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By Dark Sadistic Angel
Upload of an old story.
'Hi.'
Heero glanced up at Duo as the long hair took the high seat beside him.
Duo met his surprised look with a grin. 'Mind if I drink with you?' He raised a bottle of beer in his hand.
'Why are you here?' Heero blinked, then frowned. 'This isn't some cheap place.'
Duo's grin wavered, then broadened in an unnaturally wide smile.
'Well Heero, I'm on the same paycheck as you. I can afford a few luxuries here and then. Or am I bothering you?' he said tightly. 'In that case, maybe I should go?' he made a move to get off the stool.
'No. Don't.'
Duo paused.
'I apologise. I wasn't expecting anyone, but... please stay.'
Duo's eyebrow rose at both the apology and the request. The half peed expression disappeared from his face in favour of one filled with curiosity.
'You weren't expecting company? I'm surprised Heero, I didn't peg you for the type to visit bars on your own. I thought you didn't drink.'
'I don't.'
'Then what's that in your hand?'
Heero turned the neck of a small green bottle on the table to expose the label to Duo. He raised his glass to Duo.
'Mineral water. You're pathetic, Heero. You're at a classy hotel bar and you're only drinking expensive water. Shouldn't you be drinking a martini or at least something like that? Something a bit more James Bondish would be more appropriate, I think, given this place.' Duo waved his hands around, drawing deliberate attention to the exclusive environment they were in.
Heero shrugged.
'Just going through the motions,' he said softly.
He looked out at the window. The bar was located on the very top of the high rise hotel, and the area which he had chosen was the one next to the floor to ceiling window wall.
'Heero...?' there was a question in Duo's voice. The note was troubled.
Heero knew he was acting strange, but for some reason, tonight, he couldn't help himself. It was a Friday night again, and he was... tired.
'What do you mean by "just going through the motions"? Is there something wrong?'
'No. Nothing's wrong.' He paused. Then said abruptly, with a wistful note. 'I'm just trying to find out if something I heard once was true.
'What was it?'
Heero shrugged.
'This thing about going through the motions of life, hoping that you do, you'll find something worthwhile to live for.'
'...damn, that sounds depressing. Who said that to you? Must have been completely off his face or something to come out with that line. Some drunken fool in his cups?' Duo took a swing of his beer.
'It was you, actually.'
Heero watched in bemusement as Duo spluttered, then handed Duo a few paper napkins.
'And yes, you were quite drunk at the time.'
'I don't remember.'
'I'd be surprised if you did.'
'When was it?'
'Before the events later that same night. Last Friday,' he emphasised the last two words.
Duo's hand stilled in the midst of wiping the glass table.
'Ah.'
Heero returned his attention back to looking out the window. But he could see the reflection of Duo beside him clearly in the glass. Duo was staring hard at him. He could feel the burn of Duo's gaze.
'Heero... you're my best buddy. And my partner. We're good friends- aren't we?'
Heero finished off his drink. Pulling out his wallet, he laid a twenty on the table carefully.
'That, I don't know,' he said bluntly. 'But I'll go through the motions, if you want.'
Shock and startled pain filled Duo's expression.
'What?' Duo whispered. 'Heero, what the hell do you mean by that? Aren't we friends?'
Heero got off his seat.
Standing, he looked into Duo's bright, luminous violet eyes.
'It means that I'm hoping, even if you're not. And yes, I'm aware it's illogical.'
Heero turned and began walking towards the bar's exit.
The speed of the elevator that took him down the levels did not do him any favours in unknotting the tightness in his stomach. He was cursing himself for speaking. It wasn't often when his emotions got out of control, but when they did... Regret was the only thing that was left within him. He had been told once that he should follow his emotions, but he was not stupid as to not realise it did not necessary follow that he had to display them. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, so to speak. There were times when he was better off reigning in his emotions. But with Duo... he had completely no ability to do so from the very beginning. At first, it had irritated him, but later... he had learnt to appreciate it. It had been... comforting having somebody who could understand him, even if he didn't understand the somebody in question fully. Or actually, not much at all.
Or so he had thought until last week.
Then he had found out that he wanted to understand that special somebody.
But damningly... for the very first time, Duo had not understood his need.
The morning after had brought more enlightenment then the dawn sunrise.
He was halfway down the red carpeted hallway of the hotel lobby when running footsteps sounded after him. A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he was spun around. A flushed faced Duo greeted his narrowed eyes with a glare of his own.
'We're not friends? We're just going through the motions of being friends?'
'I'll go through the motions, if you go through the motions.'
'"Yes" or "no", Heero,' Duo growled.
'Then it would be a "no" now, wouldn't it?' Heero suddenly shouted, angry and frustrated. He had it with the tension between them. 'I like you, but not as a friend. If that wasn't apparent by us having sex!'
His voice carried over to the rich clientele within the first class hotel's lobby area. Several heads snapped to attention to ogle the going-on, but he didn't care.
'Well. Then that's good. I don't like you that way either. Now let's fuck off with the pretence.'
Duo kissed him.
The kiss was unexpected but... it wasn't unwelcome.
As they broke apart for air, there was a thick, questioning silence in the lobby.
But Heero found the answer to it in Duo's eyes.
Fin.
DSA