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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. A/N: Hm, don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted that everyone thought I’d really kill off a bunch of sweet little orphans just to torture Duo. But I’m happy to say…well…just read, okay?
"Witness Protection" Chapter Thirty Two: Regrouping “It wasn’t a gas line!” blurted Duo. “It was Treize, damn it!” Trowa was trying to push Duo to arm’s length. “Shini! Listen to me—calm down, love!” “Fuck calm!” came the near-shriek of a response. “I’ll fuckin’ kill him, Tro’! Goddamn Khushrenada! It was me he wanted! Not them—.” His voice broke and he clutched at Barton, nearly sobbing into his shoulder. Winner had hastily flung a rope over a post and climbed off the boat to join us. “Duo! Listen to me. It’s okay!” “No!” Duo yelled, shoving away from Barton and grabbing Quatre. “You don’t understand! Khushrenada fuckin’ blew up the orphanage to get to me! It was no accident!” “Duo, listen—.” “Thirty kids, Quat! He killed thirty fuckin’ babies!” “Duo—.” “I’ll fuckin’ kill him! I’ll rip off his goddamned head and shit down his throat—the fucker!” “Duo!” “Quat—they’re dead!” he rasped again, fresh tears spilling from tortured eyes. “All of ‘em.” Quatre pushed him to arm’s length, and then shocked the shit out of me by slapping him forcefully across the face. “Get a fucking grip, Duo!” Utter silence fell as Duo gaped at his lawyer, backing a step and putting a hand to his reddened cheek. He backed right into Barton’s chest, and the former circus performer wrapped calming arms around him, clutching him close. “Shhh, love. Listen,” he whispered gently. Duo looked at me blankly for a moment, more lost and agonized than I’d ever seen him. I wanted to rip him out of Barton’s arms and take over the comforting. But all I could do with Chang standing right there was give a gentle nod for him to listen to his friends. “The orphans weren’t there,” Quatre said quietly, drawing Duo’s gaze back to his. “What?” I looked at Chang, who looked confused. “The newscast only said there was no information on casualties yet,” he told me. I turned my gaze to Winner. “Why wouldn’t the orphans be there?” “They’re at a Winner-owned kids’ camp,” he said with a slight shrug, his aquamarine eyes never leaving Duo’s. “The priest and nun went with them, at my request,” he added. Duo gasped in a breath, as if he’d been holding it for awhile. “A-are you sure—?” “Positive.” Duo sagged against Trowa, letting out a choked sob, and when his ex-lover’s green eyes met mine, I merely nodded. “Take him inside,” I suggested. “We’ll catch up.” He gave a short nod, turning Duo gently, but the braided man pulled away and threw his arms around Quatre’s neck. “Thank you, Quat. Thank you so much.” “You’re very welcome,” Quatre assured him. “I’m sorry about slapping you—but I needed your attention right then. I needed you to listen—to know the kids are okay.” At Duo’s nod, he continued. “Why don’t you go on inside with Trowa? I’d like to talk to Detective Chang about that broadcast.” Duo nodded with uncharacteristic meekness, clearly exhausted, and allowed Trowa to wrap an arm around his waist and escort him up the hill. I could hear the low sound of Barton murmuring soothingly as they walked away, and for once I was content to let him be the one comforting Duo. I had work to do. “Details Chang,” I said sharply, turning my gaze to my partner. “I want to know exactly what the newscast said.” “They said there’d been an explosion—that a gas line had ruptured and destroyed two buildings—an orphanage, and the empty warehouse next to it.” He shook his head. “It took Maxwell all of a split-second to realize the location. He knew before they even showed the footage of a pile of rubble and stone, still burning unchecked.” The dark eyes met mine with deep concern in them. “I thought for a moment he was going to pass out—the color just drained from his face. And then—. I’ve never heard such an agonized sound come out of a human throat, Yuy.” “He loves those kids,” Winner interjected, walking beside me as we started up the hill. “Do you really believe Khushrenada was behind this?” I asked frankly, playing devil’s advocate. “I mean, isn’t it possible there really was a gas line failure?” “Of course. Anything’s possible,” he conceded. “Though it would be a hell of a coincidence.” “Why did you send them away?” Chang wondered. “After finding out Hilde had been in communication with Khushrenada, it occurred to Trowa and me that he might know more about Duo than merely his last location. She had too much knowledge of Duo’s associates—his habits—to