|
"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 Thirty Four: Docking Maneuvers The sky was starting to pale, and I realized Chang would be coming to switch shifts with me. The last thing I needed was for him to find the door locked, or me in Maxwell’s bed. I slipped out from under the arm that was flung across my chest, eliciting only the smallest murmur of protest from my sleeping witness. Then I tucked my pillow in next to him, and he sort of snuggled into it, pulling it up against himself without ever fully waking. I found myself staring at his face, his features softened in sleep. God—what was I thinking letting myself get this close? I might as well just admit it by that point—I definitely felt more for the brash young man than I’d ever felt for a lover in the past. My carelessly uttered words to Barton had been pretty much right on the mark. Nice going, Yuy. I grabbed my clothes and slipped out of the room—heading for the bathroom for a quick shower. I was toweling off when I heard Chang knock and tell me everything had been quiet, he’d left fresh coffee brewing, and that he was going to grab a couple of hours of sleep before going to town with Winner for groceries. I was kind of relieved that I didn’t have to look him in the eye as I told him Maxwell had spent a quiet night and was still asleep. It wasn’t a complete lie, but I had a feeling my blush would have given me away. Once I heard his footsteps fade away down the hall, I threw on my clothes and headed downstairs. Trowa looked up as I entered the kitchen, giving a short nod, and gesturing to the freshly brewed coffee. “Help yourself.” I gave a wry snort. “Should I point out I already did? Twice.” Yeah, there was no point beating around the bush with him—he’d seen me in Duo’s bed—in Duo’s arms. He chuckled. “At least you’re starting to show a sense of humor, Yuy. I was beginning to despair.” Sighing, I walked over and poured myself a cup of coffee. “It doesn’t change the fact that this is all only temporary.” “Have a little faith.” “In what?” “In Duo. When he finds something he wants, he grabs it with both hands.” “He can’t. He’s got to be relocated far from Khushrenada—out of his reach. And knowing how far his reach extends—well, you do the math.” “You could go with him.” I turned sharply, fixing a wary gaze on Trowa. “No. I can’t. I’m a cop, Barton. I have a job…a life…” “Small price to pay for someone like Duo.” “They don’t let you bring friends into witness relocation anyway,” I pointed out. “Even if I wanted to go, they’d never allow it. Hell, I don’t know what you’d call what Duo and I have—but it’s not—official.” I shook my head. “It’s not even legal.” “Again with the humor,” came a warmer reply. “Trust me—legality’s never been a big issue for Duo—about anything.” “No shit.” “If you want to find a way to be with him, you will.” “Damn it, Barton!” I exploded, nearly jostling the coffee out of my cup with a sudden jerky movement. “I don’t even know if he wants me to be! Let alone what I want!” “You want him.” “Okay—that much is obvious.” I calmed down a little, getting a grip on myself. “Look, while I appreciate you looking out for him, I think this discussion belongs between him and me.” He nodded, once again wearing that annoyingly knowing smirk. “Good answer,” he shrugged, turning at the sound of footsteps in the living room and smiling warmly as Quatre walked in. “Good morning!” chirped the too-cheerful lawyer. His blue eyes passed right over me, with just a suggestion of a knowing look, and settled on Trowa. “You didn’t wake me,” he accused, walking over and slipping his arms around the slim waist, reaching up to kiss the stripper full on the lips right in front of me. “Uh—I’ll—just go then,” I sputtered, uncomfortable with their open display of affection. At the same time, I was a little jealous of it. Chang couldn’t say jack shit about their relationship, and yet I couldn’t even consider running a hand down Duo’s braid in front of him. It wasn’t fair. I walked out into the living room, and considered going back upstairs to just sit on my bed and watch Duo sleep—it was such a soothing and pleasant occupation. But then I decided I’d better check the security logs for the time between Chang’s going upstairs and my coming down. I settled in at the computer and brought up the feeds, starting with diagnostics and calibrations, and within minutes was deeply engrossed in studying all the previous night’s footage.
