Chapter 22:
An Endless Charade:
My Apartment
The ride back to the
apartment is a silent one partly due to Duo’s sudden inability to communicate
and the steaming irritation and anger I’ve been feeling for some time now. I’m
sure he can sense it as well which is why he hasn’t bothered saying anything to
me since we left the penthouse almost an hour ago. He keeps stealing glances at
me but I refuse to look at him, feeling betrayed and hurt at his sudden
decision to take over his father’s company. And what about the Winters? Just
what are they thinking? They are just as guilty as Duo in this. I mean how do
they really expect a kid like him to suddenly take over a Fortune 500 company
without giving him more time to think it through? And Duo…damn it! The least he
could have done was say ‘give me some more time’ instead of just saying ‘I
accept’ like some power-hungry fool.
“So how long do you plan on
sulking?” he finally asks as I make my way to the desk to begin my Chemistry
assignment.
I ignore him and open the
large textbook with more force than necessary, nearly ripping the pages as I
flip through them quickly. I hear him sit on the bed and I can feel his gaze
burning a hole at the back of my head. But I force myself to concentrate on the
topic before me, trying to get myself into a mode of chemical equations and…
“What the hell did you want
me to say, Heero?” he barks out impatiently. “Geez, you make it seem like I
accepted the deal with the devil!”
“And you didn’t?” I spit out
coldly, still not looking at him even though my hand is this close to snapping
the pen clenched within it.
“What the fuck is that
supposed to mean?”
“It means Duo, that no matter
what I say, you’re going to do whatever the fuck you want. So why the hell
should I bother saying anything or try to talk you out of this, huh?
Congratulations! You’re going to be taking over Daddy’s company. Whoo hoo!”
“Oh, cut the bullshit,
Heero…”
“No, you cut the bullshit, Duo!” I yell, turning around to face him this
time. I see his eyes widen for a moment as afraid of the look in eyes before
his features tighten in that familiar gesture of stubbornness. “You don’t even
know these people that well…”
“He raised my father…”
“So what if he did?! Two days
ago, you’d never even heard of Archibald and Harold and all of a sudden they
want you to just take over a company that you’re not that familiar with…”
“They said they’d teach me…”
“And what about the legal
kids, huh? Did you ever think about them?! Or how Emily’s going to feel knowing
that her kids might be kept out of an inheritance that some illegitimate son,
just appearing out of the fucking blue, is going to claim?!”
I wince inwardly at the term
I had used, but I won’t back down. It is the truth and I’m sure even Duo knows
it because I notice a look of uncertainty in those eyes before they fill with
anger again.
“Don’t you think I’m aware of
my illegitimate status?!” he yells, rising to his feet. “Do you think I wanted
it to be that way, huh?! Do you think I want to just walk over there and take
over everything like I own the place?! I’m more than aware of my goddamn
illegitimate status, Heero but apparently, my father didn’t see it that way! If
he wants me to run his goddamn company then I’ll do it, with or without your
support!”
I shake my head slowly, my
jaw working silently. “You just don’t get it, do you?”
“What don’t I get? That all
my life I’ve been lied to?! That I could have had a perfect life with a father
who cared for me, if it wasn’t for some woman’s selfish decision to keep me to
herself?! Is that what you want, Heero? To keep me away from my father too?!”
“You know that’s not what I
mean, Duo!” I rise to my feet as well, take a step towards him and then
deciding otherwise. I run fingers through my hair restlessly before looking at
him again. “What about school, huh? What…what about education in general? Don’t
you think your father would have wanted that?”
“What are you talking about?”
he asks with a raised brow as if he’s not sure of what he’s hearing.
“When…when you go there…they
might not want you to come back,” I say quietly, now realizing why I’ve been
feeling really angry or rather afraid, all this time. I guess in this way, I
can understand what Eleanor must have been feeling. The idea of Duo being so
far away from me…
“You promised you’d graduate
with me,” I finish softly, lowering my gaze as if ashamed to admit this to him.
“And if you go…and they want you to stay then…then…”
Before I can finish, I feel
his arms around me and the welcome warmth of his body against mine. My hands
clutch his shirt tightly, holding him as close to me as possible as I close my
eyes and try not to give in to the misery threatening to overwhelm me. I can
feel his lips against my forehead, trailing down to my eyes, nose and finally my
mouth which I willingly open for him to savor.
