The Variable
Part 14
by Artemis
"You need to calm down, Sally," Treize said as he stood at Heero's bedside.
Treize and Sally were the only ones in the room with Heero at the moment. Heero had been given a sedative and was resting soundly.
"I'd like to request a full investigation into this matter," she said.
"I agree we need to know what happened, but I doubt an investigation will be necessary. Doctor J was very forthcoming with the prescription he had given Heero."
"He admitted to doubling Heero's normal dosage! I want to know why. Even Professor G questioned him."
Treize nodded as he looked at Heero. The young man had oxygen tubes in his nose, but otherwise looked as healthy as ever. "This is best discussed in a Project team meeting. Then J can explain his actions to the group."
"He owes Heero an apology." She felt her cheeks blush and turned away, not wanting Treize to read her emotion as weakness, but she was angry.
"Do you believe that Doctor J would intentionally harm Heero?"
Sally hesitated, throwing around accusations like that could have far reaching consequences. "No," she said, finally. "But I think he wants to keep control over Heero."
Treize raised a forked eyebrow. "Malicious intent for the sake of control? Those are heady charges, doctor."
"I know. Maybe if we reviewed the security tapes from this morning's training session---"
"You think that is necessary?"
She nodded.
"Doctor J has led this team since the Project's inception."
"It's your team, Treize. We all look to you."
He raised his chin, looking from her to Heero. "I understand Mr. Maxwell was brought in for treatment as well."
"He received minor cuts when Heero broke a vase."
"Was it Heero's intent to harm him?"
"No, sir. In fact, before we gave him the sedative he repeatedly asked how Duo was."
Treize nodded as he looked at Heero. "I need you to settle down, young man."
This wasn't Heero's fault, but all these incidents were adding up. Each time something happened it put a blemish on Heero's perfect record and shone doubts on Sally's holistic approach to stabilizing his behavior.
"My program is helping him... if people would stop interfering," she said.
"Be careful what you say as well as what you think, doctor."
Could Treize know that she was thinking sabotage? That's what she believed, that Doctor J was jealous or possessive of Heero to the point that he would destroy the liaison program and any hope for a normal life for Heero just to keep things as they were.
"Thank you, sir," she said.
~ ~ ~
It took a moment for his eyes to focus when he woke up. The room was bright, sanitary white and he realized he was not in his quarters. Suddenly a smiling face came into view, looking down at him. It was Duo.
"You're awake," Duo said, squeezing Heero's hand. "It's been hours."
Slowly the memory came back to him. He and Duo had left the training salle and in minutes he had been consumed by a deep, uncontrolled sexual hunger that had turned to rage.
"Are you... all right?" Heero asked, his mouth dry.
"I'll get you some water." Duo reached over and poured ice water into a plastic cup with a straw. He held the straw to Heero's lips.
"Duo?"
Duo looked into his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why not?"
"Your nose." Heero reached up, pointing to Duo's nose.
"Nice, huh? It's a scratch, but the nurse put the bandage on, so what was I gonna do?"
Satisfied, Heero sipped the cold water. It cooled his mouth and throat. His head was heavy and he still felt sleepy, probably from the sedative they'd given him. He squeezed Duo's hand and grinned. It felt like he'd lived through a nightmare. The way he had acted was not like him.
"You're sure I didn't hurt you?"
"Nah, you got a little frisky is all and we had to take a detour to this place."
"I don't know what happened... but it must've been a reaction to the injection."
Duo nodded. "The timing sure seems right, and you were not acting like yourself."
Heero was glad to hear that. He didn't want Duo thinking that he would ever turn violent against him, especially after the night before.
"All I wanted..." Heero said, gathering his thoughts. "Was to have you touch me like last night."
"Yeah?" Duo looked puzzled briefly, and then pleased. He smiled and his large blue eyes seemed to dance with mischief. "There are too many eyes in this place or I'd touch you like that right now."
Heero grinned. That light, floating feeling rushed over him again. There was something about Duo that made him feel like the world was right. It was a different power than the one he held over the physical world, but a power all the same. It seemed that he and Duo had ended up on the same path after all.
Doctor Po and her medical team appeared at the window and Heero took a deep breath. They would scoot Duo out of here any second.
"I'm sure they'll keep me for observation."
"I'll be waiting," Duo said and then chuckled. "I've got all the time in the world."
Duo leaned in and surprised Heero with a gentle kiss. Heero wanted to take him in his arms, but he was tired and there was an intravenous tube in his right arm.
