That Which Mends Part 1
Never before had Heero ever struggled waking up.
But the morning following the aptly named 'rager' at which he'd enjoyed himself a little more than he probably should have, the climb into consciousness was a difficult one. At the first sign of light that peeked into his eyes when they cracked open, he immediately regretted even trying to face the day.
Groaning at the piercing pain that pulsated in his head, the Japanese student squeezed his eyelids closed tight again. He reached up to dry wash his face with his hands, and took a deep breath. Trying to get his senses back enough to force himself to adjust to the brilliance, he hesitantly lowered his hands. Cautiously wincing, he pressed on in his efforts to find out where he was.
Much to his relief, he was finally able to make out the familiar details of his surroundings.
Despite how groggy and dizzy he still felt, Yuy felt his back sink deeper into his mattress with a deep sigh. He'd made it back to his private dorm room. How he'd managed such a feat in his condition didn't matter in the grand scheme of-
That was when his ears picked up a muffled snoring beside him.
His cobalt eyes widening on the ceiling, Heero's lungs hitched at the sharp gasp that filled them. Very slowly, he turned his head to his right to find a long, lean young man lying next to him on his side facing the scholar wearing a sheet of long chestnut hair as he continued to sleep soundly.
Bolting upright, the psychology major let out an inarticulate sound that was a cross between a startled cry and a mournful howl. Only then did he look down at himself to notice his own state of undress in the form of only a bit of his comforter draping him. From his closed door, there was a trail of clothes strewn about his room leading to the bed that was a tussled mess of tangled sheets and the thick blanket that had been all but knocked away.
Though he had never engaged in sex before, the unmistakable scent of sweat mixed with alcohol and a bittersweet tinge that lingered on the air could only be what most described as the smell that followed intercourse.
Judging by the aftermath clues before him, along with the newly discovered bite and scratch marks on the both of them, there was no doubt their encounter had been... a zealous one to say the least.
Stomach lurching at the overwhelming wave of nausea that hit him, Yuy slapped both hands over his mouth to fight the sensation.
A quiet sigh brought the Japanese young man's attention back to the stranger that had begun to stir.
That was when a pair of familiar, haunting violet eyes blinked open, instantly bringing back a series hazy memories to Heero that were his last before he greeted oblivion. Those eyes growing wide in a flash of panic that he quickly squashed down when he peered up at his bedmate, he settled back down and gave one of those sultry smiles that even in Heero's sobriety still made his skin tingle.
Well... that was a very surprising reaction, the student thought to himself. Never before did he have any particular interest in others- male or female. There was no time. No opportunity to see if there was that 'spark.' Hell, he didn't even have time for friends for that matter.
So now realizing that there were any tangible... attraction? Feelings? Lust? Whatever it was, it was definitely there for the chestnut-haired stranger.
"Mornin'," his companion smirked, his voice partially broken from its first use after a deep slumber. Stretching himself out, he yawned widely and turned to lie on his back. "Man, when you say you're up for some fun, you mean it," he snickered.
The world began to spin on Heero again at that. Each passing second, more flashes of their vigorous coupling hours before flooded back. And whatever it was on his face, his company's eyes grew in understanding. "First one night stand, huh?" he asked with an almost nervous frown.
Yuy shook his head and snorted bitterly, "First everything." Rubbing his face, he mumbled behind his hands, "First time drinking. First time socializing instead of studying-" He paused, dropping his arms at his sides and looked back to his... lover- if that was the proper term. "Duo, right?" he questioned.
His smile returning, the strikingly handsome stranger nodded firmly, "Got it in one. Not bad, considering how you were by the time we finally got around to formal introductions." Wincing, he lowered his gaze down at their naked bodies and was quick to add, "Not that you were exactly beyond reason or against what came after."
No, Yuy was aware of just how willing and aware he had been of what transpired between them prior to their collapsing and losing consciousness. His throat going dry, he forced down a rough swallow and stared down at his folded legs. Never before would be have believed that he could ever be so willing... or at ease at being taken by another young man.
If he really dwelt on it, he'd have to admit he actually enjoyed it.
"Heero, right?" the beautiful creature beside him inquired quietly.
