Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ In the City at Night ❯ Terms of... ( Chapter 19 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Terms of...
"How many boyfriends am I supposed to have?" Heero demanded of Quatre, putting his hands on his hips as he glowered at the blond.

Quatre fought a grin, "You never told me you had one...how am I supposed to know?"

Trowa started laughing evilly as Wufei smirked and looked away.

Heero surveyed the three of them with his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes.

"You're such a hot piece of property," Wufei snickered the words. "When whoever it was mentioned a boyfriend...I mean, you're not exactly monogamous."

Trowa choked, snickering evilly as Quatre coughed back his own laugh.

Heero leaned forward and slammed both his palms onto the tabletop; they were in their kitchen. "I don't think that's very funny."

"Who the hell called, anyway?" Trowa asked. "He didn't say his name."

"It was Chaz," Heero retorted, giving him a look. "So not only did the three of you pass my phone off to each other all day, but you told my friend I'm a gay player?"

The trio burst out laughing at the question, knowing Heero really was pissed. Wufei felt slightly bad, as well as Quatre, but Trowa had his trademark indifference in play.

Heero laughed a little himself, thinking about the statement. "God, you'd think...was it Jor who talked to him last?"

"Uh, no, it was Paris." Quatre muttered. "I haven't seen Jor since early this morning."

Wufei forced a smiling shrug, but a flash of nervousness betrayed his guilt to Quatre. The blond studied the Chinese man in silence before looking back to Trowa.

"I told him...Chaz? I said I was your boy-toy," Trowa muttered. "Well, I quoted Dirty at him first...but yeah. Deb thought it was pretty funny."

"She would," Heero muttered, rolling his eyes with a grin as he lowered himself into his chair at the table, thinking. "Wanna tell me what you all told Chaz? He's a bit confused."

"I had just hung up with him in the breezeway," Wufei explained. "He was all up in arms that the phone had been passed again. He ended up asking me to tell your boyfriend that you two were just friends. Seeing as I didn't know you had one," he grinned, "I asked him which one. It was an honest mistake, really."

"And you're an innocent virgin," Heero retorted, rolling his eyes.

Wufei laughed.

"He tactfully asked if I was your boyfriend," Quatre noted. "I said that I wasn't and Paris was right there. He picked up on the game. He took the phone and told Chaz..."

"Paris?" Heero asked, blinking as he thought quickly. Quatre'd brought Gina around the group of them plenty of times, and Varia a few more, but the blond didn't have many male friends that the group knew of.

"Yeah, Paris," Quatre frowned a moment. "He's taller'n me...really shy."

"Oh! The lanky one," Wufei nodded as he looked to Heero. "The one with the brown-blond hair...red highlights...right?" he appealed to Quatre.

Quatre gave him a level look and nodded. He wasn't overly shocked that they didn't know Paris' name, but he thought he'd brought the guy around enough...to...

"He's coming over in a while," Quatre realized, sitting up. "I invited him over for some supper."

The group blinked at each other.

"I want to introduce him to Jor," Quatre added, looking to Trowa. "You guys don't mind, do you?"

"I can't say that I would," Heero agreed somewhat laconically. "But it's good you reminded us of his name...I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. Gotta be nice to my boyfriends and all that..."

Quatre started laughing and the group fell into an easy banter about how many supposed boyfriends Heero could get away with claiming...which led into assigning them each numbers. The conversation was easy-going enough that they managed to forget they were in the middle of a political crisis. The jokes distracted them enough that the base being on lock-down didn't mean much...

There was an almost hesitant tap on the door and Quatre rose to his feet as Heero darted from the table.

"It's for me," Quatre protested, following after.

Heero laughed naughtily, "But he's my boyfriend."

As he said this, he pulled the door open to beam at an absolutely blushing guy who completely avoided his eyes.

"Hi, Paris," Heero muttered happily, extending a hand. He looked the guest over, commiting his face to memory. He doubted he'd forget him ever again after Chaz's confused ramble about boyfriends, but that would help him keep it straight, right?