As the doctor and company came into the room, Duo got up from the chair at his bedside.
"You like pancakes, Heero?" Duo asked, as one of the medical staff ushered him toward the door.
"Yes."
"Great! I'm gonna make you some killer pancakes when you get out of this joint."
Heero chuckled. He had a feeling that Duo had a lot of surprises waiting for him.
~ ~ ~
Doctor Po stayed in the clinic all afternoon, monitoring Heero's condition. He was much improved, but her mood was not. The more she thought about the double dose of steroids that Doctor J had given Heero, the more her blood boiled.
From day one, J had been against giving Heero a sex partner. As the program got underway and showed signs of success, J's protests persisted. Sally had even heard a rumor that Heero had confronted J about Duo. Heero was exhibiting a more independent nature, and Sally was inclined to think it had everything to do with Duo. Not that Duo was putting Heero up to anything, but that their relationship had sparked a protective, possessive streak in Heero that was manifesting itself in independent actions.
Bringing Duo to his training session had certainly been a titillating way to flex his muscles and to not only show off Duo to the group, but his own prowess to Duo. Sally was certain they should now be called lovers. She had observed their caring interchange in the clinic, and had bypassed Treize to get a copy of that security tape that featured a sweet, poolside kiss. Oh, yes, these two had become more than sex partners.
At the end of the day, she briefly stopped at her office before heading to the team meeting. Lucrezia cautioned Sally to bite her tongue.
"Treize respects J," Lucrezia said. "And he's been on this team a lot longer than you have."
Sally appreciated her assistant's concern, but didn't like to be reminded of her junior status. She had been recruited only six years ago, and the scientists sometimes still treated her like an interloper.
The meeting was held in the Project wing of the Bremen complex. Treize made his team wait a little longer while he stopped in to check on Heero's status. He did not look pleased when he entered the conference room at nearly eight o'clock. Everyone stood, and he waved his hand dismissively for them to take their seats.
"It's been a very long day," he said, pacing at the head of the table with his hands behind his back. There was a long pause, and then he leveled a hard glare at all of them. "My team has let me down."
Sally gritted her teeth. Was Treize going to play the "team" card rather than call J's unethical actions out for censure?
"It has been my philosophy from the beginning of this Project that the members of my team work together with one goal in mind-to create the most efficient and powerful human weapon possible. Highly trained operatives are nothing new, but we set out to prove that the best could be better, and that we could end the world's suffering with the strategic use of our new weapon."
Treize was a brilliant speaker, but Sally didn't appreciate this slap on the wrist.
"I have just come from Heero's hospital room. He is much improved and no longer showing signs of the ill-effects of the overdosing. And it was overdosing." Now, Treize leaned his hands on the table and looked directly at Doctor J. "I am perplexed as to what could have precipitated such an injurious action on your part, doctor."
Doctor J looked Treize in the eyes, but did not speak. It was as though he knew better than to say anything. The fact that he didn't bother to apologize either was not lost on Sally.
"Heero's optimum health and happiness," Treize said, nodding to Sally, "is key to our ultimate goal." He brought himself to his full, impressive height once again. "Dosing will now be under my direct control, and administered by Doctor Po."
"What?" J asked, getting to his feet. "You're over reacting."
Treize arched an eyebrow. "It's merely cause and effect, doctor. Today's incident required a reaction."
Sally gaped in surprise. She had never seen Treize and J at loggerheads before. It gave her delicious goosebumps.
"What about the variable?" Doctor J asked, referring to Duo. "You are disregarding the cause and effect there."
"A number of adjustments have been made to offset the variable's impact. I spoke to Heero at length about the program and his growing feelings for Mr. Maxwell."
"Feelings?" Doctor J turned to the other scientists. "Are you listening to this nonsense?"
Professor G looked up at his friend and nodded. "You are the only one against this program."
J looked betrayed and confused as he searched his comrades' faces. "When did you change your minds?"
"Almost at once," Inspector H said. "There have been some minor problems, but not enough to negate the benefits of the program."
J turned to Sally, his eyes narrowing. She sat up straight, waiting for his harsh words, but instead he sat down without so much as one.
There were smiles all around, except from J, of course, although he should have been smiling more than anyone. He had crossed the line and gotten off relatively easy. But considering this was his first major error in judgment, Sally understood Treize's leniency. Treize was the father figure and guiding light of the Project, and rightly protective of Heero. It touched Sally deeply that he had taken the time to speak to Heero about the program. Treize deserved their respect and loyalty, while J deserved to be taken down a notch... or two.
