Author: SkyLark
Warnings: Angst, Sap, Romance
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xS
Rating: R
Archives: Debs-Dragon - GW Diaries
Betaed by ShenLong Deb *hugs*
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, or its characters. I just love playing with them.
*waves hands in surrender* I know... I promise I am alwo working on the sequel for 'Blood, Sweat and Tears' and it is progressing. But my muses side-kicked me with this fic idea and demanded it be worked on, too! Hope you all enjoy!!! Love yas!!!
Woke Up One Morning... Part 1
You know... once you have had one bad hangover, you would think that you would remember your drinking limit real quick so as to not have to endure that torture again. I had already had one such hangover not long after first joining the Preventers. Hell-bent to not have to deal with the agony that was the 'morning-thru-late afternoon' that I suffered after a night of shots and mixed drinks by the plenty, I had reasoned that I learned my lesson.
Weeeelll... I was wrong.
Right now, I am laying in my hotel bed on my stomach debating whether or not to even bother opening my eyes. It's obviously morning, considering how bright it is in the room behind my closed lids and already I can feel the start of a screaming headache coming on.
But for whatever torture I am about to endure today, I actually consider the fun that I had last night worth it. I actually had the pleasure of seeing Heero Yuy drunk.
Oh, seeing that the feat was accomplished was not easy. For as long as I have known my Preventer partner- just shy of five years now- I have never seen him have more than one beer at any given time, even when alcohol was provided.
But, even a former 'Perfect Soldier' needs to loosen up from time to time. And last night was that time for Heero.
We have been stationed in Las Vegas for over a month for a very high-profile case that took a lot out of us to catch the son-of-a-bitch weapons trader that Lady Une has been after for well over a year. To keep the media from being too close to the action and blowing our cover, we were sent here on our own. It took all of our resources to finally pin him down, every drop of our fortitude and training in us to catch him.
Much as all of the efforts were worth it in the end, we were spent. Even Heero was showing the fatigue that he had been fighting through when it was finally over and our culprit was handed over to the authorities.
That was when I suggested we hit one of the bars and actually the 'city of sin' before we had to head back in a couple of days. Much to my shock, Heero actually paused to consider the idea as opposed to outright denying the idea like I had expected him to. Then, I almost hit the floor when he actually agreed!
Before he even had a second to reconsider, I was grabbing his arm and leading us out of the hotel room. The night started off slow, my partner sticking to his staple one beer when we hit the first bar. From there, I'll be honest, my memory is a little fuzzy on how I actually convinced him to have a few shots with me.
Most likely a challenge or bet was involved, as is my usual style when dealing with him. Whatever the exact motivation, I do remember Heero having a few shots that turned into a couple of beers and mixed drinks after. At some point, I remember dancing with him- which is how I know beyond any doubt he had to have been more than buzzed to agree to set foot on a dance floor.
And I do remember that I've never had such a fun time with my best friend before. He was outright laughing and looked so... at peace with everything. It's a shame he's not like that more often... although I will admit that he has come a long way from how he was during the wars. A damned long way.
I shift a little in my bed, noting without even having to open my eyes that I am not wearing anything besides the sheet over me. Somehow, I lost my clothes on my way to crash here. Hopefully, I waited to start shedding after I was in the room.
Groaning, I push the upper-half of my body that's hanging over the side of the bed and feel that my hair is loose and moving all around me. Apparently, I thought that I didn't need my hair tie at the end of my braid, either.
'Now for the sucky part,' is all I'm thinking as I slowly open my eyes. And 'sucky' is an understatement when it comes to the piercing headache the sunlight brings when I finally manage more than a crack to peer to the opposite side of the unshielded windows overlooking the city.
Gorgeous as the view is, it's not exactly something I can really appreciate when I feel like shit. Mentally I just remind myself how it's all worth it for the fun I had last night.
Shit. Heero.
With the form he was in last night, I'm sure that he's in just as bad of shape as I am... if not worse. The pain in my head forgotten over worry for my best friend, my eyes open fully and my left hand reaches up to brush back the loose hair that's falling in my face.
