Author: Merula
Pairing: 1+2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, get-together
Disclaimer: I don't own GW.
Waiting
I watched Duo walk down the street, pausing on the corner for a minute to brush his braid back over his shoulder before continuing his walk. I was supposed to be watching the people around him, supposed to be looking for a sign of unhealthy interest- but it was difficult to focus on anything but my partner.
The falling snow catching in his hair, the glinting of the multicolored lights off his sweater... he looked like a Christmas ad- one of those 'Travel Home for the Holidays' kind of thing.
If I had Duo at home, I'd never leave.
Duo caught the eye of a young man standing by a bookshop and smiled- the man smiled back, dazzled. I fought down a surge of jealousy. Duo's smile was irresistible- and who knew it better than I did? It was silly to be jealous, silly to want to keep that smile all to myself.
At least Duo was sticking to the job- unlike me. Shaking myself, I moved after him, just another commuter on my way home, nothing to see here. I couldn't let myself be distracted- not with my partner's life on the line.
Which was overdramatic. Duo didn't look armed, wasn't supposed to be armed- and yet I was sure he had hidden a few weapons somewhere on him. Where I didn't dare speculate- his jeans were just a hint too tight, and I wasn't getting paid to eye them.
Though quite a few people were. I watched heads turn as Duo strolled down the next block, and told myself that no; I couldn't make people not look. There was a reason Duo had been picked for this mission after all. He was the bait in the trap...
Course, it didn't look like there would be anything to trap tonight. Eyes followed Duo- but no one turned to walk after him, no one traced his footsteps.
Except me of course- but it was my job. Keeping an eye on my partner as he trolled for a killer of young men. It hadn't been easy- earlier tonight I had to sit in a club and watch as he worked the room. My jaw had ached from clenching my teeth, trying to stay in control.
Something nagged at me.... What was I missing? There was something, right at the back of my mind that nagged- a detail I missed... what was it?
This wasn't good. I shouldn't miss things. Maybe I should ask Une to assign someone else for this job. Tell her I wanted some time off. Get away from my distracting partner for a while.
Though if I did that- who would end up watching his back? What if that someone missed something important and Duo got hurt?
Then again, it wasn't like I was doing that good of a job- Duo had already made it to the next corner and was out of my sight. Not good.
Hurrying, I made my way down the street and to the corner. Duo had paused in front of a shop window- he'd noticed that I'd fallen behind and I felt my face heat up at the quick smile he directed at me.
Did he know how I felt? Did he know how I looked at him and wanted him? That I was jealous of anyone he smiled at? That I hated the people he went out with?
Depression wrapped around my heart. Duo would never want me like that. I had seen him with his dates, seen the way he smiled at them, leaned against them... and I hated that they never seemed to appreciate what they held.
Mentally shaking myself I forced my mind away from my distracting partner and focused on his surroundings. Duo was at risk and it was up to me to keep him safe, not to follow him like some lust-dazed idiot.
~*~
I looked over my shoulder and caught Heero's eye for a moment. He didn't return my smile, but I caught the faint hint of color on his face, knew he was upset at falling behind.
Heero took everything so seriously. Well, everything except me.
Turning away from the window, I caught the faint reflection of Heero in the glass and had to push down the impulse to just turn around and jump him. What would he do if I reached out for him like that? What if I grabbed his arm and told him I wanted to go home with him right now?
Push me off, more than likely. Tell me I was being an idiot. That hurt to think, but it was true. I wasn't the best of partners for the best of the Preventers, and I knew it.
Hell if I was going to let him have another one though. Heero was mine. Maybe not in all the ways I wanted him to be, but I wasn't going to give up the small hold I had on him. He drove me crazy, made me completely insane, and yet I was sure he didn't know it. I had done everything I could think of short of jumping him to get him to notice me- even tried to make him jealous. Ridiculous- you have to want the thing that someone else has in order to be jealous- but I still tried.
Still, I'd brought dates by the office to 'show them where I worked'- and one or two even caught on to the fact I was damned more affectionate there than any place else. Of course I was- they were all fun to hang out with- but there were some things I was only going to do with Heero.
Which meant I'd be frustrated and celibate until I died. Or until Heero came round, which was much less likely.
I checked my watch. It was getting late- and no fish had nibbled on the hook. As much as I loved wandering the streets with Heero in tow- it was time to go home. But... it was always possible that our fish stalked his prey.
An idea popped into my head.
A wonderful, terrible idea... I couldn't resist it.
I turned down the next alleyway, and as Heero walked by me, I stuck out a beckoning hand.
He let me grab his collar, let me pull him close. "What are you doing?" he hissed at me.
"It's late. I want to go home- but if he's stalking... might as well look as if I'm selling." His body was warm against mine- I slipped my hands into the back pocket of his jeans, taking shameless, terrible advantage- pulling him even closer.
But then again, when would be the next time I'd be able to touch Heero like this?
Much to my surprise, Heero slid his arms around me. He was playing along! Even as I wondered what else I'd be able to get away with under the excuse of a cover, I flashed him a wink under my bangs. "What say? Want to take me home?"