~ ~ ~
Late the next morning, Heero was released from the clinic, and given two days furlough to fully recuperate. He was in peak condition once again and didn't need the down time, but suspected that Treize had ordered it as a way to make up for the debacle.
Heero didn't know what to make of J's decision to double his dosage. He hadn't known it at the time, but had noted Professor G's unusual agitation. Treize had called it a "mistake," but remained quiet about the details, leaving Heero with uneasy suspicions that even Doctor Po would not address. He publicly accepted the mistake scenario, but suspected that it happened in retaliation for his heated discussion with J just days before. They had worked in harmony for years which of course could be why there was tension now. Heero had begun to make demands, a fact that must have shocked many.
He stepped into the corridor that led to his quarters and remembered two very different scenes that had taken place here in the last 24 hours. He had practically chased Duo down the hall, desperate to sate his sexual desire, and moments later had been carted away in near delirium. Heero wasn't used to mistakes made by himself or the Project team, and that made him uneasy. It seemed his perfect world had taken quite a tumble in the last couple of weeks.
He stood outside the door to his apartment and took a deep breath. The biggest agent of change in his life was beyond these walls. Fact was Heero never knew what to expect from Duo Maxwell. Maybe that was why he liked him so damn much; one minute he was joking and the next he was ready to knock Heero's head off. Opposites really did attract.
"Enter," Heero said and stepped into his quarters.
It wasn't quite noon time and the chandelier was on over the dining room table. Having the light on seemed welcoming, but curiously there was no Duo here to greet him. Heero frowned. He had specifically asked Miss Noin to let Duo know that he was being released.
"Oh, Mandy! You came and you gave without taking..."
Heero cocked his head. Was that singing?
"But I sent you away... Oh, Mandy!"
It sounded like Duo, and it was coming from the bedroom. Heero's heart pounded. If Duo was singing did that mean he was... happy?
Heero headed into the bedroom and then heard the sound of the shower mixed with Duo's continued warbling. He obviously didn't know all the lyrics to the song, because he repeated them over and over.
Heero stepped into the bathroom, the steam from the shower leaving the room in a misty, warm fog.
"Duo?"
The singing suddenly stopped. "Heero?"
"Yeah."
"You're home?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, God! Give me a second, I'm all soaped up."
Heero swallowed hard. That was fine by him. He had spent the better part of his stay in the clinic imagining sex with Duo. He stripped out of his shoes and the t-shirt and jeans he'd been given to wear on his release from the clinic. "Take your time," he said, as he quickly undressed.
He opened the shower door and stepped into the spray of hot water with Duo.
"Oh, man," Duo said, his eyes wide with surprise. "Miss Noin made it sound like you wouldn't be here for awhile."
Heero ran his hands up Duo's arms. "Were you getting ready for me?"
"Uh..." Duo looked flabbergasted.
"You have a nice singing voice," Heero said, leaning in and kissing Duo's cheek.
"Thanks, uh... I wasn't expecting you so soon."
"You said that already."
Heero was getting hard looking at Duo's soapy, glistening body. He was using that earthy, musky-scented soap again, and his hair was undone, and hanging heavy and wet down his back. It appeared as though he was preparing for Heero's return.
"I like you like this," Heero said, letting his hands slide around Duo's waist and encouraging their bodies closer.
"Are you sure you're up to this?"
"Mm-hmm," Heero said, nuzzling Duo's neck. "I need you, Duo."
A small gasp escaped Duo's mouth, but he quickly turned serious as he took Heero's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. "Don't mess with me."
Heero mirrored the intensity. "I do need you, Duo. You showed me that the other night."
Duo's cobalt-blue eyes were impossibly large, seeming to study Heero for any sign of insincerity. "I think those drugs did something to your brain."
Heero grinned, hearing the twinge of humor in that statement. "Maybe they did, but something's changed in you, too."
"You got me there." Duo's hands slipped from Heero's face to his shoulders and he was slowly easing forward, looking to Heero's eyes and then to his lips and back again. "It just isn't fair."
"What isn't?"
"This attraction." Duo focused on Heero's lips, planting a solid kiss on them and bringing their bodies together in a heated embrace.
They were slick and wet and their hands caressed arms, legs, bottoms, touching each other in a gentle urgency. Heero's body was on fire, his lips seeking Duo's, his cock hardening and pressing between their bodies. He could fuck Duo right now, right here with Duo's legs wrapped around his waist, but he wanted more than that, he needed to share what they had begun the other night.
