Blurry Moon + Part One (cont)

He stopped, finally waiting for me and I felt an irrational urge to run and catch up with him. I ruthlessly pushed it aside and calmly walked toward him. At least, I was trying for calm since I damn well didn't feel that way.

When I was beside him, he started walking again and I asked the question that had been nagging at me for the entire day. "Who are you?" I looked at him from the corner of my eye as I spoke.

He remained facing forward, but I heard the smile in his voice when he answered. "I was wondering when you would ask me that."

His voice made me shiver and I grunted at him in irritation. It felt so invasive, intimate really. No one's voice should ever sound like that. "I' m asking now."

"Aren't you wondering what I want with you?"

I thought about that for several moments and decided I really didn't like the way he phrased that. "I asked who you were, not what you want." I thought he was obnoxious, so I felt that I had the right to be abrupt with him and even if I didn't, I was going to anyway.

He laughed, a low sound that belonged in the privacy of your own home, not the middle of a street. He stopped walking and leaned back against the side of a building. I looked around briefly, noticing that he hadn't led me far. I could still hear the crackling of the fire, but the streets were strangely empty. The police must have blocked off the roads because of the blaze.

He crossed his arms lightly over his chest and crossed his legs at the ankles, looking very relaxed. His clothing was dark, stretched tight across his body. The shirt was plain and had a high collar. Over it he wore a duster coat, despite the fact that it was entirely too hot for it. An earring that glinted sliver in the light was in his right ear. He seemed content to let me look at him and, for a time, I was quite happy to.

"My name is Duo," he said finally, wrapping his voice around me. I shivered in the warm air.

Duo was smiling at me again, his face revealing nothing beyond light amusement. I was annoyed, hot, and getting angry fairly quickly. I didn't appreciate being led around by the nose, especially not like this. Nothing worked like a little anger to regain your focus.

"What do you want?" I asked shortly.

"To talk, maybe," he said.

I shook my head at him in disbelief. I didn't doubt that was part of what he wanted, but there had to be more, there was always something more. The entire situation was almost laughable. I had no idea what he expected of me and for that matter, I had no idea what I expected of him. Whatever it was, I didn't think it would be a good thing.

"To know you, then," he said.

"Why?" It seemed like a fair question to me.

He shrugged. "I want to."

As much as I hated to admit it, that was a reason, though not a very good one. But, it was why most of the human race did anything. I stared at his face and tried to read the thoughts flowing through his eyes and saw nothing aside from the warring colors. I tidily labeled what I was feeling 'unease' and thought about how to extract myself from his company.

"Come here," he said quietly. It was a direct command and I found myself taking a half-step forward before I thought about it.

"I don't think so," I said, halting and shaking my head at him. It was time for me to head back to the relative safety of my apartment, away from Duo and his ideas.

A group of chattering teenagers passed by on the other side of the street, making enough noise to nearly drown out the sounds of the fire. Distracted, I glanced at them.

"No?" Duo's voice was low, barely above a murmur. He was standing beside me, nearly whispering into my ear. The scent of wind and rain washed over me and I almost looked up at the sky in search of clouds.

"Dammit," I said, taking a quick step back with my heart in my throat. Just like last night in the corridor, I hadn't heard him move. My pulse was racing again and I'd had enough. I turned to leave and I felt his hand close over my wrist, stopping me. "Let go," I said flatly, looking at him over my shoulder.

His lips quirked up slightly at the corners and he said, "No, not this time, Heero."

I tensed and sucked in a sharp breath, narrowing my eyes as turned around completely to meet his gaze. "Let go of me," I repeated slowly.

He kept his eyes locked with mine and released my wrist, taking a silent step toward me, radiating confidence. The colors of his eyes swam, darkening, and I felt a shiver pass over me in spite of the heat. I was rooted to the ground and suddenly, I didn't want to leave him. That one irrational thought scared me more that I'd like to admit, and my breathing turned shallow, fueled by my fear and something else just as base and primal.

"I can taste it," he said, closing the distance between us. "Taste it on my tongue like wine."