That's when I notice the flash of gold just as the inside of my open hand moves ahead of my vision. Freezing, I just stare wide-eyed at the bottom of a simple, thick band on my ring finger.
Suddenly, I'm pretty sure that my headache is about to get a lot worse.
Unable to breathe, I turn my hand to see the ring continue around instead of vanishing as I silently hope it will. Very slowly, still unable to breathe, I stay there half propped up as I reach over with my right hand to feel the band and then it really hits that I'm not just seeing things.
'Ok, there has to be a rational explanation for the ring,' I'm trying to rationalize, still unable to move as I stare at it. Surely, it's nothing to get worked up over.
Then I feel something shift beside me with a groan. Paralyzed, my eyes widen further at recognizing that voice. There's a quiet gasp a second before my partner, every bit as bare as I am under the sheets, sits straight up to stare in shock at a gold ring on his left ring finger.
Slowly, he turned his head away from the hand held up before his face to gape at me. Now, under normal circumstances, the sight of Heero with his hair mussed even more than usual in such a state of open display of stunned disbelief would be absolutely adorable to me.
But under these circumstances... I'm every bit as confused and panicked. Not to mention that my already upset stomach is churning beyond my control. I think I managed to mutter something about needing the bathroom before I run for it to empty whatever contents that haven't fully digested into the toilet.
To my surprise and relief, Heero is standing by the sink wetting a washcloth for me when the heaves are finally finished. Dressed in a pair of boxers that he had thrown on before coming to my aid, he looks concerned as he hands over the cold cloth and asked softly, "Are you all right?"
I take a moment to wrap the rag around the back of my neck so that I can steadily answer, "Yea. Thanks." Really, I'm far from fine, but now that my stomach is empty, it's a good start in getting over the hangover.
Looking a bit worse for wear himself, Heero leans his back heavily against the door frame and dry-washes his flushed face. Neither of us really know what else to say about the huge elephant in the room regarding the bands on our fingers, or how we ended up in my bed without any clothing on.
Finally, the silence is more than I can handle and I rise to my feet to return to the bedroom. Moving to the dresser, I fish out a pair of red boxers to slide into as my best friend sits on the side of the bed. "Any idea what the hell happened last night?" I sigh, running a hand through my loose hair that badly needs to be washed.
Clearly relieved that I am making some attempt to sort of what's going on, Heero meets my eyes as I near and shakes his head, "Nothing besides bits and pieces." Staring at the floor, he grumbles, "Never should have taken you up on that damned offer to go out."
"Hey," I'm quick to remind, "you didn't exactly put up much of a fight." There is a reluctant nod from him and he slowly raised his head to flash me an apologetic look for the snap. Apologizing never has come easy for him, even after all of the changes he's gone through. When he is sorry, he very damn well means it.
Smirking, I pat his arm reassuringly and sit beside him. Those blue eyes are on my loose hair for a while and suddenly I feel more exposed than I had been in the bathroom... enough so that I shield my burning cheeks by looking down at the ring on my left hand again.
From the corner of my eye I can see Heero do the same through the curtain of my hair. "Maybe we were playing some kind of joke," I think aloud with a grin. "I mean... there's no evidence that we did... anything... well... you know..." The burning on my cheeks is just growing over the more tactful way of saying, 'Well, my ass doesn't hurt and the sheets aren't sticky, so clearly we didn't have sex last night!'
Clearing his throat, Heero's own cheeks are flushing a bit and he's quick to nod, "Right. A joke or some camaraderie thing when we were drunk."
That was an even more likely explanation and suddenly, I'm feeling better and better. It was nothing more than two good friends goofing around during their night on the town. Nothing to panic over.
Settled on our little understanding of the unknown happenings of the last evening, I stand and place my jester smile on to suggest, "Well, we better start packing things up for our afternoon flight home." Wincing as the piercing stab in my brain returns, I hiss, "Better stock up on some headmeds before the flight, too."
"Good idea," Heero nodded as he rubs his own head. Rising to his own feet, he picks up the discarded blanket to throw it back on the mattress when he froze, eyes wide again.
