Author: CONTACTcon- 589113507 Sparkle Itamashii
Title: Stay with Me
Warnings: Respect the rating. SEE PROFILE FOR DETAILS.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.
Chapter One
Think of the most boring thing you could possibly do on a Friday night. Something along the lines of filing papers, staring blankly at the ceiling, or quite possibly being treated to the thrill of watching paint dry, right? That's how Quatre always believes my Fridays should go. Of course it is my duty to obliterate this vein of thought and drag his sorry ass to someplace fun.
You would think it would get easier after a while. You might think he would understand after the first fourteen times that he's going to lose the argument and end up at Oz with me anyhow. Somewhere between one Friday and the next, though, the reality of the situation seems to escape him.
"Come ooooooon." I whined from where I lay on the floor. Examining the back of Quatre's head from this vantage point, while interesting, was not dancing, singing, or drinking of any sort and was therefore less exciting than just about anything else I could have been doing. "You know you're going to end up there so why not just go willingly for once? You need a break, Q, face it. How long have you been staring at those sheets?"
"Duo, will you please be quiet?" He said distractedly, shuffling a few papers to the side and leaning closer to the desk.
Of course I didn't listen. "You know what really confuses me?"
"Big words?" He replied drolly.
Ignoring him, I continued. "You know I come here every Friday at the same time for the same thing and every week you tell me you're not going but every week you let me in anyhow and we end up going. Why can't we just skip this in-between part?"
Turning in his seat he gave me an exasperated sigh. "I'm really busy this week." He stressed, twirling a pen on his fingers. "I have all of this stuff to get done…"
He trailed off as I fixed him with a "you-know-better" look and waited. We sat staring for nearly a full minute before he groaned and turned back to his work. It was another minute of complete silence before his head hit the table with a muffled clunk. I grinned broadly, already knowing I had won.
"Fine, but I'm not staying more than an hour or two and then you're helping me with this." He motioned to all the paperwork strewn over his desk as he stood.
"Deal!" I piped cheerfully, rolling and hopping to my feet. I tossed him his jacket, noticing with surprise that for once he was actually dressed decently enough to go without having to change. I think my dear friend already expected to end up at Oz.
When we got there it was absolutely packed. Quatre, in typical Quatre fashion, grabbed a table near the edge of the dance floor and watched me somewhat moodily as I waded through the veritable sea of people. It always took him a little while to warm up to the atmosphere of the night club. By now I knew better than to try and convince him to dance before he had gotten some sort of drink. He'd loosen up on his own time and not a second sooner.
Then we could really have some fun.
Sure, it was the same thing every week but it was the thrill of the chase, you know? I spent the first half hour or so scoping out the floor, separating the regulars from the newbies. By now the people who came here every Friday knew better than to fall for my ploy but there was always plenty of fresh meat. Most of the time they never really knew what hit them.
It was my job to single out our prey and separate them from the throng of weaving bodies. By the time I'd marked someone as the eve's target Quatre would be ready to dance and everyone else kept careful distance from us so as not to be included in any way. People thought they were being discreet when they watched our antics, but I knew most of them were wildly amused. It usually didn't take us very long to corner someone for me to take home.
Don't get me wrong, okay? A little fun never hurt me. Maybe it's hurt someone else but I'm generally very careful about with whom I leave Oz. Quatre calls it sheer dumb luck that I haven't caught something and died yet but I think it's something else. I'm not entirely sure what, really. It almost feels like death doesn't really want to lay claim to me or something. It's an odd feeling that I don't really expect you to understand.
Truth was that I was searching for something. I know, I know, how very cliché, right? There I was, going to the same night club for the last two and a half years searching for a soul mate or some bullshit like that. Yeah, a part of me had just accepted that I was not going to find it but… I couldn't just give up without a damn hard fight. Something in me refused to quit without finding what it came for.
Quatre, well… he wasn't really looking for anything. In his case it was the moral support that counted, him being there every week to aid my noble (okay maybe not so noble) quest. Well, that and his incredible dancing ability…
I admit that's why I first approached him. For once in my life I was minding my own business on the edge of the floor. They were playing something really sexy that I had never heard before and I was taking a break to cool down a bit. Sadly it was a bit of a dull night being that it was Thursday instead of Friday so I didn't expect that I would be doing anything other than dancing alone for the evening. Then out of nowhere this gorgeous little blonde takes a seat at my table, grinning from ear to ear.
