Love Thy Neighbor Part 7

"Are we getting naked again?" Duo cooed.

Heero forced his expression to remain stern. Duo was handsome and seemingly more than willing to advance their friendship to another level but right then, under the circumstances, was not the time or place. Even thought Duo had sobered up passed the point of bodily imbalance, his brain was still functioning under the wine's influence.

Allowing his clearer head to prevail, Heero took Duo's hands and with gentle but insistent pressure, unlocked their hold around his neck. "No, we ARE NOT getting naked." he insisted, placing the inflection on the negative part of his reply.

Duo's lower lip stuck out in a pout that made him almost irresistible...almost. "Why not?"

"Because you need to sleep." Heero answered as he pivoted Duo to sit on the bed. He uncapped the bottle of water and handed it to his tempter. "Drink this so you won't get dehydrated."

Duo took the bottle with an irritated puff that ruffled his bangs. "You're no fun."

"Maybe not, " Heero grinned, cracking his uncompromising facade, "but you need sleep more than fun."

Duo drank his water in sulking silence, occasionally cutting his eyes to test the Japanese man's resolve. Finally when three-fourths of the water had been drained he announced. "That's all I can drink."

Heero sat the bottle on the bedside table then crouched to grab the hem of Duo's jeans. "Lift your hips." The jeans were yanked between Duo's butt and the bed then freed with one last tug and left on the floor.

"In bed." came the next order. This time Duo cooperated without protect as he scooted in and rolled on his side facing Heero.

Heero picked up the digital alarm clock. "What time do you need to get up?"

As Duo situated the sheet and coverlet over his slender body until his bare chest was partly covered, he shrugged. "I don't know, eight I guess."

"If you're sluggish in the morning will that give you enough time to get to rehearsal?"

"Yeah I don't have to be there until ten."

Heero set the clock for eight a.m. and made certain the alarm button was on then slid the phone within easy reach. "If you wake up during the night and need me call, okay?"

Groggily Duo nodded "yes". The long day and the wine's residual aftereffects were apparently lulling his mind into a sleepy state. Heero switched off the bedside lamp and immediately the streetlight's yellowish glow stroked over the room.

Heero waited until his eyes adjusted to the limited light then turned to leave. "Good night Duo." he sincerely wished his friend a peaceful night of dreamless sleep.

Suddenly animated, Duo reached out and snagged Heero's arm. "Stay."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Duo's fingers clutched at Heero like a drowning man clings to anything to keep him afloat. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Duo I....."

"Please." There was a hint of desperation in the plea that took Heero by surprise. "We don't have to do anything." he continued to beg as if his life depended on not being abandoned. "I promise to behave."

In the bedroom's murky shadows Heero swore he saw a single tear shimmer over Duo's cheek and that poignant sight broke his heart. "Of course I'll stay." he declared without a second thought.

Even if Duo didn't keep his word and attempted to entice him into crossing the line, Heero knew he could be strong for both his and Duo's sake. What might happen between them in the future would not be dictated by lust or need but by mutual respect and perhaps, one day, love.

"Let me go to the bathroom." Heero requested, easing his arm from Duo's anxious grip.

When Heero returned to the bedroom he found Duo curled up like a kitten snuggled under the bedcovers but wide eyes stared into the dim room. When Heero sat on the bed's opposite side, Duo rolled over but kept his promise not to invade his bedmate's space.

Heero striped down to his black bikini, slipped under the cotton sheet and quilted comforter then turned to face Duo. "I'm here, sleep now." he whispered hoping that the soothing sound would calm Duo's anxiousness.

For a moment it seemed that Duo would fight the urge to sleep. His eyes closed, opened halfway, closed and opened again. "Thank you." Then a soft sigh signaled that the sandman had won the battle.

Heero laid still not wanting to risk disturbing his friend's fragile slumber. Soon quiet breathing confirmed that the dancer had indeed drifted off to dreamland.

Now sleep eluded the architect but it didn't matter. Heero discovered an unexpected contentment in watching the muted light play over Duo's serene features.

A single finger brushed back bangs that were tangled in Duo's long eyelashes. "You came into my life like a whirlwind and stole my breath away." Heero confessed to the slumbering dancer who had also stolen his heart. "Damn Duo there should be storm warnings posted whenever you're around."

*********

Rosy post-dawn light streaked through the bedroom window. Duo involuntarily threw an arm over his eyes to ward off the unwelcome brightness then snagged his ragged braid that had twisted around his neck.

Gradually his sleep-addled senses began to identify various stimuli. His sight had already registered the brightness. His touch had responded unfavorably to the stubble on his chin scraping over the pillow and his taste...well...his tongue was covered in a fuzzy coat of something better left unnamed.

While his hearing was muddled, sounds don't process well through a hangover, the smell of coffee and cinnamon or, perhaps, a nutty scent did managed to punch through the sensory confusion but even those normally pleasant aromas were offensive.

Cautiously Duo opened one eye, blinked away the stickiness then its matching oddly colored orb was revealed beneath a cascade of snarled bangs.

The red digital numbers on the clock fused together into an unreadable blob but right then he didn't care about the time of morning, not when his brain felt like it had slipped off-center and every inch of his body was objecting to the simple act of breathing.

