Song Bird Part 1
Heero did not enter the club until a few nights later that week. A pile of cash handed to the man at the door and he was allowed entrance into the smoky world of large businessmen all waiting in anticipation. Walking silently along the wall he made his way to a seat near the front receiving a few glares but otherwise unnoticed.
He knew he stuck out like a sore thumb but there wasn't much he could do about it, nor did he really care. All the men around him were at least thirty, well out of college and on their way to their fortunes. Many smoked expensive and thick cigars as they eyed the stage and muttered softly among themselves. Expensive business suits, neatly pressed white shirts, hair combed until it refused to move for even the strongest wind, and here he was the only one in the entire place wearing a pair of black jeans and a blue jean jacket.
Had he been anyone else he might have been intimidated or self-conscious.
Heero settled back in the chair and eyed the stage, waiting patiently for something to happen. Anyone else his age would have been nervous in the smoky and tight atmosphere, but not him. All his life Heero was used to hanging around those older then him. From day one his parents had pushed him into the world of the adult, urging him to grow up long before he was ever able to be a child. As a result he didn't have many friends his age. Instead he knew all his professors and was treated like a colleague among them, and he kept to himself at his quiet library job.
Most students ignored him, realizing he was quite different. He couldn't stand people who weren't as mature as he was, and even when he wanted to do things with other people they generally ended up getting on his nerves and he was forced to leave, shaking his head sadly. He didn't fit among others, thanks to his parents' influence, and it was something he'd learned to deal with.
So perhaps he didn't actually stand out as much as he thought he did. But either way all his thoughts were pushed away as he heard movement on the stage. Turning slightly in his seat he focused all his attention on the stage. But to his disappointment it was not the boy from the other night who stepped up into the dim red lights.
It was a taller man, with long blond hair. Icy blue eyes settled on the crowd and everyone drifted to silence, watching him intently. Like all the other men in the room he wore a neatly pressed suit that spoke of money and position, but his was a dull beige and there was a deep red tie. Heero wasn't sure who he was but suspected he was the owner of the club.
"Ladies and gentlemen." He said softly, eyeing the crowd. All noise remaining stopped and the entire place seemed to collectively hold its breath. He had barely even spoken up and yet he had attention that most professors would kill for. Heero watched as the man's thin lips curved into a frown.
"I regret to inform all of you that there will be no performance tonight. He has taken ill and must rest."
Angry murmurs flowed through the room, men grumbling and hissing to each other. Heero shifted in his seat as he felt the atmosphere in the club shift dramatically to discomfort. A single cancelled performance and these men got this angry? He wondered how much money they had handed over at the door? He'd handed over a pretty large amount as it was but those men... but even more interesting was the man on stage. It was obvious from the tired look on his face that he knew how much commotion this would cause, so what had happened to the boy who performed? If the audience was liable to get this angry then something very serious was going on.
"Please," the man said, raising his hands and taking a step forward. "I apologize for the inconvenience and I know some of you go to great lengths to come here every night. However, as the boy's owner, I must also look after him. I will not risk his future health for one performance."
Heero frowned. The boy's owner? Had he heard that right? He didn't like how that sounded, but it didn't seem to bother anyone else in the audience. Just what in the world was the story behind this club?
Behind him came the sound of a man's fist slamming into the top of a table and Heero jumped, despite in himself. Behind him a man stood up and growled.
"Damn it Zechs! You know how much I pay you!" He yelled angrily and the man on stage cringed slightly.
Heero stood up from his seat and inched toward the stage, away from the angry man as Zechs stepped down from the stage. Heero watched Zechs try to calm him but knew it wouldn't do much good. Almost immediately a crowd of angry businessmen crowded around Zechs, demanding their money back and yelling angrily. This was going to turn ugly real fast and Heero had no intention of staying around to be a punching bag. However, upon looking across the room, he found his exit was completely blocked by heavy set men in suits, all quite red in the face with anger. He would have to find another way out.
Chancing it he turned his back to the angry crowd and glanced around the stage. He noticed that just behind the thin velvet red curtains was a door, leading to the back of the club. Perhaps he could find his way out through a back entrance. It was worth a shot.
Watching the crowd to make sure no one was paying attention to him he crept onto the stage and quickly ducked behind the curtains. With as little sound as possible he opened the door and slipped through, closing out the angry voices to leave himself in a quiet space.