I’m not sure how much time elapsed—at least an hour—but when the soft patter of feet on the stairs alerted me to Duo’s arrival, I looked up over the screen to greet him, eager to see a welcoming light in those normally-defiant indigo eyes. All I caught was the flick of a braid and the sight of his back as he went swiftly into the kitchen. Well, shit. Had he been—pissed? I’d expected at least a “good morning,” if not a teasing “hey lover” or suggestive comment of some sort. Scowling, I flicked ahead through the security vids, wanting to finish so I could talk to him, and find out what on Earth I’d done wrong this time. I knew he wasn’t mad about the sex—he’d wanted it all along. And the whispered thanks at the end had told me how much it meant to him. So what was his problem? I suddenly realized I’d been too busy pondering his mood to actually look at what I was doing; so I rechecked several of the intervals I’d just run. Goddamn it, he was distracting! But before I’d satisfactorily finished the review, he came bursting out of the kitchen again, coffee cup in one hand, and Trowa’s hand in the other. “We’ll be down at the dock,” he threw out carelessly as they breezed past and headed out onto the deck and down the stairs to the yard. I didn’t even get in my usual warning to be careful or let me go along for safety’s sake. But I instantly zoomed in the mini cams nearest the boat house so that I had a clear view of the dock and the surrounding landscape. Quatre sauntered out of the kitchen as I was finishing. “Well, Yuy, how was your night?” I splayed a palm over my face, sensing an upcoming cross-examination. “What did your client tell you?” “My friend seemed a bit unsettled this morning,” he said with a hint of a smirk, walking around behind me to look over my shoulder at the computer screen. I looked up as well, noting that Duo and Trowa had reached the dock and walked out to the end to sit with their feet dangling in the water. Duo was leaning up against his former lover, who had an arm casually draped around his shoulders. “He told Trowa they needed to talk,” Winner spoke up. “Did he say about what?” “Well…” Quatre pondered a moment, frowning in thought. “I don’t know if that’d be privileged communication or not…” He looked genuinely uncertain, and finally settled into the chair opposite me, gazing earnestly at my face. “I think…he’s scared.” “No shit,” I snorted. “Khushrenada’s got killers all over the country looking for him.” “No, I think he’s scared of—his feelings.” I blinked, and looked back at Quatre. “What feelings?” “For you.” I forced my gaze back to the computer screen. “Look, counselor—we both know he’s a flirt and a tease. And I’ve no doubt he told you about what happened at the last safe house—between him and me. But feelings—? I don’t know if they enter the picture for him.” He glared back sternly. “You know they do. You know he’s more than interested in you.” “I also know he’s killing time until he goes into relocation,” I pointed out. “And he and I talked about ‘having a moment’ along the way. So what’s suddenly got him so wound up?” The attorney looked at the screen, watching as Trowa’s hand rubbed soothingly on Duo’s back as the two men exchanged words, their heads close together in deep conversation. “I think,” Quatre said carefully, “that when it was just for fun, and Duo was just flirting and teasing, that it was something he could handle. But now that it’s gotten serious…” “Who said that?” I asked quickly—sharply. “Duo did. He told Trowa he was in ‘seriously deep shit,’ and Trowa said ‘you mean love?’” I looked so hard at Winner that he sat back a little as if intimidated. “How did Duo answer him?” “He said he didn’t know—that they needed to talk—and did I mind if they went somewhere they could be alone.” He gave a slight shrug. “I didn’t hear the rest; they were already heading for the door. But Trowa mumbled something about last night, and Duo replied with something about waking up alone—getting mixed signals—.” “Fuck!” I was torn between frustration and remorse. It hadn’t even occurred to me that Duo had expected, or at least wanted, to find me still in his bed when he woke up. And while that would have been a wonderful place to be, it wouldn’t have been very wise. Chang might have decided to pop in to wake me—and had he found the door locked, he’d have been awfully suspicious. Quatre sighed, his expression knowing. “You left him in bed alone?” “You didn’t wake up with Barton,” I pointed out, casting an accusing look at the lawyer. “True—but I’m secure enough to know he’d just gone for a cup of coffee.” “Duo should have known I had a shift to attend to,” I retorted defensively. “Y’know—security? Or have we all forgotten why we’re here?” “No one’s forgotten,” Winner assured me. “And as for Duo, he’ll calm down,” he