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"Straight to My Head"Written By: Miss Murdered Disclaimer: I don't own the GW characters - am just borrowing to torment for my amusement Rating: NC 17 Warnings: light angst, awkward romance, some smut Pairings: 1x2 Summary: Heero's yearly Preventer
evaluation is usually an annoying formality. But this year, it is
much more complicated due to a certain Duo Maxwell... "Straight to My Head "
The coffee shop was neutral ground and Heero appreciated the symbolic choice. When Duo had suggested coffee, Heero agreed as it was a public space and that meant it stopped him from pinning Duo against a wall and kissing him for all he was worth. Coffee was what friends did - coffee was not complicated. Coffee was safe. They ordered drinks - Duo something ridiculously huge and full of sugar and topped with cream while Heero opted for a somewhat simpler green tea. They picked a table next to the window, nearest to the door without discussing or acknowledging that fact. Heero smiled to himself, not letting Duo see his expression as he didn't need to clue Duo into his feelings so easily. It was just easier for once that he didn't need to explain his paranoia and the precautions he still had in place everyday of his life - it was easy because Duo had them too - he just hid them better. He was more "social", more "normal" but Heero knew how things could change and how Duo's posture could change and how he would reach for a blade hidden somewhere on his body. He hid it from others but Heero knew. Heero would always know. Opposite him, Duo was taking a big sip of his coffee, ending up with cream on his nose and chin. "You have something," Heero said, dryly, gesturing at Duo. Duo chuckled softly as he wiped his face with a napkin. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Yuy. Yuk it up." Hero smirked and took a sip of his hot tea, glancing around the coffee shop to assess all the other customers and see if there were any potential threats in the vicinity. It was quiet - the only other customers a mother with a young boy sat opposite her and a pink puffball sat on her lap signifying another younger child. The boy was picking at a muffin, his fingers covered in chocolate as well as his face, and he looked up and met Heero's eyes. Heero smiled and waved in response, the boy giving a little wave back in his direction, crumbs dropping to the floor from his sticky fingers. Heero would always find it difficult to be around kids but it now wasn't as hard as it used to be. He'd dealt with them more, he supposed, but still they seemed too fragile, too different, too damn precious for his hands to touch... "You look good, 'Ro," Duo said, dragging Heero's attention back to the current situation. "You do, too," he replied. Duo always looked good with his black skinny jeans, his faded t-shirts and the plaid shirts he always wore - his seemingly timeless style. Heero was sure that Duo didn't wear the same clothes every time they saw one another but they all retained that same vintage well worn quality. And even though Duo's braid was shorter - cut to just past the shoulders, Duo still have those wisps of hair around his face that Heero pushed away with his fingers when they kissed. There were more lines on his face, darker bags under the eyes but Heero was sure that his face looked worn by time passing as well. After all, they weren't fifteen anymore. "I guess you want an explanation," Duo said, his fingers tapping on the table in front of them. "I'd assume you'd give me one." "Ha ha. I forget the fun I miss out on when I'm away - the world renowned Yuy sarcasm." Heero only raised an eyebrow and drank some tea, amused by Duo's mock indignation. "I'm here and doing your evaluation as I was asked to do a favour for the good old lady Une and I thought I'd stick around for a few days." "A favour?" "Hmm-mm," Duo said as he wiped cream and froth away from his face once again after taking another large gulp of coffee from the all together too large cup. "Mariemaia needed someone to bail her out of some trouble and apparently when the word "trouble" was mentioned the first thing Une thought of was yours truly." "Trouble?" Heero asked, puzzled at the choice of Duo. It wasn't that Duo wasn't competent - it was that Duo wasn't a Preventer anymore and they had hundreds of capable agents in the organisation. "Yeah, the sort of trouble she wanted off the Preventer logs," Duo said, wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis. Heero's expression remained blank - he wasn't quite sure what Duo was implying but he didn't need to say anything as Duo would continue the story without him responding in any way. "Drugs. Party drugs and an L2 asshole. It seems I was the only one with the required expertise of L2 assholes." There was a slight tone of annoyance on Duo's part but it was brief. Maybe he was sick of the assumption that he knew the seedy underworld of L2 as he had come from it. Heero wasn't sure but Duo's expression lightened once again as his blue eyes met Heero's. "But the plus side was a nice paycheck and then Une offered me some more fieldwork and since I'm here I thought, you know, might as well... I just didn't know the fieldwork was you. " Duo spoke casually as though he was merely talking about the weather but it spoke volumes to Heero. He was trying to be relaxed about his first Preventer mission in years but Heero knew he wasn't as relaxed as he was trying to portray. Duo hadn't liked working for Preventer - he hadn't liked the office and the regulations and he had left once it had got too much for him. Heero continued to work for Preventer but he had done so on a freelance basis as a "special agent" so he could turn down any job that he did not like. When Duo had left Preventer, trying to find some other place to fit into this post-war world, Heero had been disappointed. But despite the ache in his gut that his absence caused, Heero knew it wasn't goodbye. It never was goodbye. "So I said yes when Une asked if I minded being the lucky son of a bitch who has to evaluate your competence. She said you nearly killed someone once." Heero snorted. "He broke a bone in his foot. It was nothing." Duo laughed, a genuine warm rich sound that made Heero smile in response. Duo was the only one who got Heero's dry sense of humour and found him amusing. "You know other people don't heal like you do, don't you?" "I am aware." "Good," Duo said finishing the last of his bucket full of sweet coffee and leaning back in his seat with a grin. "I'm beat and Une has decided I'm required to do some test or something prior to my babysitting duty." "Where are you staying?" Heero asked, abruptly, cutting off whatever Duo was saying next, his tone more urgent than he intended. "Hotel, I guess. Probably that fancy ass one that cutie-Q likes." "You can stay with me," Heero said, his voice low and barely audible as he looked at the bottom of his teacup. "You sure?" "Yes." Duo grinned. "You know, I could've charged the bill to Une. Could have ordered room service and everything. And porn." "Whips and chain stuff?" Heero asked, deadpan and straight faced. "Of course, all the kinkiest choices. Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone, would I?" Heero thought that Duo didn't disappoint - only left a gaping hole when he wasn't there. He looked out of the window briefly, noting the droplets on the glass from the rain that was about to start, and then turned to see that Duo was no longer opposite him. He was over by the counter, putting an additional tip in the jar and offering a smile and wave to the same kid that Heero had been waving at earlier. But that action was natural to Duo, easy and when he returned to their table he grabbed his leather jacket, putting it on with an elegant shrug. "Ready, 'Ro?" Nodding, Heero got to his feet, scanning the coffee shop one last time for any threat. Everything always seemed so much easier for Duo post-war. Nothing ever seemed quite as easy for Heero. |
