Disclaimer: Not mine T_T
Rating: K+ (atm but it will change as the story goes deeper)
Pairings: 6x2(main pairing), 4xH, others undecided as of yet (v.o)
Summary: Duo is the Joker according to everybody's believe, Zechs sees beyond that facade, but knows that they both have secrets that are not easily told. Because nothing is what it seems… warnings: AU, unintended oc, probably, maybe.
Authors note: Okay I want to say this I have no literary background what so ever, please keep this in mind when you read this story, forgive me my grammar mistakes XP. As this story progresses I will conduct research from what I need to know. Also the books I tend to use are books I have either read myself or they will be from plots I have in my head for ages. If you wonder about books I use as reference you can always ask, but not all books will exist since some are made up. Of course if you know more about literary subjects you are welcome to give me ideas and stuff. Also I'm going to take some liberties with some characters, since I'm interested to see how they would look like that ._.
More notes are below the chapter(since I write these notes before the chapter is even half way), so have fun with the new chapter (v.o)
Special thanks to karina001 since you have been reviewing every chapter of mine and even other stories(gundam wing) I've written. I'm very grateful, because even though I am writing this story mostly for myself it's no fun if nobody likes it [hugs].
Also thanks to Quiet Man Cometh who's review made me feel like there is someone who takes reviewing very seriously, pointing out several things out to me I failed to notice or things I mixed up hehehe. I can't promise to never do it again, but well then you have at least things to point out XP
Also many thanx to the others that took the time to review =^.^=
Nothing is what it seems – Part 3
Duo got to hand it to Treize, he liked writing the articles more than he thought he would. Duo was on his way to the office of the newspaper to hand in his article. The woman he had to contact for the article had mostly written books within the psychological thriller genre, which was strange since this woman had no psychology background what so ever. Duo had always thought that psychological thrillers were not that much different from regular thrillers, although after speaking to this woman he felt like a light bulb had went on and he had found a new perspective on this genre as well as new appreciation for this sub-genre. The woman would release a new book soon and Duo was one of the first who got to hear multiple things about the book, like the plotline and the characters. Duo was intrigued right away when he heard about the plotline. The story will mainly revolve around a gay man coming to terms his sexuality while he's happily married to a woman, several different people that are acquainted to him die and he is the suspect in those deaths. Duo even got to read a few pieces that gave some feel for the main character.
I make love to her, I can make love to her and I love her, then why doesn't it feel right? Why do I feel like I am deceiving her, while I am not even cheating on her. Is it all because….No it's the right thing to do, I love her, how can I leave her.
"Go away Nikki, everybody around me dies." The blanket wrapped around me doesn't give me the warmth I need, but I haven't felt warm since I got in this mess.
"It doesn't matter, all I need is you." Her voice seems so far to reach for me, I love her, don't I? "Raven let me in, let me into that mind of yours." I'm too tired to resist her voice, her voice has always been my voice of reason.
The small parts that were given to him was enough to make him go and buy the book, but when she saw him so intrigued she gave him a signed early copy. Still he was only able to use the small parts in the interview, but he didn't mind. And while the book was burning on the bookshelf he wouldn't touch it till it actually came out.
"Excuse me." Said Duo as he knocked on the door of the newspapers office, that's what it said on the door. The inside of the office was more crowded than he had expected it to be. On the outside it had looked pretty quiet, the inside was nothing like the outside had predicted. People were sitting behind different computers, talking to each other some were on the phone. Duo walked up to someone who was typing on his keyboard.
"Excuse me, where can I find the editor in chief?" asked Duo the man that was engrossed with his typing. The man didn't even react slightly.
"Earth to whatever your name is." Said Duo as he lightly touched the shoulder of the man.
"What!" the man abruptly stopped typing and turned around.
"The editor in chief?"
"Through that door." The man pointed into a direction where a door was and turned back to his work. Duo felt stupid after he got closer to the door, since there was an sign that said editor in chief.
Duo knocked on the door. "Yes come in." was the answer he got and slowly opened the door. Stacks of papers lay on the desk where a young man was sitting. He had brown hair, the front was in long bang that covered a part of his face as he was reading something.
"Wrong, wrong, all wrong." The man said as he seemed to cross sentences away with his pencil, the way the man had said it made Duo clutch his hands around the article and run away. The man put the papers away on a different stack. As he looked up Duo saw through his glasses that he had green eyes.
"'Who are you?" asked the man as he took off his glasses.
"Duo, Duo Maxwell." Said Duo startled.
"Oh right, you are the kid with the gift." Said the man, the way he had said it made feel Duo unworthy. "My name is Trowa Barton, so do you have anything for me?" Duo nodded dumbfounded and handed over his article.
