Dark Deceptions Revised

Last Chapter

“What?!”

Duo’s
indignant cry echoed in the foyer. A faint blush painted his features as people
stopped and turned to stare at him. Clearing his throat, he turned his
attention back to the nosy, obnoxious, self-absorbed pig who thought it was
his job to do Duo’s.

“I’m
sure you only meant well, Mr. Brennan, but I don’t need an assistant. I am
perfectly capable in handling any and all situations. Unless, for some reason,
you find my abilities to be lacking?”

It
was Brennan’s turn to look sheepish. With a nervous chuckle, he adjusted his
constricting collar and shifted from one foot to another.

“No!
Not at all, Maxwell. You’re work as been superb, as always. It’s just that, now
with all this publicity and responsibility, I thought it would do you some good
to take some of that load of your shoulders. He’s already been approved, his
background checked and cleared. I assure you, Mr. Maxwell, you won’t be
disappointed.”

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Chapter 3

Duo stalked to the lounge area,
his need for a stiff drink raging. He seethed in a fiery fit of righteous
indignation. The nerve of that pipsqueak! Thinking he could just up and
hire anybody that applied! He plopped down on a barstool, waving at the
bartender to capture his attention. He ordered three shots of tequila. Two were
for Janen and Byouki. The third was for himself. God help the idiot Mr. Brennan
hired because he was going to make his life a living hell.

“Aren’t you a little too young
to drink?”

“Aren’t you a little too nosy
for your own good?” Duo shot back as he gulped down a fourth shot of tequila.
He turned to glare at the individual. An almost fell off the barstool.

Sitting next to him surely had
to be some sort of mythical god descended down to grace the presence of pitiful
undeserving mortals such has himself. A mop of tousled chocolate hair, shot
with different colors of browns and amber, made Duo’s fingers itch to bury
themselves in its richness. Chunky bangs partially hid the features that could
only be described as unworldly. Cobalt blue eyes that seem to shimmer and
darken were focused on him, lips that were full and pouty and begging to
be thoroughly ravished, a strong yet delicate jaw line, and chiseled cheekbones
created the face of Adonis. And Duo hadn’t even reached below the neck for
detail!

A body that anybody would kill
for was lounging casually next to his. Duo suddenly felt inadequate and
scrawny beside this stranger. His physique was lean, but muscular in detail. Duo
fantasized he could see his muscles rippling from beneath his shirt.
Broad shoulders to lean on, a narrow waist to wrap arms around, legs that
powered this machine. And an ass you could just reach out and sink your teeth
into.

Cardiac arrest in aisle five,
please.

Duo blinked, his face flushing
with embarrassment. Sure, he had realized at an early age he tended to
gravitate towards the same sex, but he had never really been in a serious
relationship before. He never had the time. Plus, he never wanted to put his
partner into a situation where he might not come back one night. But that
didn’t mean he didn’t do a little window-shopping from time to time. This
heavenly being of all beings sitting
next to him was enough to make a blind gay man drool.

“Sorry,” Duo mumbled under his
breath. “Bad week for me.”

“You’re the – ”

“Yeah, me. The poor sucker who
had to axe his own employee. Yup, I’m that guy.” Duo sneered into his empty
shot glass and promptly ordered another one.

“It wasn’t your fault,” was
softly whispered to him.

Duo scoffed, the delicate
crystal shot glass held with the tips of his fingers as he sloshed the drink
around. “No, it wasn’t my fault. Just the fault of some deranged murderer who
decided to go on a killing spree and picked two of my men.”

“You act as if you don’t believe
any of it.”

“Buddy, what I do believe is
this world is fucked up. What happened a few days ago just proves it. Now if
you excuse me, I have to make myself presentable for some pitiful excuse of a
mortal who had the misfortune of being hired by a man I hold in complete
disregard.”

Duo shoved away from the
barstool, only to find his arm in a viselike grip. Sputtering, he turned to
stare at the man who was accosting him.

