Twenty-Seven Months

"You've been talking for an hour Murrue. And I still don't know what you're talking about." Rin said lazily, swinging her feet idly as she lay sprawled out lazily on the black leather couch, gazing up at the ceiling. The brunette had stormed into her apartment almost an hour ago, raving and ranting and the blond girl had sat patiently through the entire tirade, really not paying any attention at all.

Murrue groaned several low expletives, throwing herself down hard into the little cream coloured chair Rin seemed to favour most days. She watched Rin lie there with closed eyes, her bare feet hanging off the armrest, face passive. She looked around the small apartment with a quiet sigh, trying to find something to focus on to calm herself down.

Her apartment was a cosy, medium sized two room, with two doors on the far side, opposite the front door. The atmosphere was cosy enough, one could get lost examining the swirling wavy pattern of the aqua and blue colours of the wall. The floor was a surprising red colour, hidden only by a small black rug in the living room part of her apartment.

Finally, Rin rolled onto her side, examining Murrue with close scrutiny. Finally she pushed herself elegantly into a sitting position, and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Okay... Now you gotta remember something sweetie, things happen. That's karma. And as far as I'm concerned, you asked him to live with you, it's your fault if there's tension."

"I can't do it!" Murrue burst out, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "It's driving me insane! I'm falling in love with him all over again!"

"You know technically..." Rin mused, examining her perfect fingernails with no interest, "If you were never 'out of love' to begin with, you can't fall in love 'all over again'."

Murrue sat up, crossed her arms and glared at Rin. She growled dangerously, "Why do I even bother telling you about these things?"

"For three reasons actually." Rin said cheerfully, crossing her legs and holding her knees tighter. She leaned back into the couch, her grin spreading across her angelic face. "First, he's my brother, second both of us love him, and third, you're in sore, sore, need of a girlfriend."

"I hate you." Murrue grumbled under her breath, but she knew as well as Rin did that she was lying. Rubbing her temples idly she looked down at her lap and murmured, "It's been almost three months now... And I'm going crazy."

"Tension?"

"Oh my god is there ever." Murrue groaned loudly, bowing her head into her hands, shaking it the entire time. "If we brush hands, there's always that sudden spark. When we trade glances it's like I never want to look away. I've been having these insane dreams, I can't sleep properly anymore, and I swear I spend most of my free time checking him out!"

Rin giggled girlishly, unable to really help herself at the last remark. "You're checking my brother out? Heheh, wow girl, you really need to get yourself laid soon." Murrue stared at her in reproach with wide eyes and open mouth, which only caused Rin to burst out laughing crazily again. "I'm sorry Murrue, but I'm amazed how you've gone so long without action!"

"And let me guess, you ended up going to the bar last Sunday and got yourself in bed with the bartender?" Murrue asked sarcastically, and Rin merely shrugged, her smile fixed in place. "Rin, I'm not as free-spirited as you are, or as... Vicarious to pick a word, in my sex life as you are either."

"Who said I was crazy in my sex life?" Rin asked with raised eyebrows, trying her best to look offended but it didn't work out so well. "Oh fine, so I take my risks and I like to have fun while I can, but it doesn't mean I'm not careful when I'm being a little reckless." She frowned at herself and then grumbled, "You know what I meant... Anyway, just to let you know, I did not sleep with the bartender last Sunday."

"Who did you sleep with?" Murrue teased, cocking both eyebrows when Rin stubbornly looked away, sticking out her tongue to reply. "Oh c'mon, you've been sneaking off from work and showing up late, you've been with somebody lately. I wanna know who."

"Never you mind, it's none of your business." Rin answered awkwardly, and she cursed herself when she felt the blush beginning to sear her face.

"Ooh, you're blushing. Who is it?"

"Never mind!"

"Oh c'mon, tell me."

"No!"

"Please?"

"I said no!"

"C'mon Rin!"

"Dammit!" Rin exploded, bolting to her feet and facing the large windows that decorated the left side of her apartment, which faced the streets below. Crossing her arms and blushing something fierce she grumbled under her breath, "Erica's brother-in-law. I'm dating Erica's brother-in-law."

Murrue's eyes widened in amazement, having not expected that at all. "You're dating Jason? The tall quiet one?"

"Yeah." Rin grumbled in embarrassment, blushing to her ears as she thought of her normally soft-spoken boyfriend. Her secret boyfriend. "We've been going out since he visited two months ago... It's been very 'under-wraps' if you get my meaning. Erica doesn't know, and I'd prefer it's kept that way."