"Ah, hm, this is your first time right?" Trowa asked with his eyes on the paper.
"Yes, but don't you need your glasses for reading?" wondered Duo since Trowa still held his glasses in his hand.
Trowa looked up and smiled slightly, "I don't use glasses because I can't read without them, I use them to make the strain on my eyes less since I use the computer almost the entire day."
"Oh." Duo didn't know what to say about it really, he didn't expect such an long and elaborate explanation.
"Well it's written well for a first try." Said Trowa as he put the interview on a stack of papers.
"And now?" wondered Duo.
"Now I will edit it and I will send you a copy of the edited article as well as some pointers to keep in mind with your following article." Said Trowa.
"So I get to write another article?" Duo felt like dancing and jumping but restrained himself for the sake of the editor in chief, even though he doubted that Trowa would judge him so easily.
"Yes, Treize really has a knack for putting people at the right places. He was right about everything." Smiled Trowa. Before Duo could ask anything about his comment two people came in while in a argument, he guessed this was the best time to make his escape. Duo have found Trowa's smile to be somewhat unsettling, but wasn't bothered enough by it to wonder about it for long.
XxX
"We have been discussing the function of a unreliable narrator for a while now and whether the use of a unreliable narrator is always the best for certain literature. Now I want you to write a short story with an unreliable narrator in it, the story doesn't have to be longer than 5000 words but over the 1000 words. It doesn't matter whether the narrator is a first-person's perspective or a third-person's perspective, just make sure it's original and creative." Said the Professor.
"Is there a limitation to genres?" asked someone.
"No it's a creative writing assignment, the only limitation is that it won't go over the 5000 words and that a unreliable narrator is telling the story." Explained the professor, "Well that's all for this week, next week I expect you to hand in this assignment. We will be discussing the assignment and see if anyone is brave enough to read their story." The chuckle was heard throughout the class and Duo knew for sure that his professor was enjoying their uneasiness.
"See you all next week." Said the professor at last and Duo gathered his stuff and made his way out of the room.
Duo enjoyed his professors assignments even though he had never enough guts to actually read his creative writing assignments out loud. This course was an elective course, it isn't required to take this course as an literature student, but he found it very interesting and there were things that were discussed there that had something to do with literature.
XxX
"Oh woman, you clearly don't know what you're talking about, the man is a genius." Wufei said.
"No he's not, he's a ego-tripping bastard. Everything he says has already been said by others and just because his enormous ego is blocking his view is why he doesn't see it." Sally had her hands in her sides, Duo could easily see that she was in no way backing down towards Wufei.
Everytime the last week that Both Duo and Wufei had worked Sally and Wufei had been bantering about all sorts of stuff, at times he wondered why Sally kept him around. But he also wondered why Wufei put up with the verbal fights. At other times he wondered if something else was the reason why they talked to each other like that.
"Could I get a cup of coffee?" asked an elderly man.
"Of course James, for our best customer we always have a cup of coffee." Said Duo as he made a coffee for the man in question.
As Duo put the coffee in front of James he said, "I see they are at it again, what is it about this time?"
"Some research essay that just has been released." Explained Duo, he hadn't followed their entire conversation to know everything.
"Well it's good to see Sally so alive again, I often worried that taken over this business was not the best thing for her." James said.
"Alive huh? That's one way of putting it." Muttered Duo.
"You don't think so?" asked James.
"Well, she is more verbal now a days, but I'm not sure if it's a good thing." Explained Duo.
"What is a good thing?" asked Sally making Duo jump.
"What special dessert will we have next week." Duo pathetically avoided the subject.
"Not sure yet, I think we will go with something from chocolate since that always seems to do well." Said Sally.
'True she is more alive than before, but in truth I'm not sure if Wufei is the cause of this. Maybe it's just the change of weather. I remember her having arguments all the time with her husband too, but somehow the arguments with Wufei feel different than those. Like she genuinely dislikes Wufei. I'm really over thinking this stuff.' Duo's thoughts weren't entirely off, but some part of it was entirely off.
XxX
"I leave cleaning to you two." Said Sally as she went upstairs to where she lived.
Duo started to put the chairs upside down on the tables, "say Duo, can I ask something?"
"Ask away Wufei." Said Duo as he stopped for a moment to look at Wufei.
"You know that Sally is a Doctor right?" asked Wufei.
"Yeah, from what I know she was even good at it too." Chuckled Duo, he had always blamed it on the Doctor part that she was so good with a knife. Duo once again went on with the chairs.
"Do you know why she quit being one?" Wufei hated prying into other people's business but he wanted to know.
