Agents 0058

Pairing/Rating: 58/M

Saiyuki AU

Warnings: None at the moment, other than bad plot bunnies and stupid titles. Oh, and violence and profanity. What, you were expecting Mr. Rodgers perhaps?

Summary: Our heroes have uncovered a much bigger case than their usual off-world smuggling. This time there are body parts showing up at local hospitals, 'charity' by an angel call Raphael. Too bad the price for his gifts is the mutilated corpse of a kid or two.

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Ch. 1

"Now why would anyone ever spend good money on something this tacky?" he mumbled under his breath while lightly flicking the rhinestone studded silver skull belt buckle.

"I don't know…some black leather pants and long jacket it might work." A low, sultry voice whispered in his ear.

Jumping back guiltily, he knocked the buckle in question, along with a dozen others, off the rack, their clattering drawing the attention of everyone around him. Resigning himself to his fate he bent down to collect the monstrosities.

"Ni~ce~…never thought I'd be jealous of a pair of jeans, but damn, during my next life remind me to come back as a pair of Levy's."

"I swear to God…"

"Now. Now. You know you can't say anything or this whole thing will have been a waste of time."

"Both of you shut the fuck up! Comms are going silent now!!" The staticy voice cut Vinny off mid-sexual harassment and Michael sighed, he'd have to deal with this one way or another and soon if he wanted to maintain any form of professionalism while working with the man.

It wasn't that he wasn't flattered, he was a good enough guy to work with and he knew enough about the man to know he really did care about the job and helping people, but really, could the man be a bit more subtle perhaps? And why was it only him? Vinny was a notorious womanizer; so why was he getting singled out? If anyone in their squad should be getting this treatment, it should be Gabriel, at least he was pretty.

He sighed again and then made the mark from the corner of his eye as the voice crackled back into life, the low purr in his ear telling him to play it cool, safe, and not to play heroics if things went bad—to roll with the punches and keep his wits about him. It was the same speech he'd made during their first job together when they were on their own.

That time Vinny had gone in and he'd played back-up, recon, and half a dozen other jobs before the world had turned purple and he'd heard his name shouted over the comm. when the mark made Vinny. It had been his voice then, calm, collected, softly telling him it'd be okay, to turn right there, now up the stairs to your left, that's right, I'm here, I'll watch over you, don't worry.

Now go down that hallway, yes, that one. Very good, you're doing just fine, we'll make it through this—I've never lost…I won't lose you, keep going now, another door to your left…wait a moment. Shh…quiet now, calm your breathing, just listen to my voice, trust me, I won't let you go, what did you tell me earlier about your niece being the spunkiest little thing—all that red hair—carrot top that one—must be in the blood, the red just didn't wash out even after all these years. I'd like to meet her, 'Lirin' right? Must be cute, think of her—of your brother and his wife—think Vinny….

Vinny?

Vinny?!

Vincenzo!! Come back to me—don't you fucking leave me too! You understand me! Not you too, you're not allowed, God Damnit!!

He'd pounded the keyboard in frustration as the silence dragged on only to have a small heart attack when a loud pop crackled over the comms.

Hey…Michael? Come on man, relax, I'm okay—comm went down for a minute, I lost you somewhere around the hair, what were you saying?

….

…Michael?

….

..Mi..

Nothing. It's fine. Where are you now?

Um, a few blocks away I think. Meet me at the pizza shop on 83rd?

…Yes. I'll be there in twenty.

Twenty?!

Yes, in case you were followed, can't be too careful.

Then wear a condom. I'm cold and tired and ready for a hot shower back home. Now can we please get out of here already?

"Michael? You okay, man?"

Vinny's voice brought him back to the present; he'd followed unobtrusively as the twenty-something year old man with oily black hair had made a beeline for the back door, hands clutching a backpack to his chest like it was breakable.

"We've got a live one. Proceeding towards rear entrance, back-up requested in alleyway." He murmured quietly into his jacket as he pulled the baseball cap farther over his ears.

Jackson, their boy-wonder K9 handler, popped up out of nowhere with a cheery 'Roger!' on the comms while Gabriel cussed the kid out for always butting in where he wasn't needed. Personally, he thought the sight of their huge sheppard might make things go a bit smoother, but he wasn't the one calling the shots here…Gabriel was and Lord knew the man never let them off easy.

"Michael, heads up man, Jackson's heading towards Montgomery St. you should be able to herd the guy to him without much difficulty."

Michael tipped his head in acknowledgement. He knew the others couldn't see him now that he was outside the building, but it didn't stop him from doing it. There was a corner up ahead, if the guy was heading towards the docks he'd have to turn at Lispenard and then again at Montgomery. He was only half a block behind the guy; it shouldn't be hard to trail him to the meeting point and Jackson, but as he picked his way over the refuse littering the corner of Walker and Lispenard he stopped short, a curse escaping his lips.

"What's wrong? Talk to me, Mike." He frowned at the nickname; he just never saw himself as a 'Mike' and didn't understand why Vinny insisted on calling him it.

"Perp has a bead on Jackson. His back's turned and it doesn't seem like he has Jeep. Why was he allowed out without the damn dog?" He hissed into the comms.

Gabriel's burst of profanity from the second recon van was as wide and varied as a truckers'. If the situation was less serious he might have even laughed at the fatherly devotion he showed towards the boy.