Needless to say I was taken completely off guard.
"I need a dancing partner," he informed me breathlessly, those gorgeous eyes just sparkling with mischief as he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to my feet, "and you're the sexiest person here so you're it."
From what I could tell he was just plastered but could I really argue with logic like that, inebriated source or not?
So we danced.
All night.
I am proud to say that I have never met a more intoxicating dance partner in my life. Moving with him was like a drug- the more I did it the more I felt I needed to do it.
That night was absolutely surreal in its own right. I just barely managed to convince Quatre to give me his name and phone number before he disappeared. Of course I went back to my loft and looked him up as soon as I walked in the door. As it turned out he lived just down the street, within easy walking distance. Unfortunately he'd had so much to drink the night before that he didn't remember who I was. It took a bit of coaxing a return (sober) visit to Oz to remind him properly. After that we hit it off and became friends.
I'd really like to know how often since then he's regretted that chain of events, considering how many nights like tonight I had hauled his ass over here to dance and relax.
I don't know what it was that influenced that night in particular. Maybe it was fate or destiny, something not of this world. Maybe it was God himself. Maybe it was just my deathly good luck acting up again. I don't know and I honestly don't care but whatever it was I thank profusely.
I had just gotten to dancing next to this saucy little red-head who kept getting a mite too close when I decided it would be a good time to check on Quatre. I beat a hasty retreat, slipping unseen through the crowd back to his table. As per usual he had a glass of soda in front of him and was watching the floor with a raised eyebrow and a predatory smile I couldn't help but return. You would never expect such a passive little office-dwelling boy to have a wild side like his.
Disappointed that I had been so involved in moving that I hadn't even begun to look for someone, I slid into the seat across from him and folded my arms on the tabletop. He pulled his gaze away from the group and settled it upon me with an amused smile.
"Didn't see anything you liked?" He called over the roar of the music.
I shook my head. "Saw plenty but… I dunno." I shouted back, nicking his soda and taking a sip.
"You're not giving up already, are you?" He pulled the sweating, slippery glass out of my hands and back to himself. "And get your own, mooch!"
I grinned, sticking my tongue out as I got up again. Quatre had a thing about people drinking out of his beverages. A thing, I might add, that I never heeded. "Fine!" Twirling around, I headed for the bar while trying to decide what to bring back with me.
Treize was a pretty cool bartender all in all, but he really hated letting anyone underage purchase alcohol. It wasn't like he wouldn't sell it to me, but he didn't like it and I would have to put up with a lecture if I made an attempt. Lectures weren't really my thing so I would save the real drinking for when Mills was on duty.
Carefully I clambered onto one of the tall barstools and folded my arms on the bar this time, staring a little bit down to my left to see if I could spot Treize. It was a rather long strip of bar and he tended to wander back and forth tending to anyone who didn't have a full drink in their hands. Unable to spot him I turned to my right, hoping he had not disappeared to the bathroom. Unfortunately there was nothing- no bartender.
That's when I saw Him.
Not even five seats away from me sat the most beautiful creature to ever grace God's green Earth.
He was just sitting there, lean form slightly hunched over the bar, supporting himself on his left forearm. His right elbow rested lightly on the bar, hand in the air just a tiny bit as he swirled whatever he was drinking around in the scotch glass he held. His bangs hung in his eyes, brushing what looked to be some long, beautiful eyelashes. I think what got me most though was his eyes.
I wish I could say that I could tell what color they were but there was not nearly enough light for that. All I knew was that they were big, dark eyes. I studied the slightly almond shape to them and decided he definitely had some Japanese blood in him. He looked confused and a little hurt as he sat, staring off into space, gaze unfocused and blurred.
It was all I could do to not get up, walk over, and calmly drag him into the alley.
Luckily Treize showed up right about then. As quickly as I could I ordered a soda of some sort and dashed back to Quatre's table before I did anything I would regret later.
Now normally I am a pretty collected kind of guy. I'm pretty, I know it, and I'm really not afraid to use that to my advantage. Beauty does not intimidate me in the least. I mean come on- Quatre's my best friend and he's got to be the most gorgeous guy in the joint. It just doesn't phase me.