be ignored.” “Counselor—you’re quite brilliant, you know,” said my partner, sounding much impressed. Quatre blushed becomingly, smiling and ducking his head. “You flatter me, detective. I merely guessed that if she told Khushrenada all she knew, he might think of striking at anyone close to Duo. My family supports several charity organizations; so I contacted the priest at the orphanage and explained Duo’s absence and my concerns. I invited him to bring the kids, himself, and his staff to one of our camps for the entire summer. They’d be fed, housed, and provided a chance to enjoy outdoor activities—probably for the first time in those children’s lives.” He smiled charmingly. “He could hardly refuse such an offer and still claim to have the best interests of the orphans at heart.” “Chang’s right. You are brilliant,” I concurred. “But I wish you’d told Maxwell about it.” His face fell, and he nodded. “You’re right. And I meant to. Honestly, it slipped my mind. But if he’d known, it would have saved him a lot of heartache today.” “Yes, it would,” I said a bit coolly, still seeing the devastated look on Duo’s face when we’d arrived. Had he looked like that when Merquise was killed? Or when his gang members all died? God, I hated thinking of him with that heart wrenching pain etched on his face. “Yuy?” I looked distractedly at my partner. “Hm?” “You—tuned out for a moment. I was telling Winner that after I called you, I put in a call to Captain Po.” “On a land line?” I asked sharply, my focus returning in a flash. “Chang—!” “It was brief!” he assured me. “I only spoke to Relena—the Captain was in a meeting with the FBI.” “What?” I shook my head. “Why the FBI? What the fuck is going on?” “I don’t know. But Relena promised to pass the message along that we’d called, and have Po contact us via e-mail, or a secure line.” My head was beginning to ache as I wondered how much more fucked up our plans could get. “We need some answers,” I concluded grimly. “But first, let’s make sure Trowa has got Duo settled down.” When we walked in Duo was curled up on the couch, sipping what looked like whiskey, while Trowa gently massaged his shoulders. “—and they’ll be learning some sports, hiking, swimming—like a vacation,” he was telling the braided man. “Does anyone know where they are?” Chang asked bluntly. “Anyone besides you, Winner?” Quatre shook his head, even as Duo’s alarmed gaze sought his. “Any correspondence is being funneled through my law office. If it’s important enough for Father Maxwell’s attention, we send it to the camp in a sealed company envelope. No one will find them. I promise.” “Good,” Duo said, some of his spirit apparently having returned. Or perhaps he’d gained it from the half-empty bottle on the table. “Because sure as shit the reporters will find out there were no bodies in the rubble—and they’ll plaster it all over the news.” “I’ll tell Captain Po to put a lid on it,” I offered, giving him a reassuring smile. “She’ll make sure the media glosses over the drama—maybe a brief ‘luckily the place was empty that day’ statement. No one has to know how long it’s been empty or will continue to be.” He gave me a grateful look. “Thanks, Yuy.” “I know how much those kids mean to you,” I said, meeting his gaze squarely. He tilted his head, narrowing the still red-rimmed eyes. “I guess you do.” “Yeah—you wouldn’t let me orphan a couple of mangy bear cubs,” I teased gently. “Of course your own kids would be even closer to your heart.” “My—?” “Figuratively speaking,” I added quickly. “I know they aren’t ‘yours,’ per se.” He nodded, covering a shy smile by sipping more of his drink. Trowa gave me a nod of approval from behind Duo. “So—anyone up for dinner?” he asked, smoothly changing the subject. Wufei grimaced slightly. “Um, first there’s a bit of sweeping up to do,” he said carefully. “A few dishes might have gotten broken.” Duo shot him a look, and something passed between them that made me wonder how their day had been spent. “Seriously, Maxwell—I’ll take care of it,” he insisted, giving a small, reassuring smile. Duo nodded, closing his eyes and leaning against the back of the couch wearily. I followed my partner into the kitchen while the others stayed in the living room, and I immediately saw what he’d been talking about. Apparently Duo’s meltdown had included some throwing of dishes…not many…but enough to litter the floor with broken glass. “I’ll help,” I said firmly, grabbing a broom while he went after the dustpan. “As long as you tell me why you’re suddenly so concerned about Duo.” “We—had a pleasant day,” he admitted. “Up until the end.” He held the pan while I swept bits of