Author's Note: I'm going to say this at the beginning of the next few chapters, and then not repeat it again, okay? Just for the record, I DON'T do death fics. Please keep that in mind.
Witness Protection Part 46
Diversions
Although Captain Po had told us to call her when we heard that the trial was starting, Chang and I thought it best to wait until Trowa checked in with Winner and contacted us. I didn't have a disposable cell phone left, and didn't want to use my own to make a call to the precinct. And I sure as hell didn't want to use a land line.
So we waited, and worried, and tried not to watch any more of the news than was necessary, in order to stay informed.
And, despite the tension that hung over us, we managed to settle into a sort of routine over the next couple of days.
First thing in the morning, after Wufei and Catherine had taken the night watch (yes, she still made it her practice to stay up with him), we'd all gather for breakfast and an exchange of any pertinent information or plans.
Then the two sleepy night watchmen would head for their respective beds, and Duo and I would tidy up the kitchen and find something to occupy our morning. Sometimes he'd sketch while I reviewed the security logs, and other times we'd take a walk together so I could check out the perimeter.
He invariably dressed in bulky layers, hiding his braid under whatever jacket or hat he'd donned, and I was reasonably satisfied that he looked as nondescript as possible, though I harbored no illusions that anyone who'd seen Duo along the way to the circus property would forget his unique appearance once it showed up in the newscasts.
But even if a sighting from along the way was reported, there was nothing to lead them to us now. Duo had never gone to town with either Chang or me, and so his trail should turn cold in that seedy hotel where we'd spent a night. At least, I hoped it did.
At any rate, in the afternoons, Chang and I went over our escape plans and perimeter checks, and fine-tuned our grocery list so that we'd have only the essentials--but all of the essentials.
Catherine and Duo found their own diversions then. I know the first day they cleaned out part of the barn and set up some equipment for knife practice; then they put together a tasty casserole for dinner.
The second day they spent making the barn stink to high heavens as they played with some sort of magic trick stuff.
Chang and I caught on to their pastime when we noticed traces of smoke drifting out the open doors as we returned from a perimeter sweep.
"What the fuck?" I muttered, speeding up our pace as I worried that they'd somehow started a fire.
Chang was ahead of me, bursting in the doors and looking wildly around for our wayward charges. "Catherine? Maxwell?"
"Right here," came her lilting voice, as she hobbled over to the door.
"What is that stench?" my partner demanded, still glancing around uneasily.
"Sulfur!" Duo said cheerily, coming around from behind a wooden box. "And a little gunpowder. Cool stuff, Wuffers."
"What on Earth are you two doing?"
"Cathy's teachin' me magic tricks," Duo announced, grinning from ear to ear. "Wanna see me disappear?"
Wufei glanced at me with a perfectly wicked smirk. "Ah, if only he'd asked that at the start of this trip, eh?"
I couldn't help smiling back. "Yes, but at this point, we really need to keep him in sight."
Duo glared at both of us. "C'mon. Lemme demonstrate my newfound talent, hm?"
I eyed him speculatively and licked my lips.
He rolled his eyes. "I have talents outside the bedroom, Yuy."
"I know. You're pretty good in the kitchen, too," I assured him.
Before he could launch a rebuttal, Chang cut in smoothly. "So, show us this trick you've learned, Maxwell. Now that Yuy mentioned the kitchen, I realize it's past my supper time."
Duo hesitated only an instant, and then jogged over to the box. It stood about seven feet tall, had small wheels at each corner, and was barely large enough for a man to fit inside. There was a curtain across the front, which my lover pulled aside with a flourish, showing us an empty interior.
"As you can see, the box is empty." He closed the curtain and rotated the box so that the back side was facing us. Then he knocked solidly on the wood. "It's also sturdy," he pointed out, before turning it back around. Then he drew back the curtain again, and stepped inside. "Prepare to be amazed."
He closed the curtain, and for a moment it rustled as he adjusted himself inside the tight space.
"And--abracadabra!" he called, accompanied by a puff of smoke and a flash of light that actually threw back the curtain--to reveal an empty box.
