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"Dirty Job"Written By: ExecutiveShrimp Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs
to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. Written for pleasure not
profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Violence, angst, Lemons, Limes Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: Duo is a masterful pickpocket and skilled but small-time con artist who always chooses to play it safe. When his best friend owes the wrong people a lot of money, Duo get pulled into a high-stakes plot to rob thirty-something billionaire Heero Yuy. The only way to succeed and save his friend is to push his own boundaries and get way too involved.
"Dirty Job" Chapter 15 Duo was awoken the next day by a soft knock on the door to his room. He flinched on the bed, then uncurled himself and put away the pillow he had hugged to his chest. "Hm?" He rubbed his burning eyes, the light pouring into the windows was bright, reflecting off the structure of the Chrysler building. "It's eleven o'clock, sir," said a muffled voice. "Master Yuy invites you to join him for lunch at twelve thirty. A guard will wait for you by the elevator to take you down to the office. I'm leaving a tray with fruit in front of your door." Without further ado, the man left. Eleven? He checked the clock by the phone on the nightstand. "I'll be damned." I haven't slept like this in years... He got up, took a moment to stretch his limbs and pop locked joints, and then fetched the tray that was placed on the floor outside the door. A small bowl of fresh fruit and a bowl of yoghurt. He ate a few pieces to tide him over until lunch, then headed into the bathroom for a leak, a shower and to brush his teeth. Waiting for him on the vanity - in their respective packaging - was a toothbrush, a selection of three different kinds of toothpaste: mint, sensitive, and whitening; a razor and two choices of shaving cream; and a line-up of deodorants. He smiled, bemused by the wealth of options. From the shopping bags, he retrieved new underwear, black jeans and the black cashmere sweater that he had to admit he absolutely loved. The leather belt, that the salesman had insisted he should get as well, was nice too. As much as it made him feel dirty to admit it, he could see how people could get used to a lifestyle like this, and how they would willingly suffer things Duo rejected - like authority and a nine-to-five schedule - to achieve and maintain such a way of living. Still, he had to remind himself that all of it was only temporary for him, so he shouldn't get too accustomed. Soon, the luxury and comfort would be taken away from him again, but he knew he got the better end of the deal. Heero would get to keep the luxury and comfort, but he wouldn't get to keep his heart, nor his dignity. Duo ignored his own reflection in the big mirror above the sink for the rest of the morning as he got ready and stepped outside to meet with the guard by the elevator, who took him down forty-five flights to the center of the building. The floor was essentially a secondary lobby, with a bank of elevators. Due to the curved design of the building, the elevators - going straight up and down - couldn't go directly from the ground floor to the top; they could only reach halfway. As a result, the space was heavily trafficked; people exited one elevator to quickly hop onto the next, using cards on keychains around their necks to get through a separation of glass security doors between the elevators going down and the elevators going up. It seemed the top half of the building was home to departments that required a higher security level, and the disconnection of the elevators cleverly allowed for a secondary security point that other employers, from the lower floors, couldn't get past. The guard urged him to tag along and Duo pulled his gaze away from the mesmerizing sight of the people navigating the infrastructure of the lobby, like a microcosm, and followed the big man through another security door, which he knew would lead to the "floating" extension of the bowed building, in the hollow of its back. A corridor and two more doors later, he reached Yuy's office. The guard held the door open for him and let it fall shut behind him. Duo stared, horrified more than anything else. The office was a glass box: floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows on three sides, a glass roof and - most terrifyingly - a glass floor, providing view of the steel construction that supported it, the building curving beneath him and foot traffic straight below as people poured in and out of the building's main entry. "Oh my God..." Duo backed up against the only solid wall and closed his eyes. "I think I'm going to have a panic attack." "Are you afraid of heights?" Heero asked. Jesus! Duo hadn't even