glass into it. “He coaxed me into sitting for a sketch, and I got him to try a bit of meditation. We actually got along fine.” “I’m—impressed.” “Don’t be,” he sighed, dumping out the first pan full of glass. “If I’d eased up my attitude sooner, we’d probably have been able to tolerate each other days ago.” “You aren’t still ready to condemn him back to the gutter after he testifies?” “You know better.” He paused while gathering chunks of a broken plate. “I’m not saying he’s going to become my best friend—but obviously he’s not the shallow, selfish idiot I took him for at first.” One dark eyebrow rose in a sardonic gesture. “However, he helped my perception of him along, with his attitude at the start.” “That he did,” I shrugged. “Mine too. I guess we both had a lot to learn.” He gave a small flash of a smile. “I suspect we still do,” he said obtusely, leaving me wondering whether he was referring to our discovery of Maxwell’s depth of personality, or perhaps our clearer understanding of one another. We’d shared more personal information on this trip than we had in years of working together. I was reasonably sure he had a clue that I was gay, and had yet to confront me with scorn or hatred. Whether or not that meant he wouldn’t come right out with his contempt if I ever admitted it aloud, I didn’t know.
It didn’t take long to clean up the kitchen and make supper—a simple meal of leftovers from the night before, along with different vegetables and some pasta. Even Chang and I could handle that level of cooking. When we all gathered at the table to eat, Duo looked much better, though there was still a palpable tension running through him. I decided to take charge of things, since everyone else seemed a bit timid about confronting our precarious situation. “We can’t stay here,” I said flatly. “As we discussed out on the lake, sooner or later Khushrenada will connect the dots and track us down.” Duo’s expression darkened. “If he were coming in person, I’d be tempted to wait for him and kick his sorry ass into the afterlife.” “But you know he wouldn’t,” Quatre pointed out. “In his current position, much as he might like to clean up his mess personally, he can’t. He’s out on bail, so he has to be very, very careful of what he does.” “I’d guess Une’s handling the situation for him,” I told them. “You said she was expecting to kill Merquise herself, right Duo?” “Yeah.” There was a slight breathiness to his voice that made me regret reminding him of the tragic moment his lover had died. “So she’s Khushrenada’s right hand, in a manner of speaking,” Wufei noted. “Y’got that right,” agreed Duo. “I never saw him without her at his side. The few times I was with Zechs when he met with Treize, Une was always there.” “And they didn’t realize you were Zechs’ lover?” Chang asked. “Like I told Yuy, when we were in public, we kept things kind of low key,” shrugged our witness. “I didn’t hang off his arm or anything; so I suppose anyone seeing us together thought I was just a bodyguard or something.” “Lucky for you,” I pointed out. “If Khushrenada had known you were a couple, he might’ve been expecting to find you in that penthouse with Merquise, and you might not have had time to escape.” “I know,” came the grave reply. Duo fiddled with his fork, picking apart some of his food. “I think Zechs did that on purpose, actually,” he said almost hesitantly. He looked up across the table at me in a way that made me feel almost like we were the only two people there. “It used to bother me a little that he seemed uncomfortable about showing anyone we were a couple. But I think maybe he was trying to protect me.” He gave a slight shrug and a derogatory snort. “It’d be just like him not to ask if I wanted his protection.” That was the first time I’d heard him express anything other than complete adoration for his dead lover, and I found it oddly pleasing. Barton grinned at Maxwell. “If he’d asked, you’d have told him where to shove it,” he pointed out. “Damn straight.” Duo squared his shoulders slightly. “For fuck’s sake, he hired me to protect the girls at Sanc—you’d think he’d have trusted me to watch my own back, too.” “People don’t think rationally about those they love,” Quatre spoke up, in that wonderfully ambiguous way lawyers have. Was he talking about Zechs and Duo, Duo and me, or himself and Trowa? Probably all three. God knows, rationality had gone out the window a long time ago. “At any rate,” I cut in before anyone could explore the intricacies of love’s effect on intelligent thought, “we need to prepare to move at a moment’s notice. I want everyone to pack one backpack with essentials, and then we’ll each