Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell ❯ Similarities ( Chapter 4 )

The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell - 4/?

~~~~~~~

Note: This fic is a response to Nova Una's challenge to write Gundam Wing/Pretty Woman fusion fic with Heero in the Julia Roberts role and Duo in the Richard Gere role.

Warnings: AU (duh), yaoi (double duh), language, citrusy situations, suggestive dialog.

Disclaimer: I don't really need to be Captain Obvious here, do I?

Edulcorate (verb) To free from harshness (as of attitude) or to soften.

~~~~~~~~

/...Heero was standing in front of him, his fingers moving swiftly over the silk, then sliding the knot until the tie was in place. Heero fixed his collar, then ran his hand along the length of the tie until it fell against Duo's shirt with a gentle thump. He stepped back and looked Duo squarely in the eye.

Much to Duo's surprise, Heero said, "your proposition?"/

Chapter 4 - Similarities

"I need someone to accompany me to a business dinner this evening," Duo said.

"You mean a date."

"Perhaps," Duo confessed. "Truthfully, I'm not sure what I want or need yet."

Heero looked at him thoughtfully before replying. "Then how do you know that I'm the one who can give it to you?"

Duo almost winced at the innuendo, but the look on Heero's face indicated that he hadn't meant it that way. He assumed a casual but confident stance, the one he used in meetings all the time. "All business ventures have inherent risks."

"But it's preferable to minimize those risks."

Duo was beginning to think they were actually conducting one of those conversations that abounded in the staff meetings he was obligated to attend.

"Ah," he said, a triumphant grin on his face. "But those with the highest risks often yield the most lucrative rewards."

Heero seemed to be studying him, but Duo's grin didn't falter.

"There's more to this," Heero finally said.

If curiosity was the bait, he at least had him hooked.

"My ex-girlfriend suggested I might be gay," Duo said.

"You are gay."

"Says you," Duo replied, coloring slightly.

"I hate to break it to you, Duo, but after last night, I don't know how you can doubt it."

Duo noticed he said doubt rather than deny. "Are all your clients gay?"

"No," Heero said. As Duo started to open his mouth, he added, "Some are women." Part of him wanted to laugh at Duo's irritated expression. "Duo, it's really none of my business whether they prefer men or women or monkeys. As long as they have the money and don't expect me to do anything I'm uncomfortable with, it's a moot point."

"Earlier I said you weren't very talkative, didn't I?" Duo groaned. Heero smirked at him slightly. "Fine. Whatever. I'm not going to debate it with you. Seeing as we're on the topic of money, I think it's pretty obvious that I have it. Lots of it."

"It will be once you pay me," Heero commented, earning a dark look from Duo.

"Let me cut to the chase, Heero. I will be here until Sunday. I will be expected to attend business functions and schmooze fests so boring they could make you cry. I also have women fawning over themselves, and now that I'm single again, I just don't need that. Besides, now that my sexual preference is in question among my peers, if what you and Hilde say is true, then the silver lining is that now I have a way to get these vulture women off my back once and for all."

"They'll try to convert you," Heero said.

"I think I liked you better when you were quiet," Duo sighed.

"Most of them do." There was no question as to who Heero was referring to when he said 'them,' and Duo once again felt a pang of something akin to anger to think of all the others who had enjoyed Heero before him.

"Listen, here's what I want," he stated. "Tell me how much it would be to hire you as my escort for a full week."

"Define the parameters of this full week," Heero said, looking like he was actually considering it.

"Days, nights, various functions and sponsored outings," Duo ticked off on his fingers.

"Extracurricular activities?" Heero asked, tilting his head in the direction of the bedroom.

"If that's what I think I need," Duo replied honestly. "I warned you that I wasn't exactly sure, but I'm willing to pay enough to insure I have a chance of getting it."

"It's a pretty steep price," Heero warned him.

"Me, big shot millionaire. You, service provider," Duo said, pointing first to himself then to Heero. He chuckled at Heero's scowl. "Anyone ever tell you you're adorable when you pout?"

"I don't pout," Heero said, then proceeded to do exactly that.

"How much, Heero?"

Heero's eyes fixed at a spot on the ceiling as he calculated an amount in his head. Duo had a bad feeling when those 'adorably pouty' lips curved up in a slight smile.

