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"Sparks Fly "Written By: Fancy Figures Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, wish I did, just
enjoy writing about 'em for free etc Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, romance, Yaoi, lemon Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: Duo Maxwell is this year's brightest
young entrepreneur. Heero Yuy is his sharpest and best programmer.
Together they created the successful dating agency, Sparks, with a
new and refreshing approach to matching people. A year on, their lives
are very different -- Duo has all the trappings of success and all
the company he could want; Heero is solitary and disapproving of such
a lifestyle. But they both have secrets to keep, and both are in need
of something -- or someone. When Duo decides to update the agency's
unique matching program, he and Heero are thrown back together again,
and there's a different kind of sparks flying. What with their very
contradictory natures, a malicious hacker, and a crisis at the agency,
it's not surprising they don't find it easy at first to get along. Other notes: Thanks to Suzanne, for suggestions
and inspiration! Written for gwyaoi's AU Novella Challenge
"Sparks Fly" Chapter 11 That afternoon, Amanda Bradnam had been found at her small, downtown apartment, sitting in the box room, surrounded by a couple of terminals that - according to Heero Yuy -- were of surprisingly high calibre. And with enough evidence scattered around her to confirm that she had been systematically hacking into the Sparks program for several months. The police had also found telephone records of calls to another state that lasted for hours -- and a more than generous supply of Class A drugs. Duo and Heero had gone together to the police station to give statements. Cal had followed, but only as support -- he stayed by the car, fighting off the reporters as soon as they got breath of further developments in the Sparks/Maxwell story. Duo sat inside, in the hallway, watching the passing officers with something like shock. Heero paced. "How stupid was she, to use her official e-mail address in her work?" he grunted. "She must have known I would track it down sooner or later. She cannot be an experienced hacker --" "God's sake," muttered Duo. "You mean there are people who make this a career?" Heero had no time to reply, even if he'd heard him in the first place. The door across the hall opened, and two policemen came out, flanking a small, white-faced woman. It was Amanda. She was in handcuffs -- she had tried to attack the arresting officers, it seemed. Even though her attorney bleated that she was under the influence of 'strong medication", they weren't taking any chances with her. She looked across, scowling. And she saw them. She came to an abrupt halt, the policeman on her left putting out a restraining arm. Duo half rose from his seat. But Heero marched straight towards her, glaring. "What do you want?" she said. Aggressive, but wary. Her eyes rolled unpleasantly in her head -- there was a heavy sheen of sweat on her forehead. No sign of the polished, attractive TV personality now. "I want you to leave my program alone," he snapped. "So... you're the geek he's so protective of," she sneered. Her eyes flashed to Duo, then back to Heero. They narrowed. "Does he fuck his staff about as much as his lovers?" "Amanda --" Duo was behind Heero now, holding up a hand to beg a few minutes from the police escort. "Why did you do it?" "More to the point," said Heero grimly, "how did you do it?" "My brother," she spat out. She tried to run her hands over her face -- the tug of the cuffs stopped her. "He's a genius, that's what he is! And he's passed on what he can to me. Has always been on the end of the phone for me, to help me. To talk me through when I got stuck... he deserves the credit for this! Damon Bradnam, you remember that name -!" Duo drew in a breath behind him, Heero could hear it. Amanda saw the shadow of recognition on his face. "Yeah, you remember him now, do you? He left your damn company because he was never given a chance to develop. Never allowed to use his skills to run the show, as I know he could. Then he tried to go out on his own, but you'd made it impossible for him to be taken on anywhere prestigious --" "Me?" said Duo, in amazement. "He worked for me, sure --" "I remember it differently," said Heero coldly. "He was a poor worker, a bad influence on the team. He would take short cuts -- he was never thorough enough in his testing or his programming. He would harass me to work on the core program - but his skills weren't up to it. I wouldn't risk the project to his involvement." "He threatened me when I fired him, said he'd go into competition against me. I couldn't have stopped him, of course -- so I never took it