Dedication

Chapter 2: Words

 

by Kracken

Disclaimer: I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them.
Warnings: Male/Male sex, graphic, language, violence.


 

My desk was in a back corner of the office, neat, orderly, and already stacked with work to be processed. I'd left Duo sleeping at home, reluctantly, trusting him to stay there and not try to come in to work after me. The man was insanely dedicated, sometimes, but even he could see that he needed down time.

There was a scrawled note. I gave it a brief glance and then crumpled it as I tossed it into a trash bin. Two points, I thought sourly, and refused to look around the room to search out the person who had left it there. It was too common, the insults, and the anger. I'd lost count of the many notes that had simply said, 'Coward', or 'Pervert'. They didn't know that I wasn't ashamed and that their notes didn't bother me at all. They didn't realize that I felt fulfilled in both my job and my relationship with Duo. They couldn't rip apart, with mere words, the firm foundation that had become my life.

My job was to kept the information flowing, at Preventer headquarters, and to file it when it had run its course. Agents relied on my timely and concise practices, but I didn't expect thanks, and so wasn't disappointed when I didn't receive any. I was invisible, just files posted to their emails when they needed them the most, and when cases hung on the brink and needed that extra bit to solve them. They didn't know that I spent exhaustive hours getting them that info, and that all of it wasn't from approved Preventer channels. I was the finger on the pulse of the organization, knowing just what it needed and when it needed it. A field agent could only solve one case at a time, I was helping to solve, or complete, dozens. I didn't need a gun, and I didn't need to kill. At the end of the day, I clocked out, like everyone else, conscious clear and promise kept.

"How's our hero?" Samuels asked as he sat at his desk beside me and tossed his bagged lunch into one drawer. He wasn't referring to me.

"Tired, sore, but all right," I replied as I flicked through a file on my computer screen.

Samuels was a man who might have done better as a mouse. He looked like one, always hunched over, wide eyed, and twitchy. He was allergic to everything and everything seemed to startle him. He was really ill suited to anything except what he was doing now, desk work in a climate controlled environment full of agents to protect him from... whatever he was afraid of at the moment. This morning it was rude taxi drivers. He twitched and complained about how his L2 born cabby had seemed intent on robbing him rather than getting him to work.

"He took wrong turns on purpose," he swore. "I know he was trying to find a quiet place to rob me... or kill me. Good thing it was early morning rush hour. He finally gave up and brought me to work." I didn't point out that the cabby had only been taking a faster route, Samuels wasn't good at listening to reason. He much preferred to complain and be afraid. Maybe it made his boring life seem more interesting? "Do you think I should report him?" he finished and I blinked, feeling sorry for the poor cabby.

"He didn't, actually, do anything illegal," I replied.

"But he's from L2!" Samuels exclaimed, his eyes getting even wider as he fished out kleenex and began dabbing his nose. "Everyone knows they're prostitutes,thieves, and syndicate."

I frowned. "Duo is from L2," I replied quietly.

He blinked at me rapidly and then sniffed into his kleenex. "So he is... still..."

I wasn't going to wait until he launched into his reasoning as to why my Duo was different. I picked up some file chips and made my way to records. I've been told that there's always someone you dislike in a job situation. Even Duo had men and women that he often complained about. Samuels was mine... and Ralph Treakel.

"Yuy?!"

I winced and stood still, waiting for him to catch up to me. Treakel was section leader, a perfunctory office title that simple meant that he was allowed to rearrange the furniture once in awhile and act important to ten other people. Unfortunately, I was one of those ten.

Treakel was perfectly bald, his head shinning in the overhead lights. His small, blue eyes were narrowed, and his full mouth was white with anger and compressed into a tight line. Not a good sign. He perpetually straightened his tie with big hands as he told me, "You're supposed to report to me when there's a problem! You had seven files logged out to you yesterday and only four of them were logged back in at the end of the day. I want an explanation, Yuy."

I didn't doubt that Treakel was a strong man, but sometimes big men let themselves think that they could do as they pleased, simply because of their size and intimidation factor. Knowing how to kill a man, unarmed, in a hundred different ways, gave me a confidence that seemed to infuriate him even more, that and my expression, which has always appeared unimpressed at the best of times.

"Duo was injured," I replied carefully. "I was ordered to take him home. I'm sorry that I didn't log in the files. If you check, I logged them in this morning before I began on my new batch."

