|
"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 Six The gate opened just enough for Duo to be able to slip through. Immediately a guard was all over him, frisking him and stating the house-rules. When Duo did what he was told and turned around to be fully searched, the guard paused and uttered dumbly: "You've been here before." "Yeah." Duo realized the man had recognized his braid and given his boss' track record he wasn't used to any repeat visitors. He looked over his shoulder and asked impatiently: "Are you done?" "Come on," The big man grumbled and he grabbed him by his upper arm and took him through the yard and through the house, taking the same route as before. In the grand foyer the longhaired man was handed over to the grey-haired butler, who had been waiting for him. The guard was dismissed and he left quietly. The butler looked him over and reached out to straighten Duo's collar. "So uh... I've been told I owe you," Duo started, stiffly standing still as the man appraised and adjusted his appearance. "You don't owe me anything. Just don't make a fool of me for suggesting you." He swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt kind of bad, knowing the butler might get blamed once the plan had fully unfolded and the master had been robbed. "About that... Why did you suggest me? It seemed pretty clear to me your boss wasn't very impressed." "My master is so preoccupied he easily misses it when something good is right in front of him." "Look," Duo shook his head, "Just because I refused payment doesn't mean I'm anything good." "We'll see." He gestured for Duo to step into the 'waiting room', connected to Yuy's home office. The younger man obliged, but in the door opening he turned around and inquired: "What was your name again? Because I could have sworn it was 'Karen', but that can't be right." "My name is Carran Gerard," The butler supplied. At the puzzled expression from the other he bothered to spell out his first name. "Ah, alright. Mind if I call you Gerry?" Duo winked at him, hoping to establish some kind of rapport with the man who seemed closest to his target. Carran had unknowingly helped him out once already, befriending him could aid his mission further down the line as well. "You can call me whatever you like, sir." "Can I call you Barbara?" "Although I do not see why you would call me that, as master Yuy's personal servant it is not my place to dictate what his guests call me," Replied the man cordially. "Don't worry, I'll stick to Gerry." "I'm overjoyed," Was the dry retort and then he ushered Duo into the room and informed him 'master Yuy' would be arriving shortly. "Thanks." Once the door was closed and he was left alone he rolled his eyes. He had to wait for Yuy to show up again? For the second time he couldn't be bothered to be home in time to welcome his guest? Why was Yuy wasting money on this? He obviously didn't actually care about the acquired companionship, or he'd make more of an effort to enjoy it to the fullest; and get his money's worth. He didn't take a seat, he was far too restless. He could be fired just as easily as he had been rehired, so he was as nervous as last time, or even more so because now he knew how impenetrable his target was. Deep in thought, he paced back and forth. All week he had been watching the news and reading the economy section of the newspaper, educating himself on recent topics so he could initiate and maintain some kind of conversation with the man, but his nerves jumbled up the information. His face started getting red as he realized he couldn't recall which company had gone bankrupt and which company signed a government contract that week. The names got mixed up. And what was the name of the CEO of that steel company? The one who had been impeached on account of embezzlement? And was the new district attorney, Prentice Adal, a woman or a man? What kind of name was 'Prentice'? Couldn't it have been David or Ashley? The article had included a picture, but honestly, it was still anybody's guess. The front door was opened and Yuy was greeted by Gerry the butler. Instinctively Duo pulled his braid over his shoulder and anxiously toyed with the end. He let go of the handful of hair just in time, before he would embarrass himself. Yuy came bursting through the door and didn't even look at him as he headed straight for his office. The American was left standing there, arms uselessly at his sides. The old butler nodded at the open door of the office and urged him to head inside. After some hesitation he trusted the butler's judgment that the open door was an invitation and he supposed he shouldn't have expected any more from the stuck-up billionaire. He watched Yuy place his suitcase on his desk and switch on his computer. The suit-of-the-day was dark blue with a white shirt and white tie. The fit was the same as always: perfection. As much as he wanted to resent the man out of principle and deny there was anything positive to say about him, the billionaire was exceptionally good-looking and he certainly knew how to dress himself to accentuate that. In those tailored slacks he had legs for days, a high ass and a tight waist. Still, Duo decided while he quietly observed the man, he wasn't attractive. Not to Duo at least. His physical beauty was undeniable but calculated, like his facial features were the result of a mathematical formula; there was symmetry and beauty but no personality, no individuality. He was more Mattel's Ken than Michelangelo's David. Never mind that Duo used to have a major