Leaning against the door he eyed his surroundings closely. He stood in what looked like prop room, racks upon racks of dresses standing along the walls while smaller props were piled haphazardly across the floors. Had this place once been used for small time plays? The back room reminded him of a similar room from his high school, used by the theater club for productions. Inching away from the door he made his way around the piles of props until he came to another door toward the back. This one he opened and stepped inside, closing it behind him without even thinking. All he could think about was that the sounds from the club were getting louder and he wanted to be as far away from those angry men as possible.
"Who are you?" Demanded a soft voice.
Heero stiffened and whirled around, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The room he'd entered seemed completely out of place, not fitting with the club outside in anyway. He seemed to have stepped into a small studio apartment. A large four poster bed sat in one corner, covered in deep black sheets with embroidered edges. But the bed wasn't the thing that caught his eyes, nor was it the strange paintings of mythical birds which hung over the walls.
What caught his eyes was the life size birdcage taking up a good fourth of the room. Polished metal bars started at the floor and curved into a point which touched the ceiling. The bars were very close together, not even allowing space for a hand to reach in-between. A small swing hung down from one part of the ceiling and a pile of ornately embroidered pillows covered the back corners. But... Heero blinked in surprise.
The person inside of the cage was the boy who'd performed the other night!
Bright violet eyes watched him closely; not missing a single move Heero made. The boy was once again wearing a dress, this time it was made of silverish fabric which clung to his body like a second skin. His hair was hanging loose, the wild tangles curling around his body as he perched near the door to the cage. Heero noticed a broken metal brush had been forced between the door and the lock, sealing the cage shut.
"Why are you...?"
The boy frowned deeply at Heero's words but didn't respond. Instead he moved around the cage, his steps smooth yet quick, almost like a cat or a spirit. He moved away from the door and Heero. Heero noticed the boy was trembling softly from fear? Who had locked him in the cage? Why?
Frowning Heero walked up to the cage door, his eyes on the jammed lock rather than the boy inside. The boy watched him with trembling eyes until he reached the door. Then the boy gave a small cry as Heero reached for the brush.
"No!"
Heero stopped moving and glanced up at the boy in surprise. Even with a single word his voice was intoxicating. But it wasn't just the voice that had caused him to stop; it was the word the voice had formed. The boy didn't seem to want him to open the cage, but why not? He was trapped in the cage, a prisoner, why would he want to stay?
"I'm going to let you out." Heero murmured softly.
"Don't," came the soft plea and once again Heero paused. This time when he looked at the boy's face he found it was determined and yet sad at the same time.
"Why?"
The boy just shook his head. Slowly he inched toward Heero until the two were standing very close. Then the boy moved his fingers through the small openings in the bars and pushed Heero's hands off the brush. "I won't sing tonight," he said in a rather determined voice.
Heero blinked, as the amazing voice seemed to slip across his skin, caressing him. The boy was refusing to sing that night and he was locked in the cage. Realization washed over Heero. "You locked yourself in?"
The boy nodded. A small smile crossed his perfect face and he pointed across the room. "You should leave."
"But-"
"Before you are caught."
Heero nodded numbly but still didn't move.
The boy smiled a little more and gestured toward the door once again, breaking whatever spell he'd cast on Heero.
Heero forced himself to turn and crossed the room for the door the boy had indicated. With one last glance at the boy he was disappointed to see the sad look had returned to his face, but Heero still left, closing the door softly behind him. He heard the lock click and realized it was a one way door, preventing others from sneaking into the club.
Numbly he made his way back to the college and the dorm room, all the while picturing the boy in his head. But he also couldn't stop thinking about the cage or Zechs' words. He didn't like how Zechs had said he owned the boy, that wasn't right. Who was that boy, and why was he living in a cage? He frowned as he keyed into the dorm and climbed the steps to his room.
He wanted to know more about the boy.
He sighed as he realized that his visit to the club hadn't helped him get rid of this strange obsession he had acquired, it had only made it worse.
~*~
Duo settled back into the pile of cushions as he watched the strange boy leave the room, stepping outside. For a moment his mind pondered what world the boy was stepping out into, but he shrugged those thoughts away. He'd never been outside so he had no idea what was out there. So instead he turned his thoughts to other things, like the boy.
The boy had surprised him, for many reasons. First of all no one came back into the living area save for Zechs, who lived there with him. The sight of another person wandering through that door was a great surprise, and Duo wasn't completely sure whether it was a good thing or not. He knew he never wanted to see any of those men from the audience stumble through the door, but this boy he didn't mind.