"The rules apply to you, Yuy, just like everyone else here," Treakel raged without losing a beat to embarrassment. "Maybe you were a big shot 'back in the day' but your ass is in a desk chair, now. You will log your files in at the end of each day or I will file a report on you! Got that?"

"Yes, sir," I replied quietly. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't!" He jerked his tie into a final position and then whirled away, storming off to where ever section leaders went.

"I think that he almost exploded," Chang Wu Fei grunted as he leaned to get water from a water cooler. His shoulder gun was prominent, his holster looking well worn. "As if files were more important than an agent."

"I did fail to log the files in last night," I replied, "but I didn't see how I could accomplish it with Duo, half passed out in my arms."

"Is he all right?" Wu Fei asked with concern, turning to face me and forgetting his water.

"Fine," I replied, "Resting."

"Good," Wu Fei said in relief. He eyed me with his dark eyes. We didn't walk in the same circles any longer and I hadn't talked to him in some time. I could see questions knocking behind his lips, but he wisely didn't voice any of them. "Give him my hope for his complete recovery," he said instead and gave me a slight bow before he went back to his section of headquarters. I didn't remind him that he had forgotten his water.

I suppose that Chang Wu Fei's opinion of me was something that I valued. I wasn't sure what his judgment of my decision to stay desk bound was, but he hadn't looked antagonistic. He was a warrior, through and through, but I had to remember that he had been a scholar once. It was possible that he envied my decision, while not wanting it for himself any longer.

My cell phone beeped. I opened it and smiled when I saw my home number. "Duo?" I wondered.

"Yeah," Duo replied with a chuckle."I had to say good morning, since you sneaked out while I was still asleep."

"You're eating the oatmeal, bacon and eggs, I left you, right?" I asked hopefully.

"If it's shaped like a powdered donut, then yeah," Duo snickered and then he said, when he heard my growl, "Just kidding. It was good, just what I needed."

I relaxed as I made my way into the bowels of records. It was full of micro chips, old floppies, and even a few reel to reel micro incoders from the 'old days'. The shelving was close and the room climate controlled. Everyone called it 'the tomb'. It was my favorite place. I could get lost there most of the day with an old laptop tucked into a dimly lit corner that I used for file transfers. I suppose I shouldn't have been so shocked when I found it, screen smashed, and scrawled with the words, 'Loser' and 'Pervert', in red marker.

Duo must have heard me take in a quick breath. "What's wrong?"

I scowled as I gingerly turned the laptop around and looked at it more closely. I thought that I could save it. It was a field model and made for hard impacts. "Fine," I told him. "I'm in the records room. I found... a mess."

"A file out of place, Mr. Anal Retentive?" Duo snickered.

"Something like that," I replied. "I have work to do, love. Why don't you go get some more rest?"

"Okay," Duo replied and yawned. "If I'm being forced to take down time, I might as well enjoy it. Have a good day, sweet."

I grimaced at the pet name. Duo had snickered over it when he'd heard an old couple saying it to each other, but he had started using it on me right afterward, along with 'baby' and lover' , and it wasn't showing any signs of going away.

"You rest," I told Duo. "Goodbye, love."

I put the phone away, trying to keep hold of that good feeling that Duo always gave me, as I tried to salvage my laptop.

______________________________________________

"He's going!"

It's never good to eavesdrop on your lover, especially when they are chewing out someone three pay grades above you.

"Captain Maxwell, sir," the man replied apologetically, "It's a ceremony in your honor. I wasn't put in charge of the guest list. They have stipulated, specifically, that Heero Yuy isn't to attend. They feel that his presence will cause some of the guests to feel uncomfortable."

"Screw their awards ceremony, then!" Duo barked back. "I'm not going where Heero isn't welcome, and I don't want anything to do with people who think that they can insult him!"

"They don't mean it as an insult," the man was quick to assure him. "They are simply sensitive to the climate of the times and don't wish the spot light taken away from their guest of honor."

I stepped into the hallway from a cross section and cleared my throat. They both jumped, Duo's hand automatically going to his shoulder gun. He relaxed a second later and reached that hand out to me, squeezing my bicep harder than I'm sure he realized. The man he had been talking to was a public coordination officer, the man in charge of seeing that Preventers only had good press in the vid news.

"It's all right," I told Duo as I clasped his hand against my arm."I can understand their concern. It's valid. I'm too newsworthy."

The officer paled and looked very nervous as he eyed our clasped hands. He seemed to have trouble focusing on his next words, "Yes, thank you...Mr. Yuy... I'm g-glad that you... understand."