“I have no intention of
quitting school,” he finally whispers against my lips as we break apart for air.
“I didn’t come this far just to say goodbye so soon.”
“Really?” I ask, my heartbeat
quickening in gratitude and relief. “You promise that you aren’t going to fall
into temptation and decide to stay for an extra week over there? We’ve only got
three more months…”
“I know,” he replies with a
soft sigh as he rests his forehead against mine. “But right now…I just want to
sleep and not have to do anymore thinking for a while. We have a long weekend
ahead of us, right?”
I groan inwardly remembering
the journey that awaits us after school tomorrow. “A part of me doesn’t really
want to go,” I finally confess with a light shrug. “But guess I have no choice,
do I?”
I pull away from his embrace
and make my way back to desk, at least glad that Duo’s vowed to finish school
with me. That’s one hurdle crossed and there’s a million more to go. But he
chuckles, wraps his arms around my shoulders and plants a hard kiss on my
cheek.
“Hey, you’re stuck with me,
Yuy, whether you want to or not.”
Blushing faintly, I try to
shove him away from me. “And you’ve got a lot of school work waiting for you,
Maxwell. Now sit your ass down and help me figure out these equations.”
“Oh ho! Finally admitting
that I rule when it comes to Chemistry, huh?” he says with a laugh while
pulling another chair to sit next to me. I join him in the happy sound,
although I continue to watch him carefully and with light concern. Somehow, I
have the feeling that things aren’t going to be easy for him when he gets to
his father’s home. But, I can hope that they at least accept him for who he
really is and not what he represents.
__
Friday, Lunchtime:
Duo and I skimmed over the
details of the fiasco with Eleanor and instead, focused on the news of Daniel’s
death and the trip up North later on today. Needless to say, the story left
everyone slack-jawed in disbelief and not surprisingly, everyone wanted to give
Duo a hug in sympathy. Even Dorothy, who tends to stay away from such mushy
displays of affection, joined in the support group.
“I hear up there is way
different from down here,” Hilde says, her arm still around Duo’s waist (and
which is beginning to grate on my nerves a bit). “My Aunt Maggie just came back
from there and she said it was cold but beautiful!”
“That’s why it’s North,”
Dorothy replies, causing most of us to snicker at the obvious sarcasm. Hilde
glowers at the blonde, but she simply shrugs. “It’s a beautiful place agreed.”
“Yes, it is,” Relena says
with a firm nod. “And Kensington isn’t too far from where Duo’s daddy lives,
isn’t that right?”
“About a two-hour drive,
tops,” Duo says with a grin thrown in my direction. Yes, that idea has occurred
to me but I don’t want to get my hopes up.
“I never said I was going to
Kensington,” I begin to say but Quatre cuts in,
“I think it’s a wonderful
idea. If Duo’s going to move up North, then all you have to do is become
housemates…”
“Housemates?!” I cry out
quickly. “What are you…?”
“It’s obvious that Duo’s
going to inherit a house or wish to live there if he’s taking over his father’s
business,” Trowa explains patiently. “So you two can live together and attend
college. It should cut down the cost of living on campus.”
Duo’s grin is now wide enough
to split his face while my cheeks feel like they’re burning up. Why does
everyone assume that we’re going to be…?
“I think it’s a delightful
plan!” Relena cries out with a clap of her hands. “I might not be attending
Kensington, but Sanq is a second home to us and besides, Zechs is in Woodruff
and you all could see each other during the weekends or something.”
“What school will you be
going to if not Kensington or Woodruff?” Wufei asks in bemusement.
“Me?” Relena purses her lips.
“I’m going overseas.”
“What?!” We all gasp in
surprise – at least the boys do. I guess we all assumed she’d want to be with
her big brother. She blushes and nods towards Hilde and Dorothy.
“The three of us decided we’d
go abroad this time around. I mean, it’s going to be a new experience and we
get to see what other countries look like. It should be fun. What about you
guys?” She looks at Trowa, Quatre and Wufei.
“Hmm, I did apply for Kensington
too,” Trowa admits, “But my second choice will be
Quatre gives us a small
smile. “I don’t know…I do have a company to run when I leave high school…just
like Duo. But I would like to attend college on the side. So any small local
university is fine with me. Something close to home. Duo could do that, right?”