He was quite a bit taller than Quatre's six feet, and Heero was amused to notice that he had very long and dark eyelashes around blue eyes. He was handsome, as far as Heero cared to think about that, and...he really did just look long.

"Hi," the guy returned nervously, shaking his hand slightly and ducking past him to the comfort of Quatre's personal space.

"He's just teasing," Quatre reassured the guy. "You okay?"

"Can we go?" Paris almost breathed the question, embarrassed by the amusement he felt all around the room.

"I thought we were gonna have dinner," Trowa protested, rising from the table to move closer so the guy could feel him. He knew there were time when Quatre needed to sense the emotions, and it'd probably help the male relax. At least, he hoped it would. "I was gonna make something."

Paris blinked at him, startled.

"You should call Jor before you head over," Wufei added, wondering suddenly if the guy had left the interrogation room or not. He hadn't heard from him since leaving him at the entrance to the building.

That didn't bode too well, actually.

"He should be home by now," Quatre protested. "I don't know what he was doing, but...it's five already."

Wufei shrugged.

"Une called him to her office at one point," Heero noted, thinking back. "She's setting up his swat team and wants to know what he's gonna do with them."

Wufei swallowed slightly, trying to control his guilt at having assisted in directly violating Heero's wishes. He was grateful Quatre and his little friend were across the room from him, and tried to think about something else very quickly...

Paris frowned slightly, then turned to give him a curious look.

Wufei froze.

"What?" Heero asked, following Paris' gaze to Wufei. He frowned, looking back to the guy, "What's wrong?"

Wufei met eyes with Paris, wondering if he was a stronger empath than Quatre. The idea in and of itself was mildly terrifying.

"He's not going to take your loyal play things," Quatre muttered almost reassuringly to Wufei. His expression showed clearly that he knew this wasn't the genuine issue.

"Uh," Paris muttered, looking to Quatre.

"I know he wouldn't take them," Wufei muttered quietly, not meeting Paris' eyes. "Instant reaction...my people are good."

"I want to have a few drinks over there," Quatre suggested to his friend quietly, then moved his eyes back to Wufei. "You wanna drive us?"

"Sure," Wufei agreed, rising slowly to his feet. "Now...or should we eat?"

X x X x X

Jordan hesitated as the electronic beep sounded to indicate the front door had opened, then looked up to Chai as the girl stared at him in disbelief from her spot on the couch. He looked away a moment, then shut the door behind himself and moved carefully into the living room.

"I'm just gonna stop asking," she noted almost bitterly, staring at the very large black eye he was sporting. "There's no fucking point."

"I talked to Shifton," he explained, moving tiredly to lean down and kiss her. "I wanted to rile him."

"You weren't supposed to talk to him," she noted, then grinned very slightly at the sound of a step.

Jordan looked up slowly, expecting to see Heero...and then realized there was one worse person to see.

Jon was staring at him.

"Hey, Jon," Jor greeted him uncertainly, standing straight. "How are you?"

"Why did he punch you?" Jon demanded evenly. Terry would have...it was Jordan. He knew the type of thing Jordan may have said to push the man over the edge...

"I said you were good to have around," Jordan replied, looking away.

"In that tone?" Jon snapped.

"I was interrogating him, trying to get under his skin," Jordan snapped, moving past the man into the kitchen. "It doesn't matter what I said."

Jon grabbed his arm, meeting his eyes. He stared at the other a long moment, then let him go, starting to shake his head.

"I needed him shook up," Jordan snapped, moving to the fridge and throwing it open. "I just...I didn't mean it, okay?"

"What did you say?" the kingpin snapped in a level tone, moving across the kitchen.

Jordan deflated slightly, closing the fridge slowly as he raised one hand to the massage the bridge of his nose. "It's just..."

"Honey, I'm home!" Quatre's voice sang out as the electronic beep repeated. Jordan moved away from Jon quickly to look down the hall at Quatre, Wufei...and another guy that he hadn't seen before.

"Hey, Quatre!" Chai greeted happily, bouncing to her feet and actually moving to hug him before beaming at his friend.

