Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell ❯ Exitus Acta Probat ( Chapter 41 )

The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell - 41/?

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Warnings: AU, yaoi, coarse language, violence, angst, cliffhangers, red herrings, mention of various vices, random bits of useless knowledge, occasionally explicit sex.

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: None for GW, and I'm now quite convinced almost nada for Pretty Woman.

Disclaimer: I don't really need to be Captain Obvious here, do I? No ownership, no money being made, yadda yadda. Written for fun, not profit.

Archived at:
http://www.atsui.org
http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw /Mookie/gwmookie.htm

Edulcorate (verb) - To free from harshness (as of attitude); to soften

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Chapter 41 - Exitus Acta Probat

Wufei looked into Heero's eyes, watching them narrow. His first thought was how Heero had some nerve, looking at him like he was some sort of unwelcome intruder. His second thought was that Heero's eyes were supposed to be brown.

First his hair, now his eyes. He hadn't failed to notice the stark difference in hair color and style between Wednesday when he'd punched the man and Thursday night at the gallery. What the hell had Duo gotten himself involved in?

"Duo isn't here," Heero said tightly, his body effectively blocking the space between the partly open door and the rest of the suite behind him.

Wufei glanced at the tension in Heero's arm, from his shoulder to his thumb where it was tightly gripping the edge of the door. He recognized the signs as being vastly similar to someone preparing to launch a bodily assault, and it angered him.

"Mind telling me where he is?"

"I don't have that information."

Heero hadn't blinked once, and his jaw was tightly clenched.

"In that case, do you mind if I come in and wait for him?"

Hell yes, Heero thought. I mind very much, thank you.

Heero stared at him for half a minute, then stepped back. His eyes didn't leave Wufei for a second as the Chinese man entered the suite. Heero shut the door behind him, still keeping his gaze riveted on Wufei, and crossed his arms, left over right. He leaned against the door in what might have been a relaxed manner, except that his entire frame was practically quivering with repressed energy.

Wufei took the opportunity to study Heero in return. He was casually dressed, his shirt revealing a long neck and a hint of shoulders. Wufei supposed most women would find him rather attractive. Heero's left hand was tucked under his right arm, and his right hand gripped the biceps of the opposite arm tightly.

Heero had rather impressive musculature, nothing like one would see on a professional bodybuilder, but the muscles were tight and compact. The edge of a faint scar that ran from the front of Heero's arm to his triceps was visible right above the fingers of Heero's right hand.

A slight indentation was barely visible on Heero's middle finger between the first and second knuckles. He might have missed it if not for the tension in those fingers, fingers that were long and slim. The nails were short and the cuticles neatly trimmed, but they were by no means the hands of a professional courtesan. Wufei suspected that it would be a rare streetwalker, indeed, whose body was soft and pampered, the very things, he imagined, a kept woman might endeavor to achieve.

His thoughts briefly wandered to the man he'd attempted to defend the previous night, the one who had seemed more angered than afraid, despite features that could almost be considered delicate. They probably would have been, had the blond been a woman.

Wufei suspected that he'd been going through life with blinders on, making assumptions based on little factual evidence. He knew that wasn't true, not entirely, but it gave him renewed admiration for his wife's ability to look at things from all angles before forming an opinion.

"Do you know when he'll be back?" he asked Heero, doing his best to appear nonchalant and disinterested in the man he was studying intently.

"You're his partner," Heero said quietly. "You'd be in a better position to know his comings and goings than I."

"Yes, but..."

But what, Wufei? But Duo had seemed single minded of purpose all week, with a few thoughts spared for the situation with Peacecraft? He felt a scowl form on his face, and he didn't like that Heero had been the one to put it there.

Just like Treize had been the one to ruin your career, right?

He wondered if other people had these annoying internal voices, and what they did to get them to shut up. It was no wonder so many gave in to the temptation to drink themselves into oblivion.

Ah. He seized that idea.

"Would you mind if I helped myself to something to drink?"

Heero's posture didn't relax, but he finally pushed himself away from the door.

"I am sure Duo would have no problem with your availing yourself to the amenities made available by the hotel."

Wufei wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a slur of sorts, against him, or against Duo; or if it was simply a statement that carried no more weight than what it seemed to be.

"You're probably right," he agreed, then let his own body relax a bit. If he wanted to get anywhere, he couldn't let his body language make Heero skittish. Offering the man something to drink was a small but very important first step.

It would have been nice to see Duo and Heero together, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe that their interaction would be genuine in front of an audience. Still, he was here for a reason, and Duo's presence might have been more of a detriment than anything else. He threw his jacket over the back of one of the chairs surrounding a nearby table as he walked to the mini-bar.

"Would you like something?" Wufei asked, pouring himself a bottle of the first thing his fingers touched. He didn't even bother looking at the label.

Heero's eyes narrowed again, indicating he had noticed Wufei's random selection, but he said nothing. Wufei quickly browsed the bar's other offerings and decided that a bottle of water would be innocuous enough. He set it on the surface of the bar, then picked up his own drink and walked away, leaving plenty of distance between them.

