| "So," The Director said, leaning against the conference table and regarding
her three best agents, "Li Ann - how's it going with Nathan?" Li Ann sighed and rolled her eyes. "That man is totally insane," she said. "I've managed to convince him I'm not a 'bug creature', but he won't tell my anything of any value unless I threaten him. And that certainly doesn't build confidence." "Maybe he'd trust you more if I vouched for you," Vic volunteered. "What difference would that make?" Li Ann asked. "Well, he does believe I'm a member of the high council-" Vic began. "Yeah, Vic's right up there with Alex Trebek in the power struggle against the Queen," Mac interrupted, grinning. Vic shot Mac a dirty look, but remained silent. "Well," The Director continued, "Mac and Victor seem to have resolved their differences. It's only been a week. What, exactly, did the two of you do together to get all that...tension out of the way?" The Director smiled conspiritorially and raised an eyebrow. Mac and Vic suddenly got the distinct feeling that she knew exactly how'd they'd resolved the tension between them. "We fought," Vic said, managing to answer her coy question after only a slight pause. "That's hardly unusual," Li Ann muttered under her breath. "Fought as in in the gym for exercise," Vic said, exasperated. "Oh." "In any case, I'm pleased with the results," The Director said firmly. "Feel free to continue with the...workout." At that, Vic blushed bright red and Mac chuckled involuntarily. "Am I missing something here?" Li Ann asked, a little irritated. "Boys and girls, we have work to do," The Director said sharply, cutting the conversation short. "This is Yolanda Pierson..." "God, that was boring," Mac complained as he closed his door behind Vic and himself. "When was the last time we did strict survelliance?" "Actually," Vic answered, shedding his jacket and tossing on Mac's couch, "we do survelliance quite often. You just tend to force action, even when it's not our place-" Mac cut his partner off with a kiss, and Vic shut up and kissed him back. "That worked quite well," Mac murmured as he pulled away from the kiss. "Hmmmm?" Vic questioned, intent on unbuttoning Mac's shirt. "Kissing you seems to shut up the voice of reason very effectively," Mac chuckled. "I'd like to see you try it around Li Ann," Vic challened, kissing him again and pulling off the shirt. His hands played over Mac's chest with a light, almost teasing touch. Vic brushed his lover's nipples, skimmed his palm over his chest hair, stroked his sides just hard enough to stimulate and just lightly enough to make Mac arch towards him for a firmer touch. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Vic," Mac said with a low moan. He pulled Vic's shirt out of his pants and drew it over the ex-cop's head in one motion. "Much better," he whispered, leaning over to nip at the line of Vic's jaw. Vic leaned his hed back to allow better access, and Mac nibbled gently from his jawline down his neck and across his collarbone. Then he drew away for a moment to consider Vic, his face flushed in desire. Vic was about to ask what Mac was thinking when his lover leaned in and purposefully gave him a hickey, well above what his collar would cover. "Mac," Vic breathed, "that's going to be seen." "That's the point," Mac replied huskily, going to work on Vic's jeans. "Marking your territory?" Vic asked, attempting to sound amused through his heavy breathing and while helping Mac out of his own pants. "Claiming what's mine," Mac growled, pulling Vic tight against him. Vic gasped a little as their erections finally touched. The sensation was intense, even through both their boxers. Then Mac's words registered and he grinned. Vic pulled Mac with him into the bedroom and they shed their underwear, tumbling onto the bed together. "Mine," Mac gasped out. Vic wrapped his arms around his lover and rolled Mac onto his back. "Yours," he agreed, before leaning down to make his own mark on Mac. "And mine," he finished. "Yes!" Mac breathed, arching up against Vic, who straddled his thighs. Vic met him halfway for a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. Mac ran his hands down from Vic's shoulders, along his sides, over his hips and across his butt. Vic responded by moving his groin in a slow, tighting circle. The motion rubbed their erections together, and brought both men almost to the point of orgasm. Mac reached up and brought Vic's head down for a long kiss, their tongues touching and stroking each other. They broke apart to gasp for air, then returned to the kiss, now mimicking the thrusting of their hips with their tongues. Their sweat eased the friction between them from near painful heat to the unbelievably erotic sensation of skin stroking skin. They came together, frozen for a moment in ecstasy as they called out each other's name. Before sleepy satisfaction could overcome them, Vic peeled himself away from Mac and went to get a towel. He carefully cleaned them both up and pulled the stained duvet from the bed before crawling under the sheet and wrapping his arms around Mac. Mac hummed in contentment as he felt Vic spoon up against him, and covered the other man's arms with his own. Li Ann lowered the binoculars silently. She couldn't help feeling horribly guilty for spying on her two partners, but they'd been acting strangely lately. When no one would tell - or even hint at - what had changed between the two, she'd decided to find out for herself. //That's no reason to violate their privacy,// she chided herself. //Now what are you going to do? Do you tell them you know that...that...