predicted. “Judging by the slightly wild look in his eyes, I’m guessing he’s a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of getting close to you—emotionally. And he’s trying to convince himself you’re not serious, and that it’s just for fun.” “He should know I don’t do things ‘just for fun,’” I pointed out. “Especially not things like—last night.” This time the lawyer definitely smirked. “So what did happen last night?” I scowled back at him. “None of your business.” He opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment Wufei came down the stairs, yawning and running a hand back through his hair. “Gods,” he sighed. “Who knew two hours could pass so quickly?” I glanced at the clock, and sure enough, it had probably been almost two hours since he’d tapped on the bathroom door to tell me he was headed for bed. Between my conversation with Barton, reviewing security logs, and having my soul picked apart by Winner, I’d hardly noticed the passage of time. “Shall I make a fresh pot of coffee?” Quatre asked brightly, standing up and turning to face my partner. “I could use a cup before we head off to get groceries,” came the eager reply. “Where’s Maxwell?” “On the dock with Barton,” I replied quickly, wanting to assure my partner I knew the exact location of our protected witness at all times. He gave a curt nod. “I assume you’ve got plenty of sensors set to go off if anyone gets within shooting range?” “Of course!” His smile was disarming—probably because it was such a rarity. “I knew you hadn’t lost your edge, Yuy.” I glared back. “And when was that in doubt?” I asked coolly. He gave a mock-sigh, shaking his head. “Where to begin? Shall we start with allowing that horrid music in the car? Or the smoking? Or stopping to watch a sunrise?” “Allowing our protected witness a few liberties doesn’t mean I’ve lost my edge,” I growled irritably. “Just your sanity,” smirked Wufei, annoyingly chipper for someone who’d only slept a couple of hours. “The only thing I might’ve lost,” I said, narrowing my eyes pointedly, “is the stick up my ass to match the one in yours.” “Touché!” Quatre chuckled. Chang just darted a snide look at him. “Weren’t you going to make coffee?” Winner nodded affably. “Sure. Come join me in the kitchen and maybe I’ll even throw some bread in the toaster for you.” I watched them leave, and then returned my attention to the computer screen, trying to assure myself there was nothing to be jealous of in the way Duo and Trowa leaned into one another as they talked. If Barton was gracious enough to not envy my place in Duo’s bed, I had no right to envy his position as Duo’s friend and confidant. On the other hand, I really wanted to talk to Duo myself. It seemed like I’d spoken to everyone about Duo, except Duo. And I thought maybe it was time to change that. I set the computer to automatically monitor our surveillance, and tucked a small remote in my shirt pocket. It would sound an alert if the computer detected trouble—and thus allowed me to not be chained to the desk at all times. The first place I went was the kitchen, to find out the plan for the day’s activities. Quatre and Wufei were leaning against the counter near the coffee machine, waiting for a new pot to brew and talking about chess, of all things. Apparently they both enjoyed the game, and seemed to be planning to play when they got back from errands. “So, what time are you heading out?” I asked Winner, walking over to join them. “As soon as Wufei has his coffee,” Quatre replied. I nodded, trying to look casual. “Is Barton going with you?” Astute aquamarine eyes shot me an amused glance. “Do you want him to?” he asked slyly. Damn him! He knew perfectly well that I did. He knew I wanted to be alone with Duo, and he fucking knew why! I managed a droll look. “Don’t you? I mean, you two have been more or less attached at the hip…” Quite literally, I’m sure. He caught the unsubtle innuendo at once, giving me a dirty look. I smiled sweetly. “I just assumed you couldn’t bear to be out of each other’s sight.” His glare deepened. “I’m sure we’d survive.” And then Chang, totally misinterpreting my line of questioning, decided to butt in. “Winner, if you want to bring your boyfriend along, I’m sure I can tolerate the calf eyes you’ll be exchanging—all right?” Quatre looked a bit surprised at that, and turned his attention away from me. “Seriously, Chang? It doesn’t—disgust you?” Wufei sighed deeply. “While I’m not the most tolerant person, Winner, I do understand that others are entitled to their—preferences.” He shrugged slightly. “I think as long as you observe simple rules of behavior and decency in public, I can be open-minded about your relationship. Okay?” “Holy shit,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I think I need something stronger than coffee to drink.” “Fuck you, Yuy,” growled my partner, pouring a cup from the freshly-brewed pot and stalking out into the living room. I chuckled aloud as Winner shook his head. “Yuy!” he chided. “Don’t tease him. He’s trying.” “I know,” I grinned back. “He’s very trying.” “And you should be glad his tolerance is increasing. It might be very important to you before long.” I darted a wary look at him. “You won’t tell him—.” “Of course not. But I think he’ll begin to see it for himself, if he hasn’t already.” He gave me an understanding look from the soft blue eyes. “It’s hard to hide the light in your eyes when you look at Duo.” I blinked my eyes, looking uneasily away from him. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “You’ve both been lonely a lot in your lives, I think. You’ve needed someone, even if you didn’t know it.” “I knew it,” I said curtly, not trying to deny the truth he spoke. “I just didn’t acknowledge it before.” “Well now that you have, don’t you think it’s time to act on it, for both of you?” I opened my mouth to remind him of our pending separation, and then decided to just shut the hell up. As I said before, Duo was the one I needed to talk to. “I think I’ve already acted on it,” I said frankly. “And now, we’ll just have to see what happens.” “Why don’t you take a walk down to the dock?” Quatre suggested. “Tell Trowa that Wufei and I are ready to leave. And then you could just stay there and—guard—Duo. Or whatever it is you detectives do to keep protected witnesses safe.” He had a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. “Don’t expect us back before late afternoon.” And here I’d been thinking Quatre Winner was a subtle man; at least he’d appeared that way when I’d seen him in the courtroom. “Yeah, take your time,” I drawled snidely, heading out to the living room. I met Barton just coming in from the deck, and he gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, detective,” he said with a teasing lilt to his voice. “I left Duo safe and sound relaxing by the lake. He said being near the water helps him think.” “I’ll have to try that some day,” I replied. Wufei was standing by the laptop, keeping an eye on the surveillance as he finished his coffee, and he looked up at the two of us. “Ready to go, Barton?” Trowa cocked an eyebrow at him. “Sure you can stand being cooped up in a car with Quat and me for a couple of hours?” “If I tolerated Maxwell in a closed car for nearly twenty-four hours, playing his music, smoking his cigarettes, and hitting on Yuy, I think I can manage a little trip to the grocery store with you two.” Trowa gave a wicked grin. “We’ll have to see if we can be as entertaining.” “Don’t feel obligated,” Wufei sighed. They were heading for the kitchen even as they traded amazingly amicable banter, and I had a momentarily surreal feeling that Maxwell had replaced Chang with a look-alike while Trowa, Quatre and I were out boating the day before; he was being so stunningly pleasant. To give him credit, his attitude had been moderating gradually ever since Barton and Winner first arrived—but in the past twenty-four hours, he seemed to have reached some sort of epiphany. “Chang?” He paused, letting Barton precede him into the kitchen. “What exactly happened yesterday while we were gone?” “I told you,” he said evenly. “Maxwell sketched awhile, I taught him to meditate a bit, and then I watched a goddamned news broadcast just about rip his heart out.” Ah. That’s right. I’d almost forgotten Chang had been the one to try to keep Duo from going off the deep end when he thought the orphans had been killed. Apparently sharing the traumatic event with our witness had affected his attitude towards him. No wonder he finally gave a damn about Maxwell’s survival. “That doesn’t explain why you’re suddenly getting along so well with Barton and Winner.” He gave a rather weary sigh. “Yuy—if you suddenly realized your entire perception of someone had been faulty, wouldn’t you question every perception you had?” I pondered that for a moment, and then shook my head. “Our perception of Khushrenada was right, Chang. Don’t start doubting your instincts now—at least not all of them.” This time a smile crossed his face. “Actually, I was wrong about Khushrenada, too. He’s far more evil than I’d thought at first. I’d assumed the man had a spark of honor.” I smiled tightly. “I never gave him that much credit.” “Which is why I admire your ability to ‘read’ people, Yuy. You don’t let your own prejudices and preconceptions cloud your vision.” “Don’t flatter me, Chang. I can be wrong just as easily as you can.” I gestured to the kitchen. “Still—I’m glad you’re up for giving Barton and Winner a second chance. Now, let’s get you three on your way. I want to go down to the dock where I can keep a better eye on our witness.”