"Very cute," Wufei drawled, unimpressed. "I suppose there's a compartment in the back. You can come out now, Duo."
We walked closer, and I frowned a little, thinking the box had been too narrow for there to be a hidden compartment. "I don't think he's still in it, Chang." I circled to the back, examining the wood. "There must be a back door." I glanced around the barn, wondering how Duo had ducked away without us seeing.
Catherine was grinning mysteriously. "Can you open a back door on it?"
Despite running my fingers along the edge, I could find no sign of hinges or a latch that could be released.
Chang scowled, looking down at the floor behind the box, but it was wood, and showed no footprints. "Maxwell! Just come out and explain the trick!" he ordered.
Catherine gave a laugh and took pity on us. "Do you really want to know how it's done?"
"Yes," I said curtly, feeling a twinge of unease at Duo's continued absence.
She gestured us back to where we'd been standing before, and stood beside the box. "As you can see, Duo has vanished into thin air. But to bring him back, we need to say the magic words."
"And those would be--?" Wufei asked archly.
"Get the fuck out here now!" I snapped, beginning to grow irritated with the game.
The pretty girl chuckled and closed the curtain, giving the box a spin. "Close, Yuy," she teased. "But next time try...presto change-o and alakazam!"
There was another puff of smoke from behind the curtain, and she stopped turning it lazily and settled it facing us again.
And the moment it stopped, Duo stepped from behind the curtain, waving aside wisps of smoke and grinning like a loon. "Miss me?"
Chang strode forward, sticking his head inside the box and examining it for hidden compartments.
"Try looking up," Duo suggested with a jerk of his head towards the top of the box.
Wufei tilted his head up and his eyes widened. "Aha! So you stuffed yourself up onto a little shelf?"
Duo nodded. "You just have to hop up, grab the bar, and hoist yourself up so your feet are on the little ledge. Then stay still while everyone marvels at the empty box."
"Clever."
Catherine was smiling at our impressed looks. "There's another type of magic box that has a trap door in the floor. The person chosen to disappear drops down through it into a crawlspace under the floor, or platform, and then can scramble out and magically 'appear' somewhere in the audience."
"There's all sorts of contraptions stored here," Duo told me, tugging on my hand. "They've got different colors of smoke, too, and some that make a loud bang when you set 'em off." He pulled me to a workbench, and pointed out canisters of powder and little cardboard packets in which to measure them.
I looked over my shoulder at Catherine. "You're letting him play with explosives? When I told you to distract him, that wasn't what I had in mind."
"They aren't very explosive," she insisted. "They just make a flash, a bang, and a puff of smoke. Honestly, you'd have to set one off on your own head to even get singed. And the ones we're playing with have to be slammed hard in order to detonate."
Duo picked up a little canvas thing that looked kind of like a sachet, and flung it at the wall. It exploded in a little burst of red smoke, making a sort of "whump" sound. "See?" he said triumphantly. "Couldn't hurt a fly."
Chang and I had both flinched in the expectation of something more--dramatic--and now we both tried to try to look nonchalant again.
"Can't you find something safer to play with?" I asked a bit plaintively.
He grinned lasciviously at me. "I like dangerous toys." A teasing finger hooked in one of my belt loops and tugged me closer. "Wanna play?"
"I'm your toy?" I asked a bit coolly.
He looked up from under his lashes. "You're the biggest, baddest toy I've ever had, Yuy," he said in a throaty whisper. "An' some day when the babysitters are out, I'll teach you how to play some new games."
On the one hand, I wanted to be angry that he was treating our relationship like a game. But on the other, I knew he was just joking, and that the teasing banter distracted him from his worries.
I leaned in close to his ear, letting my warm breath caress his neck. "Trowa did say you kind of liked a little bondage now an' then."
He shivered deliciously, and an involuntary groan escaped his lips.
I was instantly reminded of that moment I'd had him pressed down across the hood of Wufei's car, and the fact that when I'd cuffed him and patted him down, there'd been a definite sexual response.
"He wasn't kidding, was he?" I asked in a less teasing tone.