But it was his bladder that was the most persistence in its protest. "Okay, dammit," Duo snorted, "don't be so pushy."

Sitting up was accomplished in progressive stages until Duo's legs dangled over the bed and his bare feet timidly touched the floor. Bending over to retrieve his jeans sent a sharp pain lancing through his head and a queasy wave crashing through his stomach.

With extra effort he pulled on his jeans and fumbled with the zipper and button then decided to forego hunting for his tee shirt. Just as warily he draped the coverlet around his exposed shoulders, stood up and tested his legs and balance before taking a step.

Duo shuffled off to the bathroom. Caped in the wrinkled coverlet he looked like a beggar who fancied himself to be king, crowned with unruly hair and a braid that had all but become undone.

It seemed as though fifteen minutes passed before Duo finished relieving his pressing problem. It wasn't until he leaned over to flush that he realized he'd forgotten to lift the seat and had missed the mark in several places.

As he pulled off a length of toilet paper to clean up the mess he mumbled, "Heero's goin' to be pissed." then chuckled at the irony that "piss" was exactly what Heero would be pissed about.

Heero had stayed that night, hadn't he? Duo had vague recollections of the ride home from the restaurant, a conversation concerning nudity and a disturbing trace of emotional disconcertion. His remembrances came in flickers of memory and disjointed sensations of weight and warmth, a solid form sharing the bed. There was also a voice whispering reassurances and urging him to sleep.

Then the thought that everything had been a dream and that he was alone hit like an earthquake and shook him to his very core. But was the smell of coffee also his imagination?

Duo paused at the mirror and rested a supporting hand on the sink. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, his eyes were bloodshot and underscored with dark circles.

*Fool.* his inner voice rebuked his excessive drinking and the resulting irresponsible behavior.

Duo didn't argue or offer excuses. "You probably blew your chances with Heero." he scolded his reflection.

*But he stayed last night.* the inner voice reminded.

"Yeah out of pity." Duo finished his part in the phantom conversation. "Might as well face Heero's disappointment." he reconciled himself to fate's whims.

*********

As Duo approached the kitchen his nose confirmed that the coffee smells were indeed real. Stepping inside the compact space he was relieved to see Heero sitting at the table.

The glass pot from the "Mr. Coffee" machine was sitting on a tile trivet beside a box of muffins from the "Sweet Treats" bakery and a tub of "I Can't Believe Its Not Butter". Two plates, an extra mug and a pile of paper napkins finished the breakfast setting.

Heero glanced up from the morning addition of the New York Times he had purchased from the box in the lobby and set down his mug. "Good morning." he called. "I hope you won't be offended but I snooped through your cabinets to find the coffee and filters."

Then a frown pulled down his mouth's corners. "You look like hell." he observed dryly.

Duo straightened the coverlet that threatened to slide off one shoulder. "No offense taken." he replied as he eased into the opposite chair and filled his mug with the dark, steamy liquid that hopefully contained enough caffeine to counteract the cobwebs in his brain.

"You want a muffin?" Heero asked, "There's cinnamon swirl and blueberry."

Duo stared at the miniature cakes wondering if his stomach would better tolerate dry toast. "Blueberry will be fine," he decided to take the chance,"but no margarine, please."

Heero wiped margarine off his knife, cut a blueberry muffin down the middle, placed it on a plate and handed it to the dancer who would be king.

After a few minutes of half-heartedly munching on his muffin between sips of strong black coffee sweeten with one spoonful of sugar, Duo finally worked up the nerve to talk about the previous night and perhaps fill in the missing pieces of his memory.

"I acted like as ass last night." he admitted.

Heero folded up the paper and centered his attention on Duo. "Not really."

Duo remained unconvinced, "I shouldn't have drank so much. I hope I didn't embarrass you."

Heero leaned back and finished the last of his mug. "You got a little frisky but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle." he stated and added a smile to reassure Duo that everything was all right.

Duo rubbed his temples where a dull ache had taken up residency. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Heero insisted, "Why don't you pour another mug and take a shower then you'll feel better."

Glancing at the clock on the stove Duo realized that it was passed nine o'clock. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

*That's great Maxwell, you made him late for work.* the inner voice continued the reprimand.

"I took a vacation day. I hardly ever take time off and I decided I deserved the time today."

"But you shouldn't have wasted a day because of me." Duo proclaimed, shaking his head then regretting the unwise action.

Heero leaned across the table and locked his blue eyes so that Duo couldn't look away. "You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do. Now get your shower or you'll be late for rehearsal or do you feel too bad to go?"

"I need to go, we only have a month before opening night and it's not fair to the other performers if I miss."

Heero nodded, "Would you be up to dinner at my apartment tonight? I have the entire day to shop and I love to cook."

A grin tugged at Duo's lips at the thought of being with Heero again. "Aren't you tired of me?"

"No, I enjoy your company." Heero answered truthfully, "So it is a date?"

"A date?" Duo repeated, "Are we dating now?"

"If you want to."

"Yes I would like that very much."

Heero smiled at Duo's acceptance of their first official date. "I'll see you at seven." he confirmed, then couldn't resist some additional teasing. "And we'll skip the wine tonight."

TBC...

 

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