If he closed his eyes he could still picture the boy in his head, those amazing crystal blue eyes that looked almost out of place from the rest of his body. Almost as if those eyes had seen more then they should have, though Duo had no idea what could have caused them to gain such a strange and enchanting light.
He loved how the boy looked more like Zechs then the other men who always came to watch him sing. It wasn't that he liked how Zechs looked, but he liked how this boy was thin and able to move around the room without standing out in the crowd, yet he did stand out because he was so different. Duo couldn't quite find the thoughts to describe what the boy was like to him, especially since his basis for comparison was so small. All he knew though was that he'd seen the boy at the club before, sitting toward the door and ready to leave. But he'd stayed for the whole song.
Duo frowned as he realized that he didn't mind singing if this boy was in the audience. How strange, since earlier that night he'd sworn to himself that he would never sing for Zechs again.
In spite of himself Duo jumped as the main door, which led to the stage, was flung open and a very angry and tired looking Zechs stepped into the room. Duo jumped up to his feet and retreated to the far corner of the cage, watching Zechs with slightly widened eyes. He could tell the man was angry and he'd never seen him this angry before. He trembled slightly as he watched Zechs lock the door behind him and then turn to face the cage.
"Do you realize the chaos you caused out there?" He hissed angrily.
Duo swallowed as those icy blue eyes bored into his skin, the look of sheering anger almost burning his skin. He could see that Zechs' clothes were rumbled and his tie hung to a side, as if he'd been fidgeting with it for most of the night. Zechs only fidgeted with his ties when he was frustrated.
"They wanted their money back, and I paid them. But that wasn't the problem, the problem was that they threatened me, threatened to take you and the club away from me!" He practically tore off his suit jacket, the tie following soon after, and pulled a new brush from his pocket. Walking to the cage he worked for a few seconds and finally un-jammed the door, tossing the broken brush aside. Once again his icy eyes locked with Duo's.
Duo shook his head a little and tried to step back more but there was no more room between him and the wall. He didn't know why he was so afraid, Zechs had never hurt him before, not even raised a hand. But then again, he'd never refused to sing before, nor had he ever locked himself in to make sure he wouldn't have to sing. This was unfamiliar territory between them, and it scared him.
"Well, you won't have to sing tonight, the shows over and the club is closed. Shall we finish with your hair?"
Duo didn't move, his eyes still fixed on Zechs. This didn't sound right and he didn't like how the man was acting. He didn't dare suggest that he'd brush his hair on his own, because he knew how much Zechs loved the job, and usually he loved the attention. But something about tonight just felt all wrong and all he wanted to do was crawl into the corner and hide until Zechs' anger melted away.
The tall blond man growled as he realized that Duo wasn't planning on moving. Stalking forward in the cage he grabbed Duo's arm and yanked him forward, Duo responding with a cry of pain. Those icy blue eyes narrowed dangerously and Zechs shoved Duo into the side of the cage, his arm hitting the metal bars and a sharp pain shooting up through his body. Duo whimpered quietly and held his arm, tears threatening in his arms. He watched, trembling, as Zechs marched over to him and used the same injured arm to yank him to his feet, sending more pain rocketing through his body.
"I am sick of the attitude you've been showing! I own you, I made you, you have no right to say no to me!"
Duo struggled under the hold, trying to get free, but his arm felt like it was on fire with each movement. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he turned a pleading look to Zechs.
"Stop!" He rasped, finding it hard to speak through the pain. "It... hurts!"
"It should! It'll teach you to listen next time!" Zechs shook the injured arm to make his point and Duo let out another cry of pain. In anger Zechs flung Duo backward, watching the boy stumble to the ground, the soft fabric of his silver dress ripping slightly.
Duo cradled his arm and bit his lip, trying to ease the pain but not sure how.
"You will sing tomorrow night." Zechs stated coldly as he turned and headed for the door to the cage. "And every night after that."
Duo's eyes narrowed. He ignored the pain from his arm and shook his head. No, no he wouldn't sing anymore. He hated living like this, like his voice was all that mattered. He had made a promise to himself he wouldn't do this anymore and he refused to. Gathering up his courage he hissed softly at Zechs. "I will never sing for you again."
