Escaping
by Elyndys
Part 18
Heero shifted up a little so he was leaning back against the headboard. He thought for a minute. "It might be a lot to ask of you. I suppose I'm asking you to be a detective: use your own knowledge and contacts together with any information you, or we, find out."
Duo sat up and smoothed stray hairs back into his braid. "It doesn't sound too much for me to handle, even if I say so myself. But..." he shrugged and got up off the bed, leisurely making his way to the large wardrobe and unlocking it. "It just might seem a little strange... Almost like I was spying on my home..." He retrieved a briefcase from the wardrobe and relocked the door, returning to the bed. "Betraying the colonies..."
Heero hadn't thought about it like that before. He supposed... that was what he had been doing, moving to Earth permanently and eventually joining its police force... but then another thought struck him. "We're not traitors, Duo. I don't consider myself to be taking sides. I'm just doing what I see as the right thing."
Duo smiled, as if what Heero said had pleased him, and started up the laptop he'd removed from the briefcase. "Well, that makes two of us. Now we've just got to make everyone else do the same." He grinned, but Heero knew it wasn't a joke. "I know plenty of places where stuff like this gets talked about. It's pretty cryptic, not a lot of people would be able to work it out, but..." he hesitated." I've been involved in things like this myself before. I know what I'm looking for."
Heero could imagine. After all, he'd had some pretty good ideas himself of where to research criminal activity. He wasn't sure his superiors would approve, if they knew but they probably didn't even know most of it was possible. And if the criminals were caught, everyone was happy. Heero had always maintained that if the rules were wrong, he didn't have to follow them.
Duo had linked up the laptop to the satellite connection and was busily typing locations into several windows. Heero moved to sit next to him on the end of the bed, leaning in to look at the screen. It was a messageboard where the threads had such titles as "Space pollution: the main culprits" and "Protect yourself from police brutality". Heero smirked wryly. It seemed Duo was right to think that this was a good sort of place to start looking.
"See, whenever there's something being planned there's always people talking about it. This year people were asking about the summit, but the replies and chat were very vague. Now I think about it, I guess that might be... unusual..." He shifted a little on the bed. Heero looked at him quizzically. Duo gave a nervous laugh. "It's just... you're..." he looked sheepish. "You're sitting very close to me..."
Heero stared at him for a minute and then understood. He laughed.
"I'm glad you think it's funny!" Duo said hotly, and Heero moved away a little. As he clicked and typed, Duo continued to talk, half to himself, it seemed to Heero. "I can't believe this, a few weeks ago I was on the colony, I had a boyfriend, I was getting some whenever I wanted! Then I come to earth, meet the perfect man he's dedicated and smart and isn't just interested in my body. But guess what, he's married... and gorgeous... Not a good combination, overall..." Duo was mumbling by now, almost under his breath, but Heero was close enough to hear. Duo sighed, set the laptop on the floor and turned back to Heero. "It's true Heero just sitting here next to you was... distracting me. Especially certain parts of me. Just like earlier, watching you by the window... I can't stop thinking about you, Heero! Y'know" he made a very vague hand gesture that Heero nevertheless understood and couldn't help but find amusing "I've been taking cold showers every morning to stop myself thinking about you. Otherwise I think I might have made myself sore, with all that *thinking*."
Heero smirked again. "If it's any consolation" he leaned closer "I thought about you too."
Duo made a frustrated sound and looked away. "That image does not help!" As if drawn by magnetism, though, he turned his face back to Heero and pressed their mouths together. "God..." he spoke against Heero's lips in between and into kisses "This... isn't getting us very far..."
Heero nodded, pulling back and noting the odd mixture of relief and disappointment that passed over Duo's face. "I should go anyway."
Duo nodded then, and sighed. "Yeah, I know. I have to say though, it wasn't that I didn't enjoy being distracted." He picked up the laptop again and put it on the dressing table. "I'll do what I can. But right now... I think I need a shower..."
Heero smirked. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Duo grinned back at him. "You'd better."
~*~
It suddenly occurred to Heero that the summit was soon going to be over. It was a relief that there had been no further incidents, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of dissatisfaction for other reasons.
