Deliveryman Part 10

It was early- too early in the morning when I woke up. I raised my head to blink at the clock, amused to discover that Heero and I had changed positions. I was now curled up against him, my head on his chest. It was about 4 am- way too early to be awake. I put my head back down on Heero's shoulder.

"Duo?" he murmured sleepily at me.

"Go back to sleep," I whispered back. "Just seeing what time it is." He raised his head and blinked at the clock.

"Too early," he put his head back down and cuddled me closer. His lips brushed my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I told him. It was true. My head had stopped pounding though it still ached. "Headache's nearly gone."

"Good," his hand stroked over my head, freeing my braid and letting the strands slip through his fingers. He buried his hand near the base of my skull and rubbed gently. If I were a cat, I would've purred at the feeling. His fingers slid further downwards, loosening the muscles in my neck and shoulders, easing the last of the lingering pain in my head.

"That's much better," I told him after awhile, raising my head to look at him. "But it's keeping you awake."

"I don't mind," he smiled back at me. I flushed a bit and put my head back down. Heero's fingers continued their work and I soon fell asleep again.

I woke up much later to find the bed empty. I glanced over at the clock- 7 am. I pulled myself to a sitting position, relieved to find that the headache was now totally gone and that the rest of me only ached a little bit. A hot shower would help with the rest.

The door to my room opened and Heero came in, a steaming cup in his hands. "You're awake," he smiled at me and came to sit next to me on the bed. He put the cup down on my nightstand before he turned and touched my shoulder gently. "How's your head?"

"Headache's gone," I told him with a grin.

"And the rest of you?"

"Kind of sore- nothing a hot shower won't cure."

"Then I'll let you take one while I make breakfast." He leaned forward suddenly and kissed me hard and fierce. "I'm glad you're okay, Duo." He said softly when he released me. I didn't let him go far.

"Me too. Thanks for the rescue." I kissed him then, leaning backwards on the bed, pulling him down on top of me.

"I thought you were aching? Needed a hot shower?" He chuckled against my mouth.

"I need to relax," I laughed back. "There's more than one way of doing that. If you'll cooperate, that is."

Heero was more than cooperative. I couldn't move when he had finished. My body didn't ache anymore and every muscle was definitely relaxed. My eyes were already drifting shut when Heero tugged me up into his arms and put his mouth against my ear.

"You know this isn't just sex to me, right?" He murmured in my ear, so softly that I wasn't sure I heard him. My heart pounded in my chest, speeding up a bit.

"Heero?" I blinked at him, unsure if I had heard what I thought I had.

"It's not just sex to you either, is it?" His voice was slightly pleading and I could feel his body tense against mine.

"No," I told him, managing to pull myself together. "It's not." His body relaxed and his arms tugged me closer.

"Good." He closed his eyes, smiling. "Get some more sleep, Duo." It was easy to drift back off to sleep then.

I awoke to a murmur of voices. Heero's- sounding furious. Another one that I couldn't place- replying at a lower tone. I pulled myself awake, and sat up. I was alone in the bed again, and this time I knew where Heero was. I could hear his voice rising in anger. I couldn't make out the words, but the tone was clear. What the hell? I leaned over the side of the bed and scooped up my black pants, pulling them on quickly. I got to my feet and made my way over to the door of the bedroom, Heero's voice growing clearer with every step.

"...you...manipulative lying BASTARD! ALL THIS TIME!" Who the hell was he shouting at? Heero never shouted- his anger was more of the icy kind. I put my hand on the doorknob. "WE'RE NOT YOUR PUPPETS!"

"You think not? Ask Duo," now the voice was familiar, I froze, door partway open. "He's been helping us all this time." There was a derisive laugh and then a click. I opened the door to find Heero facing my vidphone. The screen was black. His back was to me, his shoulders heaving.

"Heero?" I asked cautiously. I knew this conversation was not going to go well. He spun around and I took a step back at the fury in his eyes.

"Is it true?" He demanded. "Was J. telling the truth?"

"About what?" I asked cautiously. "I just got up Heero, I only heard the end of the conversation."