thing for Ken dolls. Say something! His mind supplied. "Hi, again." The businessman looked up, as if surprised by his presence. "Good evening." Words! This is going well! He thought to himself sarcastically. Gerry came in with his master's coffee and this time Duo accepted his offer when he asked if he would like some too. As the butler poured him a tiny cup, the American suddenly felt compelled to fill the silence and what came out of his lips was an awkward joke. "Hey, is this coffee made from those beans that a cat first has to poop out?" Both Gerry and Yuy paused what they were doing and stared at him. He cleared his throat, looked away and took a tiny sip, wishing he could disappear into the tiny cup. Gerry bowed and then excused himself, backing out of the room. It irked Duo how the old man was forced to behave around his 'master'. If making an elderly man act as your slave was the ultimate measure of wealth and sophistication than Duo felt less shame for being a slum dog all of his life. At least where he had been raised the elderly were treated with the respect they were due. Yuy should learn to fetch his own goddamn coffee. He took another sip. It was good coffee though. The man set to work as before, leaving Duo to entertain himself. Once he was done with his coffee he put the empty cup away and with his hands folded on the small of his back he started walking around the office, stopping by the windows to look out into the stone courtyard with the illuminated fountain at the center. He could see a balcony lining the entire courtyard on the second floor. It started to truly dawn on him how enormous the estate was and how little the safe was in comparison. Taking into consideration that it could be hidden in any wall or under the floor, it could be anywhere. He pivoted on his heels and focused his attention on the décor of the office. Of all the rooms in the mansion, surely Yuy's office would be the most logical place to hide his safe. There could be a secret mechanism that could move the bookcase right behind the desk, or it could be hidden behind any of the square, wooden panels that clad the walls, or it was hidden behind a painting; always a classic. His gaze landed on the painting above the black leather couch and a deep frown formed on his face. It was a different painting from before. The painting with the looming shadows had been replaced by a monochromatic, cubistic work. He smiled at himself, that book he 'borrowed' from the library about art history was really paying off. "You changed the painting," He pointed out. He looked at Yuy and waited for a response. There was a slight delay, but then the man looked up, first at Duo and then at the painting. "Yes." "Why?" His blue eyes were cold and unreadable. "I didn't like it anymore." His gaze shifted, back to the screen of his laptop. "Oh?" Duo wondered if he had stopped liking it because of something he had said about it two weeks ago, but he shook his head. There was no way a man like Yuy would let himself be influenced by someone he believed to be a common whore. "I like this one better." It was the truth. The previous painting he associated with the degradation he had been faced with his entire life, the current painting evoked nothing. It vaguely resembled a person, in a Picasso kind of way and he supposed it was very interesting, academically, but it looked bland. If anything, it bored him. He could understand why Yuy liked it, it was just like him in that regard: studied but uninspired. "Do you have any other hobbies? Besides collecting paintings?" He tried. There was no response. "Do you paint?" Duo narrowed his eyes when his question seemed to cause the man to tighten his fingers around his pen. The man paints, Duo concluded, but clearly it was not so much a hobby as a frustration to him. The analytical golden boy probably hadn't been able to master the skill, which must displease him endlessly. Tabling the subject for later, he continued: "What about sports? Do you play sports? You must work out, with a body like that." Yuy's gaze dashed up at him. There was no modesty, only surprise at the change of subject. "Yes, I work out." There had been a question and then there was an answer. It was almost like a conversation! "What do you do? Do you swim? You have a big-ass pool." Duo was visibly disappointed when the businessman looked down at his papers again, disconnecting from the interaction. Trying not to let himself be deterred he went on boldly: "Personally, I like a game of ice-hockey best. Or soccer in summer. That's not a very American type of sports, but all you need to play is a ball. Hell, any kind of round object will do, when times are tough enough. When I was a kid, we used to steal stones right out of the pavement in our streets and use them to mark the goals in this field where they were going to build a mini-mall but then the contractor went bankrupt-" He fell silent. Yuy had tuned him out, reading a document and scribbling his signature at the bottom of every page. He spent the next two hours on the uncomfortable leather couch. He cringed every time he heard the other man punch the keys of his keyboard and even the sound of his fountain-pen scraping the paper angered him -it created the exact same sound every time because all he ever did that night was sign his name and after a while it was like an annoying jingle that kept repeating itself. Even though he should have been worried that his time for the evening had been up when Gerry appeared in the doorway, he was only relieved and he