Author's Note: This fits with chapter forty four, forty five and forty six of Witness.
Diary of a Protected Witness Part 34
Outted
Wow--there is just nothing like hearing your name on the midday news!
Especially when it was never supposed to have been released to the media prior to your arrival as the star witness in a high profile murder case!
Fucking Hell!
Heero tried to reassure me that leaks like that happen all the time, but I had visions of everyone who'd seen us in our travels running straight to Khushrenada with the information. I mean, shit! The picture they splashed across the screen highlighted my trademark braid, as well as a clear view of my face and my distinctively-colored eyes.
Actually, it was a pretty flattering shot--one of my favorites that Noin had used for the club. I had that sexy, half-lidded look to my eyes, and with a hand spread across my groin, it looked like I was about to start freakin' playing with myself.
Very hot.
And it felt like life was about to get very hot again--soon.
"It won't change anything. You'll still get to the courthouse alive, testify against Khushrenada, put him away for life, and then start a new life of your own," Heero assured me.
I loved it when he tried to be soothing and reassuring.
But I wanted to clarify a few things. "With you?" I asked.
He nodded. "With me."
I almost jumped up and cheered, though that would've hurt like hell on my injured foot.
"So you're through spouting me rules about how you can't go into relocation with me?" I pushed.
"Duo--I'd walk into Hell with you."
My grin just about split my face, and I ended up snuggled in Heero's arms, sure that no matter what happened from here on out, I'd found my home.
I musta dozed off for awhile after that, because I woke up to the afternoon sun slanting in the windows, and the quiet sounds of someone in the kitchen. Turned out, it was Cathy, and I hobbled my way out to join her in making supper.
'Ro had gone to town, she said, and when he got back the conversation turned to how we were gonna get to the courthouse--shit like that. I got a little wound up from the three of them teasin' me about bears and moose; but that wasn't what it was really about.
I was starting to think about facing Khushrenada in that courtroom, and it was makin' me a little crazy.
He was an imposing man--with every bit as much "presence" as Zechs had. He had these piercing eyes and a way of carrying himself that made you want to either bow at his feet, or run for cover.
Pure power.
But his wasn't sexy, like Zechs' was. Khushrenada's powerful aura simply exuded a ruthless dominance that was frightening.
Not that I was scared of him. Or at least, not that I'd admit to being scared of him.
But he was the one person I'd ever seen make Zechs back down. And knowing my lover had been intimidated by the man just made me want to piss my pants at the thought of staring him in the eyes and accusing him of murder.
Maybe they could blindfold me for the court stuff, hm? Right.
At any rate, Heero settled my nerves, never realizing I was tense about a lot more than just that stupid newscast. And when we went to bed, he calmed me even more, by making love to me in that slow, soothing way he'd done back at the lake house.
Can you say "versatile?" I swear, Heero Yuy's picture is next to the word in the dictionary. He could be a wild, passionate lover--or a gentle, thorough one; he could go from demanding and teasing to reassuring and soothing all in one night.
I was the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth, and I damned well knew it.
I tried to show Heero that I knew it, too, by being as helpful around the place as I could--at least with a bum foot. And when there wasn't anything for me to do in the kitchen, I made myself scarce and brought out my unused sketchbook to start a few more drawings. It seemed to please Heero to see me curled up with it in my lap--at least, he wore a small, sort of enchanted smile whenever he peeked in and I was sketching.
Try catching that on paper. It wasn't as easy as you'd think. Getting the quirk of his too-perfect lips just right was a challenge every time--especially when I was so tempted to just go kiss that smirk right off of them!
Anyhow, I tried very hard not to watch the newscasts which were spreading my picture all over the airwaves. But it was kind of unavoidable. Heero assured me that there was no point in taking them too seriously. They'd interview experts about forensic evidence and speculate on what I'd seen and might testify to--and all it did was make me hope, pretty damned fervently, that there was physical evidence to back me up.
I think 'Ro might've asked Catherine to help distract me from shit like the midday news, because a couple of days after they released my name, she started talking about practicing her knife throwing, just to keep her hand in it.
She and I were quite the pair--her in a cast and me with stitches in my foot. But we managed to stay entertained when our two cops were off handling security. Hell, she even taught me some magic tricks, like the one where you "disappear" from inside a sealed box. I had a blast demonstrating that one for 'Ro and 'Fei when they got back from one of their perimeter checks.
They seemed a little unhappy with my use of low-grade explosives in the trick, but Catherine assured them it was safe, and so they didn't take my toys away.
'Course, I almost blew it by teasing Heero about him being the "biggest, baddest toy" I'd ever had. His stern look had me backpedaling to make it into flirting, instead of actually implying our relationship was some sort of game.
I couldn't be that way with Heero--couldn't pretend he meant less to me than he did. And he seemed to get that the joking was just a form of, well, foreplay.
"Trowa did say you kind of liked a little bondage now an' then."
Jesus--the images that conjured! First I thought of myself stretched out on a bed and blindfolded, at 'Ro's mercy; then I thought about turning the tables and having him laid out for me.
"He wasn't kidding, was he?"
Oh hell no!
I'd never played bondage games with Zechs. Somehow he was always so damned dominant it would've been a waste of time for him to tie me up. And it was for sure he wouldn't have allowed himself to be put in such a vulnerable position.
But Heero? I thought he might consider it. I mean, shit. The first time we got it on, I'd held a gun on him. So I was pretty sure he could get into the idea of some bondage; otherwise he'd never have gotten turned on while I was holding a Glock to his kneecap.
Or maybe I was just that sexy, heh, heh...
At any rate, I could tell there was potential there. And maybe we could explore the possibilities sometime soon.
It's a wonder I could concentrate on making dinner after that train of thought. But I did. And afterwards we played some cards and hung out, talking about Cathy getting her cast off the next day. I teased Wufei about jumping out of a cake for her...would that be called a beefcake?
Oh, and in the middle of us goofing off and playing cards, Trowa called to share the latest news from the "let's get Duo to the trial" front. It sounded kind of like 'Ro and 'Fei's boss didn't have much of a plan. I mean "wait for the trial to start" didn't seem like a very well thought out strategy to me. But then I was just an ex-stripper, and not a big shot police captain--so what did I know, anyway?
Well, for one thing, I knew I'd feel a lot safer in a bullet-proof limo, if they could arrange to send us one. I hoped 'Ro didn't think I was joking about it, either.
Of course, after that, my mind wasn't really on the game any more. It kept wanting to circle around to the realization that there were a finite number of days before I'd have to face Khushrenada.
Needless to say, I lost that hand of cards fairly spectacularly. But when I tossed them onto the table, it occurred to me that being lucky at cards wasn't really my goal--I'd much rather be lucky at love.
That brought my mind back to Heero, and when I stood up and stretched, I felt him ease in behind me, and heard the soft intake of breath that meant he was interested. Ah, yes, cue the flirting!
And just like that, Khushrenada was forgotten, and my thoughts centered on the guy who'd not only stolen my heart, but had also given me a whole new lease on life. He was a lot more interesting than any power-hungry crime lord could ever hope to be--and he was right there at my fingertips.
Now, to get him a bit--closer.
OWARI
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