noticed him sitting calmly behind his desk, like he wasn't in a glass deathtrap. "I didn't think I was!" He took a deep breath and gazed down, beyond his feet. The glass of the curved building reflected neighboring structures and the sky above. "How can you possibly get any work done in a place like this?" His voice dropped to a whisper; he was afraid that if he talked too loudly, the glass would spontaneously shatter. "I don't spend much time here. The office was mostly designed for a feature in the New York Times, just to draw attention," the businessman explained casually as he got up from his chair and stacked some papers on top of each other. Duo didn't like at all how careless he was being: the way he pushed his chair away, and his heavy footfalls. "When I'm in New York I'm mostly up in RD-... that's Re-" "Research and Development. I know what RD stands for," Duo hissed, still leaned back against the wall and holding onto the doorframe for dear life. "Hn. Well, I'm usually up there, or not even in the Tower at all. Whenever I'm back in New York, the lawyers demand the majority of my time," Heero made no effort to hide his irritation. He pressed a button on the desk phone and spoke: "Boxuan, come in here a moment." Duo nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened. An elegant, Asian woman, with cascading black hair, looked at him oddly as she passed him on her way to her boss's desk. Her walk on the glass surface was confident - pencil-skirt, nine-inch heels and all. Heero handed her blue folders and instructed her to FedEx them back to the headquarters with priority. She only nodded and turned back around, giving Duo another strange look as she exited the office "Harold doesn't come with you on these trips?" The conman thought to ask. "No; whenever I'm away, I need Harold back at headquarters to coordinate everything." "You trust him enough to leave him in charge?" He questioned. Heero raised an eyebrow. "I trust him enough to leave him in charge of managing my company mail." "Still, though, you trust him, right?" "To the extent that I need to. Once a company grows big enough, you have no choice but to trust certain tasks to others. I need Harold to do his task, just like I need Boxuan to do her task. To distrust them would be inefficient; it would cost me too much time. Time I need to spend with my lawyers." Duo smiled at the dry joke that the man added, but his heart was still thundering. "On my way to Breckenridge & Birch, I'm stopping for lunch and... I was hoping you would join me. Afterwards you'll have a few hours to yourself, but we need to be back here by four and leave by four thirty." "Sounds good." They left together. Duo was relieved to have solid material underneath his feet again, and was even happier when they reached the ground floor. Flanked by the guards, they walked out the front entry and Duo momentarily glanced up at the glass office above them. A town car - much like the one Duo had gotten used to - was parked at the curb and they climbed in. The car stopped by a McDonald's and the driver got out to get them their orders. Duo laughed at Heero's offhand remark about how he was going to have to suffer "weird food" at the event later that day, so at least his lunch should be to his liking. They ate their cheap, greasy meals in the backseat of the car, parked in the parking garage of the office building of the Breckenridge & Birch law firm. The driver idled outside, wandering in between the cars, having a smoke, then a second smoke. Duo popped one fry after another in his mouth, not able to fight his content smile at the billionaire seated next to him, enjoying a two-dollar burger. It didn't even bother him that Heero used the time to read through some documents; he even laughed at the man's indignant frustration when he spilled a glob of ketchup on one of the white pages. He took a sip from his coke and gazed back with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes when Heero glared at him from the corner of his eye. Duo watched him use the useless paper napkins to dab at the stain. "Thanks for this," he said out of nowhere. "I can afford it." Duo snickered. "I don't mean paying for lunch, I mean... taking my wishes into account. I'm sure you'd rather be at a fancy restaurant right now, eating something with quinoa." "At least they'd have decent napkins." "You know, you wouldn't have spilled sauce on an important document if you just hadn't worked on it during lunch," Duo noted. Heero looked up with a surprised look. "Just a thought." He took another sip. The Japanese man redirected his gaze back to the stain. "I suppose you're right." "But not enough hours in the day, right?" "Hn." Duo smiled sympathetically. "Tell me about this charity thing we are going to." He already knew what the charity event was for since he had googled it, but Heero