12-Jan-2004
Title: Seasonal Drift Part VIII
Author: Ebonydove
Archived: aenai.steelsong.com & Team Rocket at Shinigami's Castle.
Spoilers: yes, some vaguely from the series
Rating: PG
Warnings: Violence, language, shonen-ai, sap, slight OOC, mild angst.
Pairings: 2+1
Author's Notes: Told in Duo's POV.
The rich aroma of coffee hit my senses as I held Heero's gaze in those few scant moments before I realized we weren't alone. Heero's eyes darted away from me to what I considered to be "my chair" half hidden by the privacy curtain, where someone else obviously sitting. There was extremely limited access to Heero's hospital room, so I had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't a candy stripper paying him a visit this early in the morning. So I non-chalantly dumped my plastic bag of toiletries in the doorway and proceeded to act like everything was normal and that I wasn't hatching a brilliant scheme to bust Heero outta the place, and made my way over to greet said mystery guest.
Wufei met my smile with a stoic once over, obviously noting my clean appearance and change of fashion sense since he had seen me last. He was always damned attentive to details like that. He was sipping out of a cup of overpriced gourmet coffee and I soon realized he had brought me breakfast and a cup of my very own foo-foo caffineated favorite. He had gone out of his way; the coffee shop where it came from was not near by, so it immediately got me thinking that he was either very concerned about us, or was deliberately trying to distract me. I didn't do the take out gourmet coffee thing often. It was a treat that Wufei and I shared too rarely, and more often than not, usually marked some kind of vacation day. My hackles were already rising. I hadn't planned any vacation.
"Hey Wu, thanks for thinking about my poor empty stomach." I quipped lightly, taking the cup from the table, and winking at Heero whose heavy stare had not left me since I had walked into the room.
I took a quick sip and glanced at Wufei over the rim of the cup. It was clear that there had been some sort of discussion in my brief absence, because the tension was almost a palpable thing between them. It was also very hard to ignore. They both seemed tense and unwilling to break the silence first, so I happily jumped back in to the one-sided conversation I seemed to be having with myself until one of them spoke up.
"So... is it still raining?"
"Yes, it is." Was Wufei's quiet answer as he took another slow sip of his coffee.
I turned away from the brooding Wufei and sat on the edge of Heero's bed. He was eyeing me warily, and for a brief moment I felt a flash of panic at the carefully neutral expression on his face. I'd seen that hidden look before and it always made my stomach drop. I schooled my twenty kilowatt grin into something a little more realistic for him and then gave him 'the look.' It was one that I had used in the past with him to counter the neutral face he would wear, so I knew there'd be no confusing my silent query. I simply asked, without words: 'what the fuck is wrong?'
His eyes darted back to Wufei and it clued me in that it wasn't something he wanted to discuss with company, so I let it drop for the meantime. "So Heero, it's good to have you awake finally. How ya feelin'? You took quite a blow to the 'ol noggin."
He tilted his head and gave me a look that screamed 'annoyed' before he answered in a dull, scratchy voice. "Tired. And I have a headache."
"Have you mentioned the headache to the doctors, Heero?" Wufei interjected from MY chair.
I was trying not to be annoyed that Wufei was here and took a long sip of my mocha hazelnut brew. In some way I was very glad to see him, but I wasn't going to be able to talk to Heero with him hovering the way he was and I was still convinced that he was here out of duty and not friendship. Building the kind of sincere friendship that he and I had was not easy. Despite the tough exterior he can be a sensitive little bastard and I usually managed to stomp on his feelings at least once a month. The last thing I needed now was to step all over his protective instincts. So I choose my old fallback, sarcasm. "Wu, he just barely got breakfast, or what the hospital here calls breakfast, and seeing that it's barely morning; what makes you think he's even seen a doctor yet?" I was chuckling as I spoke to him, but I think he got that I was aggravated about the deliberate small talk.
Wufei suddenly said and rose from the chair, expecting me to follow, I suppose. "Duo? May I speak with you in private for a moment?"
I paused from giving my next thought on yellow Jell-O and gave Heero's hand a little squeeze as I hopped off the bed to meet Wufei out in the hallway. Once I was sure we were out of Heero's earshot, I leaned up against the nearest wall and gave Wufei a bland look. "So what's going on? It's pretty obvious that you and Heero have had a disagreement about something, and I'd like to know just what it was."
"I was surprised to find you gone when I got here this morning. And I think Heero was as well." He said simply and I was trying not to read into the almost accusatory tone he was using.
Nice try Wu, I thought, but I was not getting sucked into the whole Heero was worried about me saga. It was old and unfounded. His distraction tactics just weren't working. "I hadn't been gone long, Wu. And he was still sleeping when I ran downstairs for a change of clothes and a shower."
