Indigo Eyes 3
I know I said I’d reply to all signed reviews, but FFN won’t let me reply for some reason nor will it give me your email addresses to send you a reply. I’m sorry. As soon as it works, I’ll send them out.
Chapter 3
I don’t know why I felt so comfortable about Duo. Coming from a traditional Japanese family, hugging wasn’t really in the picture. Had I come from an Italian family, it’d be more reasonable, but since I’m not, I’m a little confused as to why Duo’s hugs don’t bug me as much as they should. Usually, I’m a very hands-off person. I don’t like people in my space and I hate crowded places, so naturally, I chalked it up to the mystery that was Duo Maxwell.
“Hey Heero, could you help me for a minute?” Duo called from his studio one night.
I walked over to it, putting my book down on the coffee table, making sure I had my page marked. “You called?”
Inside the studio, Duo was bent over the work table with a wooden frame laying on it. “Do you think you could help me stretch a canvas?” he asked.
“Sure,” I answered as I walked in, “but I don’t really know how.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll show you.”
So we spent the next few hours stretching canvases and moving around the finished pieces to the living room so that Duo had more room to work.
“How about we go out and get something to eat?” Duo suggested. “I’ll just change into something clean and we can go get some grub.”
“Umm… I… I don’t know…” I said. I knew I didn’t have any money to spend, I couldn’t very well just throw away what I did have.
“Come on, Heero. I’m buying.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Of course I’m sure! I’m inviting you to,” he paused and looked at his watch, “lunch. I told you I’d take care of you… Just think of it as a date.”
“A date?”
Duo laughed, “Yes a date, have you never been on one before?”
I shook my head, feeling completely embarrassed. “No, I’ve never been on a date at all.”
“Not even with a girl?”
Again, I shook my head.
“Not a problem. There’s nothing to it, really. Go and change and we’ll find somewhere to eat.”
A couple of hours later found us in a little hole-in-the wall Italian restaurant. I was seriously starting to doubt Duo’s sanity when he chose this place. I mean, was the place even sanitary? We were led to a table by the Goth waitress who had more tattoos and metal studs on her skin than I cared to count and given our one-page menus. I looked at the menu distastefully, what could possibly be so appetizing here? Finally, I just ordered a slice of spinach pizza and a water bottle, Duo ordered half the menu.
While our server was off placing our orders, I took the time to look around. What at first seemed to be a vandalized wall was in fact a wall of autographs. There were pictures of a man who I assumed was the manager there and surrounding the pictures were notes from various artists. Who knew this rat’s nest was such a celebrity hot spot?
Just then, a tall man stepped into my line of vision, cutting me off from my thoughts and my inspection of the wall.
“Duo, it’s been a while,” the man said in a quiet voice. I looked up at the man; he was about six foot three and had an odd haircut that covered half his face. His green eyes were quite stunning and his face had nice angles, reminding me somewhat of a cat.
“Tro-man! How have you been?” Duo smiled, excitedly.
The man shrugged and smiled back, “Same old. But I don’t think the same can be said about you,” he said, looking at me.
“Oh, right! Trowa, this is Heero. Heero, this is Trowa.”
He shook my hand, giving me a warm smile, “It’s a pleasure.” I just nodded back and returned the sentiment.
“Duo, I hope you’ve brought that picture you’ve been promising us.” Trowa said with a small upturn of his lips and a raised eyebrow.
“Actually, I did,” Duo said as he grabbed his backpack –I’d noticed he took that thing with him everywhere in case he got inspiration- and pulled out what looked like an actor’s headshot. He signed the black-and-white photo of himself with a silver marker and handed it over to Trowa. “Oh, but that’s not all I brought you guys,” Duo said while digging in his backpack again.
He pulled out a small 8x11 board canvas and held it out to Trowa. I blushed when I saw that it was a painting of my eyes reflecting the ocean. That trip to the beach Duo had taken me to had resulted in several paintings featuring me as a mer-person.
Trowa grinned and looked at me briefly, before turning his attention over to Duo, “I see you’ve found a muse.”
Duo nodded, “And now you all finally have a Maxwell original. I expect to see it up on the wall when I next come in, capiche?”
Trowa laughed and went about his way.
The food was surprisingly good and we ended up taking an entire spinach pizza home with us.
“So…” Duo said as he wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked home, “How do I score points with you?”
“Excuse me?”
Duo laughed a little and kissed my neck, making me jump, “Don’t be so uptight, Heero. If it makes you feel more comfortable, I’ll give you your space. Now tell me, how do I score with you?”
I was confused. In my upbringing, we never really spoke like that. What was he trying to ask? “I’m not exactly sure what you mean,” I told him honestly.
“Well, how can I phrase this? I like you Heero, I’m sure you’ve figured that much out,” I nodded. “And well, I want you to like me back. Is there anything I can do to help your opinion of me go up? Throw me a bone here; what do I have to do to get you to like me?”
I blushed a little but answered, “I think you’re doing just fine. I get a little uncomfortable with the lack of personal space, but I’m growing accustomed to it.”
“Really?” Duo perked up and hugged me from behind, pressing his entire body against my back, his breath against my neck just moments before he kissed my neck. “Like this?”
I pushed him away, laughing a little, “Don’t push it.”
He pouted cutely.
“Why is it that a thirty year old can look adorable and I can’t?” I asked.
Duo’s eyes widened, looking completely aghast, “That is a vicious LIE! I’m only twenty four, who told you I was that old!”
I laughed a little, “No one. Haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘tell a lie to get a truth’?”
Duo glared at me, and then pouted, walking away from me and back home, leaving me to run after him, with the pizza in tow.
“Duo?” I asked timidly as I caught up with him and matched his pace.
“Is that what you really think of me? Is that why you’re keeping me at a distance?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused by his change in attitude.
“Do you not like me because you think I’m an old man?” he asked, sounding very depressed.
“No, that’s not it at all, Duo.”
“Then what is it?” he asked, looking down at me with those beautiful violet eyes.
“I… I…” I could have kicked myself. Now was not the time to get tongue tied.
“I thought so,” he sighed and continued walking. We were already at our building and he didn’t stop to wait for me as he practically ran up the stairs. I took the elevator.
When I entered the apartment, Duo was staring miserably at the paintings that lined the wall from his vantage point on the couch.
“Duo?”
“You don’t have to stay, Heero. I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
I put the pizza down and walked over to him.
“Heero don’t… please. I know you probably think I’m a disgusting old man that’s trying to take advantage of you-”
“Stop it, Duo. You’re not old and you’re not disgusting!” I hissed at him. He flinched and relented. “I’m sorry I whispered and kneeled on the floor by the couch where he sat.
“Then why don’t you let me get close to you?”
“I’m afraid… of being hurt.” I whispered.
“Afraid? Of me?”
I nodded, I couldn’t look at him. “You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You’re smart and funny and drop-dead gorgeous, but… I’m scared….”
“Heero?”
I looked up at him trying to read his expression.
“Would you sleep with me tonight?”