Zechs whirled around in a fury and their narrowed glares locked. The tall blond man stalked over to Duo again and he was practically shaking with rage. Duo might have been afraid, but he refused to step down from his decision. Setting his expression of hatred he refused to back down, no matter what the cost.
"You will sing," Zechs stated in a soft but threatening voice.
"No."
Zechs' hand moved forward, snatching Duo by the throat and dragging him to his feet. Duo coughed loudly and clawed at Zechs' grip with his good arm, his other arm hanging limply at his side, but it didn't help. After a moment and a few tight squeezes Zechs dropped Duo to the floor once more. He knelt down next to the boy, far too close for comfort.
"When did you get so cocky? It appears I will have to teach you once again who made you. And don't think that I will not risk your beauty, for it is only your voice that I care about. I couldn't give a hell about the rest of your body."
With those words Zechs grabbed the front of Duo's dress and yanked, ripping the thin fabric away leaving the boy completely naked. Duo froze in fear as the man grabbed him by the shoulders and flipped him over, forcing him onto his stomach and holding him down as he straddled the boy across the legs and used one hand to pin his good arm to the floor.
Duo's body shook, the room suddenly growing cold around him. His hair had fallen over his face and he couldn't see what Zechs was doing. He wasn't able to push the tangled locks away so all he could do was stare into them, terror filling his body. Duo struggled in the hold but couldn't move. He shivered as his mind flew.
What was Zechs going to do? Hit him? Hurt him? Leave him pinned to the ground shaking in fear? Zechs had never touched him before, least not more then it took to help him dress and brush his hair. No one had ever touched him. All he knew was how those small touches had felt, and this was so different.
He used to love it when Zechs brushed his hair, gently pulling the brush through his long locks until all knots were gone and his hair was as smooth as silk. To an extent he'd even enjoyed it when Zechs had helped him put on the dresses every morning, because the man did it with such care. But this was so different from all of those. He didn't like this one bit, he was afraid, terrified, and he had no idea what was coming next.
And then it happened and Duo cried out. He had barely any warning as something hard and warm brushed against his butt, then it stabbed into him, ripping his small opening with the heat of the movement and the blood. Duo cried out in pain and jerked, his hand clenching the floor as pain shot through his body. He felt what ever it was slam into him, hard and fast, feeling as if it was tearing his body in half.
His mind screamed with his voice, no words coming out, just one continuous cry of pain. The warm piece of flesh inside of him continued to move, faster and faster, each time stabbing into him and shooting more pain through his body. He could feel Zechs leaning over him, pounding into him with his entire weight, moving faster and faster.
Duo's mind locked up; his eyes shutting tightly and his throat growing ragged. The constant cries and screams reduced themselves to whimpers as the pounding continued his body beginning to grow numb. He concentrated on the throbbing from his injured arm, which was twisted painfully under his body, anything to distract him from the constant pain from behind.
Each time the man sheathed completely into him his mind exploded with pain, he couldn't feel his skin ripping anymore, but now he could feel the warmth of his blood spreading slowly over his legs and onto the floor as Zechs body dropped into a fast rhythm. He could hear Zechs' quickened breath and knew the man was enjoying himself in spite of Duo's pain and whimpering. Moans of pleasure filled the room around him and Duo just lay there, whimper and crying, praying for it to end soon.
And it did. It seemed like an eternity but finally Zechs pulled out completely and didn't push back in. The hand and legs stopped pinning Duo to floor and he heard Zechs stand up, but he refused to move. Instead he just lay there quietly, whimpering with his eyes shut. He was afraid to move; afraid that if he did anything Zechs would get angry and do it again. Pain flowed through his body and now the cold air in the room hit him, causing him to shiver violently which only made him hurt more.
"Well, you'll listen next time won't you? Or I may be forced to do this every night."
Duo shuddered at those words and finally moved, curling himself into a tight ball which cradled his injured arm. He could still feel the blood slowly leaking from his body but didn't move. He was too afraid and in too much pain to move any more then he already had.
Numbly he registered Zechs throwing a light sheet over his shivering body then shutting the door to the cage, locking it securely in place. He heard the man cross the room and snap out the lights, then crawl into the large bed.
After that Duo drifted into a pain and nightmare filled sleep. Every time he began to dream it was interrupted by the memory of what Zechs had done to him and he'd wake up, his eyes snapping open and his body shuddering. This went on for the whole night, until he finally dropped into a light sleep as the sun appeared over the horizon outside.
TBC...
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