|
"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 " Chapter 7: Battleground for the Truth The eighteen hour flight to the L1 cluster had been uneventful but there had been a pervading air of awkwardness that was not addressed. Heero mainly spent his time with Emilia, only checking on Duo intermittently until they were in range of the colonies and a co-pilot was required. Duo had been overly chatty then - asking how Emilia was and complaining loudly about the irresponsible tutor downing sleeping pills rather than looking after the kid as she was paid to do. He pretended that he’d never said that - that he’d never said that he loved Heero. It made things easier, that they did not address it but Heero was conscious that the mission was ending and that in turn would mean that Duo’s evaluation was ending. And once the evaluation was over it would all end - this brief few days together would just be another time they fell together and parted, whispers of kisses left on Heero’s lips. The mission didn’t end when they met with Peacecraft security, even when Heero saw the familiar face of her chief security officer, Noin. She wouldn’t have it any other way, they followed protocol, Heero and Duo travelling with Emilia and a groggy Miss Campbell, with Noin in Relena’s car as some kind of decoy. There was no need for such precautions - indeed, the drive was so uneventful that Heero had to blink a few times as he drove the blacked out Preventer vehicle - he almost drifted off. He berated himself - he truly was weak and ineffectual, the most danger caused to Emilia during the whole mission had been an overly-tired Heero. It wasn’t until the arrived at the hotel and took Emilia through the delivery entrance to a private elevator to Relena’s suite that Heero started to relax. Noin was chatting to Emilia, catching up with her and Duo was leaning against the metal of the elevator, a smile on his face and his posture relaxed. It had been a very different mission to any that they had been on together before. There was no torn clothing, no blood, no haunted expression in their eyes and no need to tear each other’s clothes off at the first opportunity to feel something. And it meant that Heero wasn’t sure what happened once they had deposited Emilia with her mother - whether Duo just filled in that form and returned it to Une. Then Heero would return to more conventional missions - the Preventer hierarchy satisfied he would not turn into a mass murderer for another year. He sighed softly and Duo looked up then, met his eye and cocked his head as though asking without words Heero’s worry. Heero shrugged in response. They couldn’t talk - not now and plus what were they going to talk about? About where Duo was going next? About Heero’s next Preventer mission? Heero didn’t want to talk about that. The elevator opened into a private suite with a temporary metal detector installed inside. Heero stalled with his weapon yet Emilia didn’t need to stop for the security protocol - she only dropped her satchel and teddy to the floor and ran through the detector towards her mother, the happy shout of “mummy” echoing. Heero placed the satchel and Mr. H for the Peacecraft security team to check along with his own weapon, badge and belt, going through it without a blip and approaching where Relena was holding her daughter tightly to her, her face buried in her Emilia’s neck. It was an image that felt intimate to Heero - to a man who had never been a son or a child. He felt a hand on his shoulder then, Duo next to him, that soft smile on his face. “Mission complete, huh?” “100% successful.” Relena looked up then, getting to her feet and smoothing out her dress in the same manner that Emilia had done earlier. Her eyes were watery and she swiped the sleeve of her baby blue blouse across them before she stepped towards Heero, wrapping him in a warm hug. Usually Relena didn’t hug Heero knowing he found such physical contact difficult but Heero relaxed into her embrace, awkwardly putting an arm around her and patting the small of her back. “Thank you, Heero. I really can’t thank you enough.” She finished her hug, the smell of her floral perfume leaving a trace of her on Heero’s clothes and skin. “And you, Duo,” she said, hugging him in the same manner though Duo didn’t stiffen in her embrace, he hugged back and pressed a brief kiss against her cheek as she stepped back. “I didn’t know you were the other agent Lady Une mentioned.” “Yeah, neither did I. Apparently someone needed to do Heero’s Preventer yearly eval and it seemed like I was only person foolish enough to agree.” “I hope he’s passed?” Relena asked. “With flying colours,” Duo said with a slight smirk and Heero guessed he was thinking of the night in Heero’s bed that seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago. It was unsubtle and Heero felt a slight blush on his cheeks which thankfully was not dwelt on as there was a rush of Emilia being shown her bedroom in the suite and the new outfits and toys her mother had purchased her. Heero felt like they were no longer needed, that life was returning to normal for the Peacecraft family and that they could leave but then Relena approached him. “Can we talk for a moment?” Heero couldn’t say no and he was ushered to the balcony, Relena sliding the door behind them softly so it was mostly closed. Heero wanted to say that she shouldn’t be outside - that it was foolish to be out in the open but then he was sure she was sick of such advice. Plus if a sniper took a shot, Heero would jump in front of it - her life was worth far more than his. “You were the only one I could trust,” she said softly, taking a seat at the patio table, “I hope she didn’t cause you too much trouble.” He didn’t take a seat, instead stood with his body against the railing, blocking, protecting her as he always would. The colony air felt stale and stifling as Heero stood and he already missed earth and the breeze and the cold and the realness of it. “She didn’t. You need a new tutor - Miss Campbell took double the dosage of sleeping pills and slept the entire journey. I sat with Emilia.” Relena’s expression changed to annoyance then. “She was Frederick’s choice. Someone his family knew. I’ll sort it out. Thank you - I bet she wasn’t the easiest company. She asks too many questions.” Heero felt unconsciously then to the folded piece of paper in the inner jacket pocket and he looked up to the “sky” above, a slight burst of air ruffling at his bangs. “She asked if Duo and I were married. That you said we acted like an old married couple.” Her eyes widened for a moment before she laughed softly. “She did? She remembers everything… takes everything far too seriously. I just meant… you always act so naturally around one another. You’re in sync. You mirror one another. It’s something I envy - I’ve never had that.” “Not now.” “Did something happen? Other than the night of passion I assume Duo was alluding to?” Heero almost choked at Relena’s forthrightness - yet it was not surprising she had been fully aware of whatever Duo was implying. He was too obvious and she too perceptive. He didn’t meet her eyes, only looked now down to the streets below and the slow moving traffic. “He said he loved me.” “And you love him - I don’t see a problem.” Heero turned then, was formulating a response but Relena got to her feet and stood next to him, putting a hand gently on his as he held tightly to the railing. “You’ve been in love with him in some capacity since he shot you. I don’t care if you tell me otherwise - there is some part of you that has been connected to Duo since that day as you’ve been connected to me.” “He leaves.” “Then make him stay! Then tell him you love him!” she said, her voice almost a shout. “Heero Yuy when will you learn? You can’t just grunt and stare your way through life. People need to know. Duo needs to know. And you two have been dancing around this for over a decade. Why can’t you just decide to be happy? You don’t have to fight anymore… this isn’t a battle for old soldiers.” “You still fight.” “Because this is my fight. My arena. Me trying to stop egotistical idiots from destroying our peace.” She pushed herself off the railing then, the warmth of her hand leaving Heero’s and she slid the door open to the suite. Heero stood for a moment, watching her go and then he heard her shout in mock annoyance. Heero followed then to see that Emilia was upside down, giggling loudly and Duo was trying to look as innocent as possible as he put her down the correct way up as carefully as he could. “Maybe it’s time for Emilia to relax,” Relena said, her voice stern but a hint of amusement in her tone. “I’ll get him out of your hair.” “Thank you, Heero,” she said softly, “thank you for everything.” And as they prepared to leave, final hugs given, Heero knew that this mission had been an 100% success and one that he could walk away with no guilt. But while there was no guilt - Heero was left with Relena’s words in his head and with the knowledge he needed to talk to Duo. |
