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"Defying Gravity"A Romance in Three PartsWritten By: Kaeru Shisho Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing
or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, yaoi, some language Summary: A multi part story of romance starting
with a turning point vacation, developing throughout a dangerous UC
mission, and moving ahead through the unexpected challenges of a summer
vacation. "Part Two: It's Back to Work"
Chapter 12
We are still in Heero's head for this chapter. He has difficulties handling the job. If Duo was thinking about eating, then he was all right. Thankfully, even Zechs chuckled at Trowa's joke and we all lightened up some, got drinks, snacks, and started over. My introduction to the nightlife of New Germany would be delayed a few more minutes. Zechs agreed to allow Barton and Duo to introduce me to the clubbing scene at the same time Duo kept his appointment with Gunter. He and Winner would man the feeds and monitors at home. It was Duo's call as to who joined him when he met Gunter. It wasn't perfect, but at least Duo wouldn't go alone and I was part of the plan. "Next question," Duo asked. "While Tamer's with us, who's with Jimmy?" "He's with Strom and Raul," Barton said. "Strom?" I asked, not knowing whom he was referring to. "Strom Anton," Winner said. "You left him alone with him?" Barton cleared his throat and nodded. "It's chill. Strom's only around for the drugs, but he is the one that's spent the most time at the house with us. He's pretty quiet, but he's ruthless. He watches that boy like a hawk, and, as far as I can tell, he's not a pedophilic perv. Alric has had me there for the past few days, but he doesn't trust me to be alone with Jimmy most of the time. This morning, Alric called Strom back to the house after giving him the day off, telling him I needed to get out more, and then called Raul also. "I guess it's Raul I don't know anything about," I said. "Have you given information about him to headquarters?" Barton nodded once more. "I gave them a list of everyone I've ever seen or heard of in the entire time I've been in Gunter's house. Winner's ID'd him." Winner, on cue, filled in the blanks. "Raul Frolich, son of New Germany master art dealer, Franz Frolich. No police record on either of them, though." I wondered just exactly how much freedom Gunter allowed Barton. "Has he kept a pretty tight watch on you all of this time?" "Sometimes it seems like he's always there, watching, waiting for me to fuck up; and then others it's like he forgets I even exist." Barton looked up at me. "I should get back there later tonight." Duo jumped up. "I want to check the feeds." I knew it was mostly to get his mind off his worries and calm his fraying nerves. Zechs stood also. "Are we done here for tonight?" "We haven't finished discussing this thing between you, Heero, and Duo," Winner said, looking to me for permission to say more. "I can't live and work under the same roof with all this tension building." "Why is it such a big deal?" Zechs asked. "He has an empathic ability," Trowa said. "When he says the mood level is bothering him, it is." "Really?" Zechs was completely unaware of Winner's ability or the strain it put upon his personality. In order to clear the air, I decided to "out" myself, Duo, and our relationship right there and then. If there was going to be any Duo and me in the future, then I had to put a stop to Zechs' interference. If Duo never forgave me, then I didn't know what I'd do, but I couldn't just sit there and watch the two of them carry on an affair, fantasy or not, without giving it a go. "I can settle this right now," I said, interrupting the others. "When this job is over, Zechs, I'll be there. I love Duo, and asked him to marry me. I offered him my heart, a home, a permanent life in the real world, and he accepted. When this is over, that's what we are going to do. Can you offer him the same?" Zechs looked shocked to the core. He jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and he lost his cool reserve. "You are gay? I was just trying to get a reaction out of you before; I didn't even suspect that the jealous lover act you were putting on was real." I nodded. "Can you offer him the same?" I repeated. Zechs shook his head, still stunned from my admission. "I didn't think so. Now, I'm going to go to this club and keep an eye on my lover. And when I get back, I want any of his things left in your room-- or bathroom-- out and into the spare bedroom with me. I will bring him home tonight and hope he wants to stay in that room with me." "We'll see," Zechs said, stepping closer to me. "Yes, we will," I countered with a step of my own and clenched fists. "You should leave in ten minutes," Winner said. "That should give me time to get you