“You’re looking at him.”

Duo sputtered some more. “Excuse
me?”

A smirk, a lift of an eyebrow, a
flippant tone of voice that set Duo’s nerves on edge. “You’re looking at the
pitiful excuse of a mortal who had the misfortune of being hired by a man who
you hold in complete disregard. I take it you’re my new boss?”

Duo chuckled sheepishly, rubbing
the bridge of his nose with his forefinger. “Sorry,” he repeated. “Lets just
say, your employment was sprung on me at the last possible moment. Duo Maxwell,
at your service.”

“Yuy. Heero Yuy.”

“The one and only, eh? Conceited
much?”

A blank stare was Duo’s only
response to his quip. Sighing, he shook his head. “Oh boy,” he muttered.
“Another one of those silent but dead beat types. Oh happy day.”

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

“So you’ve made contact. How did
it go?”

Heero shot Trowa a ruthful
expression. “Apparently my being hired came to an unwelcomed shock to my
employer. He called me a pitiful excuse for a mortal.”

If Trowa had the ability to
laugh, he would have. Instead, he just quirked an amused eyebrow, his green
eyes twinkling faintly before masking over into casual indifference.

Leaning back against the wall,
arms comfortably crossed over his chest, Heero continued on. “Duo showed me
around the perimeters and base of the hotel. Also supplied me with some
impressive technological devices he
uses with the security detail. Since I was hired on as his assistant, I’m to be
ready at a moment’s notice. In short, I’m to be at his beck and call like an
obedient pet.”

This managed to bring out a
chuckle in the usually stoic boy. “Poetic justice, Heero.”

“Affirmative. Good luck, Yuy. I
have a feeling you’re going to need it.”

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Duo arched his back, arms up in
the air as he stretched before falling onto the soft grass beneath him. He
cradled his head in his arms as he watched the stars twinkle and dance in the
endless dark of night. He sighed in contentment. No more meetings. No more
pushy bureaucrats. No more taking orders and giving them. Just some peace and
relaxation time with no one to disturb him.

That is, until a looming figure
appeared above him.

Yelping in surprise, Duo bolted
up, his heart racing. “Jeez!” he exclaimed. “Whatcha scaring me for?”

“To remind you to do your job,
baka.”

Duo scoffed, waving his hand in
the air as if batting away a fly. “Job, schlob. Take it easy will you? Quatre
and Relena are ten feet away from us. We have five men on point and scouting
the perimeters. We have you’re eagle eye focused on any danger. So relax, eh?
Enjoy this quiet moment out under the stars because you won’t get many of
them.”

“Hn . . . ” Heero turned away,
his eyes on the two blondes. Quatre and Relena. They had been a shock to him.
Relena, already the diplomat with a maturity about her that rivaled an adult
and a hidden twisted personality. Quatre, the serene tranquil soul with a
pension of following Duo into mischief. Then there was the paradox himself, Duo
Maxwell. In one afternoon, he had blown whatever first impression Heero had of
him. The self-proclaimed Shinigami, the wild and reckless free spirit who did
things his way without regard to rules or regulations. Duo Maxwell was a
tightly woven mystery, a puzzle with never ending twists and turns begging to
be explored.

And Heero oh so loved a good
puzzle.

Sighing, he sat down, legs bent
with his arms propped up on his knees. He linked his hands together has he
gazed up at the stars with Duo. He never really looked at the stars anymore.
They were just there. Now, however, they had a brilliance to them, an
effervescence that sparkled with glee when gazed upon. And all it took was one
evening out with Duo to help Heero realize that.

Heero shook his head at his
thoughts. He tuned his mind to search for Trowa, locating him in the nearby
trees surrounding the park.

~How is everything?~ he
questioned.