My boyfriend shrugs and
scratches the bridge of his nose in thought. “Maybe. I don’t know yet. I mean
everything’s still happening so fast, you know.” He looks at me and I try to
smile even though my uneasiness is growing again. I know Duo has no intention
of attending university…at least not in the first year, so I guess he’ll use
that time to get himself acquainted with his father’s business endeavors.
“What about you Wufei?” I
ask, forcing myself to look away from Duo’s quizzical look.
“I’m going back home.
We all give loud ‘oohs’ of surprise, causing his cheeks to go pink at the
sound. “What? I never said I was sticking around here with you morons for the
rest of my life.”
“Aww, but we’re going to miss
you!” Quatre wails and throws his arms around him, sending them toppling to the
floor in a heap. In between cries of ‘Get off me, Quatre!’ and the laughter
from the rest of my friends, I meet Duo’s eyes again. This time, we both know
feel it – the sadness and feeling of time slipping right before our eyes. In
less than three months, we would all go our separate ways to pursue our dreams
and aspirations. But for now, we are going to cherish the few moments we have
together until its time to say goodbye.
__
Drysdale, North
Duo’s fast asleep beside me
even though I would have expected him to be as excited, scared and nervous as I
am at the moment. Hell, I can barely sit still and I’ve been doing my best not
to look into Archibald’s amused gaze. You see, we’re currently in a limo which
is taking us towards Daniel Maxwell’s residence and Hilde was right. The North
is quite different from the hustle and bustle of the South and its a million
and one city lights. Up here, the weather is much cooler and Fall has already
arrived in all its glory. Many of the roads are narrow and lined with huge
trees and for a while, we passed through breathtaking lakes with its waters as
blue as a summer’s sky. It was simply…beautiful. Duo had been awake then and
even he had to gasp at the sight of the natural wildlife and lush foliage that
surrounded us. Even the air’s ‘cleaner’ if you get what I mean and as the
sunlight begins to fade in the horizon, the few stars in the sky sparkle
brilliantly. You rarely get to see that in the city.
Here’s a quick rundown of
what happened after school. Duo had to explain to his basketball coach that he
wouldn’t be able to make it to the game on Saturday due to family issues and he
was, of course, excused. We got home and packed quickly, since Harold was
already waiting to take us to the airport. It was a good thing I had two good
black suits and was able to lend Duo one for the funeral service. I left a
message for my parents telling them of where I’d be over the next few days and
not to worry too much about me and then satisfied that my apartment was clean
and everything was turned off, we were on our way.
Needless to say, it was a
private jet waiting for us and Duo was literally on Cloud Nine as he ran up and
down the small plane, touching and admiring everything in sight. We were told
we could order anything we wanted but after two minutes of intense deliberation
(tongue very much in cheek here) we both settled for burgers and fries. And
wow, did they deliver or what? The burgers so big and filled with the thickest
beef patty we’ve ever seen that we could hardly finish it. However, sometime
before we landed, Duo had to excuse himself to go throw up in the bathroom. All
in all, it was a fun flight but too short, in my opinion and once we arrived at
Drysdale, we were ushered into yet another limousine. I swear, we’re being
treated like royalty.
So here we are, ready to see
where Duo would have lived if Eleanor hadn’t fucked up royally. We’ve finally
reached the residential areas and I’ve seen several large and I mean large mansions hidden within the trees –
nature’s brilliant protection against prying eyes. Harold’s voice, low as he
speaks into the phone, jerks me out of my reverie and I turn to look at them
again.
“We’re almost there,”
Archibald says quietly. “Harold is just letting Emily know. She’s rather
excited to see Duo. So are Amanda and Gabriel.”
Oh yeah. Duo’s half brother
and sister. It should really be interesting to see how much they look like Duo
or if they’ll have the same mannerisms. But yet again, the nerves set in and I
can feel my palms getting sweaty. If Duo tells them that I’m his boyfriend…how
will they take the news? I’m not really sure Emily’s the kind of woman who will
want such boys hanging around her children.