"This is Paris," Quatre introduced him. "This lovely little taken thing is Chai," he added to his friend. "I keep trying to think of a good way to steal her, but she's in love."

Chai laughed at that.

"Hi," Paris greeted her easily, shaking her hand as he smiled back at her. He could feel something in her that wasn't quite normal, but her emotions were stably happy.

"Hoo, shit," Quatre noted, focusing on Jordan and blinking. "What happened to you?"

"I...what did you tell him, Wufei?"

"I had to admit," Wufei returned. "Paris is a stronger reader than him."

Jordan's expression turned evil as he met the guy's eyes.

Paris blinked at him, focusing on the black eye with interest.

"There's a reason he's in the M building all the time," Quatre noted, then jerked his head to indicate the guy should follow. "This is the infamous Duo Maxwell," he explained. "He's changed his name to Jordan, though, so for all intents and purposes, Duo is dead. Ugh..." he flinched away from Jon as Paris hesitated at the edge of the other man's aura.

"Sorry," Jordan apologized to the group and sighed. "I interrogated Shifton today."

"Did you find out anything useful?" Wufei muttered, stepping forward some.

"Just a minute," Quatre muttered, trying to adjust to the emotions. "Fuck you hurt him, Jor..."

"I..." Jordan started, then trailed off, looking down.

Paris' expression registered surprise, then he focused on Chai in utter disbelief as Quatre relaxed visibly.

"Is that better?" she asked uncertainly.

"You're a quieting?" Paris demanded of her, blinking.

"Not really," she explained. "I have to make it happen."

He blinked again, then looked around and met eyes with Quatre, blinking again.

"It stopped, didn't it?" Quatre muttered, smiling slightly at his friend. "Even you are affected."

Paris nodded, his eyes moving back to Jordan and Jon.

"He's stronger than me," Quatre explained, "so he needs more than me...I mean, even in the special rooms at the hall, I have to have two or three of the quietings around to do what Chai does...and it's still not entirely gone." He studied the girl a moment longer, then focused on Paris. "If you tell anyone about her, I'll get Jordan to kick your ass. She wouldn't be able to handle the hall."

Paris nodded easily as Wufei moved around him then stopped next to him with a smirk. The empath stared at him with intense interest, then looked around again, a slow smile breaking across his face.

"Shifton didn't do it," Jordan added to the Chinese man. "He didn't frame Jon."

"That's Jonathon Breer," Quatre added, indicating the still graven kingpin. "Confidentially, he had a relationship with Shifton."

"You're the one who hired the assassin," Paris noted, his tone dropping.

He sounded evil.

Chai blinked at him as Wufei shifted back. Quatre rested a hand on the man's arm, still studying Jordan as he waited for the reaction.

"I swear to you on my mother's grave that Jon didn't do it," Jordan snapped at the man. "What do you say to that?"

Paris narrowed his eyes as he focused on the pilot. "I say you sell your mother cheap."

"I like Jon," Quatre noted. "If he's not fooling me, then he didn't do it."

"You're not so innocent as you look, are you?" Wufei muttered, still looking him over. "I got the impression you were just some shy boy."

Paris focused on him, blinking as the anger subsided...his own anger and nothing else...it was an odd thought.

"Or maybe it's because you can't control your emotions," Wufei's eyes went distant as he thought, then he waved a casual hand to the group, pulling his phone. He hit a button as he pulled out a cigarette, and moved onto the porch wordlessly.

"What's he doing?" Paris asked blankly.

"I don't know," Quatre returned, turning to focus on Jordan again. "We're hungry."

"I'll make something!" Chai exclaimed, bouncing toward the kitchen.

"But it's my turn!" Quatre protested, tailing after her.

Jon studied the silent visitor a moment, then turned and muttered something to Chai before resting a hand on Jordan's shoulder. "What did you say?"

"I said you were good to have around," Jordan repeated, looking away. "I said that you wanted to get with me...and then muttered some shit about how easy it'd be to use you and lose you."

