Fred woke up about an hour after he had fallen asleep, without realizing he had fallen asleep. He blinked, looking up at Gene. He then immediately sat up, blushing a bit once he saw that he had fallen asleep on Gene.
Gene looked over at Fred then, and gave a small smile. "You're awake I see, I didn't want to bother you so I just let you sleep", Gene stated. Fred nodded, then turned to look up at Gene.
"How long was I asleep?", he asked, watching Gene as he waited for a response from the other male. Gene looked up at the sky for a moment, as if making an estimate based on how the sky looked.
"I'd say close to an hour, but don't worry, the city lights are still on. I was about to fall asleep as well, but that would ruin the moment, wouldn't you say?", Gene replied, looking over at Fred then, giving a small chuckle. Fred caught the little joke and chuckled as well.
Fred then stood up, reaching his hand out to Gene to help him up. "We should get back to our associates, so that they don't worry about where we've been", he said. Gene took Fred's hand slowly, and Fred helped him to his feet.
Gene brushed himself off, as did Fred, and then they started walking away from the park. "Besides you falling asleep, I'd say this was quite a nice get together", Gene joked. Fred playfully hit Gene in the arm, causing Gene to laugh.
Fred gave Gene a mild glare, then smiled again. "I promise I won't fall asleep on you at the party tomorrow, it's just the business catching up with me", Fred said after a few minutes. Gene gave a slight shrug as if saying "Happens to us all". They continued to walk onwards in silence, with Fred leading Gene back to where he was staying.
They arrived at that place after a half hour walk, and Gene realized it was about 10 minutes from where he and the others were staying. He looked up at the hotel, and his eyelids lowered at how fancy it looked. Figures, he always has to show off, Gene thought to himself. Fred turned to face Gene then, and took Gene's hands in his gently.
"I look forward to seeing you at the party tomorrow. Oh, before I forget, you're going to have to dress kind of formally. You know the people I associate with, always judging others based on looks. I'm sorry Gene", Fred said, looking apologetic. Gene just smiled, and let go of one of Fred's hands, only to place that hand on Fred's cheek.
"I know, I'm not stupid you know. I'll see you tomorrow then, so be looking out for me", Gene replied, smiling gently. Fred placed his hand on Gene's, and smiled warmly. He then let go of Gene's other hand and hugged him tightly.
"I'll miss you, so don't be too late. Otherwise I might die of boredom by the time you get to the party", Fred commented. Gene glanced down at Fred for a moment, then returned the hug.
It still feels weird to be hugging a man so casually, but it IS Fred after all, so I guess I can make an exception, Gene thought to himself. He then blushed as Fred placed his forehead against Gene's, looking straight into his eyes. Gene could make out every detail of Fred's midnight blue eyes, ones that matched his own almost.
"I enjoyed our date Gene, and I hope we can go out more often in the future. Thank you for your time, and I will see you tomorrow", Fred said, before moving his head back a bit, tilting it, and placing a kiss on Gene's scarred cheek. Gene gasped a bit and blushed more, which caused Fred to giggle and quickly walk, or prance more than likely, away from Gene.
Fred stood in front of the hotel door, and turned and waved to Gene, giving him a wink and blew a kiss to him before wandering inside. Gene just stood with a hand over his cheek, and didn't move for a moment. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't go to that party. I'm even more nervous now that THAT happened, he thought, growling slightly and walking away. "Always with the teasing. I hate it, I hate it a lot", Gene mumbled to himself on the way back to the hotel he was staying at.
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Jim set down the magazine he was reading once he saw Gene walk into the room. "Well, what a surprise. Didn't think I'd see you back tonight Gene, did you have fun with Fred? Was he gentle with you?", Jim teased, putting emphasis where it was needed while snickering a bit. Gene caught what he meant and hit Jim on the back of the head.
"It wasn't like that! We went to a park, that's all", Gene replied, sitting down in a chair. Jim rubbed the back of his head, muttering curses and whatnot before looking up at Gene.