It didn’t take long to get them on their way, with cautions about watching where they went and who they spoke to, and especially avoiding being followed on the way back. And yes, I think all three of them accused me of stating the obvious. Once they were out the door, piling into the SUV, I went back into the kitchen, threw together a couple of sandwiches, and grabbed some fruit and drinks, tossing it all into a plastic grocery bag before heading out to find Duo. He was still sitting at the end of the dock, dangling his feet in the water. “Getting pretty brave for someone who can’t swim, aren’t you?” I asked quietly, setting my makeshift lunch bag down at the start of the dock. He glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “I don’t plan on falling in.” “The best laid plans…” I cautioned, walking over and sitting beside him—leaving just enough room so we weren’t quite touching. “Speaking of laid—or getting laid—,” I added. “Maybe it’s time we talked.” He gave a wry snort. “Talking’s not your forte, Yuy.” “No,” I conceded. “I tend to let my actions speak for me.” “Well lately they haven’t had much to say,” he pointed out. “Look—I know you think I’m a slut and a shallow, selfish asshole—but you weren’t just a convenient fuck.” He glanced sideways at me, looking terribly uncomfortable and uncertain. “Either time. Seriously,” he added earnestly. “I wanted you the minute I laid eyes on you—an’ I mean three years ago. And I know I flirt and I tease and I come across as pretty loose—but—I’m not as much of a tramp as you think I am.” “Would you just shut up?” I asked sternly, bringing his uneasy babbling to a stop. “I don’t just sleep with any guy I see—.” “Maxwell—.” “I have to be more than just physically attracted—.” “Duo!” He stopped, tensing his shoulders and looking down at the water. “Sorry—it’s just you confuse the hell out of me, and when I’m nervous I—.” I grabbed his chin and turned his face so I could kiss him—deeply and thoroughly. And I even managed to keep my wits about me, and not get lost in the sweetness of his kiss or the warmth of his embrace, as his arms slipped around my waist. Eventually I let him up for air. His eyes stayed closed as he rested his forehead against my shoulder, his breathing a bit ragged. “What—? What are you tryin’ to say?” he asked in a near-whisper. Ah—and here I was hoping that my actions would have covered all the multitude of feelings I was having. “It wasn’t just a convenient fuck for me, either,” I admitted. “You’re beautiful—attractive—. Hell, you’re addictive! And I wanted you the second I had you pinned up against that car. Maybe even that day you got dragged in by those two fucking pricks who didn’t deserve to wear the uniform.” My fingers traced the curve of his face, brushing wisps of hair back from his eyes. “I don’t know why I fell so hard so fast—but as much as I fought to not want you—it just wasn’t possible.” “Why fight it then?” he asked, raising his head and putting those petal-soft lips on my collarbone. “Why fight me so hard that I had to get desperate and crazy enough to pull a gun on you? Would it have been so bad to just give in?” “For me—yes,” I said frankly. “My whole life has been about control and duty. My guardian insisted on discipline and regimentation—and complete dedication to a cause. And my cause became detective work. I was never able to be open about my sexual orientation—or much else, for that matter. Giving in to what my body wants—while on duty—? Can’t you see how hard that’d be for me?” “I guess I can,” he admitted, looking back down at the still water of the lake. “So—what now? Now that you’ve given in to your—wants—how d’you expect me to act?” He looked up at me with a frown. “What do you want from me?” I sighed, closing my eyes. “We can’t be obvious, Duo. If Wufei finds out I’m gay—.” “What if he did?” challenged Maxwell. “You’ve heard what he thinks of gays.” Despite Chang’s improved attitude towards Winner and Barton, I didn’t think his opinions had changed to complete acceptance—especially not where I was concerned. I was his partner, and if he knew I’d been lying for years, he might never trust me again. “I’ve heard a lot of angry bullshit from him—enough to know he got shafted by someone in a gang at some point—a gay someone. Or maybe he got hit on or propositioned. Hell, maybe someone copped a feel. But any way you look at it, he’s got a