The Problems of Blind Love
AN: I love you guys. That is it...I love you. My fans are the greatest fans in the WORLD! OH YEAH! I would totally like to dedicate this chapter to two of them!
Two-Bit Wannabe: You are a new reader, so you area bit behind, but your reviews are so flattering! So, I dedicate this chapter to you. You are so special...and you totally deserve, like, a medal or something. YOU RULE! W00t!.
Kanilla, Master of Fluff: I know, I know, I've already dedicated a chapter to you in To Kill A Prince...but I can't help it! You are the best! You've stuck with me for a while and your reviews ALWAYS make me smile and ALWAYS make my day! I don't know where I would be without your little comic reviews...THANK YOU SUUUUU MUCHHHHHH!
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue
Chapter 4: The office, Part 2!
Duo's head perked up at the sound of the new voice. It sounded like music to his ears to hear a tone of voice that wasn't laden with trickery and oozing compliments about his body.
Even better, the voice sounded familiar…it took a minute, but it registered in the back of his mind.
"Heero?" The longhaired boy found himself saying. The man, from the library. Duo recognized it now. "Heero…is that you?"
Treize looked between the two young men. A look a relief passed over both of their faces at the sound of the other's voice and presence. The older man scowled. This was all he needed.
With the boss away on a trip to Taiwan, Treize had done all he could to instill a fear and uncomfortable-ness with his employees. He'd been doing it for the years he had become the Head supervisor. He was within a fingertip's grasp of being vice president of the company as well. Being Treize, his smarts always came in. He knew that if people in his workplace thought he was a sly, sexual-conman, then they would do their best not to stand out in any way. He would be able to keep his employee's in line. They wouldn't act up, otherwise, they would have to face his most unpleasant wrath. And it worked. Because Treize was so close to the president of the company, he was granted incredible leverage about his control and power; though he still had to work his ass off trying to get where he was.
Then there was Yuy. He was the bust in his plan that came along one day, and was quickly working his way up the ladder of employment. He had started out as a secretary, though he never admitted that to anyone, and was now Treize's basic rival. The boss was starting to notice him, and being seductive and slimy wasn't working. Heero was a straight laced and brave as any man who served in the US army. And it frustrated the older man. Heero was attractive, that much was clear. And soon, Treize's advances were not just for the sake of his job. He didn't like where he was going, but the man was just so damn sexy.
Next there was Duo. Treize had not been fooled by his freakishly girly looks. He quickly became Heero's adversary of Treize's unwanted attention. Treize had also learned from the boss, that this young Adonis was blind, and that Treize was to take good care of him. The longhaired boy was naïve and insecure about himself, but there was a dying fire inside that was waiting to be set aflame again. Duo might have seemed quiet to the naked, foolish eye, but there was a strength that was hidden and would probably prove to be dangerous in the future, so it was best to install that fear early on.
Now, however, the two of them were paired up. Maybe not as much as was obvious, but there was something. Treize could tell. He was an expert at that sort of thing. These two could mean the end of his career.
"Well well …." He said calmly, pushing himself away from the wall to step closer to Heero. "I don't believe you two have met before this moment. In the office anyways. What a delightful little coincidence this is hmm?" Treize had put on his slimiest voice and let his posture get lazy, putting his hands in the pockets of his expensive tailored suit pants.
Heero fidgeted. "Maybe we have, but so what? It doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you were harassing him. If I may point out to you Treize," He spat out the man's name. "That is against company rules."
"So it would seem." Treize shot back. "But to file any report against harassment is to file a report to the whole company. You could risk loosing your job by filing a complaint that doesn't check out. Not to mention that those complaints have to be signed and acknowledged by first your supervisor before it gets passed along to the president of the company. And who, might I ask is your supervisor?"
Heero looked at the older man in horror before lowering his head. "You are." He ground out through clenched teeth.
Treize smiled gleefully and continued. "And who, might I ask, is going to file a complaint when they know I could just as easily strip them of their jobs before they could lift the pen out of their drawers or pencil holders?"
"No one."
"Good, I'm glad we've come to that understanding." Treize stood tall again and walked back over to Duo. "I will see you later pretty boy." He smirked and walked briskly back towards Hero and was just about to exit the room when he looked back and came up behind the small, Asian man and whispered "Be careful with that one Heero, people can be quite a handful when they can't see a thing."
And he walked out, smiling in his own personal triumph. It had been oh so clear to him that Heero had no idea Duo was impaired in any way. It came from those sullen looks the shorter man was sending the longhaired boy, telling him to help out with the conversation and getting no reply.
Oh there were still many dangers of those two being close, but Treize had found a way to work around it.
