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"Other Lover"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Post war canon/Get together fic, Lemon,
slightly OOC Hiiro ^-^, mild angst, fluff, sap and all sticky combinations
thereof Pairings: 1x2x5 Beta’ed by the lovely Mechante Fille ^-^ *snugs*
Summary: Hiiro follows his heart and finds his
feet at Duo’s door. However, before his plan to secure the long haired
boy’s heart can come to pass he is confronted by the presence of Wufei
by his side. Hiiro finds, in his determination to see to Duo’s happiness,
that choice doesn’t always have to be this or that. Sometimes, happiness
is simply a matter of compromise. " Other Lover"
Ch 1 For seven months I wandered from town to town, city to city. As was the norm during my short but explosive life, what I needed to survive was never beyond my grasp; but food and shelter, the occasional conversation or opportunity to use my skills in some heinously moderate capacity had left me wishing for more. Quatre and Relena had taken a seat at the table, each grappling with the machine that is modern man in their efforts to make sure the peace we had fought so hard for remained. I often saw them on the vid spreading the word, arguing for silent people who didn’t know how to raise their voices and felt the thorns of guilt prickle along my past for having deserted them but the war was over. My role had been played. That’s all I had ever wanted, to be able to walk the streets of a future without oppression. However, for months I had set one foot in front of the other and ultimately found myself standing at the steps of Preventer’s Headquarters. I told myself it was a waste of training, that my skills should not go unavailable to the next generation. It was clear from reading about the successes of the organization this was somewhere I could be of service, share my knowledge and aid in furthering the cause. There were still so many avenues that could lead us right back to the gates of hell but as I stood on the doorstep of the prestigious sky rise only one thought filtered through the insistent rationalizations. “Duo.” I missed him. I couldn’t deny it anymore. He was the reason I had returned. His name heated my lips as I spoke it and dragged my feet up the steps inside the ominous building with its dark mirrored windows and multitude of electronic eyes announcing to any who cared to look that Hiiro Yui had returned. No, I was no more Hiiro Yui than he was Duo Maxwell but the need that had grown inside me didn’t give a damn what he called himself as long as I was permitted to stay by his side. However, I had no idea what I was walking into or how he would feel about my return so it was necessary to ease in and take things slow, do a little recon. My compatibility with the Preventer’s organization was the perfect opportunity to gently slide back into Duo’s life and though I wasn’t sure exactly what I was hoping for, I was determined to make a place for myself by his side. I had been able to walk among the masses relatively unrecognized simply because most people, should they actually look closely enough to spark their memory, are insecure or indifferent enough to simply walk on by. Stepping into the lobby of Preventer’s headquarters where, no doubt, my picture hung from gray painted walls beside the stoic visages of my fellow pilots was a different story. Several heads turned as trained eyes took in the stranger that had invaded their realm. A young woman walking across the lobby dropped the papers she had tucked so carefully under her arm causing her companion to drop to the floor and aid her as they whispered and stared bug-eyed at me as I passed. There was a group of people waiting for the code keyed elevator to make its timely appearance but half of them didn’t get on when it chimed and opened its welcoming arms, choosing instead to fade into the shadows and casually chat amongst themselves so they wouldn’t miss the show. The young woman behind the glossy, black reception counter who was busily typing at her computer until she glanced up to assess whom it was that was approaching her cordial alter did a quick double take when her sharp mind supplied her a name to go with a face she’d probably never thought to address the living version of. “Mr. Yui?!” she gasped, spilling whatever liquid had been congealing in the bottom of her cup when she jumped from her seat to greet me. I heard a small gasp and the murmur of those who were obviously contemplating my purpose but chose to ignore them. “Good afternoon,” I replied, giving her a moment to put her desk and facial color in order. “Might I trouble you to request an audience with Commander Une?” “Of course!” She smiled so brightly I felt the swelling of anticipation as my mind