couldn't leave fast enough. He was about to follow the man out of the office when Yuy called his name; the sound curt, his voice deep. He froze. Honestly he had expected him to have forgotten his name. He turned around and was a little unnerved by the man's stare. "I'll see you next week," He asserted. All the American could do was nod and then he shuffled after Gerry, who closed the door behind him. It was good news that he was invited over for next week, it meant Angelica hadn't been premature with her conclusion when she said they were 'in'. But the way the Japanese man had said it, rubbed him the wrong way. It hadn't been a request, it was an announcement, like Duo had no say in the matter. The fact that that was accurate - he really didn't have a choice - was probably what bothered him so much about it. They stood by the orchid in the middle of the foyer again. Gerry held out a white envelope wordlessly. Duo bit his lip and he took the envelope. It would be phony to refuse payment again, but he was deeply troubled. He was leaving without leaving any kind of lasting impression. What would stop Yuy from canceling halfway into the week? "I understand," Said Gerry. "I didn't expect you to not want to be paid again. Neither did master Yuy. You should be paid for your time." "Thanks." He folded the envelope in half and stuffed it in the back pocket of his grey jeans. The same guard from before appeared and he was escorted off the premises again. Around the corner, Neil was waiting for him in his black SUV. He ripped open the door of the passenger seat and climbed inside. He flinched when there was suddenly a hand in front of his face, but he let out a grateful sigh and took the cigarette that was offered to him. Following soon after was his silver zippo lighter that he had given to Neil to keep safe while he went into the lion's den. "How many words this time?" The would-be general asked him after his first drag. He let out a bitter chuckle. "For now we're good, I think. He did say he wanted to see me again next week." He chewed on the inside of his cheek, recalling Yuy hadn't really said he wanted to see him, just that he would. "Well, that's good!" Neil exclaimed excitedly. "Yeah." "See? We're making progress. You'll be braiding each other's hair in no time," He laughed heartedly. "I just realized, that is extra funny because you actually have a braid." "It's hilarious." He took another drag. "I'm laughing on the inside, where it counts." "Yeah yeah..." He started the engine and drove them out of Corbeau Park, dropping Duo off on the corner of his street in a decidedly more shady part of town. At home he rid himself of his grey jeans and his purple shirt and rebelliously put together an all-black outfit. He wondered what would happen if he showed up to the Yuy residence in all black, but it was too early to try such a tactic, although the man's reaction, whatever it would be, might yield some useful information. He dumped the clothes in the laundry bin. After having two smokes in the car he had to wash them if he wanted to wear them again on a Friday night. He slammed the lid of the hamper shut but then he remembered: there was two thousand dollars in the back pocket of his jeans. He fished out the envelope and carried it to the kitchen. He toyed with the edge of the sealed envelope and he weighed it in his hands. The amount consisted of large bills, or else it would have been much thicker and heavier. In the end he discarded the envelope on the kitchen table and got a beer from the fridge. Before J.J. had made the biggest mistake of his life, two thousand dollars was a lot of money to Duo. Now that they were collectively five million dollars in the hole - perhaps that had been the biggest mistake on Duo's part - two grand was nothing and he couldn't care less. He should probably give it to Neil, to invest in the mission. He dropped down onto the couch, the springs in the cushions creaking and he mindlessly flipped through the channels. Half an hour later there was a knock on his door and Duo threw his head back and groaned. Unenthusiastically he got up to unlock and unbolt the door. J.J. bounced into his apartment, high on something. "How did it go?" "Marvelous. We've exchanged friendship bracelets and played hide and seek." "Jeez, you're in a mood. Mind if I get a beer too?" Duo shrugged and sat down again, slouching in his seat to the point where his knees touched the coffee table. "What's this?" He looked over and saw J.J. inspecting the crisp, white envelope curiously. "It's my fee." He was disgusted at himself. "Cool." Without asking for permission he ripped it open and the money fell out, onto the table and onto the floor. "Dude!" He exclaimed as he collected the bills. "This is like... two grand!" He was beaming. "I know. Go give it to Tsubarov, I'm sure he'll consider our debt paid." "Come one, bro! This is cause for celebration! We should go out! I'll take you to this really nice strip club-" He scrunched up his face. "Oh, right, you don't like titties. I guess... I guess we could go to a gay strip club..." He made a displeased face. "We're not spending that money on strippers - male nor female. We're not spending it on drugs or booze either. I should have given it to Neil right away." J.J. sputtered. "Why would you do that? You said it yourself: it's your fee!" Duo jumped up from the couch, stormed over to his little brother and snatched the money and the envelope from his greedy hands. "It's going to Neil. That's the end of it. I'm not going to let you snort