"I'm still suspicious of you, you're never defensive when it comes to Fred", Jim added on, giving Gene a hard stare. This caught Gene off guard, and he thought about it for a moment.
Am I really being THAT defensive? What am I trying to hide then? It can't be what it seems...it just can't be. He's my best friend, nothing more, he thought, glancing around the room.
Jim sat back after a moment, closing his eyes. "Anyways..everyone else is asleep", he stated with a slightly angry tone, not looking at Gene. Gene looked at Jim again, and stared for a moment before speaking up.
"Aren't little boys supposed to be asleep as well?", he asked, causing Jim to get even angrier. Jim stood up, and growled at Gene before speaking to him again.
"I'm not a little kid! You're the little kid compared to me, never using your head and always acting on impulse!", Jim fired at Gene. Gene chuckled a bit, then looked to the side.
"Always acting on impulse...right", he said aloud, but it seemed like he was saying it to himself and not to Jim. He then stood up, and headed for his room. Jim watched him go, walking up to him.
"Going to bed? Listen, we should do something tomorrow", Jim said to Gene's back. Gene turned and glanced down at Jim, before replying.
"We need to leave tomorrow, I have something planned. We're going to Heifong", Gene simply said, walking into his room. Jim blinked at Gene, then questioned him.
"Why are we leaving so soon? What are these plans of yours that need to be done all the way out there?", Jim asked. Gene looked down at Jim, and after a few minutes, spoke up.
"Nothing that would concern or involve children", Gene replied, shutting the door to his room. Jim growled, then grabbed a blanket and pillow and went to the couch to set them down. He lied down on the couch then, covering up his whole body and going to sleep.
Meanwhile, Gene stood against the door, staring at the floor for a moment before going to his bed. He smiled at seeing Melfina sleeping in the bed next to him, before stripping down to his boxers and climbing into his own bed. Giving a slight yawn, he covered himself up and drifted off to sleep, and into another dream.
Gene felt a body crawling into the bed beside him, and then felt an arm wrap around his waist. "Are you asleep?", asked a voice Gene recognized as Fred's.
"Yes..now leave me alone", Gene replied, turning on his side. Fred only giggled, then crawled under the blanket with him.
"Gene, you promised me we could sleep together tonight", Fred stated, running his hand along the front of Gene's body. Gene turned to look at Fred with half-lidded eyes, and Fred only smiled at him.
Gene sighed a bit. "Fine, since you're already here", he simply said. Fred made a noise that sounded like a squeal of happiness, and began to remove his clothes. Gene watched Fred, and took in the sight of Fred's exposed body.
His eyes wandered over Fred's toned chest and slightly toned abs, all the way down to his legs, which were slender as well. Soon, he felt fingers under his chin, and his head tilted up.
"You're staring, that's not very nice", Fred said, placing a gentle kiss on Gene's lips. Gene blushed, then looked away.
"I wasn't staring..", he lied, closing his eyes. Fred moved closer to Gene, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"If you want, I'll let you see everything. I'll only let you see every part of my body, as long as I can see yours", Fred whispered, nibbling at Gene's earlobe, causing a small groan to emit from Gene's lips.
Gene blushed some more, before turning and wrapping his arms around Fred. "Why..why do you do this to me?", he asked, before capturing Fred's lips in a deep kiss, which turned heated very quickly.
Soon kisses turned into needed touches, which turned into passionate actions that caused pleasure to each of the men in that bed.
Gene then felt a cold cloth over his face, which woke him up with a start. He panted a bit, then heard the voice of Jim.
"So he awakens, finally. Thought you were going to waste the day in bed Gene", Jim said. Gene grabbed the cloth, and threw it to the side. Jim went and retrieved it from the floor then.