seriously," said Duo. He shook his head, disbelieving. "I think I laughed at him -- it was an unpleasant interview. I couldn't give him a reference -- dammit, why should I? I never made the connection of the names..." He ran a tired hand through his fringe. Both Amanda and Heero followed the movement instinctively. "He was thorough enough to cause you problems!" snapped Amanda. "And if I'd had longer, we'd have found enough to set us up for life, bring down your whole, precious business, and make a laughing stock of you all!" "Not from my program, you wouldn't!" snarled Heero. Duo was also shaking his head. "I would never have let you get away with that, Amanda --" "Stand up for each other, why don't you?" she almost shouted. She glared from one to the other; the two tall, handsome men, both distressed for various reasons of their own. "Your own pathetic little clique, Duo; your glamorous, gilded little world! What do you know about other people's ambitions, their desires? Fucking nothing! And you couldn't care less -!" "Time to move on, Bradnam," grunted the policemen beside her. "We got a cosy little cell for you now -- give you time to get over your medication..." They started to move her on along the corridor and towards the exit to the holding cells. But Duo had more questions -- he didn't think he'd have the stomach to face her ever again; he had to know now. "Why, Amanda; why attack me?" She laughed then. A thin, abrasive sound. "You arrogant bastard!" She stared at Heero, saw how he followed Duo, was drawn along with him. "Are you one of his unlucky lovers, too? If you've got any sense left, keep away from him. He's got no interest in anyone but himself -- gives no-one else a chance!" She turned back to Duo, eyes blazing with a false fever. "How long did you give me, to impress you? One measly fucking week of dates? You'd already made your mind up at that first meeting, you hypocrite -- you had no intention of following your own company's report -- your own match!" "You dated -?" Heero realised what she was talking about just seconds after Duo moved nearer. This was the woman that Sparks had paired Duo with, all that time ago...! Duo's face had grown hard. "You lied, Amanda -- time and again, even on that first date, I saw that the replies that you'd given were lies. Stories you made up -- a whole different persona. I think you must have deliberately avoided the interview, for you knew I'd see through you." He looked confused. "Somehow you hit on enough triggers to land me as a match. And maybe I didn't tell the whole truth myself. Whatever, it was obvious then that we had nothing going for us. The match was a chance mistake. You brought any disappointment on yourself." "Chance...?" she said, her voice dropping slyly. "It wasn't all chance, Mr Brilliant Maxwell! I wasn't in your damn program just to see what jerk I'd be matched with. It was you I wanted... and you I was going to get! Damon made sure of that..." "You were hacking in even then -?" hissed Heero. "Just that one time. Damon said that it would be a joke -- to match me with the icon of the company -- the creator of Sparks himself! And what an exclusive that would have been -!" Duo swore quietly under his breath. "And later Damon said it had been a practice for him. Practice for when he would break in and take the secrets that should have been open to him in the first place. It would have brought us both everything in the end..." "Take her away from me --" said Duo, through gritted teeth. The tension stood out in the veins of his forehead. Every muscle in him screamed anger and distress. Suddenly, she looked piteous -- even as he shrank away from her, she stepped further towards him. "It was a joke for Damon, Duo -- matching us. But not for me. It wasn't all lies, y'know? I could have shown you a really good time --" Heero interrupted, afraid of what Duo might do. "You were a fool, Amanda. Damon would never have broken through enough to destroy Sparks -- and how could you think you would trick someone into a relationship with you...?" And then she lost control completely, almost yelling at him. Struggling in the arms of the policemen. "D'you think I didn't know that? Even when I finally got him to bed?" She swung back to Duo, and he blanched from the hatred in her expression. "Do you think I didn't notice your fixed smile as you fucked me? The fact I had to swallow bottles of wine and pills to get you to bed at all?" Duo was caught between the scorching heat of Amanda's loathing, and Heero's eyes on his back; could feel his new lover's silent shock. "You think you can have whoever you want, Duo Maxwell,
without giving anything in return," Amanda hissed. The tears
started falling down her cheeks but she took no notice of them, as
if she couldn't feel the hot, angry trails. "Anyone... everyone...