"Depends on who's doing the cuffing," he breathed back. "A little adrenaline rush goes a long way...detective."
It sure did--and the thought of that adrenaline-charged chase through the alleys, the capture, and his subsequent response created a tantalizing image.
"Jesus Christ get a room!" Chang spat, grabbing Catherine's arm and ushering her away from us.
I knew full well they hadn't heard the last exchange--but no doubt they had a fair idea of the subject matter. "Um, maybe we should go help with supper," I suggested, pulling myself back to the present with a bit of effort.
"Or we could stay here and see if we both fit in that box--"
I shook my head. "As erotic as the smell of gunpowder is, I'd rather fuck you through a mattress than a wooden crate."
He laughed aloud, sounding wonderfully carefree, and I decided that Catherine's distractions were having the desired effect; Duo wasn't obsessing about our precarious situation. I made a mental note to thank her later.
~*~
It took very little time to prepare supper, after which we played cards again, a diversion that seemed to occupy Duo enough to keep the shadow of worry off his face. And as an added bonus, I got to hear stories about his and Catherine's shared past. I never tired of learning more about the man I loved and his life before I knew him.
Amazingly, I also learned a lot about Wufei. My partner wasn't as forthcoming with information as the other two; but when the conversation turned towards his areas of interest, he'd often join in and share a story of his own.
I found out he'd been a bookworm as a child--more interested in scholarly pursuits than the crime fighting he later turned to. And he'd grown up as part of a clan, though now most of them were dead, or scattered throughout the country. I began to realize his solitary nature wasn't something he was born with, but something he'd cultivated as he lost people he cared about.
It was both sobering and reassuring to realize how much we had in common in that regard. And I thought that if Duo hadn't had the orphans and Trowa, he might very well have become as isolated and aloof as my partner and I had been.
Yes, the use of the past tense was deliberate. I couldn't think of myself as quite the same loner I used to be. The constant exposure to Duo, and then Trowa and Quatre, as well as brushes with folks like Rhonda, Howard, and the kindly farmer in the pickup truck, had left me feeling more connected to the human race than I'd felt in years.
It was something I didn't think I'd want to give up in a hurry. And as I looked at Wufei's relaxed smile and the warm glimmer of his eyes while he told Catherine a story about trying to convince his cousin that the fish in his uncle's koi pond could talk, I guessed that he might feel the same way.
When the phone rang, it was a jarring interruption of our rather intimate gathering.
Catherine struggled to her feet, scowling at her crutches as she fumbled to get them in position. "It's a damn good thing this stupid cast is coming off tomorrow," she growled irritably, thumping her way into the hall to answer the ringing.
"Tomorrow?" Duo asked, giving me a questioning look.
I shrugged. "Guess so. I know she said it'd be a few days, when we first got here--so that would be about right."
"Well, shit," he muttered. "I should make a cake or somethin' for her--to celebrate the occasion."
Wufei smiled at my lover. "That's a wonderful idea," he agreed. "I'm going to drive her into town in the morning. I can pick up any ingredients you need while she's at her doctor's office."
Duo gave him a conspiratorial wink. "Want me to make the cake big enough for you to jump out of?"
Chang sighed and rolled his eyes. "Small and simple would be just fine, Maxwell. Just enough to make the occasion memorable."
"What could be more memorable than you jumping out of a cake?"
"I don't know--maybe you biting your tongue once in a while."
"Heh. Good one."
"Seriously, though--I'd appreciate it if you'd just make a simple cake for Catherine."
"You got it," grinned my lover. "I'll jot down a list of what I need."
He was rummaging through an end table drawer for a pencil when Catherine's call from the hallway interrupted their planning session. "Duo! Trowa wants to talk to you!"
Duo's face lit up, and he all but vaulted the couch in his hurry to get to the hallway.
My partner shook his head. "I don't know how he does it, Yuy. After all he endured as a child and a young man--how can he have such exuberance?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "And I don't care. All I know is I want him to make it through the trial with his personality and life intact."
"Hm." Wufei frowned thoughtfully. "The defense attorneys will no doubt do their best to destroy both." His dark eyes narrowed. "They'll try to discredit him in any way they can."