Locking back onto the violet eyes watching him, the college student felt the corners of his lips curling up. With a nod, he replied, "Yea." Against his defenses, his gaze fell to take in the full form of his bedmate companion in all his perfect, completely nude glory.
Duo's smirk spread further across his face at the glance, only for it to fade away with a hiss of pain as he closed his eyes and rubbed them with the heels of his palms. "Shit," he grumbled. "I might have overdone it on the drinks-" He stopped himself short with a gasp.
Throwing his hands aside, his enlarged eyes scanned the room as he shot himself upright in a frantic search of something. "Oh my God," he breathed when he spotted the two red plastic cups sitting on the edge of his host's dresser.
Without any regard for his lack of attire, he sprang from the bed and practically leapt across the room. Taking hold of the cups, he peered inside and released a long sigh of relief. "Holy shit," he snickered. "I thought Fei was going to kill me for botching this up." Holding onto the container that was still filled with beer, he discarded the empty one into the small garbage can by the door in an easy toss.
Caught off guard, Heero frowned, "Botched what up?"
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," Duo grinned, though there was an anxiety in his voice and the curve of his mouth when he looked back at the student. Holding up the plastic cup, he winked, "I was afraid that I lost my drink for a second there." He turned the cup in his hand, his violet eyes growing in panic. "Hold on," he told himself in little more than a whisper. "Where's the scratch I left in this thing?"
Yuy tilted his head. He hazily remembered the stranger disappearing for their last round of drinks near the end of the party. The cup he returned with never left his hand and no more than a sip or two were taken even in their half-stumble back to the dorm.
Then it hit... a flash of a buried memory...
Half-falling into the room together, the recently acquainted pair kept their lips locked and their tongues sparring as they all but fell to the ground. Just managing to stay upright, they laughed and pulled each other upright. "Hang ona sec," Duo slurred out, taking a moment to set their drinks aside on the low dresser and closing the door.
Panting heavily, Heero ran a hand through his unruly hair. Dizzy as he was, the model scholar knew what his companion wanted when his violet eyes fell back on him drank and raked over him longingly. And he knew that he wanted the same thing.
A touch of nerves began to kick in as Yuy leaned back against the dresser. Only interested in seeing what more the beautiful stranger had to offer, the psychologist-in-the-making quieted his reserve by grabbing the closest plastic cup and downing its contents in one toss back.
Setting the emptied container back down, he wiped his bottom lip with the back of his hand and smirked suggestively to his wanton guest. Returning the mischievous grin, Duo was upon him.
Frozen and wide-eyed at that recollection, the long-haired young man slowly craned his head to the garbage can. "Fuck me," be breathed. Rushing to set the alcohol aside, he dropped to his knees and crawled the short distance to the receptacle to fish out the cup he'd thrown away. As he raised it, he revealed a distinctive scratch that had worn through the red plastic to reveal the white below.
Sagging forward, he propped his fists against the carpeted floor to suspend his upper body. "Son of a bitch," he murmured. He dropped the cup without noticing, only worried about holding his face in both hands. "Fei and Lady Une are gonna have me strung up for this one," he half-sighed-half-moaned.
Heero abruptly felt very concerned in that moment... even though he had no idea why his one and only transgression was behaving in such a way. His mouth was just in the process of opening to press for answers when Duo stiffened once more. Peering back over his shoulder, his enlarged violet eyes fixated on the student as his jaw dropped in horrified, sickened expression on his paling face.
With a gulp, the stranger slowly climbed to his feet and stretched his arms out to his host as one would approach a wild animal that could strike at any second. "Heero, I don't know how to tell you this, man," he began in a measured cantor that was meant to soothe, "but you're going to have to trust me. I'm a Preventer... an agent from the FBI. You've consumed evidence that I was sent here to get a hold of and I need you to come with me back to headquarters... now."
A profound silence fell in the room as Yuy's growing eyes stared in disbelief at his companion until they closed as his head fell back in a fitful laugh. "Right," he chuckled deeply when he was able to contain himself. Shaking his head at the so called 'agent,' he smirked, "You work for the FBI. If that's some sort of pick-up line, you already got me into bed, in case you forgot."
Combing through his tossed about clothes, Duo snorted, "First off, it's a branch of the FBI. The actual FBI agents in my division are assholes, so I'd prefer to not have any association with them."