and nothing in return!" Duo groaned. It was only a week after Amanda and her brother Damon had been arrested -- they were still being held awaiting trial. He'd given statement after statement -- at one stage, he'd had more lawyers in the office than staff. He had only just called everyone back into work, tried to get a routine re-established. And he'd only just stopped being hounded by the press every hour -- now it was only four times a day. The discovery of a hacker and saboteur was a new excitement to the press, and to some extent it had restored some public sympathy for Duo. The abusive attacks on his agency and on his personal life had eased. But he was still far from flavour of the month -- the number of new clients to Sparks had trickled to nothing, and he was currently patching together his other businesses, to protect them from the fall-out. Did Cal expect him to read more about his failure? What kind of masochist did he think he was? "What is it now? An example of some celebrity you've found, reminding people how successful their matching has been at Sparks? Cal, thanks for the work you're doing, but it's only damage limitation, past successes won't save us in the long term --" "Read it," he repeated. "This is, I think you'll find, a little more than a previously satisfied client. This is someone who's been through the new matching process, and -- has something to say." "What? What new -?" Duo had risen to his feet, with shocked fury. "That program modification hasn't been launched yet -- it's not going to be launched! Who put the changes through without my authorisation? What further damage have you done -?" "Whoa!" protested Cal. He backed away a little. "Gimme a hearing, OK? I just thought -- well, no-one wanted to know us as we were, and they all expected this revolutionary change. So I thought -- let's give it to them! At least some of 'em -- that batch of clients we had last month, begging for our attention; I thought they deserved our latest product. Give it a chance to do its magic!" Give it a chance before we closed our doors, he thought privately. And Yuy hadn't needed much convincing to help him out. "Read it, Duo," he wheedled. He wasn't sure he'd tell Duo about Yuy's involvement - not just yet. It was front page news. The lady in question had been through the new Sparks matching program, even in the midst of the recent scandalous revelations, and had been matched very successfully -- with another, younger woman! They'd known each other only days -- but they had a world-wide cruise booked together, they were moving in together. She'd never been so blissfully happy. "It's been the making of me," she gushed to the reporter. "I would never have considered a soul mate anything other than the handsome, rich, bestial men that I've attracted so far. It's taken this brave man's agency and his unselfish desire for my happiness to open my eyes to such unexpected happiness. Damn Duo Maxwell -- if he were a woman, I'd kiss his ass thank you on national TV!" "She would, as well," murmured Cal with a fond smile. "Literally. My dear mother!" He saw the look of complete amazement on his employer's face. Enjoyed the shock that he'd brought him. "What, Duo? I never told you who my mother was? She's in the Sparks program with her real name, Marisa Schwartz. An unusually discreet move on her part. Her professional name is, of course..." "Marisa Black...." Duo whispered, staring at the quarter-page publicity photo accompanying the story. Marisa Black - the famous presenter, broadcaster and author. A national icon -- a guaranteed draw for whatever programme she graced. The most talked about and argued about woman in the US. And the one with the most caustic -- and wittiest tongue. "Good God!" Cal smirked again. Despite himself, he was damn proud of Mother! She'd taken a little convincing to let her details go forward into the program, but it was what he wanted - and her darling Cal was her one weak spot. He had hoped that she'd take on the challenge -- and she had. He'd done no more manipulation than that -- dammit, Yuy had refused to fix the results, like he'd hoped! No, he insisted, with that damn stubborn mouth of his; the details would go in, and the program would do its work. The new clients would take their chances, and be matched -- or not. The agency would be saved -- or it wouldn't. Cal had nagged at him, but knew in the end he stood no chance of moving him. So he'd prayed instead. And -- of all the clients -- it was his own, so often infuriating Mother who had come through for them! "Cal, is this for real?" Duo was still stunned. A thought struck