“Ah, and here we are,” Harold
says and I literally sit up with a start, causing Duo – whose head had been on
my shoulder – to wake up. He rubs his eyes and stares out the window as the car
pulls through a set of wrought iron gates and up the driveway. With all the
trees surrounding the place, it takes us a good minute to finally make out the
large, looming Tudor home before us. Duo sucks in a harsh breath and I can
understand why. The Maxwell home could be compared to Relena’s mansion…and then
some. It looks like we’ve just stepped back in time, for the house looks like
something out of the pages of a fairytale. With vines creeping up the side of
the brick walls and its’ steep roofs and narrow windows,
There are several cars lined
in the driveway but our driver manages to find some room to park the long
vehicle.
“Why…” Duo begins to speak,
his voice sounding a bit small and almost scared. “Why are there so many cars,
Professor? You didn’t tell me we would have this many people tonight!”
The white-haired man has the
grace to blush. “I’m sorry, Duo. But I can only assume that Emily must have
told her family members about your arrival and they all want to see Daniel’s
first son for themselves. I know this is hard for you…”
“Hard for me?! I’m almost
peeing my pants here!” he squeaks out breathlessly and I can feel him trembling
beside me. I reach for his hand to squeeze gently, smiling at him in reassurance.
“It’s going to be okay, Duo,”
I say, not really feeling too confident myself. But the last thing they need is
Duo freaking out on them. “I’m here with you.”
“You have nothing to worry
about,” Harold says with a warm smile as the door opens for us to leave.
“Emily’s family is quite accommodating and friendly.”
Duo doesn’t look too convinced
and as we make our way up the gravel-lined road towards the small flight of
stairs, the large oak door opens to reveal the silhouette of a petite woman dressed
in a simple black dress. There are several other people standing behind her,
all peering over her shoulder as if trying to get the better position to see
the new arrivals. Duo’s hand literally feels like a corpse’s in my grasp – not
that I’d know what that feels like – but it is cold and he hasn’t stopped
trembling.
Archibald and Harold, who
walked before us, reach Emily first and plant kisses on her cheeks while
murmuring some words and looking towards us. I swallow tightly, trying hard to
gather moisture into my drying mouth.
“Oh dear, dear now,” she says
in a breathless voice that reminds me of movie stars from the 40s and 50s. You
know the voice – the husky, seductive ones which were a staple for most female
actresses from that era. In fact, if you want me to be perfectly blunt, it’s a
downright sexy voice. As we approach, I see that her features aren’t that bad
either. I will give Daniel some credit. He did know how to pick the beautiful
women. Like Eleanor, Emily does not look her age at all and if I was just
meeting her for the first time with no background knowledge of her past, I
would have assumed she was only in her early twenties. She has short black hair
that’s been tied into a bun above her head. Her features are slightly puffy –
no doubt from crying – but otherwise flawless. Her bright green eyes appraise
me for a second before focusing on Duo’s pale visage.
“Oh dear, dear,” she says
again and I have to release Duo’s hand as she opens her arms to wrap him in a
tight embrace. I think I let out a small sigh of relief at her gesture and even
Duo looks a little stunned at the quick acceptance.
“Welcome home, Duo,” she says
quietly, her hands rubbing his back gently. “Welcome home.”
__
“This is my boy…” I nudge Duo
gently and shake my head a little. No need getting into that right now. “I
mean, this is my best friend, Heero Yuy,” he says, frowning at me before
forcing himself to smile a little at Emily’s curious look.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,
Heero Yuy,” she says and as I hold out my hand for a handshake, she settles for
hugging me as well. She does smell nice too – a mixture of jasmine and
éclairs…or it could just be the large bowl of the sweet candies in the middle
of the living room.
“The pleasure is all mine,
Mrs. Maxwell,” I reply with a smile, feeling my cheeks darkening at the smile I
receive in return. She is really beautiful and it could be so easy to... I meet
Duo’s eyes and he’s frowning at me again. Don’t worry. I have no intention of
falling for your stepmother, Duo.
“Please come in and let me
introduce you to the rest of the family. I can’t believe how much you look like
Daniel. Now I can see why he wanted to meet you so much.”