"Her husband, the owner of this café, died and she took over leaving her being a Doctor behind her." Said Duo, "But I'm not sure if that's the entire truth, but if you want to know you should ask her."
"Well If I do that she'll probably hunt me down with a knife." Grimaced Wufei.
"She's not that bad, at least the only one I've seen her want to hunt down is you, not sure though what you have done wrong. But it makes me wonder why you want to work here." Said Duo.
"Well that's…" started Wufei.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Said Duo, even though he likes to tease Wufei he didn't want to make Wufei feel obligated to tell him anything.
"Oh, thank you." Said Wufei not sure what this side of Duo brought on.
"So Wufei, do you have a girlfriend?" asked Duo, Wufei looked as if he just choked into something.
"What?" sputtered Wufei.
"You know the question isn't that strange. You're 21 right like me?" grinned Duo.
"Yes I am, but why the question?" wondered Wufei.
"No real reason, just wondering." Duo wondered now even more with such an reaction.
"Well what about you?" retorted Wufei.
"You know that I'm gay, you are just avoiding my question." Said Duo.
"But actually I am interested in whether you are with Treize now?" asked Wufei.
"Me with Treize…." After that sentence Duo started to laugh. "That's a good joke, Wu-man."
"No joke, well you two seemed to know each other." Said Wufei, even though he had a scowl on his face because of the name Duo used.
"Nah Treize and me, that wouldn't work. I would get eaten alive." Said Duo between laughs.
"Not really, Quatre would get eaten alive, I think you would fare pretty okay." Said Wufei.
"Really now?" said Duo, "I know Treize somewhat because of Quatre, same circles and all that stuff and because Zechs is friends with him."
"You know Zechs?"
"Yes he's my neighbor." Said Duo.
"Does Zechs and Treize actually know that you are gay?" asked Wufei.
"Not that I know of, at least I never told them, although I suspect Treize to know it." Said Duo.
"Why haven't you told Zechs?" asked Wufei.
"Never really came up and it's not something you just go out and say in a normal conversation.' Oh by the way Zechs I'm gay' or something like that." Said Duo pathetically.
"But you are interested in him right?" asked Wufei.
"Yeah, but he's straight if you haven't noticed." Pointed Duo out.
"Yes he is, I was just wondering if you realized it." Said Wufei.
Wufei was only saying it because it could hurt Duo. Wufei and Duo had known each other for a long time, but their friendship never really passed beyond the superficial things. If they would have had time to get to know each other more then they probably would have been good friends, maybe even the best of friends. But both of them had a hard time opening up to people which made them stand further from their friends than needed.
Both of them continued cleaning while making small talk, but the question burned in the back of his mind, why hadn't he told Zechs about his sexual preference? Was it all because he didn't want to scare Zechs off or was it more like self protection? He wasn't sure which of the two it was.
XxX
'Ah man, in the end Wufei entirely avoided my question about whether he had a girlfriend or not.' "Damn that Wufei." Grumbled Duo.
"Duo?" Duo turned around as he heard a voice.
"Heya Zechs, what are you doing out so late?" asked Duo as he saw the blond Adonis approaching. He didn't actually had to turn to see that it was Zechs, lately he seemed to recognize his voice anywhere. Also they had been running into each other more and more as of late, Duo wasn't complaining in the least.
"I just had some drinks with some friends, but you are out late too, shouldn't you be buried under a pile of books." Joked Zechs.
"Hah hah Zechs, I do more things than read." Said Duo as he stuck out his tongue, startled by his own childish reaction he put his tongue back in his mouth while clapping his hands over his mouth. The action made Zechs laugh.
"You probably worked late right?" said Zechs in a more serious tone.
"Yep, Wu-man and me had a few drinks afterwards." Explained Duo.
"who is Wu-man?" asked Zechs.
"Oh right, you know him as Wufei." Said Duo.
"Oh yes, I didn't know you knew him." Said Zechs.
"Yeah Wufei and I have known each other for a while, but we aren't that good of friends though, but a while ago he started to work where I work." Explained Duo.
"Wufei and working, do his parents approve?" asked Zechs amazed.
"Wufei's parents?" Duo raised his eyebrows.
"I said too much." Said Zechs as he saw that Duo clearly didn't know, "You want to come in for a drink?"
"Sure." Said Duo he hadn't noticed that they had reached the apartment already.
Duo had never been into Zechs apartment and the difference completely amazed him. It wasn't just bigger than his, also everything was so tidy that Duo had began to doubt that they had anything in common.
"You want a beer right?" asked Zechs.
"Yeah that would be nice." Said Duo as he sat down on the couch.