him, tweaked at the corners of his mouth. "Hell, what did she put down for preferred sexual profile?" Cal grimaced. "Knowing Mother, she would have said 'no fucking way!" Duo winced, but his assistant laughed. "Duo, don't expect any delicacy from Mother! She'll tell you -- and the US public - that she taught that novice Joan Rivers how to bitch, and dear Ozzy how to swear! Damn it, she's still fighting that astonishing case with the senator. And as for the slanging match at last year's Oscars between her and Michael Jackson -!" His face softened a little. "Duo - she did, genuinely, join the agency at its launch. Despite her very acid public persona, she's as vulnerable in relationships as any of us. Since she divorced my father -- and probably even before then -- she's had the most appalling record with men; with plenty of angst caused in the marriage bed department. My succession of stepfathers has proved fertile material for many of her shows!" He was so pleased to see a smile on Duo's face. "She'll never tell anyone, Duo, but she's like a young girl again. It's almost nauseating, to see her so romantically happy with Libby. Ahh -- and I'm pleased for her!" Duo was shaking his head, but the smile was still there. He was trying to assimilate what this all meant. He couldn't find the words. "Enjoy, sweet cakes!" grinned Cal. "With Mother's endorsement they'll flock in now, you wait and see! It'll become the latest designer accessory -- to have been "Matched" by the gender-friendly agency! "Sparks -- the agency that matches you to a true soul mate -- that knows you better than you know yourself"!" He moved to Duo, and spontaneously hugged the shocked man as he stood by his desk. "Duo, they'll love you again, you see -- by the end of the week, their initial shock will be condemned as narrow-mindedness, Sparks will be hailed as ground-breaking, and the attacks on you will be so bitterly regretted that they may give me Amanda's spot on Morning Glory as compensation! And the share price; have you seen in the late editions how it's doubled -?" But Duo's face had closed as Cal babbled on, and the assistant let his words trail off. Duo didn't seem as thrilled as he might be by the change in fortunes. "And what did you tell me just a while ago?" murmured Duo. ""Fuck the share price", you said! D'you think I'll be so easily flattered by a press that turned on me so viciously, just days ago? I think there's been a greater lesson to all this, Cal, than just how to seek public popularity. You yourself made the comment about how accommodating I've been -- too accommodating, I think your words were." Cal stared at him for a while. "I guess so. You're right, eh? So let me give you some advice - one more good deed, in return for all you've done for me. Get away, Duo. Get away for a long while, see what you want with life. Leave 'em all behind! They'll manage, or they won't. But you need to spend some time on yourself." Duo looked back at him, not agreeing or denying it. But his expression was kind. Cal wondered whether he'd still have a job at the end of the week, but thought it wise not to ask at this particular moment. "Just one question, Cal --" Duo's voice was that soft, seductive tone that Cal knew well. That he knew would wheedle the truth out of him where hot coals might not. His heart sank. "Who helped you to run live matches through the test system -- which is where I assume this plot was hatched?" Cal gulped. "Never mind. I know." Was Duo smiling? Was he angry at the work he'd done with Yuy? More to the point, wouldn't Yuy pull out his fingernails for Duo finding out? "OK," sighed Cal. "Let me know if I need
to increase my life insurance -- I'll not apologise for doing it,
though, for trying to save the agency. Just remember -- get away,
have a break." He sidled back out of the office, paused with
his hand on the door. He turned a mischievous look to Duo. "Take
him with you, eh?" I must call Mother, Cal thought, and take her out for lunch. And maybe it was time to meet one of her Jewish matchmaker friends. To play his part at last! It would be what she expected. He smiled at the thought. He stopped by Yuy's desk as he left, though there was no sign of the guy -- he'd left the office some days ago, and been working from home ever since. Cal wanted to leave him a note -- to thank him. But he knew that"d be pathetic, and Yuy wouldn't understand it. "It was your programming that saved us, Yuy. The damn program had to deliver, after all the hype -- and it did. Not just to Mother, eh?" He grinned; tapped a cheerful tattoo on Yuy's desk,
and continued on out of the building. ~ * ~ |