"Erica would kill you." Murrue remarked with an awed exhalation. "Wow... Erica's brother-in-law. I can't believe it."

"Shut up."

"Ah, Commander how are you doing?"

Mu turned at the call of his 'title', and wasn't the least bit surprised to see the kid had been the one who called. "Hey kid." He waved his hand, inviting him to join him on the porch. The brunette boy wandered over with a polite smile, and at another invitation, sat down beside him.

"How have you been?"

"Alright, can't really complain." Mu replied with a little chuckle, gesturing to the small home he was currently living in. "I've got a roof over my head, a nice enough roommate, and food in my stomach, I'm doing fine."

"That's good to hear." The kid said with a wise nod, watching Mu with keen eyes. "You've been looking happier since you've moved in with Miss Murrue, it's been good for both of you."

"She's a kind woman..." Mu remarked truthfully, smiling when he thought of the brunette playing with her son or laughing at one of his jokes. "And she's got one cute kid..."

"Yes, Bryan is quite adorable." The kid agreed with another nod, smiling at the thought. There were many many times Bryan had spent hours at the cottage with him, Lacus and the other orphans, he was family as far as he was concerned. "He's a very advanced boy."

"He is, it's pretty cute." Mu chuckled, remembering how he just loved to talk and run, showing off his skills proudly. He knew for a fact that Murrue was very proud of her son, the way she'd smile at him was enough proof. He also knew her love for him was limitless, she was fiercely protective, a wonderful mother. "He's got one hell of a mom..."

"Yeah, Miss Murrue is fiercely loving." The kid smiled a little, very sure of the fact, eyes softening a little with affection as he looked out at the beach. There was a nice comfortable silence, and then he asked gently, "Are you content here?"

"I haven't remembered anything new... Sometimes I get flashes in my dreams, or when I'm around certain people for so long..." Mu mused quietly, eyes narrowing and becoming serious as he thought hard. "It's more feeling than actual tangible proof... It's really just familiarity."

"It's better than being back at Alaska surrounded by nothing but strangeness." He pointed out, earning a wry chuckle and an agreeing nod. "After all, you can be more happy here, surrounded by friends."

"Yeah." Mu agreed again, watching the kid smile weakly, his gaze still on the waves. He had noticed several things about the kid in the short time he had known him. He was wise beyond his years, an old man in a child's body. He was quiet and serious, though he was always polite and kind to the people close to him. "I can tell without really knowing that I knew you, before I lost my memory, you were a friend of mine... I can sense that with other people I've met here..."

"Like with Miss Murrue?" He asked casually, though Mu could hear the almost silent note of intrigue in his voice.

Mu chuckled quietly, almost bitterly, not really sure how to answer that properly. He didn't know how to phrase things when it came to her, it became rather difficult sometimes. Putting his emotions into words was a bit of a challenge, especially when it involved her. Finally he sighed, ran his hand through his hair and said weakly, "I'm not sure. With her... It's different." He sighed again, and put his trust in the boy, saying quietly, "I think... I think I'm very sure that I love her. But... I'm very sure it's one-sided."

Kira blinked, taken aback by the added comment. He was perfectly fine with the first part of the blond man's explanation, it was the second part that confused him. 'Is he really that dense?' Keeping his voice calm and casual he asked, "Why do you think it's one-sided? Miss Murrue let you live with her without hesitation, she gave you a home without being asked to help. How does that give you the impression she doesn't care for you?"

Mu looked sheepish, knowing he had phrased his worries wrong and confused the boy. He quickly explained awkwardly, "I know she cares about me, I mean that's obvious enough, I just don't think it's in that way. And she said it herself, we were friends. She never hinted at anything more." He sighed weakly, feeling that familiar ache in his chest when he thought about her. "And she has a kid."

Kira sighed, looking back at the waves as he fell into silence. 'I promised Murrue I'd keep her secret. I can't go back on my word, she trusts me. But Mu is my friend too... I'm not sure what to say...' Finally he asked quietly, forcing himself to keep any serious emotion out of his voice, "Are you worried she's still in love with Bryan's father?"

"I have a lot of trouble thinking she isn't." Mu replied stonily, thinking about how she barely touched the subject the first time he inquired about it. "She rarely talks about him, and when she does, she always looks so pained. He's never showed up from what I've heard from her, never done anything for his own son, but still, the way she reacts when somebody mentions him... I just don't know how well I can compete with the father of the most important thing in her life. If I can at all."

"Maybe it's not that she's in love with him... But that he's just a painful memory?" Kira suggested hesitantly, wondering if Murrue would hit him over the head if she heard him saying this. "She might not want to talk about him because of that."