That cannot be good.
Quickly turning to follow his line of sight, my own eyes widen when I spot on the floor a DVD case and a marriage certificate with our names signed on it.
Fuck. It's only when Heero nods shallowly that I realize I spoke that word out loud.
* * * * * *
We never bothered to watch the DVD. But we packed it along with the wedding certificate before checking out of the rooms we had been signed under with assumed names. Our commute to the airport was made in awkward silence.
Really, I still haven't gotten my head around the idea that I'm actually married to my best friend. Casually, I glance over at Heero as he types away at his laptop to see that he still has not taken his wedding band off even as we sit side-by-side in first class for the flight. Not that I can talk, as I'm ever aware of my own ring's presence as I sit listening to my music and look out the window.
We're about an hour away from landing when he suddenly stops typing to lean back in his seat with a heavy sigh. I know he's about to say something so I remove my headphones. His eyes still looking ahead, Heero suddenly has a lost look about him as he asks me quietly, "What are we going to do about... this?"
I'd been dreading the question, really. Truth be told, I always held a flame for 'Ro since the wars. Of course, I never would have rushed things the way we had. A few dates would have been nice first, but I never got the nerve to ask him out.
This is really unfamiliar waters for the both of us, neither one ever having been in a relationship before. Let alone a marriage.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I stare at the floor and swallow roughly. Only when I know my voice will be firm, I answer, "Well, considering neither of us were in our right mind when we got... m... mar... you know." Shit. Even the 'M' word is hard to say right now. "It shouldn't be too difficult to file the paperwork to end our civil union."
It was a fancy way of saying 'divorce.' Yet another word that I wasn't even going to try forcing my mouth to form. Never in my life did I ever plan on being married and divorced in less than a few days.
Heero is quiet, chewing on the inside of his cheek while mulling the idea over. I'm actually really surprised that he hasn't jumped at the suggestion right away. Part of me wishes that he would just accept it for what it is and not give me these false hopes that are starting to build up.
I am seconds from imploding over the silence when he suddenly looks over at me and announces in little more than a whisper, "What if we stayed married for a while? Regardless of how we got here, I don't want to fail at my first marriage without trying to make it work."
Feeling the growl in my chest before I even hear it, I warn in a low voice, "I'm not a damned mission, Yuy. Don't treat me or this situation like one."
Much to my satisfaction, there is understanding in his gaze over the concern. A small smile, he has the nerve to correct me with a reminded, "Yuy-Maxwell." Then he actually has the nerve to chuckle when my scowl deepens. "I am not looking at you or this marriage as a mission," he promises, suddenly very serious and with all of the sincerity in the world that is making my breath hitch.
Shrugging, Heero states, "We already live together, shared the same bed enough times on account of fighting nightmares to know we can manage that and neither of us is currently attached to anyone. And I cannot speak on your behalf, but for me there is no one else that I trust more to have some facet of a relationship beyond friendship with. There are just a lot of elements in this situation that may make this the right thing for us."
Leave it to the former 'Perfect Soldier' to weigh all of the ins and outs of this cluster fuck of an epic magnitude.
A part of me wants to believe that there is more than reasoning behind his suggestion... and maybe there is, even if he'd not about to come right out and say it yet. I mean... he knows enough about his emotions now to be more than aware if he is not attracted to me or cared for me in that sense. If that were the case, I don't have a doubt that he would have gladly taken up the divo... legal separation idea.
That alone is enough for me to feel confident to grin and nod, "All right. We'll try it out, then." Snickering, I ask, "So... when we're back home, how about a date? A night out at a nice restaurant or something?"
My heart skips a couple of beats as that smile on my... husband's face grows a bit. Nodding firmly, he agrees, "A date."
Of course, it's putting the cart before the horse... but it could work. And that's enough to keep me smiling for the remainder of our flight.
* * * * * *
I'll be honest... I was as nervous as hell over our first date. Right up until we actually sat down in one of the local finer restaurants' private rooms that we would never have stepped in for a simple hang out, my stomach was in knots.