"Ten thousand dollars."

"Ten thousand dollars," Duo repeated calmly. "TEN thousand."

Heero nodded, and Duo prided himself on his ability to remain unfazed in the middle of heated arguments over multi-million dollar deals, because he knew when he was being fleeced. He'd pretty much expected that Heero would try to milk him for everything he had, but what had he expected after basically telling Heero he had money to burn. The man was obviously going for shock value.

"Five," he countered.

"You're haggling?" Heero asked incredulously.

Duo repressed the urge to laugh outright at the offended expression on Heero's face. "C'mon, Heero, don't tell me you've never had anyone try to talk you down before."

Heero sighed deeply. "Nine."

"Eight, and we have a deal."

Heero's eyes narrowed, obviously surprised that Duo hadn't tried to knock the price down even further. "Eight, plus the thousand you owe me from yesterday. Half up front, half at the end of this contract."

"Agreeable," Duo said amiably. "Do we shake on this or something? Or do you have more interesting ways to seal a deal in your line of work?" If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn Heero blushed slightly.

"It seems as if we will have to trust each other," Heero finally said.

"I don't trust anyone," Duo said.

"Neither do I," Heero countered.

"So we have a deal then?"

Heero sighed again. "Yes, Duo, we have a deal."

Duo grinned at him, wondering if he should tell Heero that he would have paid the entire ten grand, but decided against it. He punched in the programmed code on the keypad for the wall safe, pulled out a wad of bills, and counted them out onto the table.

"Dinner tonight is formal," Duo said. "Therefore you'll need suitable attire. I've included extra to cover any costs you'll incur. All incidentals and gifts you acquire during the duration of our agreement are yours to keep. I will probably introduce you as my brother this evening, because the man we're meeting with has some major hard on for businesses that are run by family men. I've got to run, but I'll talk to you later." He grabbed his jacket from a nearby chair, threw it over his shoulder, and walked toward the door. Halfway there, he slowed his pace.

"Heero," he called without turning around.

"Yes?"

"Just so you know...I hired you, not Lorelei Lee." With that cryptic comment, he left Heero alone in the room.

Heero released the breath he had been holding when he heard the lock on the door engage.

He stared at the pile of money on the table, then picked it up and counted it. He hadn't seen a pile of money like this in his life.

He felt a pang in the region of his heart. At least, the ghost of his past whispered, not a pile of his own hard earned money. He firmly tamped down on the memories threatening to emerge.

He placed the money carefully on the table, and rubbed a hand over his eyes. He should have his head examined for agreeing to this. It wasn't likely that he'd be recognized, but there were risks in keeping company with the same group of people for prolonged periods of time.

He finally convinced himself that he'd done what he had to, desperate times calling for desperate measures and all. He could do this. He'd certainly been in more dangerous situations.