didn't know that, and he wanted Heero to tell him, to engage him in conversation. The businessman closed the folder and put it in his suitcase before he replied: "It's for financial pediatric cancer support. It's an annual event, but we choose different charities every year." "Who's 'we'?" "The charity committee. They decide, based on which cause is most likely to draw many donors, and is in immediate or dire needs of extra funds." "Sounds fair." "I try not to get involved in the decision-making process too much," Heero continued. "There are so many charities that need money." "But you can't save them all," Duo supplied, remembering their quiet conversation by the pool last week. "Hn." "What about the event?" "It's a sit-down dinner and gala. Three-thousand dollars per plate, and guests are expected to make a donation on top of that as well." "Wow," Duo took a bite of his cheeseburger. "I'm guessing then they won't be serving happy meals." The smallest smile appeared on Heero's lips - only for a second. "Hey, Heero..." His tone turned serious. "I want to pay for my own plate and make a donation. You didn't let me bring my bag, but-" "How much would you like to donate? I'll deduct it from your compensation for the weekend." Duo was irked by the harsh words, especially since he felt like they were having a moment in the backseat of the car. "What is my compensation for this weekend, anyway?" "Ten-thousand dollars." Duo choked on a fry. "Ten-thousand dollars?" "It's what I paid-... a previous companion, for an entire weekend." He cleared his throat and beat his chest a few times to make sure the fry wasn't lodged in his esophagus somewhere. "Oh... Okay. Cool." "How much would you like to donate? I'll transfer the funds to the charity this afternoon." Duo thought for a second, he didn't need long. "All of it." Heero was perplexed, but barely let it show. "Are you sure?" "I can keep the clothes, right?" He bantered. Another tiny smile. "Yes. The clothes are yours." "I don't need any compensation. This is... like a vacation to me." Duo looked at the man next to him meaningfully. "I really appreciate you letting me have my own room. That you didn't-" He stopped himself. "I'm not interested in paying for sex," Heero retorted adamantly. "And I'm grateful." Remembering his supposed profession, Duo added: "I know I should probably just be used to it and not be bothered by it, but..." He shrugged. Heero nodded. His gaze was determined and protective; it warmed Duo's heart for all the wrong reasons. It was evident Heero cared for him more and more every passing day, although still as reluctant as ever to admit to it. "I need to go," the businessman announced. He tapped his knuckles against the window and the driver hurried over to open the door for him - it was still absurd to Duo; why didn't he just open the door himself? "Jackson will take you wherever you'd like to go." Heero got out of the car. "Just be back at the Tower on time-... and don't get yourself in any trouble." Duo smirked up at him, knowing that he was cheekily referring to his pickpocketing ways. The door was shut and Heero walked away, his gait smooth and elegant; his figure soon disappeared as three of the guards rushed up to crowd him. The driver, Jackson, got behind the wheel. "Where to, sir?" "Actually, I'm just gonna walk around a little bit." Duo popped the door open and climbed out, taking with him the camera that he brought everywhere. "But-" He shut the door to cut off the driver's objections and walked out the building. Duo aimlessly roamed the streets of New York, snapping pictures of people - nameless faces preoccupied by their own little universe - moving so fast every picture turned out blurred, and angled-up shots of towering glass structures that left every street in permanent shade. When he finally reached an avenue still bathed in sun, he took a picture down the street, directly into the sun, and was fascinated by the colorful sunspots that were captured by the lens. Habit had him effortlessly lift a man's wallet out of his open coat. It was the man who had bumped into him, not the other way around! He had made it too easy. As he meandered through the streets, making sure not to stray too far from the Breckenridge & Birch law firm, Duo found a street vendor selling NYC merchandise. Amused by the idea of handing Heero a gaudy gift, he bought a New York Yankees baseball cap with the money he had stolen. He stared into the open wallet; the man hadn't been afraid to walk around the city carrying a lot of cash - he should have been more careful. Rather than counting the bills, he continued walking, and handed the wallet over to the next homeless person he happened upon. For the time being, he wore the Yankee hat himself and continued snapping pictures. In the window of an electronics store, on the TVs tuned into news