Author: Merula

Pairings: 1x2

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Yaoi, little angst, OOC, AU

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Before He Cheats

The cheap plastic chair wobbled and the table wasn't much better. Not that it mattered to her. The darkest corner of the most unpopular employee break room in the building wasn't the best place for her to have a mental breakdown, but at this point she didn't care.

Inhaling deeply, she put her hands over her face and told herself that she wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to let the bastard do this to her. She wasn't.

Mad, she reminded herself. Be mad, not upset.

But it was hard...

She felt the presence beside her before she heard the faint scrape of a chair moving across the linoleum.

"If it's not an emergency, I don't want to hear it. Go talk to Po."

"Maybe you need to talk to her?"

The voice surprised her. She looked up to find Heero Yuy sitting beside her, a faint line between his eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?"

"Duo insists that the coffeemaker in this room is the best one in the building." Heero rolled his eyes. "I don't see a difference, but it saves an argument if I just go along with his whims."

"That's nice of you." Noin rubbed her forehead and wished he'd leave.

"What upset you?"

"I'm not upset, I'm mad."

"So what made you mad?"

Noin frowned at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Would it possibly be the same thing the Commander was upset- or rather mad about this morning?"

"Did she see that article too?"

Heero nodded. "She said it wasn't good publicity for the Preventers- or for the Vice Minister. He's going to get an official reprimand at the very least."

Noin hunched over. "He deserves more than that. He should-" She closed her lips tightly and shook her head.

"He should what?"

"Let's just say what he deserves is not worth losing my job over. He's not worth losing my job over."

"No, he's not. But there are other ways of getting revenge."

Noin blinked at the young man beside her. "You say that like you have an idea."

"I have a few. Nothing physically damaging- nothing that won't seem like anything but a run of bad luck. I take it you already talked to him?"

She huffed. "Yes."

"Did he try and excuse himself?"

"Of course. Our jobs put us so far apart so often, he was lonely..."

"Apologized?"

"Not even."

"Ah, well then. Leave it in my hands."

"What are you going to do?"

"It would be better if you don't know anything until after. Then I'll send you a full report." Heero got up from his seat and smiled at her. "In fact we never had this conversation."

Noin smiled back. "What conversation?"

~*~

Sally burst into Noin's office several days later. "Did you see the papers this morning?"

"Of course." Noin smiled smugly.

"Did you do this? Brilliant if you did, but how...?"

Noin's lips curved in a faint smile. "Me? Hardly. The poor boy has just had a string of bad luck lately..."

Sally couldn't help but echo the smile. "Very bad luck. Though honestly- I did expect you to do something..."

Noin smiled wider. "Sure, it would've been satisfying to key that damn car of his- but that would just get me into trouble. Much better that his troubles come from outside. Maybe next time he decides to do something that stupid he'll think first."

"Anything is possible." Sally said archly.

Duo appeared in the doorway, file folder in hand. "All finished, Ms. Noin," he said with a grin. "Heero said to tell you it was his pleasure." He dropped the folder on her desk. "Mine too." He added with a wink and vanished a moment later.

Sally gave Noin an admiring look. "So that's how you did it. But how did you get those two to help?"

"Yuy offered. I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth."

~*~

Duo sat down at his desk and studied his partner for a moment. "I gave Ms. Noin the file."

"Thank you."

"You know- I'm sort of surprised. I mean- that was almost something like I would do."

Heero's lips twitched. "You don't think that after all this time you might have had some effect on me?"

"Well, I hoped I had. But-"

"But?"

"Well, I still think it would've been a little more satisfying to beat the crap out of him."

"I'm sure we could figure out a way if you want to do that too."

"You really are too good to me, Heero."

OWARI

 

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