dressed for the part," Barton said, tugging on my sleeve, pulling me apart from Zechs. "Huh? I am dressed." "You look like a nerd. Come on." It was an opportunity to back down graciously from a fight with Zechs. "All right, but no make up," I insisted. Barton chuckled, but didn't promise anything. I used the walk to the room he shared with Winner to admire his outfit. He was dressed like a storm cloud in layers of shades of grey, sophisticated, sultry, and sluttish, all at the same time. No wonder his boyfriend couldn't keep his eyes off of him. Barton was unrecognizable as the deadly agent he was. Winner volunteered to "fix" my hair with a hair dressing he used to tame Barton's bangs. "I should really trim it," he said apologetically, "but there isn't time. You still look like you. Here—" He handed me a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses. "See if these help." "Helps? How will these help me see in a dark club?" Winner frowned. "Don't be difficult." "I'm not, I just don't understand." "There may be any number of people there would might identify you from your face, which gets plastered on the cover of some magazine every six months." "Not to mention that look of yours." I looked sideways, eyes narrowed, unblinking. "Heh, heh... Yeah, that one. The Yuy Piss-in-your-pants stare," Barton chuckled. "I don't think my pants fit you. I'm too tall. Stay there. I'll get one of Maxwell's. We'll go shopping later." I wanted to stop him, but Winner's serious business face was on, and his hands were in my hair, the scissors too close to call. I let it go and put on the glasses. Not bad. I was done. We collected Duo, who was wearing unrelieved "black as my mood" clothes, loose like he was about to fall out of them. All I could think about was how fast he could lose them then thought that every guy in the club would be thinking the same thing and nearly made him go back to change. Instead, I snatched the car keys and headed for the garage. I ignored Duo and Barton until I pulled up into the parking lot of the club. I felt cheap wearing Barton's transparent white shirt, which showed my nipple ring, and slacks fitted tight across my ass, but when I looked over at my two friends, I couldn't help but salivate. They looked hot and on the prowl. I rolled up my sleeves and loosened a couple buttons. On the outside, Club Oz actually looked like an old airplane hangar. Looking around at the other buildings lining the street, most of them abandoned and littered with refuse, I could tell that we were definitely going to be in a low-class dive. How appropriate, considering the name. I could hear the bass of the music pounding even before I turned off the rental car. Multi-colored lights flashed in the windows on the second level of the building and I was instantly having second thoughts about even showing up. Normal bars were one thing. But going into these hopping clubs where everyone is feeling up everyone else, I could do without. "Wing?" Duo's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, making me realize that it was time to go in. I looked over at him and let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. "I'm sure you've done UC work before, right? Since the war...with Preventers?" "Once." That did not make him feel better, I was sure. "No badge, no gun, nothing that can identify you as an agent." "No gun?" I questioned. "Not in there, not while trying to gain trust. It just looks bad if a target thinks you're afraid enough to carry one and it brings up unwanted questions." I shook my head. "Wing, you're just like everyone else when you're undercover. You don't get any special treatment and if you do something illegal, you can get arrested for it. You cannot claim that you are an agent and your other undercover agents, if you have a team, must be the only people you call." "How have you stuck with this nasty job so long, Scythe? You don't really have all that much protection." I lifted the leg of my pants and removed the gun that I had holstered to my leg. I didn't unload it; instead, I slipped it under the car seat while Duo shook his head. "I'll take raids any day." "I used to think I liked it, Wing, when I didn't have anyone. Now I just want a nice quiet desk job where I can shuffle papers around, knowing that I'm going home in one piece." He caught my shocked expression as he opened my door. "I'm not crazy. I know exactly who I am and who you are—all four of us. Are you ready?" I nodded, still bewildered at his personality turnabout. "Oh hey, Wing?" he called. "What?" "Absolutely no drugs for you. If I get something, I'll try to hold onto it, but I can't guarantee it. The serum we've been taking has failed in the past and I need you both with clear heads to watch my back." "Thanks for trusting me," I said. I trusted him with my