pushed Maxwell away and spun him around so they were face to face, staring into each other’s eyes as they swayed with the music. Can’t believe it Legs that run forever Love to know you better any time, any place… At the mention of legs, Barton was sliding his hands down Maxwell’s long, slender ones, almost dropping to his knees in front of him, before easing back up so they were pressed front to front. Fallin’ fallin’ I’m fallin’ under your spell As the chorus began, Trowa shoved Duo away from him, catching his wrists and lowering the braided man onto his back on the floor, then standing straddling his prone body. Callin’…callin’… If you leave me lonely And you take away the things that I love Got a bad emotion Tangled in the web of your love… At that point in the music, Barton sank to his knees so that he was just above Duo’s hips, and Duo arched up so they brushed together—making the green-eyed dancer throw his head back in a gesture of ecstasy. The music carried the pair along, Duo sitting up and beginning to loosen the buttons of Barton’s shirt, as the other man moved back as if to resist the advance. Maxwell pursued, on hands and knees, until he suddenly stood up and used the edges of Barton’s shirt front to haul him back upright. And in the next motion, he swept the shirt off Trowa’s shoulders to bare his chest and torso. But he kept the garment draped around the small of Barton’s back and used it to pull him close again, so that they could grind their hips together in a completely obscene and arousing display. Before the start of the next verse, Barton had wrapped a hand in Duo’s braid, bending his head back and running his lips down the pale, slender neck to the top button of his shirt, which he promptly unfastened. With his teeth. Hypnotizin’ Temperatures risin’ As the sweat pours from my head To your lips… He then kept going down the row, deftly slipping each one free until the garment fell open to reveal the smooth, sculpted chest and hard abs. Jesus, the guy was talented! How the hell did he unbutton an entire shirt with only his lips, teeth, and tongue? And was he using them to peel it off his partner? I think I was panting a little, and I know Quatre was; I could hear his harsh breathing from halfway across the room. Wufei looked a bit—dazed. No surprises No, now nothing disguises The dangerous curve Of your hips… Oh my fucking God! I didn’t know about Wufei, but I was damned close to coming in my own pants as Trowa sank to his knees in front of Duo, running his hands over his hips and down his thighs. Duo’s legs were parted, and as he pulled Trowa back to his feet, the supple, sensuous man slid slowly up his groin until he had him pinned to the wall with his body. Green eyes practically glowed with lust as he looked down into indigo, and the sensuous smirk on both their lips was teasing…tantalizing…hotter than fucking Hell! Fallin’ fallin’ I’m fallin’ under your spell Callin’...callin’… If you leave me lonely And you take away the things that I love Got a bad emotion Tangled in the web of your love If you see me comin’ Better run and find a place you can hide Got a mad desire Burnin’ up my lovin’ inside…yeah Oh, burnin’ up my lovin’ inside. Ooh, baby, yeah As the song hit a part without words, the two continued their erotic movements. First Duo wrapped his arms around Barton’s neck and his legs around his waist, and the auburn-haired man moved them away from the wall, lowering Duo to the floor and hovering above him on hands and knees. Duo inched away, using elbows and heels to slide out from under…and then Trowa crawled back on top of him, sliding a hand down to undo the zipper of his pants. His gaze followed his hand, and his lips followed his gaze…grazing the front of the faded jeans Duo was wearing and causing the other man to arch up into the touch. I desperately wanted to see how Chang was dealing with this—to see if he’d lost that bet yet—but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away. And when Duo stood up and Trowa peeled those jeans off, I decided my partner could go fuck himself—if he thought for one second I was going to miss this performance—or even a split-second of it. Goddamn! With each article of clothing that slipped free, I could feel my pulse speeding up…and when I saw the snug black underwear Duo had on, I think an actual groan might have slipped out. I glanced aside at Quatre, who was flushed, glassy-eyed, and obviously out of breath. Thank God I wasn’t the only one! “Enough!” Wufei yelped suddenly, jumping to his feet and fleeing the room