yourself to death with my whore-money." He stuffed the bills back into the envelope and slammed it down on the table. "Fine. No need to get your panties in a twist," J.J. muttered, taking an innocent sip from the bottle of beer. Grumbling under his breath he walked back to the couch. "So, seriously, how did it go with mister Billionaire?" "He's a conceited stiff who needs a good ass-whooping." "Or ass-fucking." J.J, giggled at himself. A grin tugged at the older one's lips. "Yeah, or maybe that." He got his pack of cigarettes and lighter out of his pocket. "I thought you were going to quit." "Only between my Friday afternoon shower and the end of my 'date'. I'm not going to suffer through this for the next couple of months without some nicotine to take the edge off." "Can I bum a smoke?" "You bum everything else, so I suppose why not." Once he had lit his cigarette he threw the pack and the lighter towards J.J. The young man put one cigarette between his lips and lit it and another he tucked behind his ear. He put the things away on the kitchen table. "What about next Friday? What's going to happen?" "Mister Yuy already extended an invitation." "Great." He wandered around the small apartment for a while and then continued: "So what's he like? Is he hot?" He winked. "Yeah, I guess he's hot. If you're into that sort of thing." "What sort of thing?" Duo shrugged. "The whole... perfectly symmetrical, exotic beauty thing he has going on." He made vague gestures in the air with his cigarette. "Yeah, that's sounds like a real bore," J.J. deadpanned. "When someone describes a chick like that, I'd be all over that piece of ass." "Charming." "Speaking of ass, I gotta bounce. The night is still young." He reached his hand out for the doorknob, "You sure you don't want to come?" "Positive." He stared at the muted television set and then called out as an afterthought: "J.J.?!" The young man poked his head back inside. "Yeah?" "Take it easy, alright?" He snorted. "What's the fun in that?" "J.J.," He warned. "You're part of this team. If Neil calls you up tomorrow with some sort of chore, you can't be hung-over... or dead. Everyone needs to do their part and earn their paycheck." "Sure thing, boss." He bared his yellow teeth in a grin. "I'm not the boss, little brother. Neil is the boss. And he's not going to let you get away with the shit you pull." "Yeah, yeah... Thanks, mom!" He pulled the door shut. "Little asshole." He started flipping through the channels again and paused at a news program, although he wasn't sure if his homework would ever pay off. Yuy proved to be a difficult guy to engage in conversation. Even researching the things he appeared to be interested in wasn't paying off. Lazily he reached for the book of art history and he skipped ahead to the chapter about Cubism. But Duo was nothing other than an unrefined punk and he found nothing redeemable about modern, abstract art, no matter how hard he tried. He had to explore more of the mansion, perhaps the master of the house had more hobbies to be revealed, something Duo could connect with. With an exasperated sigh he switched off the TV and pushed himself up on his feet. He turned off lights as he headed in the direction of his bed and stripped as he went, ending up at his bedside in just his boxers. He tumbled forward onto the mattress and wrapped himself up in his sheets. Trying to befriend an asshole like Yuy was exhausting. The week went by quickly, even with Neil breathing down his neck. Somehow, the Russian couldn't understand that Duo couldn't figure out more about the reclusive billionaire after having spent two entire evening together. He tried to explain that when someone spoke and emoted as little as the businessman, he had nothing to go by. Neil seemed to be expecting nothing short of actual magic, he even appeared disappointed the American hadn't yet figured out where Yuy was hiding his safe. He was dropped off around the corner, J.J. wished him luck from the back seat. He headed through the gate, he was searched upon entry and the guard handed him over to Gerry-the-butler in the grand foyer, who in turn deposited him in the waiting room. He was offered nothing to drink or eat as he waited for the master. Impatiently he circled the furniture, until his legs got tired and he took a seat, boldly propping his feet up on the mahogany coffee table. There was no clock and he wasn't the watch-wearing type, so he had no concept of time, but judging by the state of his boredom, Yuy made him wait longer than usual. He clicked his tongue and drummed the beat of a popular pop song on the armrest with his fingers. It was taking too long. He was becoming increasingly more aggravated and at a certain point he snapped and jumped up from his seat. He opened the massive door heading back into the foyer and he waited in the hollow space carved out of white marble. "Hello?" There was no response. He wasn't allowed to wander around the house, he wasn't allowed to leave the 'designated area', but he figured Yuy had kept him waiting for over an hour and such rudeness surely excused a breach of contract. He approached the orchid in the center of the room and noticed the camera mounted discretely on the wall. Looking up at the chandelier - curtains of crystals delicately draping down from the two story ceiling - he called out again: "Hello?" Going upstairs would be too brazen, he thought to himself and he decided to head through the door beneath where the twin staircases met. This opening took him back into stretching hallway where he