Club Zero
February 21st
"Murrue, this really isn't my thing–" Natarle tried for the thirteenth time that night to convince her friend that she wasn't prepared to do whatever the girls had planned for her. As nice as she thought they were for offering, she really was quite uncomfortable. She'd never had the time to go out for a night of fun, it was odd that she was doing it now.
"We let you get away with your outfit, you're not wriggling out of this one Natarle." Murrue told her firmly, but the laughter was everywhere. Erica was snorting as she raced her sleek blue convertible down the road towards the club, Natarle could already see that it was going to end up a disaster.
Natarle looked down at her outfit, pursing her lips unhappily at her friend's assessment. She didn't find anything wrong with it, staring down at her light blue blouse and darker skirt, it seemed fine. "What's wrong with my outfit?"
Erica snorted loudly from the front seat, sparing the woman a glance in the rearview mirror as her foot pressed down harder on the pedal. She looked incredibly amused, eyes flashing brilliantly with mirth as she answered pleasantly, "Do you really want to know or are you happier being in the dark?"
"Now that you ask?" Natarle answered sarcastically, deciding she was going to happily stay sober and watch her friends drink themselves into a stupor for blackmail later. "I'm fine being left in the dark."
"You're no fun." Murrue sighed unhappily, relaxing petulantly into her seat and folding her arms across her chest.
"And you're already drunk." Natarle replied smoothly, earning a loud snicker from Erica that had her lips twitching upwards into a smirk.
"Am not!" Murrue exclaimed, looking both insulted and like she was trying not to laugh at the same time.
"Shut up ladies, we're here." Erica interrupted them with a laugh, pointing to the club that was now as close as it'd get from the car.
Natarle was hesitant to even leave the car but after prodding and poking from the girls she finally gave in, sandwiched between them as they walked her into the club. Her stomach flipping every ten seconds, she was momentarily deafened as soon as they passed the doors, the loud music seemed to interfere with her heartbeat. The entire club itself could have been throbbing to the rhythm of the music blaring from the speakers.
She blinked a few times, confused by the crazy wash of colours that marred oddly with her vision. Everything seemed to be in odd shades of neon blue or red, vibrating in time with the music. Now she was glad she had the women on either side of her to keep her walking, she felt as though her legs had simply locked in their place at the sight of the chaos inside of the building.
"Like it?" Murrue asked loudly over the music, gesturing to the throng of dancing people, both couples and singles. She wasn't as startled as her friend was, it hadn't been her first experience in a club. She knew from the shocked expression on the violet-eyed woman's eyes that she had never entered a place like this before.
Natarle didn't answer, unsure if she'd even be able to speak loudly enough over the music. She doubted she would have even been able to hear her friend if the brunette hadn't been right beside her. Looking around the unease in her stomach increased, tightening it into a knotted ball. She didn't belong here.
"Don't worry Natarle, just relax." Erica told her soothingly, patting her friend in the arm before turning her towards the bar. It was outrageously decorated with the live neon green strips to make it stand out, easy enough to spot. She called over to the bartender, ordering three shots before turning to the struck Natarle and making a preemptive strike lest she be yelled at, "Call it Dutch courage."
"I don't drink!" Natarle protested, watching both women take their shots of the amber liquid and downing it without any trouble. Her former captain didn't even blink. That didn't really surprise her though, she remembered watching the brunette woman drinking the moonshine in the desert like it had been soda, laughing when she finished it off. The both laughed at her and she finally shook her head before gingerly taking the glass, closing her eyes and throwing the liquid down her throat. She coughed once, the burning alcohol racing down her throat and she swallowed dryly, noticing the girls didn't even look like they cared.
"C'mon Murrue, I love this song!" Erica grinned, grabbing her friend by the arm and tugging her out into the crowd, leaving Natarle frozen by the bar.
Natarle shook her head, leaning against the counter as she watched her friends let loose and laugh as they started to dance. She had to smile a little, they both looked like teenagers, enjoying a weekend free of study and worry. Natarle smiled a little bit more, noticing how Murrue really had cut her military ties completely, she'd never seen the brunette look so cheerful and carefree before. 'She's taken to a domestic life pretty well... It suits her...'
"Um, excuse me miss?"