before it could be determined whether he won or lost the bet. But Duo and Trowa seemed fairly oblivious to his departure. Oh, sure, Duo spared a flash of an evil grin—but then his hands were back on Trowa, sliding up his chest, caressing his nipples, and dancing their way across quivering abs and around slim hips. I kind of wanted to scream “enough” myself—wishing those hands were on me instead of the lean acrobat. But I was fairly sure all I could have managed was a hoarse croak about then. Fallin’ fallin’ I’m fallin’ under your spell, Duo Maxwell Callin’…callin’… If you leave me lonely And you take away the things that I love Got a bad emotion Tangled in the web of your love Yeah—I was beginning to think I knew what a fly felt like as the spider tightened the last loop around its throat. If you see me comin’ Better run and find a place you can hide Got a mad desire Burnin’ up my lovin’ inside (yeah) Oh, burnin’ up my lovin’ inside Yeah, yeah, yeah Tangled in the web of your love The music slowed again, as Trowa was kissing his way from Duo’s navel up his chest, until they ended up pressed against each other, faces flushed and lips parted—only to end with a completely, obscenely deep kiss. When the cd ended, there was silence…except for the heavy breathing of both Quatre and me, and a quiet moan that escaped Duo’s throat even amid a smothering kiss. Wasn’t this supposed to be the part where Duo and Trowa pulled apart, said “How’d you like the show?” and acted like they hadn’t just stripped each other almost bare in front of three panting and aroused spectators? “Holy fucking shit,” Quatre gasped breathlessly. “That is the fucking hottest thing I have ever seen in my life!” “Ditto,” I rasped, putting a hand over my eyes and leaning wearily back in my chair, as if by willing it I could get rid of a positively aching erection. Duo chuckled warmly. “I think we proved our point, eh Tro’?” “Mmm—but your victim ran away, love.” “His loss,” came Duo’s throaty reply, as he ran his fingers caressingly through the auburn hair. “We gonna check out the rest of that movie, or go listen at his door to see if he’s jerkin’ off?” Trowa laughed then, too, pulling away and picking his shirt and jeans up off the floor, dressing while Duo walked over to restart the movie before bothering to don his own clothes. Damn him! When Trowa flopped onto the couch next to Quatre, flinging an arm across the back, and more or less around the lawyer’s shoulders, I blinked in surprise. Somehow I’d thought he’d stay fixated on Duo a bit longer. Actually, I kind of thought he’d take him straight upstairs and fuck him through the mattress. God knows I wanted to. Quatre turned immediately towards Trowa, and I imagined the heat and sweat emanating from that leopard-patterned body must have been driving him mad with desire. “You two are absolutely amazing—and that wasn’t even on a stage or anything. Your act must have been just breathtaking with costumes and the lights and atmosphere in a smoky club.” The auburn-haired man shrugged modestly, looking away and actually appearing to blush a bit. “Lotta people came,” he admitted quietly. “Literally, I’ll bet,” Quatre said rather naughtily. Who knew the baby-faced blonde lawyer could have such a dirty mind? “It’s just an act,” Duo said in my ear. I twitched, nearly flinging the plate off my lap in surprise. How had I not noticed him sidle up beside my chair? “Huh?” I managed dumbly. “The stuff on stage.” He was crouched next to my seat so we were at eye level, and I could feel the heat radiating off the hand he had curled over the armrest. “That’s not me an’ Trowa. I mean, yeah, it’s a lot of fun…and a serious turn-on. But it’s mostly for the spectators.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear, sending electricity straight down my spine to my groin. “You know what’s real, lover.” “D-don’t call me th-that,” I stammered weakly, trying to summon a scowl, and fiercely reminding myself he wasn’t serious. He was a player and a joker, and I had to remember that fact before I fell for the seductive siren again. He pulled back, looking a little stung, and straightened, his glance straying to the pair on the couch. And then he squared his shoulders, smirked nonchalantly, and jerked his head towards the stairs. “I’m gonna go up an’ see if Chang-baby’s had time to change his shorts yet.” Before I could warn him to steer clear of my uptight partner, he was gone, pattering happily up the stairs to his doom. “Chang will rip his head off,” I predicted, shaking mine. Barton darted a sharp look