had come from. If he went left he could follow the route the guard always took him by. But there was also an entire stretch of the gallery heading right and the unexplored territory appealed to him much more. Duo took all but three steps to the right when a door was pushed open and Gerry appeared. The older man didn't say anything, but he looked angry and he took hold of Duo's arm - arguably even more strongly than the guards did - and he pulled him back to the waiting room. "Certainly you are sufficiently intelligent to understand simple direction," He seethed. "You have been explicitly told not to leave this room." "What was I supposed to do? How long is he going to keep me waiting?" "I don't know, but you get paid for three hours of your time. If master Yuy happens to only show up for the last ten minutes of it, than that is his prerogative." Duo made a face. "Because he's paying he gets to treat me like this?" "You could be treated a lot worse. Master Yuy is a fair employer." "This is not fair!" "You will wait here until master Yuy arrives or until the three hours are up. Whichever comes first." He put his hands on his hips. "Hold on!" He called when the butler moved away. "Can't you call him or something? Ask him when he expects to be home?" "I do not bother master Yuy at the office with anything other than a clear emergency," He stated definitively and he slammed the door shut. "Fucking hell." He buried his hands in his hair. Time crept by at an agonizing pace. He worried if people could actually be bored to death - if so, the evening counted as near-death experience for him. His life flashed before his eyes but unfortunately it was a disappointing short film that didn't distract him from the mind-numbing lack of mental stimulation for too long. Although he was pretty sure the stylish arrangement of fruit on the coffee table was not strictly meant for consumption he grabbed one of the oranges and peeled it, purposefully making a mess to passively-aggressively express his dismay. He popped piece after piece into his mouth. The door opened and he flung himself into an upright position. He glared at Gerry. "It's time," Said the butler. With a groan he got up and followed him into the foyer where he received his payment and was escorted outside again by the guard. Once he was practically thrown off the property he couldn't contain his rage. He screamed and kicked the brick wall lining the premises. All that had achieved was a throbbing pain in his big toe. He walked around the corner and climbed into the awaiting SUV. "Give me a cigarette! Right now! Right now!" "Okay, okay!" Neil fumbled to shake a smoke from the pack and handed it and his lighter to him. "Fucking asshole!" He yelled, struggling to light his cigarette. His hands were shaking, that was how angry he was. "This piece of shit is unbelievable!" "What happened?" Asked J.J. from the backseat. "Nothing! Absolutely, fucking nothing! He didn't show up!" "What?" "He's still at the office! I've been cooped up by myself in this suffocating room where the forests of the world have all come to die at the altar of 'rustic design'!" He finally managed to light his cigarette and he inhaled the smoke deeply. "Fuck!" He added for good measure. "Calm down. It will be better next time," Neil tried. "Fuck this! I can't do this. I can't do this, Neil!" He turned sideways in his seat to face him. "I've been a street-rat my entire life but I've never let someone treat me like this." "Well-" Someone started in the backseat. "Shut up, J.J.!" Neil raised his hands and attempted to calm him. "I'm going to take you home. Get some sleep. I understand your anger, but you're missing the big picture here. Quitting is not an option." He seethed quietly while Neil drove him back to his apartment. J.J. got out of the car with him and said goodnight to Neil before shutting the car door and coming to stand next to his big brother on the pavement. "You forgot to give Neil the money again." "I didn't forget." He produced the envelope from his pocket, ripped it open and counted the bills. He threw the empty envelope onto the street and stuffed the cash into the inner pocket of his jacket. "Let's go," He said and he started walking down the street. "Let's waste some of my hard-earned money." J.J. happily skipped after him. A few blocks over, in a more decent part of town, the two of them managed to hail a cab and J.J. giggled with excitement when Duo gave the driver the address for that strip club he had mentioned the previous week. The bouncer at the door was initially apprehensive about letting them in, but he held the door open once Duo had discretely handed him some money. They were taken to the VIP section and Duo ordered a bottle of champagne priced at four hundred dollars. The exotic dancer on the stage gyrated her toned body against the platinum stripper pole and didn't do much else, but J.J. certainly appeared impressed by her. He couldn't take his eyes off her and at one point tipped her with one of the hundred-dollar bills. She had smiled at him and left to be replaced with a darker girl who seemed more skilled. J.J. turned his head to look at his big brother, reclined on the red, leather couch, and told him goofily: "I feel like a fucking rock star." Duo kept him company for some time and actually enjoyed watching the girl dance and maneuver around the pole. She was very athletic and he appreciated that, regardless of his sexual orientation. After about an hour he handed J.J. most of the money that was left, keeping only a hundred to