He fished through the back pockets of his jeans until he found his wallet. Sighing, he held it open to reveal a gold badge and his federal ID. "Secondly," he frowned, "it's not something I use to get anyone in the sack. And unfortunately, this isn't a joke. You really do need to come in with me."
The air rushing out of his lungs, Heero started in frightened shock at the official identifications. "H-holy shit," he heard himself breathe.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dressing and climbing into Duo's car were a blur for Yuy. All that he knew was that there was something very wrong... inside of him. "Am I going to be okay?" he asked quietly when the black vehicle he was being taken in merged onto the major highway not far from campus.
Broken from his own thoughts, the agent blinked and turned to meet his passenger's gaze. "Yea," he smiled reassuringly. "You're gonna be fine. I work with the best team of people out there. We'll take care of 'ya."
Still not willing to come out and ask outright what was happening, Heero swallowed roughly and nodded in acceptance of that much. At that, he peered back through the windshield as his driver clipped them along, fifteen miles per hour over the speed limit.
Reaching for the phone connection in his dashboard, Duo sat back in his chair with his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel at the first ring that filled the car. Following a series of five chimes, a feminine voice greeted, "Hello, you've reached the voicemail of An-"
"Damn it," the agent hissed under his breath as he switched the connection off. Punching in a couple other numbers, he tapped his fingers in a tense rhythm as his next attempt buzzed through.
In the middle of the second ring, the call was picked up and a definite male timbre greeted, "Maxwell. I was just about to call you. Tell me you got it."
Yuy glancing from the corner of his eye at his company and made a mental note of his last name.
"Hey, Chang," the braided young man grinned. "Yea, I got it. I'm on my way into the office now. ETA is about fifteen minutes at this rate."
After a pause, the recipient of the call urged, "What's wrong?"
Slack-jawed, Maxwell scoffed, "Why does something have to be 'wrong' every time I get sent on a mission? No faith in me, I tell ya!"
His fellow agent snorted through the air, "You forget I know you better than most and I can tell you're nervous. What are you not telling me?"
Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Duo considered his response for a breath and said in a rush, "I'lltellyawhenIgetthere." Before there was time for a response, he smiled, "Hey, 'Fei... uh... is Anna there? I just tried to call her and she wasn't answering."
There was a definite rise of irritation in the other voice when it huffed, "It's Wufei or Chang to you when we're on duty, Maxwell. And of course she's here. She's been on pins and needles waiting to hear from you and refused to head home until you at least checked in even though she's been here all night. She just stepped out for another round of coffee so she could stay awake waiting for you to decide to check in."
Heero caught the glimmer of warmth that washed over his driver's face in hearing that.
"Love that girl," the agent murmured low enough that his associate would barely be able to make it out. Shaking his braided head, he replied, "Good. Tell her we'll need her to... defuse the situation in your office as soon as she can meet us there. She'll know what she has to do."
Shooting his head to the side to take in the stranger who was becoming less and less as much to him, Heero's anxiety shot up tenfold. 'Defuse,' he thought to himself, 'he used that choice of wording for a reason.
And apparently Wufei was every bit as on edge. "Duo, you better get your ass here fast and explain what the hell's going on...." In a slightly softer tone, he concluded quickly, "I'll pass the message to Anna." That said, there was a clear disconnection click over the end of the com.
Duo released a long breath of air from his chest and glanced back at his passenger. "There," he grinned, "I'll have you in great hands in no time."
Grateful for the reassurance as he was, Heero could only nod shallowly and turned his gaze forward again. Normally one who wanted answers, he remained unable to find his voice when he noticed an eight-story building rising above the horizon otherwise surrounded by trees on the right side of the road ahead.
Focused on that beacon in assuming that it was the facility he was being taken to, the scholar silently wished that the car would carry him there faster.
* * * * * *
It was Saturday, so at no surprise, there were only a handful of cars in the long lot stretched before the official building when Maxwell pulled in right on his estimated cue. Removing a badge from his wallet, he gestured for Yuy to follow him inside.
"Wufei warned me you were coming," the lovely receptionist at the front lobby desk told the braided agent. Her green eyes falling on the guest following behind him, she added, "And she said to not ask any questions." Offering a kind smile, she advised, "Just go right on through."
