AN: Okay, so I recently rewatched Gundam Wing for like the seventh time, and was suddenly struck by the desire to scribble down a 2x5 fic. No one likes Wufei, he's a bit of a dick, but I find him interesting. So this is me trying to figure out why...and pairing him with Duo. Because Duo makes everything better!

Mission "Get Agent Chang to Relax" and other nightmares

Chapter 1

Wufei made his way through the Preventers offices as quickly as he physically could without running. Lady Une had seen fit to have this latest debriefing run on for hours and Wufei was within a hairs breadth of sleeping on his feet. All he wanted was to get to his own office, lock the door and take a nap on the horribly lumpy sofa he kept in there for such occasions. Nodding curtly to the other agents who greeted him as he passed, Wufei finally saw his office door and had to use all his self restraint not to just sprint the last few meters to that tiny room of blessed solitude. The latest mission had been tough, nothing much of a real challenge for a Gundam pilot, but the endless meetings and paperwork after the actual fieldwork was where the real challenge lay. Things were simpler during the war where all he had to do was blow shit up and leave to go blow more shit up. No need for writing endless reports…..in triplicate. God how he hated paperwork.

Finally reaching his office, Wufei quickly locked the door, pulled the blinds and shed his boots, jacket and tie before pulling a tiny pillow and light blanket out from one of the many filing cabinets filling his tiny office. Une had offered him a much larger office closer to her own, but Wufei preferred this one since he had made all the necessary safety adjustments to it. Even though he had helped design the security for this building, Wufei still didn't feel completely safe without adding a few extra touches to his own space. Residual paranoia from the wars he supposed. Tugging the tie from his hair and scraping a hand through the inky strands, Wufei sighed, put his phone on divert to the administration staff, flicked off the lamps and threw himself onto the sofa ready to grab an hour's nap. He still had to finish the seemingly endless paperwork for this case, so he'd mostly likely be stuck in the office till the small hours.

Wufei groaned at the thought – lord knew he needed a holiday, but the thought of all the work that would pile up in his absence made him shudder. Also the nightmares had been flaring up again recently, being around other people kept them at bay. The idea of spending time on his own with those horrible visions circling his mind honestly scared him. Much better to stay here at work, where he never got to sleep long enough for the nightmares to truly surface. With that thought in mind, Wufei finally allowed his weary body to relax, sinking into welcome oblivion.

Duo looked up at the Preventers offices and grinned. He was feeling a bit restless again; Hilde had noticed the signs and quickly decided to go visit some of her friends on another colony before Duo roped her into doing some sort of extreme sport again. Hilde claimed she would never go on a trip he planned ever again, not after the "adventure holiday" he dragged her on last time Duo had got a touch restless. Duo had tried contacting Heero to see what the ever stoic perfect solider was up to (and if there was anything Duo could help him blow up), but Heero informed him that he was simply providing security to the former Queen of the World, and there would be no explosions to be had on Heero's watch. Trowa was another dead end; he was busy overseeing Quatre's security as the blond undertook yet another business trip. But there was very little need for three Gundam pilots on that detail.

So that left Wufei and the Preventers. Lady Une had told them all that they were always welcome to come to her for work. Wufei was the only one of the five of them that decided to stay on full-time, but Heero often took missions when they needed his expertise, as did Trowa whenever Quatre or the Circus didn't need him. Duo had yet to take Une up on the offer, being somewhat reluctant to get stuck into all the restrictions and paperwork official Preventer work entailed. Somehow he had difficulty imagining him fitting the Preventer mould the way Wufei did – Duo wasn't exactly the most 'honourable' of fighters. He chuckled to himself; well at least there was more of a chance of him getting to blow some shit up here than anywhere else. Hilde was right; Duo was a complete adrenaline junkie, all this peace was starting to make his trigger fingers itch for some action.

Duo had called Une a few days previous, asking if she needed his particular brand of expertise with anything. He remembered clearly the appraising look she had given him on the vid-phone, shuffling through a few papers before a tiny smile crept onto her face. Duo almost hung up on her at that point, feeling that nothing good come of that smile, but he squared his shoulders and told her that he'd be at her office in a few days. So here he was, sauntering through the building like he owned the place, waving to the handful of familiar faces he saw while simultaneously scoping out the security and exits. It was all pretty solid, a few blind spots that he could see, but nothing major. Unsurprising really, given that Wufei had designed the security with Heero's help.