have a secondary bag with spare guns, food, and as many of my security devices as we can fit.” “We’ll need lightweight non-perishables,” Chang pointed out. “There’s only frozen food and canned goods here.” “Okay, so tomorrow Winner can take you to the nearest grocery store for supplies.” “We can take my sister’s car,” Quatre volunteered. “And we’ll have the oil and fluids checked and top off the tank so it’s ready.” “Should I contact Catherine to let her know we’re coming?” Trowa inquired. “No,” I said firmly. “You already said she’s aware of the possibility, right?” He nodded. “Then we can show up whenever we need to?” “Absolutely.” Duo looked between us in confusion. “Sounds like you three had a big planning session without me an’ Wuffers.” “We discussed some options,” I told him vaguely, not wanting to share details of the wild plan Winner and Barton had cooked up and I’d shot down. He gave me a vaguely irritated look. “Don’t I get to take part in any of the discussion? After all, it’s my life Khushrenada’s after.” “You are taking part in the discussion—right now,” I pointed out. “But it seems like you’ve already decided what we’re gonna do.” “We agreed on our best option,” I shrugged, on the verge of reminding him he’d placed his power of attorney in Winner’s hands, and thus basically relinquished his decision-making privileges. “Duo,” Trowa broke in, unfazed by the scowl on his former lover’s face. “Since we can’t stay here, and since Catherine’s up at the winter camp for the circus, that seemed like the best place to go.” “Why’s she up there?” asked Maxwell, obviously familiar with the subject of the circus property. “Broke an ankle in a fall—she’s fine!” Trowa hastened to say, cutting off Duo’s open-mouthed concern. “But they gave her the season off.” Maxwell’s eyes narrowed suddenly, and he gave Barton a long look. “Why aren’t you with the circus then?” “I—have more important concerns right now. They gave me the summer off, too.” A look flashed across Duo’s face, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. “You took time off because of me?” He pushed himself up from the table. “Dammit, Trowa, you shouldn’t have to put your life on hold just because I got myself into a jam!” “I didn’t,” argued his friend reasonably. “But right now keeping you safe is more important than any job.” “I’ve got Yuy and Chang to keep me safe!” Duo retorted. “You should’ve gone on with your life.” “Duo—,” Winner began. “No, Quat! It’s not right. Tro’ shouldn’t have to give up his own plans just for me.” “That’s his choice to make, not yours,” Quatre said firmly. “Besides, with Khushrenada out there targeting anyone you care about, don’t you think Trowa’s safer here than anywhere?” Duo subsided at that, frowning in thought. And then he just looked miserable. “God, Quat—how many lives have I fucked up?” “You didn’t,” I interrupted sternly. “Khushrenada did.” “I’m the one who hopped in bed with a drug lord,” Duo said bitterly. “I knew what I was doing, Yuy. I knew what Zechs was. I just didn’t care. He was—exciting and dangerous and hotter than Hell—and I couldn’t get enough of him. And damn the consequences.” “You may not have cared about the consequences to yourself,” I told him. “But if you’d known others close to you could get hurt, I know you wouldn’t have gotten involved with him at all.” He looked a bit startled by my support, and I almost expected another pod person comment. But instead, he gave a slight shrug and a ghost of a smile. “Maybe not,” he conceded. “This is Khushrenada’s doing—not yours,” I said firmly. “Stop blaming yourself and concentrate on surviving and putting the bastard away.” He gave a true grin then. “Yeah, I’d like doing that,” he admitted. “All right then,” I continued. “So we agree that going to the circus property is our next move. I want everyone packed tonight. Tomorrow we’ll stock up on non-perishable and lightweight groceries, and by tomorrow night, we should be ready to go on a moment’s notice.” “Are we leaving then?” Duo asked. “Not necessarily. But we should be ready just in case.” “Excellent plan,” Wufei agreed. “Once we’re ready, even if we’re found out, we’ll be in a position to act quickly and decisively.” Duo made a slight face. “I didn’t really like all that quick, decisive action last time,” he said with a wry smile. “It’d be great if we could avoid it.” I glanced warily at Chang, expecting him to bring up the phone call, and he did—though not in the way I thought he would. “None of us want a repeat of last time,” he said evenly. “And since we’ve managed a more—cooperative atmosphere, it’s unlikely to happen.” Maxwell eyed him, smirking just a