"I know. And since we're not supposed to bring him in until the last minute, Noventa won't have much time to prepare him for the kind of cross-examination they'll pull."
"Then maybe we should," came the tentative suggestion.
I looked up sharply. "Coach a witness? Chang, that's not--"
"I'm not suggesting 'coaching' him, per se. But we can certainly warn him about what to expect...let him know they'll make an issue of his past...his gang affiliation, the stripping, and anything else they can dig up."
"You don't think he knows they'll play dirty?"
He shook his head. "For all his street smarts, he can be incredibly naïve about certain things--testifying for the cops being one of them."
"Good point," I admitted. "He's probably never been on the witness stand, except to defend himself."
Chang nodded agreement. "So--perhaps we should casually discuss how important it will be for him to retain his composure, no matter what they throw at him. We can gently remind him that even when they take cheap shots, he needs to stay calm, cool and collected, if he's to appear credible to the jury."
I nodded, trying not to scowl in worry.
"Relax, Yuy. If he can keep his wits about him with bullets flying, I'm willing to bet he can handle an aggressive defense attorney or two."
"Even Septum and Catalonia?"
"Even them."
Duo padded back into the room, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Your turn, 'Ro. Trowa wants to whisper a few sweet nothings in your ear." He went back to looking for a pencil and something on which to scribble a list.
"Right." I shook my head and tried not to smirk as I headed for the hallway.
When she passed the phone to me, Catherine had a sort of wistful look on her face, and it crossed my mind that she was a bit envious of Barton being at the circus while she was still sort of stranded on the outside. It made me glad Duo and Wufei were going to do something special for her the next day.
"Hello Barton." I very deliberately didn't say "Yuy here," on the outside chance that the wrong ears might hear. "Any news?"
"Nothing I'm sure the television stations haven't covered," he replied, sounding a bit disgusted. "I spoke to a mutual friend, who said there's no change to the timetable, and that your previous plans are still in place."
I guess on some level, I'd expected him to have instructions from Captain Po on when and where to bring Duo in. "You mean, we're just--laying low?"
"For the time being."
"Aren't we cutting things a bit close?"
"It seems you have to. In fact, from the sound of it, you'll be cutting them very, very close--as far as the timing goes."
In other words, we were to wait until the trial began--over a week away. "I don't suppose there's any word on how information keeps leaking?"
"Not that I've heard. But then, being on the road with the circus kind of keeps me busy." He was keeping the conversation light and vague. I doubted anyone eavesdropping would get much out of it, unless they knew exactly who the players were and what the plan was. "If I hear anything, I'll certainly keep Catherine informed, and she can update you."
"Sounds good." And it did sound good. It sounded for all the world like he didn't expect us to be with Catherine, but merely keeping in touch--yet another little deception to keep anyone potentially listening in off-balance.
But wasn't I paranoid as all Hell? It wasn't even as if Barton were calling from the precinct. Here he was calling from a pay phone near the circus, after talking via cell phone to Quatre, who was the one who'd actually spoken to Captain Po in person. If anyone could follow that chain of information closely enough to think of tapping some random pay phone on the off chance that Barton might use it--well, then we were probably royally screwed anyway.
"Anything else I need to know?" Barton asked, breaking into my long silence.
"Oh. No. Sorry--I just--drifted for a minute there," I said haltingly. "I don't mean to be overly cautious, but--"
"I know," he said warmly. "And I thank you for it."
"Yeah." I drew a deep breath. "Just--keep your wits about you. Watch your back, and try not to be too predictable--just in case. Tell our mutual friend the same, especially considering he's more in the thick of things."
"I'm very aware of that," he said with a hint of tension. "I worry about him."
"You should. Right now he's probably taking the biggest chance of all." I realized that wasn't what Winner's lover needed to hear, so I added a bit more. "But you know he's up to the challenge, don't you?"
"I sure hope so."
I guessed maybe Barton was recalling the car bomb--wondering if Quatre would become a target again.