A split second later my back hit the brick wall behind me, and Heero's mouth was on mine. Fierce, demanding... I knew he'd kiss like this... I held onto him tightly, pulling my hands out of his jeans and wrapping my arms around him.
He clung back, just as tightly, just as desperately and I wondered if somehow I had missed something all this time. How could I have? But then this was Heero- an expert at keeping things to himself...
He pulled back a little and I followed, tracing the line of his jaw, wondering if I was about to get hit. Even though he was the one who'd started the kiss...
"Sorry-" he started and that was all I needed.
"No," I told him and hauled him back, losing myself in the feeling of his mouth against mine.
~*~
What the hell was I doing?
Duo had ducked into an alley ahead of me, and I'd sped up, sure that he'd seen something- but then he'd hauled me in beside him- and...
Well, I knew intellectually what he was doing. Putting on a show. And he was right to do it- we did suspect that the target had stalked his prey before hunting them down.
But... it was Duo. Duo with his hands in my pockets, his breath misting over my lips, making my blood heat up even in the frosty air. It was too much, coming on the end of an evening spent following him, fantasizing about him, wanting him...
So I kissed him. I couldn't help it. I just pushed him back against the wall and covered his mouth with mine. Maybe he'd accept it as part of the cover?
He kissed me back, his lips opening under mine, his hands sliding out of my pockets and clutching at me.
Either Duo was really into making a good show, or... no, he couldn't...
Pulling back, I tried to apologize, but Duo wouldn't let me. He didn't let go, capturing me again with his mouth and I didn't want to be free.
It was only the faintest of sounds behind me that warned me, the small sound of a shoe scraping against ice- followed by a tiny click. Enough to make me whirl, pulling Duo with me.
The bullet hit the wall instead of my shoulder and the man snarled. The guy from earlier- the one in front of the bookstore- and now that I thought about it- hadn't he been at the club too? Damn I was slipping...
"Mine," he said to me. "Leave him and find yourself another. This one is mine."
Pushing down the flare of anger that rose up at his words, I forced myself to concentrate. Our fish? Maybe. One of the earlier victims had been with a customer- a customer who had taken off when the perp had flashed his gun.
"Leave," he said again, and I heard Duo growl.
I didn't bother to answer; I just reached behind me, ready to pull out my gun. I had a feeling this one wasn't going to give up easily.
Before I could move, Duo launched himself out from behind me and tackled the perp. A moment more and the guy was on the ground, whimpering, gun hand under Duo's boot. I dove for it before the guy pulled free and glared at Duo.
"What the hell did you do that for?"
"I wasn't going to let him shoot you!"
"I'm wearing body armor! You aren't!"
The guy groaned and I yanked out my cell phone, ending the conversation.
Minutes later we were surrounded by our team. I found after those first few moments that I couldn't look at Duo, not even a glance- I dreaded what I might find on his face when he looked at me. I knew I'd given myself away- I knew what would show on my face if I looked at him.
So I didn't. I focused instead on the reports, left the perp to Duo and Wufei, left for home as soon as I finished filing. Tomorrow I could face this. Tomorrow I could look at Duo the way I used to, pull up my masks, hide behind the job. Tomorrow I could deal with his amusement or scorn or pity.... just not tonight.
~*~
I was still cursing in my head when the last bit of my work was done. Not that I was upset that we'd caught the guy- and Wufei had already managed to 'convince' him to confess to some of his crimes. So the good guys had won this round.
But I didn't feel like a winner. Once I had the guy pinned, Heero called in the backup, helped me search the guy, did everything a good partner would do- but he didn't look at me- not once. He'd even volunteered to do the paperwork, vanishing as soon as we'd gotten in, leaving Wufei and me to deal with the perp.
Damn it. I had him- had him in my hands, in my arms... I couldn't let him slip away. And I had a bad feeling that if I didn't do something now- he would escape me. That he'd lock up that heat I'd had in my arms in the alleyway and I'd never see it again. Silly of me, maybe, but I knew Heero... and I didn't want to risk it.
Besides, ever since those moments in the alley, I ached for him... it hadn't been enough, not nearly enough. I wanted- needed more.
Heero's lights were on when I pulled into his apartment complex.
There wasn't an answer when I knocked the first time, but I wasn't going to give up. I did it again, studying his lock. I knew it wouldn't be an easy one- but I could pick it if I had to- and I would if he didn't answer the damn door. I knocked again, and finally he answered, his eyebrows raised questioningly.
But his voice was flat- and he wasn't looking at me. "Duo? It's late. Why are you here? Did I forget something at the office?"
"Hell yes," I told him and launched myself at him. "Me."
Luckily, he caught me and managed to get the door closed, because all I was focused on was getting him where I wanted him. Right up against the wall, body tight against mine, positions reversed, but close enough to the one we'd been in a few hours ago.
I wanted to say something, wanted to confirm that he was okay with this, that he wanted this too. But I never got a chance to say anything- at least not then- because his mouth found mine again and it was all the confirmation that I needed.
OWARI
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