~Not a trace of the undead.
Perhaps you were right, Yuy. Perhaps the vampire was deranged and desperate.~

~No, Trowa. For whatever reason,
these people are connected. I just don’t know how.~

~Hmm. Well, if a vampire
attacks, he better do it soon. Wufei is getting restless.~

~I am not!~ Wufei hissed in
Trowa and Heero’s mind. Even after a couple of hundred years of disuse, the
connection between the three boys was still as strong as ever. ~I am merely
looking forward to such an event.~ Wufei continued snidely.

Heero chuckled softly, the
corner of his lips lifting as his dark blue eyes lightened to sapphire.

“Care to share the joke, Heero?”

Freezing, Heero cast a glance at
a curious Duo. “I was just thinking of my family,” Heero replied of the top of
his head.

“Oh yeah? Folks pretty
protective? God knows my dad was when I told him I was following in his
footsteps.”

Heero tilted his head to the side.
“You could say they are protective,” he stated, thinking of his mother and
father. Savannah, daughter to the Prince of their people, and Gregori, the
legendary Dark One. One of the most powerful Carpathians that walked
this planet, rivaled only by the Prince, and the twin hunters, Lucien and
Gabriel. “It’s my mother who is the
most concerned about my health.”

“Yeah? Wish I could remember my
mom. She died when an escaped and thwarted assassin decided to take revenge on
my father.”

Heero shot a glance at Duo. His
face held a faraway look, a little lost and a little sad at the same time. “I’m
sorry to hear that,” he replied honestly. The death of a female to a Carpathian
was doubly harsh, considering there were so few females to continue their race.

“It’s alright. Brought pop and
me a little closer together. He cut back on his job, spent more time with me.
He believed, considering the hell he put me through, becoming a bodyguard would
be the last thing I would do for a living. He had it all planned out. Golfing at
fifty. Fishing at sixty. Bouncing his grandkids on his knees at seventy.”

“So his plans have changed now that you’re a bodyguarHeerHeero asked,
amused.

“Damn straight. Now it’s golfing at forty. Fishing at fifty. Bouncing
health insurance plans for all his grandkids at sixty. That old goat wouldn’t
keel over even if you locked him up in a bomb shelter and tossed a couple of
hand grenades in after locking the door.”

Duo’s chuckle joinjoined in with Heero’s. After a moment’s
silence, Durnedrned towards Heero, arms wrapped around his knees as he gazed
solemnly at the male Carpathian.

“Hey Heero,” he began, “do you
ever wonder . . . what’s out there?”

Heero glanced at Duo from the
corner of his eye. “What do you mean?”

“You know! Out there. Out
in the wide wide world. Being a bodyguard is everything I’ve ever known. Sure,
it’s taken me to places most people have never heard of or been, but it just
makes me even more curious. What about all those other places? The Amazon? The
Egyptian deserts? The Taj Mahal? The Great Bearing Reefs off the coast of
Australia? I want to see it all, experience everything!”

“So why don’t you? You’re young,
you have the money.”

“True, but I don’t have the
mortality.”

Taken back by his comment, Heero
peered at Duo with wide eyes. “Mortality?”

“You bet. I’m mortal, Heero. I
can fall victim to the smallest of miscalculations. Rigging the parachute
incorrectly. Tying the knot in my bungee cord improperly. Any number of things
can kill me. I could easily be hit by a car while crossing the freaking street!
I may experience my fair share of adventures, but one of these days I’m going
to die and that’s where my adventure ends.”

Heero turned away. He never
thought of it that way. As a Carpathian, he had infinite amounts of time. He could
choose to end his existence tomorrow by walking into the morning sun. Or he
could live for countless of centuries. Time held no meaning to him. But this
frail, fragile human didn’t have that. He didn’t have hundreds of years to
experience life to the fullest. He had what was given to him. A brief flare of
life before it was quickly snuffed out.

