Disclaimer: Don't own GW (still, damn it, you'd think after 400k+, maybe… but alas, no…)
Pairing/Warnings: 1x2ness, boys kissing though implied sexual content, sap, fluff, bad language, clichéd-ness
A/N: Title taken from Jet Black New Year by Thursday though no real inspiration from that song…and this is when this is the same Heero/Duo that were in my fic Mr Reckless from a long time ago if people notice that kinda thing...
A big thanks to ELLE for the beta and her (not so gentle) encouragement to post as I was just gonna let this one sit on the hard drive.
Hope everyone enjoys New Years Eve whatever your plans are!
Jet Black New Year
Long fingers tapped on the console of the surveillance truck, a rhythm of some old song, and it was stopped by a hand pushing those fingers down harshly.
"Hey!" Duo said, glancing up at his partner who had leaned over, his voice low and face close.
"If you don't stop doing that you will not make it into next year."
The same threat from a lesser man would not have made Duo Maxwell quiver – all-star Preventer agent, former war hero, ace pilot and general all-around professional bad-ass – but from Trowa Barton it made him swallow, nod and agree. As Trowa was a sneaky bastard – one that could quite easily slit his throat in the middle of the night and make it all appear as though it was an accident. Duo had "accidentally slit his own throat" or something of the sort would be in the official report. There would be no evidence. No way to trace the incident back to the tall man and Duo would be the one to blame.
After all, he knew he had been difficult to be partnered with on this mission and he would fully deserve whatever punishment Trowa wanted to bestow on him. Maybe death was a little harsh. Then maybe it wasn't when he'd spent most of the last three days on edge and an on edge Duo Maxwell was not one that was easy to live with. Trowa was a very patient guy – not the sort to make regular death threats – but it seemed that Duo had pushed him too far.
"Okay," he agreed as Trowa's hand left his and Duo leaned back in the chair, his hands behind his head. "I just wish this goddamn sleeper cell wasn't so fuckin' sleepy is all. Just do the goddamn deal."
Trowa only raised one eyebrow, the one that Duo could see clearly, and leaned back in his own chair as they watched the feeds from the warehouse as the terrorist cell who called themselves, unoriginally, Jet Black, did nothing much of interest.
They had been on surveillance on and off for three days – only given some time for sleep as another team switched with them on a rotation. And the sleep had been in a shared hotel room with Trowa which meant they had spent 72 hours in each other's company. And all that time they had been waiting for the sleeper cell to do something worthy of the Preventers sweeping in and that had not yet happened.
Surveillance wasn't really Duo Maxwell's style – he had told Une that with his usual disregard for authority and she had told him he was doing it despite it not being to his "taste." She was still probably smarting at him for calling her the "psycho bitch from hell" as a joke. A little too loudly but to be fair she deserved that title, setting it up so that he and Heero were not just separated at New Year's but as far away from each other as seemingly possible.
Duo was not sentimental. Hell, neither was Heero. They were young, they had the world's coolest yet most dangerous job, and when they were together things were good – hot and heavy, hands all over each other kinda good – but that could change rapidly and go to not seeing each other for long periods as missions were scheduled opposite one another and they were never in the same place at the same time.
Maybe it was because they'd done some inappropriate things a few months ago around HQ – maybe fucking in the cleaning supply closet was not the most mature thing to do and maybe Duo blowing Heero in one of the staff kitchens – just out of view of the security camera but still in view enough – was not the best idea either but Une didn't need to punish them like this. As while Duo had no real attachment to holidays – Christmas came and went with him alone, Heero working and he had enjoyed the vacation day in his apartment, walking around in boxer shorts, sleeping, eating cold pizza and drinking cheap beer. However, while Christmas had not bothered him, the fact that they were both on missions on New Year's was just plain irritating.
Duo didn't hold for many traditions or give a damn but they had barely seen each other for the entire month of December and most of November – only a memorable weekend where they'd barely left Heero's bed and then a few scattered vid calls – a few "I miss you" messages and a few less innocent messages – promises of what would happen when they were finally together again.
And it was all Quatre's fault that Duo was annoyed about New Year's as he had been talking about his New Year's party. Though Duo was glad he was avoiding it as it would've been depressing without Heero's dry sense of humour and scathing critiques of the other guests muttered under his breath, one thing Quatre had said was still stuck in Duo's head. The thing about kissing someone on the stroke of midnight – that New Year's kiss that was meant to say how much you wanted that person in your life and how you felt.
Duo knew it was impossible that he'd be kissing Heero at midnight as last time he'd checked Heero was in Boston and he was on L3 and neither of their missions were complete. So despite a tentative message and despite Duo's desire to kiss Heero at midnight, to somehow solidify everything and make it something more than just a kiss – a promise into next year, a show of affection, want, desire, need – he knew it wasn't going to happen so he just glared at the damn screens.
"Seems they are getting less sleepy," Trowa said dryly as the first sign of any action appeared on the screen and Duo sat up straight in response as finally – three days late – something was happening.
As the deal was discussed in the warehouse, they checked weapons and their own Kevlar and Preventer gear, listening in to the discussion of weapons and nuclear armaments and they knew it was time, Trowa radioing in orders until they were ready to enter the warehouse in a blaze of glory and gunfire.