I swallowed hard enough to hurt my throat. "What?" I asked, not certain I wanted to hear the answer.

Duo smiled at me again, and it wasn't friendly. He stood in front of me, close enough that a deep breath would have made us touch. He trailed a cool finger across my lips and down my throat, pressing against the pulse there. "This," he said, bringing his face close and brushing his lips over mine.

My eyes widened at the contact. Duo's lips, like his hands, were cool against my skin, but not unpleasant. In fact, it was a little too pleasant, his lips unbelievably soft, like velvet. His other hand curled in the hair at the base of my neck, tipping my head back so he could press his lips firmly against mine. He pulled away, far enough so that I could focus on his face and very slowly, very deliberately, licked his lips.

"Why did you come out tonight, Heero?" he asked softly, sliding the hand at my throat up and running it over my mouth.

"I had to," I said, not really understanding either why I did or why he cared.

He seemed to like my answer, but said, "You should have stayed home. Go home, Heero, and stay behind your walls of light where it's safe."

I frowned at him and he stepped back, his hands falling away from me.

"Go," he repeated.

The urge to do as he said was so strong that I almost stumbled out into the street. I turned away from him, walking back to my apartment. The further I went, the more like myself I felt and I realized that there were some questions that I really wanted answers to. Something cool brushed against my neck, making me shiver, and I didn't have to look to know that he was gone. If I saw Duo again, and I had no doubt that I would, I'd get the answers I wanted.

- - - - - - - - - - -

I was back at my apartment, sitting crossed-legged in the middle of my bed and wearing only a ratty pair of red checkered pajama pants with black, gray and white mixed in, when my mind finally decided to wake up. I almost preferred it didn't, since it was running a mile a minute and getting nowhere. My thoughts consisted of the rather clear visual of Duo's hands and how they felt when he touched me. I flashed on the feeling of his lips against mine and growled in frustration. At least I was feeling like I was back on the planet now and not walking around in a daze.

I ran my hand through my hair for what had to be the hundredth time that night and looked at the clock again. I'd somehow managed to waste a few hours, the bright display read quarter to ten. I scooted back to lean against the headboard and ran the entire evening through my head again.

It still didn't make much sense, although I had managed to come up with a few conclusions - rather obvious ones. One, Duo was a certifiable nut. An attractive nut with an amazing voice, but a nut nonetheless. Two, he had somehow discovered my name, either before or after our meeting in the hallway. I was much more comfortable with if it was after that, since it would be an easy matter for him to find it if he knew my address. If it was before . . . well, I didn't really want to think about that. I've never been really comfortable with the concept of stalkers.

His interest in me was more than a little disturbing, and so where his cryptic words. I wondered more than once just what he had meant by 'not this time' and why he had asked what made me leave my apartment that night. It was like he was waiting for me, even though logic told me that that particular idea was completely unfounded. When it appeared in my head, I had to acknowledge the thought that Duo had been a large part of the reason for my restlessness today, but adamantly refused to even consider that Duo had something directly to do with my leaving.

I gave another half-sigh, half-growl of annoyance. I almost wished I had taken the offer Friday to go out, at least then I wouldn't be sitting here, thinking about this. But I had the nagging feeling that I would have met Duo no matter what I did. That thought didn't lead me into a very restful night.

- - - - - - - - - - -

I woke up Sunday feeling much that same as I had yesterday. I had continually woken up during the night, drenched in sweat and panting from yet another dream. They were getting worse, and a lot clearer. I awoke to the morning blaze with the sensation of hands on my hips and lips against my stomach. The feeling lingered, and I rubbed the pads of my fingers over the tingling skin. It was ridiculous.

I slumped back into my pillow and threw and arm over my eyes to block out the light seeping through my drapes. I needed heavier curtains. A few minutes later I scrubbed my hands over my face and finally got out of bed, feeling thoroughly exhausted.

