17-Feb-2006
Title: Splendor Restored 8/13+E
Author: BadMomma
Warnings: AU (my first), limey
Pairings: 1x2x1, some mention of 3x4, OCs
Rating: MA for language and some sexual situations
Disclaimer: Own them, I do not.
Archived: GWA, ff.net, Under the Bridge
Feedback: Craved, greatly appreciated and always answered (though lately, it may take a little while).
Notes: See Chapter 1
Summary: A Renovations Consultant finds more than just old buildings of interest on his new job site when he gets tangled up with the resort's Program Director.
By the time he'd may his way to the designated spot, the butterflies in Heero's stomach had settled down. He could clearly make out the small bonfire that raged well back from the high tide line. Sitting in smaller groups around it, there were at least 25 to 30 people. Beyond that, at least another 10 to 15 were huddled on some loungers. He readjusted his grip on the six packs in his hands, took a deep breath, and trudged on. All the while repeating what had become his mantra in the weeks he'd been here: /I can do this. I will have a good time. I will fit in./
The closer he got to the fire the easier it was to make out the voices of the people around it. They were drinking, laughing and telling tales of their younger days. It was clear that these people had a history together - one that he did not share. He couldn't help but ask himself if he could manage not to act completely out of place.
As he passed a small group to his left, he recognized Gibson sitting with his arm around a woman about their age. Heero nodded in response to the welcoming wave the man offered and followed the direction of the finger pointing him toward the well lit house set back a way from the water's edge. Passing the other small groups of revelers, he realized that he recognized a good number of faces, many of whom nodded or waved as he passed. None of them seemed surprised to see him here so he took their acceptance of him as a sign of welcome. Clearly they did not mind his presence.
Heading straight for the house, he could just barely make out a group of people huddled in the car port under the stairs that led to Duo's apartment. As he made his way along the path that led between a wall of four-foot-high sea grape bushes, he began to catch snippets of conversations.
He easily identified Duo, Hilde and her boss Lucy's voices telling people what to do and how to arrange things in the small area. When he rounded the corner of the bushes he was treated to the sight of Duo, bent over the open top of a cooler, filling it with ice. The other man was dressed much like himself, in a pair of loose shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. When he stood to call for the next cooler he caught sight of Heero and waved him over.
Duo quickly introduced him to the other people there: Hilde's boyfriend Mike, Tom from the Motor Pool and Rick from Landscaping. Missing in action was Lucy's husband, Walker, whom everyone assumed had gone back into their house for something. When Lucy went in search of her wayward husband, Duo took over organizing the beverage depot, quickly putting Heero to work at filling the waiting coolers with ice.
Jax and Pax arrived a few minutes later, armed with a case of beer, just as Duo was beginning to explain the way things worked to Heero. The four of them packed their own cooler while the explanation took place.
These bonfires were held with enough regularity that a series of rules had been established to make them go more smoothly. The regulars all provided their own coolers, where each group would stash their supplies. Any guests, like Heero, would be there at the express invitation of a regular, so their beer went into that regular's stash. There were also a series of slightly battered, decorated, tin buckets lying around that easily held 6 to 8 bottles each; these were used to take the drinks down to the area of the bonfire.
In addition to this, all the regulars paid three dollars at each bonfire toward the purchase of ice, sodas and snacks for future events. Having seen Jax and Pax's money accepted, Heero, too, offered three dollars toward the kitty but was resoundingly told to put it away. Duo explained that you had to attend at least three bonfires before being considered a regular. The only reason Jax and Pax's money had been accepted was that they had attended regularly when they were younger and made it a point to do so whenever they were in town. When he'd tried to insist, Duo had laughed and slapped him on the back telling him that rules were rules, but he looked forward to being able to accept Heero's money well before the summer was out.
Each with a beer in hand and their bucket packed, the three men led the way back to the fire laughing and joking, with Heero in tow.
The evening had been progressing quite nicely from Heero's point of view. He'd spent the first thirty minutes after arriving back at the bonfire being introduced to the other attendees and getting little bits of back-story on each of them. He was ushered around initially by Duo before being commandeered by Hilde when Duo's presence was required elsewhere. His nervousness about not belonging or fitting in had lasted a little longer than he'd hoped it would, but soon enough, found himself smiling easily with the other guests.
So it was, two hours later, he found himself running a light buzz and thoroughly enjoying the company of some of Duo's oldest friends. They were sitting around on the blankets and sheets laid out over the sand, crossed legged or stretched out. Keeping him company at the moment was Hilde and Mike, Pax's sister, Clara, who clearly still harbored a slight crush on Duo despite the very real presence of her own boyfriend, Jonathan, and Lucy's elusive husband, Walker. Sitting right next to him was the very reason for his presence at the event... " Duo.
Heero listened with half an ear to the conversation around him as he casually looked the man over again. In the flickering light of the fire, Heero found him even more attractive than before. The red-orange glow did nothing to diminish the liveliness of the prominent blue eyes in Duo's tanned face. If at all possible, the light seemed to heighten the mischief that lived there as he told the group a particularly funny story about the blunders he'd made his first week working at the resort. That story was followed by similar ones from the others in their group. It seemed that everyone had at least one embarrassing moment in their past to share.