bit. “Admit it, Chang—I’m growing on you, aren’t I?” “Like barnacles on a ship,” sighed my partner theatrically. “Speaking of which, Winner, Maxwell and I drained and refilled the hot tub this morning—shortly after you left.” He jerked a thumb in Duo’s direction. “He insisted.” “Well the water looked—cloudy,” Duo said, blinking innocently at the two lovebirds. “And I was hoping to soak in it later.” I bit my cheek to keep from laughing as Trowa and Quatre suddenly developed a deep fascination with the remainder of food on their plates, though the lawyer managed to muster his voice after a moment. “Yes, it’s probably good to freshen it from time to time,” he said rather hastily. “I’ll check the pH and add some water conditioner after supper, though I’m not sure it’ll be quite up to temperature yet.” “It’s still warmer than the air,” Duo assured him. “I carried hot water from the kitchen!” He sounded so proud of himself and his ingenuity that I tried not to grin. Instead, I snorted quietly. “You just want to go skinny dipping in it again as soon as possible.” “Damn straight.” “Why not go in the lake with Trowa and me?” Quatre offered. “It’s cold—but not after you’re in for awhile. We can give you some pointers on swimming.” Barton raised an eyebrow at that. “I thought we were going canoeing.” “Ah, that’s the beauty of it,” Quatre crooned. “We can do both. There’s this little sand bar a ways off shore that’s beautiful by moonlight.” Trowa’s eyes lit up, and Quatre and he exchanged a long, doe-eyed look that made the rest of us shake our heads ruefully. Yeah, they were totally gone. Duo pouted adorably, breaking into their romantic moment. “Why can’t I learn to swim in a nice, toasty hot tub?” “It’s not big enough,” Quatre assured him. “Yeah—but the lake’s full of mud, and plants, and fish and stuff,” Duo replied with a grimace. “What if I got bitten by something?” “There’s nothing big enough in that lake to bite you,” Quatre laughed, his aquamarine eyes glimmering. “Trust me—sunfish and shiners wouldn’t even nibble your toes.” “’S not my toes I’d be worried about,” Duo said with a shake of his head, dropping a protective hand to his lap. “I’ll pass. You and Tro’ can go nude in the lake, while I lounge in the warm, clear, safe water of the hot tub.” Right…clear…at least since he’d removed all evidence of our two new arrivals’ little tryst. Quatre was suddenly staring at me, and I wondered if he knew about the surveillance camera on the deck. “Counselor?” “Actually, I was thinking—you’re the one who really needs a soak in the tub. How’s your back after shoving the boat off the rock?” I rolled my shoulders experimentally and winced a little. “I’ve got a sore muscle or two—nothing that would impair my ability to function.” Did I sound defensive, or what? The next thing I knew, Barton stood up smoothly and walked around behind my chair, settling his hands firmly on my shoulders and beginning a firm, circular motion with his thumbs just below the blades. “Where does it hurt?” I don’t know if it was the skillful pressure of his hands, or the husky sound of his voice, but I shivered involuntarily. “Uh—lower,” I admitted reluctantly. His hands slid down a bit, widening their reach and kneading sore muscles. “There?” “Ah—yeah,” I breathed, blinking dazedly to try to keep my eyes from drifting shut at the wonderful sensation. Duo chuckled warmly, leaning against Quatre’s shoulder as he watched us with an almost hungry look in his eyes. “Talented hands, huh Yuy?” “V-very,” I gasped, swallowing to keep from groaning in pleasure. Goddamn—Trowa had amazing hands. “Yeah, I learned a little therapeutic massage from this bearded lady who used to work with the circus,” he explained, his fingers finding each knot and twist of muscle that hurt, and smoothing away the pain. No wonder Duo had been reduced to a moaning and relaxed lump on his mattress. I couldn’t help but reflect that Quatre Winner was a lucky sonofabitch indeed. While I was helpless under Barton’s ministrations, Duo, Quatre and Wufei began clearing the table and setting things up for a movie night. And by the time I told him to stop before he put me to sleep, they were gathering around the television and settling into chairs. This time, however, it was Winner who got to stretch out on the couch, his head on Barton’s lap, while Maxwell sat on the floor in front of them, using Trowa’s legs as a back rest. Wufei took a recliner, and actually tilted it back in a relaxed fashion—damned if the man wasn’t learning to loosen up after all! I elected to spend movie time on my laptop, monitoring and adjusting my newly-distributed mini cams—in spite of a chiding from all four of my colleagues. All it took was a reminder that Khushrenada wasn’t above butchering orphans (or at least making the attempt) to get them all to back off. And I had to promise Winner I’d try out the hot tub once he checked the water pH and temperature after the movie. Yeah—twist my arm. They’d made that tub look positively heavenly the night before. I had no problem with indulging—though I knew keeping the image of a naked Duo lounging in it out of my mind would be the hardest part. Well—the second-hardest, anyway.