feeds, he noticed the time and started back towards the law firm. The car was still waiting where he had left it, and with ten minutes to spare, he got into the backseat, catching the driver by surprise. "Sup?" The man tucked away his phone in the breast pocket of his jacket and put on his hat. "Sir," he said by way of greeting. "You like working for Yuy?" He asked. "Do you?" The man shot back. Duo shrank in his seat at his tone, and the cold stare he received through the rearview mirror made him feel no less dirty. He wasn't a whore - he was a thief - so he wasn't used to be being treated like one. He lowered the cap, so the visor covered his eyes, and looked away. When the driver got out of the car, Duo knew Heero was approaching, so he composed himself and took off the cap, hiding it between his leg and the car door. The driver opened the door for his boss and the man slipped into the back seat. "Hey," Duo greeted him with a smile. "Have you been waiting long?" He shook his head. As Heero reached for his phone, he decided to distract him from work by presenting the gift. He held the cap out to him proudly. "Since you bought me such nice clothes, I thought I should give you something in return." "You shouldn't have." Duo dismissed the objection. "Oh, come on, I wanted to." "No, really," the other said dryly, regarding the navy-blue cap with white lettering. "You shouldn't have." Duo laughed and boldly placed the cap on Heero's head anyway. The man's expression was as stunned as he was capable of: barely a widening of the eyes, slightly raised eyebrows, and his lips parted only about a millimeter. Jokingly, Duo reached over again and adjusted the cap, turning it backwards on his head. He looked like a kid from the nineties and it brightened Duo's smile. But he turned it back the proper way and remarked: "It looks good on you." "I doubt it." Duo snorted. "Anything looks good on you." Was the light playing tricks on his eyes as they left the parking garage, or did the man's cheeks blush with a soft hue of pink? Heero took off the cap and placed it in his lap. His usual, stylishly brushed back hairdo was completely ruined. He ruffled a hand through his own hair until it messily fell forward in haphazard bangs, the way Duo had only seen it once before. His blue eyes were striking, peering at him from behind the dark tresses that framed his exotic features. As he stared, Duo knew for certain he, himself, was blushing and he quickly turned his gaze away. "Thank you," the other said stiffly. He didn't reach for his phone or the papers in the suitcase between them on the entire way back to the tower. Instead, he gazed out the window, his hands cradling the hat in his lap, his index finger thoughtlessly tracing the raised lettering of the Yankee logo. Once they arrived back at the Tower, they went upstairs to their respective rooms for a quick shower and to get changed. Duo's new suits had been delivered and were waiting for him in his room. After freshening up, he put on the classic back suit, tailored to perfection, paired with the dark plum shirt and grey, silk tie. He braided his hair only down to his shoulders and let the remaining length fall down his back loosely. Considering the formal nature of the event, he used provided hair products to style his bangs back, out of his face. A knock on his door sounded. Expecting it to be a guard, he hurried over to the door and opened it, only to be greeted by the stunning sight that was his target. Heero looked amazing, yet again, in one of his suits. This time, a greyed blue, three-piece suit, with a crisp white vest and white tie. The faded blue color of the fitted fabric let his cobalt blue eyes shine that much more brilliantly. The man gave his guest a cool once-over and complemented the store and the tailor for a job well done. Duo scoffed. "They may have made the suit, but I'm the one filling it out nicely." "Hn. Come on, let's go." The American was relieved they were taking the chopper, after the comment the driver had made that afternoon. The sun was already dipping towards the horizon, and the sky was fading from blue to orange. Duo leaned against the window as they passed over a stretch of green in the middle of the city - Central Park - and the helicopter started to descend, aiming for an open field of grass where staff kept the area clear of curious people as the chopper touched down on the ground with a jolt. They walked a short distance to the Central Park tennis center, which was closed for the event, as the sign on the door read. "It's here?" Duo was confused - it didn't seem like the kind of venue to host a high-class gala for New York's wealthiest socialites. "No, the gala itself is hosted by a hotel on Central Park West, overlooking the park. But I wanted to show you something." Duo's curiosity was piqued and he quietly followed Heero