dubiously conjured up an image of Duo’s lopsided grin. “Hiiro Yui?” I turned while my helpful benefactor quickly contacted the Commander in Chief to announce my arrival to find myself staring into a face I could not recall having ever seen before. Being who I am and considering how I became myself I stepped away from the restrictive presence of the counter and evenly inquired. “Yes?” The face before me was of an advanced age compared only to myself in the present company of the small population that inhabited the lobby and lit like a summer’s morn at my acknowledgement of the name. “Wow!” the young man beamed offering a hand I could do no more than scowl at. “It’s a real honor to meet you!” Either his bold approach or perhaps the fact that I hadn’t throttled him bolstered the courage of some of the others, urging them to step forward as well. “Hey there.” A mammoth man almost reaching the impressive height of Quatre’s comrade, Rashid, flashed a large mouth full of bright, white teeth as he stooped and stuck his hand out beside the one I had already refused but unlike his younger counterpart, quickly withdrew whereas the first didn’t get the point until the second retreated. “I’m Buck Macon,” he informed me, glancing back at the others, a young woman dressed smartly in a skirted uniform and two anxious looking men. “This here’s Melody,” he continued while I silently watched and listened for any sign that the receptionist had reached my quarry. “I do hope you’ll be joining the force,” the woman beamed, bouncing enthusiastically so that her short, dark curls sprang to and fro. “That’d be some consolation to the Commander after Barton and Winner bailed,” the sandy haired man by her side smiled. I heard the tone of the receptionist’s voice change signaling that she had apparently tracked down Lady Une, but her triumphant prattle was summarily tuned out along with the useless droning of those addressing me when the elevator doors opened once again and miraculously spilled one Duo Maxwell from its gaping jaws. He was smiling, just like I remembered, always smiling. Even when his heart was so heavy and his future too short he had always found a way to bring bright laughter into the world. My mind registered that he was not alone, that Chang Wufei was by his side, but all I could comprehend was that he was back. Back in my line of sight, back in my present instead of my past, back in my life. “Uh, Mr. Yui!?” the young woman behind the glossy, black counter called uncertainly, rising from her seat as I suddenly slipped through the wall of well wishers and hero worshipers. “I don’t know, Ma’am. He just walked off… Y…yes, Ma’am! Right away! Mr. Yui!?” There is a time during battle when a soldier’s sight narrows to pin point concentration, a time when the world all around seems to slow, providing time in which one is able too enact the deeds necessary to ensure victory. These instances are usually accompanied by dire situations, great excitement and a desperation born of determination so I cannot explain why I felt that sensation while striding calmly across the deeply reflective, black tile floor when Duo heard my name and slowly turned his head to confirm what his ears had heard. That’s when I saw it, that spark of life, the one that had entrapped me so long ago. A brilliance so bright it had turned enemy soldiers to allies in the middle of a war and any doubt there had been inside me that this was what was missing in my life was instantly and thoroughly incinerated when he smiled. “Hiiro?” I saw him say because the word was much too soft to hear from ten feet away but its presence on his lips brought a smile to mine I couldn’t contain. “Hiiro!” he suddenly shouted, flinging the papers he had been discussing with Chang all over the place in his haste to rush into my arms which I spread wide and wrapped around him tightly the moment our bodies collided. Gods in Heaven did that feel good! “You’re back!” he sang excitedly as we stood in the midst of his paper snowfall. “It’s really you! Geez! Where’ve you been? Nobody could find you!” I simply could not stop smiling. “Holy shit! Geez, Une’s gonna have kittens! Laura!” I stumbled along behind him, utterly at peace with the world for no more reason than his hand was gripping my arm. “Get the Commander on the line.” “Sure,” the woman giggled holding out the receiver already in her hand and Duo snatched it up without a second thought. “Lady? Aw, man, you are not going to believe this!” He was brilliant, vibrant and incomprehensibly alive, just like I remembered him. “Yeah! How’d you know? Oh, shit!” I felt the laughter bubble up out of me when he dropped the phone and darted back toward Chang whom we had left to clean up the scattering of paper, then laughed so loud both he and his