himself. "What are you doing?" When Duo got up he rephrased: "Where are you going?" "Call your friends. Have a good time. I'm going to Genesis." Without much ado he pulled the curtain aside and left J.J. alone in the private area of the club, trusting he knew how to amuse himself with over a thousand dollars, at a strip club. He knew it was potentially dangerous to leave the young man with that kind of money, considering his drug dependency, but Duo wanted him to enjoy the night. He had lost all hope that he could fulfil his part of the heist successfully and without him able to glean the location of the safe, everything would fail and Tsubarov would gladly take the naïve kid's head and work Duo to the bone. With such a fate ahead of him, he was pressed to enjoy himself as well. Gay dance club Genesis was within walking distance from the strip club. He could hear the booming music of a dance track as he approached. There was a long line outside the door but he hadn't brought that hundred-dollar bill without reason. The men waiting in line were leering and sneering at him when he walked right by them and handed the burly bouncer the money. Obviously, he was let inside without delay. The décor had changed since his last visit, he noted and on the heels of that realization was the question: when had he been there last? It had been a long time ago. So long that he suddenly felt very old. Scraping together one-dollar bills from his wallet he bought himself a stiff drink at the bar and once he had downed his drink the sympathetic bartender poured him a free refill, complete with a wink. Ten minutes later, during the bartender's short break, the two of them stumbled outside into the alley lining the back of the building. Duo was pressed back against the wall as he was kissed hungrily and he swore he could feel the bricks vibrate to the beat of the music. The guy - whose name he failed to catch - was groping his ass greedily. Not this time, the braided man thought to himself. He turned them around, pressing the other up against the wall. He groaned and made no objections. With a smirk he focused the attention of his hands on the front of Duo's jeans. Duo paused to look at his face in the streetlight. Another bartender, he thought to himself. Was he as hot as his ex? No. Was he as beautiful as Yuy? Definitely not. But the relationship wouldn't last long enough for the stranger to hurt him and at least this guy showed interest in him and didn't ignore him. That would have to be good enough. With a demanding hand on his hip he had the guy turn around and he pulled both their jeans down just far enough. He paused to take a condom out of his pocket and put it on. He spit in his hands and rubbed the wetness between the two ass cheeks. Then, unceremoniously, he thrust inside and started to fuck him. After only one minute the bartender looked over his shoulder and said between groans: "Hurry up, my break's almost over and I still have to smoke." Duo growled and pushed his face back against the brick wall but he obliged and fucked him harder to take them both over the edge. As soon as it was over he stepped back, pulled the condom off his dick - tossing the piece of latex onto the ground - and tucked himself back into his pants. "You have a light?" The bartender asked dryly. Without a word he produced his zippo from his back pocket and lit the cigarette between the man's lips. "Thanks. Aren't you going to smoke?" "Not now." He pocketed the lighted and ripped the emergency door open, going back inside. Flirting at the bar paid off for the second time when a man bought him another drink and after finishing the shot he excused himself and he went home. The loveless sex wasn't really his thing, but when love has been such a constant disappointment, a boy has to make do. Safe sex wasn't just about rubber on your dick, it was about concrete around your heart. He fell asleep on the couch. His face was stuck to the leather seat the next morning when he was woken up by a persistent fist rapping on his door. He wiped a trail of saliva off his chin with the back of his hand and looked around, for a moment his surroundings confused him. The view from his bed was entirely different and it had been a long time since he last woke up on the uncomfortable couch. With a groan he sat upright and he ran his hands through his hair. "I'm coming!" He shouted. His legs felt like lead as he got up and staggered towards the door, expecting it to be J.J. on the other side. "Neil," He stated dumbly, his eyebrows raising in surprise. The Russian man stormed into the apartment uninvited. "What-? Is something wrong?" He closed the door, leaning back against it heavily. He was dizzy and he suffered a splitting headache. "I figured we should have a little talk, based on your discouragement last night." Neil looked around, staring at the second-hand couch, the scratched coffee table, the mismatched kitchen cabinets and the unmade bed. "This place is a dump." "Thanks." Duo was fully aware of that fact, but he had still been proud when he had been able to rent it, without resorting to selling out and working for the likes of Tsubarov and without having to sell his body. Things had changed. "I need you to keep your focus. Keep your eye on the prize. Don't let Yuy's behavior discourage you. It's going to get better. You can get him to open up." "Thanks for the pep talk... but since out of the two of us I was hired for my ability to read people, let me spell this out for you: Yuy is never going to trust me." Duo pushed off the