"I guess that could be a reason... It always looked like a tender subject, I never brought it up for her sake..." Mu muttered quietly, thinking deeply about things. She kept things between them friendly and casual, though there were those few moments that things had gotten very tense between them... 'That time when she scraped her knee... Outside on the porch... It felt like there could be more... But what if it was nothing but that? A feeling?'

"It proves that what you feel for her is genuine." Kira said wisely, smiling a little as if he could read the older man's thoughts. His gaze never left the ocean when he continued quietly, "Worrying and obsessing over the 'what ifs' won't do anything but intensify the problem. As far as I can see, you really only have two options. You can drop it, and try to forget how you feel about her, which may only end up hurting you both in the long run, or you can try to tell her how you feel... From how well I know Miss Murrue, which I'd like to think is fairly well, she'd want to know the truth. But in the end... It's up to you."

Mu sighed wearily, looking over at the kid, who was still looking away, gaze focussed on something he couldn't see. After a long moment of deliberation he muttered, "I want to tell her, I just don't know how. I don't think I'm ready to risk my friendship with her just yet..."

"Do you like Bryan Mu?"

Mu blinked, completely caught off guard by the sudden change of tact. "Wha?" He blinked several times, trying to catch up with the boy's sudden change. "What does this have to do with-"

"Just answer the question."

"I love the kid!" Mu burst out in alarm, the truth coming out so forcefully he was fairly alarmed at himself. "How couldn't I? As far as I care, he could be my own son with how much I like him."

Kira grinned, the first real one Mu had seen since meeting him. He said cheerfully, voice crackling with amusement and actual friendly banter, "You love Miss Murrue. And you love her son. You're set. Miss Murrue can probably see that you love Bryan, and I know he's just as attached to you as you are to him. That's already one step closer to her affection. And if you honestly love her too, there's no way she won't see that. All you need to do is get it in the open. Would you regret turning down her offer now? With all you've lived through in the past three months? If you could go back, would you change your decision?"

"To hell I wouldn't." Mu snapped fiercely, wondering just where the hell this was all coming from. "I love being with her. And I want to keep being with her, regardless."

The kid grinned again, even more broadly this time. He said pleasantly, getting to his feet and looking quite proud of himself, "Well then, there's your answer. I'll see you later Mu." Chuckling to himself he walked back down the beach, soon fading from view.

Mu watched the kid's back until he was too far from view, and he scowled at the dirt at his feet, grumbling, "That damn kid just made me admit out loud what I've been trying to deny for three months. The damn kid."

Murrue arrived home a little while later, Bryan running into the house ahead of her, laughing fit to burst. The moment the door was shut she was wrapped up tight in a bear hug, and felt a pair of lips press themselves to her cheek. All she could manage in her position was a rather breathless squeak. She felt rather than heard his deep chuckle, and squeaked softly, "Someone's happy to see me."

Mu pulled away and released her, azure eyes brimming with amusement, "Always am." He kissed the tip of her nose, ruffled her hair playfully and then pounced on Bryan. The little boy squealed in delight as Mu picked him up, tossed him into the air and caught him again, tickling his sides mercilessly.

Murrue placed one hand on the top of her racing heart, the other pressed against her cheek where he had kissed her. She stood there rather in a daze, only able to watch the two boys play. After a few very long moments she began to try to put herself back together.

She heard her son's voice cry out delightedly "Daddy!" and froze, eyes widening in shock. The entire house seemed to have frozen, and she stared in surprise at Mu, who was staring back at her with an equally surprised expression. After a few long tense moments she forced herself to smile very weakly and nodded, tearing her gaze away.

Mu coughed softly, not sure what to make of the new trouble. Hoisting Bryan onto his lap he said quietly into the boy's hair, "You shouldn't call me that Bryan... You don't want to upset your mom."

"Mommy doesn't look angry." Bryan replied in that curious voice he had when he was puzzled, peeking over to see his mother in the kitchen. He looked at Mu, taking in the serious expression for a very long time before he said meekly, "Won't say it again."

The next few hours passed with relative tension, the two not able to really speak until the little boy had been put to bed. Finally when they both were at the sink doing the dishes, Mu apologized quietly to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to say that..."

"I'm not very surprised." Murrue told him softly, placing the last plate in the next sink for him to dry. She wrung out the dishtowel and hung it over the faucet, drying her hands on the front of the apron she'd been wearing. "You two have gotten very close over the past while... Of course he'd start to see you as his father."