through the building, tailed - as always - by the guards. Even though the guards' presence was unobtrusive, Heero stopped by the exit leading out to the courts and instructed the group of five men in matching black tuxedos to wait inside. When the Japanese man gestured for Duo to step through the doors, he did so, pushing one of the double doors open and walking back out into the cool air, with Heero falling in step behind him. He eyes widened as he walked out and took a short set of stairs down to the courts. The stretch of six adjoined tennis courts was covered by netting a few feet overhead, holding down thousands of helium balloons in an assortment of pastel colors, bobbing and moving gently in the breeze. It was so packed that only occasionally a streak of sunlight could penetrate the thick layer of balloons and draw a bright shape on the court, before being blocked again by the ocean-like motion of the balloons. White ribbons dangled down from each balloon, with a small note attached. Mesmerized, Duo walked into the sea of balloons - a scene straight from a child's dream - and he stretched out his arms, letting the ribbons and small notes caress and tickle his palms and shoulders. He couldn't contain his gleeful giggle and pulled at some of the ribbons, feeling the resistance from the helium balloon that didn't want to come down - it wanted to go up, to the sky! "This is incredible," he breathed in utter disbelief. He looked at Heero over his shoulder, standing a few yards back. Finally, he thought to unfold one of the notes; written in delicate calligraphy was a name: Natalie Walton He frowned and opened another note: Leo Padilla Figuring these were the names of the donors, he asked: "Where is my balloon?" Heero shook his head. "Every balloon represents a child with cancer, whose family can't fully afford the treatment they need." Duo looked around himself, at the countless balloons trapped under the net. Suddenly, the sight wasn't so magical anymore and his heavy heart sunk down into his gut. "So, the benefit is going to try to help these kids?" "The foundation has already raised enough money to pay for their treatment," the man explained. "We've raised over twenty million dollars and Y-Enterprises doubles the total." Duo's heart lightened. "That's amazing." Heero looked forlorn as he regarded the balloons. "It's not enough to save everyone in the world. It will never be enough." It was apparent Heero was burdened by his wealth and somehow falling short. Wanting to offer genuine support, Duo closed the distance between them and put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't know what to say to make him feel better, but he gave his shoulder a squeeze and offered him a smile; Heero released a small sigh and looked back at him with a grateful expression. "So why did you bring me here? To show off?" Duo joked and he let his hand fall from Heero's shoulder, ignoring the tingle in his fingertips that made him aware that he didn't really want to let go. "I just wanted you to see it." "Why?" "Because it's beautiful, isn't it?" Duo smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is. Do the kids get to see it?" "The ones at Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital do; it looks out over the park. We've made a virtual reality tour for the other kids around the country, so they can be here too, in some way." "Virtual reality? Like... Jaws 3D?" Heero scoffed and a proud smirk appears. "Y-Enterprises is a leading entity in the international virtual reality market. We've developed lightweight goggles that wirelessly connect with any simulation program, and our 360-capture technology seamlessly connects the recorded images." Duo was happy to listen to him speak with such passion, even though he wasn't really paying attention to the details. Against expectations, Heero was increasingly revealing himself to be a decent, considerate man; he was a far cry from the image Duo had constructed in his head - based on his cold eyes that were captured by the Forbes photographer, and his own, biased perception of rich people. As much as he fought against it, he could not deny that while Heero - with his stoic expression and stand-offish demeanor - was a challenging person to like, he was impossible to hate. A goofy grin appeared on his face and Heero fell quiet. "What?" "I was just messing with ya, man." He grabbed one of the ribbons and tugged playfully on the balloons. "I think this is really great. It's very generous." "I have enough money." Duo shook his head and rejected the simple comeback. "It's not just that. You're not just giving money, you're giving your time too. I know how busy you are, but you made time for this..." He took a deep breath and added: "I must admit, I didn't expect you to be like this." The businessman seemed unsure of what to think of the