"What the hell?! Haven't you ever heard of not interrupting someone when they're asleep? Dammit Jim...", Gene replied, rubbing his face. Jim gave him a look, then put the cloth in the bathroom where it was found.
"Everyone else is up and waiting for you. We should get going, so we can make good time to get to Heifong", Jim stated. Gene got up out of bed, not caring that he felt hot and that he was covered in sweat. He went into the bathroom as Jim exited it.
"Give me 10 minutes, then we'll leave", Gene said, gathering some clothes. Jim nodded, then went to the door of the room.
"By the way Gene...you were moaning in your sleep. You'd better do something about that", Jim said, walking out of the room and shutting the door. Gene blinked, then made a soft noise and turned on the shower.
Gene was out of the shower in 5 minutes, then out of his room in 3 minutes, looking refreshed and ready for the day. "Well guys, let's get out of here", he simply said, walking out the door to their room. Everyone else followed in silence as they exited the hotel building and went to the spaceport.
Once there, they entered the Outlaw Star and went to the kitchen. "Melfina, make us a quick breakfast. We have to kick it into gear if we want to make it to Heifong today", Gene commanded, sitting at the counter.
"Right, I'll get right to it!", Melfina replied, going to work on fixing breakfast. It was ready in another few minutes, and everyone sat down to eat. Once they were finished, they headed to the bridge.
"Let's hit it Gilliam, we're on a one-way course to Heifong", Gene shouted to Gilliam, who spoke immediately.
"All right, I'll set our destination for Heifong. It'll take us about two days from our current position", Gilliam replied. Gene shook his head, then set the controls for the trip.
"That's a negative, we have to get there tonight. We're going to have to risk traveling at higher speeds, but I know you can do it", Gene said, before preparing to blast off.
"Just be careful with the ship Gene", Gilliam warned. Melfina took her place in her tube, and prepared the navigation system.
"All systems green, ready when you are Gene", Melfina said after a few minutes. Gene nodded, then once he got clearance, blasted out of the space port. Once they were clear of the planet's gravitational field, Gene called out.
"Hold on tight guys, this is going to be a hell of a ride. Let's hope we don't get our asses vaporized", Gene said, before kicking it into high gear and blasting off at the speed of light just about.
Jim, Ashia and Suzuka held their heads down to avoid getting sick from the speed, and Gene just held on as they traveled through one gate jump, and finally another after about 4 hours. Once they passed that jump, Gene slowed the ship down, sighing.
"We have made it into Heifong space, it'll be another 6 hours before we arrive", Gilliam announced. Gene looked up then, and rubbed his head.
"Guess we made it out okay. All right! I did it!", Gene replied, cheering to himself. Jim looked off to the side, putting a hand to his mouth.
"I think I'm going to be sick..", he stated, groaning a bit. Gene just chuckled at him, as they continued on their way to Heifong. After a long 7 hours, they finally arrived at Heifong.
Gene pulled into a space port, and parked the ship. "We have arrived at Heifong III", Gilliam announced as the crew got up to exit the ship. Gene waved Gilliam off as they finally exited into world of riches' nightlife.
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The crew wandered around the moonlit streets, trying to find a place to stay. Once they found one they could afford, Jim turned to Gene. "So Gene, what are these plans of yours?", he asked. Gene just patted his head, grinning.
"I have somewhere I have to be tonight, so take care of everyone else for me, okay?", Gene replied, before heading to their room. Jim just followed, not looking too happy about Gene's response. Once they were inside, Gene looked around. "Nice...", he simply commented, before looking at the door.
"I have to go get some things, and then I'll be gone for most of the night. Take care of yourselves", Gene said, walking out of the room with a wave. He then headed out of the hotel, and down the street.
Now where did I see it?, Gene asked himself in his head, looking around as he passed some stores. He finally found what he was looking for, and headed into a clothing store.
While in there, Gene began to look for a suit that he liked for Fred's party. He finally found a nice blue one with a black tie and black pants, and went to try it on. Thinking it was suitable, he bought it, then put it back on.
