A bit of Something Furry- this follows the Smoke Shop side story- which is why Wufei is a bit grumpy- but is part of the main story.
Something Furry Part 10
Duo had been patient. He really and truly had been. Heero had gone off to talk to Une- alone- and returned in one piece. Duo should've been happy with that.
He wasn't.
Heero had been like a tightly wound spring ever since he returned. He wouldn't specify what Une had talked to him about, only that he was trying not to get angry about it. Not that he was taking it out on anyone else- even to the little old ladies and their tea leaf books, Heero had been, as he always was to the ladies, very polite.
But he kept glancing at Duo out of the corner of his eyes, kept finding excuses to linger near his mate, and the tenseness in the set of his shoulders made Duo want to drag him into a quiet corner somewhere and get some answers.
What had his grandmother said to his mate?
Was it possible that she had figured out what Heero had really been doing to the jaguars sent to him as punishment? After Luel's mates, Heero had been called in repeatedly to 'deal with' similar situations. So many in fact that Sally had joked that the money from the Pride commissions was paying their rent through the rest of the year.
Duo didn't like to think that one of the jaguars had betrayed them, but the lions had ways of making their mates confess any sort of sin- real or imaginary.
"Duo," Sally tapped him gently on the shoulder. "Why don't you take Heero home? Stop for pizza on the way?"
Relieved, he gave her an affectionate smile. "Are you sure?"
She laughed and nodded towards the dragon sulking in the back of the store. "Oh yes, one storm cloud is enough around here."
"Should we take Wufei with us?"
Sally shook her head. "No, the fae are going to call. They'll snap him out of it. But Heero needs to talk to you. I'll see the two of you tomorrow- don't forget- we have that haunted studio to deal with."
"I won't."
Heero got his jacket without a protest when Duo went to tell him that it was time to leave. "Pizza?" Duo suggested as he closed the shop's door behind them. Heero simply nodded, his eyes scanning the street.
What was he looking for? Duo's own nerves, already stretched, tightened a little more. What had happened?
The pizza place wasn't far, and though it was very busy, they managed to find a small table in the corner. The waitress appeared a moment later. "Usual?" She asked them with a grin.
"Yes please," Duo replied when Heero didn't. The waitress nodded and vanished back into the crowd. "Heero?"
"Hn?"
"Talk to me. What happened today? What did Grandmother say?"
For just a moment, anger flashed over Heero's face and Duo reached out to him instinctively.
Then it was gone. Heero gave him a weary smile and squeezed the hand that clutched his arm. "Not here. I'll tell you- but not here."
Duo didn't let go. "I should've gone with you-"
Heero squeezed his hand again. "I'm glad you didn't. She might have..." He stopped, and shook his head. "Never mind that now. Tell me about the visit to the smoke shop- now that Chang is out of range."
It wasn't in him to refuse Heero, so he summoned up a smile. "Well, we were out of incense-"
The story got them through the wait for the pizza, discussing the upcoming job got them through the rest of the meal. Heero had relaxed a little, but Duo noted that he still looked over at the door whenever it opened as if he were expecting something unpleasant to show up.
Leftovers packaged up, bill paid, and they were on their way home. Duo always paid attention to his surroundings- you had to if you wanted to survive the Pride- but Heero's wariness was putting his own nerves on edge.
Duo waited until they were in their apartment, waited as his mate bolted the door and then examined the wards.
"Heero?"
"Just being careful." Heero turned away from the door and moved towards the sofa, catching Duo's wrist on the way.
Obediently, Duo sat down on the sofa beside his mate, his gaze focused on Heero's face. "What happened today? Did she find out about the phony pain spell?"
Heero shook his head and Duo felt a rush of relief. The others were still safe. "No. She called me in today- without you- because she is pleased with me- or was. I doubt she's as pleased now."
"Why? What happened?"
Heero slipped his free hand into the hair at Duo's neck, tugging him forward just a bit and resting his forehead against Duo's. "She wanted to give me another mate."
Duo stiffened and Heero caressed the nape of his neck. "I said no."
"But-" The words stuck in Duo's throat. "But- it would mean more status- two mates-"
Heero snorted. "No. Not two mates. She said she was well aware that most humans only had one- and that I had only a small living space. She wanted to take you back and give me a tiger instead."
What? "But- she can't! I'm a gift! I'm only supposed to be with you!"
"I know." Heero's fingers tightened on Duo's wrist. "I told her that I was quite happy with you. That status in the pack doesn't matter to a human magician." He tugged gently on the bracelet that encircled Duo's wrist. "I told her I didn't want another mate."