my way. “What’s your partner’s problem, Yuy?” “He’s very straight-laced,” I said carefully. “Intolerant,” Winner corrected me meticulously. “He has a strong sense of propriety.” “And he’s a homophobe,” added the lawyer. He gave me a long look that made me uneasy. “Must be awkward for you.” I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I wasn’t sure if Winner was speaking generically about having to deal with an opinionated, prejudiced partner, or if he was referring to keeping my sexual preferences a secret. Did he know? Or was he just guessing, since I’d acknowledged how erotic Barton and Maxwell’s performance had been? “I imagine you’re often busy apologizing for him,” he added ambiguously. “Actually, he usually does it himself, once he realizes what an ass he’s been. Honestly, he did apologize to Maxwell today. He may be snide and insulting—but he’s usually not cruel on purpose.” “Is there a reason he seems to have such a personal dislike for my client?” I gave a noncommittal shrug. “If there is, I guess it would be—personal. And most likely not something he’d share.” “I see.” The blue eyes brushed across me and I felt bare under that gaze. “Well, I’m glad you don’t have the same problem. I mean, you told me you blew up at Duo, which is entirely understandable, given the circumstances. But then, you worried about the effect it had on him.” He gave me a warm look. “I’m glad you called.” I couldn’t conceal a wry smile. “Yeah—pretty out of character for me—calling a lawyer—voluntarily, that is.” “I don’t like most lawyers,” confessed the attorney, giving me a conspiratorial smile. “Neither do I,” I admitted. “But you’re an exception.” The smile widened. “Why thank you, Heero.” Before things could get any mushier between me and the lawyer, we heard pounding on a door upstairs. “C’mon, Wuffers! You made a bet, dammit! Open up and prove our act didn’t get you hot and bothered, and I’ll admit you win!” Bang! Bang! Bang! “Open the door, you big chicken-shit wuss!” Barton stood and stretched, shaking his head and grinning at Winner. “I’ll go quiet him down,” he promised. It was on the tip of my tongue to protest. If Barton did what I thought he was going to do, Maxwell would be far from silent. We’d probably be able to hear his groans and screams all the way to the lake. As Barton disappeared up the stairs, I forced myself to unclench my fists, and stood up to gather the remains of our pizza and beer night. “Here—let me help,” Winner offered, picking up an empty bottle. “It’s okay,” I said curtly. “You must be tired after your trip.” “Well, my ass is,” he joked. “I think I’ll sleep on my stomach tonight.” I paused, as it dawned on me how easily his choice of words could be misconstrued. “Oh, that sounded—bad!” he suddenly blurted with a nervous laugh. “I meant—.” “I know what you meant,” I said quickly. I think he was blushing a bit as he continued to pick up empties. “While we’re on the subject of sleeping arrangements,” I commented, keeping my back to him as I gathered napkins, “I take it Barton will share Maxwell’s room and you’ll take the spare in mine?” “Oh. That would be fine.” Sure it would, if I didn’t give in to the urge to choke the life out of Barton first chance I got. “Unless you’d like to kick Chang out of the master bedroom,” I added. “He could take the other twin bed in the room I’m using.” I shrugged slightly. “We sleep in shifts anyway—so one of us is always awake and on duty.” “Trowa and I could help with that—.” “No!” I said too sharply. “I mean—you’re civilians. I don’t expect you to do my job—or Chang’s.” He glanced sideways at me as he picked up an empty pizza box and turned towards the kitchen. “I think being here under the circumstances renders us something more than mere civilians. How hard can it be to watch a surveillance monitor?” “That’s not the hard part,” I told him. “It’s knowing what to do when you spot something that takes all the training and practice.” “Ah. Point taken.” We moved our conversation to the kitchen, setting the plates in the sink to soak while we packed up the trash. “I really appreciate all you’ve done, Winner,” I told him, as my gaze fell once again on the gleaming surface of the new laptop. “I mean, you not only provided our lodging and a vehicle—at your own expense—but you’ve replaced the most valuable tool in my arsenal. I was lost without my laptop. Now at first light, I can go out and set up monitoring devices where I’ve already planned to put them. Then we’ll have advance warning if anyone gets within shooting distance.” “I appreciate