"I can guarantee you, he's always one step ahead of the competition. He's as brilliant as they come."
"Hot, too," came the response--a rather weak attempt at humor.
"I wouldn't dare comment on that," I smirked in reply. "But you're probably right."
"Sure am." Trowa finally managed a chuckle. "Thanks for the reassurance. And you stay safe--all of you."
"You too. Goodbye."
I put down the phone to find Catherine's calculating gaze on my face. "How dangerous is what Trowa's doing?"
"Actually, I'm more concerned about Quatre," I told her frankly. "He's the one who's in direct contact with my captain. And Khushrenada's people know he helped us out by providing the first two safe houses we used."
"Is he in danger?"
"Unless someone realizes he's got a contact person he's using to reach us--I don't think so," I hedged. "They might even figure that since he's at the precinct, he's dropped out of the picture. And it would make sense. After having two houses shot to Hell, why would he want to risk more?"
"Two?" she asked weakly. "They've found you twice?"
I nodded. "Do you see why we're so fanatical about security?"
"I guess I do--now," she admitted. Her worried gaze drifted towards the living room. "Are you really going to be able to get him to the trial alive?"
I didn't even hesitate--couldn't afford to have enough of a doubt to make me hesitate. "Absolutely," I swore firmly.
She managed a small smile. "I sure hope so."
We went back into the living room with our expressions as relaxed as we could manage, considering the situation.
"What did he have to say?" Wufei asked, dealing out the cards for one more game of gin rummy.
"Not much," I shrugged.
"No word on when, where, or how we're supposed to bring Maxwell in?" Wufei looked up at me with a frown.
"Apparently not."
"We're running out of time," he pointed out.
"I know that."
"The trial begins in just over a week," he added.
"Yes, I know!" I said sharply. "And I'm as unhappy about being stuck in limbo as you are. But our instructions are still to just lay low."
He scowled at his cards, clearly not liking the lack of a working plan. "What are we supposed to do--show up at opening arguments?"
"Looks that way," I admitted. Seeing Duo looking at me with a faintly worried expression, I gave him a reassuring smile. "How d'you feel about crashing a trial?"
He snorted wryly. "Well why not?" he joked. "Maybe inna bullet-proof limousine?"
We all chuckled in spite of the gravity of the situation, though Wufei looked a bit pensive. "That's not entirely unreasonable," he pointed out. "Perhaps an escort should be arranged. It's the least Po could do for us."
"I'll tell Barton to pass along the request next time he calls," I promised.
~*~
We didn't stay up much later after that--only long enough to finish the game we were partway through when Trowa called.
Then Duo tossed the remainder of his cards into the middle of the coffee table and stood and stretched, exposing that strip of flesh just above the waistband of his jeans. "That's enough cards for me."
I edged in behind him, resisting the urge to slip my arms around him and touch that bare skin.
"I'll take the night shift," Wufei spoke up, gathering the cards to put them away. "The rest of you may as well head for bed." He gave Catherine a lingering glance. "What time is your appointment?"
She smiled brightly, glancing over at the clock. "It's at eight-thirty...a mere ten hours from now." Picking up the little coat hanger she'd made into a device to scratch down inside the cast where she couldn't reach, she gave a perfectly vicious grin. "I cannot wait to throw this damned thing away and scratch my ankle for real!"
Duo chuckled at her expression and then turned and pressed himself up against me, his hot breath tickling my ear. "I've got an itch that needs scratching..."
I swallowed hard, nearly groaning aloud. "Uh--okay."
"When I get back from the clinic," Catherine was continuing, oblivious to what Duo was doing to me, "I'm going to take the longest, hottest bath in history."
"Good choice of words," Duo purred quietly. "Long...hot...take me to bed, Yuy."
"See you in the morning," I managed in a voice that wasn't as hoarse as I'd expected it to be. I turned quickly, keeping an arm around Duo's waist to pull him along with me. And once we were in the hallway, I let my fingers slide under the edge of his shirt to touch his stomach. "Dammit, Duo--you are a tease!"