wall and headed for the fridge for a bottle of cool water to soothe his headache. "Don't do this, Duo." He took a swig from the bottle, ignoring Neil's plea. "We're all up shit-creek if you quit. The Bear will gladly serve Tsubarov our heads on a silver platter." "We've been up shit-creek all along!" Duo yelled in return. "We were just too stupid to realize it!" "You can do it," Neil insisted. "You read me like an open book. How is Yuy any different?" "He's not giving me anything to work with! Look, picture it this way, there is a fifteen foot wall between me and this guy and I have to get over to his side. To be able to do that, I need him to throw me a line, something I can really hold on to. But I'm holding onto nothing but a thread. It's not enough!" He gestured wildly. "You did it with me!" He snorted. "Please, you didn't put up a wall so much as a picket fence and you practically gave me a step-ladder to get over it." Neil made a face. "You're cards were on the table. And I know guys like you, I know how to read your hand. Yuy... fuck, he has no cards! He is not even playing this game! He's not from our world, he doesn't live by our rules. I don't understand guys like this and I don't know how to act around him to get something out of him, because I don't belong there." Neil sighed and looked away, clearly disappointed. "I'm sorry," The American offered genuinely. "I thought I was the right guy for the job. But I was wrong." "When I hired you I didn't think I was hiring a quitter," He spat. "You think I want to quit? You think I want to give up? Have you forgotten what is at stake for me? For J.J.?" "No! Have you?!" Duo reeled back. The Russian walked up to him and pointed his index finger at his chest angrily. "You think long and hard about what you're giving up on exactly." After besieging Duo with an intense glare for a number of heartbeats, he walked out of the apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. "Fuck!" He was angry mostly because he knew Neil was right. He couldn't give up. Giving up was a death sentence for J.J. But that Friday night had been the most infuriating night of his life and the thought that he would keep having to put himself through that was draining the life out of him in and of itself. It was the most degrading thing he had ever had to do; to have an entitled asshole like Yuy treat him like a worthless piece of shit. How was he supposed to consolidate that with the last shreds of pride he had left in him? The truth was, there was no more room for pride, or even dignity. If he wanted to keep J.J. alive he had to keep fighting; he had to keep taking these punches in the gut, even though he had a feeling the fight was rigger anyway and he never stood a chance. Without the two of communicating for the rest of week, Neil's SUV showed up beneath Duo's window on the next Friday night, right on schedule. He knew Duo would change his mind. Duo put his hand against the wall as he looked down at the idling vehicle. He felt sick to his stomach. He smoothed his black, silk shirt over his abdomen, trying to ease the nausea away. He took one last breath and then he headed downstairs. He opened the door and took his seat. Neil didn't say anything as he drove off. J.J. popped up from the back seat. He was unbeknownst to the tension and the fight the two men in the front of the car had had. "You're wearing black." He pointed out. "Yeah." "I thought you said mister Fantastic didn't like black." "He doesn't." He frowned. "Or at least, I think he doesn't." Neil glanced at him. "You aren't purposefully sabotaging this, are you?" "I'm not sabotaging anything," He snarled in reply. "I'm trying to provoke him. I can't seem to get any useful information out of him trying to please him, maybe I can get something out of him by displeasing him." "It's your call." "It is my call. And I'm not a quitter." "Uhm," J.J. interjected. "What's going on?" "Nothing," The two of them replied in unison. The unpleasant Friday night ritual repeated itself for the fourth time. He was dropped off around the corner. The guards opened the gate for him - just a little. He was frisked and the rules were drilled into him once more. He was taken by the arm and led through the house and was handed over to the butler who walked him into the waiting room. "Hey, Gerry, wait up!" He called before the man could exit the room. "I'm sorry about last time. About wandering around and about being a dick. I didn't mean to get you in trouble." "You didn't get me in trouble. You nearly got yourself in trouble." That was all he said on the matter. He bowed politely and closed the door. Duo sat down. This time he had borrowed Neil's watch and he monitored the passing of time closely. Hope was sparked when Yuy was only twenty minutes late. He walked into the room, didn't acknowledge Duo in any way, opened the door to his office and headed straight for his desk. Hope died. Duo dragged his feet following the master into his home office. Gerry came with coffee for the both of them. Once the butler had excused himself Duo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could even say anything Yuy raised a finger in the air, effectively silencing him. The man glared in his direction, like he was a terrible bother, and then put his cellphone to his ear. Duo fell backwards onto the couch when the businessman rapidly talked into his phone in some foreign language. He initially assumed it was Japanese, considering his heritage, but then he remembered reading somewhere that mister genius spoke multiple