"I would have been more than happy to bring you something, Maxwell, had you called me with what you needed. I did tell you to call me. Heero shouldn't be left alone."
I frowned. He was fishing for something, but I wasn't quite sure of what. "Agreed, it's not the most outstanding choice, but workable. And believe me, was very necessary."
He heaved an aggravated sigh at my deliberate diversion. "In your absence, I have received some news about the investigation into the altercation at Heero's apartment which is why I came this morning. I wanted to speak to you first, but you weren't here and Heero's was awake. He's not dumb; I don't make these kind of appearances unless it's important. The news I have is not... welcomed."
That certainly got my attention and it was also most likely what had Heero all bent out of shape this early on the morning after he woke up from the harrowing experience he'd just been through. I'm sure Wufei didn't withhold anything from him, it just wasn't his style. So I tried to stuff my over protective impulses back down as they threatened to take over the conversation and waited for him to continue with the details of what he had found.
"It seems Ms. Ishikawa's father is a renowned hypnotherapist, who may have been leaking very sensitive information about the Phoenix project to a 'previously undisclosed' group of individuals. Of which, we have a good lead on and is most likely the cause for the attack on the daughter, who may have gone to Heero for help. The father is missing, and presumed dead."
"Shit. That's so classified even I was barely able to hack any data about it. I should have known Heero'd be working on it. But then again, Heero will be able to confirm that for sure and if the doctor is to blame, then he'll be off the hook... "
"Duo, there's more."
Just the way he was suddenly talking to me like some kind of child had me instantly spooked. He was so very careful with how he was giving the information to me and it was starting to make me want to press the panic button.
"It's true that Naomi was most likely the target of the attack in Heero's apartment because of her father's involvement with the project, and it was made to look like Heero and she had some kind of lover's quarrel. However, we have been given some additional information this morning that leads us to believe that Heero was not actually investigating the leak, or Naomi's father, but may have been involved as some kind of liaison, or even a co-conspirator with the missing Doctor Ishikawa."
"That's crazy! He would never... "
"Switch sides?" Wufei asked pointedly.
It wasn't fair. We all had switched sides back and forth during the war. Dragging that dark fact out into the light now was irrelevant to our current circumstances. At least in my mind. Things had been so chaotic back then. This wasn't the same and even besides that, it still offered no explanation of how Une wouldn't have known exactly what Heero had been working on. He was her top agent after all. Even Heero doesn't get carte blanche with the P's.
I hardly even realized how frantically I was pacing in front of Wufei until I felt his steady grip on my arm. "Duo, listen to me. The people who came after Naomi and Heero know that he survived. It was all over the news that 'a woman was killed in a domestic issue' at Heero's apartment complex, and that he was brought to the hospital in 'serious, but stable' condition. If he has information about the doctor's whereabouts or any information about the project, then he's still very much in danger. I understand your feelings for him, but you will risk your place with the Preventers if you get involved with this any further."
"Just what the hell are you saying, Wufei?"
"Walk away from the investigation, Duo. You're in over your head on this one. Take a vacation."
"What's wrong with you?" I growled as I planted myself in his face. "You're his friend too. There's more to all this that you're not telling me."
"There's always more. You know that. I just... please don't ask me to get into it with you. Just take care of him and be careful." Then without another word he breezed by me and left.
I stood in the hallway trembling and completely confused. What could Wufei have found out that would have him suggest I run... away... and that's when I figured it out. I burst back into Heero's room and found the blankets tossed back and him struggling to get himself dressed.
"Heero? What are you doing?" I hurried over to him and helped him tug up pair of khakis that had mysteriously shown up from somewhere and shrug into a pale blue button-down shirt. Damn Wufei, could he be any more elusive?
"I didn't do what they said." He said quietly as he finished buttoning the shirt. "I never betrayed the Preventers."
Whatever Wufei had told him had him spooked to. We both knew he was in no condition to go anywhere, but he was struggling to get himself dressed and preparing himself to break out of the hospital anyway. The floor had alarms, guards, nurses, and few other obstacles to get past, and I knew there wasn't going to be a simple walk out the front door for him. "I know that man. Your loyalty was never in question as far as I'm concerned. Just tell me what the hell is going on."
"Can't."
"The hell you can't, you asshole! Tell me wha... "
He spun so fast that I never saw it coming. Next thing I knew he had me pinned to the nearest wall with a frightening look in his eye and glaring at me darkly. His shirt was half buttoned and I could feel his warm breath on my face and he struggled to catch his breath. "I. Can't."