Jon sighed, his eyes looking hurt.

"I wanted him upset," Jordan persisted, following him toward the front of the house. "I didn't mean what I was saying...I know it sounds bad, but..."

Jon shook his head, "You lie like a snake."

"He's not lying," Paris muttered, studying Jordan with interest. "He's really sad about what he said...and it's not a lie."

Jon studied the guy a moment, then nodded his gratitude. "I need to get back for supper," he muttered, turning to meet Jor's eyes again. "I'll come back over tomorrow."

Jordan crossed his arms as he watched his friend leave the house, then raised his eyes to Paris' uncertainly.

"He didn't do it, did he?" Paris muttered. "You wholly believe that he didn't do it."

"He wouldn't lie to me," Jor agreed, looking away. "Can we not talk about this?"

"You hurt Quatre."

"Great," Jordan sighed, moving to sit against the back of the couch. "I get this again."

"You don't understand at all, do you?" Paris snapped, straightening. "You don't get what it's like when we attach to people...you fuckers become part of us...more than just a friend...it's...you're in us! Why can't anyone understand that!" he turned and punched a wall.

"Paris?" Quatre asked, moving into the hall to blink at his friend. He frowned, focusing on Jordan. "What's up?"

"I had a choice to make," Jordan informed the man. "Leave a helpless seventeen year old girl to die on the streets of Angels or take her in and keep her safe. Quatre had the others, they all dealt with the grief or whatever they had against me...Chai had no one." Jordan shook his head, "I'm not going to take back what I did. I'm not going to apologize more than saying I'm sorry I hurt you. I did what I had to do."

The taller man turned to look at Jordan, his expression losing anger.

"I've loved Chai for years," Jordan added quietly, moving closer to him. "If we weren't in the middle of fuckin' assassins-R-us, I'd have been court-marshaled and sent to prison for five or six years for what I did. What would that have done to Chai? What would she have done without me?" He shook his head, "Shit happens, and you deal with it. I freely and openly admit that I fucked up big-time. I acknowledge that I made a huge mistake. I act to remedy my actions. What do you want me to do? Fall down and start crying?"

"Your leaving hurt more than that," Paris whispered. "It was a lot more than that."

Jordan studied him a long moment, then shrugged as she shook his head. "It's in the past, where it belongs. I'm here now, and I'm not leaving. If you get me a time machine, maybe I can change the past...for now I'll have to work with the future."

Chai moved around the corner to frown at Jordan, "Can't you do this shit without upsetting our guests?"

"You know what," Jordan muttered, focusing on her and raising his eyebrows. "I just went directly against Heero's wishes and pulled Wufei along for the ride. I offended someone I care for very deeply and got into another fight. I had to explain to Une why I was with Shifton when Heero told me not to go there, and then I had to decide what kind of special force my special force team was going to be. I had to decide on how many people I'd train...and then I had to tell my friend about the absolute shit I said that made him sound like a love-blind fool. Throw me in a room with an empath telling me I don't understand what fucked up shit's been going on and you won't like what you see." He took a deep breath, fighting to control his aura. "I'm gonna go in my room, and I'm going to lay down for a half hour because it's time for me to take more Remalene. I'll come back out and be a perfect social butterfly for your entertainment, but right now I'm about at the end of my rope."

She snorted, watching him move into the kitchen, then turned to smile at the others. "I'm sorry about this...he's been tetchy."

Jordan grabbed a can of soda and measured the dose of the drug into his palm, then stormed by them wordlessly and closed the door behind himself as he took the pill.

It really was time for a nap.

X x X x X

Heero was pacing silently, hands on his hips. He hadn't said anything, but it was very obvious he'd found out about Shifton. Jordan watched him moving with vague interest, wondering what for of action the irritation would take. He had it in him to launch himself at Jordan and deck him, but it'd take a sudden rush to make that one happen. He could...just start shouting until his voice went hoarse and he realized Jordan wasn't really present in the room. He could...could...