Already walking quickly past her, Duo replied, "Thanks, Catherine. We'll catch up later." The glass double doors blocking off the rest of the building were opened with a swipe of his card at the side panel in the flanking wall and Heero made sure to hurry past before they swung closed.
Down the hall, the pair took to the elevator in silence. Inside the lift, the handsome agent pressed the button for the seventh floor and waited to be sealed off with his charge before he made eye contact with him again.
A profound frown on his face, Maxwell opened and closed his mouth in a few attempts to speak until he finally spoke softly, "Heero, I-... I can't say I'm sorry enough for getting you in this mess. You're going to get hit with a shitload of scary stuff in a few minutes, but I promise I'll make sure you're taken care of by the time we're done here."
There was no chance for Yuy to do much beyond processing that heartfelt sentiment when the elevator opened to their destination. Numb over the whirlwind that had become his life in a matter of hours, he stepped out onto a spacious floor that had been completely gutted spare for a few closed off rooms and a string of five cubicles that were clustered together without dividing walls between them.
Shockingly, that was the only 'professional' section of the space that was otherwise filled by what could only be described by Heero as a playground. There was an indoor basketball 'court' that took up half the furthest wall, a series of connected tubs and obstacles spread throughout the area for a skating 'park', a dartboard and a badminton net... just to name the first things that the student noticed.
The space could not have been more the opposite of what Heero had expected to find in an office meant for any branch of federal agents. Jaw falling slack and eyes growing in surprise, he was about to comment when movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention the figure to making its way towards him.
Dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt, a handsome young man with distinctive Chinese features bee lined for the arrivals with a long glance at his unexpected visitor. Dark eyes narrowing on his teammate, he sighed, "Oh, I have a strong feeling I'm going to be kicking your ass into next month for whatever this is, Maxwell."
Holding a hand out to his lover, Duo glared back at his co-worker and introduced, "Chang, this is Heero." Shifting his arm towards the other agent, he informed, "Heero, this is Wufei Chang, team leader of the Preventers."
Knocked out of his frustration at that, the Chinese agent grinned sheepishly to their guest. "Sorry," he smirked, though his tone was genuine in his apology. "I forgot my manners there."
Bowing his head, he said, "Nice to meet you." Not sure how to reply short of a nod, that was all Yuy opted to do in acknowledgment.
Once that was out of the way, he shot daggers back at the other Preventer, demanding, "My office. Now." That edge in his appearance and vibrato faded as soon as he looked back to the student, "Heero, please make yourself at home while I meet with him. We have couches in the rec area."
Resigning himself for whatever was about to come his way, Duo swallowed roughly and ducked his head as he fell into step with his supervisor as they headed to one of the few closed off rooms. The slam of the door resonated through the floor while Heero eyed the spread of cozy, colorful couches in the middle of the open space.
A fresh wave of nausea hit the psychologist-in-the-works and he fought to swallow down the warning bile that hit the back of his mouth. How the hell he, of all people, had wound up in this strange scenario was beyond him. He always went through by the book, never stepping beyond what was expected of him. Then he decided to deviate one night from his squeaky clean lifestyle and this... whatever it might be... was what he had to thank for it.
"HE SWALLOWED THE CHIP?!" Chang's voice shouted from his sealed office.
'Chip,' Yuy's mind repeated as he looked to the office. So somehow he had a chip of some sort inside of him. What that chip was meant for remained a mystery, but he wasn't sure how much more he wanted to know beyond that.
Pushing his door open, Wufei gritted through his teeth, "You couldn't keep it in your pants for one goddamned night." His face reddening, he glared at the sulking braided young man walking out of the room. "Anna's on her way back since I passed on your message. When she gets here, you can be the one to explain what's going on to her." The ruling caused a rippling of panic and sadness to settle over Duo... much more so than how he worried about his team leader's handling of him.
Whoever this Anna was, Heero saw all the signs that she was clearly someone Maxwell thought highly of. Between the fact that she was the first one he had tried to reach out to and now this despondency over having to possibly disappoint her, the two had to be close.
Any psychologist worth their salt would have been able to pick up on that.