languages fluently - like seven, or eight, or twenty-four, whatever. Fucking Hell. Duo sighed as there seemed to come no end to the phone call, but it was mostly the person on the other end of the line talking and Yuy just checked information on his computer, sometimes frowning at the screen when there were apparently some discrepancies. He hadn't even noticed, or cared, that Duo was wearing a black shirt. The American wasn't sure what he had been expecting. Some explanatory monologue about why he, himself, never wore black and yet had a black suitcase, a black couch and a black car anyway? Maybe J.J. had been right all along - it could happen once in a blue moon. Maybe the issue didn't run any deeper than vanity and the man just didn't like how he looked in black clothing. Although Duo couldn't imagine why, with a golden complexion like that, surely every color suited him; he was certainly able to rock every other shade he had seen him wear when most people really could only pull off a black suit. The phone call ended abruptly and Yuy quietly continued his work. Duo looked down at his watch. He still had another hour to kill. Subtly he asked: "Doesn't it bother you to have to work all evening?" He was pretty sure the implied 'I sure hate it' hung heavily in the air. Heavily enough for even socially-illiterate-Yuy to pick up on it. "I like working." "I'm sure, otherwise the hours would have driven you mad by now." He laughed at his own joke. Speaking of being driven mad... "Can you tell me what you're doing? I'm interested," He explained when he received a suspicious look. Yuy ignored him and started typing. "Seriously." He insisted. "I want to know what's so interesting that you completely ignore your two-thousand dollars' worth of company." He hadn't really meant for his bitterness to be that obvious, but what had meant to sound as a lighthearted joke came out as a foul accusation. Yet, still, it didn't affect the man in the least, as he continued to type. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take it anymore! It was hopeless! There was no point suffering through these Friday night ordeals. His target was too cold, too detached, too compartmentalized. He would never get him to say anything meaningful, certainly not the location of his secret vault where he hid a chunk of his precious money. All the rage and despair bubbled up to the surface again, evaporating his earlier resolve. His skin crawled. His fingernails dug into the leather of the armrest as he tried to hold onto his cool, but it was futile. Steam was practically blowing out of his ears. "Fuck you!" He jumped up from the couch. Finally, Yuy bothered to look at him. His expression was barely surprised. "I can't do this anymore!" Duo stated. He knew he should keep his mouth shut but he had to vent or else he would surely explode from the built up pressure. "I thought you were quiet because you were shy, but that's not it. You don't talk to me. You hardly even look at me. You make me feel like shit." The man was unmoved. He only stared as Duo continued his outburst. "You must think I'm so stupid. And so worthless!" He laughed bitterly. "If you think this lowly of me, why am I here? It's very clear you think I'm not good enough for you! So why the fuck would you pay to keep me here? I don't need this. I don't need to be ignored and degraded like this, by some snob who thinks he's too good for me! What the fuck do you know? You don't even know me!" Once he finished he was out of breath. He stared back at the businessman and felt his eyes well up with tears when he saw how utterly unaffected the man was by his explosion of emotion and resentment. He never stood a chance. J.J. never stood a chance. He inhaled deeply and said definitely: "Goodbye." He pivoted on his heels and promptly walked out the door. He paused in the foyer and waited for Gerry as he was certain the butler was keeping one eye trained on the surveillance monitors after last time. Gerry appeared shortly and he frowned at the American's flustered face. "You can call my escort," He said. He was on the verge of tears. "I'm leaving." "I'll take you," Gerry replied and with a surprisingly gentle hand on his shoulder he guided Duo through the familiar hallways and out onto the backyard patio. A guard jogged up to them. "What happened?" Gerry wanted to know. Duo shook his head and met the guard halfway. "Sir, your payment!" "Keep it!" Duo yelled over his shoulder and he let the guard take him back to the street. He sat on the curb around the corner from the gate for forty minutes when the black SUV finally approached. He got into the car and they silently exchanged the watch for the lighter and the cigarettes. Neil waited for him to take a couple of drags, keeping the car parked at the curb. "Letty got a call." Duo buried his face in his hands and mumbled: "Let me guess, the butler confirmed that I wasn't invited back for next week." "Yuy was the one who called." He looked up, eyes wide with shock. "He called?" He swallowed the lump in his throat. Neil smirked. "He wants to see you again." He paused for effect. "Tomorrow." "Why?" "Apparently he didn't say. But he's expecting you at seven. For dinner." "This guy is fucking crazy." ~ * ~ tbc... I know that this chapter doesn't provide much, if any, progress to the overall plot, but I needed things to stagnate for a little while, Heero is playing hard-to-get after all. I can't make things too easy for Duo. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you'll review. Thanks for reading!
|