Duo heard his tone and glared at him. "Look!" he exploded, "I don't see why everyone has a problem with us being together! I don't see any other gay couple in Preventers getting our kind of flack!"

The officer opened and closed his mouth and then tried to apologize. I forestalled him by saying,"It's not us, it's me. It seems that I'm not good enough."

Duo slipped an arm around my waist and met my eyes. "You don't think that, do you?"

The officer was forgotten.

"I do have an ego," I replied with a chuckle. "I do think I'm good enough."

Duo snickered at that and then leered as he said, "Oh, you're good, all right."

The officer sounded as if he were strangling and he quickly said, breaking into our 'moment', "Une especially requests your attendance at this ceremony, Captain Maxwell. What should I tell her?"

Duo frowned and then, at my nod, angrily replied, "All right, but people had better get used to the fact that Heero and me are together for life!"

The officer fled the scene, but there were others moving past us that tried very hard to 'not see' us, or to hide their displeasure. Duo settled his shoulders, as if he had barely kept from decking the officer, and then gave my cheek a pat. I knew the signal and smiled for him.

"Stay tough," Duo said, and I knew that he meant the words for the both of us. "Don't let them get you down. Believe in what we have."

"Of course," I replied, but then, "Duo, it is hard for them. You've been the most illegible bachelor in the Earthsphere for years. They see you as a hero, larger than life, and everything they wish to be."

Duo nodded grimly. "They don't want to see me bleed, or fall in love with a guy."

"With Heero Yuy," I corrected him, "The man who didn't live up to the image that they made of me."

"Maybe I should tarnish my image, too, by screwing up a mission?" Duo suggested bitterly. "Maybe, they'd leave us alone, then?"

I laughed, the idea of Duo not giving his all, not doing his very best, as ridiculous as it sounded.

Duo grinned and then gave my ass a hard squeeze. "Okay, so I'm a good soldier... that only leaves shocking them. We could..."

I broke away, shaking my head. "I don't do office sex... or public displays."

"Damn!" Duo snickered in mock disappointment, but then became more serious as he hooked a finger in the loop of my dress pants and gave a small tug. "Evil Une wants me to go to this ceremony, but nothing's more important than you, got it? They suck and they're wrong for treating you the way they do.I won't put up with it, if they're hurting you."

"They can't hurt me," I assured him, "because I don't believe them. Sooner, or later, they will have to accept what we are to each other."

"Crazy in love," Duo chuckled.

"Forever," I replied firmly and pulled away. "I do have work to finish, Captain Maxwell, so, if there's not anything else...?"

Duo gave me a small salute. "Nothing else, Mr. Yuy. You may continue with your duties. Keep in mind, though, that I'll have 'work' for you to do later."

"I'll look forward to it," I replied with mock formality, "as long as you keep in mind that you are still on the 'reduced duty' list. If you over do it day..."

Duo held up his hands defensively, "Warning taken, Yuy. I'll only do two laps of the training course, today, instead of the usual five."

"None," I warned, "Or the only 'work' you will get from me will be dinner and a hand into bed."

"Got it!" Duo grumbled, but then gave me a wink and a wave, "Later, Sweet."

"Stop calling me that!," I shot back, but Duo was already limping away.

 

_______________________________________________

My Duo. It sounds demeaning to such a strong man, a man who had survived a life that had destroyed the weak as a matter of course, but it's how I thought of him. It was a phrase that pounded in my head as I pounded between his thighs; loving the tight heat of him, the strong grip of his arms, and the way he tossed his head back and groaned like a wild thing.

He wasn't gentle, this lover of mine, and 'taking it easy' wasn't in his vocabulary. I would sport bruises later, where he was gripping my shoulders, and bite marks along my neck.He would strain muscle and flesh, shrug over the consequences, and ignore the pain as he was ignoring all my attempts to go slowly and carefully. He wanted me taking him hard, stroking those inner spots of pleasure roughly, and showing him that I truly wanted him;that I desired him. This God of Death, this agent supreme of the Preventers, had his doubts, his issues about self worth, and needed reassurance, especially after a mission where he had gained yet another set of wounds and scars.

I didn't shoot into him. Instead, I came hotly across his belly, sitting back and both of us watching as I painted him, groaning and jerking with my orgasm.

"Back in," Duo panted, eyes glazed and pony tail a streak of cinnamon fire over the white pillows.

