-1Author's note

Well hey there,

Depression sometimes sucks the fun out of writing, but I have been keeping tabs on the fandom, when I'm not drooling over Jared Padalecki or reading SGA stuff.

Rest assured that I haven't forgotten (Though maybe you guys have, and I wouldn't blame you either.), so I'm posting this little extra. It's not my best, nor is it long, but it was the best I could come up with at the moment.

Ciao for now and semi-happy reading!

Foreseeable Future, by Hikishi

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. This displeases me but hey, what can I do? So please, save your breath and don't sue.

Pairings: ?

Warnings: Blood, Violence, Swearing (of course), Death (though anyone important)

Genres: Angst, Drama, Action, Hurt/Comfort.

Foreseeable Future

Chapter Six

The next couple of days were filled with an almost sullen silence from Heero's charge. Yuy himself was still angry over the young man's reaction to Zechs. and the refusal to apologise or even explain. Even Quatre was being cool towards him over his behaviour. Duo though, seemed to take it all in stride, not acknowledging that he'd done anything wrong. The man was being maddeningly, frustratingly stubborn and it was driving Heero to his limit.

Zechs was a nice guy, and a good friend. Heero had met him through Relena, stalker that she was. One of his and Chang's first jobs was to babysit Mayor Dorlian's daughter as a favour for Une. She was nice, if a little enamoured of Heero. He'd mistakenly restrained Merquise under the assumption that he was going for Relena at a political function. Turned out that not only was Zechs part of Preventers too, he was Relena's half-brother.

Heero had to admit, Duo had one thing right, Zechs was a charmer. His public profile, Milliardo Peacecraft, was known as the ultimate playboy and charmer, and he had been caught on film in several risqué clinches. Zechs Merquise, his alter ego, wasn't much less flamboyant, and he did have a bit of a reputation for being easy and free. However their relationship had never been more than a couple of dates and one drunken fumble - they'd passed out before sex could occur. It had ended pretty soon after and they had gone back to being close friends, though not for lack of gentle attempts to get him into bed again by Zechs.

What Heero couldn't get his head around was how Duo could be jealous. There had never been any indication from the psychic that he liked him at all, or even that he was attracted to guys other than the odd 'business encounter'

whilst he was on the streets. Add in his connection to the church and their very prickly relationship, and Heero was fairly sure that Duo quite firmly wasn't interested in him in the slightest apart than for the protection staying with the agent gave him.

Heero himself wasn't sure he was that way inclined anyway. He wasn't overtly sexual at all. Most of his past partners or lays had been people he trusted only, and he could count the number of women he'd been with on one hand. Of men, there had been only Zechs, and he hardly count that as more than a bit of drunken fondling, and until Duo, he'd never so much as lingered in his gaze when looking at the same sex. Duo seemed to have some sort of magnetism about him, that drew people in, and not only did it unnerve Heero, it irritated him, to have someone capture his attention and distract him so much.

An otherwise uneventful Wednesday turned into an embarrassing farce for Heero as he trailed Duo around the local mall, clothes shopping. The young psychic had insisting on getting some new clothes after being told that he couldn't return to his apartment for the time being. This of course turned into an excursion complete with stops in the local music shops to scour for CDs apparently.

"Look." Duo growled as they waited in line for a free cashier, a stack of random music in his hands. "Stop being such a goddamn nutcase and step out-" He bumped the Preventer aside with his hip. "Of my space!"

"I need to be close in order to protect you." Heero hissed back as the flashing light signalled till number five was ready to serve them. He stalked after his charge as he headed for the cash register. "I can't very well do that from fifty feet away can I?"

The young man dumped the plastic cases in front of the uninterested teenager and turned to glare at him.

"You don't have to. In case you haven't noticed, we're in a mall."

"No, really."

The sarcasm didn't go down well.

"You're a freak, Yuy. Only you would be suspicious of five year olds and their mommies." He grabbed the plastic sack off the counter. "Do me a favour and go see your doctor for a reality check." Heero could only watch for a moment as his witness stalked off, cast thumping jarringly loud and braid swinging crazily behind him at the heavy limp.

"Lovers' tiff?" The guy behind the counter inquired blandly. Heero barely spared him a glance before following after Duo, this time at a distance.

The bartender stopped off at a stall for a soda, then headed for the bookstore. It wasn't until Duo was walking in the direction of the art shop that Heero noticed the girl. She had short dark hair and was staring quite obviously at Maxwell, angry. She made a beeline for the psychic. Heero suddenly felt like an idiot. Since when did he give ground to snarky, danger-magnet witnesses for suspects to attack in broad daylight? He moved to intercept with a hand on his gun, knowing he wouldn't get there fast enough, and saw her raise her arm, something glinting in her hand. Heero's mind supplied the word knife and his gun was in his own hand, wrist lifting as people scattered out of the firing line, prepared to shoot-

"Oh my god! Are you nuts!" Came the almost horror stricken cry of his charge. Heero expected him to do the smart thing and duck and cover.

Duo did the exact opposite.

He grabbed the girl by her raised arm and pulled him around behind him, bizarrely shielding her from his aim.

"Move!" He instructed urgently.

"What the shit?" The girl yelled, catching sight of the gun and paling. "Uh, gun!"

"You've fucking lost it!" Maxwell -there was no other word for it- exploded, staying firmly planted between him and his target. He was now close enough for a point blank range shot, and more than ready to snatch the annoying little bastard and make a run for it "Seriously are you off your rocker? You don't point that thing around in public, EVER!"

"What hell's goin' on!" The girl nearly shrieked. "Who's this psycho?"

Heero realised they knew each other. And felt like a newbie officer for jumping at shadows. When Une found out, his ass was going to be stapled to the reprimand file. He lowered the firearm, noting belatedly that Duo had reacted before he'd even seen the gun. Was his power getting stronger?

The woman's foot came out of nowhere and his firearm was suddenly flying out of his grasp. She pulled Duo back by one shoulder and shoved him aside out of harm's way. Heero was momentarily distracted by his falling witness, wondering inanely if she had stabbed him when she moved, but that was instantly put from his mind when she flew at him, a palm aimed perfectly for that classic disabling nose-break move. He ducked back just in time and caught her arm to pull her off balance and she stumbled but was quick in catching her balance, spinning on her right foot and yanking him hard using his own momentum. Her foot locked behind his knee and her free elbow caught him sharply in the gut. Heero hit the floor and rolled using his legs and scissoring her ankle. A quick twist brought her to the floor with him. He had to think fast and narrowly avoided being nailed in his family jewels. He was on his feet again, taking a defensive stance, just as she did the same. Before either of them could even think of taking the next shot, the horrifying sound of the safety on Heero's own gun clicking off echoed right next to his ear.

"I swear to god, you go for her again and it'll be the last thing you do!"

Heero turned to face the bartender, who was not only holding his own gun on him, but looked damn serious about using it.

"What the fuck Maxwell!" He yelled back in disbelief, looking between him and the girl. "I'm trying to keep you safe you asshole!"

"From me?" The woman snorted, tossing her short black hair. "Where the hell did you find this one Duo? Please tell me you're not fucking him. He's crazy!"

"Don't be a moron Hilde." Came the tight reply, as Duo dropped the gun a little.

"Moron? I'm not the one with the stalker ex-boyfriend! You remember him right? The one you said was 'harmless'?"

"For God's sake that was one time!"

Heero decided he'd had enough. He was, done, out, whatever. Chang could have a go at looking after Duo fucking Maxwell.

He snatched his gun from the witness' hand and walked away.