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Too much to say, maybe," Heero shot back. He looked sidelong at Jor, shaking his head. "You even managed to do exactly what I didn't want you to do."

"I'm talented like that," Jor agreed.

"I have to go talk to him," Heero added, stopping to cross his arms and glare at his friend. "Anything you want me to say to him?"

"Not that comes to mind, no," Jordan tilted his head slightly.

"Did you plan it like that on purpose?" Heero snapped. "You hear they snatched my phone and make a b-line to the building?"

"Actually," Jordan smiled sweetly, "You were retraining."

Heero blinked.

"All your little butterflies and honeybees were with you," Jordan grinned wider. "That meant that I had a bit of time where none of your flunkies would be able to tattle on me. On top of that, they would have had to go run to you to tell on me since you managed to piss Q off."

Heero narrowed his eyes, wondering a moment if Quatre had planned the charade with Jordan or not. He couldn't see Quatre doing it, though. Not to mention there'd been no way for Q to know he'd have sent the message to Une that had set him off. Wufei would have been more manipulative on the matter, but everything had been too un-thought out. Trowa would have just told Jordan blankly to go talk to Shifton. He shook his head.

"How'd that go, anyway? Did you die without your phone?"

"Marginally," Heero sat at his desk with a sigh. "What am I gonna do with you, Jordan? That...you deliberately disobeyed me."

"Tell me the part where that's new or unexpected and I'll help you plot my own demise."

Heero frowned at him.

"Let's put it this way, huh? Terry didn't set Jon up to take the fall, and Jon didn't hire the assassin, so that means that a: Terry hired him, which I don't believe. Or B: someone's setting them both up."

"But who would do that?"

"I'm not that criminally minded, sorry," Jordan apologized, rolling his eyes. "We're opening the base again, aren't we?"

Heero nodded, tapping his pencil against the desktop as he chewed on the tip of his thumb. Finally, he raised his eyes to Jordan's, "You really believe that?"

"That someone set them both up? Yeah. Didn't you say that no one outside your officers club should have known? That suggests to me that someone leaked. Terry told me that he allows people to put in money into his accounts—usually he knows about it, though. Campaign money for re-election, that sort of thing. I didn't directly mention the credit transfer that went through his group of lackeys, but I suspect he had no idea."

"Most people aren't stupid enough to use their own accounts to hire an assassin," Heero agreed, looking over Jor's head as he thought. "Shifton isn't really a stupid man. He might be a bit naïve, but he's not stupid."

"I'll go gather the research Une's gathered on those people who had access to his account," Jor noted, rising to his feet. "I'll see which ones of them might have their eyes on the prize."

"Jon...he wouldn't know about our list," Heero noted, meeting Jordan's eyes. "He doesn't know anyone in the officer's club. He has no connection to it. We need to get Une to look into the members and their contacts. I'll convene a meeting...on Wednesday. All right?"

"You have a lot of power here, don't you?" Jordan asked quietly, stopping to look at his friend. "You..."

Heero smiled slightly and looked away, "I'm twelve on the list."

"Who's eleven?"

"Une."

Jordan snickered at that, then tilted his head, "So doesn't that now make you like...ninth now?"

"Not really, that's another thing we'll be discussing on Wednesday," Heero wrote a quick note on a large desk-calendar in front of him, then looked up again. "We pick the leaders by their ability, not by their station. If the other eight people died off today, that'd be how I got in charge."

The reinstated soldier nodded a bit respectfully at that, starting for the door. "Want me to curry that message for you? About the officer's club?"

"No," Heero said firmly. "You don't know all the members...and neither does she. I'll talk to her about it here in a few hours..." he thought again, then tilted his head. "What's your swat gonna be?"

Jordan flashed him a truly evil smirk as he realized he hadn't told that information. "Why, espionage, of course. Once I get'em all trained, you'll have fifteen charismatic assholes who could steal the clothes off your back without letting you realize it."

Heero grinned at that, "Great. Just what we need."

Jordan laughed, and started for Une's office.


X x X
E/N: If you've made it this far, I salute you. This is the half-way mark, give or take.