My Duo, my mind chanted, as I shoved back in, lifted his legs wide, and bucked into him. He grabbed his erection, slitted his purple eyes, and began jerking off. It kept me hard, staring down at his body, watching him strain towards his own orgasm.It made me remember the war, the boy who had worn a priests' outfit and shown me, time and time again, just how good he was at doing the impossible.It was hard to believe that he was mine, that this lithe, strong man, wanted me making love to him, wanted me to be a part of his life, and wanted me just as strongly as I wanted him. The odds against it had been incredible.

Duo came hard, shouting, "Fuck!" as he fisted his cock and pumped madly. He shot explosively, splattering my chest and a bit on my face. He looked sheepish and I couldn't help a small laugh as I wiped my cheek with my thumb. When I stuck it into my mouth and sucked, his eyes glazed and he groaned appreciatively.

"You are the definition of hot, Mr. Yuy," Duo said, but then he grimaced as he swung a leg over and I pulled out.

"All right?" I asked worriedly as he rubbed at that leg.

"Just a cramp." He said that lie easily, but knew that I wasn't buying it. It was just a signal that he didn't want me to fuss over it. His hand ghosted down to his ass and he chuckled. "At least I have a handy excuse for walking funny, when I go to the ceremony in the morning. Just battle wounds, ladies and gentlemen."

My hand went out to touch his hip. "I wasn't too rough?"

He slapped my hand away and glared at me. "Don't be stupid. I think I was the one yelling, 'Fuck me harder!'."

I blushed and he snickered at it. He loves to say crude things, sometimes, just to see the great Heero Yuy, the man of gundanium nerves, blush like a virgin schoolgirl.I'm not sure why I do it... or maybe I do. Duo exudes sexuality. When he says something crude, he makes me want him even more. When I feel myself react so strongly, it never fails to embarrass me, especially when he can see how out of control he can make me with just words.

Duo reached for the towel we had put close by and wiped at himself, cock still half hard. He looked sated and thoughtful. I let him come to it on his own, being patience, itself, as he tossed the towel to me and I cleaned myself. Finally, he said, "Baby... this awards ceremony..."

I thought I knew what he was going to say, so I shrugged and tossed the used towel towards the clothes hamper. It landed on top as I replied, "I understand. It's part of the job."

Duo frowned at me, reached out, and then tugged me down. He wasn't satisfied until I was curled up around him and resting my cheek against his chest. His arm held me tightly against him as he said, "Being who we are, we're called on to sacrifice often. You know that I might die doing my job, someday. You know that my missions have to come before my personal life... our personal lives."

"I said that I know that," I grumbled as I tweaked one of his nipples.

He twitched, ticklish, but didn't lose his serious tone as he stroked the messy hair from my eyes and said, "After the mission, though, they don't have any right to ask more of us. Your mission is over. You've earned your rest.I won't stand by and let them criticize you for that."

I snorted. "It's just an awards party, Duo."

"I'm not an idiot," Duo growled. "I know what's going on."

For a moment I thought that he was talking about work, and the 'accidents' that have been plaguing me, but I was relieved when he continued along another vein entirely.

"They want you to go back into service," Duo said. "They think that, if they can snub you and insult you, that you'll cave. They're using me to get to you. I won't let them do that. I won't let them make me a celebrity, so that they can convince you that, since you aren't an agent, that you aren't good enough to be seen with me."

"Duo," I grumbled."I'm not feeling that way at all. Go to the ceremony. You deserve the award.I won't let you cheat yourself out of what you deserve because of your misplaced concern, and their misguided mechanizations."

"Mecha-what?" Duo chuckled.

I laughed. "Shut up about it, already," I told him. "It's settled. You're going. Now, stop ruining my after glow."

"After glow?" Duo grinned. "I didn't know that I was radioactive."

I sucked on the nipple that I had teased earlier and he groaned in pleasure. Giving it a swipe with my tongue in revenge, I then turned my back on him. "Get some sleep, idiot."

"You're cruel," Duo grumbled as he spooned up behind me and I felt his renewed erection.

"Sleep," I ordered as I pulled his arm around me and closed my eyes.

Duo nuzzled my neck, but I didn't give in. He needed the rest, more than ever, now. After a time, he did fall asleep, his gentle breath tickling the hairs on my neck. I was wide awake, though, thinking about the ceremony. I was only human. I couldn't help feeling the sting of bitterness. The truth of the matter was, that I would have loved to stand next to him while he was honored for what I knew already, for being the great man that he was.

 

TBC

Back to chapter one

On to chapter Three

 


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