Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Aloha ❯ Chapter 2

The music seeped into his dream. Old jazz, some woman singing in a voice that blended around with the music. It was his music, one of his favorites, but he couldn't remember the name of the singer.

"Maxwell?" A woman's voice interrupted his dream, interrupted the pretty music.

Une. He knew her too, but he liked the music a lot more.

Claws scrapped over his chest, like huge tentative cat pawings; not enough to hurt, just enough to let him know the demon was back. He lay still, trying not to vary his breathing at all, but he wasn't as good at it as Heero. ::Are you coming home,:: it hissed at him, black liquid oil voice that soaked him in numb, in anger. ::Did you think you saw love in his eyes? A murderous slut like you?::

Years, it had been years since the demon had visited him, though once they'd been constant companions. Deathscythe had slayed the demon, he'd thought, sent the thing for good. And he was all grown up now, too old for scary projections from his subconscious. ::Is that what you think I am? You're not good enough for him, the one with the bittersweet chocolate eyes. Good enough for him to kill you.::

"Shut up," he snarled, sitting up in a rush, then groaning over his ribs. "Oh man! Damn demons!"

"Excuse me," Une snarled, her own alter ego snarling through a little.

"Bad dream," he explained, though he was patting down his chest, as discreetly as possible. New holes in his body were the last things he needed. "How did I get back here?"

"Regulars found you by your motorcycle. Looked liked you'd been mugged, lost your watch and wallet. You have two broken ribs. What were you doing there?"

Duo ran his tongue over his teeth and his fingers around his wrist, naked wrist. "Damn, I liked that watch. Did you interview the woman who was on the second level of the Aloha Tower? There were for men, suspicious, out of place. They were holding her by force when I arrived."

"There was an Asian woman who had a heart attack as she was running down the pier. If that's the woman you're talking about, she's dead."

"Great. I gotta write up my report. We gotta find these guys."

"Really? Duo." She ended her sentence there, just his name, as if that summed up a wide variety of complaints. "Why don't you take a couple days off?"

Duo swung his legs around and flexed one shoulder then the other. He ignored the demon breathing on his neck. It wasn't there. "I'm not hurt that badly. How about desk duty and a bit of research for a couple weeks?"

Une's eyes narrowed. There were only two field officers she had anything to do with personally. Wufei and Maxwell were both more trouble than they were worth, sometimes. "Desk duty, for two weeks. Nothing, except research while your rib heals?"

"I intend to do research for a couple weeks," he said smiling lightly, centering himself before standing up. A lot of research on these people, he thought. "I'm not trying to make you trouble, Une. I'm mature now," he said, grabbing up his shirt from the back of the couch. "Besides, I'm not the one sitting here watching a half naked subordinate, am I?"

"Maxwell. If it hadn't been for me, you'd have been in the hospital still." Une rose too though, watching every movement and expression.

"Thanks, Une, really." He gave her a more genuine smile, shrugging his shirt on over his sore side, then doing the buttons one handed. "What caused the fire?"

"I don't know. It wasn't a matter for Preventers, just a local issue. By all means, enjoy researching it. Do not make me be creative in ways to keep you safe, Agent Maxwell."

Duo powered on his work terminal as he sat down, hiding the pain from his side with a bright smile. As he searched for a snappy come back to her threat, he realized that he was in a better mood than he'd remembered being in for a long time. In fact, he couldn't remember being in a better mood. The kiss still felt real on his lips, every little sensation of the man taking over his mouth returned vividly to his thoughts. "Uh, Une, you know, I think I'm better than I have been in a long time," Duo said, eyebrows drawing down a little. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"No." She said, sounding almost dangerously military.

"Yeah, me neither," Duo said, not knowing what it was called, this feeling and lovely feeling of hope that he felt now.

She left then, just turned and walked out. Duo waved at her back, wondering why he had that affect on authority figures, really. It was one of the perks of this job though, tweeking Une's nose. Grinning then, really light all the way into the core of his being, he buzzed his assistant, "Mika, you out there?"

"Duo! Yes, I didn't know you were awake! I was so worried about you!"

He smiled more. "Mika, you know I'm always going to be okay. Bring me some coffee, uh? I want you to draw some people for me too, so bring some paper."

"Sure Duo," she said, her mind already drifting off to what she needed to get done. "Be right there."

As soon as he let go of the intercom button, he started typing in search strings. Bradley Evan Crawford went into the criminal database that went back for the last 300 years. He held his breath, as the search went on, hoping it wouldn't show anyone, but then it did, 250 years in the past. Bradley Evan Crawford and the photo was exactly the right man, right down to the white suit. Bradley Evan Crawford, 27 years old, at least, but Duo was really sure that the deceased date was way out of date.