remark; nevertheless, Duo continued: "I expected you to be selfish - that is just the idea I had of rich people. I gotta say, it would probably be easier if you really were selfish. It's confusing me that you're not... You're generous and attentive... It's confusing," he rambled. "I don't understand." Duo chuckled sheepishly. "I like keeping some distance, from..." "Your clients," Heero supplied. "Yeah. I like keeping some distance, and they usually make that really easy on me; but you're not making it easy." He peered at Heero. None of what he was saying was a lie, but he purposefully manipulated and used the truth to achieve a desired effect; he could tell he was right on target. "I feel like I want to be closer to you; that I want to spend more time with you and get to know you better." The man was stunned into silence. He didn't know how to react. Duo felt his heart twist with guilt. It beat irregularly. He had Heero right where he wanted him and he knew he had to act before the moment would end, but he had trouble following through. It felt so wrong to abuse the lovely, romantic setting - to taint Heero's pure intentions of giving him a small happiness in the form of a sea of balloons with this ugly, sordid mission he was on. But the thought of J.J., all alone back home - without Duo there to look out for him - stalked by Tsubarov's dangerous men reminded Duo that he had no choice. He steeled his nerves and with a single step, he closed the distance between Yuy and him. The clear blue eyes were closer than they had ever been, the lashes fluttered with uncertainty and anxiety. The safer strategy was to remain Heero's friend, but the fact that they were both gay presented an advantage that he could no longer pretend wasn't there; he couldn't keep side-stepping the potential short-cut it provided. He waited for a second, to give Heero time to step back if Duo had misread the signs, but the man stood rooted to the court. The conman leaned forward and he connected their mouths in a short, soft kiss before distancing himself from the man again. He rubbed his hands on the sides of his legs as a strange sensation tingled in the tips of his fingers. "Why did you do that?" Heero asked. His answer was simple: "I wanted to." He wished he could say it was an utter lie, but there was more truth to it than was safe. There weren't exactly sparks flying following the kiss, but there was something - that tingle in his fingers, the racing of his heart. But maybe that was just the guilt and self-loathing. It was the first time in his life he had resorted to using his sexuality for - ultimately - financial gains. A.J. had always protected him from having to go that far. It was a line that could not be uncrossed, A.J. said. Duo had crossed it now, after thirty-two years. He wasn't sure yet how he felt about being on the other side of that line, but he did feel closer to Heero. The man straightened his shoulders. His blue eyes frosted over as he tried to shield something private from Duo's piercing gaze. "We have to go now." Duo nodded, yet neither of them moved. It was one of the guards who finally ended the moment. "Excuse me, sir? We do not have the city's permission to leave the chopper parked on the North Meadow much longer." "Yes. We're coming." Heero led the way back inside. Escorted by the guards, the two of them returned to the chopper. They were barely airborne again before the chopper touched down on the roof of one of the buildings at the edge of the park. The ballroom was on the top floor, with a rooftop terrace providing a perfect view of the North Meadow with its baseball diamonds, the tennis center, and the large central reservoir. Duo was drawn to the terrace by the view; he navigated around elegantly set tables with grand floral centerpieces; the stage was at one end where an orchestra was setting up, pulling polished instruments from their cases. Workers were setting up heaters on the terrace. The sun was shining but it was mid-November and the New York climate was cold as it approached winter. Duo lingered in the doorway, so as not to get in anyone's way. He could see the pastel-colored balloons, held down by the netting, bobbing up and down, aching to fly free. Inside, a lone violinist started to play a woefully romantic song to test the tuning of her instrument. Duo felt like he was part of a movie, the kind that would inevitably have a happy ending - nothing but a misguided quarrel in the third act, and then everything would work out before the credits rolled. He liked that. It was a new feeling. This world he had been placed into was so perfect. He knew it wasn't his world - he knew it was only a dreamscape, but the illusion was comforting. Suddenly the music stopped with a shrill scratch and reality came rushing back in the silence.
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