life. "Watch me close, if I look funny to you, get me out of here. In the meantime, take inventory of the faces you see here tonight. If you recognize someone, catalog it." "I know my job here, Scythe." "This is serious shit, Wing. We're going into a strange place and dancing with a target. I don't want any mistakes and nothing to give us away." He slammed the car door. "I want to be able to walk out of here in a couple of hours knowing that our time here tonight wasn't wasted and that we have preserved our cover." "Be sure you do your job, then," Barton put in although it was hard for me to tell if he was addressing Duo or me, not that it mattered. "I'll be doing my best," I assured them both. Barton nodded as we began walking towards the front door, and I hoped that my best was good enough for them. We entered the club, sticking pretty close together at first. I was severely unimpressed with the club's clientele. I'd seen people at beaches wearing far more clothes than the ones here. Zechs had mentioned that the club wasn't strictly a gay club, but I had reason to believe that he was wrong. I had been groped by more men than I could count in a one-hour time period, and I could probably count on two hands the number of women in attendance. Barton soon veered away from me, promising to still stay close by. Gunter and a few other men arrived at the club a little over an hour after we did. I'd managed to keep my distance from him thus far. I wanted to just watch him and see exactly whom he interacted with, but he seemed preoccupied with the door. Duo was only getting aggravated. He knew Gunter was waiting for him and hated it. As I moved along the second story walkway, I locked eyes with Barton. He was on the ground level dancing with a guy that looked to me not old enough to even be in the club. Duo seemed to be more alert of his surroundings than he seemed aware of his dance partner. Good, I thought. I tapped my watch and indicated two hours. Before we'd separated we had agreed that once Duo decided to make contact with Gunter, Barton would try to help out in the sex department and then try to have him out no more than two hours later. I hoped to God that he was still paying attention by then. I was to keep an eye out for drugs and memorize faces, but mostly I was going to keep Duo in my sights for as long as I could. As I headed down the stairs, I located Gunter's table and kept it in my line of sight. I ordered a beer from the bar and scanned the room. Another man approached Gunter. He didn't seem quite right; he seemed out of place. He was about fifty years of age, averaged build, and slightly balding. It wasn't his age that made him look out of place; it was the conservative attire. He looked like some high-class lawyer that had a hard time knowing how to dress down. He was wearing dark trousers, a white shirt and dark colored tie and a fucking plaid sports coat. He reached into the inside of his coat, bringing out what looked to be an envelope. I stepped back against the wall, allowing the shadows to hide my presence for a little while longer. I pulled out my phone and dialed home. On the fifth ring, I was about to get pissed thinking Zechs and Winner had followed us anyway. Just as I was about to hang up, Winner answered, sounding out of breath. "Hello?" "Where were you?" I asked, trying not to sound accusing. "I was just coming back in from the garage. I left my cell phone in Zechs' Jaguar after our last trip to the store. Why, what's up?" I sighed heavily. "Is there any chance we can just stay near the phone all night, while I watch Gunter and Scythe?" "Is that what you called for?" Winner chuckled, sounding rather amused. "You want my voice cooing through the phone to keep you company?" "Um, no. I called because I want you to see if Club OZ has a system that you can hack into. I know they have security cameras, I just want to see if you can tap into them." I paused. "There is a guy that just handed Gunter an envelope, and I want to know who he is." "I am not as good at hacking into all of that private surveillance equipment as Duo is, and he couldn't get a lock the last place, but maybe that was because they didn't have one. I don't know." He was silent for a moment. "I'll see what I can do." "That's all I'm asking. I don't know how often they check the feed, but you should be able to worm your way in." "Okay. I'll just go step by step like Duo showed me, starting with the phone line. If there is a security system there and if with any luck it's all tied in with the cameras, I should find it." "Just remember that everything has a frequency and everything has a code. If you use my laptop, it will automatically try to bypass a lot of that, it shouldn't be as bad. I left it on next to the computer in the office." "I got it, Heero. Yes, you've