They still didn't know who had planted the cameras, who had hacked into the network. Whoever had gone to all that trouble assuming it was the same organisation was clearly planning something that he urgently needed to find out about, and he was barely any closer than he had been at the beginning. He and Duo has spent the last few evening s combing through messageboards, online journals, chatrooms and any other place they suspected might have any hints at all. Duo had spoken to friends and contacts in the colonies, people he thought likely to be able to help. They had collected various snippets of things they thought might have significance; but so far the pieces hadn't snapped into place. It had been frustrating; but at the same time, Heero had enjoyed spending time working with Duo.
Duo, who would soon be leaving. Another reason why he was reluctant for the summit to end. Somehow, without him expecting it or even consciously encouraging it, he had come to see Duo as an integral part of his life, himself... He had never called it, as Duo had done, love: but he could not quash the suspicion, the potential, the spark he knew it was... They had disciplined themselves in their work together, each using his own laptop to carry out his own research; but every so often, Heero had heard the clicking and tapping stop, and felt eyes on him... Turned to see the amused hint of apology in Duo's eyes as they approached and he was kissed; but he never resisted... He allowed himself that little...
Heero realised with a start that their roles had been reversed and he was the one staring this time. Duo was waving a hand in front of his face and grinning.
"Hello, Heero... You were drifting off there man! What're you thinking about?"
Heero turned his chair sideways from the corner of the table he was using and stretched his legs out. "I was just thinking about the end of the summit. It's not far off. What are we going to do?"
Duo frowned. "I know. It's dangerous if they're going to do something, they're going to have to do it soon and we still have no idea what."
Heero was glad Duo was thinking the same way. But at the same time... he wanted a break from thinking about it. "I was thinking more about us. You'll be leaving once the summit is over." I don't want to be without you.
Duo gave Heero the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen, eyes wide as if in surprise and catching the light. "Heero..." He got up and went to Heero, crouching to bring their faces level. "See, persistence does have its reward." He kissed Heero suddenly, passionately and Heero received it hungrily, craving the feeling. Before he could realise it, Duo was straddling his hips on the chair, keeling in such a way that they touched... Heero moaned and broke the kiss, torn. It felt... amazing but if he didn't stop it would he be able to later? He felt helpless, being pushed by the force of his own pent-up feeling.
He hesitated a long moment, just watching Duo... caught up... Then... brought his hands to Duo's hips, slowly, rested them there. "Kiss me."
Duo obeyed, a smile curling his lips as he breathed a little quicker and leaned in again. Heero realised how easy it was, how normal... He thought of how much he would miss this if he were to lose it, even for a short time... Quite naturally, as if they both thought the same thing at the same time, the kiss slowed, became more tender: the heat was now warmth. It nearly hurt Heero to eventually break it... When they did, he rested his forehead against Duo's. The embrace was no longer sexual; it was comforting, Heero felt a communion...
"I don't want you to go."
Duo smiled, bittersweet. "I can't afford to stay here! I'm not rich! The government have paid for my trip, they're not going to fork out any more." He sighed frustratedly. "And you've already said you can't come with me, I know that..." He fell silent again, his arms round Heero's neck, rubbing his cheek against Heero's.
Heero held him, arms now round Duo's waist, concentrated on the warm body pressed to his, the darkness as he closed his eyes and just felt.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, it seemed, it was past his lips before he could even think of stopping it; instinct taking over. "Stay with me."
Duo pulled back sharply and looked him in the face. "What?!"
"I'm serious. Stay here on Earth. That way..." he went on, reluctant, but knowing he couldn't avoid admitting the truth "I can protect you."
Duo laughed delightedly. "The best thing about that is, you know perfectly well I can look after myself, but you still want to do it." He sobered, and looked into Heero's eyes, getting even closer. "There's a word for that."
Heero pressed on, determined. "If there is a revolution or something like one, you might be in danger. Colony people might not trust you for your dealings with Earth."
"That's ridiculous! What is it you're going to make me do? Something so terrible? You told me..." His outburst faded, and he sighed. "I know, I know, you're right." He kept his gaze on Heero's. "And of course I want to stay. But with you? That's what you meant, isn't it."
Heero didn't say anything.
"I don't know... Hell, just seeing you for five minutes has a pretty strong effect on me." He shifted in Heero's lap. "What's living with you gonna do?" He contrived to look so forlorn that Heero smirked. Duo smiled as well. "But we'll endure this together." He moved on Heero's knee so he sat sideways, leaning back on Heero's shoulder and taking his hand. "After all... we'll have all the time we need together, soon enough."
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