|
"Shades"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: R Warnings: AU/Romance, Angst, fluff, mild exhibitionism,
mention of group sex (not between the boys), open affection between
the boys (kissing and such) Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xOC’s Summary: An encounter with a high class, exotic dancer shifts Hiiro’s perception of reality introducing him to a whole new world and the love of a lifetime. "Shades" Ch 4
The man that owned the company he worked for had been after him since before he was hired to teach a class at the small college he was affiliated with. It was the same kind of program that had gotten Hiiro involved with the man but he’d turned it down until then. It seemed like a good way to keep his mind busy with the extra work load so he finally accepted. It meant teaching a class three nights a week until ten p.m. but he didn’t really want to go home and brood anyway so it worked out. The first night of the six week course had drifted neigh in the blur that had become his life confronting him with the one true reason he’d refused to accept the position in the past. ‘Hiiro!’ Relena, the company president’s daughter and honorary director of the school smiled in greeting. ‘Welcome, I’m so glad you came,’ she added folding her clipboard to her chest as she greeted him. It took her a moment before she realized he had nothing to say in return. ‘I have your schedule and itinerary,’ she beamed shuffling the pages on her clip board. ‘I’ve my own synopsis,’ he informed her coolly. He’d learned long ago not to give her anything to grab hold of. Her obsession with him since the day they’d met had bordered on stalking. He was the best at what he did, young and handsome with a promising future. Everything the young girl wanted in a potential mate. The fact that he had no interest in her even before his visits to the club had no effect on her whatsoever. It had taken a threat that he would quit the company to tame her wild imagination once before. He really didn’t look forward to having to deal with her again but at that point he really just didn’t care anymore. ‘Of course,’ she replied smoothly putting her notes away. ‘You’re in class …’ ‘Two A,’ Hiiro finished for her. ‘If you’ll excuse me,’ he added shortly turning to leave. ‘Well,’ the girl gasped a bit desperately ‘If you need anything,’ she offered to his retreating back. ‘Let’s have lunch some time!’ she called making him roll his eyes. She just didn’t get it and from the look of things she never would. He felt a little better once away from her though. The school was more like a small office building designed for classes specific to his trade. He’d be teaching advanced encoding in this class. Something that took a great deal of concentration and time that would hopefully leave him with little time to think about... other things but even as he entered the small class of ten students his mind was imprisoned with thoughts of the boy from the club. But it was always like this, he was never far from his thoughts. He was used to the general attitude he got from his peers. Most men, especially young men in college or just starting out in their careers, looked at him either as a rival or a joke because of his age and exotic image. However, he also had a strong personality so it was only a matter of time before the critical looks he received from his students would change to ones of admiration or at the very least tolerant respect. He just didn’t care much really avoiding their eyes as he put his things on the desk and picked up the roll. Ten students in all ranging in age from seventeen to thirty four. ‘Amand Culihara?’ he called out receiving a short ‘Yo!’ from a dark hared man in the front row who was casually kicked back in his chair and wore a muscle shirt and dog chain around his neck. Hiiro considered him a moment before speaking. ‘What field do you intend to pursue?’ he asked evenly. ‘Whatever drops the most change, baby face,’ the man grinned. ‘Perhaps one of the brothels on the lower east side is in need of a bouncer?’ Hiiro challenged causing the man’s good humor to fade. The calm gaze from the Japanese boy’s cool blue eyes held any further response than a dark, confused frown on his face. ‘Mr. Fawks?’ Hiiro moved on noticing the slightly raised hand in the corner by the guy with the black hat and sunglasses. Hiiro’s heart jumped when he saw him, why was he wearing sun glasses inside? It reminded him painfully of his lost hope distracting him long enough for Fawks to get very nervous. ‘You’ve had IT experience?’ Hiiro finally asked gathering his thoughts again. ‘Yes sir,’ the young man replied. ‘Mr... Maxwell?’ Hiiro ventured guessing at the guy with the hats name since he was the only one in the room young enough to have matched the name. The hat moved as the guy nodded but Hiiro still couldn’t see his face very well. His heart began to race. It couldn’t be? Here? What would he be doing here? He was down on the river choreographing his next performance…right? Duo Maxwell? No way…. He was just dreaming, wishing, hoping too hard. His blood pressure went right through the roof as the boy stood up and headed for the door without a word, his long chestnut braid trailing along behind him as the bottom dropped out of Hiiro’s world. ‘Wait!’ he barked dropping the roll and sprinting after him leaving his class to mill about curiously. ‘Wait a minute!’ he shouted seeing the boy turn into the stair well. ‘Shit!’ he growled fleeing after him. It took him three floors and a daring jump over the banister to catch up with him but when he did it was instantly confirmed that this was indeed the boy from the club. ‘What’re you doing here?’ he asked breathily but the boy only tried to go around him. ‘Wait,’ he said again catching his arm. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you…’ ‘I’m not scared,’ the boy growled shaking the arm off then taking a deep breath to calm himself. ‘Look,’ he began. ‘I didn’t know you’d be the one teaching the class. It’s not a problem. I’ll just find another one,’ he said moving to leave again. ‘Damn it!’ Hiiro snapped stepping in front of him again. ‘What did I do?’ he demanded. ‘Why won’t you talk to me? Are you angry? What?! Duo? That’s your name, right? What did I do?!’ he barked in frustration, his eyes pleading and pitiful. Duo looked at him for a short moment then reached out and snatched him by the front of his shirt into a mind shattering kiss. It took all of two seconds for Hiiro’s knees to give out as they sank onto the hard stairs, their bodies entwining, folding together as if they’d been born to fit. His arms slipped around the boy’s slight body as he once again became stoned on his presence and touch then as suddenly as it had begun he was moving away. Pulling himself from the sticky union as if he’d fallen into a jar of honey, his bright, violet eyes scrunched close in his effort to withdraw himself as Hiiro urged him to remain. ‘I... came here to learn encoding,’ Duo rasped. ‘Don’t quit,’ Hiiro begged allowing him to pull completely away. ‘Please... give it a chance. I won’t bother you again,’ he promised. ‘Duo?’ he gasped as the boy slipped silently out the stairwell door leaving him laying on the stairs in a puddle of what once had been his stability. ‘Shit,’ he breathed heavily laying his head back on the steps as some of the tension seeped from his body. ‘Mr. Yuy?’ someone called from somewhere up above reminding him he had a class to teach. He prayed with all his might to whatever gods might be listening that Duo would return for the next class as he went back to work. It turned out he didn’t have to wait that long as about half way through the two hour session Duo slipped silently back into the room. Both the hat and glasses were missing this time leaving the boys full glory radiating from him as he moved gracefully to take his seat. Hiiro said nothing to him, actually he said nothing at all having stopped in mid sentence to watch the boy as his heart thundered away. He didn’t come back to reality until Duo was seated and staring blankly at him waking him from his daze. The rest of the class looked on in curiosity but no one said anything as he continued the lesson. By the end of the class most of the students were, as expected, more than happy to be under his tutelage regardless of his age. He’d spent a good deal of the last forty five minutes looking through Duo’s bio. The more he read the less he understood. He’d gone to a high school in the inner city. There were quite a few incidents where he’d been reprimanded and even expelled much like many of the other kids that had grown up under such poor conditions but it didn’t make any sense. His test scores were over the top. His grades amazed even Hiiro. It was no wonder the schools kept accepting him back no matter what he did but Hiiro just couldn’t reconcile the boy sitting in his class with the one that had driven him insane with passion. With a mind like his what in the world was he doing in a strip club? He watched in amazement as one by one the others in the room fell under the spell that surrounded him. There were seven men and three women, all of whom found some reason to speak with the braided boy at some point during the class. Duo replied to their inquires politely answer questions from one girl about hair care and informing another that he didn’t care for study groups. Amand tried very hard to intimidate him offering his aid in subjects as well as protection in the parking lot in the late night hours but Duo coolly and smoothly put him in his place. There was