"oh right I had been meaning to ask you." Started Zechs and he handed Duo a beer while Duo had questioning eyes, "A few days ago I saw you and said hi, but you completely went past me."
"Oh? Where was that?" Duo wasn't one to ignore people and especially not Zechs.
"I think you came from the Peacecraft Asylum." Said Zechs.
"Oh, I must have been deep in thought." Duo nearly had a heart attack when Zechs mentioned that he had seen him in the Peacecraft Asylum. 'It would be easier to tell him I'm gay then tell him; hi I'm Duo and my brother is in the loony bin. I would scare him off completely.'
"I guess you were, well it's not important." Said Zechs letting the subject go, he was interested in Duo as a person but he clearly saw that he didn't want to talk about this subject. He wasn't even sure why he was interested in Duo as a person, he blamed it on the contradicting personalities from the inside and outside and even the Duo he had seen at the Peacecraft Asylum. Some things just didn't add up.
"Your apartment and my apartment are very much different." Chuckled Duo.
"Are they?" asked Zechs looking around his own apartment.
"Yes, for one yours actually looks clean and neat." Said Duo.
"But well in yours you can actually see that someone is living there, that's not a bad thing." Said Zechs.
Thanks for the compliment." Chuckled Duo.
"It's true, my apartment doesn't really change whether I'm here or not. Yours in the contrary fits you and your personality. You could say that my apartment lacks personality." Explained Zechs, he knew the only room that had any personality was his study room.
"Nah no personality is also a personality, but I guess the interior has been done by a female, correct me if I'm wrong though." Said Duo, he had noticed small things on cabinets which rarely would have been chosen by a male. Also the painting that hangs above the couch clearly gives a feeling that a female's hand must have been the one choosing it, maybe the female was even the one who had painted it in the first place.
"True, my best friend Noin has decorated it, she also painted that." Said Zechs, as he pointed to the painting Duo chuckled.
"I pretty much thought that was the case, that's why your apartment doesn't show much of your personality."
"I guess so, but well Noin does know pretty much what I like and don't like though." Explained Zechs.
"You two must be close." Duo had a feeling of déjà vu when the words left his mouth.
"Yes, we grew up together, I think out of all my friends she knows me best." Said Zechs.
The rest of the night passed by as if it was nothing, they had been talking for long and when one subject was over they easily switched to a different subject.
XxX
The next day Duo felt groggy, he hadn't had that much to drink the previous night, but he hadn't been able to sleep much. Duo grumbled as his phone rang, he had been cozy on his couch with a book.
"Yeah Maxwell here." Said Duo.
"Oh great that you pick up, Trowa here." Duo's eyes shot open when he heard the name.
"Oh hey Trowa, what are you calling for?" Duo asked
"Well I forgot to give you your new assignments." Said Trowa.
"Assignments?" 'Multiple assignments, as in more than one?' wondered Duo.
"Yeah two of them, I send them on your email."
"Okay just a sec, let me get out my laptop." Duo opened his laptop that was on his desk.
"Also I send you an copy of the edited version of your article." Said Trowa and Duo could hear Trowa type on his computer.
"Thanks." Responded Duo, he opened his mail and saw two different mails, both from Trowa. Duo considered for a moment if he would open the one with his edited article first but then decided against it.
"The first assignment is the one for the next issue. It might be a bit boring, it's a doctor that graduated about twenty years ago, he has written a book on dieting. It has been a best-seller for a while now, so we should get an feature about him before it cools down." Chuckled Trowa. Duo grimaced by the idea of interviewing someone who makes money on a diet book and he probably should do enough research about dieting before writing the article.
"Yeah and the second?" asked Duo.
"Well it's somewhat of a long term assignment. You have heard about Milliardo right?"
"Yes, he's a hot writer, somehow all the books under his name have sold like it's the best thing ever written."
"Well I learned from an source that he is currently a student at our university." Duo chocked in his coffee that he had just taken a sip from.
"You're kidding right?"
"No very serious, well the we want a interview with him and even though he wants to keep his identity a secret I thought you could try to make contact to him and do a chat session or something so you can make an interview from that. Just use your imagination, it's an long term assignment so don't worry about hurrying to finish it." Explained Trowa, Duo just listened with open mouth. "Duo, you heard me?"
"Yeah I heard ya."
"Okay that's about it, good luck and I will see you next week. If you have any questions just mail me." Said Trowa and with that Trowa hang up the phone.
Duo wondered whether Trowa knows himself who Milliardo is and if not he was pretty sure that Treize would know it. 'Treize seems to know everything going on at the university, I doubt anything slips his attention.' Duo let the thought wander through his mind for a moment before dismissing it, it didn't matter to him who or what Milliardo is, the only thing that did matter was that he would had to get an interview with it.