Natarle looked over in surprise to see a tall dirty blond haired man standing directly beside her, wearing an awkward smile. She turned completely, crossing her arms instinctively over her middle and skipping a casual step backwards so they wouldn't be so close. She forced a smile onto her face and asked politely, ignoring the thrum of her heart picking up speed, "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, I was hoping you could..." The man answered sheepishly, brushing a hand over his face and pushing his scraggly hair out of his dark eyes. He gestured idly to the throng of dancing couples and others, looking half-hopeful as he returned his gaze to her, "I wondered if maybe you'd like to dance with me?"
Natarle felt her heartbeat pick up speed almost instantly, and she looked over her shoulder helplessly for her friends but couldn't see them amidst the crowd. She swallowed hard, fighting off the instinctive fear that raced down her bloodstream. She wondered why she didn't feel embarrassed at the attention either, she wasn't used to being asked anything but suddenly it didn't seem to really bother her. She looked back up at him, knowing her answer already without thinking about it. "I'm sorry, I don't dance."
"Oh. I see... Could I buy you a drink then?" The man recovered quickly, flashing her what he hoped was a winning smile, gesturing to the bar in another hopeful move.
"Sorry, I don't drink either." Natarle politely answered him, looking over her shoulder once more in a desperate plea to find a familiar face.
"Oh, alright..." The man walked away, sounding quite disappointed and she could see the slump of his shoulders as he vanished into the crowd. She felt a stab of sympathy but ignored it, trying to reason out the strange reactions of her emotions.
"Natarle."
The woman in question whirled around to see Erica standing there with a fearsome expression on her face, glaring out at the crowd where the man had disappeared into .she glanced at Natarle again, eyes darkening with concern and she gently touched the woman on the shoulder. "You alright? Was he bothering you?"
"No, he just asked me to dance..." Natarle answered with forced cheer, shrugging both shoulders casually. She could tell her friend felt guilty, and shook her head when she saw the frown coming on the redhead's face. "Don't look like that, it was bound to happen. I was kind of asking for it just hanging out by the bar."
Erica frowned again, not liking the blase comment of how the woman was trying to shrug off something that clearly caused her unease. She glanced down at her entwined hands, then shook her head and removed her second wedding band, taking Natarle's free hand and placing it there. "Wear that."
Natarle glanced down at the plain gold band, before looking up at Erica with clear surprise. She strained for a joke to cover the mood, finally murmuring, "Won't your husband be mad if he finds out you've been giving away your rings?"
"It's just for the night, the guys will leave you alone if you flash it. I should've thought of it sooner." Erica answered with a shrug, watching the former soldier idly twist the ring onto her hand, the band loose on her thin fingers but it stayed anyway. "Just wear it and give it back to me when we go home."
"Yes ma'am."
"Now c'mon, I'm showing you how to dance." Erica didn't wait for the woman to argue, just snatched her by the wrist and tugged her into the crowd with a growing smirk on her face. She was going to have fun whether or not she liked it, and that was how it was going to be.
Mu and Murrue's Home
Later that night...
Mu stretched out casually on the couch, fighting a yawn as the television rolled on the credits of the crime drama he had been watching to pass the time until his fiancee came home. He hadn't argued when she announced her plans on taking the young woman out for the night, he could tell she was trying hard to melt the woman's still defensive exterior and this was obviously part of the plan.
He hadn't been delighted with the thought of staying home alone, but if it made her happy he wouldn't argue. He thought about them with a little smile, knowing how much the raven-haired woman had probably argued with the entire thought. He couldn't imagine her being the partying type, she seemed more inclined to spend a night at home, wrapped up in a book or finishing a project on her own time. It made him chuckle to imagine her in the middle of a club or a bar, staring at her drinks or the dancers with wide eyes and a 'why me' expression on her face.
A knock on his door jolted him from his daydreams, and he jumped the back of the couch in his hurry to answer it, wondering if maybe Murrue had forgotten her key. When he opened the door he was mildly surprised to see Natarle standing there, an amused smile on her face. "Oh. Hey Natarle."
"Hey." She jerked her head towards the parked car in the driveway, her smile growing a little bit wider to match with the pink of her cheeks. "Your girlfriend's in the car, she passed out on the way here."
Mu snorted, following her outside yo see she had been honest, Murrue was curled into the backseat, eyes closed and fast asleep with her coat pulled over her. Erica was in a similar position in the front, slumped onto the door and sitting up though she was clearly out like a light too. Natarle looked like she was trying to contain her laughter when Mu studied them. "You managed to get them into the car?"