We're a couple of hours into our meal now and things have been better that I expected. Really, I don't know what I had been so worried about. We've had dinner and hung out together more times than I could count before. The whole marriage thing really hasn't changed a whole lot between us, which is great.
Although, there are come changes that are going to need to be made. The first of those I need to address before we go on any further.
Finishing my sip of the wine that came with my meal, I comment, "You know that we have to keep this between us when we're at work. Une does not allow couples that are involved to work together as teammates."
Heero sits up and reaches into the pocket of his khakis to remove two flesh-toned band-aids. "Already thought of that," he replies while reaching over for my left hand. Efficient as ever, he wraps one band-aid over my wedding ring and does the same to cover his own. Unless someone was really looking closely, they really would not have had any idea that we were hiding anything.
Laughing, I shake my head, "Leave it to you to cover all the bases." I have to force myself to sober as I fold my arms and ask, "What about the physical part? I might not know much about relationships from my own experience, but I don't really care to be in one that is missing that part."
"We can start out slow," he responds before chewing and swallowing a piece of his steak. "It wouldn't be the best idea to rush things." Swallowing a gulp of his own wine, he chuckles at my raised eyebrow and adds, "At least not any more than they've already been rushed."
Satisfied with that, I smile, "Works for me." That grin becomes a wicked smirk as I inform, "I don't kiss on the first date, though."
There is a bit of relief in those deep blues in seeing that I was in no rush to push things as Heero grins, "Fair enough." Slicing into his meal, he inquired, "What about the sleeping arrangements?"
Good question. I decide to just speak out my thoughts as I shrug, "Well, you did mention before that we've shared the same bed plenty of times. I don't see how we couldn't get used to that on a regular basis. We could turn whichever room we don't take up into a guest room... for when we're ready to have guests see our living arrangements." It's my turn to be relieved when my partner nods in acceptance of that suggestion.
"I like the view of the ocean from my room better to sleep and wake up to," Heero throws in. He quickly states, "That is, of course, if you don't mind moving the bulk of your things in there."
A smile spreads on my face as I reply, "Not a problem. You also have the king bed, so that'll work out better for us, too." My best friend smiles back and we silently check that little issue from the list of items that need to be addressed.
From there, we continue to discuss the finer details of our marriage and how we are going to make it something we are both comfortable with.
* * * * * *
You know, I'm actually more nervous getting ready for bed now than I was leading up to that dinner earlier. It's our first night- well that we're sober enough to actually experience- as a married couple. Even though the plan is to take things slow, I really have no idea just how this is going to work out,
Sure, Heero and I have shared the same bed before. But we always stayed on our own sides of the bed, never really getting any closer than to let the other sense that they weren't alone should the nightmares of the wars and our pasts creep in.
This is something entirely different.
Running a hand through my bangs, I step into Hee- no- our room. Already heading for the bed in his usual sleep gear of a gray tank top and white boxers, my husband pulls the covers back and looks almost as nervous as I feel when he looks back at me. I swallow past the constriction in my throat and head for my side of the mattress to slide under the comforter.
It only takes a second for Heero to follow my lead and take up his half, turning the lamp light off in the process. The large windows overlooking the ocean allow enough moonlight in that I can make him out perfectly and we just stare awkwardly at each other for a moment.
Then, slowly, 'Ro creeps closer towards the middle of the bed and I join him there. We make a few tries as to best to tangle up a bit before we settle on my turning my back to him while his arms wrap around my middle from behind. Nearly the moment we settle like that, it's like the air is breathable again as a weight is lifted.
I'm glad that he can't see the goofy grin on my face right now. This feeling that I have laying like this with him spooning me is pretty incredible. Like we belong like this.
Heero sighs quietly by my ear as he whispers, "Good night, Duo."
"'Night, 'Ro," I smile in just as quiet a reply. Soon, I can hear and feel his even breathing as a sign that he's drifted off. Closing my own eyes, I lay my arm over his and just take in the feeling for a moment before dreaming away.
Yea. I can definitely get used to this.
TBC...
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