I don't know if it was the sudden adrenaline at the thought that he could very well kill me where I stood, or that I had all that pent up stress and concern for him, but I just grabbed his upper arms and surged forward. Catching him off guard, I kissed him with all my fear, longing, and frustration behind it.
There was that rare moment where he was too stunned to react, before he shoved me back against the wall and with huge heaving breaths just stared at me for what seemed to be hours. Then in a very calm and oddly gentle voice he spoke. "I can't."
It was the tone in his voice and the fever behind his eyes that brought me to my senses. Both were so out of place for him. I let go of his arms and with a staggering breath I looked away. "All right. You don't have to tell me now, but you're still not going anywhere without me." I looked back up at him surprise to see the slightest of smirks on his face. "And once we're clear, you're going to fill me in without any arguments. Got it?"
He finally just shook his head and let go of me. "Fine."
He had been holding my arms so tight, I was sure to have bruises there come afternoon, but when he went to step back, he swayed a little which immediately caused me to rush forward and grab him again. "He-ero?"
He looked up at me and gave me a tiny glare. "Just don't surprise me like that again. I wasn't ready."
"O-okay." I whispered; shocked that it was all he had to say about the earth-moving kiss we just shared and helped him over to the bed to sit him down. There was much that I wanted to say right then, but I was feeling heady and awkward. It wasn't how I romanticized our first kiss would be like.
"We need to get out of here."
Heero had already changed gears, stifling anything else I was going to say about what had just happened between us and was looking around the room for anything would aid us in getting out. But I had thought long and hard about just that in the wee hours of the night without too much luck. I still did have one risky, but almost doable plan, and before I could get my muddled brain to focus on what my mouth was spewing it was said. "I have the passcode to the door on this hall. Big and burly usually goes for a break every four hours or so. I purposely got clothing that would blend in around here and figured I could manage to steal a laundry cart big enough to fit you into... "
"What happened to your other clothes?" He interrupted and I found myself suddenly blushing at the questioning look on his face.
"I... uh... I already ditched them. I... didn't want to have to uh... carry anything extra if we did plan on busting you out of here today. I wasn't completely sure you'd be able to move under your own power either."
He gave me an indignant snort at the assumption I made about his recuperative capabilities and had a look on his face that pretty much told me he wasn't buying my story. "I woke up last night while you were in the bathroom. I was concerned that you were sick, so I was going to check on you when I saw you come out. You looked upset."
I suddenly felt the need to crawl into a hole somewhere and die miserable and alone. I found my mouth working but couldn't seem to get my brain kick-started enough to say anything coherent. "Heero... I can explain...I... " was not about to tell him I was masturbating thinking about him as he lay no more than ten feet away in the other room.
He very slowly raised his hand and put a finger against my lips to silence my stammering. "I also heard what you said in the hallway yesterday to the others, when you assumed I couldn't hear, and now...that kiss... "
I didn't mean to, but I let out a groan and covered my face with my hands. I was completely mortified. It was never how I intended to tell him how I felt about him. I scooted away from him on the bed and practically fell off in my embarrassment. "H-heero, it's not what you think. I mean... I know that you heard... what I said to the others, but I didn't mean it like that... really."
He suddenly frowned at me. "So you didn't mean that kiss either then?"
Shitshitshit.
"I did, but Heero, I don't want to risk our friendship over something so... stupid."
His eyes narrowed and he was suddenly scowling at me. "Stupid?"
I couldn't seem to say anything that made the situation any better. "Heero... " and then it was too late as he cut me off and started to get up from the bed.
"Never mind. We need to get going. They're going to find me soon. What's this you mentioned about a cart?"
I was completely flustered. He changed topics again so fast that I wasn't keeping up. But the idea of someone coming after him suddenly refocused my brain to where it should have been. I moved back over to him with a determined smile and helped him to his feet. "Heero, I feel like I keep missing the important moments between us, and I know that something bad is about to happen, so I'm going to just say this. You are my best friend and I would never do anything to cause you harm. Not ever. But that kiss... well anyway, I never meant for you to find out that way, that's all. Okay?"
"Okay." He said quietly.
"Good. Wait here while I go steal the cart. It's going to be a little cramped, but I think it'll work. Once we get outta here though, you and I are going to have a heart to heart. Got it?" I pointed my finger at him to further drive home how serious I was. Which he ignored in his usual stubborn way, but not before he gave me the tiniest smile and nod. "Okay then. I'll be right back. Be ready for anything."
I clicked off the lights, peeked my head out of the door and into the hallway to check and see where my big buddy was, and seeing that the coast was clear, set out in search of the elusive laundry cart. I just prayed this insane idea was going to work.
End Part 8
(:./ebony/drift8)