 <

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Heero rounded a corner. Tonight,
Quatre had proclaimed he was going to a restaurant to eat. Relena had announced
she was attending a movie. Where did that leave Heero? Babysitting Relena as
she watched the sappiest, silliest, most overly exaggerated girl flick that had
ever been created since the beginnings of movie history. He was entering the
theatre after being ordered to buy a large buttered popcorn, large Coke, two
boxes of jellybeans, and a Hey’s y’s chocolate bar by none other then the pink
princess herself. Heero could only wonder how she could eat all that junk food
without gaining a pound. Pft! Women.

~Enjoying yourself, Yuy?~
drawled an amused mental voice.

~Shove it, Chang!~ Heero
snarled, using his shoulder to shove open the door. ~Where’s Trowa?~

~Having a ball watching over
Duo. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn I heard laughter coming from
him.~

~You know as well as I do a male
Carpathian shows no emotions after maturity,~ Heero admonished. ~You’re just
imaging things. Is Trowa behaving?~

~Why wouldn’t he behave, Yuy? He’s
not supposed to be seen.~

~Chang . . . ~

~He’s fine and so are the
targets. No suspicious occurrences or situations. Everything is running
smoothly. How much longer must we baby-sit these weaklings?~

~Until I deem otherwise. Now get
back to work, Chang.~ Heero located Relena, plopping down in a chair beside her
as he unceremoniously dropped everything in her lap.

Yelping, Relena shot Heero a
glare before ripping open the box of jellybeans. Within minutes, she was
absorbed in the movie, munching contently and gaining cavities as she watched. Finally,
to Heero’s acute relief, it was over. He trailed Relena, his wary eyes scanning
as did three other security guards stationed with him. The paparazzi were
waiting for them outside the movie complex, light bulbs flashing, mics held
eagerly to capture whatever comments they could get. Heero would have given
anything to lash out at the press, which reminded him of overeager fleas on an
infested canine. Instead, he did his job, shoving Relena into the bullet proof
SUV before it sped off.

Upon reaching the hotel, Heero’s
mind sought and connected with Trowa’s.

~Where are you?~

~On the rooftop, where else? Duo
is dutifully in his suite, as is Quatre. They both had a marvelous tit tht the
restaurant, sharing lavish stories and tales of past misdeeds. Am I off the
hook now, Heero?~

Chang was right. There was a
tinge of humor in Trowa’s usually bland tone. With a low growl, Heero entered
his room. Not as large as the rest, it was still suitably bigger then the other
rooms assigned to the security personal. It was situated right across from Duo’s.
Easy reach for the braided baka to bother him.

As Heero fell upon the bed, he
felt the light, soothing touch of an individual near and dear to his heart.
Bolting upright, he exclaimed, ~Mother!~

Tinkling laughter filled his
head. ~How are you, my darling boy?~ Savannah asked teasingly through their
mental bond.

~I am fine, mother. How’s
father?~

~Stubborn, as usual. That ape is
as obstinate as ever. What news of you, Heero? You don’t usually stay in one
place for too long.~

With reluctance, Heero related
the entire story to Savannah, knowing instinctively she was relaying them
straight to his father. He was proven correct when he felt another presence
within his mind.

~So you’re observing this girl’s ionsions, are you?~ Gregori questioned. ~Have you discovered anything unusual?~

~Not particularly with the girl.
But her bodyguard raises some suspicions.~

~How so?~

~Earlier, during our first
meeting, he seemed doubtful of the story Trowa planted in his head. When I
questioned Trowa later on, he was adamant that he swept through everyone’s
minds and erased the encounter with the vampire completely. Yet this Duo
Maxwell seems to question this.~

~You know what you must do,
Heero. Continue your observations. Guard the girl. If anything should turn up
and you require assistance, you know I am always there for you. My son.~

In the years before Heero lost
all fee feelings, he could recall the warmth and love he felt from his parents.
He remembered that now as he allowed one corner of his mouth to lift.

~I know, father.~

.
. . TBC . . .