streamlined hacking to an art, I can tell. You worry me," Winner said, but his voice was more cheerful than concerned. I watched as Gunter and the unidentified man seemed to be having a heated conversation. I realized that Winner had not said anything for a moment or two. "You are quiet." "I'm on the computer, working." "Okay, I've got to go." "Heero?" he called out before I could hang up. "Hn." "They'll be okay, won't they?" I could hear the nervousness in his voice, the uncertainty. Of course, he was worried about trauma to Barton's psyche as much as Duo's. I thought back to my conversation with Zechs and the others before we'd left. "Yeah, Winner, they are okay. I'll watch over them both. Barton is tough and clever." "I-I know, but he's also daring." "He's doing fine." "Duo loves you, deep down, still." "I know. Duo and I have just a crack in our foundation, but it can be easily filled if we work on it together." "He will; I know it." He sighed. "That was a very romantic thing you said, too." "Thanks," I laughed at his resolute positive attitude, as I watched the man of my dreams grinding it out on the dance floor with a complete stranger. "Try your hand at hacking and I'll protect our lovers. Deal?" There was silence before he answered and by the tone of his voice, I knew he was smiling. He finally just said. "Yes." My heart beat heavily in my chest, as if in anticipation of what was to come next. I needed to hold Duo and be reassured. It was as if when we were in each other's arms, everything else just faded away. I really needed more of that bond at this point and was sure by the time tonight's games were over I'd need Duo to myself in order to be able to sleep. "I've got to go." "Hurry home," Winner said, and then the phone went silent. I reluctantly tucked the cell phone back into my pocket and found Duo stepping away from his dance partner and heading my way. I started towards Gunter's table. The older man got up after I'd only taken a few steps and disappeared into the crowd. I managed to put his face into memory, hoping that I could describe him to someone well enough to have a sketch drawn up, having my doubts about Winner's hacking skills. Gunter looked toward the door again as Duo walked up behind him. With everything I had in me, I stilled the trembling of my hands, held my breath, and watched Duo reach out to cup Gunter's elbow. "Hello, Alric." "Scythe!" he exclaimed. "You came! What happened to you?" I suspected that Duo had forgotten to call the man to let him know he'd show up tonight with a bruise and scratches from our little scuffle. Duo just shrugged. "I fell into a table...a few times." Gunter reached up to touch his face, but Duo quickly backed away with a warning: "I don't think so buddy." Letting his hand fall away slowly, Gunter nodded. "It looks like it hurts." Duo cocked his head to the side, and said, "Ya think so?" It sounded condescending when it came out, but this was all supposed to part of his game anyway. A game that I didn't really know how to play, but it was a game I was determined to win by supporting Duo anyway I could. "What's going on tonight Alric?" "I've been waiting for you, Scythe." Gunter slid back into the booth surrounding the table in a private little semi-circle. "I know, and you haven't been paying attention," Duo said slyly. "What...what do you mean?" Gunter looked at him, and then noticed me, casting me a curious glance. "I've been here for over an hour—watching you," Duo said. He emphasized the last two words, making sure that he got the meaning, although, I wondered if Duo even knew what he meant himself. "But you...? Why didn't you let me know you were here?" It occurred to me that in most situations Alric Gunter was probably a very eloquent speaker. He was a man in control of many others. For some reason, though, he stuttered and fell all over his words when around Duo. I wondered if he was nervous of me, or if he was acting a part, too, and was afraid of slipping up and giving away too much information. "Who is in charge Alric?" Duo snarled. Gunter's nostrils flared and I wanted to both laugh and run. I wondered what this man would do with me if I attempted to dominate him in the manner Duo was. I say "attempt," because I didn't understand the complexities of how this dominant-submissive thing was supposed to work, even though Winner had assured me that I had a very intimidating, dominating personality. "You are," Gunter finally whispered. "And you have just answered your own question," Duo said, pleased. Gunter nodded and stared everywhere around him except at me. He then turned in my direction. He didn't meet Duo's eyes as he asked, "Who's your new friend?" "Another one of Wind's assets." The moment Duo said that I could see Gunter relax a little. Was I a threat to him, I wondered? Or