Heero stood puzzled as his supervisor walked out of the lunchroom. What he had said…gears were turning in his head on autopilot, piecing together everything that had happened over the course of the past couple of days. It was suddenly crystal clear to him…the way Duo acted.
How could he have been so stupid? Heero normally prided himself with his intelligence, but now…maybe it had just been his infatuation that clouded any real details, but now it was perfectly understandable. Like an answer that is in front of your face, you're just too stupid to look for it, or consider it.
Heero took a look at the boy, still pinned with fright against the wall. His head was shaking back and forth uneasily and his eyes were wandering in directions that made him seem somewhat retarded. Now it was obvious. Now it was clear. And yet, the boy was still beautiful. Even with this newly discovered problem. Heero wanted, no, needed to help.
He walked calmly over and put his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Duo jumped, startled.
"Who-"
"It's just me…"
The longhaired boy's body relaxed and he gave an uneasy smile. "Heero? Is that your name?"
Heero nodded. "Yes…you remembered me."
"Yeah. I'm getting better!" Duo chirped, smile growing on his face. "Thanks for that…even though, by the sound of things, you didn't exactly win that argument, you made him get away from me."
Heero chuckled. "Treize is not someone you want to be left alone with, just put it that way."
"I didn't even know he was here with me…until he whispered in my ear, kept telling me how he could help me get around the office. I still feel…ugh…so unclean…" Duo whimpered and sagged against the wall.
"Let's get you to a chair…" Heero suggested. "Then we'll talk."
Duo was fascinating. Heero couldn't sum it up into a sentence so he fitted it into a word that would do him at least a teaspoon of justice. The boy was bright and animated and talked like he didn't even realize they were still inside and required to use indoor voices. He told Heero about his friends and how he grew up and where he would like to work in the future.
Heero mostly listened and answered every once and a while.
Apparently, Duo hadn't always been blind, but it had been a hard transition for him. He was still learning new things and trying to heighten his other 4 senses. Braille wasn't coming easily to him and it was difficult to read anything or do much at all. Heero's heart went out to him and he found himself offering to help him out around the office. Duo readily agreed, much preferring his offer to Treize's.
"Heero?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad I got the chance to talk to you. I feel more comfortable with you already."
Heero smiled and stirred his Fruit cup with a spoon, nodding. "Me too…Can I confide in you with something?"
"Sure!" Duo's face lit up.
"Well…I… have to admit…I didn't even know you were blind. Those times I saw you, I thought you were just acting like a crazy kid. I'm sorry."
"Oh Heero." Duo said, resting his head in the palms of his hands. "Don't be sorry. You're not the only one who hasn't noticed. Besides, if I wasn't blind, you would never have met me. I wouldn't have dropped my books and forgotten them that day in the library." He tilted his head to the side, long chestnut braid flowing over his shoulder.
"When you put it that way…I guess there is a highlight in the particularly bleak world we live in." Heero shook his head.
"Bleak? No, I wouldn't say that. I mean…I may not be able to see… since I became this way, I've SEEN more than I ever have before. Do you get what I'm saying? I mean, if I wasn't sightless, I would never have really seen Treize's real character. I was so naïve before. Now, I guess you can say, I'm wiser than ever. I see what other people can't."
"That's pretty deep." Heero replied softly.
"Yeah, well, that's just me. I still get super depressed when I hear people talk about all
the great movie's they've been to, or when I can't do something I used to be able to do. But then I get to talking and I realize, at least I'm not dead!"
Heero sat stunned at the last sentence, a mouthful of fruit and juice. He blinked once, twice, swallowed and then burst out laughing. He didn't think he had ever heard someone be so optimistic about something so horrible before. At least he wasn't dead? By golly, the boy was taking everything with a grain of salt.
"What is so funny?" Duo asked suspiciously.
"Oh…nothing." Heero said, catching his breath. It had been so long since he had ever laughed so hard. It felt good to let loose again. "It's just that…you're so positive about it…and then you say 'at least I'm not dead'? That is about as optimistic as you can get."
Duo shrugged. "I think that I've taken a long enough lunch break. I don't want Treize on my back because I'm not working." He stood up.
"Want me to help you back to the mail room?" Heero asked, gentlemanly.
"That would be…nice"
Duo took hold of Heero's arm, clutching it as he was lead down hallway after hallway, reveling at the coiled muscles he could feel under the shirt sleeve and the masculine smell of the man.
He could easily get used to Heero, undoubtedly them man was simple to be with, a protective feeling loomed around his space and whatever room he was occupying.
Duo couldn't see him, but the picture in his mind was of his perfect knight in shining armor. Oh yeah, Duo was falling fast.
TBC
Yaoi-fan-bunny: Okay…long awaited chapter I presume? I'll bet. I was grounded from the computer! ARGH!