I must have lost track of the time, because it seemed like only moments of making surveillance adjustments before Winner was standing beside me in the little alcove off the living room, clearing his throat pointedly. I looked up in surprise. “Movie over already?” “Half an hour ago,” he said with a grin. I looked past him and realized we were alone. “They went to bed?” “Duo was pretty worn out—dozed off a couple of times during the movie—so Trowa took him up to lie down. Chang’s in the kitchen making tea, and I’m about to go balance the tub water.” He ran those keen eyes down my body. “You need to go get undressed.” “Huh?” He grinned at the expression on my face. “There are towels and robes in the linen closet at the end of the hallway upstairs,” he told me. “Go help yourself.” He crossed his arms resolutely. “You promised.” “Did I?” “Yes, and I’ve got witnesses.” He turned on his boyish charm then, giving me a teasing grin. “Come on—it’ll help loosen your muscles. You do want to be in top form if we run into trouble, right?” “Of course.” “Well then, you go get ready. I’ll take care of the tub. And then you can have a nice soak while Trowa and I go for a little midnight swim in the lake, and your partner handles security.” It made sense when he put it that way. Certainly it would help relax me, soothe the sore muscles, and assist me in sleeping. Since it was Chang’s turn to stand watch that night, I’d have a solid eight hours to rest and recharge. I stood and stretched, flexing my muscles rather gingerly. While the massage had definitely helped, a good, warm soak should take care of any lingering pain. “All right, counselor. I’ll be back shortly.” I climbed the stairs and made my way to the closet, choosing a thick robe and a soft, plush towel. Hell, if I had to be on a protective detail, I couldn’t have asked for nicer accommodations. When I got to my room, intending to shed all but my boxers and wear a robe downstairs, I stopped at the door, stunned into immobility. Duo was curled up asleep in the bed Quatre had been using, and Trowa was sitting on the edge, idly stroking the chestnut hair in a soothing gesture. “Why is he in this room?” I asked warily. Barton gave me an amused look. “Couple of reasons—first, he wanted to give Quatre and me some privacy.” “So you won’t use the hot tub for sex again?” I couldn’t resist commenting. He blushed rather cutely, and I smirked. “Want to see the surveillance footage?” “Oh shit.” His blush deepened. “You’re a sick man, Yuy.” “Just doing my job,” I tossed back at him. “Right,” he scoffed. “So what’s the other reason Duo’s in my room?” I persisted. “Well, Quatre didn’t want to kick Chang out of his private room, and Duo agreed that he’d probably sleep better if he wasn’t in a room alone. This was the next logical place.” “So Duo really has given you over to Winner, eh?” “As I’ve been trying to tell you,” Barton answered with a roll of his eyes. “And what if he has a nightmare? What am I supposed to do about it?” “Comfort him,” came the swift, firm reply. “Just be careful—he keeps his knife under his pillow.” I eyed Barton warily. “This feels like a setup to me. Did you and Duo cook up some scheme to get me back into bed with him?” “You’ve never been in bed with him,” smirked the dancer. “As I recall, he said you two did it on the floor.” It was my turn to blush, and the way my face burned, I’m sure I was crimson with embarrassment. “It was—unplanned,” I mumbled awkwardly. “But great, huh?” he teased in retaliation for my earlier taunts. “Yeah,” I admitted, my gaze dropping to Duo’s peaceful expression as he slept. Barton’s fingers were still stroking lovingly down the chestnut hair, soothing that handsome face into relaxed slumber. “Wanna take over here?” he asked. I shook my head, backing a step and forcing my gaze back up to Barton’s face. “I—uh—Winner insists I soak in the hot tub for awhile. For my back.” I gave him a knowing look. “I’d like to use it before you and Winner go near it again.” “Ah. Yeah,” he acknowledged with a sheepish grin. “Guess it’s a good thing Maxwell and Chang changed the water.” “No