…
By the time Duo opened the door to admit several boys I recognized vaguely from class, his cheerful grin was back in place. It didn’t reach his eyes.
Part Four – The Club
After a swift round of introductions – for my benefit, I was sure, though I really couldn’t have cared less – I followed Duo and the others from the dorm.
The six of us piled into a car (I didn’t know who it belonged to, but Duo drove), and off we went. I rode shotgun, and spent the ride staring at the city as it glided by my window. The others chattered.
The trip was over quickly, ending in front of a tall building covered in bright fluorescent lights. We climbed out and Duo tossed the keys to a waiting valet.
I half-assumed we’d go stand in the long line that had formed leading to the door, but apparently our wealthy classmates had connections, because we were admitted immediately.
Now, I pride myself on being ready for anything, but I was not prepared for what was inside. It was hot and crowded, and the music was so loud I could barely hear myself think. It was dark, the only light coming from flashing multicolor strobes and the exit signs. I didn’t know what to do, and neither the gun holstered at the small of my back nor the knife sheathed in my boot was doing much to comfort me.
Duo, clearly sensing my tension, took my elbow and steered me away from the entrance. The others had already vanished into the sea of bodies.
We wound up at the bar in the far corner of the room. Duo sat me down, and ordered two of something with cherries.
Contrary to popular belief, I had been (to put it in layman’s terms) ‘completely smashed’ before, and on more than one occasion. I was not, however, particularly savvy when it came to the options. To this day, I’m still not sure what it was we drank, but it was strong.
I could feel the beat of the music pounding in my chest, almost as intoxicating as the alcohol. I couldn’t understand half the lyrics, but it didn’t matter.
“You gotta dance, ‘Ro,” Duo said suddenly, mouth close to my ear so I could hear, breath stirring my hair. I felt a warm shiver run down my spine.
“What?” I turned to look at him, and suddenly his face was very close to mine, so close his breath drifted across my lips, warm and sweet. His amethyst eyes flickered with some unnamable emotion and I was suddenly afraid to breathe.
He pulled back a few inches, face flushed, either from the alcohol or the heat of the club, I wasn’t sure. “You hafta dance,” he told me. “‘S why you came, isn’t it?”
I just stared at him.
“Come on,” he stood, tossed aside his cherry stem, and held out a hand to help me off the barstool. “Let’s find you a girl.”
“Find me a girl,” I repeated, feeling foolish.
“To dance with,” he explained slowly, as though I were thick. Or drunk.
Duh.
“I know what you meant,” I told him, scowling. “And I’m not drunk, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“All right,” he agreed, a little too readily. He was looking suspiciously disbelieving.
“I’m not,” I insisted, and I wasn’t. I knew my limits, it had been part of my training, to learn how to determine how well I could function under the influence. And I didn’t live under a rock, I was familiar with both the wonderful freedom that came with inebriation and the unpleasantness of the morning after. The release from caring about missions and rules was a strong lure, but I’d learned early on what the consequences were (J was not pleasant when crossed), and I rarely drank much. That night, I’d only had enough to become what is affectionately known as ‘buzzed.’ My inhibitions were melting away, and I was only too happy to see them go. I was slowly relaxing into the comfortable feeling of my partner’s company, now that I could let myself relax at all, and I was not eager to leave it for some simpering girl.
Duo looked at me more closely, and must have realized I was telling the truth, because the suspicion cleared from his face and he nodded, and held out his hand again.
“I’m not dancing with some strange girl,” I informed him, still ignoring the hand.
He sighed and rolled his eyes, propping his hands on his hips. “You can’t just sit there all night. The point was for you to learn to dance without having to deal with the Blonde Bitch.”
I frowned. He was right, but… “I don’t want to dance with – ”
“Fine!” he cut me off. This time, he actually grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet. “Let’s go.” He started pulling me away from the bar.
I dug in my heels. “Go where?”
“If you won’t ask a girl, I’ll teach you to dance.” He wasn’t looking at me, so I couldn’t see his face, but his ears looked decidedly pink. Of course, in the half-light of the club, I could have been imagining it. “It’s not all that hard.”
“Duo, I can’t ask you to…” But I wish I could, I realized. I really, really, wish…
He faced me and gave me a little smirk, like he could read my mind. “You know you want to,” he said, and I was so stunned I let him pull me out into the press of bodies on the dance floor.
As we wove our way through the dancers, I remembered what he’d said about me coming here with him. And he’d said he had meant it like that, which meant…
“Duo?” I tugged on the warm hand still holding mine.
He turned. The strobe light hit him from behind, outlining his figure and making his hair glow chestnut. It barely lasted a second, but it was enough to make my breath catch in my throat. He looked incredible.
“What?” the question broke me out of my reverie.