"Get him out of there, Michael! Extreme action is allowed."

Vinny sucked in a quick breath as Michael dipped his chin, his glasses flashing in the fading light as a small, creepy smile inched across his lips. He'd been hoping for this, though he was surprised at the ease in which the change came over him.

"Mike, man, don't leave little bits like last time, okay? It was a fucking nightmare cleaning the guy up." Vinny's voice sounded fuzzy in his ears as he straightened to his full height and stepped out into the alley, his sneakers silent as he trod the cluttered street. The guy was ten feet from Jackson, thirty from him and two feet from either wall. He never knew what hit him as those two feet disappeared beneath his face. The crunch of bone and splurt of blood as they shattered under his hand made Jackson jump, his hand on the stun gun as he whirled around, panic and fear mingling in his large brown eyes.

Michael ducked as the twin electric prongs shot by his head, a feral glint in his eyes as his lips curled back to expose extended canines. Jackson dropped the gun, its clattering to the ground drowned out as Michael sunk his nails in just a fraction more--the man's skull snapping under the pressure. He could see Jackson's lips moving, could even hear Gabriel yelling at him over the communications relay. Some part of him knew that Jeep was loose and barreling down the winding streets towards them, though he didn't really give a damn at the moment.

No, with the scent of blood in the air, dripping glossily off his claw-like hands as he shook the dead man's head loose from his fingers, little pieces of brain and blood splattering wetly across the old brick wall, he couldn't have cared less about anything or anyone at that moment. It came as a complete shock then, when he found his hair jerked back roughly and warm lips clamping over his own.

He fought for control, claws racking at the person pinning him to the wall, surprised at the strength of the person. A growl, low and deadly, escaped his lips as he bit down hard enough to split the lip of his pursuer only to have the other draw back, sadness and longing mingling in blood red eyes before his world exploded in a brilliant flash of white stars and fire across his abdomen.

"Damn you…Vincen..zo…" he hissed before collapsing into the man's arms, the metallic gleam of the stunner knuckle-white fisted in a strong tanned hand. Oh, they were so going to have to talk about trust and boundaries after that little stunt, he thought before the darkness of oblivion claimed him.

***

He awoke to a pounding headache and smoke filled lungs. Coughing delicately, one bandaged hand pressed against his cracked lips as his eyes watered slightly.

"Sorry, forgot you don't smoke."

Glancing to the right he watched as his partner pushed off of the doorframe and stalked over to his side. Michael frowned at the red head, bare torso bandaged and jeans loose of his hips. His hair was long and free around his shoulders, the edges lifting to hang suspended for a moment as he flopped down beside him on the bed.

"Please don't stop on my account." He drawled, a small disapproving grimace on his lips as Vinny blew a steady stream of the grey smoke right in his face.

"Wasn't planning on it. Consider it payback for almost slicing me in half." Vinny's eyes, normally a deep auburn-copper color seemed to glow slightly in the dark room. Staring into their depths brought everything crashing back into focus: the mark…Jackson…the stunner.

"You zapped me." He accused, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah well, you turned the mark's brain into Swiss-cheese. There wasn't even enough left to do a scan on him. Gabriel's been getting chewed out by the Council head's for a solid hour, Jackson's to freaked to even go near the kennels because of your little wolf-man routine, and now I'm stuck on 'down-time' until these heal. Only took three dozen stitches by the way."

"Are you done?" Michael asked quietly, head hung low as he tried to calm his breathing. He hadn't thought he'd let the darkness take him so far.

He heard Vinny get up, heard the footsteps as he walked across the old wooden floor. Their creaking telling him the man was coming close to his side.

"No. I zapped you, yeah, because you were starting to go all dark and spooky, but you're forgetting something important, Mike."

"Please don't call me…ungh!" He'd raised his head planning on chastising the man for the ridiculous name; he wasn't planning on getting kissed.

Vincenzo tipped his head back, strong fingers kneading the muscles of his neck, his tongue running along the seam of Michael's, begging for entrance, rewarding his stunned compliance with a mouthful of smoky heat and playful nipping at his bottom lip. Michael shuddered as Vinny ran a strong hand across his chest, fingertips grazing over ribs and nipples, stroking along his abdomen and hips, pulling him in against his chest roughly. Michael was breathless and a little starry-eyed when he finally pulled away. Vinny ran a calloused finger down his cheek and over his kiss bruised lips as he stood.

"You forgot…I also kissed you. Think about that for a bit before you start getting bitchy about being stunned." Michael watched in stunned silence as the other man waved over his shoulder, "I'm on nurse duty so holler if you need anything." He cast one last copper tinted glance over his shoulder at the brunette before the door clicked shut behind him, plunging the room back into darkness.

It was a long time before Michael could think again. Even longer before he was able to lay back down, the deep ruby sheets clutched pathetically in his knuckle-white grip as he willed himself to relax and try to sleep. Once he remembered that his sheets were green…that it was Vincenzo who always had deep wine-colored sheets on his bed, he knew he wasn't going to be able to relax or sleep. Curling up into a little ball he wrapped the silken expanse of cloth the tighter around his body and willed the taste and texture of the man's mouth away from his conscious thoughts.

How he was going to work with him after this was beyond his comprehension.

TBC