Despite the situation, Duo felt a surge of happiness. Heero had been much better since Christmas, much more accepting of Duo's affection and his determination to stay with the magician, but he still worried that Heero thought that Duo would be better off without him.
"What did she say?"
"That I should think about it. That maybe you would like to have a mate from the Pride-"
"I'm the one that picked you!" Duo slipped away from Heero, began to pace the room. "I don't understand! I can understand another mate- but it's against the laws to give me to someone else!"
"I am wondering what her underlying motives are- I doubt that she'd have gotten as angry at me as she did if I was just turning down a reward."
"How angry was she?"
"She threatened to take you away from me by force. I reminded her that you were rather heavily magically protected and she backed down a little- said she was just reminding me what I owed her."
Duo stopped and turned to stare at his mate. "Do you think she'll try something?"
"I don't know. You are protected- but-" Heero smiled a little. "I'm afraid I'm going to be sticking a little close to you- and if I can't- I did talk to Wufei earlier- he'll keep an eye out too."
"Something else must be going on," Duo bit his lip. "Something big if she's willing to risk breaking the laws."
"Exactly- and until we know what it is- I want you to be careful."
Duo dropped back onto the couch beside his mate, curling up against Heero's side. "That goes for you too," he said, brushing his lips across Heero's cheek, his fingers sliding up Heero's sleeve to trace the curse mark that lay underneath the fabric. "Grandmother is capable of doing anything to get her way-"
"I know." Heero covered Duo's fingers with his own. "I know. I'll be careful too."
~*~
Heero squinted up at the sky. It was early, earlier than he liked being up, but Sally had stressed the need for an early start. Not that he had needed his coffee this morning- just stepping out of his apartment this morning had stretched his nerves tight.
Beside him, his mate seemed almost as tense- if Duo had been in jaguar-form, his tail would've been lashing, and every hair would've been on edge. Heero stroked a hand down Duo's braid. It wasn't very likely that Une would confront them in his territory- he half expected another summons.
Not that he would go. Or if he did- he take his own allies with him. Wufei- maybe the fae if he offered a bribe big enough to entice Winner-
Duo nudged him with an elbow in the direction of the alley behind the store. "Sally said she'd wait for us in the back office."
Heero nodded and followed Duo down the alley. Hopefully Sally had assembled the kit already- she'd know what they'd need-
His mate suddenly stopped, grabbing Heero's arm. "Lions- I can smell them-"
Heero cursed under his breath and scanned the alley- where were they?
"Well, I see all of your time away from us has sharpened your senses a little," a voice mocked, and Duo pulled Heero backwards as three shapes leaped out from behind one of the trash bins.
"What are you doing here?" Duo demanded.
"Une wants you. Now."
"She could've called."
"But she didn't." The leader, a sharp-faced man with golden hair, smirked at Duo. "She sent us. We're to take special care with you-"
The two females beside him growled deep in their throats and shifted.
Heero took a deep breath. Had they forgotten what happened last time with Zechs and his mates? Mentally readying a spell, he waited for the females to get closer.
"Well, well," another voice spoke from behind him. "Looks like I showed up just in time."
"Wufei," Heero didn't turn around. "Your timing- as always- is perfect."
"You three are no match for us," the leader hissed and Heero wondered if Une hadn't told him anything- or was he just stupid?
"Funny- I was just about to say that," Wufei remarked dryly, and then there was suddenly a lot less room in the alley. The two female lions backed away- the leader turned white and Heero nearly laughed at Duo's expression as he looked up- and up some more-
A giant red-scaled claw descended swiftly and pinned the leader to the ground. "I haven't had breakfast yet," Wufei growled and Heero did laugh.
"You only need one to take the message back," he said and the two females bounded quickly away, leaving their male in the grasp of the dragon.
"Crap," Duo breathed beside him. "I didn't know he'd be so huge-"
Heero glanced up and then smiled at his mate. "That's his smaller form- otherwise he wouldn't fit in the alley." He moved to stand beside the pinned male. "So- feel like taking a message back to Une or being a dragon's breakfast? Totally your choice-"
The male was breathing in heavy gasps, his eyes showing white all around. As Wufei bent his enormous head down beside him, his eyes rolled up in the back of his head and he fainted.
A moment later and Wufei stood beside them again in human form, looking down on the passed-out messenger in amusement. "Should we wake him up?"
"Don't bother," Sally had appeared in the back door of the shop. "The females are going to have lots to say to Une- she won't find anyone to send after you for a bit."
"You could've warned us," Heero pointed out.
"Why? I knew you could handle it." She stepped to the side and crooked her finger at them. "Come on in- we have a job to do."
TBC...
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