Mu dried off the plate with incredible slowness, digesting that. He put it away before he looked over at her again, noticing she was avoiding his gaze. "It made you uncomfortable though."

"Not really, it was just a little bit of a jolt to hear him say it." Murrue replied softly, looking at the floor as she tried to undo the ties behind her back, her shivering fingers really not doing the job.

"Why aren't you looking me in the eye then?"

Murrue blinked, before she immediately looked up at him, meeting his serious gaze. She blushed and quickly looked down again.

Mu took a few steps closer, taking her hands in his though she still refused to look up at him. "Look... I really am sorry I made you so uncomfortable. I don't want to do that to you, really I don't. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry, you don't have anything to apologize for." Murrue snapped fiercely, frustration getting the best of her as she met his eyes again. "Dammit, if anything I'm actually very happy Bryan's so attached to you!" She blushed fiercely and looked down at the ground, shyness getting the best of her as she mumbled awkwardly, "I'm getting attached to you too."

"Murrue..."

Murrue looked up nervously, blushing fiercely when she recognized that soft light in his eyes. He released her hands, reaching up to gently skin his fingertips over her cheek. Very slowly he leaned in, and she closed her eyes when his lips brushed gently against hers.

Heat literally exploded from where her body melted against his, and self control flew out the window as she clung to him as the kiss steadily grew more passionate. Somehow during the heated exchange she had ended up becoming pinned against the counter, her hands gripping the front of his shirt as his were resting on her hips.

"Is Bryan asleep?" Mu asked huskily between another kiss, breathing coming in short bursts as she eagerly pushed forwards for another kiss.

"Yes." Murrue nearly groaned, her thin arms thrown around his shoulders to pull him closer to her, closing her eyes as he bent forwards to kiss her again. His hands moved to the small of her back, pushing her willing body closer to his, the friction slowly driving her insane.

Finally they broke apart, Mu resting his forehead on her shoulder as her laboured breathing echoed in his ear. Her hands had found their way into his hair, causing it to look quite messier than before, his arms were still wound tightly around her middle. He heard her whisper a very dazed "Wow" into his ear and he chuckled weakly despite himself. He jokes hoarsely, "I have that affect on people."

"You have that affect on me." Murrue corrected him faintly, knees trembling still from the force of the kiss. In fact her entire body was shivering somewhat madly, heart running rampant in her chest, hammering so loudly she was sure he could hear it. He chuckled again, nuzzling gently into her neck.

"Are we okay now?"

"We're definitely okay."

Somehow slowly they untangled themselves, but Mu had the last laugh as he brushed his lips gently against hers one last time. "Goodnight." He whispered quietly, earning a soft reply from her before they parted ways. He made his way to his room, shrugged out of his shirt and collapsed on the bed with a loud sigh. 'Thank you.'

It took awhile, his mind buzzing with the fresh memory of the kiss. But somehow his body relaxed and sleep took him.

"Hello lover." She murmured quietly, brushing back her hair as she stood scantily clad on the beach, the moonlight giving her a rather ethereal glow. She laughed quietly at his awed expression, winding a lock of hair around her fingers, the basically transparent gown she was wearing giving him the view he'd always wanted.

"Wow." He whispered back, eyes widened as she walked towards him, slowly, smiling seductively all the while. The sand of the beach was a basic white, shining luminously in the full moonlight. And then she was there, in his arms, her mouth on his, hot and demanding.

They fell back into the sand together, Mu was quick to help her discard her gown, mouth trailing a hot path down her creamy pale skin. He rasped against her neck, clutching her svelte form to his, "God you're beautiful Murrue..."

"I love you." She moaned into his ear, thin fingers combing through his hair as his lips continued to move slowly down her front as her clothing was swiftly removed beforehand. "Mu."

Moving his hands slowly down her now bare sides, he continued to kiss every inch of her skin he could reach. He whispered her name huskily, refusing to let her go. "Murrue... Dammit..."

"Oh..." She sighed pleasurably, throwing her head back against the yielding sand as his mouth only continued to search lower down her body. "Yes... Mu..."

"Ugn." Mu woke up groaning, blinking away the daze the dream had left him in. Shaking the static out of his ears he sat up and ran his hands idly over his face. Groaning loudly again he flopped back onto the bed. "Dammit. Why couldn't I just stay asleep?"

AN

XD You can blame three things for this chapter. First, my medication. Second, way too much time on my hands. And third, two certain woman who have really rubbed off on me XD Though really, what better way to celebrate than with hawt tension and a naughty dream? Besides it was Mu's turn anyway XD Rofl, yay!

Sky