partner stopped to stare when he suddenly did a turn around and dashed back to gasp into the phone, “Be right back!” It was difficult to be so far from him now that I had his dazzling jubilation again so my feet slowly gravitated toward the place where he was. “Damn, sorry, man,” he was saying, adamantly appeasing his disgruntled partner but not even Chang Wufei is impervious to Duo’s charm and I saw him offer a small smile before he turned his eyes on me and something inside me pricked its bedraggled ears. “Guess I got a little carried away,” Duo went on, looking entirely adorable when he tossed me a fetching gaze. “But can you believe it?” he smiled, standing beside his partner, his arms full of mismatched pages sticking out in all directions, whereas Chang’s pile was tidy and neat. “Hiiro,” Wufei inclined his head in greeting so I did the same. “Wow,” Duo beamed, elevating the warmth surrounding us. “I still can’t believe it’s really you. Did you come to sign up or… oh, shit!” he gasped, dusting the floor once again as he darted back toward the reception desk and I was inclined to laugh out loud for the second time in the past seven months. “Is ‘signing up’ your intention?” Wufei asked as I bent to help him recover the pieces of the scattered file. “I thought I’d look into it,” I replied, smiling over my shoulder at where Duo was steadily chattering into the phone. Wufei’s eyes flickered between his partner and I and I suddenly felt stripped naked and lost the smile. Had I become so easily revealed? “Une says, and I quote,” Duo grinned, bounding back over to join us. “’Tie him to a bathroom sink but don’t you dare let him out of your sight’.” “Does that mean I’m hired?” I smirked. “Did he just make a joke?” Duo mock gasped, clutching Wufei’s arms. “I think I shall swoon.” I found myself laughing again when he fell forlornly into his partner’s arms but something about the way Chang held him, comfortable, familiar, tempered the jovial mirth. “Hiiro Yui.” If my newfound ability to openly share my smile when given sufficient reason was to be considered cause for bewilderment, the grin Une gifted us with could have been nothing less than alarming. My mind knew she meant us no harm but my body moved in front of Duo, gently colliding with Wufei’s when our former enemy strode forcefully toward us. She seemed shorter than I remembered, thin and much too attractive for someone I knew to have once been a fellow assassin, but her eyes showed no malice. Whatever drugs Sally had her on were obviously working. “Lady Une,” I greeted when she stopped, her sensible high heels clicking with finality upon the shining floor. “I knew someday you’d walk through that door,” she smiled, hands on her hips and feet spread to optimize the distribution of her weight. She was hiding something. “Hard to believe, huh?” I did a double take along with Wufei, who obviously had thought Duo was still behind us as well. When he had moved to take up a position to the rear of our collective adversary was a mystery but irrelevant at that point. “I’m going to assume you’re here for these,” she said and I almost snatched her by the arm with the intention of breaking that pretty, little neck until I saw the glint of a badge. Her left eyebrow arched delicately upon my hesitation. “If not,” she smiled quickly, cocking the handgun that so eloquently accompanied the badge before presenting the hilt to me, “I fully intend to change your mind.” Duo was shining so brightly over her shoulder I could barely see the woman but my hand hasn’t missed the grip of a gun in many years. “Yessss!” he cheered, making the entire effort well worth while as I tucked the weapon into the back of my jeans and pocketed the badge. “Now,” the Commander smiled in a way that made me wonder if I was expected to shoot myself in the foot as initiation but she merely informed me, “I have a unit leaving for South America in less than an hour that could use your consultation.” “Doesn’t he even get a locker first?” Duo interjected. “We could…” “We are late,” Wufei reminded him. “Oh,” he pouted, which brought a smile to my lips that apparently confused the hell out of our Commander in Chief so I stopped. “Right. Well, then we can have dinner together!” “Yes,” I accepted happily, not caring what the hell Une or Wufei thought of the curling of my lips. “Here,” he grinned, moving in as he pulled a pen from his pocket and took up my hand. His fingers were warm as they moved cunningly to inscribe a telephone number on the meaty drumstick of my thumb. “That’s my cell, give me a call later and we’ll set something up.” “All right,” I replied, allowing Une to guide me toward the elevator as I watched him watch me until we were swallowed up. Une explained a little about how things worked and informed me