My apartment is clean, airy and comfortably modern. My bedroom is large enough for a queen sized bed, a night table, a chair that ended up being used as a place to toss my clothes, an old chest of drawers and an entertainment center. I liked to sit or lie in bed to watch television, which is why my living room looked different than most. I felt like I needed something for my blue couch and matching chairs to focus on, so the fireplace that I had never used was nominated.

The bathroom had a whirlpool bath, a separate shower stall, toilet and pedestal sink, all white with chrome fixtures. The walls, like the rest of the apartment, were off-white, making the bathroom the most severe looking room. It was even a bit much for me, and I attempted to fix it with a few prints and a large shelf. It helped a little. The appliances in the kitchen were stainless steel, a look that most people thought cold but that I found suited me fine.

A lukewarm shower helped clear my head a little, the first cup of bitter coffee twenty minutes later even more so. I cradled the mug in my hands, leaned against the counter and thought about what I needed to have done for tomorrow, determinedly ignoring the irritating restlessness that was growing in the back of my mind.

Several hours later, I was pacing the length of my apartment, scowling at anything and everything that fell into my line of sight. I had that same feeling again, that burning desire to be anywhere but here. I looked out the window and the sun was still bright in the sky. It had to be at least another few hours until sunset and I took a disturbing amount of comfort in that fact. Thoroughly aggravated and furious with myself for what I was about to do, I grabbed a light shirt to wear, since I had a habit of wandering around in the privacy of my own apartment in only jeans and socks; found my keys and left. I shoved the keys and my hands into my pockets and proceeded to storm down the street. The look of alarm one woman threw my way was strangely satisfying.

- - - - - - - - - - -

It was almost sunset, and I was still outside. I had made my way to the Riverside area through the choking heat, nearly half way across town from my building. I felt the same disconnected feeling, recognizing it this time and actively fighting it off. Somehow, I knew where I had to go and what would be waiting for me when I got there. The thought should have sent me running in the opposite direction.

The Riverside is one of the darkest, corrupt, and most fascinating parts of the city. It was where you went to sample the things that never dared show their faces in the bright light of day. As far as these things go, it was in a higher class than most and a lot safer than other parts of town. Violence, when it wasn't a part of the entertainment, was frowned upon and quickly dealt with.

The buildings were tall, reaching for a sky that was now colored a blazing red. Through the clear glass doors, you could see men and women mingling freely in lush, dark surroundings, sipping on glasses of the drink of their choice. Some buildings had a more modern look, chunky and metallic. The people there danced, holding brightly colored glasses with even brighter liquids in their hands. Music poured from the open doors that spilled shadows out into the street. It flowed on the thick air and forced its way through you, daring you to come inside where the flashing, multicolored lights threw your world off-balance. The entire area pulsed with a life of its own, it was in places like these where the heartbeat of the night city lay.

As I walked quickly through the area, the sun set slowly, unwilling to give up its place in the blood colored sky. In the end, it always failed and the night gleefully embraced the city. Electric lights burst into brightness, taking over the sun's role but providing none of its sparse comfort. These lights didn't try to push back the night, they were more like a part of it.

My path led me down to the river's edge where the water glittered with the city lights. It was dimmer here, away from the majority of buildings and their laughing occupants. I could barely make out the blurry outline of the moon on the water, and it reminded me of how everything looked last night through the haze of the heat.

It was full dark when I felt his presence at my back. I couldn't hear him move, but I knew he was walking toward me. I shivered when his hands slid over my shoulders to loop loosely around my neck and he leaned into me, trailing his lips over the shell of my ear. His skin was warm tonight and the smell of rain surrounded me. I realized that it was Duo's scent, he smelled like the wind before a storm.

Duo's breath was hot on my neck when he spoke. "Welcome back, Heero."

++

Blue: Well. *grins and brushes hands off* That was fun.
Duo: I've got to agree. *eyes gleam eagerly* Yep, can't argue with that.
Heero: I could. *scowl*
Duo: But you won't, 'cuz you're having as much fun as I am.
Heero: *glare*
Blue: I'm going to enjoy this. *leer*
Wufei: You have no shame.
Blue: Not a whit.

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