But this was different.
This wasn't just some really hot guy sitting at the bar. There was something else, some other added bit of equation every part of me but my conscious mind had perceived. He wasn't like the other broody, usually silent people who spent hours at the edge of the bar moping about how awful their lives were. Something bad had happened to that boy. Something really bad and without even knowing him I found myself needing to know what. I wanted to correct it, whatever it was.
"What happened?" Quatre asked worriedly as soon as I took my seat. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"
Right then I felt like he had just hit the nail on the head. "You know how I come here every week?" I asked, feeling a little random as I ignored his concern.
"Yeah, unfortunately!" He joked, taking a sip of his soda.
"You know how I say I'm looking for something I don't think I will find?"
"Yeah…" He sounded so much less certain, even confused.
"Okay." I said distractedly, settling back in my chair as I tried desperately to keep from looking back over to the bar. I was not going to let this affect me in the way it wanted.
"That's it?" Quatre asked incredulously after a rather awkward silence.
I snapped back to reality only to realize that my conscious brain seemed to have far, far less control than I initially thought. My eyes were riveted on the back of the stranger I had seen only moments ago. Angrily tearing my gaze away from him I slammed my cup irritably on the table and stood.
"I'm going dancing, are you coming?" I demanded, glaring hard at the mob of dancers despite that they had done nothing wrong.
"Um, sure." He replied uncertainly, following my lead and getting to his feet.
I disappeared into the crowd, hoping he would be able to find me quick enough. People usually cleared a good foot or two around me when I started dancing, so they could watch. I truly loved that effect because it soothed me to think that I was in control and control was something I always needed.
Of course it really didn't help that less than five minutes later I found myself dancing at the edge of the throng, not even ten feet away from my lovely little newfound beauty. Apparently I was not going to get away with ignoring this fellow, much less trying to stay away from him. With a helpless groan I gave into the powers that be and sidled over, hopping onto the barstool next to him while attempting to look as though I were searching for a bartender. Again.
As Treize began to walk over to us I gave the bartender the slightest shake of my head. His smile was somewhere between knowing and disapproving but he stopped in his tracks and placed his attention on a different customer. One obstacle down, one to go. I turned and smiled to this boy, ready to rattle off a smooth line or two… only to find that my tongue was stuck somewhere in my throat.
He was staring right at me.
I was frozen to my spot, mouth open as though I were going to speak but I choked on whatever it was I had been about to say.
"Go. Away." He ground out, setting his glass on the bar as he glared at me. Reality came crashing back when he spoke. His voice was deep and gravelly with the barest hint of what sounded like a cold. It sent goose-bumps racing down my spine as my breath caught.
I stuttered for only a second before recovering. "Can't." I said simply, remaining where I was more because I was not confident in my walking abilities than because I really wanted to stay. "I need a drink."
"You can get another drink while being away from me." He responded coldly, dark blue eyes never leaving mine.
So he had seen me get my soda earlier. "I could." I mused, giving him a cheeky grin. "But the company right here is infinitely better. What are you drinking?"
"None of your business." He snapped, turning away from me to glare down at his hands, which were wrapped tightly around the scotch glass.
"Geeze, okay. Sorry for asking about such an obviously touchy subject as what's in your glass." I returned, giving him a quick once over before I slithered down from my barstool.
As much as I wanted to know more about him (even a name would have been nice) I got the distinct feeling that if I pushed him too far he would snap. I wasn't up to handling that right then so I dropped it. After watching him silently from where I stood for a few minutes, I shook my head and took a step away before pausing.
"By the way. My name's Duo. Duo Maxwell. Look me up if you ever pull that stick out of yer ass and want to talk about something." With that, I disappeared into the crowd once more.
When I finally found Quatre I was forced to drag him off the dance floor, something that, when in my right mind, I would never have done. He belonged out there more than anyone else I knew, but this was an emergency. Quite honestly the number of times I had been turned down in my life could fit on one hand. This wasn't an ordinary situation. Whoever that boy turned out to be I knew I had to have him no matter what.
The oddest thing was that I couldn't tell you why.