As the names of Emily’s
relatives – her father, mother, older brother and his wife – are introduced, my
gaze drifts over the warm and cozy décor of the living room. The colors are a
mixture of rich browns, cream and mahogany and it told of a man who had good
taste in furnishings at least. There are a few feminine touches here and there
with an array of colorful bouquets and tapestry, placed at select sections of
the room. There are also several pictures of Daniel at various stages of his
life, lined along the wall and mantelpiece. There’s the young cadet – literally
Duo staring back at me, but with blue eyes and shorter hair – there’s the young
pilot posing beside his airplane with that familiar cheeky grin. There’s Daniel
in a formal military portrait –eerily similar to the picture Eleanor had kept
in her apartment. There’s a picture of Daniel and Emily on their wedding day,
pictures of the happy parents with their first child…and then the second…and
then several family portraits that I’m sure Duo’s seen.
How sad for him, isn’t it? To
think he would have been in any of those pictures, happy and proud to be with
his father. It really makes you cherish your own parents while you have them,
doesn’t it?
“Ah, Amanda, you’re finally
down. Come over here and say hello to our guests,” Emily says and I turn around
quickly to have a first look at Duo’s half-sister. I think I gasp in shock at
the sight of a second Emily walking down the stairs. There’s nothing to
differentiate the two besides their hairstyles. Amanda’s hair is a curly wave
that falls right below her shoulders, which makes her more stunning in my
opinion. She’s dressed in black as well but in a rather demure ensemble that
reminds me of a nun…without the habit over her head. She isn’t smiling and has
a rather distrustful look in her green eyes. I turn to look at Duo and he’s got
a warm smile on his features as he holds out a hand to the fifteen-year-old.
“Hi, Amanda. Nice to meet
you.”
It seems like everyone in the
room is holding their breath for an explosion and for a minute, I’m sure Amanda’s
going to ignore Duo completely. Finally, she reaches out to grasp the offered
appendage, but only briefly.
“Hello, Duo,” she says in a
quiet but firm voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I doubt it is, but who am I
to say anything? She turns to look at me as Duo does the introductions and I
give a small bow in greeting.
“Hello, Amanda,” I begin and
then blink as I watch her cheeks flush with color. Is she…blushing?
“Hello…Heero Yuy,” she says
breathlessly and to my chagrin, she turns away and runs back upstairs. Duo
snickers and it seems like everyone else in the room is just as amused at
Amanda’s obvious and sudden crush on me. Great. Just what I need.
“Oh dear,” Emily says around
a soft laugh. “Please forgive my daughter. She’s rather shy.”
“Ah, okay…” I have flashbacks
of Kamui’s issues and shudder.
“Oh looks like Gabriel’s
here,” Matt – Emily’s older brother says and sure enough, standing at the top
of the stairs and looking down at us with venom in his eyes is none other than thirteen-year-old
Gabriel Maxwell. There’s a resemblance to Duo and I swear it’s a bit creepy to
watch the two boys face each other. However, Gabriel had inherited his father’s
eye color and his hair is a rich shade of chestnut that’s, funny enough, been
tied into a small ponytail. However, I feel Duo stiffen beside at the look in
the younger boy’s eyes and I’m sure he knows that it’s yet another obstacle
he’s got to overcome. He takes a deep breath and walks towards the stairs,
seeing as Gabriel has no intention of coming down anytime soon.
“Hi Gabriel,” Duo greets with
a warm smile and a mock salute. “Nice to meet yo…?”
“Why don’t you go back to
where you came from?” Gabriel says coldly, those blue eyes never relenting. “No
one wants you here! So go back!”
“Gabriel Jonathan Maxwell!”
Emily cries out in dismay as she rises to her feet. “You come down this instant
and apologize!”
“No, I won’t! You said it
yourself, ma! You said you wished he’d never come!”
“Gabriel!”
He turns to look at Duo again
and raising his voice even louder, he says, “I don’t need a big brother and I
don’t need you around!”
He spins on his heels and
runs to his room – the sound of a door slamming somewhere up there is a good
enough indication – leaving the adults to stare at each other in shock or
shame-faced. Emily has paled considerably and since Duo’s face is turned away
from me, I can’t tell how he must be looking now.
After what seems like an
eternity, Emily finally speaks up weakly, “Duo…”
“Is it true?” Duo asks
tightly, not turning around to look at us although I can see that his hands are
clenched at his sides now.