Realizing that his bottle was empty and his bladder full, he began to rise, intent on resolving both those problems. A hand on his thigh stopped him when he'd made it to his knees, causing him to automatically sit back on his heels.
"You're not leaving yet, are ya'?" Duo had apparently noticed his movement.
"No, just going for a beer, we seem to have run out- and to the bathroom. Want another one?" He motioned with his empty bottle to the one resting by Duo's feet.
Handing the bottle over, Duo smiled and leaned back on one elbow, twisting his upper body toward Heero. "Sure you don't mind?"
Heero shook his head and accepted the empty bottle.
"Pax and Jax said they were going to refill the bucket, but they've been gone a long time. Why don't you go up to the house and use the bathroom in my apartment... " the door should be unlocked. Oh and if you see them, tell... 'em to get their asses in gear."
Heero finished getting up, nodding his agreement and smiling back at the reclined figure in front of him. His mind was quick to supply images of what he could do to that body, with that body, were the current circumstances any different. He diligently tramped down on those images. Pleasant as they might have been, his mind was quick to supply that the scenarios being played out did not appear likely to happen. Shaking his head minutely at his inability to control his wayward thoughts, he walked away from the source of his temptation.
Hadn't he been trying to insinuate his interest or catch Duo's for the last week and a half? They'd had a conversation, just days before, in which he'd been deliberately vague about his sexual past and nothing had come of it. On a few occasions, he thought he'd caught Duo watching... " or perhaps ogling... " him but then it would stop and he would wonder if maybe he hadn't misinterpreted the looks. Maybe he just didn't know enough, wasn't well practiced at it; it had been quite a while since he'd actually tried to catch anyone's interest and even then it had only been for short term results. Not that it wasn't part of the equation, but he wanted more than just a few bouts of sex with Duo. Had he ever even tried for that with anyone? The last time they'd talked, Trowa had suggested that he might need to be more obvious about his intentions, but he was afraid that if he pushed his luck it might backfire. If he /was/ misreading Duo's signals, he might just ruin what was turning into a really great friendship.
Approaching the side of the house, he spotted a lone figure by the coolers. Lucy's dark head swung around at the sound of his steps and she spared him a wave.
"Hey Heero, come for a refill?"
"Bathroom actually, but..." he looked around quickly, spotting their bucket, and frowned slightly. "Are Jax and Pax around? Duo said they'd come back to do the honors." He tossed the empty bottles he had in the trash bin and started to look around again but was brought back by her laugh.
"Oh yeah, they're around. One of the idiots cut his hand on a broken bottle and they went to clean and bandage it." She cocked her head in the direction of the apartment above them. "They should be back any minute now."
"Ah, thanks. Well, if you'll excuse me?" He motioned to the stairs.
"Right. Nature calls." She smiled at him one last time and rose with her own bucket refilled. "See ya' around." And with that she waved and moved off.
Heero watched her disappear around the sea-grape bushes as he ascended the stairs; the short citronella torches that lined the path reflected off the bucket she carried.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he found the door to Duo's apartment not only unlocked, but slightly ajar. Having previously been granted permission to enter, he did so without hesitation and softly closed the door behind him. He had expected to find Duo's two school friends immediately, but what he found instead was the kitchen light turned on, bloody paper towels in the garbage and no sign of the other two men. He was about to call out to them when he heard a muffled groan and low thud. Stepping toward the short hallway that led past Duo's bedroom to the bathroom, he heard another thud. And a throaty chuckle.
"Mmm. You better... " ah - stop that."
"Why?"
"Jax, quit."
"We're alone now, Tonio; don't call me that. Say it."
There was another muffled groan and the door to the bathroom, which had been open just a crack, closed with a resounding thud.
"Aah- mmm- aah- Oooh!" There was a slight scuffle and the door shook. "Damn it Jax, stop. We don't have time for this."
"Say it Tonio, I wanna hear it. Just once. I've been wanting it all day."
Heero stood frozen where he'd stopped.
"Ma-aah- My Hora- Oh God, stop! Stop I'm-"
There was another, louder, muffled groan and the door shook again. He didn't make out the words immediately following, as they were hushed and hurried. Despite the fear of being discovered, he couldn't help but move closer to try to catch what was being said. Only two steps from the door, the voices rose again.
The voice that greeted his ears was a low purr. "You're a mess, Tonio."
"And whose fault is that, cabron? Damn it, Jax, my hand's bleeding again. You were supposed to be helping me bandage it, not sticking yours down my shorts."
"Here, let me help you with it." There was a throaty chuckle. "And it's your own fault, you know."
"My fault? How do you figure that?"
The water from the faucet ran for a moment and was shut off.
"Well, you've been taunting me all night."
"Taunting you?! When the hell was I taun-"
Silence followed the aborted statement and then another groan.
"Oh, Horatio, why do you do this to me?"
"You know why, Tonio. You do it to me too."
"Yes, I- you're right, but not here, mi amor. Not right now, not yet. We'll have plenty of time later. Tonight."