Heero seemed to consider the wisdom of accepting the water, so Wufei was relieved to see him walk over and pick up the Evian. He gripped the bottle just above the label and untwisted the cap. When he took his first sip, Wufei noticed that Heero managed to keep his eyes on him the whole time.

~~~~~

Milliardo Peacecraft sat in the back of the taxicab and contemplated what Treize had told him.

There had been a point to all that, somewhere, but he wondered if he'd have the time or the patience to figure it out.

Part of him wondered how much he should tell Relena. She was going to be graduating soon, and she had been exerting her independence more and more lately.

He hadn't been pleased at all with what she'd told him, although how much of that was due to where she'd gotten her information, he wasn't sure.

At least he'd gleaned more than he'd hoped from Treize. He was very close to making a decision.

He decided he would not ask Relena her opinion. She had to trust him on this.

It was very important to him that she do so.

~~~~~

It was ridiculous, Wufei mused, the way he and Heero were circling each other like combatants in a fight, figuratively speaking. Heero's gaze was unnerving, and not much made Wufei uncomfortable.

He still was a bit riled about Heero's comment that Meiran was paying him for services rendered, but he hadn't really believed it, not just because he knew she'd do no such thing, but neither had he fully processed the reality of Heero's job.

What drove someone to sell himself like a common whore? For that matter, what had possessed Duo to actually be the one to buy what was being offered?

Heero picked up the bottle and took another sip, his grip causing the water level to rise in the bottle before he tipped it to his mouth. Wufei was suddenly glad he had chosen the Evian and not the Perrier, which would have meant giving Heero a glass bottle. The thought of a weapon in the hands of this mysterious stranger, and a stranger he was, was unpleasant.

Turning his back on Heero was more difficult. He walked over to Duo's laptop, and his brow crinkled in confusion when he saw the map of Beverly Hills displayed on the screen. Where the hell had his partner gone?

Heero had made it clear that he wasn't going to answer Wufei's questions willingly. Did Heero know where Duo had gone, or was he simply withholding information because of the less-than-favorable first impression Wufei had made?

He didn't care what Heero thought of him. He'd do it again if the man dared level any more insults toward Meiran.

He was a bit resentful that Meiran seemed rather fond of Heero. He hadn't cared for the way she laughed softly when she spoke to him at the gallery. He still found it hard to accept that she seemed very close to Duo at times, although he'd gotten much better at keeping his cool when they flirted with each other.

Her ease in speaking with Heero, however, went beyond anything he'd ever encountered in his life.

Who the hell was Heero, anyway?

That was the real reason he'd come here.

"Duo has been a bit distracted this week," he commented, puzzling over the way Heero's eyes narrowed. Apparently Heero assumed that was a slight directed his way. Perhaps it had been.

If he wanted a response from Heero, he was going to need to draw him out a bit more.

"He has not spent much time focusing on our current negotiations," he added. "I can only assume that your...acquaintance...has something to do with that."

"You're his partner," Heero replied. "What have YOU been doing all week?"

The man certainly had bite, as well as a point, Wufei grudgingly admitted.

"What I do is none of your business," he said coldly, determined to keep the upper hand.

"Perhaps Duo feels the same way," Heero replied in that same calm, emotionless voice.

Wufei bristled at that remark. Duo had always seemed so open and forthcoming, but this week he realized how much of that had been an act. Meiran had seen it long ago, but he'd just always accepted Duo at face value. That was exactly what he'd done wrong when he went into law, and he was tired of making the same mistakes over and over again.

He hated letting his temper get the best of him, but damn it, his motives were pure of heart, just as they were when he'd nearly let a guilty man walk the streets a free man. And he had Treize Khushrenada to thank for insuring that hadn't happened.

"I have known Duo Maxwell a good number of years," Wufei exaggerated slightly. "And I don't like seeing him taken in by a confidence man."

Heero's jaw clenched, but he did nothing in response other than drain the rest of his water in one gulp.

He would not let Wufei Chang get to him. He'd seen people like him in action before. They did their damnedest to wear you down, attacking from every conceivable angle, and one of the best defenses was to pretend you didn't notice. Being underestimated by one's opponent was a keen advantage.

He'd provoked Wufei by taking a cheap shot at Meiran, but she wasn't here right now. Neither was Duo. This was some kind of standoff. All that was missing were a few tumbleweeds blowing across the floor of the suite.

Part of him wanted Duo to come back and do something about the air in the room, which was thick with tension. Another part of him wanted to settle things with Chang himself. And a third part simply didn't think it was worth the effort. He didn't need to devote energy to something that wouldn't matter in less than twenty-four hours.

Wufei's aggressive stance had every one of his senses on full alert, despite the fact that he knew this was only a challenge being presented to his dignity, something he wasn't going to reclaim for another day or two.

He would not allow himself to let his two lives merge right now. He was still working on resolving the present without worrying about his past and his future.

He walked over to the table and set the empty bottle down. Chang was still visible out of the corner of his eye.