"Aw, you ain't seen nothin' yet," came the smug reply. "I'm gonna drive you crazy tonight--tease you within an inch of your life." He bumped his hip against mine as we walked. "All that talk about handcuffs and tight spaces made me so hot I could barely concentrate on making supper."
"What do you think it did to me?" I turned him to face me, and shoved him back against the door of our room, pinning his hands over his head and claiming his lips in a demanding kiss.
He whimpered into the kiss, rocking his hips against mine so I could feel how very hard and needy he was. I had a feeling it was going to be like our first time again--fast and wild.
But then he pulled away, a teasing smile on those luscious lips. "Oh no, Yuy--not so fast. You're gonna have to work for it tonight."
I gave him a puzzled look.
He held up the handcuffs that he'd pilfered from my hip pocket. "Ever been on the receiving end of these?"
The very thought made me blink in surprise. "W-what?"
"Ah. I didn't think so." His eyes were dark with lust. "How much d'you trust me, love?"
I swallowed--hard.
His gaze traced the motion of my throat as I swallowed, and he licked his lips, easing closer. "You're all about control, aren't you?" he said in a husky tone. "You like being the one in charge--the one with the authority." He leaned in to nip at my ear and slide teasing lips down my neck. "But you liked it when I had the gun, didn't you? When you didn't have a choice about what to do--couldn't stop what I did to you? You loved it."
"I loved it," I echoed, recalling the incredible sensation of his mouth on my cock, even while the cold muzzle of the gun had remained steady against my knee.
"An' I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked gently.
"Fuck no!"
"Then trust me now," he urged, slipping one end of the handcuffs around my left wrist and clicking it into place. He tugged on the metal, pulling me into our room and then kicking the door shut behind us. "Just let me do everything," he said soothingly. "Let go and enjoy."
"When Trowa said you liked a little bondage--I thought he meant you'd be the one in cuffs," I managed in a rather raspy voice, not wanting to admit how turned on I was by the thought of being helpless and restrained under his ministrations.
"Sometimes," he said lightly. "But right now, I want a chance to show you what the big attraction is." He started stripping me out of my clothes with practiced motions, his expression as rapt as a kid opening gifts on Christmas day--and he glanced up with a perfectly brilliant smile. "Good thing we've got all night."
The lust in his eyes along with the implications of his words nearly made me come right then and there. But I should have known he'd never make it that easy. On the contrary, he made good on his promise to drive me crazy--all night.
~*~
When Catherine pounded on our door sometime shortly after sunrise, I could barely pry my eyes open.
"Rise and shine, boys! Breakfast is on the table!"
Duo burrowed further under the blanket, avoiding the rays of sunlight filtering in through the blinds. "Is she fuckin' insane? It's the crack of dawn!"
"She's excited," I mumbled between yawns. "She gets that nasty cast off today."
He moaned wearily. "That's right. Almost forgot..."
"How could you forget? She was counting the hours," I reminded him. "Remember that hot bath she was raving about?"
"Yeah, I thought she'd get the cast off, come home and soak, and then freakin' wake us up." He rolled over and yawned. "Wouldn't have taken my time with you last night if I knew we wouldn't get to sleep in."
I smiled at the memory, deciding that losing a bit of sleep was more than worth the extended foreplay he'd inflicted on me the night before. I momentarily flashed back to the feeling of his fingers and lips teasing me into mindless oblivion while I was bound and helpless to reciprocate. By the time we'd consummated the act and he'd released the cuffs, I'd been in such a frenzy of need it had taken two encores to finally sate my hunger.
Not that I'd heard any complaints from him.
"You can stay in bed," I offered generously, slipping out my side before he could try to delay me. "I'll bring your breakfast in here."
Indigo eyes blinked lazily up at me, and a warm smile spread across his face. "A guy could get used to being spoiled like this."
"Don't," I cautioned. "I'm only doing it because when we end up running for our lives from rabid moose and hit men, I'll want you to have something nice to remember."
He chuckled helplessly. "Rabid moose?"
"And hit men."
"Rabid ones?"
"No--I only meant the moose," I teased, heading for the bathroom to try to freshen up before parading out in front of Chang and Catherine.