"It's Erica's car. I stole the keys when she went for her fifth shot. It wasn't fun trying to get them through the parking lot." Natarle lost the battle, snickering quietly as she watched Mu open the backseat door and casually lift Murrue into his arms, nestling her close to his chest. She murmured softly in her sleep, cuddling closer to him unconsciously. "Did you know how happy your girlfriend is when she's hammered?"
"Quite I'd guess." Mu laughed, pressing a tiny kiss to the crown of her hair, watching her smile dazedly in her sleep. She seemed feather light to him now, he watched Natarle sigh the door shut so she wouldn't wake them, still laughing silently. "How much did she drink?"
"A lot. She meant it when she said she was having a night out." Natarle rolled her eyes, knowing that the memory of her former captain drinking herself into a stupor was something she was not soon about to forget. It made for some good blackmail if the situation was ever to arise, she was a bit disappointed that she hadn't brought a camera along. She had to admit it though, it was one of the funniest things she had ever seen, some of the men at the bar had taken to staring when she finished off her sixth with a loud and smug laugh. The woman was mad. "She's going to have one hell of a hangover when she wakes up, I'd advise you to keep the aspirin close for when she wakes up."
"Advice noted." Mu laughed, nuzzling gently into his fiancee's hair, hearing her sigh softly, curling her body closer into his arms, reacting to his warmth in the cool night. He noticed the ring on the youngest woman's hand, and the confusion was marred by the joke that he couldn't stop. "You move quick don't you? Who's the lucky man?"
"She is." Natarle answered without missing a beat, nodding towards the unconscious redhead in the front seat. When she looked at Mu, she was very amused to see his wide-eyed stare. "She let me borrow it because someone hit on me at the club. I'll give it to her husband when I drop her off."
"How will you get home if you leave her car there?" Mu asked in confusion, knowing her apartment was across town from Erica's home, he didn't like the idea of her being alone in the city this late at night.
"I already called a cab, they'll be waiting there." Natarle answered with a smile, sliding back into the car after checking her watch. "Speaking of that, I better get going." Mu took a few steps back, eyes still focussed on her and she smiled weakly, waving at him. "Hey... do me a favour, will you Mu?"
"Yeah?"
"Take care of her."
Mu grinned, hoisting Murrue into a better fit in his arms and curling them protectively around her. "You know it Natarle." He watched her smile and then the soft purr as the convertible rolled out of his driveway and disappeared into the night, the red taillights melting into the inky blackness.
He carried her into the house, kicking the door quietly shut behind him and up the stairs with little difficultly, musing at the lack of pain he was feeling from his legs. The pressure still existed but the ache was far behind it. He gently set her in the bed, tucking her in and grabbing a bottle of water and two pills for her headache that was probably going to beat on her in the morning.
He took a long moment, just standing at the edge of the bed and watching her. She smiled more in her sleep, curling into a ball under the thick covers, sighing softly. He reached out to gently brush a hand over her hair, feeling the warmth of the alcohol in her cheeks as his fingers strayed over her skin. "You're really going to regret drinking that much in the morning..."
She didn't answer.
This is my life.
It's not what it was before,
all these feelings I've shared.
And these are my dreams,
that I've never lived before.
Somebody shake me cause I,
I must be sleeping.
He smiled tenderly, brushing his hand a second time over her face, watching her smile grow a little. He gently slid into bed beside her, wrapping up his arms around her and hearing her murmur his name softly as she nestled into his chest. "I love you..."
She didn't answer, but she didn't have to. He sighed contentedly, happy to feel her there, sleeping and warm against him. It was a new feeling, something he was still getting used to despite the many memories he had of her being there with him while he slept. It made him finally feel complete, whole. Something he hadn't felt for a very long time. And now that he had what he'd been missing... He was finally happy with what had happened and who he was now.
AN
XD Now I screwed the ending, lol. I was searching for a song for ages, (shakes head) You'd figure with someone who has 200-something songs on her mp3 it would be easy to find something to suit the mood... Bleh. I like this song too much for it to be legal, "So Far Away" by Staind... If those who have read my songfic collection "Singing Me a Lullaby" you'd know that I chose that for Athrun, lol. But I'd like to think it kinda fits Mu in GS (Destiny yes included) it's hard not to finally reach that level of contentment and acceptance with who you are and what you have when you're in love and said loved one is with you at the end of the day...
Oh yeah, inside joke with the name of the club XD Yes you observant people who read TF, that is the same name that I used in that fic, lmao. I like to recycle things, it makes it easier for me than just randomly coming up with new stuff... I guess it does get boring, lol... I'm rambling. Review please!
Sky