that my status as an A class agent had been set up months ago in the hope that I would return and claim my place among them. It was a bit of a shock to find I had been on active duty the entire time I was wondering the distant hills, which not only gave me seniority over many of the agents around me but provided a rather healthy savings account that was just bursting with back pay. I was offered an apartment in the Preventer’s Commons, a structure reserved exclusively for single agents that were on the go more than not, then she presented me to a room full of anxious soldiers that reminded me of a militia group I once fought with. Their leader was a tall man with dark, curly locks that in no way resembled those of the natives of Paraguay. The team was dressed in jungle fatigues but when I tested them individually less than half spoke the people’s tongue well enough to hide their foreign origins. All I could offer under the circumstances was that they keep a low profile, stick to the trees as much as possible and travel with pigs. “What?” one of the younger men asked stupidly as I divulged the information. “How the hell’s that gonna help?” I cringed as his Texan articulation dripped from his lips and explained. “People will be less inclined to approach you if you stink.” “Yeah,” one of his buddies chuckled. “Which is better’n being full of holes once you open your mouth.” Well, at least some of them got it. I was not given the details of the nature of their assignment, nor did I ask. It was intriguing to find myself in the midst of a situation that prickled along the length of my past, waking abilities no longer useful in a world of gathering peace. However, the true meaning of why I had arrived at this destination was ever present in my mind. My heart craved Maxwell. For too long had my existence suffered the absence of him. His eyes so bright and lively, a mouth as clever as his impish soul, his being the very creation of the only place I had ever truly felt content. The day dragged on. I took an opportunity when left to myself to hack into a nearby workstation and gather some information. Duo’s office was located some distance from where they had assumed mine would be should I ere return. This, being unacceptable, was easily remedied. The space across the hall from his was available and though there was no window and little room for a desk, I wasn’t planning on spending much time in it anyway. The schedule in the fully equipped basement location gym indicated Duo spent some time there each day just after seven p.m. It was easy enough to locate his locker but the ones surrounding it were already claimed. Curiously, Chang’s name appearing on the unit next to Duo’s irritated me, though it made sense that partners; as it was clear to see they were, would keep a similar schedule. I was forced to assign myself a locker some distance down the line but where I would still be able to see Duo when he… dressed out. Control. The difficulty of which is determined solely by the individuals need to break it. I could not afford to lose control, a tight rein; anti-acknowledgement when necessary is a powerful weapon. I would think about it later. When my day finally had come to an end, Une discharged me with assurances that my new office would be well equipped with case files for my reading pleasure by the time I returned the next morning. Though my desire to aid in the effort was genuine, her insistent prodding born of a desperate need to leash and collar was stifling and I found it necessary to remind her I still had to move into my new quarters and orientate myself to the organization before she stood down. It took me only long enough to retrieve my duffle and collect the key to my new apartment to ‘move in’ as I had no intention of unpacking my meager possessions. The database had provided an address outside the Preventer’s Commons when prompted to divulge Duo’s place of residence and I had every intention of securing a room as close to him as possible. My duffle delivered and a fresh shirt upon my back I sat in my temporary easy chair of regulation black leather and dialed Duo’s cell number with ridiculous delight. “Hiiro?” His voice was pure honey to my mind. “Hi,” I smiled feeling the urge to curl my legs comfortably beneath me. “Hey, man,” he returned and I could hear the bright grin on his lips. “Thought you might’ve decided to stay in, rest up or something.” “No,” I chuckled. “Our Lady just seemed to have been keeping an itinerary in her top drawer just for me.” Then on a sudden thought I added, “If it’s too late…” “No!” he replied, the sudden desperation in his tone warming my heart. “You like Italian, right? Why don’t we meet a DaVinci’s? It’s a little place over on Thompson. You know it?” “Sounds good.”
~ * ~ tbc... |