'Speaking of desperate,' he thought, eyeing the desk phone. He might need to sit down for this. Hell, he was probably going to have a headache by the time he was done. He headed for the bedroom instead, propping himself up with a pillow before reaching over and picking up the phone.

~~~~~~~

Quatre was sitting at the bar, reaching over and stealing maraschino cherries and cocktail olives from the garnish tray. The brown-haired bartender slapped his hand with the end of the bar towel, and Quatre gave him a sheepish grin before reaching for the nearby bowl of pretzels instead.

"They'll make you thirsty," he was warned.

"Don't worry," Quatre said, waving a pretzel in the air for emphasis. "I have an 'in' with the bartender. He always gives me free drinks."

"That's because you don't drink. Water is pretty cheap."

"Yeah, like free," Quatre said, rolling his eyes. "That's Heero," he added. The brunette looked at him questioningly, but before he could ask for clarification, the phone rang, and he answered it with a shrug in Quatre's direction. "Heavy Arms."

He heard the sound of a soft chuckle on the other side of the phone. "Don't tell me you're listening to Quatre and have actually changed the name of the pub."

"No," the brunette answered. "I listened to Quatre and knew it was you. I assume this call is for him." Quatre grinned at him before reaching over and grabbing another cherry, sticking out his tongue and placing the small red sphere on there as if taunting the other man's inability to react quickly enough. He closed his eyes as he bit into the tiny fruit.

"Brains AND beauty," Heero said. "You're a gem, Trowa. What are you doing hanging around the likes of Quatre?"

Quatre opened his eyes, reached into his mouth, and pulled out the cherry stem, brandishing it like a trophy, then held out his other hand. "Trade ya," he said, winking at Trowa.

The cherry stem was double knotted right in its center.

"He has his good points," Trowa replied, handing the phone over to his friend.

"Where were you last night, Heero? I was worried sick about you!" Quatre scolded into the phone.

On the other end of the conversation, Heero shook his head. Knowing Quatre, he was probably out all night himself, trying to recoup his gambling losses before sneaking into the apartment early in the morning only to discover his roommate hadn't returned.

"Conducting business, remember?" Heero said.

"Ah, yes," Quatre said, nibbling on the end of a pretzel thoughtfully. "The Enzo. Was it all you dreamed it would be?"

"The car, or the client?"

"Both."

"Fast. Hard. Handled like a dream."

Quatre grinned, earning an upraised eyebrow from Trowa. "The car, or the client?"

"Quatre, this is important," Heero said, not wanting to discuss how well Duo handled, or how well Duo had returned the favor in handling HIM. "I won't be back for about a week, but I have some money for you."

"You're not in the hospital, are you?" Quatre fretted. "What happened after you finished your business with Daddy Warbucks?"

"The service contract is ongoing," Heero said. "But I needed to call you to let you know-"

"No, no, no, Heero. Don't try to distract me. Spill. You know I'll get my way in the end, so save yourself the aggravation and just tell me."

Heero sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Quatre was right, though, damn him. He had a knack for manipulating people into doing things so well, they often forgot that it hadn't been their idea in the first place. That's why turning tricks was easy for him. Half the time he didn't even have to go through with any form of sexual act, managing to make a good number of clients think that they'd really only wanted to talk, and cheerfully paying for the opportunity. If he hadn't fallen for Quatre's tactics himself when they first met, he never would have believed it. That was probably why Trowa stayed on his good side.

Yet, for all Quatre's strategic manipulation, the man could not play a decent game of cards to save his skin. Quatre insisted that he was adept at picking up on all his opponents' tells. Heero had responded that for someone who sometimes predicted odd things like phone calls and the winning teams in various sporting events, he should be able to predict the outcome of poker games. Then he suggested perhaps Quatre just forego poker altogether and start betting on football pools. Quatre had been incredibly offended, looking at Heero with big puppy dog eyes and saying that doing that would be nothing more than CHEATING. Heero had heard the capital letters in that last word when Quatre said it, too.

When he'd first met the blond, he'd been surprised that someone like Quatre was a prostitute. Then he looked at his own reasons for agreeing to give it a try, and decided that he was in no position to pass judgement.

"I don't have time to get into details, Quatre," he said forcefully. "But I am staying at the Regent Beverly Wilshire." Quatre's appreciative whistle made him wince. "I'm leaving some money for you, but make sure you collect it before the next shift starts, so the receptionist will know to recognize you. Unless you want to show some ID," he added.

He could visualize the vehement shake Quatre was most likely giving his head right now.

"No, no, I got it," Quatre said. Then, "You really have money? How much?"

"Enough," Heero said dryly. "I have a lot to take care of today, and I'd just as soon get it over with, so don't forget."

"I never forget when it comes to money," Quatre said. "Do I need to show up with a rose in my buttonhole?"

"Bite me," Heero muttered, only to receive a delighted laugh from his friend.

"Oh, Heero, you know I never give freebies," Quatre said. "I'll be there, don't worry. You'd better get going."

"Roger that," Heero said, wincing as the words slipped past his lips.

"You OK, Heero?" Quatre asked suddenly.

"Fine. Just wondering if I have time to get everything done."

"Alright," Quatre said, but Heero could hear the disbelief in his voice. "You'd better take a shower and get going."

It wasn't until he hung up the phone that Heero wondered how the hell Quatre knew that he hadn't yet showered, then decided it was probably a safe assumption, considering the reason he hadn't shown up at their apartment the night before.

He walked out of the bedroom, and his eyes fell on Duo's laptop, which had been left on.

Lorelei Lee, was it?

Heero looked around as if he expected Duo to catch him in the act, then sat down at the desk and caressed the keyboard for a moment. With a look of determination, he began to type.

tbc