“Ahem,” Dr. Peter Garvey,
Emily’s father – a man with a rather pleasant countenance although it’s
anything but at this time - begins. “I hate to have to say this, son but I’m
not going to say that we weren’t all wary about this from the beginning. I
mean…my daughter’s been hurt enough with the passing of her husband and then to
know that he had a son elsewhere with another woman…well, you’ve got to
understand that she’s not going to take it too well, son.”
“But it’s already been
established that Duo will take over the reigns of the company,” Archibald cuts
in with a firm nod. “Neither Amanda or Gabriel are old enough to have much say
in this and besides, Daniel told me his wishes before…”
“But for God’s sake, man,”
Matt – who is Emily’s older brother – says with a light snort. “How would you
feel if what was rightfully yours, at least to your children, was being taken
away by some illegitimate son…?”
“You make it sound like
Daniel had an affair without Emily’s knowledge, Matthew! Duo is not
illegitimate in the eyes of God…!”
“He’s illegitimate in the
eyes of the law,” Dr. Garvey interrupts angrily. “He wasn’t legally married to
that floozy and she gave birth to him without Daniel knowing for over sixteen
years! What kind of bullshit is that?”
“Peter!” Camille, his wife,
gasps in shock at the rude language. She’s been holding on to Emily, who
literally looks sick at this point.
“If there’s anyone to blame,
then you blame Eleanor! If it wasn’t for her mistake, none of you would be
standing in this room right now!” Harold thunders as he rises to his feet. “Why
can’t you all respect Daniel’s wishes and…!”
“ENOUGH!!” Duo roars, finally
turning to look at us and I swear everyone in the room sucks in a harsh breath
at the anger in his eyes and yet tears streaming down his cheeks. “I know what
I am! None of you have to fucking remind me of it each time! Yes, I’m Daniel’s
bastard son and yes I never had the chance to see him, so what?! I’m human,
aren’t I? I have feelings too, don’t I? Don’t I have the right to grieve for
him too?!”
He hitches in a harsh sob and
I have to close my eyes to stop myself from giving in to the tears as well.
Jesus, how can they do this to him?
“For sixteen years, I grew up
not knowing who my parents were,” he continues brokenly. “I grew up in
orphanages and foster homes when all the while I had both a mother and father
who could have cared for me but no…I had to have a fucked up mom and a dad who
never knew I even existed! I didn’t ask for any of this! I didn’t ask for any
of it! I didn’t want to come here to ruin anyone’s life, God knows I’ve had
that experience enough to last a lifetime! I know what it’s like to be
abandoned! I know what it’s like to look at other kids and see how happy they
are with parents who care about them! I know what it’s like to feel alone and
I’ve always been alone anyway! Maybe it would have been better if no one knew
who I was or God! How I wish Eleanor had never come into my life in the first
place!”
“All I want…all I wanted,” he
says quietly, “was to say goodbye to the father I never knew. Everything else
is just an added bonus and I am grateful he wanted to leave most of his
inheritance to me but…I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t. I’m sorry.”
He wipes his cheeks in an
angry gesture and gives Archibald a small bow. “I’m sorry, Professor but it
looks like I won’t be able to accept it after all. I will attend the funeral
tomorrow and pay my last respects, but that is all. I’ve realized that there’s
more to life than being with relatives who don’t really give a fuck about me.
I’ve lived a full life all the same and I have great friends now, who love me
for who I am.”
He turns to look at me and
through his tears, he gives me a small and almost shy smile that has my heart
leaping with hope.
“And besides, there’s only
one person who really did give a shit about me anyway,” he says softly. “And I
think I’ll be much happier remaining with him.”
“Duo, please reconsider,”
Archibald says in alarm as Emily breaks down into loud sobs. But Duo’s shaking
his head and walking towards me. He reaches for my hand and turns to face the
pale-faced adults in the room again.
“Thank you for at least
making me feel welcome tonight,” he says with a weak smile. “The charade was
nice while it lasted. Emily, I’m really sorry for your loss. Daniel must have
been a great father and husband to you. Please give my regards to Gabriel and
Amanda and maybe someday we can hang out if they’d like to.”
And with a gentle squeeze of
my hand, he whispers softly to me.
“Come on Heero. Let’s get out
of here.”
~End Period Twenty-two~