all you’ve done for my client,” came the frank reply. “I saw the last safe house, Yuy. And I can’t believe you got Duo out of there alive.” “He did his part,” I said simply. “When he said he reacts well under pressure, he wasn’t kidding.” “Even so, escaping from that attack was an impressive feat. It proved beyond a doubt that I was right to ask Po for you and Chang to take on the job of protecting Duo, even if your partner’s tolerance level is pretty low.” I merely shrugged. “I’m sure there are other cops who’d have done a fine job.” “But would they have called to let me know Duo was lonely?” he countered. “Would they have cared about him—about his feelings?” “I don’t—didn’t.” It was hard to lie while looking into those earnest blue eyes. No wonder Winner could break just about any witness on the stand. “Look, Winner, yeah—I guess you were right. He does grow on you. And it was hard seeing him unhappy.” I took a deep breath and forced the rest out. “I’m glad you brought Barton.” Damn was that hard to say! “Are you really?” Again the sharp eyes picked at my shell of indifference. “Of course I am,” I sputtered hastily. “He can occupy Maxwell—keep him from dwelling on his fears—.” Fuck him senseless—. Oh God, my stomach knotted up at the thought. I had no right to be jealous. This was what I wanted…what I needed…to be able to do my job without obsessing about Duo. So why the fuck was I still doing just that? “He can provide that ‘good lay’ he said Maxwell needed,” I added, trying for a flippant tone that just never came. “I think you’ve misinterpreted their relationship,” Quatre said carefully. “What’s to misinterpret?” I said coolly. “They were fuck-buddies. Barton admitted that much when we questioned him back at The Jungle.” “That was before Merquise.” “And this is after him.” I had a feeling Winner was seeing only what he wanted to see—the deep friendship and caring between Barton and Maxwell. And he was overlooking the obvious intimacy and passion. I felt a stab of pity for the sweet blonde. He was as out of his depth as I was—dealing with feelings that had no place in his line of work. Interestingly, the look he gave me seemed full of pity, too. “We’ll talk more tomorrow,” he suggested. “I think we all need a good night’s sleep and to gain a little perspective.” I snorted wryly. “The only perspective I’m interested in is the one my mini-cams will provide when linked up to the laptop. I’ll be able to monitor the entire valley. And that, Mister Winner, is my top priority. You and Barton can handle morale.” I ran a hand over the computer, sparing him a brief glance. “You can go ahead upstairs if you’d like. It’ll take me a couple of hours to load my software, and then I’ll trade shifts with Chang.” “Sounds good,” he agreed, letting me change the subject without protest. “You might want to take the bed closer to the window,” I added, not looking up as he started out of the kitchen. “You won’t be bothered by the noise as much.” I saw his steps falter—watched him pause in the doorway and shake his head before continuing on.
After Winner left, I worked into the small hours of the morning, a bit surprised that I never heard a peep from upstairs the whole time. Not that it kept my imagination from supplying an entire sound track. I fucking hated Barton. When I finally finished my upgrades and programming, I shut down the laptop and stretched wearily, deciding it was time to wake Chang and get a few hours of sleep myself. I climbed the stairs slowly, and caught myself holding my breath and listening as I neared the door to Maxwell’s room. It was ajar, as usual, and I thought of shutting it. For fuck’s sake, the least they could do was keep their private lives behind closed doors. But the murmur of voices stayed my hand. “So what’s with you and the cop?” Trowa was asking. “Hm?” “Don’t be evasive, Duo. I know you too well.” “How about you and my lawyer?” There was a snort of wry laughter. “Diversionary tactics don’t work on me, love. You should know that by now.” “Yeah,” came an amused drawl. “You high-wire performers—total focus.” “I don’t know that I’d like to try that just now,” Trowa said thoughtfully. “Speaking of being rusty…” “Isn’t it like riding a bicycle?” “Sure—only fifty feet off the ground.” There was a pause, and a soft groan. “God, that feels good.” I closed my eyes, clenching my hands into fists. “Your muscles are so tight. Tense much?” came the reply. “You have no idea, Tro’. This is makin’ me crazy. Nothing to do…no one to talk to…I can’t go out. Might as well be in prison.” “Prison