personal issue there. It’s not about me—or you. It’s all in his own mind.” “Yes, but if he knew I was gay—.” I shrugged helplessly. “Chang and I have been together since we were rookies. I respect that man an awful lot. I’ve trusted him with my life—.” “But not with your secret.” “I can’t.” “You know he’d never spread that information around.” I nodded. “So what’re you afraid of?” “Losing his respect—his friendship.” “If it’s respect based on your achievements instead of your sexual preferences, you wouldn’t lose it,” Duo argued reasonably. “And if it’s not?” “Then I’m not sure it’s worth having,” he said thoughtfully. “I just can’t peg Wuffers as the type to condemn a long-time friend based solely on their sexuality. But if he would—how much of a friend is he?” “He’s one of the few I have,” I admitted. “I don’t want to risk losing him.” Not to mention he could still get me thrown off the case for improper conduct, taking me away from Duo all that much sooner. “Give him a chance, Heero. He might surprise you.” “After,” I said wearily. “Once we get through this whole thing—through the trial—then I will come clean with him.” Duo squeezed my hand reassuringly. “You’ll be glad you did—no matter the results, ‘Ro. It’ll be a weight off your chest.” Meanwhile, he leaned back against me until his weight was on my chest, and his cheek was next to mine—the scent of his shampoo filling my senses. I wrapped an arm around his waist, sliding my hand under his shirt and across the flat stomach. “Mmm—nice,” he purred, snuggling closer. Then I got a horribly wicked, mischievous idea—and for once I decided to go for it. I started unfastening the buttons of his shirt, hearing a slightly startled gasp as my hands brushed his skin intimately. “Hey, Maxwell?” I whispered huskily, loving the way he shivered at the sound of my voice. “Wanna try something new?” His breath caught, and the half-lidded eyes shot open to fix me with a startled and then lustful look. “Sure,” he agreed in a breathy whisper. “Anything ya want.” I got up, pulling him to his feet and turning him to face me, before slipping his shirt off his shoulders, caressing his arms as I slid it down and dropped it onto the dock. “Take your pants off.” He didn’t even hesitate, but stripped off his jeans in a few well-practiced motions. Fuck! Of course he wasn’t wearing anything under them. I allowed my gaze to slide hungrily over the lean muscles and flat plains of his body. “Goddamn, you’re gorgeous,” I blurted helplessly. He gave me a cheeky grin, despite the blush that crept up his face. “Y’look in a mirror lately, Yuy?” he chided, slipping his arms around my neck. “You’re fuckin’ unbelievable.” “Best fuck you ever had?” I couldn’t help asking, though part of me prayed he didn’t give me a flippant answer. The indigo eyes met mine steadily, fire burning in their depths. “Shit no,” he breathed heatedly. “You’re way more than just a fuck, ‘Ro.” I could feel the wide smile that spread across my face, and found that I was too choked up for words. So I swooped in to express the depth of my emotions with a deep, hungry kiss instead. He melted up against me, growling low in his throat. Then I threw him into the lake. No—really! I did! He floundered for a moment, clearly panicked, those wide eyes looking accusingly at me as he thrashed in the water. “Stand up,” I ordered. “It’s only waist deep.” He complied, almost automatically, and then glared up at me. “What the fuck, Yuy?” “Since you were scared about learning to swim, I thought I just wouldn’t ask.” “So you fuckin’ tossed me into ice-cold water?” he demanded, shivering. “You said you wanted to try something new.” I shrugged out of my clothes quickly, laying my gun and the sensor alarm on top of the pile, and then hopping in beside him, receiving a furious glare for my trouble. “Besides, I planned to warm you up,” I told him in a placating tone, holding out both arms. He hesitated, and I could see his righteous indignation warring with desire. Was I ever glad when desire won out and he came into my embrace! “Sorry,” I whispered into his ear, nibbling gently at it before proceeding down to the side of his neck and kissing and licking the deliciously wet skin. “Does this help?” He shivered again—but I doubted it was from the cold. “Ah—oooh—that’s—that’s nice.” “You think so?” I asked, delighting in the way he responded to every touch with such obvious