Quatre shook my hand off of his arm and gave me a confused look. I had never taken him off the dance floor before he was ready to go. "What are you doing?"
"Sit!" I told him, climbing into one of the seats at the table we had just recently vacated. He followed suit, albeit confusedly.
"What's gotten into you, Duo? You're acting totally whacked!" He brushed his bangs out of his eyes and gave me a concerned look.
"You think I don't know that? Do me a favor." I shifted, turning around in my seat so we could have a clear view of the bar. "There's a guy over there. Shaggy brown hair, gorgeous dark eyes, a little bit Asian." I explained while searching the area I had last seen him.
"In the suit?" He asked, perplexed.
"No!" I cried, scanning the crowd now. He was nowhere in view. Where could he have possibly gone so quickly? I couldn't have been looking for Quatre for more than a few minutes- the boy was not exactly hard to find because everyone around him slowed to watch. "He was just there!"
Quatre picked up my glass of soda and examined it before giving me a skeptical look. "You haven't been drinking, have you?"
"No! I'm serious, Quatre. He was just sitting there, wearing a black leather jacket, had on blue jeans, was holding a scotch or something… Come on! Please tell me you at least caught a glance earlier."
"Which seat?" He asked, eyes straying back to the bar.
"That one, almost dead center." I replied, running my gaze up and down the bar once more as if it would make him return. There was not even a leftover glass where he had been. No proof that anyone had been there at all.
"Duo…" Quatre started, sounding worried. "You know no one sits in the center. There hasn't been anyone there all night."
"But I… but…" I trailed off, staring at the vacant seat. Quatre didn't move, simply sitting across from me as if waiting to see what I was going to do.
I had defiantly seen someone there- and not just anyone. The most gorgeous, moody sort of guy I've ever seen or had the pleasure of meeting. We had held a conversation and he had very much chased me away after only a few attempts. Someone like that did not just vanish into thin air, despite how it seemed at the moment. However, it wouldn't do to continue to seem insane in front of my friend so I only gave a tired sigh and shook my head in dismissal.
"Maybe you're right. I didn't get much sleep last night." I reasoned. I never got much sleep so I knew very well it wasn't an excuse. "Maybe I'm just tired, right?"
"I think we should call it a night. We've already been here a few hours and it looks like it's only going to get less crowded. Can you drive?" He asked as he grabbed the keys.
"Yeah, I'm good for it. I'm not that tired yet."
I caught the keys when he tossed them to me then picked up my windbreaker, swirling it behind me to don it. Taking one last drink from my glass, I headed for the exit after Quatre. I just wanted to get home and sleep until I didn't feel crazy anymore. Resting my hand on the doorframe as I passed, I hesitated, the skin on the back of my neck prickling.
Someone was watching me.
Ever so slowly I turned to look back over the dance floor. Standing toward the edge of the crowd was that same guy- hands were by his sides, thick dark hair hanging just barely in his face, and a dark, hurt expression in his eyes. I stared wordlessly back at him, unmoving. People swayed and drifted behind him but he remained immobile, watching me.
He was… beautiful.
As much as I wanted to say or do something everything that came to mind seemed totally inappropriate. I could hardly even breathe because I was afraid it would scare him off again. I would have stood there locked in wonder and fear for hours if I had not been interrupted.
"Move along, kid, you're blocking the door." Huffed one of the bouncers at the entrance. Tearing my gaze away from the boy I gave the bouncer an offended, "shut the hell up" look.
When I looked back into the club He was gone.
"Come on already!" Quatre called from the parking lot, giving me an exasperated look as he waved me over his way.
I turned my back to the club, joints jarring as I dropped down the few steps to the ground and walked toward the car. I wanted to know who He was but tonight was not the night. I wasn't giving up, though. Whatever it took, whatever I had to do, I knew I would do it to find Him again.
No one escaped Duo Maxwell for long.
Notes:
For those of you newly joining me to read my stories, Welcome and I hope you are enjoying yourselves. For those of you who keep up with my writing (and maybe are wondering what happened to Storm…) I'm sorry for the lack of updating, I've been working on eight million things and trying to yanno… still have a "life." I hear it's healthy or something… Expect a rash of updates soon.
Thank you to all who left a review previously.
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