Gene exited the store, then looked at a street clock. I should head to Fred's place, Gene thought, walking down the street. He turned a corner, and he saw Luo Enterprises' Grand HQ come into view. Here goes nothing, just act calm and don't look like a jackass, he thought to himself.
Gene headed into Fred's building, and took the elevator up to the 4th floor, which he knew was a grand hall, and imagined the party to be there. He was right in his thinking, for once he stepped out of the elevator, he heard chattering everywhere. He looked around and saw a lot of fancy-looking people, and instantly felt uncomfortable.
He walked around, looking around for Fred through the crowds of people. Where are you Freddy boy? You'd better feel special because this will be the only time I'm looking for you, Gene thought. Just then, he was surrounded by a group of men in black suits by a door, and they began talking to him.
"You sure you're in the right place? You look lost", one of them said. "Are you lost? Let's show him the way out", another added on. Gene was about to punch those two guys, when all of a sudden he heard his savior's voice.
"HEY! There you are Gene! You actually showed up, I'm so glad", Fred yelled out of nowhere, going up to Gene as the men surrounding Gene turned to look at Fred. Fred waved them off Gene, and took Gene's hands and led him away.
If Gene didn't have enough dignity, he would've clung to Fred at that moment like a lost little boy. He would've complained that he was abandoned, and would've left right then. However, he had his dignity and didn't do anything like that.
Fred brought Gene over to a group of guys that seemed nicer than the other group of guys Gene ran into. "This is Gene Starwind, the man I was telling you about. He's my special guest", Fred said to the guys, who looked at Gene. One went up and shook his hand.
"Pleased to meet you Mr. Starwind, Fred has told us many great things about you", the man said, giving Gene a smile. Gene noticed that the man seemed slightly older than himself, and just smiled back. Fred smiled as well, and Gene took in the sight of Fred.
Fred was wearing a white suit, with his hair pulled back behind his ears. He had a red tie to go with the suit, and Gene could finally see the earring that Fred had gotten hidden in his cartilage. Gene was there when Fred got that, and smiled at the memory.
Fred got Gene a glass of expensive wine, and Gene gladly accepted it, taking a quick sip. Finding the taste to be quite comforting, Gene drank some more. Fred chuckled as he watched Gene, then moved closer to him. "Lighten up Gene, now that everyone knows you're my guest, they'll treat you as they would myself", Fred said, placing a hand on Gene's shoulder and squeezing it a bit.
Gene looked at Fred, then nodded as he set his glass down. He glanced around the room, and wondered just how he could be accepted in a place like this. He decided he'd better stay close to Fred for the night, to avoid unnecessary questioning.
As time went by, Gene began to open up more calmly to the other guests, engaging in conversations with those that were curious as to how he knew Fred. "So you've been friends for a long time huh?", a woman asked. Gene nodded, and sighed a bit. "He's very handsome, I'd marry him if he'd let me", the woman joked, chuckling. Gene joined in the chuckling, then went back to Fred.
"Be careful, people are after your ass, and I don't mean those trying to kill you", Gene whispered, causing Fred to laugh. Fred put an arm around Gene's shoulders, and pulled Gene close. Gene allowed this, since it was a party after all.
Soon, one of the men called everyone to attention, and gave a small toast to honor Fred and his accomplishments as being one of the youngest men in the merchant business. Then a round of applause and cheering was started, in which Gene joined in. Then Fred was called up to say a few words, in which he did.
"I would like to thank you all for coming, since I wasn't planning on having this mny of you in my home. Seems the place isn't quite big enough to hold everyone though", Fred began, and laughter was heard from his lame joke. "Anyways...what can I say? My father taught me well, so I'll be sure to keep the business going for many years to come. Thank you all very much", Fred finished, sitting down.