pleasure. “Yeah,” he gasped, tilting his head back to give me access to his throat. I curled one hand around the back of his neck, stroking lovingly with my fingers as my lips traced his neck with teasing kisses, and my other hand slid down to his groin. “God, you are fucking hot,” I breathed, taking his length into my hand and starting a slow, teasing rhythm. “Jesus Christ!” he blurted, reaching back to steady himself against the dock. After that, he seemed pretty much relegated to gasps, moans, and little mewls of pleasure that had me panting against his skin as I gradually sped up and brought him to completion. When I felt the heat of his release against my hand, I pulled him in for a lip-locking, tongue-twisting kiss that nearly made me come as well. He was gasping for breath by the time I let him up for air, and he sagged against me until I could feel the pounding of his heart against my skin. “You—you’re—.” He looked up at me with those pools of indigo, his face flushed even though we were still in the cool water of the lake. “God, ‘Ro, you’re fuckin’ amazing,” he finally managed in a ragged voice. Then I felt his hand close around my still-raging erection. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered. “Anything. I’ll do anything for you.” “Want you,” I growled in response, pushing him back and lifting him so he could wrap his legs around my waist. “You’ve got me,” he promised, his hands gripping my shoulders as I slid the first finger into him. I really meant to take my time—but the need was so great by then that things progressed all too fast. Unlike our slow, soothing lovemaking the night before, this was frantic and fiery—it was a wonder the water around us didn’t end up boiling by the time he was stretched and ready and I was sliding into him, groaning at the increasingly familiar tightness and heat. In spite of being half submerged in cold water, I felt like I was overheating just from the contact with his body. “Aw, fuck, Duo—,” I gasped out, thrusting hard enough to pin him against the dock, though he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he thrust back just as hard, panting and letting out an occasional ragged groan whenever I brushed against his prostate. No matter how much I wanted the moment to last, I couldn’t hold out when I felt him come again—and I grabbed and held him tight as I plunged in deep and let my release just wash over me. And afterwards, we stood panting in the waist-deep water, clinging to one another and the stability of that old wooden dock as we savored the moment. “So…” I rasped rather hoarsely. “How ‘bout those swimming lessons, seeing as we’re already wet?” He grinned wearily back at me. “If that’s what swimming’s all about, I’m sorry I never learned before.” With our lust temporarily sated, we actually did manage to fit in some swimming. I soon decided that if learning to swim made Duo cling desperately to me, it was worth every moment. I eased us into chest-deep water, and since his arms were around my neck, he hardly seemed to notice. “Okay—I’m going to put my arms out straight, and you lie across them, with your legs out behind you and your arms out front.” He looked at me with adorable uncertainty, and I gave him a reassuring nod. “Trust me.” He did, and he obeyed, and I have to say, that was one seriously erotic position, with his bare ass sticking up out of the water and the feel of his smooth skin against my arms. We began with the basic dog-paddle, which sent Duo into a fit of laughter, and started him making lewd references to doggie-style sex. Of course, that almost led to us having said sex—but I managed to keep us more or less on task—and within a few minutes, Duo could do a respectable dog-paddle from me to the dock and then back. I rewarded him with a kiss. Okay, so maybe we did some making out between lessons. And of course whenever he mastered a particular task, I kissed him senseless as a reward. We also took a couple of breaks to wolf down lunch and our drinks. That’s probably why it took us the better part of the day to finish. Besides, when Duo cracked up over the breast stroke, assuring me that he just wasn’t into breasts, and then insisted the dead man’s float was just plain morbid, he kept delaying our progress. But what delightful progress it was—just the two of us under the warm sun, playing in the water like we hadn’t a care in the world.