Upon reaching Une's secretary, Duo perched himself on her desk and gave her his brightest smile, "could you tell Commander Une that the God of Death has come a-knocking?", he asked.

The woman, merely glared over her glasses at him, "if you would care to take a seat Mr Maxwell, Commander Une will be with you momentarily".

Slightly deflated by the lack of reaction (although only to be expected given who the woman worked for), Duo threw himself into the nearest armchair and sighed dramatically. "It seems I have lost my touch, no one fears Death anymore".

"I wouldn't say that Maxwell, we've just danced with the reaper too often and know his moves by now," came a cool, clipped voice from over his shoulder.

Duo leaned his head back, observing the figure in the office door upside down and waving a sloppy salute, "hey there Commander Une, looking sharp as always" he drawled.

"I see you haven't changed a bit either", replied Une mildly, arching an eyebrow at the young man draped over the armchair, long braid coiled on the floor behind him; "if you would step into my office, I can brief you on the mission I have in mind for you".

Duo sprang lightly out of the chair, stepping up to Une's side and beaming up at her "Will there be explosions?" he enquired, indigo eyes sparkling. Une merely gave another enigmatic smile, "Come in and we will discuss the details" she replied.

Duo skipped in past her and made himself at home in one of the chairs in front of the Commander's desk. The secretary followed him in with a tea tray before withdrawing and closing the door. Once Une had settled herself at the desk, she fixed Duo with a sharp gaze, causing him to self consciously sit up straighter. There was just something about this woman that demanded respect, Duo admired that.

"So what mission do you have for me?" he enquired.

"Well it isn't so much a formal mission as a personal favour", Une replied, smiling at him again. Duo raised an eyebrow in reply, "Go on" he encouraged.

Une sighed, frowning slightly, "Agent Chang…..Wufei, he needs to take a break before he collapses," she stated.

Duo frowned at her, "Can't you just order him to take some personal leave? Surely you don't need me to drag him out of his office. I thought you needed some shit blown up!"

"Maxwe- Duo. Please. I'm honestly at a loss about how to get him to take a break. Every time I suggest it, he finds some other mission, or report, or flaw in security to tackle and forgets all about looking after himself – it's almost like he doesn't want to be alone. Sally has tried talking to him as well, but short of ordering him on medical leave there's nothing she can really do, and there's no grounds for medical leave right now. Duo, he rarely goes home, he's practically living in that shoebox of an office he insists on keeping." Une, massaged her temples, gazing earnestly at Duo, "I really need your help on this. I think he'll only listen to one of you pilots."

"Surely Quatre would be a better choice, he's the one who's good with all the Space Heart-y feelings stuff, I'm the stealth and demolitions expert, and 'Fei and I aren't exactly bosom buddies!" Duo whined, although he was curious to see the other pilot now, just to see if Wufei was really as neurotic as Une was making him out to be.

"Winner was my preferred choice, but he's been much too busy to take the time to help out. Yuy suggested I ask you when I consulted him".

"Heero suggested me!?" Duo asked incredulously, "Okay yeah, sure. I get that Heero is much too similar to Wufei be of much use, he'd probably start helping 'Fei with whatever project he invented next." Duo sighed again, "and Tro would be just as bad given he rarely strings more than five words together. Guess that just leaves me and Quat, and if Quat is busy I'm the last resort. Fan-fucking-tastic." Duo flopped back in his chair, pouting at the woman in front of him. "I wanted to blow crap up, not babysit Wufei I-have-a-massive-stick-rammed-up-my-ass Chang."

"I'd really appreciate your help on this Duo, I don't want my best agent to work himself into an early grave" Une beseeched, probably knowing from the look Duo was giving her that he was going to help out anyway. "And once you get back from the holiday I promise to find a mission for you with a suitable amount of explosions" she winked at him.

"Okay sold!" Duo beamed at her, "So where do I find Mr Workaholic?"