I don't think either of them was particularly fooled, since I didn't have time for a shower. But at least I was presentable.
"What time are you going to town?" I asked, helping myself to coffee.
"Right after we eat, silly," Catherine chided, using only one crutch as she maneuvered around the kitchen table and took a seat. She eyed Wufei rather challengingly. "And I get to drive on the way back."
He scowled, a protective gleam in his eyes. "You are going to ask your doctor when you are allowed to resume driving."
"For Heaven's sake, Wufei. If you folks hadn't come here, who do you think would've been driving all this time?" she demanded.
"How?" I looked at the cast on her right ankle.
"Left-footed," she shrugged.
"Catherine!"
She narrowed her eyes at my partner. "Don't even go there, Chang! I'm not helpless, remember? Before you guys arrived, I was managing just fine on my own."
Wufei looked slightly wounded. On anyone else, I might have called the expression a pout. "Do you not want my help?"
Realizing she'd stepped on his pride, she backpedaled rapidly. "Of course I appreciate the help, Wufei!"
He quickly regained control of himself, and then of the situation. "And I enjoy being able to assist. So please, let me do so. I'll drive you to your appointment and back. And when you've regained some strength in that ankle, I'll be happy to let you chauffeur me anywhere you like."
A mischievous gleam entered her eyes. "Anywhere?"
I hid my grin with my coffee cup, as Wufei sputtered and blushed, turning his attention to the food on his plate with a certain amount of desperation. "Of--of course," he stammered. "You know the area much better."
She smirked and winked at me, taking advantage of my partner's averted gaze. "Sure I do," she agreed. "And I'll give you the grand tour--take you on the ride of your life."
I was beginning to understand how much it had mortified Chang to be caught in the middle when Duo and I started flirting, and I turned away to grab a plate and give myself something to do besides watch.
But Catherine's blatant teasing had made Wufei retreat into a sort of uncomfortable silence, and I managed to tune out her whispered apology and his uneasily mumbled reply.
"Well!" I said brightly, borrowing from my lover's methods. "If you two are off right after breakfast, maybe I can do a quick perimeter check before Duo gets up. And I think he said something about sketching the barn and outbuildings."
"Oh--how nice!" Catherine latched onto my senseless chatter and sort of took it from there, expounding on Duo's artistic skill, and some drawings he'd done of the big circus cats, for most of the rest of the meal.
Then, in a mercifully short time, she and Wufei were headed out the door, while I gathered up the dishes I'd offered to wash.
"Drive carefully," I cautioned out of habit, getting a snide glance from my partner. But I caught his gaze with a scowl of my own. "Watch your backs, Chang. Watch for a tail."
"Always," he said with a matching frown. "We won't be followed, Yuy."
I gave a curt nod, and resumed my kitchen chores.
And true to my word, I served Duo breakfast in bed, which devolved into a bit of erotic teasing and then some serious groping. But I pulled away before he could get too far, and made him haul his ass out of bed and into the shower.
"You're no fun at all, Yuy," he growled, peeling the bandaid off his foot before climbing in.
"I've got security to check," I reminded him, trying not to let that open door act as an invitation. I knew damned well I could walk right into that shower with him and do pretty much whatever I wanted.
But it was more important to keep us secure--and with Catherine and Wufei gone, it was my responsibility to be on watch.
I never resented that duty more than when I heard the splash of the hot water, and Duo's moan of pleasure as he indulged in his steamy shower. I wanted to be in there with him--my hands sliding over warm, soapy skin--my fingers burying themselves in luxuriously sudsy hair.
It would have been so easy to forget about the danger and just lose myself in his arms.
But as much as I wanted him, I loved him more--and for that reason I could forego a moment's indulgence for the greater good of keeping him safe. He was trusting me to watch his back. And although washing it would have been more fun, I took my responsibility seriously.
"I'll be at the laptop," I called to him, shelving my hormones and fixing my attention on my sworn duty to serve and protect. And if it so happened I was doing both to the love of my life--well it made the job more important, and fulfilling, than ever.
TBC...
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