Righting his shoulders, Chang was good enough to lose his ire as soon as he centered on the rec area. "Come on in, Heero," he urged with a small smile. "I'll try to fill you in on what's going on while we wait for our specialist to straighten this out."
Carefully climbing to his feet when the world went on a slight tilt, the scholar could feel the color draining from his face. Since he'd never had a chance to eat or even drink since waking, he assumed he was still feeling the effects of his power drinking escapade. All that he could do now was surge through it and try to keep from making this situation any worse than it already was.
In passing Maxwell, he actually felt bad for the sunken agent who couldn't so much as meet his gaze. There was such a deep sorrow on his face and in his posture that even the normally stoic student couldn't help but be affected by it.
There was little time to dwell on the matter before Heero entered Wufei's office. Inside the walled off area, it was a night and day difference to rest of the floor. Primarily furnished in black and silver were a tidy work area, filled bookshelves and neatly tucked away filing cabinets boasted more of the professionalism one would normally find in a refutable agency... regardless of his still not knowing what the Preventers actually were.
Gesturing to the two black chairs before his desk, Chang offered politely, "Please sit down." When he took to his own seat, he blinked in concern at having a good look over his visitor, "Are you feeling alright?"
"I've been better," Heero managed in a deadpan, gripping the armrests to steady his vision. Composing himself at last, he frowned, "Now what is this supposed chip that I have inside of me?"
The Chinese agent chewed on the inside of his cheek, silently berating himself for allowing that much to get out prior to his being able to break the news gently.
Sighing, he folded his hands on the edge of his desk and shared, "That would be a new, nearly undetectable form of communication between terrorists that my team and I have come to bring to light. It had been leaked to us that there was to be an exchange at the party that you had attended and Duo was sent in to intercept it... unfortunately..." shrugging, he held a hand out to the scholar to hint to the rest.
That... was a little more information than Yuy was prepared for. Wide-eyed, he stammered, "O-oh..."
"YOU COULDN'T KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS FOR ONE NIGHT?!" a voice shrieked from the rec room, penetrating the closed office door easily. Instantly recognizing the tone as that of the agent Maxwell had first tried to call from her voicemail, Heero knew it to belong to Anna... and she must have just been briefed on the problem at hand.
On his feet in a flash, Chang held a finger up to his visitor and reassured, "We're going to have this whole thing taken care of in no time at all." Partially closing his office door behind him, the handsome young man quietly engaged in a conversation with the clearly upset woman who had returned from her coffee break.
Seconds later, he returned with a captivating young woman who's shock of curly red hair fell to her lower back. Dressed in jean shorts, tan sneakers and a purple T-shirt, she gave their guest a pleasant smile as Wufei introduced, "Heero, this is Anna Downs." There was an undeniable tenderness in his timbre at the name of his teammate. Bowing his head to her, he added, "She's one of best specialists in her field."
A blink-and-miss-it glance from the new arrival's blue eye fell on her team leader. Automatically focusing back on her charge, she beamed naturally, "Nice to meet you, Heero."
Noting the hand-held machine that looked very similar of a small cell phone in the redhead's possession, Yuy gulped nervously. "Nice to meet you, too," he pulled off steadily. "Mind if I ask what that is?" he inquired as the device was waved in front of his chest.
At the series of three beeps that rang from her tool, the lovely agent straightened herself as she held it up and grinned, "This, my friend, just took care of that little package you're carrying."
Stricken by the thought that she had handled the problem so easily, Heero stared up in surprise at her. It was the first deep breath he had been able to take since waking that morning.
Chuckling, Chang folded his arms across his chest. "Told you she's the best," he praised quietly with a smirk for the 'specialist.' He was rewarded with a smile meant only for him.
Relieved as he was, there was still something gnawing at Yuy. Clearing his throat, he met the redhead's gaze. "So... what... field is it that you specialize in?" he asked reluctantly.
Speaking as calmly as though she were describing the weather, Downs replied, "Volatile weapons... primarily explosives like that chip inside of you."
And that was officially the straw that broke Heero's reserve. Overcome by his unbearable emotions and the buzz that he had yet to shake, he all but collapsed to his knees and began to lose the contents of his stomach.
TBC...
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