// Li Ann shook her head in disbelief. Sure, she'd joked about them arguing like a married couple, but this... Suddenly Li Ann realised that she had no idea how long Mac and Vic had been...lovers. //Surely not too long,// she thought to herself, //I would've noticed, wouldn't I?// The boys' behaviour had changed shortly after The Director had insisted they spend some time together. Abruptly, the conversation of that morning came back to her, and Li Ann realised what had had Vic blushing. //So it's just a week then,// she thought, but couldn't help feeling slighted. //Didn't they think they could trust me?// Li Ann sighed and turned the car on, pulling onto the road to head to her apartment. //You don't feel slighted,// she admitted to herself, //you feel betrayed. You were in love with both of them, you left the Tangs for Mac, and you were going to marry Vic. But I pushed them both away as well. Did I really believe they'd wait for me forever? I think I did, I thought they'd wait for me... I should've known better when Mac was ready to marry that woman.// Li Ann arrived at her apartment and parked the car, still lost in thought as she climbed up to her apartment. //Maybe I knew Mac didn't want to wait, but I thought Vic still loved me. I should be happy that they've found each other, that they're not along anymore, but all I can think about is that they've left me.// //I'd better figure this out before I see them tomorrow.// When Mac and Vic arrived at the Agency, together, they found Li Ann and The Director waiting for them in the briefing room. Vic saw, to his surprise, that Li Ann had chosen to sit on the far right instead of in the middle. That arrangment put Mac and Vic beside each other...and then Vic noticed that their partner had also shifted her chair slightly away from theirs. He glanced over at Mac, and ended up meeting Mac's glance. The good mood they'd been in after waking up together dissolved in the face of Li Ann's tension, and they took their seats silently. The Director strode into the room then, opening her mouthing to begin the briefing. Then she hesitated, and shut her mouth. "Oh, dear," she said finally. "Mac and Victor are now getting along, but Li Ann seems to have been left out of the loop. Or maybe," she raised an enquiring eyebrow, "she's been brought into the loop." The Director turned her questioning gaze on the two men. They just shook their heads. "Worse and worse," The Director commented. "Come on, Li Ann, spill it. What's the problem?" "I'd rather not talk about it," Li Ann insisted, meeting The Director's eyes so she wouldn't have to meet her partners'. "Tough," The Director said flatly. "Talk." Li Ann looked aside for a moment before hesitently saying, "I saw Mac and Vic together last night." "How?" Mac asked, confused. "I know our rooms are bugged, but you don't-" Li Ann cut him off with a glance and, bowing her head in embarrassment, admitted, "Binoculars. I saw from the street, through Mac's bedroom window." "Li, Ann, why?" Vic asked, confused and angry. "You know better. You violated our privacy, you spied on us!" Suddenly a new thought struck him. "Just how long did you watch?" he asked slowly. "I was worried!" Li Ann said defensively. "You two were acting so strange, and no one would tell me what was wrong. So I decided to find out. I...I followed you yesterday. And I watched until...until you went to sleep. But-" she cut off another angry exclamation, from Mac this time, "I couldn't see much. The...the angle was bad." "Jesus, Li Ann!" Mac exclaimed, "You could've asked." "Would you have told me?" she challenged. "I don't know," Mac replied, "but you never gave us the chance." "Let's get straight to the point," The Director interjected. "Are you three going to be able to work together?" "I don't know," Li Ann answered bluntly. "You don't know!" Vic exclaimed. "We should be the ones having doubts! You spied on us, for God's sake!" "You left me! You shut me out!" Li Ann shot back, tears gathering in her eyes. "Ohhhh," The Director said, nodding her understanding. "What?" Mac asked, irritated. "Li Ann is feeling rather...lonely, I imagine," The Director explained. "Both of you were at one time in love with her, and she had the freedom to choose. Now you have each other and she has...no one." Li Ann turned away from the guys, tears slipping down her face as the words struck home. Vic's expression softened abruptly. "Li Ann," he said gently, "You're still my closest friend. I knew when you said you wanted to postpone the engagement that that's all we'd ever be. I hoped for more, but everything you said and did convinced me it wouldn't happen. You didn't really love me, I know that now. But you're not alone. Mac and I trust you with our lives, you're our best friend. We'll always be here for you." Li Ann looked hopefully up at Mac for confirmation of Vic's words. Mac nodded silently, not wanting to break the fragile hope Vic had built. "I'm sorry," Li Ann said, her voice catching on unshed tears, "I shouldn't have...spied on you." "It's okay," Mac said, standing and taking her in his arms. "It's okay," he looked at Vic over her head, and Vic nodded his agreement. It was a long moment before Li Ann had calmed back down, smiling a little at her partners. The Director, in an unusual show of kindness, allowed her a few minutes to settle herself before going on with their assignment. Everything was going to work out, she knew. |