Another round of applause was heard, and Fred just grinned, then raised his glass towards Gene. Gene grabbed his glass and returned the gesture, then they both shared a drink. Fred then stood up and went to sit by Gene, smiling at him.
"I've never seen you drink so expensively before", Gene teased, nudging Fred. Fred just looked at Gene, then sighed.
"This is a special occasion, so I decided to allow myself to divulge just a bit", Fred replied, looking around. Gene just smiled, and watched the party carry out. Once it had finally ended, Gene finally noticed how quiet it was in the building. He wandered outside to the balcony, where Fred had been standing. He went up and stood beside him.
"Great party, if I do say so myself. Congratulations on being the Top Snob of them all", Gene commented. Fred looked back at Gene, then rested his head against Gene's shoulder.
"I'm glad you came, I was actually able to enjoy myself with you here", Fred replied, not bothering to call Gene out on him being called the "Top Snob". Gene just gave Fred a small noise to show he had heard, and just stared at the city ahead.
Fred was quiet for a moment, then spoke up again, standing up straight once more. "Are you going to stay here long? In Heifong I mean", Fred asked. Gene shrugged, then looked at Fred.
"I might as well, seeing as how I'm a bit tired of traveling from place to place", Gene replied. Fred looked down, and gave a slight nod.
"Guess I'm to blame for that, I'm sorry. But..you didn't have to come you know", Fred added on, glancing at Gene, who was still looking at Fred.
"I didn't have to, but I had nothing better to do. If I didn't come, I'd hear you cry about it on the phone tomorrow", Gene responded, smirking a bit. Fred pouted at that comment.
"I wouldn't have cried...", he began, before glancing away. "Not a lot anyways..", he admitted, still looking away. Gene just chuckled softly, then went to sit down at a nearby table. Fred turned to face him, and just leaned against the balcony railing a bit.
"If you cried, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. You're my best friend after all, and I can't stand to see you sad", Gene admitted, looking at the ground. Fred just stared at him, then looked down himself.
"I don't feel sad because of you...I feel ashamed of myself", Fred said, causing Gene to look up at him. Fred was looking off to the side, and Gene decided he'd better ask.
"Why are you ashamed of yourself? I mean, look at what you've done with your life, and this party tonight. People respect you, I even respect what you've done", Gene stated, watching Fred.
Fred smiled a bit, and gave a slight chuckle. "You're too kind to me Gene, thank you. However, I wasn't talking about that. I know I'm liked and respected, however I know other things too. Things that might change peoples' perspectives of me, including you", Fred replied. Gene blinked, and continued to watch Fred.
"Even me? What could be so bad that it would change my perspective of you, and the people that respect you as well?", he asked. Fred closed his eyes and frowned a bit, as if those weren't the words he wanted to hear. Gene was about to take them back once he saw Fred's face, but then Fred looked up at him calmly.
"Do you really want to know what it is Gene? If you do, you must promise it won't change nor ruin our friendship", Fred responded. Gene thought about Fred's words for a moment, taking them in. He's scaring me a bit, what could it be that I have to promise we'll still be friends?, Gene thought, before making his decision.
"I promise you Fred, that no matter what it could be, we'll still be best friends", Gene responded. Fred didn't say anything after that, he just stared at Gene. After a few minutes, Gene watched Fred walk over to him, then slowly tilt his head up. Fred stared into Gene's eyes for a moment, before leaning in closer to Gene's face. Gene stared back at Fred for a moment, and then his eyes widened a bit at what happened next.
Fred closed his eyes, then leaned into Gene's face some more, and finally broke the distance between both of their faces by placing his lips against Gene's.
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A/N: Happy New Year to all of my readers and reviewers. I appreciate all the awesome reviews of this fic, and I thank you for them. I know the whole "light speed" thing with the ship probably would've killed the crew if it could actually happen, but is this fic about physics or about the greatness of my OTP? You decide that for yourself, and to the flamers: I hope this new year brings you some brains to go with the M-rated fic I'll write for you.