"About what?!" Heero snorted. "So fucking careful as always!" His hands were curled into fists. "Only going to confirm the things I know about, Duo, and hide the rest?" I closed my eyes, blocking out the sight of my furious lover. I knew it. I knew this was going to happen and I knew he'd react this way. Why did it still hurt so much though?

"I've been working for the doctors," I told him, without opening my eyes. "The delivery business was their idea. They backed me in it."

"Did they?"

"Who suspects a deliveryman?"

"I guess we should've," Heero's tone was bitter. "And all those little side jobs of yours? On their orders?"

"No. Not all of them. Most are mine."

"So, they're the ones that have been pulling your strings. The ones giving you orders."

"Yes." I still wasn't looking at him. His earlier words came back to me. "I'm their puppet." I felt hands land on my shoulders and I flinched.

"Look at me Duo." I opened my eyes. Heero looked less furious, more tired now. "What have they been asking you to do?"

"I-" the words stuck in my throat.

"I know they've been the ones threatening you Duo. I knew that before I answered the phone this morning." I could only stare at him in shock. "When you wouldn't tell me who was threatening you, I went looking."

Oo, should've seen that one coming. Of course Heero wouldn't leave anything like that alone.

"I was coming up with nothing until I heard the tail end of your conversation with G. Heard him mention your long-term mission."

I had to sit down. Luckily the couch wasn't far. Heero followed me, standing in front of me as if he was interrogating a prisoner.

"What is that Duo? What is your long-term mission? J. told me that all of us are still theirs- does that have something to do with it?"

"No," I managed. "My mission has been to keep tabs on all of you for the doctors. Your lives, careers, interests, etc. Every little piece that I can. They had me bug everyone's house, business- cars in Quatre's case..."

"And they see the tapes?"

"They see what I send them." Heero frowned.

"Then what did he mean by that- we're all still theirs?" I reached up and tapped the side of my head.

"An implant," I told him. "Each one of us has one. A signal from them would effectively render the recipient brain-dead."

"That's why you've been doing this? This was their threat to you?"

"Yes." Heero walked away from the couch, and stood with his back to me, looking out the window. I wanted to say something to him to defend myself better than this, but there was nothing I could say. I had been betraying them all along.

"I have to go Duo. I have to- tell the others about this."

"I know that." I looked away from him.

"What are you going to do?" I grinned mirthlessly.

"Report in." He turned then to look at me.

"Are you going to tell them that you told me?"

"Only if they ask." I met his gaze. "If I were you Heero- I'd call Sally and have her and the others meet you at the hospital. Maybe you can figure out a way to remove these." I tapped my temple again. "I'll give you an hour before I call in."

"Do you think they'd destroy us for this?" I shrugged.

"I doubt it. I'm the one that messed up. And they won't kill me yet."

"Why not?" Heero was in front of me again.

"Because," I met his gaze. "I flew Deathscythe and tested their new system. I imagine they'll have some questions for me first." I saw his eyes widen in realization. "Go on Heero. The clock's ticking."

He left quickly, no other words between us. I sat on my sofa, watching the clock, waiting until the hour was up. Then I called G.

"Duo, my boy, interesting morning?" He cackled at me. I refrained from throwing something heavy at the screen. "You omitted that there was a physical relationship between you and 01 in your reports."

"Well, it's not like it was a long-term thing." I retorted.

"Too bad. J. was fascinated. He had never seen 01 lose control like that."

"Whatever." I was tired of this game. "Why you didn't tell me that you had White Dog building Deathscythe for you?"

"Figured that out, did you?" G. didn't seem upset. "I knew you would." He leaned back a bit. "I assume you told 01 everything this morning?"

"J. told him to ask me. He's probably told the others by now." I met his gaze. "You aren't going to...?"

"Oh no, he's still useful." G. shook his head at me. "But we need you to come in, Duo."

"Outlived my usefulness, huh?"

"Not yet." G. smirked. "And you'll come in- unless you want something bad to happen to him." Ah- one of the reasons Heero was still useful.

"I'm on my way."

TBC...

 

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