shit.” His grin widened. “Well maybe after you finish soaking, Quat and I could have another go at it.” “Get a room!” I suggested with a grimace. He chuckled. “I believe those were Duo’s exact words when he rearranged sleeping accommodations.” “I’d take his advice. If Wufei had happened to be on surveillance last night—.” I let my voice trail off ominously. But Barton merely gave an evil grin. “It’d be his own fault if he got more than he bargained for. Yours too.” Grinning in return, I shook my head and turned away, hastily throwing the robe around my shoulders so I could undress modestly. Aside from a rather derisive snort, Barton refrained from comment, and I quickly finished and headed downstairs. I found Winner just completing his prep of the hot tub, and he smiled and gestured to the water. “All set for you,” he said grandly. “Wearing boxers into the tub? Or are you finished being a complete prude?” I gave him my best glare, putting a hand to the sash of my robe. “I’m wearing them. And I’m not a prude—just—a private person. Chang’s the prude.” He snorted wryly, glancing past my shoulder. “And he’s right behind me, isn’t he?” “Absolutely.” I turned to find my partner standing with his arms crossed. “Yuy, wearing boxers into a hot tub doesn’t make you a prude, no matter what Winner says.” “I know,” I agreed. “But I maintain that you are one.” “I have my own reasons for not flaunting my body,” he said rather stiffly. “But if I weren’t on surveillance duty at the moment, I’d consider sharing a hot tub with you.” His dark glance slid past me to Winner and then back. “But only you.” “I’m wounded,” teased the attorney, half-seriously. “Don’t you trust me?” “I trust you. I just don’t want to see you naked,” came the cool response. “I know at least Yuy has enough of a sense of propriety to wear something. But you and the other two—?” Quatre smirked unrepentantly. “It’s very liberating, Chang. You should try it sometime.” “I’d be happy to, if I could count on being alone, unobserved, and uninterrupted.” “Well, perhaps we can accommodate you. Trowa and I plan to go swimming by moonlight. He should be down here shortly. And I’m sure Heero would promise to keep Duo occupied and out of your way, hm?” “He’s asleep,” I said quickly, before Wufei could begin to speculate. “Good,” Quatre said with a somber expression. “He had a stressful day, thanks to me.” “He’ll get over it,” I assured him. “And if he has nightmares again, I’m sure it’ll wake me.” “So you don’t mind the room swap?” asked the cagey lawyer. “What swap?” Wufei asked. “Maxwell’s in my room; Winner and Barton are in his.” I waited for Chang to object—either at the thought of Winner and Barton sharing a bed, or at my being “subjected to” sharing with Maxwell. But he nodded slightly. “I think that’s for the best,” he said. “Maxwell should have someone close at all times, for safety’s sake at the very least. And if it also soothes away the nightmares, that’s an added bonus.” He smiled evilly. “Better you than me,” he added with a hint of malicious glee. Damn right. I really needed to get that inner voice under control. It kept popping out with the most inappropriate comments. And it kept murmuring ideas—like how nice it would be to stroke Duo’s bangs away from his face as Barton had done. “Yuy?” “Hm?” Wufei looked at me rather quizzically. “Perhaps after your soak in the hot tub you should get some sleep. You just tuned out again.” “Yes, sleep,” I agreed. “I could definitely use a good night’s rest.” Quatre was smirking a bit too knowingly as he gave me a push towards the tub. “But first, loosen up the muscles you pulled today.” He fixed a determined look on my partner as well. “As for you, Chang, there are swimsuits in the upstairs linen closet. Help yourself to one and take a turn in the tub after Yuy. That’s an order! You’re going to learn to indulge a little if I have to belt you over the head and dunk you in the tub!” “Fine,” growled Wufei, not sounding as put out as I expected. “I’ll try it. But alone—after Yuy. And I won’t have anyone standing around watching, either.” “Of course not. Trowa and I will be out in the lake,” Quatre told him, looking a bit smug. “Now—enjoy.” He walked off to get his lover, and I exchanged a look with Wufei. “Bossy lawyers,” I muttered, not nearly as grudgingly as it sounded. I was honestly looking forward to easing into that hot, steaming water. And it did feel as heavenly as it looked. I took a seat in a corner, putting my gun and cell phone within reach on a table a safe distance from the water’s edge, and then I leaned back to enjoy. And yes, I kept my boxers on. That did not make
me a prude.
tbc... |