Suddenly his eye is drawn to the second assignment, on the second page is a email address. Duo wonders if it's the same email address as published on the website and goes online to look. To his disappointment those are the same, he wished that they were different, because then he might have been closer to who Milliardo is, not that he wants to know or anything.
Again Duo's phone rings, "Yeah Maxwell here."
"Duo?"
"Hey buddy, it feels like I haven't spoken to you in ages."
"Hn."
"I have told you have to say more on the phone, I can't read your expressions from here. But how are you doing?" Chuckled Duo.
"Yes we haven't spoken in ages and I'm fine."
"Good to know, so what ya calling for?"
"Are you still up for drinks tonight?" it was more a grumble than anything else.
"Sure thing."
"Good, then I'll give Quatre and Wufei a call, make sure you aren't late." Said Heero deadpanned.
"When am I ever late?" said Duo innocent.
"Bye Duo." With that the connection was broken.
"Jeesh that Heero." Said Duo to his phone, it was a known fact that Duo sometimes tended to get too engrossed with his books, thus forgetting any appointment he had.
XxX
The evening had been uneventful with the exception of a lot of liquor. It had been a long time ago that Duo had enjoyed such a boys night out, but he had to admit he had gone far over his own limit with drinking. As he stumbled up the stairs, when he was drunk he would never use the elevator he didn't know why.
Duo fumbled with his key to get it in the lock. "Why do they make those holes sho small…" Duo didn't notice that someone approached him from behind.
"Is everything okay?" Duo jumped at that sentence causing him to tumble backwards. A strong hand catch his arm pulling him to the front causing a new tumble but into the other person. Duo found himself sprawled over the person that talked to him.
"Duo, you okay." Duo's mind registered the words and looked into a pair of blue eyes.
"Hiya Zechsy." Duo's words slurred somewhat while he showed a trademark grin.
"You at least know who I am." Sighed Zechs.
"You have to many wrinkles." Pointed Duo out as his hand reached out to the wrinkles on Zechs his forehead.
"Duo?" Zechs wasn't sure what he should do, Duo came far too close for comfort.
"Smiling suits you better." Grinned Duo as if he thought of something funny, Duo didn't noticed that his hand was now cupping Zechs face. Duo's eyes had fixed on Zechs lips, he wanted to feel what those lips felt like.
"Duo I think…" Zechs wanted to get Duo off, but before he could complete his sentence since Duo's lips covered his own. It was a sloppy kiss, but Zechs couldn't help but to close his eyes in the action.
It took a while for Zechs to recollect his mind after the kiss, "Duo?" Zechs had opened his eyes and got no reaction from Duo.
He looked at the young man who had fallen asleep on top of him. "He's asleep." Stated Zechs with wide eyes not sure how to handle this. 'What now?', Zechs felt seriously confused. 'Why had Duo kissed me, why did I close my eyes?' those where only a few of the questions twirling through his mind.
To be continued…
Authors note: WOOOOTT they kissed, well to be precisely Duo kissed him. But Zechs didn't fight him hehehehe. You know I waited like forever to write the kiss scene, I was already halfway into the next chapter without writing out the kiss hehehe. And even now I'm not sure if everything turned out alright. But my mind is already working on the aftermath of that kiss, because OMG you know how many various ways I can go about this O.O Yay….I needed this kiss to make things a bit more interesting hehehe well at least to make them go where I want them (v.o)
Well anyway some other news, this chapter is the longest I've written so far hehehe and well I told you I would write also about the other characters. And I will still do this, but I made the choice to give them separate chapters, not all the chapters will be in sync with the main story this one. I came to this choice when reading the Junjo romantica manga for the thousand time. Well the side story I will actually do is:
Nothing is what is seems: Bound to chains
This story will mostly follow Wufei and Sally and well without revealing too much, yes it is a straight couple story. Whether you like it or not, you don't need to read it.
Nothing is what it seems: Hiding behind lies
This story will revolve around Quatre and his relationship with Hilde. It will show how far the truth can be from reality.
I will update these side stories into this main story, why? Well because even if you dislike the pairing it's still a part of the Nothing is what it seems saga. I'm not sure if this ever has been done in fanfiction or if it will work, the side story chapters will be shorter but more intense. But it will show that even friends have secrets for each other, since it doesn't matter how good you think to know each other, if someone doesn't want you to know something then you will never know. Both these pairings jumped out at the instant I started this story. Maybe others will be inserted later on, but I think three will do just fine for now.