He turned off the water and stepped from the shower, pulling Duo with him. Duo eagerly followed, maintaining the contact with a touch, a kiss. Heero pulled him into his arms, his hands kneading Duo's backside, and his mouth pressed firmly against Duo's. He moved them towards the bedroom, slowly making their way until they reached the bed and fell onto their sides in each other's arms.
When Duo reached down and touched his cock, Heero hissed and thought he would come, but somehow managed to hang onto fragments of control. He pushed Duo further onto the bed, settling between Duo's legs and humping, rubbing their hard sexes together.
There was a nudge to his shoulders and then Duo was pushing him away and over. At first Heero wasn't sure what Duo wanted, but then Duo nodded to the empty space next to them.
"Lie down," he said.
He liked Duo willing and pro-active in bed, and he obliged by turning onto his back. Heero was as aroused as he'd ever been and now he knew he wanted to take Duo cowboy style. If Duo was truly willing, he could ride Heero and enjoy this exactly how he wanted.
Duo was immediately on him, slithering over him, his hair everywhere, his body still slick with soap. He licked Heero's body, first his cock, then running that talented tongue over his belly to his nipples. Heero knew that Duo had found pleasure with him before, even when he had let Heero have his way, but this change to a Duo who fully participated, made their coupling all the more incredible.
Heero reached for the lubricant and Duo took it from his hands, grinning with a self-assurance that was electric. He watched as Duo's long fingers stroked gel over his cock, sending his pulse racing even faster. When Duo ground his cock into Heero's thigh with a lick of his lips, Heero knew it was time for the rodeo to begin.
"Want to ride?" Heero asked.
"Yeah," Duo moaned.
Duo straddled Heero's thighs like he was mounting a quarter horse on a cattle ranch. He held Heero's cock at the base of the shaft and eased forward over it. The anticipation was nearly unbearable, and Heero nudged Duo to raise his ass further. Then, Heero slipped two lubed fingers inside Duo for some quick prep. Duo closed his eyes and sank down onto those fingers, causing Heero to moan just watching him.
Anxious to dispense with the preliminaries, Heero pulled out and grabbed his cock to position it beneath Duo. The tip brushed against Duo's ass, teasingly rubbing it back n' forth. Duo all but growled and then grabbed Heero's hand to still the motion. He sank down, slowly, moaning as Heero eased into him. Duo arched his back beautifully, his damp hair falling over his shoulders. At last joined, Duo squeezed his buttocks and then began to rock, adjusting to the cock inside him.
Heero felt dazed by the sight and feel of Duo. He was remarkable like this, taking him in, gripping him in what felt like a warm fist. Heero did his best to give Duo control. He raised his thighs off the bed as an encouragement for Duo to get this bronco started. Duo quickly lost his inhibitions and began riding Heero, sliding on his cock, up and down, moaning as he did.
They'd never fucked this way before, with so much trust and abandon. This was Duo's show to rock n' roll, and fuck Heero's cock all he wanted. And fuck he did. He leaned forward, his ass working hard to get all it could of Heero, taking him in, inch by inch, all the way to the hilt and back again.
"Oh, yeah..." Duo moaned. "Fuck... yeah."
His cheeks were flushed, his hands gripping Heero's forearms as Heero lifted his thighs and hips thrusting back a little harder, a little faster each time.
"So good inside you, Duo...."
"Yeah, feel you... inside me."
It was the most pillow talk they'd ever shared and it was quickly overheating Heero's pistons.
"Fuck me," Duo said, throwing his head back.
Heero picked up the rhythm, using his hands to bring Duo down onto his cock harder. With each thrust Duo let out a low moan. It was growing louder and needier the longer they fucked, feeling each other's bodies get hotter.
"Yeah... harder," Heero moaned. "Come on... take it all." He didn't want to close his eyes, didn't want to miss a second of Duo riding him, bucking on his lap, taking his length with each thrust.
The flush had spread to Duo's neck and chest, his lips curled into a perpetual "oh" moan. Heero took Duo's cock in hand and stroked, sending Duo over the edge into orgasm. "God, Heero!"
Focused on the vision of Duo in ecstasy, Heero came, thrusting with each pulse through him. Mind blowing pleasure ripped through his body, and he cried out, "Duo!"
When Duo collapsed into his arms, Heero could scarcely breathe, but he didn't care. He realized it wasn't the drugs that had changed his brain chemistry, it was Duo.
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