Though Duo was kinda pissy about missing Heero, the one thing he would always live for was the mission – the firefight, the feel of a weapon in his hands and the knowledge that he was making the earth sphere a little safer. Once inside the warehouse, Duo went back into Shinigami mode, was able to tackle a runaway terrorist to the ground before he could fire on one of his comrades in an almost stupid move and jump out of the way just in time as a small explosion rocked the building.
It was over quickly, always was, the heat of battle warming his blood, his eyes occasionally meeting Trowa's across the room as men were apprehended, cuffed – some tried to run until the Preventer team had them all, sat on the floor, all ready to be moved to vans, processed and rigorously interrogated. And it was as Duo was cuffing a guy with enough manners to spit at him, that he looked up and saw a familiar figure in the doorway of the warehouse.
There Heero was – looking unruffled, damn perfect in the midst of the aftermath of an explosion –whereas Duo was thoroughly ruffled – covered in dust and dirt and probably some blood. His feet moved before his brain caught up, his body automatically drawn towards Heero, each step bringing him closer. It was unprofessional to run, to run into Heero's arms or whatever, but it didn't stop Duo's footsteps over the rubble and bloodstains, his need to get to Heero deep down in his gut.
"Heero… what the fuck?" he asked as soon as he was close enough, his voice low, his face downcast.
"You said you wanted to kiss at midnight."
Duo gaped at the answer but could only smirk as he looked to meet Heero's eyes straight on.
"You're late, 'Ro," Duo teased and he could feel Trowa roll his eyes from across the room despite the fact he was meant to be apprehending criminals.
Hell, that's what Duo was supposed to be doing but his partner seemed to giving him slack – maybe due to the foul mood he'd been in the last three days. Though while he knew Trowa was giving him some slack he'd be doomed with his superiors – and there was no way he was not getting written up for Heero's appearance. Fuck did he care.
Heero looked confused, a look that Duo found kinda sweet in a weird way as he stepped closer. "It's nearly one – you missed midnight by like an hour, Heero."
There was a moment of realisation in blue eyes and a mumbled "fucking time zones" and Duo couldn't help the grin that lifted the corner of his mouth upwards.
"You missed that? Thought you were perfect and all."
Heero gave him "the Look" – the one that suggested he best shut up. "Do you know what I had to damn do to get here?"
"No, I don't," Duo answered, his hand reaching out as he didn't. He didn't need to know when Heero's mission had finished, how he'd got to this particular colony in the L3 cluster, if he'd had to threaten, kill or bribe men as none of it mattered. "All that matters is you're here."
"It's not midnight," Heero said, aware of the tradition, and of the need for the kiss to take place at exactly midnight as Duo had told him that and that was Heero – so literal.
Duo's only response to that was for the hand that was on Heero's cheek to slide to the back of his neck, to lean in and to brush lips tentatively at first, to press them to Heero's and to then feel Heero's response, his mouth opening, his tongue peeking out, their movements syncing, opposing. Heero's fingers reached for the back of his head, the braid as they always damn did – instinctive as they'd always been.
That's how it'd been all along – instinctive, closed eyes, open hands, needy kisses, pushing and pulling, and Duo lost himself, forgot that he was on a damn mission, that they'd been apart for nearly two months, as it felt right. He loved the small things – how he could taste Heero's last coffee, smell his sweat over the scent of gunpowder, how he could drown in the touch of his soft hair and the feel of his tongue, the way his lips were always chapped, how his jaw had that touch of stubble. It was only as Trowa coughed, loudly, for the benefit of the assembled agents and terrorists that the kiss stopped though Duo lingered for a second before moving back, wiping his lips with the sleeve of his Prev jacket.
"It don't matter that it ain't midnight maybe I just wanted to kiss you."
Heero looked a little incredulous at that. "So I didn't need to hijack that shuttle?"
"You did wha…" Duo started before he saw the slight smile on Heero's face. "Ha, funny. You didn't though?"
"No."
"I just kinda…" Duo shrugged, his head looking back to what he was supposed to be doing and glad that his partner was more understanding than others. He did kinda worry what lengths it had taken Heero to get here but in the end he didn't want to know. It was safer that way. "Never mind. I'm just glad you got here, 'Ro, even if you didn't make midnight."
"Me too," Heero replied and Duo felt a hand on his jaw, a rough thumb on his chin to tilt his face for another slide of lips, the kiss more gentle but with the lingering promise of more. "I guess you should do your job."
"Yeah… but you'll be around?"
Heero nodded, his hands going to his pockets as Duo looked to the action taking place that he should've been a part of – he knew he would get written up for that kiss – written up at the very least. A suspension was pretty damn possible but he didn't fucking care as Heero gave an almost shy little glance before walking away.
And Duo watched for a moment, the smell of detonated explosives in the air, watching the guy he'd fallen too damn hard for walk away. A guy who'd travelled from earth to the fucking colonies just to try kiss him at midnight. Duo shook his head a little and whispered "happy New Year, Heero" before turning to his job and processing the rest of the Jet Black terrorist cell.