Triangle of Deception
Part 4
Heero sat in the safehouse, reading the email message again. Zechs wanted to meet him again, and was pushing for a time. The message was terse, and Heero couldn't help but get the impression that the blond man was angry. Heero hadn't seen Duo since that night in the park; hadn't even dared to contact his lover for fear of detection. So he had nothing on which to base his suspicions; but he had finally learned to follow his emotions, and he had a feeling that something was amiss. He had no choice though; hoping he hadn't already screwed up the mission, he sent a reply, agreeing to meet Zechs that night.
+
Zechs sat waiting in the dark corner booth. He looked up to see Heero walk in, watching as the boy let his eyes adjust to the lighting and searched the bar. Heero spotted him, and walked over, trying to look casual. To Zechs, though, who had been studying the boy for months, it was obvious Heero was tense. He was still the sexiest thing Zechs had ever seen, though, and despite his anger at Heero's deception, he felt his body react to the boy. His eyes traveled involuntarily over the lithe frame, and he couldn't help the desire that rose in him, and the determination to possess that body at all costs.
Heero slid into the booth, eyeing Zechs intently. He could tell for sure now that the older man wasn't happy. He took a deep breath and said, "Hello, Zechs."
"Hello, Heero." Without preamble, Zechs tossed one of the more candid photos on the table toward Heero. "I see you've been busy."
Heero looked down at the photo, cursing the fact that despite his precautions Zechs had obviously had him followed.
Zechs went on. "I hope you enjoyed yourself, Heero. You lied to me."
Heero looked at Zechs, trying to decide how to deal with the change in situation. "I never told you I wasn't involved with anyone."
"You pretended you were interested in me," accused Zechs.
"I wasn't pretending," Heero offered. It wasn't a total lie; he still needed the information.
"Don't make this even worse by lying again," growled Zechs.
Heero silently cursed. He had fucked up the mission; his involvement with Duo was distracting him from what he had to do. "What can I do to convince you?"
Zechs smirked, leaning forward. Heero would be desperate now, thinking he had botched the mission. "Two things." He watched as the other boy focused those deep cobalt eyes on him intently. He knew he had Heero's complete attention; he was offering him a chance to salvage his mission. "One: give me what I wanted originally. One night with you." He paused, torturing Heero. "And, one other thing. You tell Maxwell you don't love him. Break it off with him."
Heero's eyes blazed. How could Zechs ask this of him? He started to protest. "Do you want this information or not?" He knew Heero couldn't deny that. "Then those are my terms. And if you refuse," Zechs waited a beat, then delivered the final blow. "If you see him again, romantically... I will have him killed."
Zechs sat back and watched the emotions playing across Heero's face. He had instructed his employee to kill Duo at first, but then as his anger cooled he realized he could use this to his advantage; threatening Heero's lover would give him the perfect leverage against the boy he desired. "As you can see," he went on, indicating the photos, "I have many resources. Don't think I can't follow through on my threat."
"Bastard," hissed Heero, clenching his fists. He knew what Zechs was capable of; he knew Duo could take care of himself, but putting the other boy in danger was unacceptable. He couldn't take a chance. Looking at those ice-blue eyes, Heero knew that Zechs would do it.
Zechs waited, a cruel smile playing over his coldly beautiful face. "Well? Do we have a deal?"
"Fine," Heero managed. It was just temporary; he would make it up to Duo later. "I'll do it."
"Tonight. You'll do it tonight. And you'll come to my suite tomorrow night, ready to fulfill your part of the bargain," Zechs commanded. He watched with satisfaction, and the slightest twinge of guilt, as Heero nodded briefly, not meeting his eyes, and left without another word.
+
Heero finally managed to contact Duo, and they arranged to meet at the safehouse. It was obvious that Zechs was tracking his movements anyway, and he wanted the blond man to know he was doing what he was supposed to do. He waited anxiously for Duo to show up. The longhaired boy didn't show until after midnight. He hurried to answer the knock, letting Duo in with a mixture of relief and trepidation. He had to convince Duo, had to make sure the braided boy stayed away at least until the mission was over. His heart ached as he saw his lover; Duo looked more beautiful every time he saw him. This wasn't going to be easy.
Duo walked in; he had a bad feeling about this. He knew something was up; Heero had an odd look on his face, and with effort he restrained himself from jumping on the other boy immediately. "What's up, Heero? I came as soon as I could."
"We have to talk," Heero said in a flat tone.
Duo felt his blood turn to ice at that ominous statement. "About what?" He tried to match Heero's unemotional tone with marginal success.
"Us. It won't work," Heero replied.
Eyes wide, Duo stared at the cobalt-eyed boy. "But..." He trailed off, searching Heero's face for a clue to what was going on. "What did I do?"
Heero looked away. He couldn't stand to see the hurt in those eyes. "Nothing. It just won't work."
"It won't? Why not?" demanded Duo, unable to stay calm.
"There's a war. A relationship is a distraction. There is no room for distraction," replied Heero, still looking away.
Now Duo was getting angry. "You sure didn't seem to mind being distracted the other night," he shot back, and Heero tried not to wince.
"People say and do things they don't really mean in the heat of passion," Heero stated. He felt like he was driving a knife into Duo and himself at the same time.
Duo's mouth fell open. "You mean..." he trailed off, then found his voice again, a bit more shaky this time. "I love you. You said you love me. That wasn't true?"
Heero took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Duo."
Duo just stood there for a minute. He felt like the world had turned upside down. He couldn't think of anything to say. "Heero..."
Heero turned his back so Duo wouldn't see the tears that were about to spill from his eyes. "I don't think we should see each other unless it's absolutely necessary, Duo. It's for the best." He closed his eyes, trying desperately to keep himself from turning around, throwing his arms around Duo and professing his love. He clenched his fists with the effort of lying to the boy he loved. He had to protect Duo at all costs.
Heero thought he heard a small sob behind him, then the door slammed and Duo was gone, leaving nothing behind but his faint scent and a huge hole in Heero's heart.
+
Heero stood at Zechs' door, nervous and unsure. He rang the doorbell, and almost immediately the door opened. Framed in the doorway stood the muscular blond man, clad in nothing but blue silk boxers, a matching robe that hung open, and his flowing hair. He flashed Heero a lustful grin and stepped aside to let the boy enter. Zechs was obviously ready to enjoy Heero, and with a nervous swallow the younger pilot saw that the older man was already clearly aroused.
Heero walked into the room, and heard the door shut behind him with finality. He felt Zechs come up behind him, and felt the blond's hands caress his chest and ass.
"Let's not waste any more time, shall we?" Zechs purred, letting his hands and eyes walk all over Heero as he came around to stand in front of him. Zechs stopped in front of Heero, appraising him. "Get your clothes off. I want to look at you." And he settled in a chair to enjoy the show.
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