was it he didn't like my shades? "He came out of the accident in the best condition so I thought I'd bring him around and show him the high spots of our lovely city. This is Wing. Wing, meet Alric Gunter." I did my best not to look too sure of myself. I knew that Wufei and I had not been chosen for the "slut recruit" positions because of our coloring and Asian looks, but I was dressed provocatively enough to catch any gay man's eye. I bowed slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Wing. My, my, Zechs has excellent taste. You're not my type, but you are lovely." The man's eyes roved over my body, making me feel like stinking fish in a fish market. I hated him intensely. And then, his attention shifted back onto Duo. I felt forgotten at once, and hated him more. "Do you want to get out of here?" he asked Duo. "Fuck no. You were insistent on calling me, telling me that you'd have close friends here with you, yet you're sitting here all alone. How about we dance?" Instantly, I shoved down my repulsion and tensed. I would have to watch Gunter closely. He wanted Duo so profoundly the shock of it nearly knocked the air out of me. At that moment, I knew if he would use any means at his disposal to use Duo sexually, and without Zechs here protecting Duo he would feel free to do what he wouldn't have attempted otherwise. Duo strutted into the crowd of people, knowing that he would follow. I felt Barton's presence near me and turned straight into him. He leaned forward and kissed me. I never imagined he would do that in a million years, even though he'd mentioned that he and I'd "get together" when convenient."Let's dance," he said. The organ-jarring beat reverberated throughout the club. I hoped to hell that the building was to code and wasn't going to come crashing down around us. Barton slinked effortlessly through the dancers to take up positions near Gunter and Duo. "Where are your friends?" Duo yelled. Gunter smiled. "They're around." "Come on, dance, Wing," Barton insisted, pushing me into Gunter, who chuckled at my apparent clumsiness. Barton pulled me back, making a show of licking along my neck. I fought not to cringe and tried to act as though I enjoyed it. I had to keep reminding myself that this had been another part of the plan, mainly Barton's idea. He figured that if things got sexual, it could easily become a foursome alleviating some of the trauma it would cause Duo. I wanted to agree, but knew that no matter what happened, the trauma was already there and wasn't going away. Still, I had come to see Barton's interference in the game as a plus. I placed my hand flat on his chest as I stepped around him and gave him a lascivious grin. "Sure, Tamer, let's dance, but you take Scythe and I'll take Alric." I shot a glance at Gunter and noticed that he was both pissed and excited. Duo had basically had him on his knees at the party, and now Duo and I were on equal ground, with Gunter becoming the low man on the totem pole. "Why the look Alric?" I smiled. Duo stepped up and whispered in my ear, which I'm sure looked like more to Gunter. "Now step off, let him play a little, then knock him down. But give him time to actually think he's getting somewhere, just be calm." I nodded and kissed his lips, which was the first thing that felt right all day, and then Duo stepped back and moved to Gunter's side, teasing him, just as it had appeared that he had done to me. I watched Gunter becoming aroused by Duo's actions. When Gunter looked at me, he met my eyes, or would have if I hadn't been wearing shades to disguise them, chewing his lip in indecision. Reaching his hand out tentatively, he placed his hand on Duo's chest and let his thumb graze one of his nipples, the one with the matching piercing to mine. I summoned up every bit of courage I had, shoved back the desire to snap the man's head off, and stepped closer to him. His hand trailed down to Duo's hip and mine slipped to my non-existent gun. He then closed the space between them and licked a long, wet line up Duo's neck. He nipped him playfully on the ear, and asked, "Want to play my game for a while?" Duo swallowed hard as one of Gunter's hands cupped his balls and squeezed, the other tracing a path around his back, and suddenly yanking on Duo's braid. Duo opened his mouth to shout, and there was a finger in his mouth. I moved to stop that hand, but I was too late. Duo's face twisted a moment as he tasted something bitter. He pulled away, and spat onto the floor. His eyes met mine in terror; whatever it was, some of it had already dissolved. I panicked, not knowing what effects the drug would have, and knowing I couldn't identify it. Barton swept a handkerchief from out of nowhere and wiped at the spot on the floor, then pocketed the only sample we might get. "Oh fuck," Duo whispered. Gunter