"I'm sorry, love, I just- It's not fair that we have to pretend. Why do we have to hold back when everybody else is having a good time and showing it? Everybody's got somebody and I just wanted to touch you. I didn't want to wait until later."
"Horatio, I don't want him to find out like this. I want to tell him."
"Does it really matter how he finds out, Tonio? You said yourself he knows about you. Don't you think he'll be happy for us? He's our friend, so why would it bother him?"
"It's not that. I just want to tell him in private, not drop it on him like this in front of everybody else. I owe it to him; he's been my best friend... " our best friend... " since we were kids."
"Fine, I'll wait, but I don't have to like it."
There was the sound of a cupboard being opened and closed, then quiet mumbling. Heero figured they were dressing the cut again. He considered going back outside, not wanting to be found nearby when they exited the bathroom. He was just turning to leave the apartment when the door began to open.
"I'll get you a clean pair of shorts. You can't go back out there like that."
Too far from the front door that he'd closed on his way in, Heero darted back into the kitchen and hoped for another chance to make his retreat.
"Oh thank you so much, Master of the Obvious. If you hadn't had your wicked way with me, my shorts would be just fine right now."
Jax's laughter could be heard in the hallway, crossing to Duo's bedroom.
"Yes, well, you don't usually mind that, do you? And anyway, it's not like anyone will find out. We weren't that loud."
Loud enough, Heero's mind supplied sarcastically. There was a rustle of cloth then he heard a drawer pushed shut, followed by the click of the light switch. Jax's steps sounded in the hallway again, then the light spilling from the bathroom dimmed as he presumably pulled the door.
"Ah. Thanks."
"No problem. Need some help with that?"
"No, thank you. I think you've helped enough tonight. And anyway we need to get the hell out of here before Duo sends a search party. He could very well be on his way already."
There was more chuckling and quiet conversation, but Heero paid it no mind. He considered whether it would be best to go back outside and pretend that he was just coming up to the apartment when they emerged. He did still need to use the bathroom. But if someone was downstairs, or saw him leaving, there were sure to be uncomfortable questions asked, especially if he didn't make it out of the area before Jax and Pax came down the stairs. Making a hasty decision, he slipped back around the corner and shot into Duo's bedroom, hoping beyond hope, that they would just leave when they were done. He breathed a sigh of relief at not being discovered as he hid behind the door.
Standing in the dark room, it occurred to him that Duo might be wondering what was taking him so long, too, and if he'd think to question his other friends about running into him when they returned. He almost laughed out loud, wondering if he'd survive the evening the way things were going. Between the images of Duo stretched out on the blanket earlier and the very clear picture of what his friends had been doing in his bathroom; he wasn't sure that he would.
"Tonio?" Jax's voice was loud in the hallway and Heero peered through the crack between door and the jamb to watch them.
"Yeah?" Pax turned out the light in the bathroom and joined his boyfriend, who was standing in the hallway looking back at him.
"That summer - the one that I went away with my parents- the one when you told Duo-"
"Mmhm?"
"Were you guys, um, you know? Did you and he?" Jax was tilted his head left and right, motioning between them with his hand.
"Did we hook up?" There was mirth in the man's voice and Jax nodded in response. "No, babe, we didn't. It might've been nice though... " he's a real good kisser. But at the time we both had it bad for somebody else." Pax smiled and kissed his boyfriend quickly before beginning to move past him down the hall.
Jax's response was a quick nod and an... 'oh' before the statement sunk in and he turned to follow. "Hey, how do you he's a good kisser if you didn't hook up with him?"
"Oh, that. Um, remember that same year you went to visit family in California during Christmas break?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, we got a little drunk during the party at my house on New Year's Eve and made out in my bedroom."
"You never told me that!"
The front door was opened and quickly shut again. There was a slight scuffle and a thud.
"Jax- Horatio- look at me." There was a pause. "There is nothing going on between him and me. You have nothing to be worried about."
"Is that why you're waiting for the right moment to tell him? In private?"
"I expect you to be there when I tell him. I expect *us* to tell him."
There was another pause and a rustle of clothing. When Pax spoke again, his voice was muffled.
"Mi amor, it was a long time ago and it was only that *one* time. We were friends, we were lonely and we were both a bit drunk. It was no big deal!"
There was a dissatisfied grumble in response to that that Heero didn't quite catch.
"Don't forget that I know you too, Horatio Jackson, and your secrets."
"That's right, you do know /all/ my secrets, don't you? Is there anything else about you I should know?"
"Don't be an ass, love. There's nothing else, I swear it. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I just hadn't thought about it until now. It really was no big deal. All we did was make out for a little while at that party; we've all done something like that at least once. Or are you suggesting that you never have?" The mirth was back in Pax's voice.
"I'd be lying if I did."
"Yes, you would, wouldn't you?" There was a rustling of clothes again followed shortly by some heavier breathing. "OK, now that that's settled can we go?"
"Alright."
The door opened and shut again, but this time Heero could hear their footsteps on the stairs. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, he made his way out from behind the door and stepped into the bathroom. This night was not turning out to be what he'd expected.
After a moment's thought, he wasn't entirely sure if that was a bad thing.
End Part 8
(:./bm/splendor8)