another invitation from one of the men to join him for a beer sometime and a few questions about where he was from and what his goals were but no one was able to get past his carefully constructed exterior. Hiiro smiled inwardly watching the way he skillfully redirected the questions until he had half the class admitting things they probably wouldn’t have told their own mothers. Duo didn’t linger after class leaving with the others without so much as a glance backward but Hiiro still couldn’t feel too bad about it all. He’d come back after all. That’s all that matter right then. He knew his name and he’d get to see him three times a week. It was a golden opportunity as far as he was concerned. His mood improved greatly over the next two days causing a new rash of gossip at work. Apparently, according to sources that would have remained nameless if he didn’t already know the name behind it was Akima, he’d finally managed to bed the president’s daughter. His lurid affair with the girl had to be the cause of his change in attitude and he had no intention of challenging the rumor. If everyone’s attention was on Relena then Duo would be safe, it was a fair bargain. He contented himself over the next couple of weeks with the knowledge that Duo would be there in his seat just like always each class. Limiting himself to speaking to him on matters only related to the subject matter was becoming more difficult by the day however. He just wanted to talk to him, to know his feelings and hear his dreams but he was afraid if he pushed it he’d never see him again. It was on the night of the fifth class that one of the girls, a nice brunette named Kari, cornered him in the hall after class and confessed her feelings for him. Hiiro had been just about to leave when he overheard the conversation. ‘...was wondering... if you’d... like to maybe have a drink with me sometime?’ Kari asked nervously. ‘I’m underage you know?’ Duo smiled casually shouldering his bag. ‘Oh… umm... well, coffee then? There’s a shop just around the corner,’ she suggested hopefully. ‘I’m afraid I don’t have the time,’ Duo replied smiling kindly. ‘And you don’t have the right equipment,’ he added casting a coy grin her way. Her expression changed from confusion to depression to utter shock in less than five seconds as the words began to sink in. Duo continued to smile letting her take her time to work it all out. Hiiro couldn’t help but grin to himself. He felt bad for the girl but things were working out really well for him. ‘I...I’m sorry,’ Kari apologized turning beat red and looking anywhere but at Duo. ‘That’s my line,’ the braided boy chuckled. ‘Thanks anyway though,’ he smiled. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said briskly. ‘I won’t tell anyone.’ ‘Doesn’t matter,’ he laughed turning to walk away. ‘Have a good night,’ he called back shifting his bag a little. Hiiro wasn’t really sure why the incident had left him so happy but he was still smiling when the next class rolled around. There was a shift in the atmosphere however. The girls had chosen a table away from Duo whereas they had habitually chosen the closest one in the past. The entire group seemed much more subdued where Duo was concerned. Not one of them had bothered him at all that night leaving him to work in peace for the first time since the class began. If the avoidance bothered him, however he kept it well hidden treating everyone the same way he always had. It was Hiiro’s first taste of the prejudice he was undoubtedly going to have to cope with now that he’d discovered his sexuality. He learned a valuable lesson that night in how to let things slide watching Duo. He just refused to be affected by it. Hiiro thought to himself that this was how he would like to be deciding by the end of the class to adopt Duo’s attitude and forgive them. When the class was dismissed he felt the need to confront Duo about it if for no other reason than to let him know he supported his position. ‘Duo,’ he called to the long hared boy as he gathered his things. ‘Could I have a word with you?’ Duo considered him for a moment glancing at the doorway of the quickly emptying room before resigning himself to the conversation. ‘Yeah, what’s up?’ he asked shouldering his bag in much the same dismissive way he had with Kari. Hiiro paused long enough for the last of his students to disappear. ‘I’m sorry,’ Hiiro began. ‘I’m afraid I overheard you and Kari last time,’ he confessed though Duo looked unmoved by the news. ‘Is it really alright?’ he asked uncertainly. ‘The way things are now?’ ‘It’s the way it’s always been,’ Duo snorted. ‘Or do people accept gay men with open arms in your world?’ he laughed. ‘I don’t know,’ Hiiro replied truthfully. ‘I’ve never… I mean... I didn’t really know until…’ Why was it so damn hard to finish a sentence all of a sudden? ‘You just figured it out?’ Duo laughed again. ‘Jesus,’ he giggled making Hiiro’s cheeks flair red. ‘Don’t sweat it,’ he said turning to leave. ‘If you need anything,’ Hiiro called after him. ‘Even just to talk…’ he offered still clinging to the hope that the boy would warm up to him. ‘The last thing I need is counseling from a seventeen year old genius virgin,’ Duo laughed tossing a sultry glance over his shoulder that hit Hiiro like a shot from a beam cannon. ‘Why’d you kiss me?!’ Hiiro suddenly burst not knowing where in the hell the words had come from. He swallowed the lump in his throat as Duo stopped and turned back into the room, his gaze as lusciously erotic as the sultry color of his eyes. Hiiro’s heart beat abandoned him as time ground to a stop. He didn’t dare breathe for fear he’d break the spell and the vision before him would vanish in the breeze. ‘W...why do you do it?’ he breathed shakily as Duo’s presence encroached on his personal space forcing him back until he collapsed in his chair. ‘You could be… anything you wanted,’ he sighed feeling the heat wash over his skin as the long hared boy dropped his bag on the desk and placed his hands on the arms of the chair. Hiiro’s pulse kicked into overdrive, his skin suddenly damp with perspiration as Duo’s mouth came within an angels breath of his own, the heat in his lungs washing over the Japanese boy’s trembling lips as his body tensed and solidified in response to the sumptuous presence. ‘For fun,’ Duo whispered sending a stark chill through Hiiro’s over taxed body as he slowly closed the gap and kissed him softly, teasing his lips with the gentle contact as Hiiro’s eyes slipped closed anticipating the culmination of the kiss. A moment later the delicious sensation was gone. He’d just barely managed to snatch his mind back from the brink of insanity when his eyes snapped open to see Duo’s back slip out the door. It took a full minute for him to gather his thoughts enough to realize what had happened and figure out that he was seriously pissed before jumping from his seat and going after him. By the time he reached the hall he was gone from sight. A quick glance told him he hadn’t taken the elevator which only left the stairs. Any other time he might have left it at that but at that moment his anger over the situation wouldn’t allow him to back off as he it the stairway door and quickly padded down the steps. His pursuit was stalled when a cold wave of curious fear washed over him at the sound of Duo’s voice snapping angrily. ‘Fuck off!’ ‘What’s your problem?’ Was that Amand? ‘From what Kari said you like dick right?’ Hiiro heard the man say as the sound of a scuffle filled the echoing stairwell. ‘Or aunt I good enough for ya, pretty boy?’ A quick glance over the banister confirmed that the man had forced Duo up against the wall pinning both his hands and body to the wall with his superior weight as he growled in his ear ‘Tell ya what, you suck me off and maybe I wont hafta bust that pretty little face of yours up hmm?’ In an instant Hiiro had leapt over the banister, his fury blazing hot in his dark blue eyes but even as his feet hit the ground so did Amand’s knees. It was clear as Duo’s confident angry eyes flashed meeting Hiiro’s steadfast cobalt blue that he had taken care of the problem in his own way. From the look of the big man kneeling on the floor holding his crotch he’d taken care of it quiet efficiently as well. ‘You ok?’ Hiiro asked evenly. ‘I can take care of myself,’ Duo informed him just as coolly. ‘Good,’ the Japanese boy said then suddenly reared back and kicked Amond square in the face knocking him clean over on his back where he lay still, his now bleeding mouth and cheek oozing bright red from the vicious contact point of Hiiro’s righteous boot. ‘Who in the hell do you think you are!’ Duo snapped snatching his back pack up as he headed for the door. ‘Who am I!?!’ Hiiro bellowed, the painful rage in his raspy tone stopping Duo in his tracks. ‘Why don’t you tell me, Duo?! I’m just a fucking toy for you to play with?! Is that it!? You get your rocks off jerking me around?! Is that really what this is all about?!?!’ ‘That’s what you wanted!’ Duo rounded on him. ‘It’s what you paid for!’ ‘Then why’d you give the money back!?’ Hiiro countered, his eyes flashing in challenge. ‘Because it’s not a fucking game with you!’ Duo shouted. Both boy’s stopped still as a stone as the words echoed throughout the small stairwell. Hiiro’s spine heated up when he saw the evidence of a watery tear shining in the depths of Duo’s eyes before he suddenly sighed ‘Forget it,’ and turned to leave again. Hiiro was on him in an instant snatching him back by the arm and into a fierce embrace. ‘Gods, Duo, no... please don’t,’ he ground out holding him tight. ‘It’s not a game. That’s not what I wanted,’ he told him realizing for the first time what Duo must have been thinking and feeling all this time. ‘Damn it!’ he growled in frustration pushing back so he could look at him. ‘I’ve never even been to a place like that before,’ he told him. ‘I didn’t know what else to do. It was the only way to get close to you,’ he explained. ‘I never wanted it to be a game.’ The honesty in his tone broke through some unseen barrier in Duo’s eyes giving him a renewed confidence that urged him on. ‘Cant we just start over?’ he asked hopefully. ‘Please... go out with me. We can do whatever you like’ he offered, his chest tightening as Duo’s eyes showed his contemplation of the idea. ‘You really are an idiot,’ Duo sighed, the odd affection in his voice making Hiiro smile in spite of the insult. ‘Fine,’ the braided boy said stepping back to regain his personal space as Hiiro beamed at him dopily. He found it very difficult not to break out laughing at the silly grin the Japanese boy was trying to hide. ‘Don’t get cocky,’ he warned. ‘You know what I do for a living,’ he reminded him receiving a happy little nod that cracked his resolve and made him chuckle. Duo eyed him suspiciously for a long moment but upon finding nothing sinister in his eyes nodded and let go of the remaining tension in his shoulders. ‘Is there anything special you’d like to do?’ Hiiro asked moving to open the door for him obviously intent on walking him out. ‘Quatre’s doing a charity thing over at Cumming’s Zoo next weekend,’ the long hared boy grinned accepting the small kindness. ‘You wanna help?’ he asked as Hiiro fell into step beside him letting the door shut on the forgotten, unconscious form of Amand. Hiiro tried to walk as slow as possible to prolong the amiable conversation they had fallen into. The words were trivial, place and time, dress casual and bring something to carry a drink bottle in but they brought an elation to Hiiro’s heart he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It just didn’t matter if they were walking in a parking lot, around a zoo or the rings of Neptune, as long as they were together, that’s all he needed. He was in danger of his head floating right off his shoulders if Duo smiled like that one more time when his bubble was suddenly burst by a familiar voice growling in disapproval. ‘What the fucks he doing here?’ Duo’s shining smile shifted to something more tolerant as he sighed and Hiiro tried not to look too surprised. ‘He’s the instructor,’ the long hared boy informed his stiff mannered escort. ‘Small world huh?’ ‘You’re kidding?’ Wufei replied reaching out to pull Duo to his side instead of Hiiro’s. ‘Nope,’ Duo grinned sounding almost proud, the tone in his voice washing away whatever animosity had been building in Hiiro’s chest at the Chinese boy’s interference. ‘He’s a benefited genius and the hero of the night … no pun intended,’ he shot under his breath at the stupefied Japanese boy. ‘What happened?’ Wufei asked suspiciously looking his companion over for anything amiss. ‘Nothing special,’ Duo smiled. ‘Just the usual jerk. I had it under control,’ he rolled his eyes at the frown that had appeared on Wufei’s face. ‘But H..EE..ro here,’ he emphasized the e grinning from ear to ear, ‘decided to do your job and rearranged his teeth for me.’ It was at that moment that the door opened some one hundred meters away and the burly form of Amand exited holding his nose. He paused for a moment looking down the parking lot at the three boy’s, his nervousness showing clearly even at that distance as both the Chinese boy and Hiiro glared at him before he turned and walked briskly the other way. Hiiro was the first to look away again, his discomfort and curiosity over the fact that Wufei now had his arm protectively around Duo’s waist showing in his expression. ‘We should get going,’ the long hared boy said breaking the awkward moment and bringing Wufei’s dark eyes back from their lethal pursuit. ‘I’ll see you Sunday then?’ he said allowing Wufei to open the door for him and guide him into the seat. The Chinese boy shot a curiously dispassionate glance over his shoulder as Hiiro nodded uncomfortably before going to his side to get in. ‘Goodnight,’ Duo smiled as Wufei forced a small grin onto his face and put the car in drive. ‘What’s Sunday?’ Hiiro heard the Chinese
boy ask as they drove away. He wasn’t quiet sure what to make
out of their relationship. It hadn’t escaped him when Duo made
reference to it being Wufei’s job to protect him but the long
hared boy had done nothing to hide the fact that they were going to
see each other. Whatever the case he just couldn’t let it get
him down. Duo had agreed to spend some time with him and that was
all his heart wanted to hear.
~ * ~ tbc... |