guards aren’t as hot as Yuy and Chang.” There was a muffled snicker. “Chang’s as straight as an arrow…and come to think of it, maybe he’s got one shoved up his ass. He sure acts like he has a stick up there.” For two guys fucking, they sure did chatter a lot. I took a quiet step away from the door, catching a glimpse of the bed. Duo was face down, with Barton sitting straddling his legs and—giving him a back rub? Fully clothed. Or at least, both still wearing pants. What the fuck? They were supposed to be engaged in hot, wild sex, and instead Barton was massaging Maxwell’s back. It was a warm, intimate scene—but certainly not what I’d expected. Trowa laughed, and then his tone turned speculative. “And Yuy?” “Hm. Not so straight, I guess.” Duo’s reply was muffled a little in his pillow. “I figured that much out from the way he kept shifting that plate of pizza around on his lap during our little performance.” He’d noticed that? A momentary silence made me shift my weight and ease a step closer. “But there’s more?” “I kind of did something—bad,” Maxwell said in a tone that made him sound like a naughty boy. Oh, fuck! Was he going to tell Trowa about—us? Before I got my answer, Chang’s bedroom door opened, and I spun guiltily. Not wanting my partner to give my eavesdropping away, I walked hastily towards him as if I hadn’t paused on the way to wake him. “Good—you’re up,” I said quietly, with a brisk, business-like tone. “I was just about to wake you.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. “All’s quiet with Maxwell and our guests,” I told him. “You can go ahead downstairs. But be sure to wake me by eight. I want to get an early start on the monitoring equipment.” He nodded, glancing uncomfortably at the door to Maxwell’s room. “How long will Winner and Barton be staying?” he asked coolly. “I’d like to avoid a repeat performance of that scandalous display this evening.” “We haven’t discussed a timetable,” I told him. “I’ll ask Winner in the morning.” I smirked wistfully, an image of Duo’s half-lidded eyes and sultry smile flashing before my eyes. “I warned you that if you reacted, Maxwell would keep pushing, didn’t I? Now that he knows how uptight you are about nudity, he’ll use it to torment you.” “No shit.” “Not that you don’t deserve it,” I added, giving him a sharp look. “What happened to that ‘less adversarial relationship’ you were going for?” “That was with Maxwell—not his attorney,” Wufei pointed out. “And I was being less adversarial before he decided to put on that exhibition in the living room.” That was true enough. There was a fine line between teasing and tormenting—and both Chang and Maxwell were walking it. At times I thought they were close to a breakthrough in their stormy relationship. Or maybe just a breakdown. Who the hell knew? “Well, considering he got you to flee the room, he might never wear clothes around you again,” I commented, enjoying the way it made Chang’s face pale. Oh, I wouldn’t mind a naked Duo Maxwell at all! On the contrary… My partner rolled his eyes in despair. “I’m in Hell,” he concluded. “I’ve pissed off the Gods and I’m in Hell.” “Well, you pissed off the God of Death, anyway,” I pointed out, referring to the Shinigami nickname Maxwell used. “Seriously, Chang. Next time he baits you, let it go, okay? Prove you’re the better man by taking his shit with humor and grace for a change.” Not that I thought Wufei was “better” than Duo—but I knew the phrase would appeal to his sense of self-worth. “He accepted your apology,” I reminded him. That earned me a sharp look from the onyx eyes, and a slightly chastened expression. “Yes, he did.” “Now it’s up to you to make good on it.” He gave a curt nod. “I will try harder,” he sighed. “It’s just so difficult—when he’s so blatantly gay and unashamedly sexual. I watched that stupid onna at the diner throw herself at him, and then was subjected to Barton and him slobbering all over one another. And all I could think was that someone just like him stole Meilan and destroyed her life. And mine.” “Someone like him,” I echoed. “Not him. Remember that.” I turned and headed for my room, leaving my partner to mull over our latest conversation. If even a portion of it got through to him and he was able to modify his attitude towards Maxwell, I knew he could win over the other two as well. I’d known Chang for several years, and his recent behavior was so far beneath him it just stunned me. He’d always been all about justice and honor—and I wanted to see that Chang Wufei back again—the sooner the better.
tbc... |