looked at him and grinned. "I sure hope so." I took a deep cleansing breath, hoping that latest the serum injections Duo had had would alleviate his reaction. Gunter's hands started moving over Duo's body. Duo clenched his teeth, letting him. Barton narrowed his eyes as I attempted a casual shrug. I knew that if I didn't calm down, I would only make things worse for Duo. Duo's hands snaked around Gunter's chest, teasing him as he looked at me. They seemed to move so fluidly over Gunter's body that I could not hold Gunter's gaze. I felt like some kind of snake being lulled into a dance by the rhythm of the charmer and imagined that Duo must be feeling much the same. He was giving me a good look at his eyes. They were dilating already. Gunter's face was inches from Duo's for an instant then they were kissing. I closed my eyes. I couldn't stand it. When my eyes opened against my will, there was Duo, letting that man's kiss drift down from his chin further onto his pale throat. I didn't know how Duo could stand that man's hands and lips on him. I felt arms around me from behind and then someone nipping at my ear, registering Barton's touch before jamming an elbow into his gut. The sensations were almost overwhelming as I leaned into the body pressing close to mine. Barton's voice echoed through my mind. "Help Scythe fight it, Wing-boy." His head was turned to Duo. "Hey, Scythe, man. Fight back. You've got to stay clear-headed." "Fight what?" Duo whispered. "I'm fine." "I don't think you're fine," Barton said. "I see an awful quick reaction." Gunter winked at Barton and me as he grabbed Duo by the hand, pulling him through the mass of gyrating bodies. They stopped in the middle of the dance floor and began dancing. I saw Duo's wide and unblinking eyes scanning for me, turning back in the direction from which they'd come. When he realized that he couldn't see me, his face turned back, squinting as he tried to concentrate on Gunter when an overhead strobe suddenly flashed on and off. I tried to move toward him, but the crowd was tight. I spotted Duo dancing and in a flash of light, he was gone. There was Barton, so I launched myself after him. Flash! Gunter, his arms wrapped around Duo's neck, was kissing him, and Duo didn't object. Duo leaned in for more. Flash! Gunter's hands roamed over my love's beautiful body, feeling the hard muscle under the veil of his clothing. Oh, Duo! I knew he felt so wonderful, so toned under those concealing clothes. Gunter was a handsome man, but his steel gray eyes were dishonest, calculating. Having him close to Duo was wrong; everything about the man himself was just wrong. But, Duo was past the point of caring. Drugs were coursing through his system beyond his control making him act as if he wanted that creature in his arms, and, worse, want what he had to offer. Barton ducked and jumped. It was a sudden sharp movement that looked like part of a dance in the chopped vision under the flashing light. The next moment, the strobe light exploded. A hail of broken glass fell on the dancers beneath as a glass shattered the bulb. No one noticed. Someone laughed. The music boomed. I nearly ran over Barton. He reached up, wiped the sweat from my brow, and smiled before pulling me down close to yell something in my ear. I didn't exactly catch it all, but I heard "fuckin' light...away from the music" and that was enough to do it for me. I followed him into a room off to the side just in time to see Gunter closing another door quickly. With the door closed there seemed to be a barrier from the noise. The room was quite a bit cooler than the rest of the club and I was thankful. I stood for a moment, leaning my back against the door, and then my brain kicked in. "Gunter has Duo alone. I saw him go into a room." Barton regarded me a moment. "Damn, I thought he came this way, but then I lost sight of him. He's managed to get him alone after all." We dashed out and I pointed out the other door where I'd seen Gunter. The door was closed but yielded against our combined weight. Barton stuck his head in through the opening. "Damn it, Scythe. You said Wing and I could join in." I caught on to what Barton was doing, but I could tell that Duo's brain was fuzzy. He looked confused, probably because he didn't remember telling us anything of the sort. Barton started pushing his way into the room before Gunter could respond. I added my weight and pressed in behind to keep the advantage. Duo looked at us, shaking his head. He had to blink a few times to clear his eyes, but he caught on. His striking violet-blue eyes were dark pools, which on closer inspection were really dilated by the drug, the irises nearly absent. "Well, then, get your asses in here," Duo said to us. "Join the party."
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