“Duo, do you like me?” I gave an inner wince as I heard myself. And the genius speaks, I thought bitingly.
“What?” his eyes had gone very wide, and, even in the semidarkness, I was sure he’d just turned a brilliant shade of red.
I could barely believe I was doing this. Heero Yuy was not supposed to care about anything personal, either in his own life or anyone else’s. Maybe I don’t want to be ‘Heero Yuy’ anymore, a small voice said in my mind.
I shook my head. Must be the alcohol.
“Heero?” Duo was watching me.
“What do you feel about me?” I clarified. “Do you think of me just as a fellow pilot, or a friend, or… more?”
Definitely the alcohol.
He was gaping, mouth moving silently like a fish out of water.
“Because I think I like you. As more than a friend.”
Damn, that stuff must have been stronger than I thought. What the hell did he give me?
“I… I…” Duo couldn’t seem to speak.
Oh, shit. Duo can always speak. This is bad. What the hell have I done now? Retreat! Quick!
“Sorry. You don’t have to say anything. I shouldn’t have said that. Just forget it.”
Smooth. Very smooth, that sarcastic voice was enough to make J cringe in embarrassment.
The beat of the music changed slightly, and I could suddenly hear the song.
Left is right and right is wrong
Being high doesn’t turn me on
One and one must not equal two
‘Cause I’m falling in love with –
The crowd pushed us together, and I could feel the pulse of the music urging me to move. It was odd, I’d never wanted to dance before.
Maybe, for once in my life, I should forget about J, and the mission, and the war, and everything I hated so much. Maybe I should forget about being Heero Yuy, whoever he was, and just be me. I wanted to be me.
So I would take this chance.
You’re under water, I’m out of air
I’m not libel for me I swear
I don’t know what the world’s coming to
Must be falling in love with you
I slid my free arm around Duo’s waist.
“Teach me to dance,” I whispered into his ear.
He turned his head slightly to look me in the face, an unreadable expression molding his features.
I prayed he wouldn’t turn me down.
I’m out of body, you’re in my head
You’re alive, then I must be dead
I hear that Hell’s got a wonderful view
Must be falling in love with –
He held our joined hands between our chests and looped his other arm around my neck.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Maybe everything would work out after all, whatever ‘everything’ was.
“Don’t think,” he told me. “Just feel. Feel the music, and let it take control.”
And just like that, we were dancing.
Put on your face, pull up your dress
Take me weeks to clean up this mess
Damned if I don’t, so what if I do
And I’m falling in love with you
He was right. It really was easy. In fact, it was fun. It was good.
Impulsively, I pulled him closer, enjoying the heat of his body against mine.
His fingers played with the hair along the nape of my neck as we swayed to the beat, gently twisting and twirling the short strands. It tickled a little, but it also felt nice.
Please, I’m fine, I’m good, just stay away
I’m black, you’re white, I’m straight, you’re gay
You’re sick, I’m tired, he’s Greek, I’m not
But I love, you hate, I’m sold, you’re bought
I’m fine, I’m good, just stay away
It hit me, all of a sudden, that maybe the reason he’d gotten upset just before our classmates had arrived was because I’d brushed him off. Or, at least, that he thought I had. I hadn’t commented on his clubbing preparations because I’d been in shock, but maybe he thought I hadn’t said anything because I hadn’t liked it.
One way to find out for sure, I thought.
I leaned in close to his ear again. “You really do look wonderful,” I whispered, and pulled back slightly.
His smile lit up his entire face. “Really?” he asked.
“Really,” I nodded, thinking, I sound like an idiot, but I don’t mind being an idiot for you.
Left is right and right is wrong
Being high doesn’t turn me on
One and one must not equal two
‘Cause I’m falling in love with you
And that’s when it happened. The music going, the lights flashing. He leaned in even closer, and pressed his mouth to mine.
My first kiss.
I realized in that instant how much I’d wanted to kiss him since I’d first met him, and it was incredible.
Our lips parted, and I could taste him: sweet, like the cherry I’d watched him eat before he’d pulled me from the bar, with a hint of the alcohol we’d both consumed. Our tongues moved together in a dance all their own as our bodies continued to move to the song.
We pulled apart to breathe.
Damned if I don’t, so what if I do
And I’m falling in love with you
“I like you as more than a friend, ‘Ro,” he whispered, close to my ear so I would hear him. “I would have thought you’d know that by now.”
I knew nothing would ever be the same.
“Duo?”
“I love you, ‘Ro,” he whispered. “Always.”
“I love you, too.”
It sounded corny, even in my head, but as someone once said, if you’re not willing to sound corny, then you don’t deserve to be in love.
I think I’m falling in love with you…
And that was it. It changed my life, and his, but it was only a moment.
One moment. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just a single moment in time.
The beginning.
To e-mail me (reviews etc.), click the link below.