Wufei didn't care for Heero's dismissive attitude one bit. Did nothing he say break through that cool exterior? What was the man like when he was alone with Duo? He felt a sense of panic, feeling he had to do something to force Heero to show his true colors. For Duo's sake.

He approached Heero quickly, from behind, and realized his mistake a split second too late.

~~~~~

Duo sat in the back of the cab, looking at the items he'd purchased, and shook his head. It had seemed like such a good idea this morning.

He hoped Heero wouldn't think he was being ridiculous. He very well might be just that, giving thought to spending any part of the day with the contents of the bags next to him. Just a few blocks away, he had an incredibly gorgeous man with remarkably talented hands and lips, eager to do his bidding when it came to matters of the flesh.

He hadn't had to do any bidding lately, it seemed. It was as though Heero suddenly craved his touch, sought it out. What game was he playing?

He glanced at the bags again and smiled sheepishly, even though there was no one to witness it.

Games, indeed.

~~~~~

Heero's reaction was instantaneous. One second Wufei was preparing to grab him by the shoulders and demand some real answers, and in the next, Heero had him slammed face down on the table so fast it nearly made his head spin. His left cheekbone was most certainly going to display some rather interesting colors later. He blinked at the empty water bottle as Heero wrenched his right arm behind him, shoving his hand as far up his back as he could.

Wufei's right biceps were being stretched past their limit, his shoulder felt close to dislocating, and he honestly thought Heero was going to break his wrist.

Heero straddled one of his legs and pressed his weight against Wufei, in what he vaguely registered as a parody of whatever Heero and Duo might have been doing all week.

Heero's lips were very close to his ear, and Wufei felt a momentary sense of panic.

"If you think Duo Maxwell needs your protection," Heero hissed in his ear. "Then you don't know him as well as you think you do."

With that, the weight and the tight grip on his wrist were gone.

Wufei rubbed his upper arm to get feeling back into it, and couldn't help feeling almost ashamed at how he'd managed to have someone get the jump on him not once, but twice. First it was the bartender last night, now it was this...whatever the hell Heero was.

Dangerous, his mind supplied helpfully.

Heero's entire body was taut, as if poised for a fight, but Wufei resisted the impulse to try decking him. He'd gotten away with doing that once, and this time he knew that Heero wouldn't simply walk away, if he'd even be lucky enough for his fist to connect with any part of Heero's body. From what he'd just found out the hard way, even if he entered into a fight fully prepared for a counterattack, Heero was no pushover. Who knew what other secrets the man was hiding?

He was sure Duo didn't.

The sound of the door opening alerted them both to Duo's presence, and Wufei saw Heero's eyes immediately flick toward the door for a split second, even though the rest of his body remained turned toward Wufei. Once Duo joined them, he noticed that Heero's body seemed to be at ease, as if given the directive to do so from a commanding officer.

Duo looked from one to the other curiously.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked. He was asking either one of them, but his eyes were on Heero.

Heero didn't answer, so Duo turned his gaze back to Wufei.

"I wanted to make sure you were still planning on remaining available in case Peacecraft calls this weekend."

Duo grinned at him. "And you came all this way to tell me in person? What's wrong with your phone, Wufei?"

Wufei was sure he was close to blushing. "Not a thing. You didn't leave a message when you called. I was concerned."

Everything he said was true, even though perhaps not in the way that Duo would assume. He had actually only guessed that Duo had phoned him earlier in the day, as it was Duo's habit to call at the most inappropriate times, and the expression on his partner's face let him know he'd been accurate in that, if nothing else.

"Tell you what," Duo said. "I'll keep mine on if you keep yours on." Then he actually winked.

Wufei couldn't help glancing at Heero to see if the other man caught the innuendo, but he didn't really expect to see anything other than a completely blank expression. He leaned over the table and grabbed his jacket from the opposite chair instead of walking around it, causing Duo to look at him oddly.

"Heero," Wufei said in parting, not willing to give more than that, but also not wanting Duo to know what had transpired.

Heero nodded curtly, and Duo chuckled. "He's warming up to you, Wufei."

"Keep your phone on," was all Wufei said in response.

Duo walked over to the desk, brandished the cell phone, and showed Wufei the lit up screen.

Wufei put his jacket on and reached into an inner pocket and turned on his cell phone before pulling it out and showing it Duo. That earned another impish grin.

"I have a feeling that things won't turn out quite the way we expect them to," Duo commented as he walked Wufei to the door. "But perhaps that's not a bad thing."

"Perhaps not," Wufei agreed, wondering how much he agreed with that statement.

Once Duo had shut the door behind him, Wufei walked to the elevator. He spared one glance at the door to check that Duo hadn't poked his head out with any last parting comments. He reached into his inner pocket again and pulled out a clear plastic Ziploc bag. Then he reached into his left side pocket and pulled out an empty water bottle, carefully holding it by the bottom only. It had been a close thing, but fortunately Duo hadn't seemed to notice the rather conspicuous bulge. He could only pray that Heero hadn't noticed, either.

He dropped the bottle into the plastic bag and sealed it shut.

He'd gotten what he came for.

tbc

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exitus acta probat - the outcome justifies the deed