Mid afternoon found us lying side by side on the dock, letting the warm rays of the sun dry us off, since I hadn’t thought to bring towels and neither of us had the ambition to walk up to the house and get some. Duo had unbound his hair and fanned it out on the dock to let it dry, and I was irresistibly drawn to stretch one hand out and lay it across the silken strands, enjoying the feel of it against my wrist and fingers. And as I watched clouds float lazily past in a startlingly blue sky, I decided I’d never been so utterly happy in my life. I didn’t think about the past or the future—neither had much meaning right then. Duo’s hand was on my stomach, fingers lazily tracing across my abs in a soothingly familiar way that made me feel like I’d do anything to hold on to that moment in time. “This is nice,” came a soft voice, echoing my thoughts uncannily. “Yeah.” He wriggled a little, stretching his legs and then laying them on the warm wood again. “’Cept maybe next time I should call ‘top,’” he added. “Oh. Sore?” I asked apologetically. “Well lake water doesn’t make the best lube.” I couldn’t help a rueful chuckle—but then a thought intruded on my amusement. “Hey, how come—? I mean, the other times we—y’know—you gave me—.” God, why was I so embarrassed to just talk to him about sex? “Protection,” I finally blurted. “We didn’t use it this time.” I glanced over at him. “I’m sorry. I should have thought to bring it—or go get it—.” He was grinning at my discomfort, his eyes half-closed as he turned his face to the sun. “’S okay, ‘Ro.” He reached over to his discarded clothes and, always the prepared sex-fiend, pulled out a small, easily recognizable object. “I didn’t forget.” “So—what does that mean?” “Means I trust you,” he shrugged. I was a little stunned that he’d place that much faith in a cop he’d only really known for a couple of weeks. “You trust me that much? You hardly know me.” “I know all I need to,” he replied calmly. “I can trust you with my life, ‘Ro, and not just because it’s your job.” I picked up his hand and brought it to my lips, still looking at the shimmering summer sky. “Duo?” “Hm?” he purred, like a sleepy cat. “I love you.” He rolled so he was facing me, the indigo eyes searching my face. “You mean it, don’t you?” he breathed in wide-eyed disbelief. “Hai,” I admitted. A soft smile curled his lips. “I gotta be the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth,” he said warmly, leaning in to place a soft, almost chaste kiss on my lips. “I don’t think I deserve you—but I’m pretty sure I don’t care.” “Does that mean you plan to keep me around?” I asked teasingly. “As long as you’ll stay,” he said with determination, though a flicker of worry passed through his eyes. “As long as I can.” Can what? Keep me? Or stay, yourself? Oh God. Reality slapped me in the face—hard. This
couldn’t last forever. But I wanted it to—more than I’d
ever wanted anything in my life. And I vowed if there was a way for
us to stay together, I’d find it. I’d do whatever it took—give
anything up—if it meant I could be with him forever.
tbc... |
